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GhostStalker
Mar 26, 2010

Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

GoonStar MVP: the Kit Fox, piloted by Star Commander Inari. Though the Piranhas and their machine guns come in a close second, pulping those DEST teams and a number of Mechs, I'm gonna have to give it to the Kit Fox.

OpFor MVP: the Phoenix Hawk. The DEST Commandos were good as area denial and their threat did influence how GoonStar played, but their actual attacks were pretty much a non-factor and the Phoenix Hawk was the only one that actually scored a kill.

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Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


ShadowDragon8685 posted:

The only man the Inner Sphere ever produced who could give Gul Dukat a run for his money in those fields was Hanse Davion. The only man who could match his ambition? Stefan Amaris. The only woman who could match his religious craziness? Kali Liao.


And I'm willing to bet that Dukat could teach Hanse something or two about duplicity... Granted, The Fox might have something to teach him, too, so it would be more like swapping tips than a schooling, but still...

Albert Marik would make them both look like clowns. The reason you don't hear more about him being sneaky is that he did it in the shadows to help Ian Cameron found the Star League. Also hard to notice as he was like 5 feet tall.

Yes. A Marik was once relevant.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
I was going to say: 'Hey, Joshua Marik was extremely relevent' but as Joshua Marik was really Joshua Hallas, that's not really true.

Defiance Industries
Jul 22, 2010

A five-star manufacturer


Also the Joshua Halas who was relevant was a body-double. Of a Fake member of the most often irrelevant House.

Ouch

Affi
Dec 18, 2005

Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA
Hey Poptarts please tell me you've eliminated most of the body-double soapopera-esque plottwists from your universe?

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Affi posted:

Hey Poptarts please tell me you've eliminated most of the body-double soapopera-esque plottwists from your universe?

Thomas Marik is genuinely dead.

Artificer
Apr 8, 2010

You're going to try ponies and you're. Going. To. LOVE. ME!!
Piranhas and the Phoenix Hawk!

Axe-man
Apr 16, 2005

The product of hundreds of hours of scientific investigation and research.

The perfect meatball.
Clapping Larry

PoptartsNinja posted:

Thomas Marik is genuinely dead.

This is the best change of the universe.

I hated the whole WOB turn face that happened.

raverrn
Apr 5, 2005

Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!


Voting Kit Fix and Phoenix Hawk. Pirhannnas are cool and all, but you gotta respect the laser.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Axe-man posted:

This is the best change of the universe.

I hated the whole WOB turn face that happened.

I hate just about everything regarding the WoB. They're the Overly Obvious Plot Device of the whole setting.

Axe-man
Apr 16, 2005

The product of hundreds of hours of scientific investigation and research.

The perfect meatball.
Clapping Larry

Taerkar posted:

I hate just about everything regarding the WoB. They're the Overly Obvious Plot Device of the whole setting.

Really, the WOB has enough deus ex machina to make most people roll their eyes. "hidden planets with massive factories and populations that have tech that would make the star league era blush in envy!" :rolleyes:

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!





Axe-man posted:

Really, the WOB has enough deus ex machina to make most people roll their eyes. "hidden planets with massive factories and populations that have tech that would make the star league era blush in envy!" :rolleyes:

It does rather beggar the question, "If you already had all that poo poo, why didn't you take over generations ago when the IS was much weaker in military strength and tech?"

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Axe-man posted:

Really, the WOB has enough deus ex machina to make most people roll their eyes. "hidden planets with massive factories and populations that have tech that would make the star league era blush in envy!" :rolleyes:

I've moved the Crown/Crone/Whatever Worlds into the Pentagon Cluster. :ssh:

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Sep 21, 2011

KnoxZone
Jan 27, 2007

If I die before I Wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

PoptartsNinja posted:

I've moved the Crown/Crone/Whatever Worlds into the Pentagon Cluster. :ssh:

Just making the final triumph over the barbarian Clans all the more impressive.

W.T. Fits
Apr 21, 2010

Ready to Poyozo Dance all over your face.
My choices:

Goonstar MVP: Star Commander Inari and the Kit Fox
Goonstar Honorable Mention: The Piranhas

Far Country MVP: None; they are dezgra without any honor and deserve to die in obscurity. the Phoenix Hawk for actually getting a lucky shot and scoring a kill.
Far Country Honorable Mention: I told you, they are dezgra! They have no honor! The DEST, due to their mere presence forcing the Goonstar to be a bit more cautious.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
MVPs are:

Outfoxed Player MVP: Kit Fox (Star Commander Inari (Mary Annette))
Outfoxed OpForce MVP: PHX-2 Phoenix Hawk (Brian Seagroves)



and the political vote will be coming up shortly.

