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Good tech crews are hard to find. A lot of the time if you overrun the enemy they'll surrender to you and work for you instead of them. Even better!
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Aug 19, 2011 04:39
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Techs are basically Lostech, but also magically self-replicating. You can't just maek more, but if you leave them lying around with enough parts and other people eventually you have more Techs.the JJ posted:If one guy has the sword and the other doesn't? I don't think that ends well for the unarmed guy. Zaodai posted:A gun isn't either, depending on the round and the person using it.
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Aug 19, 2011 04:43
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Arquinsiel posted:Techs are basically Lostech, but also magically self-replicating. You can't just maek more, but if you leave them lying around with enough parts and other people eventually you have more Techs. Best description of Tech reproduction I've ever seen. Arquinsiel posted:It really depends on how well the other guy is trained. A few years ago I got to watch some self-defence instructor talking about surviving a knife attack when unarmed. Lesson 1 was "accept that you WILL get cut". It's all about making sure you get cut somewhere that won't incapacitate you, and being mentally prepared for the pain, using the distraction etc. If anyone could do that an Elemental could. The way I see it, yeah, you will get cut... which means a lot more with a sword than a knife. A gun, at least, in the hands of a panicky shooter, is liable to miss you completely. Less so panic swings with a sword.
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Aug 19, 2011 05:03
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Zaodai posted:A gun isn't either, depending on the round and the person using it. Totally agree, everytime I enter bullettime, I find those fools who brought a gun to an obvious gunblade fight always lose.
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Aug 19, 2011 05:04
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KnoxZone posted:This whole conversation is kinda silly and will get us nowheres. That's his "Send Max out to get assassinated" plan, probably at the hands of the vengeful Camacho's Caballeros. If I had to guess, Justin sent the Death Commandos in with orders to kill hostages just to piss off the Caballeros and he's responsible for letting them in to the Confederation where they'll just happen to run into Max on his tour. ZAPZAPZAPSTOMPSTOMPSTOMP, all hail Chancellor Romano Liao and her second in command, Justin Xiang...
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Aug 19, 2011 05:04
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SageSepth posted:Totally agree, everytime I enter bullettime, I find those fools who brought a gun to an obvious gunblade fight always lose. My point is that people often write guns off as taking no skill at all, and then further up the page someone talks about a guy trained in close combat fighting off someone with a knife or sword. If you're up against someone with a relatively powerful gun that knows how to use it (like trained police personel or the military), yeah you're pretty boned. Random Joe Blow on the street with a 9mm pistol who thinks he's a hardass? He's probably not ready to fight and I'd be willing to bet most of them don't know how to use their guns in a combat situation effectively. Just as someone can end up flailing wildly with a knife and giving you superifcial cuts you can fight through, a medium velocity low weight round in the hands of a street thug is going to result in a surprising number of non-lethal wounds. Guns are easier to train people to use than swords, I don't disagree with that. But most of the people you're likely to end up in armed combat with have no training and a firm belief that they don't need it. That makes them more vulnerable than they know.
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Aug 19, 2011 05:14
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Zaodai posted:My point is that people often write guns off as taking no skill at all, and then further up the page someone talks about a guy trained in close combat fighting off someone with a knife or sword. If you're up against someone with a relatively powerful gun that knows how to use it (like trained police personel or the military), yeah you're pretty boned. Hell, even people with training do stupid things and can be completely ineffective with guns. There was that Afghani police officer that got paid off to kill a bunch of US soldiers who opened fire from the hip with his AK at a range of maybe 20 feet and hit nothing but the vehicle before they turned a SAW on him. That didn't end well for him, supposed training or not. And an AK is a much more formidable weapon than most anything a civilian is likely to see outside of a combat zone.
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Aug 19, 2011 09:27
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So guys, I hear there was a vote or something. Something about an assassination plan or a wedding or something.
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Aug 19, 2011 09:33
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Chicken Slayer posted:So guys, I hear there was a vote or something. Something about an assassination plan or a wedding or something. We were voting on what flavor of cake they should have at the wedding.
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Aug 19, 2011 09:36
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Zaodai posted:We were voting on what flavor of cake they should have at the wedding. I thought we were arguing about drinks? I have to say, I prefer shots of AC-20's over those Large Laser ales. I mean sure, damage potential wise there's no question, but sometime you just want to get hosed up all in one go. My favorite cake flavor is sword.
