1. Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. If you wish to change your username, please ask via conversation to tehelgee instead of asking via my profile. I'd like to not clutter it up with such requests.
    Dismiss Notice
  5. Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
    Dismiss Notice
  6. A note about the current Ukraine situation: Discussion of it is still prohibited as per Rule 8
    Dismiss Notice
  7. The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.
    Dismiss Notice
  8. The testbed for the QQ XF2 transition is now publicly available. Please see more information here.
    Dismiss Notice

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Discussion in 'Creative Writing' started by Mr Zoat, Jan 27, 2019.

Loading...
  1. Siskulous

    Siskulous Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2019
    Messages:
    230
    Likes Received:
    842
    OMFG. At the rate he's going, Paul's going to create a war between a bunch of rival Orange Lanterns in Vega. Seriously, what are the odds that half these people he's handed that book to sign on with his corps if they manage to call a ring? Vega's gonna end up less stable than it is now for him handing that thing out.
     
  2. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    Thank you, corrected.
    Look, I once spent an hour answering point by point a series of complaints made by someone who clearly hated everything I'd written. I think I can stand a few nitpicks from someone who's been doing my corrections.
    Okay, changed my mind.

    ...

    I haven't read the rest as I write this, but I suspect that the answer will be basically the same. The SI got a perfect memory from his ring because my memory is very far from perfect. Artemis expressed concern then not for any deep story-based reason but because I didn't remember that she'd seen that. We could pretend that Jade's body was in the way and she didn't have line of sight to the biscuits, but... Yeah, that's the reason.
    Hey, I was right!

    [bullshitting]He tried, but at this point Truggs was already incorporating simple magic into his devices and it didn't work.[/bullshitting]
    Eh, I'll change that.
    [bullshitting]Superman 16 picked up a lead suit from the nuclear power plant he was fighting in. Superman 12's answer suggests that he actually owns a suit and plans with it in mind.[/bullshitting]


    ...

    [bullshitting]Grayven didn't know that they were household pets. He thought that they were a failed uplift.[/bullshitting]
    If there was an easy way to get from Vega to Earth, we'd be a Citadel slave-world. Though if anyone from DC wants me to I would be delighted to write a series bible for a show or the background for a game on that basis.
    No, but I might change Tamaraneans to Tamaranians.
    Thank you, corrected.
    No, but I'll tell you for free that she ended up in the future and is pretending that her coin-granted powers are innate in order to stay with the Legion of Superheroes.
    At this point 'calling a ring' is basically impossible. There are no free-floating rings in the vicinity of Vega. The SI would have to throw one of his up in the air for anything to happen. Anyone trying that in Vega would have to have better power and discipline than the SI, and that's close to impossible.
     
  3. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    1,168
    Likes Received:
    7,086
    I don't know, the last Branx recruit had her heart in the right place and the proper mindset to be a good orange lantern, probably a lot better than the blind women from that backwards world that had a religion that blinded all the women in one of their continents.

    The leader of the Blood Flecks clan and the Karnan Admiral are clearly NOT the best people, so I doubt anything is going to come from them.

    Vega is fucked up enough than their sector having as many orange lanterns as sector 2814 has green ones would be justified and the lanterns on Vega would be close enough to quickly jump towards earth if a Reach invasion fleet actually shows up.
     
  4. Mquz

    Mquz Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,117
    Likes Received:
    8,238
    Calling a ring might be impossible - unless you call it from across the galaxy - the Orange Lantern corps probably has a few on hand. There’s also the possibility, like he said, of getting in contact with him personally somehow.
     
  5. PDV

    PDV Revelation That Uncertainty Is Itself An Answer

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    Messages:
    387
    Likes Received:
    1,466
    Not true. Even currencies ostensibly backed by precious metals (or whatever else) are mainly backed by public confidence in their validity as IOUs. Gold-backed currency makes gold a symbol of value.

    Incorrect, actually. Current scholarship indioates barter economies have probably never existed except in places which already had money and gave it up for some reason. Currency predates trade; coinage was just a means to make it easier to transport than 'cows' or whatever the prevailing currency was prior to coinage.
     