KnoxZone
Jan 27, 2007

If I die before I Wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

PoptartsNinja posted:

and the political vote will be coming up shortly.

My favorite line in the thread :swoon:

raverrn
Apr 5, 2005

Unidentified spacecraft inbound from delta line.

All Silpheed squadrons scramble now!


I get to drive the robot next! Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Affi
Dec 18, 2005

Break bread wit the enemy

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

raverrn posted:

I get to drive the robot next! Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You didn't get the message? Sorry man but we're skipping you. Its nothing personal.

Dolash
Oct 23, 2008

aNYWAY,
tHAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS,
tO REPORT ON THE SUBJECT,
oF ME GETTING HURT,


Well-earned for your command, Mary.

Eagerly awaiting a political update, space is on the cusp of becoming a really happening space. I wonder if our little encounter will have any repercussions or if it was just a fun clan scenario?

Axe-man
Apr 16, 2005

The product of hundreds of hours of scientific investigation and research.

The perfect meatball.
Clapping Larry

raverrn posted:

I get to drive the robot next! Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Hope you get the best mech ever A hunchback!

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Axe-man posted:

Hope you get the best mech ever A hunchback!

I think you just mispelled Urbanmech

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker

Ferrosol posted:

I think you just mispelled Urbanmech

Let's be kind, give him a Clan Assault 'mech.

Here's the keys to your very own Gargoyle Prime!

Octatonic
Sep 7, 2010

Honestly, now that the invasion's in full swing and the Combine has the Guass Rifle I'm excited to potentially see some of the silly "oh poo poo lostech/clan salvage, slap the new toys on everything" 'mechs like the ones they released in canon during the invasion. The AS7-K Atlas for instance. Let's turn the slow, close up brawler to a sniper for some reason!

Mary Annette
Jun 24, 2005

AJ Impy posted:

Let's be kind, give him a Clan Assault 'mech.

Here's the keys to your very own Gargoyle Prime!

PoptartsNinja posted:

Taking garbage and making it combat effective (in its specified role) is a hobby of mine.

Don't tempt him, you fool!

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat
Sabotage and Piracy: Political Vote 6



“It’s too dangerous. We should just shell them with our artillery until they surrender.”

“They're too well entrenched, you'd run out of ammo before you did any serious harm.”

Morgan Kell grinned infectiously, “Trust me, Captain-General, we’re used to it. Sneaking in and escaping the jaws of certain death is an area where the Red Corsair excels.”

Duncan Marik frowned, “It’s statements like which make me doubt your veracity.”

Melissa ran her fingers through her long, brightly-dyed hair. “Captain-General, we’re pirates. If the rest of the band landed on that mountain, they must believe it’s important. You can’t blast them out, and by the time you come up with another strategy it’s going to be too late. Let us do it. We can sneak in, find out what they’re doing, and find—or make—a weakness you can exploit.”

Duncan Marik sucked in a breath. “You must think I’m stupid,” he replied after a few minutes, “I must be stupid for even considering letting you waltz right back into your cohorts like nothing ever happened.”

Melissa frowned, “We’re not just going to walk in. We’re going to infiltrate—”

He held up a hand to forestall her. “Your advice has been good to me so far. I do see the wisdom of a commando raid—but I’m the head of a nation; and a nation that has the power to remove me from office if I don’t plan properly. If I let you go, there will be questions.”

Melissa stood quietly, trailing a fingertip over her lower lip in contemplation. “Tell them,” she began after a few moments, “that you decided to give us one last opportunity to prove we’re not Pirates. In your generosity, you gave us three days to crack Nagayan Mountain. If you haven’t heard back from us by then—”

“Then chances are, we’ll already be dead,” Morgan finished, “and you’ll lose nothing in the bombardment.”

“That’s not really reassuring.”



**********



“He’s a big one,” Ardan Sortek murmured quietly as a set of heavily reinforced doors yielded to the House Kurita delegate.

“House Kurita hasn’t sent an embassy since the first succession war,” Hanse smiled, “he must be desperate if he’s sending one now.”

Bald and overweight, the Kurita ambassador bore an uncanny resemblance to a cheap golden Buddha. Swathed in a kimono of gaudy purple silk, the golden dragons embroidered on the sleeves and left breast left no doubt from where he hailed.

“Perhaps the Clans are a bigger threat than we thought,” Quintus Allard replied in cool tones. “The Smiling One makes verifying information from the Combine quite difficult, but the Lyrans are—” Quintus interrupted himself, “—he has an Arkab with him. That’s interesting.”