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Aug 19, 2011 10:11
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With Caesar Steiner unavailable, I guess that makes me Furillo's Favorite Son, so I vote for a cake with a naked lady inside. It's what he would want.
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Aug 19, 2011 10:29
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Defiance Industries posted:With Caesar Steiner unavailable, I guess that makes me Furillo's Favorite Son, so I vote for a cake with a naked lady inside. Probably Clovis wouldn't mind much either. Not sure about Jenna, but she was a mechwarrior, maybe she'd be cool with it. The important question is who's Clovis' best man?
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Aug 19, 2011 18:06
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jng2058 posted:Probably Clovis wouldn't mind much either. Not sure about Jenna, but she was a mechwarrior, maybe she'd be cool with it. Doesn't matter since whoever they are will be subbed out for a clone/body-double.
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Aug 19, 2011 19:10
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jng2058 posted:The important question is who's Clovis' best man? If I were him, I'd pick William Harrison von Frisch. You're going to need a Best Man who is willing to fight the bride's family, and that dude was CO of the 4th Skye Rangers for like 30 years.
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Aug 19, 2011 23:24
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PoptartsNinja posted:
Because gently caress yeah, Federated Combine.
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Aug 20, 2011 02:30
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I've been lurking for a while watching this, but I'd like to sign myself up as a mechwarrior. Also, as far as voting goes... C1: I don't actually care about this, so whatever. R4: The way I see it, we need good stuff, fast. Finding this can buy some time and figure out what we're doing, or give us some error margin for general gently caress-upery. T4: See C1, but this one is more logic based. It just seems like the smartest idea.
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Aug 20, 2011 03:25
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Rorac posted:I've been lurking for a while watching this, but I'd like to sign myself up as a mechwarrior. I would imagine trying to find the Castle Brian while the FWL locals and ROM fight it out risks antagonizing both with a smaller chance of success. I am fairly certain the Red Corsair and Mr. Kell are in the situation they're in by having been defeated by the Marik forces in the Megamek game prior. Now, Janos Marik is actually offering to pardon them in exchange for help with fighting off the ComStar invaders while option R4 means escaping from captivity, finding the Castle Brian, and fighting their way out on top of that. Bear in mind all three parties are after the Castle Brian, or will be when Janos figures out why everyone's so interested in the planet, and it's better to hedge your bets and go with the enemy-of-my-enemy. It's not like he even knows the Red Corsair's true identity. Or if he is he's pretending not to and that means a potential ally in a traditional enemy of the Lyran Commonwealth, a definite plus against this alternate-universe "not gonna Tukayyid" Clan Invasion. It's not a bad choice as far as "interesting scenarios" go but if you're trying to play it safe and give yourself a margin of error then it's pretty much the exact opposite of what you're going for. As for not caring about the fate of our brave Lyran compatriots at the head of the Clan invasion and in the middle of our own long-running subplot intrigues (as well as, by extension, the Note that options C and R are linked in the subplot. Clovis Lestrade is an ally of Melissa Steiner and plays a vital role in keeping her safe and out of the hands of his tyrannical father. If things go poorly on Clovis' end, then even should the Red Corsair vs. FWL/ROM/both kerfluffle work out there's going to be problems afterwards. How this plays out does determine whether or not the IS is going to be stuck relying on ComStar for all level-2 IS tech in the coming in-game years and in canon the FWL is basically ComStar/WoB's sockpuppet. Any option that could see the Mariks being interesting and doing something important besides collapsing in on themselves is the better option. Robbing ComStar/protoWoB of the Castle Brian's databanks but keeping them in a position where they could still gouge the FWL without the good/fake Thomas Marik being able to resist their influence is just begging for the IS to start following canon. And do we really need another Jihad timeline? That aside, leaving the Lyrans in a bad way under the rule of Duke Lestrade would lead to more problems against the Clans because, as Tiepolo implied, he's an idiot. A ruthless dictator, yes, but definitely not of Sun Tzu Liao quality. There's no way leaving him in power is good for the Lyrans in the long run. For the Kuritan question, if you really didn't actually care you should've thrown logic to the wind and voted for the coolest option.  EDITS: There were a few, yes. Runa fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Aug 20, 2011 |
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Aug 20, 2011 06:46
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Dear lord these votes are close. Last call, any votes not in by the time I wake up tomorrow morning (whenver that is) won't count. I know which way I'm hoping things will swing, and things are dovetailing nicely from there. I hope you're prepared to meet a few old friends during this political update as well (let the speculation begin!)