    Cuchulin likes this.
  6. Coda

    Coda Versed in the lewd.

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    1,079
    Likes Received:
    4,181
    Yes, of course. But the reason it works is because if the confidence wasn't there, people would cash the currency out for the actual precious metals. Failing to be able to do so is, of course, the cause of who knows how many economic failures over the course of history. The more detached the currency is from the underlying backing, the less relevance it has to the point I was trying to make: currency that CAN'T be confidently exchanged for an actual rare good IS (effectively, if not officially) fiat currency.

    I argue that gold-backed currency doesn't make gold a symbol of value -- rather, it makes gold more valuable. It doesn't represent value; it has value, which is in contrast to the currency backed by it. If I were to mine and refine a pound of gold, that gold would have value. If I were to print a bank note, it would not. (And I would have just committed a crime.)

    Importantly, that gold still intrinsically has value even if the local currency ISN'T backed by gold. It might have LESS value, but if someone wants my gold, and I want what they have, then we can make an exchange and both walk away satisfied. And as long as that gold is useful for something (even if that "something" is nothing but ostentatious shows of wealth) then it will always have value, and its scarcity is an integral part of that.

    [citation needed]

    This makes no sense whatsoever.
    I have no reason to believe that humans didn't have a concept of trading things of equal perceived value before the invention of currency. And how else are you supposed to trade with other cultures that don't share a currency with you?

    It's possible we may have different definitions of "barter" here. I'm not referring to the use of trade goods as a form of currency. I specifically said that there wasn't necessarily a numerical value; "two cows" isn't worth the same thing to different people and it would be silly to suggest that people would have ever converted values to compare in terms of how many literal cows something was worth in an abstract context. (Obviously, if you're trying to trade for a cow, then you have an idea of how much a cow is worth to you.) I'm willing to acknowledge I should have used a different word if that's not what barter means in an academic context. The rest of my argument is still sound.

    EDIT: Oh, we ARE using different senses of the word. You specifically talked about a barter economy. I'm talking about the act of barter itself, in the absence of an overarching economy based on it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2019
    Bramble Thorn and Simonbob like this.
  7. Norgarth

    Norgarth Making the rounds.

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2019
    Messages:
    31
    Likes Received:
    122
    well, there's a reason OL is creating a RPG based on the Vega system, and expects it to do well. ;):D

    That depends on the rock in question.:cool:
     
  8. Massgamer

    Massgamer Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    May 9, 2015
    Messages:
    474
    Likes Received:
    2,743
    When I first read this I was expecting way worse, still bad but at least atmosphere isn't actively burning.

    Also Paul keeps sending out OL guides and finally finds someone with strong positive desires.
     
  9. Threadmarks: Jiggity-Jig (part 16)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    9th February
    01:27 GMT


    Amalak waves politely as I appear in front of his desk.

    "The Queen told me that you might be heading this way. Do you have a book for me as well, or is that a… 'Special friends only' thing?"

    "While it's true that you're not my type, I don't see any reason not to give you a copy." I fabricate another copy and deposit it in front of him. "Please bear in mind that this does not make you a member of the Orange Lantern Corps or entitle you to a ring at any point."

    "No, but it will be fascinating to learn more about you." He picks it up and flicks through it. There's a very small smile when he spots that I've written it in his native language rather than Interlac. "While I can hardly complain about the way you've dealt with me, you'll understand that your sheer power makes me a little nervous."

    "Quite understandable."

    "You left the Queen a little while ago." He puts the book down and regards me curiously. "Busy day?"

    "The Branx are in the middle of a corporate war. I did some firefighting. Then I checked up on Karna again."

    "How's their war going?"

    "You knew about that?"

    "I could hardly miss the karnan war fleet passing through my… Patrol zone. I tend to keep an eye on the Imperials, just in case Oswin decides that he's no longer prepared to accept the current state of affairs."

    "The balance of power is sufficiently in their favour that the gordanians are suing for peace."

