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(http://i.imgur.com/iTlYZu9.png)
How did our hopes for a glorious reunion turn to ash? How did we and our brothers in Sol head down the path to war?
Here, you'll see a series of snippets fleshing out the modern Infernoverse. You'll find out how the GTVA and the EA came to war, see what the man on the street feels about the events unfolding around them, and meet some characters whom you'll run into later.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Gateway: Gates of Janus (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89869.msg1787552#msg1787552)
BEFORE CONTACT
EA: Stand (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89869.msg1788123#msg1788123)
GTVA: Where Are We Going? (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89869.msg1788372#msg1788372)
Dharl Degalu: Snapping Shackles (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89869.msg1792494#msg1792494)
Icanus: The Best of Intentions (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89869.msg1791401#msg1791401)
ROAD TO WAR
THE EARTH ALLIANCE WAR
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Gateway: The Gates of Janus
Engineering Team’s Lounge, Working Quarters, Deck 317
Sol Gate, Delta Serpentis
5:32 PM Terran Standard Time, April 22, 2390
“To Earth.” Dr. Emily Velasquez raised her glass of Aldebaran nectar, savoring the faintly sour scent. After untold energy drinks and all-nighters, the good stuff was that much better.
“To your home.” Her colleague, Dr. Nebwawy, hesitated for a moment before returning the Terran’s gesture. They could barely hear the clink of glasses over the din of their colleagues’ raucous cartoon marathon.
“Oh, and to a trillion GCs’ worth of government funding.”
Nebwawy was as silent as usual, but Emily noticed him returning her toast with great relish. The gangly, beige Vasudan paid the wider celebration no mind.
Emily brushed that one annoying strand of black hair out of her eyes. She'd spent an hour fretting over her green, semi-casual ensemble, and was happy to have a semi-private chat with her coworker rather than risk spilled drinks at the main party. At least the outfit nicely accentuated her tan, slightly-pudgy figure.
Out the lounge’s massive viewport, another Earther diplomatic transport arrived from Sol through a cyan vortex. Fifth one since the Gate had fired up. The compact, slate-gray vessel- Corvus-class, Emily recalled- flew by the viewport. Dr. Velasquez stood up and waved; she thought she caught a glimpse of gray-uniformed EA crew waving back through the viewports.
The Terran engineer chuckled. “Pilots are pilots, Earth or Alliance.” She took a sip of her nectar, making sure to swish the Vasudan drink around her mouth to get just the right tangy flavor.
Nebwawy let the conversation hang for a few interminable seconds. Even after Emily's eight years working beside the Vasudan metallurgy expert, he was still as hard to read as ever.
“Four decades ago, Khonsu of fond memory proposed a great work. One by which both our species would be safeguarded forevermore.”
Emily took a few seconds to parse his reference, then her smile went taut. “I know, a people birthed in sorrow and all that, but can’t you just let us Terrans have our one moment of peaceful reunion with our lost brothers? Sheesh.”
“Merely a timely caution, Emily. No fleet or great project can shield us from this harsh cosmos. We cannot let it catch us sleeping.”
Emily avoided his gaze. I do not want to have this conversation again.
She glimpsed four trails of plasma, pulling off from the defense fleet and stopping behind the Corvus. The EA transport came to a sudden halt.
Eager for a distraction, she gestured to the scene outside the viewport. “Look, our glorious fleet just caught some Earther smugglers. Better not turn into a diplomatic incident.” She forced a chuckle.
Nebwawy gazed intently at the little tableau. Then he swiftly stood up, motioning to another group of plasma trails approaching the Gate. And another. And one of the massive Hecate-class destroyers, rumbling into motion.
Emily’s shoulders tensed. “It’s just an exercise, right?”
The dulcet tones of the PA cut off Nebwawy’s response. “All personnel, Code Zeta Four. Repeat, Code Zeta Four.”
Shutting down the Gate, and all personnel to duty stations? But why, unless-
A massive cerulean vortex sprang into existence, disgorging a grey-plated and t-shaped warship. For four slow seconds, the behemoth thundered past the viewport, like an onrushing storm blotting out their vision.