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Aug 20, 2011 07:14
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Minobu. Motherfuckin. Tetsuhara. It doesn't matter what Clan unit he runs in to, he's gonna tear their faces off and eat them.
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Aug 20, 2011 07:38
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Defiance Industries posted:Minobu. Y'all got me curious, so I finally looked him up on sarna. Dude is the Great Black Samurai.  
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Aug 20, 2011 07:48
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T.G. Xarbala posted:Y'all got me curious, so I finally looked him up on sarna. Dude is the Great Black Samurai. This is an agreeable turn of events.
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Aug 20, 2011 07:55
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T.G. Xarbala posted:Y'all got me curious, so I finally looked him up on sarna. Dude is the Great Black Samurai. That is the face of a man who is ready, willing and able to destroy faces and collect nutsacks. He'll need his 'Mech to haul off all the gigantic mechanical testicles he's going to win in battle.
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Aug 20, 2011 08:12
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I switch my Red pirate vote from 4 to 3, But the 3 has a side of 4 for afters ok?
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Aug 20, 2011 09:01
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C2: Clovis seems like a pretty neat guy and this seems least likely to get him killed. R3: This could eventually result in a Marik-backed Melissa Steiner riding into Lyran space, which would be interesting. T5: ghost brigades hell yeah
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Aug 20, 2011 12:10
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PoptartsNinja posted:Dear lord these votes are close. Last call, any votes not in by the time I wake up tomorrow morning (whenver that is) won't count. I wish you would count those swapped votes this time around. I don't think anybody knew that they couldn't change their mind before they voted. :/
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Aug 20, 2011 13:22
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C1, R1, T1
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Aug 20, 2011 13:37
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Gimmick Account posted:I wish you would count those swapped votes this time around. I don't think anybody knew that they couldn't change their mind before they voted. :/ While I'd hate to admit it if the results go ploin-shaped, I kinda have to give it to PTN here. If I were in his position I'd just run with first votes because a small bit of laziness in the face of one of the most effort-intensive threads in the subforum slipped into one round of voting among many is kind of a drop in the bucket. Interesting things are bound to happen no matter what comes up, and the worst possible results still make for some drat interesting times. And the chance to  *~Cardassians~* to delude ourselves from the fact that we really only have ourselves to blame.At the very least, this should help punish the perennial subforum habit of voting willy-nilly without much deliberation. Or, depending on how entertaining bad results are, encourage it. Votes in this thread will have consequences that will shake the history of the entire Human Sphere. So make sure you think them through carefully and only vote when you're absolutely sure you've picked the
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Aug 20, 2011 14:10
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Reatheran posted:C2: Clovis seems like a pretty neat guy and this seems least likely to get him killed. Sure, why not?
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Aug 20, 2011 14:26
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T.G. Xarbala posted:While I'd hate to admit it if the results go ploin-shaped, I kinda have to give it to PTN here. If I were in his position I'd just run with first votes because a small bit of laziness in the face of one of the most effort-intensive threads in the subforum slipped into one round of voting among many is kind of a drop in the bucket. Interesting things are bound to happen no matter what comes up, and the worst possible results still make for some drat interesting times. And the chance to People in this forum are used to being able to change their mind if a convincing argument/new information surfaces. I don't see anything 'bad' about that, why punish this behaviour? I don't think this would have been an issue if he had told us before the vote that all votes would be final, because people would have been a lot more careful in that case. In the same vein, I'm not against all future votes being handled in such a way, people just have to know beforehand.
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Aug 20, 2011 15:54
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Political Vote 5 (Clovis Lestrade): C1) Marry Jenna Clay on Summer. Clovis seems like a bright kid. I think he can work something out without having to deviate the plan and put his father on alert for shenanigans. Political Vote 5 (Red Corsair): R3) Assist the Free Worlders in repelling the fake Red Corsair pirates. Yesterday's foe is today's friend. Such is the way of things in the Inner Sphere. Political Vote 5 (Takashi Kurita): T5) Allow the Yakuza to serve as ‘Mechwarriors, create the Ghost Legions. I have no argument here other than that it sounds the most awesome, so there.
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Aug 20, 2011 15:59
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C2 I'm trusting people who seem to know what's going on here. R3 Because I'm a sucker for team-ups. T3 But perhaps not with the Yakuza.