    "And the karnans are lis-?" He nods. "Ah."

    "Friends don't let friends meaninglessly slaughter one another. Speaking of which, things alright between you, the Queen and Jarko?"

    "Much to my surprise, I haven't had any trouble with the Queen at all. Jarko… Some of his people make nuisances of themselves sometimes, and he feels the need to publically rail against my retaliation… Nothing of substance."

    "And how is your business going?"

    "Quite well. The… Minor pirate groups are already starting to drift away from Vega, but the threat from the Crown Imperium more than makes up for it as far as my clients are concerned."

    "How big a threat are they?"

    He waves his right hand in a gesture of uncertainty. "It's a matter of scale. Pirates might steal a few things or kidnap a few people. Oswin wants to conquer these worlds outright and incorporate them into the Crown Imperium as his personal duchy. Which would mean waves of Imperial colonists, marginalised locals-. Most importantly from my point of view, the government officials who are paying me would be thrown out and the military officials I'm working with would be shot. We're all building up, and without raids to fight off I don’t have to worry about actually taking casualties."

    "Is a fight with Oswin inevitable?"

    "Hm." He looks pensive for a moment. "I would be astonished if it doesn't come to blows eventually, but if Vega stops being a safe harbour… He would have trouble getting backing from the court. Empress Clryssa isn't stupid, she'll be keeping watch-."

    The door to the office slides open and Miss Gozzi walks in. Her expression doesn't shift out of neutral as she sees me.

    "Keeping watch to make sure that he doesn't start anything. You remember my adjutant, Vran Gozzi?"

    I nod politely to her. "A pleasure to see you again."

    She nods back, but doesn't-.

    "Oh, ask him."

    "Orange Lantern. Were you able to recover Vril Dox Two?"

    "Yes, and the Dominion won't be submitting tenders for prison contracts anytime soon."

    "And you have given him a power ring?"

    "I made him Clarissi, so, yes."

    "A clone of Vril Dox is in command of a Lantern Corps."

    "We're keeping an eye on him, but he really is very good at what he does."

    "Yes, I am aware of that. All coluans would be aware of that, if the majority of the population were capable of being aware of anything."

    "Would you like to meet him? Would that put your mind at rest?"

    Her eyes narrow very slightly. "Coluan minds are never at rest."

    "You do have holiday time which you've.. never used." Miss Gozzi looks at Amalak, a very mild expression of surprise and betrayal on her face. "It's unwise for an organisation to be completely dependent on any one person, and I'm sure that we could survive without you for a day."

    She turns her head to face me. "Orange Lantern, on your homeworld, is there a great historical tyrant whose name evokes fear and hatred even to the current day?"

    "Yes, Adolf Hitler, though since I can work out where you're going with this I met his clone last year and he's a rather nice chap. But I was just trying to put your mind at rest about the whole 'Super Hitler' thing; if you don't want to meet him then.. don't meet him."

    She turns her face back towards Amalak. "Commodore, what were you discussing before I arrived?"

    "Orange Lantern shares our concern that Admiral Oswin might do something prejudicial to our interests."

    "It is near-inevitable. The more important question is whether he will have the support of the Crown when he does."

    "Would it be productive for me to have a word with anyone?"

    "Do you know anyone in the Kranaltine court?"

    "I had a minute long conversation with Chief Minister Rikane last time I was in the Crown Imperium. Does that count?"

    Miss Gozzi nods. "Yes. Chief Minister Rikane is the highest non-royal official in the government of the Crown Imperium. He would be an excellent person to open communication with."

    "Have you-? "

    Amalak nods. "We get a member of Admiral Oswin's staff."

    "Okay, I can schedule that in. I have a request to pass along from the Queen."

    Amalak frowns mildly. "Alright. What is it?"

    "It seems that she's an expert on bio-augmentation. She's willing to offer you her services."

    "That's…. Interesting." He briefly makes eye contact with Miss Gozzi. "It's not really our focus but I can see the use for that sort of thing. And what does she want in return?"