“Any idea who Takashi ‘honored’ us with?” Hanse asked, his gaze sweeping the dignitary’s escort. Gaunt as a skeleton, the tall Arkab man walked a half-step behind his fat master, flanked on the other side by a slender, attractive young woman in a subdued gray Kimono. A wife, or concubine perhaps, but Hanse felt her presence unusual. A precise three steps behind everyone followed a pair of women in impractical body armor: apparently bodyguards, they wore holsters and scabbards though neither was armed. Hanse dismissed them out of hand, since they had apparently been chosen more for their bust-size than any actual ability.

“I don’t recognize him,” Quintus replied quietly. “I’ve already got teams on it.”

“This is damned peculiar,” Sortek added. “I know border tensions have eased since ComStar threatened us with an interdiction, but—”

Hanse nodded, “I know, old friend. If Quintus doesn’t know why he’s here, I suppose we’ll just have to wait for the snake to tell us himself.”

The Kuritan diplomat stopped, and dropped into a low—if comedic—bow. He straightened slowly, the effort both of walking across the room and standing back up having already made his forehead break out in a light sweat. His smile, at least, seemed warm and genuine.

“I bring you greetings, Prince Hanse Davion, from the most honorable Takashi Kurita,” the diplomat began, in English so heavily accented he was nearly a self-parody. “Please allow this humble servant to first present his entourage: My bodyguards, Tsukino Usagi and Yuri Kei—”

They nodded in turn, and were just as quickly dismissed.

“—And my aide, the Mirza Peter Abdulsattah.”

“Interesting,” Quintus murmured, “Mirza means ‘prince’.”

“An insult, you think?” Hanse asked wryly.

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Sortek chuckled.

“I,” the ambassador from the Draconis Combine continued, either not acknowledging or simply failing to remember the young woman that was the fifth member of his party, “am Chandrasekhar Kurita, humble servant of the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine and I,” he paused momentarily to opening his arms wide in a friendly gesture, “am at your disposal, Prince Hanse Davion.”

Deeper in the room, James Sandoval, Duke of Robinson, spat on the floor in disgust.

Hanse stood, staring quietly at the Kurita—the first to ever set foot on New Avalon. The man was unprepossessing, and looked foolish in his gaudy attire. “Is this some sort of insult?” Hanse asked pointedly.

Chandrasekhar laughed, not unpleasantly. “No, Prince Davion, I assure you it is not. The message I bear is from the Coordinator himself. He felt,” Chandrasekhar paused, “that it would be better received if it were delivered by an actual Kurita. Since I am the most expendable Kurita, I was chosen.”

“Over my protests that a diplomat would be better suited to the task than a warrior or merchant,” He grinned, “but you know how the coordinator is.”

Hanse frowned, “I do indeed.”

Chandrasekhar bowed his head. “As without, so within. He is a stubborn fool and, were we in the Combine, I would be executed for saying so. Were I not also a Kurita.”

“I am a man,” Chandrasekhar continued, “who dearly loves the Draconis Combine, unhealthy as it may be to admit as such in this unusual company. I know you in the Federated Suns dislike long-windedness, so I will be brief: We are withdrawing our troops from the contested worlds along the border that we may better oppose the Clan threat.”

“Bullshit!” James Sandoval growled, “Takashi Kurita would never give away—”

“Yet he is,” Chandrasekhar interrupted, “doing just that. Is already doing so, in fact.”

“Can you confirm that, Quintus?” Hanse murmured softly.

“We cede these worlds to you because we face a threat more grave than any we have yet known: the return of what can only be the remnants of the Star League Defense Force. Kerensky’s people,” Chandrasekhar raised a hand, and the Mirza strode forward, setting a briefcase on the floor half-way between the Kurita ambassador and the Davion prince, “have already destroyed a portion of ComStar’s HPG network. Perhaps that is the only area they wish to conquer, but I have my doubts.”

He gestured at the briefcase, “As a gift—I present to you what little information our humble intelligence service has managed to gather on the Clans; and as well as a warning: if they can destroy part of the HPG network to ease their conquest, they can destroy the entire thing.”

“I do not ask for you to stand with us, Prince Davion; nor would the Coordinator allow such a thing to stand. I do ask you to turn your attention away from hastening our demise.” Chandrasekhar took a breath, as if the Combine’s present weakness had taken all his will to admit. He gestured at the case again, “If we fail, you will need everything at your disposal to face that.”

Chandrasekhar Kurita turned, flanked by his bodyguards, to leave.

“Wait,” Hanse Davion commanded in firm tones. “Was this truly ordered by Takashi Kurita?”

“Yes,” Chandrasekhar replied, “although to my folly: the plan itself was mine. I had originally hoped to convince you to let us hire some of your mercenaries as well—under specific contracts, that would preclude us using them against you—but I find it unlikely you would accept such a thing.”