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Aug 20, 2011 16:09
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Gimmick Account posted:I don't think this would have been an issue if he had told us before the vote that all votes would be final, because people would have been a lot more careful in that case. The only vote that's really super close is pretty much a case of "does [event] happen immediately, or at the next political vote?" with "does [different event] happen instead?" trailing so far behind that it has no chance of winning anyway (especially since votes are now closed). I'm also pretty sure I've mentioned my stance on votes being 'final' in the past, during previous votes. I probably should've bit the bullet and just marked it down on the main page (but who reads my list of rules anymore, seriously?) Edit: Actually, I take it back, one of our other votes is really close too (except nobody was trying to change their votes for this one, IIRC). PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Aug 20, 2011 |
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Aug 20, 2011 16:32
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If people really wanted to change their votes, wouldn't it just be easier to make a note of that in thread before going back and editing their original post? Makes it easier for PTN to keep track of at the end, I think. Unless of course, he's keeping a running tally and all that...T.G. Xarbala posted:Minobu Testuhara is indeed awesome, and I know that even with my admittedly low knowledge of the BattleTech universe. Waiting patiently for this next Political Update, PTN. You are doing a time skip here, right?
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Aug 20, 2011 18:43
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GhostStalker posted:If people really wanted to change their votes, wouldn't it just be easier to make a note of that in thread before going back and editing their original post? Makes it easier for PTN to keep track of at the end, I think. Unless of course, he's keeping a running tally and all that... We are going to skip directly to the confused Battle of Tharkad, a five way fight between Clan Steel Viper, Duke Lestrade, Princess Melissa, Comstar, and for reasons nobody is entirely sure of a battalion of Magistracy of Canopus infantry.  Edit: No, Knox, they will not be equipped with rocket launchers. Mukaikubo fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Aug 20, 2011 |
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Aug 20, 2011 18:51
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Mukaikubo posted:, and for reasons nobody is entirely sure of a battalion of Magistracy of Canopus infantry. Sweet! I hope we get to see some rocke Mukaikubo posted:Edit: No, Knox, they will not be equipped with rocket launchers. GODDAMNIT.
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Aug 20, 2011 19:31
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KnoxZone posted:GODDAMNIT. There there. Maybe they're packing Inferno SRMs, would that cheer you up?
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Aug 20, 2011 20:29
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Kerensky’s Gambit: Political Vote Results and Combat Theater Vote 6 “I have reached a decision,” Takashi announced so suddenly that the sudden silence that followed made his words seem of deafening volume. “We shall not,” he spoke, glaring at his son Theodore, “grant any rights to Eta. The Yakuza scum are tolerated, but only just. They have no place in war.” Theodore bowed his head, feigning contrition while Samsonov’s impression turned to one of superiority. Takashi turned to him, “Nor will our best troops remain on the border. They are needed. It pains me greatly, but we must deal with the Devil. We must negotiate with Prince Hanse Davion.” Samsonov scowled. “No! We should seize this opportunity! ComStar would not interdict us in the face of the Clans—we should hit Hanse Davion, and hit him hard; while he thinks himself protected—” Chandrasekhar rested his face in his palm, and Theodore stifled a frown then spoke. “That is—a poor idea, General. We do not turn our back to Hanse Davion; but attacking him would be suicide. Giri suggests we must repel these invaders—” “Dishonored whelp, what would you know of duty to the Dragon?” Samsonov roared. “We must crush Hanse Davion; then we may deal with these ‘Clans’ at our leisure.” “Iie,” Subhash Indrahar hissed, the vehemence of his ‘no’ taking everyone by surprise. The aging spymaster typically sat smiling and silent at Takashi’s right hand. Rarely did he ever speak. “Samsonov, your plan is foolish: if we attack, Hanse Davion could launch reprisals on whim and there is nothing ComStar could do to refute his right to do so. No, we are spread too thin. We must concentrate to fight a single enemy, before one of them becomes a Yellow Bird.” Several of the assembled shuddered at the imagery—the Yellow Bird, the only creature capable of defeating the Dragon, was certainly a myth—but