    "Trade access to the worlds in your defence pact."

    "It's not a defence pact as such." He smiles. "Technically, they're my employers. But… I have no principled objection. I assume that she wants an escort thrown in?"

    "That depends on how safe it is."

    "Hm. A crew who would actually defend a Spider Guild ship… Yes, we can just about manage that. I'll contact her directly to sort out the details."

    "Thank you." I raise my right hand to my forehead. "Commodore. Miss Gozzi."
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2019
  10. DeathlessProficiency

    DeathlessProficiency Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2019
    Messages:
    190
    Likes Received:
    1,886
    Coluans are fucking niiiiiice
     
  11. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,429
    "Yes, you were expected..."

    "Please, don't mention spiracles..."

    "You have no idea..."

    Ambition and military power are rarely good combinations...

    Just keeping up appearances. If he didn't, his followers would think him weak.

    Nice to see 'friends' getting ahead in business.

    Hmm... Romantic interest, or political?

    Political, then.

    "That's not a 'No'."

    Cue her returning the next day and the entire planet is on fire.

    Ha! Legend of Koizumi reference for the win!

    Would be amusing to see the Crown Imperium mounting a campaign against one of their own nobles to reign him in.

    As a spy or a contact?

    That'd be some crew, I bet.

    Heh, flying visits are always fun.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2019
  12. thebishop8

    thebishop8 Umm, ackchyually...

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2019
    Messages:
    360
    Likes Received:
    2,255
    I didn't catch any mistakes. I'll have to settle for correcting the older ones.

    Oh, and these are all from Omakes. I'm not sure how you feel about correcting chapters you didn't write, so these are all from omakes you've written or rewritten.

    Capitalization needed.

    *to forget about it

    *hand

    *lives

    "the Star Hunters"
    or
    "those Star Hunters"

    Linebreak needed. Or whatever it's called. An empty line is needed between these.

    Disclaimer: It may be of some surprise that I am not a professional editor.

    *thought

    A space is between the period and end quote.

    Pffffft.

    Alright then, I've got another one for you.

    [ProfessorFrinkImpression]

    In Episode Twenty-Four part Nineteen, when Nylorr Truggs has Orange Lantern Two Eight One Four as a hostage, Mister Truggs claims that he did not kill Missus Gordon-Hewitt.


    However, in Episode Forty-One part Seventeen, one of Mister Dorrance's Venom Buster henchman, Fabiao, claims that Mister Truggs is indeed the one who killed her. But I find it unlikely that Nylorr Truggs would lie during his Grand Monologue.


    Please to explain it.

    [/ProfessorFrinkImpression]

    So, I'm guessing the answer to this one is that Fabiao was just saying whatever he thought he needed to say to be in less trouble?
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2019
    Bramble Thorn, Mr Zoat, Ardy and 4 others like this.
  13. Vaermina

    Vaermina Well worn.

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Messages:
    5,518
    Likes Received:
    20,719
    Not yet, but it looks like Paul is trying to get the two he knows to start.
     
  14. Ngamer11

    Ngamer11 Experienced.

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2019
    Messages:
    2,860
    Likes Received:
    17,209
    With the reveal of the genomorph town/alien sanctuary in YJ, I wonder if the genomorphs in WTR have something similar, minus the illusions that make them look like humans. I could see Paul supporting that.
     
    DrThoth likes this.
  15. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    I haven't seen that episode yet, though it is nice to know that thye're alright.

    Due to the ways in which the SI and the Renegade have handled the genomorphs, they don't need to practice that sort of subterfuge.
     
    Ardy, Ngamer11, Bramble Thorn and 8 others like this.
  16. Chaoswind

    Chaoswind Lord of nonsense

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    1,168
    Likes Received:
    7,086
    Its a shame that the plot potential of Dana Dearden aka OBSESSION and the random amount of orange rings Paul called didn't go anywhere. I mean Dana getting obsessed with Paul and getting an orange power ring (in addition to her coins) while Paul was running amok in Vega, is a far more interesting plot development than a random Dragon getting a ring and becoming a villain of the hour before being unceremoniously killed.