“Highly unlikely,” Hanse Davion agreed with a thoughtful expression. He pursed his lips as he considered the gift laying ignored—half-way between him and the Kurita. “Takashi could have sent this message by more quickly through ComStar.”

“More quickly sent,” Chandrasekhar countered, “and even more quickly ignored. Or ‘lost.’ We do not trust ComStar to a task this vital. Were you a citizen of the Combine, we would have sent a tea-master instead.”

“Ambassador Kurita,” Hanse Davion replied, “if you are content to avail yourself to our hospitality, I will formulate a reply for your honorable master.”

Chandrasekhar bowed, “Thank you, Prince Davion. That is a greater concession than even I was expecting.”



Political Vote 6: Hanse’s Reply:
A) This is an obvious lie, pay lip-service to peace then attack the Benjamin military district.
B) House Kurita is desperate and weak, pay lip-service to peace then attack the Pesht military district.
C) This may be a lie, but give Kurita the benefit of the doubt, take the opportunity to conduct “Operation Galahad,” a massive training and logistics exercise.
D) We need more time to decide, please remain here on New Avalon (Status Quo)
E) Our troops will stand down, and we invite you to remain on New Avalon as a guest to further diplomatic relations.
F) We invite you to remain on New Avalon as a ‘guest’ while we assess the ‘gift’ you’ve given us. Attempts to return to your dropship or leave the planet would be unwise.
G) The Capellans are the clear-and-present danger anyway, attack the St. Ives Commonality in response to Liao’s failed raid on Towne.

PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Sep 22, 2011

KnoxZone
Jan 27, 2007

If I die before I Wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
There is no need to risk an interdiction, especially when better targets are available. Let us make peace with the Snake and turn our undivided focus against our true enemy. Death to the Capellan Confederation. G

the JJ
Mar 31, 2011
C! Because I'm a sucker for Arthurian legends. Not really, but whatever.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

I like F, as the only option that actually mentions bothering to look in the briefcase, which is probably the most important bit (for the inner sphere).

Der Waffle Mous
Nov 27, 2009

In the grim future, there is only commerce.
So that's where Marcellus Wallace's soul went.

F sounds good.

elitebuster
Dec 26, 2010

I know its super dooper kooper
cool like up the bitches snitches
E) I want to see more of Uncle Chandy being a smug son of a bitch to the combine's warlords.

Axe-man
Apr 16, 2005

The product of hundreds of hours of scientific investigation and research.

The perfect meatball.
Clapping Larry
C The clans are the clean threat, we need people trained and ready to go!

Gniwu
Dec 18, 2002

B) Owned, LMAO.

PoptartsNinja
May 9, 2008

He is still almost definitely not a spy


Soiled Meat

Leperflesh posted:

as the only option that actually mentions bothering to look in the briefcase, which is probably the most important bit (for the inner sphere).

The only options that disregard the briefcase are 'A' and 'B'.

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!





ComStar's Interdiction threat is still in effect. A and B are both suicide.

C keeps your troops available in case the Clans do an end run around the Combine through the Outworlds Alliance and increases your readiness and efficiency in case you decide on a mass invasion somewhere else.

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice, so D's a bad idea too.

E....E is intriguing. But I worry what Sandoval will do if we appear too friendly to the Snakes.

If you're going to dither, dither the F way and at least get something done while you wait.

I do kind of like G, but that still leaves you vulnerable elsewhere.

Putting it all together, while I can see cases for E or G, and maybe F, in the end, I think I prefer C. That puts the Federated Suns in the strongest possible position to respond to the next threat, be it the Clans, a resurgent Combine, House Xiang Liao, or even the Minnesota Tribe coming back to get revenge on the Clans.

C) Operation Galahad

Gniwu
Dec 18, 2002

Also, there's a typo in the line 'I bear is from the Coordinator himself.', but I'm not completely sure what it was originally supposed to mean.

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M


C/ This may be a lie, but give Kurita the benefit of the doubt, take the opportunity to conduct “Operation Galahad,” a massive training and logistics exercise.
Uncle Chandy my love, I give you the Capellan Confederation!.

Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 23:57 on Sep 21, 2011

Felime
Jul 10, 2009
C) tempted to go with G, but I want the cappies to survive... Galahad sounds cool too!

Octatonic
Sep 7, 2010

E I'm intrigued to hear more from Chandrasekhar, and hopefully more of Sandoval in :bahgawd: mode. What will Theodore do with a family member from "his side" out of the Combine? I think the options for intrigue are plenty, which is obviously the best reason to chose any story option here.

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Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.
C sounds good to me.

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