the symbolism remained valid. Even the Draconis Combine, strongest of the successor states, could be laid low by underestimating a foe. Takashi leaned forward, “My decision stands: we send a negotiator to speak with Prince Hanse Davion,” he eyed Chandrasekhar quietly, “and who better to negotiate than a Kurita merchant? Now, Samsonov, tell me of these new ‘Gauss Rifle’ weapons? How effective are they? How quickly may we field them?” Samsonov was the first to reply, a wicked grin crossing his face. “—I have already had one mounted upon my Atlas. Its performance is superb. With enough of these weapons in our command ‘Mechs, no force in the Inner Sphere could stand against us.” Takashi grunted in reply. “Well then,” he said with only a trace of sarcasm, “we have nothing to worry about.” ********** “What are they doing?” Duncan Marik demanded petulantly as he stared at one of his command center’s holoscreens. It was currently projecting a planetary map, with multiple blips representing the pirate dropships’ landing zones. “Concentrating their forces,” Melissa pointed out the obvious, then began mulling over the tactical possibilities. “They’ve landed close enough to be in striking range of these cities—You outnumber them, but with your forces spread out in a defensive posture they will have an advantage in numbers in any fight; and if you concentrate at any location they’ll simply overrun everything you aren’t actively defending.” The Captain-General nodded quietly. “We should hit them while they’re still landing,” he mused quietly. “Under the guns of those dropships? You’d lose half your forces in a few minutes,” Melissa mused, mulling over the possibilities. She looked up at the young Marik. “Create a mobile reserve—a battalion or two of light and medium ‘Mechs and fast vehicles should be able to beat the Pirates to any objective and buy time for other, nearby forces to launch a flanking attack.” “That seems tactically sound,” Duncan conceded. “A cavalry to quickly reinforce any point, pin them down, and destroy them with our greater numbers.” “If you have any suitable battalions, I’d start organizing them now. If you don’t—I’d get in touch with your field commanders and—” “Captain-General!” an officer called, “a message—from the First Circuit! The Clans have launched some sort of attack, and crippled a huge section of the HPG network!” Melissa’s face went pale. She swallowed, took a soft breath to recover her composure, and caught Duncan Marik’s eye. “What,” she asked quietly, “are the ‘Clans’?” ********** “Cairn,” “Cairn,” “Cairn,” “Cairn,” a voice rasped at the edge of his consciousness. “Awaken, warrior!” He opened his eye, letting the world come into focus. The heavy scent of blood and antiseptic filled his nostrils. He’d been injured, he remembered only vaguely; but he’d also gotten a Battlemech kill! Pushing aside the nausea with the single-mindedness of his breed, he sat up on his cot; tearing away monitor patches and the IV some medtech had lovingly and carefully snuck into one of the veins in his arm. Soft, effeminate hands—like a child trying to hold down a rampaging bull—tried and failed to force him to lie back down. He felt strong, and the drugs in his veins had obliterated any trace of pain. He stood, glowered a medtech, and tried to take stock of his condition. His left eye remained blurry and nearly indecipherable—he probed it idly with one hand, and found the traceries of neuro-circuitry that told him the eye had been lost and a new one grown to replace it. His vision would clear in a few days, he calculated, once his brain adjusted to neuro-circuitry. He stared down at the medtech, who cringed from meeting his wild eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and found he could not. The ‘tech cringed further, then whimpered, “—we could not repair your voice. Your injuries—and exposure to hard vacuum—has left you mute, Warrior.” Cairn stared, then shrugged. He had no use for his voice—he could still lead; and warriors would still follow. He tried to laugh—and the medic’s terror of the horrid breathy rasp his laugh had become made him laugh all the harder. He was alive! He had a kill! He would fight again for the glory of his clan! For Cairn, that was enough. The door to his tiny room susurrused open, permitting entry to the massive form of another Elemental. The medtech scampered out behind like a rodent fleeing a pair of hounds. Cairn eyed the newcomer quietly, not immediately recognizing the warrior. “You fight well,” she said in neutral tones. “You fight hard, and bid well—far more than I would have expected from second line trash.” Cairn’s face contorted into an angry grimace, drawing a smile from the woman who dared mock him. “I am Star Colonel Seraph Amirault, Alpha Galaxy, Six-Hundred Sixty Sixth Mechanized Assault Cluster. ‘War.’ You are precisely the type of warrior I want. You will be joining my unit, Star Captain Cairn.” His expression calmed. She smiled, took the change for the question it was. “We are… testing something: a new tool of war, something which requires skilled warriors. Warriors with the strength to seize victory from the jaws of death itself.” She smiled, “You, Cairn, are ideal: and once our conquest of the Inner Sphere is complete, we shall return our attentions to the real foe: the Ghost Bears. You and I together shall crush them utterly.” Cairn smiled. ********** [4 Months Later (April, 3033)] “Petulant child! Brainless oaf!” Aldo Lestrade raged, scattering a sheaf of papers from his desk. “I grow tired of your constant dickering. Summer, Tharkad, Summer, Tharkad! Enough of your foolish waffling!” He stood, towering over the diminutive Clovis, his artificial hand raised to deliver a backhand. Aldo Lestrade took a breath, calmed himself, and stared quietly at his greatest disappointment. Clovis cringed in silence, shaking quietly. Aldo Lestrade sighed and rubbed his eyes as he half-collapsed back into his chair. “Idiot,” he breathed quietly. “You will never be a leader of men, Clovis. If only you shared half my brilliance, you would have been a force to be reckoned with. Stunted simpleton. I was going to have you invested as the Duke of Summer—as a wedding gift. All of Skye would have been yours to command, but you are not worthy. You will never be—” “Father, wait!” Clovis cried, looking plaintively at the most powerful man in the Lyran Commonwealth. “Understand my logic!” “What logic?” Aldo demanded. Clovis stood, straightened his tiny suit. “… At first, I wanted Melissa off Tharkad; and out of your hair. On Summer, she’d have been stripped of friends and allies, and you’d be free to rule without her constant interference—” Aldo nodded, the thought had clearly occurred to him. “—But then I realized, if the Clans can attack us here on Tharkad, would it not benefit them to capture Melissa? She’d be vulnerable on Summer. Far, far too vulnerable without the Home Guard to protect her. Also,” he paused, staring at his father as if daring him to dispute, “the people would wonder whether Melissa truly agreed to this if we secreted her away. I’ve heard people talking—if they don’t see her, smiling and happy, there would be dissent. You need her on Tharkad right now—and I can take her to Summer for our honeymoon—” Aldo raised a hand, silencing his son—and looked the boy over with an appraising eye. “…Enough, Clovis. You have made a convincing argument. I—had not expected you’d actually thought about this, and simply wanted the wedding as quickly as possible—” “—that is only a happy coincidence,” Clovis replied with a smile. ********** Heavy footfalls filled the Spartan hallways of the Sleipnir, the venerable Cameron-class Battlecruiser that served Khan Seidman as a flagship. Heavy white boots which clashed garishly with the orange-brown uniform favored by the Hell’s Horses came to a sudden and immediate stop outside a door marked with five stars. Grier Seidman’s face contorted into an annoyed grimace. His weathered skin—resembling the bark of a tree more than human flesh—and stark-white Mohawk reminiscent of a horse’s mane slammed a white-gloved fist into the door, announcing his presence with boom that likely echoed all the way to the distant bridge. The wait was only momentary, Grier pressing his fist against the moving metal—the mechanism produced a telltale grinding sound he knew irritated the room’s sole occupant. With an equally annoyed scowl, the IlKhan glared at the only man in his Touman with the temerity to pound on his door and expect something other than a disciplinary beating with a fully-charged neuro-whip. Grier pushed past him, and stood at ease—as though he owned the room and all inside. “With what,” Lair Seidman demanded through gritted teeth with little propriety and less respect, “do I owe the honor of your visit, Doyen of House Seidman?” “It is a terrible day,” Grier said plainly, then fell silent. Waiting. Lair stood, irritated, waiting for the eldest living member of his blood house to get to something resembling a point. When none seemed forthcoming, he opened his mouth to speak. “It is a terrible day,” Grier interrupted instantly, drawing a flash of true anger from the younger Seidman, “when a Warrior’s progeny is elected IlKhan. Do you not agree, son?” “What,” Lair hissed, “do you want?” “It is a terrible day,” Grier continued, “When respect and honor are stripped from a warrior—by a vulgar youth who saw the direction everyone wanted to go, and simply jumped out in front and yelled ‘follow me.’ Is it not so?” “Do—” Grier speared his descendant with a look that demanded silence. “It is a terrible day when a warrior craves glorious death over success in battle.” “When was the last time you saw any success in battle?” Lair countered with a glare. “I yet live.” “To the detriment of all. Why can you not simply scuttle off into a dark corner and die, old man? House Seidman could use some new blood—” “A Clansman’s honor,” Grier picked up where he’d left off, cutting off the younger IlKhan, “is measured at his death; yes—but it is measured by his success. You, my son, are failing and failing badly.” Lair’s face reddened, his eyes bulging in anger. “I lead the Clans,” he screamed. “I am your greatest success!” “You,” Grier replied—usual booming tones seeming strangely quiet, “are failing. How much time do you waste, how many warriors have you lost, trying to fight an honorable war? Do the Widowmakers have the same compunctions? No. Do the Steel Vipers not cheat in every battle? Do the Goliath Scorpions not make a quiet mockery of your efforts and taunt you into foolish errors?” Grier leaned in—he was taller than his ‘son,’, though not by much. Over forty years his junior, Lair was the more physically impressive—but Grier knew he could beat the younger warrior with ease, even at the advanced age of sixty eight. He loomed, letting Lair’s anger burn itself to cinders as he struggled not to lash out at the leader of his own Blood House. “I have fought them,” Grier growled. “These ‘warriors’ of the Inner Sphere. As have you; yet you fail to reach the proper conclusions and that is why you are a failure.” “And what conclusion,” Lair hissed like a Steel Viper in a balloon factory, “should I be reaching?” “They,” he swept his hand towards a holographic map of the Inner Sphere in the small holotank in the center of the room, “these so-called warriors of the Inner Sphere, fight like tanks. Who better than we know how to fight tanks?” Lair seemed about to make an angry retort, his mouth dropped open—then closed and opened and closed again as a look of dawning realization crossed his face. “Good,” Grier growled, turning away. He stormed towards the door, turning back at the last minute. “You are now less a failure. Make your Blood House proud, IlKhan Lair Seidman.” ********** “—There I was,” Lieutenant Kearney Barnes continued with a grin, “An Urbanmech on the left, a wasp on the right, and a Capellan Stinger closing from behind,” he paused, took a drink of his warm beer and looked expectantly at his drinking companions. “What did you do?” one of them asked. Barnes grinned, “Well, I did the only thing I could do: I charged the Urbanmech. I dunno if you’ve got much experience with those, but I knocked the sucker over, then jumped on top. That Autocannon-10 makes a great handhold, let me tell you—and I just rode the Urbie right down the hill like a toboggan. The Capellans didn’t know what the gently caress.” Tai-i Michi Noketsuna laughed, and took another drink from his bottle of rice wine. If the Kell Hound cared that his drinking partner wore the patch of the 9th Deiron Regulars, he didn’t show it—and Noketsuna could hardly blame a warrior from another culture for being an uncultured barbarian. Barnes was simply making the best of having not been born to the Draconis Combine. “Needless to say,” Barnes drawled, “the rest of them followed me right into an ambush. Three down, all for the cost of a little paint and a bit of a headache.” ********** “This,” Star Colonel Dusk hissed, gesturing at the massive holotank behind her, “is idiocy.” Inside the tank, a tiny Kit Fox fought a lopsided duel with a Lyran Hatchetman. Neither ‘Mech exchanged weapons fire, they instead fought with fists and kicks in a circle of flaming woods. With a sudden blow, the Lyran machine crushed the Kit Fox’s cockpit. Dusk rested her face in her palm. “You, all of you, have been trained to believe that fighting with fists is wasteful. What is wasteful is refusing to learn from these Roms. Study the Lyran tactics. Learn them. Practice them. Our scientists are working on technologies to reduce our disadvantage against these Lyran club-‘Mechs, but anything they produce,” she paused dramatically, “will be worthless if you warriors are too poor to adapt to our new circumstances.” She was met with sullen silence from her cluster. She glared at them, “—very well. I had hoped to convince you to remedy your lack of skill. Instead, it seems I must shame you. Bondsman!” Caesar Steiner stood quietly. “—The pilot in your ‘Kit Fox’ made several mistakes. With only a single fist, he should’ve focused on kicking his opponent; instead he sacrificed potential harm to his opponent by fighting with one arm. Such bravado works well among you Clanners—but I find it foolish. A loss, no matter how stylish, is still a loss.” “Bold words from a warrior who failed to even die properly,” Star Commander Zal called. “What use is advice from an aged and infirm warrior long past his prime? What use is kicking when a good punch is certain victory?” Caesar shared a quick glance with Dusk, who nodded nearly imperceptibly. With a quick motion, Caesar kicked Star Commander Zal’s chair out from under him. The Clanner toppled, his head catching the seat of the chair. It tottered, then fell; the backrest catching him in the stomach. Zal lay quiet, moaning only slightly. Embarrassed, Dusk hid her face in her palm. “We are Steel Vipers,” Dusk hissed. “For every five warriors another Clan produces, we produce three superior ones and yet you are all soft and weak. You will train and regain your edge; or you will be replaced. You will be ready to