    Dana the orange lantern could have been a fairly interesting issue for Paul to deal with even more so if he initially promotes her to second orange lantern of sector 2418 for her feat and single minded "self control" (she would be entirely focused on proving her worth to Paul and wanting his attention, and Paul desire to not be like Lantern Jordan and his fuckup with Carol Feris would have played a huge part in how he would deal with Dana).
     
  17. Queshire

    Queshire Not too sore, are you?

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    466
    Likes Received:
    2,768
    To be fair, they could still want to.
     
    DAT_NOOB likes this.
  18. lefthandturnsignal

    lefthandturnsignal Making the rounds.

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2018
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    162
    Wasn't the green honor guard task force headed to Coluan immediately after dealing with the dominator prison? How did that turn out?
     
    Chaoswind, Ardy and DrThoth like this.
  19. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    Stalled. Colu is now formally isolated but the Machine Tyrants could at the very least hold off the Task Force and have a planet full of hostages.
     
  20. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    Thank you, corrected.
    Let's... Go... With... Yes.
     
    c3qo, Ardy, Bramble Thorn and 3 others like this.
  21. Jirachi

    Jirachi I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2017
    Messages:
    622
    Likes Received:
    1,280
    I'm a bit confused about the relationship between him saying this and him being totally fine with Adam Blake personally doing a lot of uplift (likely with) Earth schizotech on Tamaran.
    I wonder if there is going to be a 'book of Maltus' set-up to help with the problems he's been getting with technology that the ring can't analyze on it's own, or to help serve the other functions that the Book of Oa serves for the GL corps.
     
    Bramble Thorn likes this.
  22. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    Adam Blake left Earth in the seventies. No internet, and he was never part of a superhero team that might have gotten access to that sort of material. He hasn't seen a lot of the stuff that the SI has. He does know alien technology, but it's not anything that would be radically out of place on Tamaran.

    And negotiating for help from a man with joint American-Tamarus citizenship is fine. Diplomacy is a perfectly acceptable route to victory.
     
  23. Threadmarks: Jiggity-Jig (part 17)
    Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    9th February
    01:34 GMT


    The rehabilitation centre on Rilsomtine has very visibly been upgraded. More staff and better social facilities, and I think that the rehabilitatee housing has been upgraded as well. Mylissa frowns at me as I use their link to the Imperium's communications network in an attempt to contact the Chief Minister.

    "Yes, he came through on his offer of funding, but that doesn't mean that we're in regular contact."

    "Do you know who Green Lantern Green Man usually gets when he calls the palace?"

    "No, I don't."

    "I suspect that it's someone more important than a Third Undersecretary." I glance her way. "How's Felicity been getting on?"

    "As…" Mylissa shakes her head. "Well.. as could be expected. She's very social, likes to make people happy, and has.. almost no life-goals beyond making the people around her happy."

    "Has she asked after me?"

    "She did after you left, but she accepted it when we said that we didn't have any way to contact you. I've…" She looks away nervously.

    "Yes?"

    "The.. karnan fleet is supposed to have left-."

    "Karna has been largely reconquered. The only ongoing conflict now is what form the gordanian surrender will take."

    "I.. don't think that you're supposed to have told me that."

    "Neither Supreme Commander Gaharrugh or the Imperial Navy Attaché made any request that I not share the information. And I'm not governed by Crown Imperium law anyway."

    "I am."

    "Then you better not tell anyone. Not that I think it will matter. No one is coming to help the gordanians. Certainly, no one with spies here."

    "What about Amalak?"

    "Couldn't care less. Same with Jarko and the Spiders. The Citadel Alliance was the Citadel and its hangers on. Everyone who wants to survive the Citadel's fall is reforming, and Amalak was always more of an opportunist than an ally."

    "That-. That's.. not-." She glances at the nearest information terminal.

    "No, well, you do live in the Crown Imperium, which has a vested interest in lumping all of its enemies together whether or not they're actually part of the same group or not. Please tell me that Admiral Oswin doesn't own the local news broadcaster?"

    "I don't think so?"

    "Alright, simple version." I generate a map of Vega and the territories bordering on the Crown Imperium as they were prior to my arrival. "Citadel and Friends controlled here." I colour Vega, with the major planets marked. "I freed Tamaran and blew up the Citadel." The Citadel marker vanishes and the coloured area evaporates. "No party was strong enough to take the Citadel's place, so while the Citadel's former allies cooperated between themselves they were only going to get weaker."

    "While that was going on, the alliance I brokered between the pirate groups and the Spider Guild was bedding in. Now, the pirates weren't allied to the Citadel, Vega was just a convenient place for them to do business." I mark the Control Nest, Asryx and the region where Amalak operates. "Other pirate groups operated in the area or flew through it, but none of them really had territory there. The Spider Guild arriving caused all of the other groups to gang up on them, and they lost their entire navy before surrendering."

    "The Citadel and its navy took no part in that war, because they knew that if they did they'd have a Green Lantern taskforce coming down on them. The branx took no part in it because their interests weren't directly threatened. Some gordanian clans were involved, but not the ones which were closely allied to the Citadel, because the ones which were closely allied to the Citadel had no motive to risk themselves. Since the Spider Guild's defeat and the Citadel's destruction Jarko has become less piratical because his losses in the war meant that he couldn't risk it and Amalak has expanded his legitimate private security work because suddenly the area has little special appeal to pirates and it serves his interests better to be seen as legitimate. With the Citadel and -more importantly- Larfleeze gone there's a good chance that Green Lanterns will regain access to Vega, and in any case visiting pirate groups aren't guaranteed the same old safe harbour."

    "With me so far?"

    "A reasonable summary." Chief Minister Rikane's face appears on the communication system. "Though Her Imperial Majesty's government would appreciate it if we were able to make the announcement of the karnan victory without it being spoilered."

    "Chief Minister-." Mylissa bows in his direction.

    "Miss Raul. Would you please leave the Orange Lantern and I alone?"

    She straightens slightly. "Of course." She rebows and then backs out of the room, the door closing behind her.

    "She was right, you know. Data management laws in the Crown Imperium are most likely harsher than what you're used to."

    "Do they apply to foreign diplomats?"

    "Not allied ones. Otherwise, some do."

    "Am I an allied diplomat?"

    He smiles pleasantly. "I certainly hope so."

    "Do you have a problem with me negotiating a settlement on Karna?"

    "No, but I would rather have had a little more notice. The original plan was for the karnans to be supported by the Imperial Navy and so achieve a crushing victory. We were.. still hopeful that they might win an outright victory, but with a little time to prepare we can put a spin on it. I suppose that the civilian casualties would have been very great if they'd fought it out?"

    "Yes, very."

    "Then there we are." He sits back slightly. "Ultimately, it isn't critical to the security of the Crown Imperium whether Vega becomes civilised purely because of our efforts or only partly. Our primary foreign policy objective is to stabilise our borders, not conquer Vega."

    "And your secondary objectives?"

    "Well…" He fans out his hands. "There are so many. An end to piracy and slavery, naturally. Partially to protect our own citizens and partially through moral concerns. I regard the Imperium as an architect of civilisation. That is the moral justification for our actions."

    "So you wouldn't want to annex a civilised region?"

    "That… Depends what you mean by 'annex'. Certainly, we have had civilised worlds petition to join the Imperium before and will most likely do so again. But forcing ourselves on them, no, of course not."

    "So how do you explain Asryx?"

    "That was before my time. Asryx was… Ideally, supposed to give the condemned and transported a chance to rehabilitate themselves through labour. They-." He looks decidedly awkward. "They and their descendants were supposed to become full citizens once their world was developed enough to admit to the Crown Imperium. But… The Court became… Somewhat divided…"

    "The Court had an attack of fascism."

    "Something like that. I'm not proud of it, but… A man in my position must sometimes be realistic about what can be achieved. You will note that I haven't pushed to invade Asryx, despite having good evidence that its new ruler supports the very barbarian forces I have dedicated myself to expunging."