pilot the new King Cobra omnimech, or you will be relegated to second line status. I have been clear, Quiaff?” ********** Duncan Marik swept his fingers through hair grown long-since unkempt. He remained oblivious to the three day stubble that lined his jaw, and his bleary eyes were red from hours spent mulling over tactical maps. Those pirates, those damned pirates! They hadn’t hit anything as expected—they’d dug in, surrounding Nagayan Mountain of all places. Even the Red Corsair—he smiled faintly, but couldn’t deny that her advice had been incredibly useful. Pivotal, in several engagements—yet even she wasn’t sure what the pirates’ objective was. Nagayan Mountain was a rock—it had been an island, until Helm’s massive inland sea had dried up near the fall of the Star League. It was also a defensive nightmare of canyons and passageways, and as hard as his troops tried, they simply couldn’t dislodge the Red Corsair’s pirates. He sighed, eyed her quietly. She was clearly exhausted, but the dark rings beneath her eyes hardly detracted from her great beauty. He’d hardly have pictured her as a ‘Mechwarrior—her frame was too slight, too fragile somehow, to picture her in the cockpit of her repaired Battlemaster—but she’d taken the field alongside her friend Morgan on more than one occasion. He’d been surprised how quickly he’d come to rely on the young ‘pirate princess,’ as his troops had affectionately nicknamed her; but her strategic advice was solid. He sighed quietly—if only he could trust her for domestic advice as well; but what would a periphery pirate know of running a nation? “You look tired,” she said quietly as he took a seat. “The war against the Capellans isn’t going well,” he admitted quietly. “Fortunately—I’ve just made a deal that secured a new ally—and a buffer—against Max Liao’s mindless aggression.” Red raised a quizzical eyebrow. “An ally? Have you talked Hanse Davion into hitting the Capellans in St. Ives?” Duncan shook his head. “… Not so much, no. One doesn’t ‘deal’ with Hanse Davion; he’s too canny. No, I made a deal with a Periphery power to put pressure on the Capellans. The Rim Collective has been petitioning to join them for the past two months; I finally decided to grant their request.” “Wait,” the Red Corsair asked in soft tones, “who did you cede the Rim Collective to?” “Stefan Amaris’s” Duncan replied quietly, “New Rim Worlds Republic.” ********** Combat Theater Vote 7 1st Republic Fusiliers True to his word, Stefan Amaris has ordered several regiments under his command to launch raids into Capellan territory… but is he doing it to aid his ally, Duncan Marik, or is his purpose more sinister? 2nd Chesterton Voltigeurs Anticipating a Davion assault, General Pavil Ridzik has ordered a raid on poorly defended planet of Towne. Will the poorly funded Towne militia even have a chance? 4th Legion of Vega Without orders, Can the dishonored scum of the 4th Legion of Vega hold the line against the advancing Goliath Scorpions; or will they crack under the pressure of the Clan assault? ??? A small force of elite DEST operatives, backed by a lance of Mercenary battlemechs, has misjumped into a system deep in the Silent Shoal. Can the Clans repel this unexpected threat? Solaris VII: “Business as Usual” With many Lyran ‘Mechwarriors being drafted into the armed forces, can the Lyran Commonwealth still make a good showing on the Game World, or will the Capellans walk away with yet another championship?  Combat Theater Vote 6: A) 1st Republic Fusiliers B) 2nd Chesterton Voltigeurs C) 4th Legion of Vega D) ??? E) Solaris VII: “Business as Usual” PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Aug 21, 2011 |
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Aug 21, 2011 02:16
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PoptartsNinja posted:Combat Theater Vote 6: I'm going to go with the incredibly unlikely chance that this was deliberate and vote D for the secret hidden option. In all seriousness though I'm going to need someone to give a summary that can be understood by people who still don't really know anything about the battletech world before I can make an actual educated vote.
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Aug 21, 2011 02:28
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Star Captain Cairn lives to kill again, I see! As for his new task, he certainly is loving this poo poo. As for Star Colonel Dusk, I enjoyed her shaming her fellow warriors for lackluster melee skills. Looking at the map, the Silent Shoal encompasses large areas of both the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine (about what, a good 1/3 of the DC?). In regards to the vote, I'm in the mood for some Combine action. My vote is for C) the 4th Legion of Vega.
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Aug 21, 2011 02:38
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 I vote C, the 4th Legion of Vega.
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Aug 21, 2011 02:55
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