    "If they re-entered the Crown Imperium voluntarily, would you grant Jarko the title of Marquis?"

    "Hehahahaoh my. Heh." He realises that I'm not laughing. "My word, are you serious?"

    "I brought Amalak, Jarko and the Queen together, because I also regard myself as an architect of civilisation. And sometimes being an architect means that you must convince foundations to remain erect in the middle of a swamp before you can build anything truly beautiful. Amalak is worried that Admiral Oswin might do something self-interested and plunge the area into war. I'm here to find out what assurances both sides want and are prepared to offer in return."

    "I see. I think.. perhaps that we should meet in person."
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2019
  24. Citizen

    Citizen Well worn.

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2016
    Messages:
    6,495
    Likes Received:
    14,334
    Sometimes you're a genocide and kingmaker, sometimes you are a spider fondler and diplomat. Vega seems to bring out something special in OL doesn't it?
     
  25. zerofarad

    zerofarad Know what you're doing yet?

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2018
    Messages:
    108
    Likes Received:
    278
    Various possible typos marked in orange:
    It's also a little odd to view an organization as an architect, but as far as I can tell that's just the metaphor he's going for.
     
    Hell's Razer and Mr Zoat like this.
  26. thebishop8

    thebishop8 Umm, ackchyually...

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2019
    Messages:
    360
    Likes Received:
    2,255
    Should that be interests?

    *not the ones

    Karna needs to be capitalized.

    If she backs out of the room, then doesn't the door technically close in front of her? :p
     
  27. Chojin Patriarch

    Chojin Patriarch Veteran Lurker

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,149
    Likes Received:
    33,429
    Ah, the joy of using low-relationsjhip-value assets.

    Nice of him to ask. Probably doesn't want her going off on another half-cocked assassination attempt.

    And how many of them are left, I expect.

    They haven't exactly made any friends in the region... And I doubt that will continue.

    Ah, information control. Best way to convince people of your truth and righteousness....

    ...Vega was just a convenient place for them to do business."

    "Please try not to steal any more of our thunder..."

    Do you think OL cares?

    You don't want to be on his bad side, certainly.

    And having a huge bodycount of karnan civilians would look bad.

    I regard the Imperium as an architect of civilisation.

    That line of thought rarely tends to end well...

    Indeed...

    Deadly serious, it seems.

    That is a nice turn of phrase, OL.

    Well, the grand tour continues. OL's racking up the Vega frequent-flyer lightyears, isn't he?
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2019
  28. hance1986

    hance1986 A pitiful excuse for a man.

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2015
    Messages:
    1,113
    Likes Received:
    11,921
    The Shadows would meet OL and tell Mister Morden to take a hike.
     
  29. Buggy123

    Buggy123 I trust you know where the happy button is?

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    Messages:
    504
    Likes Received:
    3,748
    Eh, I don't think it's the same thing. American/British imperialism strongly involved race; the primary race(s) inhabiting any particular region played a large part in how 'civilized' they perceived it to be, and in all likelyhood any genuinely 'uncivilized' regions were so in part because of that same bias in prior interactions. At it's most extreme, it was just a outright declaration of racial superiority with a element of conquering thrown in; pure monkey-brain bias and tribalism.


    Vega, on the other hand, is a region lifted straight from satan's hairy ass, where pirates reign supreme, mass slavery runs rampant, and any remotely innocent people are usually oppressed or fearfully mixed in with the rather-less-decent. It would be fairly hard to make it worse; the Guardians pact did a number to the region.

    "Move in and fix things for them", or hell, even "Move in and conquer them for their own good" is perfectly reasonable in Vega, even if you do a poor job of it or do it for misguided reasons. Sure, there are practical problems with conquering someone to fix things against their will, but again... Vega.
     
  30. Mr Zoat

    Mr Zoat Dedicated ragequitter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    14,695
    Likes Received:
    728,919
    Thank you, corrected.
     
Loading...