Our Father, who art in heaven…
“What do the Earthers think they’re-“ “-told you they’d backstab-“ Engineering Team’s celebration devolved into chaos as they dropped popcorn bowls and bolted for the exit. The screen cut out as the Gate’s emergency protocols kicked in, while the lights dimmed and turned a harsh red. Blue exit paths flashed into existence on the walls and flooring.
Emily was still transfixed, gripping the table as warship after warship followed the behemoth. A cloud of plasma trails boiled out from the EA fleet, engulfing and extinguishing the Allied fighters. Silver flashes cut through the blackness, stabbing into the Hecate. The old Terran warhorse weakly returned fire, striking a decelerating H-shaped destroyer with her azure lances, but to no visible effect. Flashes of fusion bombs heralded the Hecate’s end, as her ruptured reactors consumed her in a fireball. All over in three minutes.
She felt a vicegrip on her shoulder, a surprise from the gangly Nebwawy. “We leave. Now!”
Forcing herself to her feet, Emily turned away and bolted out of the lounge with Nebwawy at her feet. “Thanks.”
A brief nod. He was plainly keeping pace with her, as they chased after their departed colleagues. A noisy mass of humanity was boiling out the doors and pressing in around them, cutting the two off.
“All station personnel, we are under attack. This is no drill.”
“Nebwawy, guess you-“ “-oh, sorry, sir-” –she slipped past an elderly Hispanic man as they rounded the corridor- “were right.”
For once, he looked her in the eyes. “Now, we wake.”
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Sol Gate
Command & Control center
"Sir, the gate opened! A giant Fenris on steroids is coming through!"
;)
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Giant Fenris on steroids? You mean Nemesis?
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Giant Fenris on steroids? You mean Nemesis?
That was just a joke post because that's how I've heard some refer to Nemesis here. It wasn't part of Lepanto's fiction. If he wants, I'll delete the post.
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No problem. As long as everybody knows it's supposed to be the Nemesis, the terminology is irrelevant.
Constructive feedback, anyone? Inquisitive fluff questions which I may or may not be inclined to answer right now?
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Sounds cool! Can't wait to avenge that Hecate with ma lazors!
Btw, why are all fictions about the new SolGate designed with the GTVA making the connection? I mean, I know I know, Petrarch and so on, but still. It would be cool to have a new node being created out of nowhere from Sol, with ships and their crazy shivan technology they managed to retrieve from the Lucifer wreckage.
This can also be cool.
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Thanks! Oh, you will get the chance to blow up plenty of gray stuff... :D
Well, INF originally kinda invented the whole GTVA-built Sol Gate concept that everyone's been using, and it's a core part of our setting. Though I concur, having Sol build the gate might open up a number of fascinating new campaign storylines, depending on Sol's motivations.
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No problem. As long as everybody knows it's supposed to be the Nemesis, the terminology is irrelevant.
Constructive feedback, anyone? Inquisitive fluff questions which I may or may not be inclined to answer right now?
I presume that "H-shaped destroyer" was the Lindos class destroyer from INFR1?
Secondly:
Do you think it's possible for one of the fiction pieces to show debate in the EA about going to war? I mean, we know which faction wins obviously, but it might be interesting to see some in the EA wanting peaceful coexistence.
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Yup, for anyone who hasn't been following the screenshots: The Lindos is back, and about as beamzy as ever! Keep your fingers on those Stiletto IIIs, or lose your mission-critical capships!
The EA's motivation for war will be explained later. EA internal politics are complex. No further comment at this time. Thanks for the idea, though.
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Is it worrying that the countdown has "years" marked?
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Well it hasn't "decades" marked, so that's a positive?
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It's an in-universe countdown. :p I'm hoping that we can release our first act (13 missions) by the end of 2015 at the least.
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Having wait so long for Inferno, now I somehow desire INF:A2 for more EA related stuff. Am I too greedy?
EDIT: It's irony, but I think that EA logic for war with GTVA is very similar to TEVs in Blue Planet. They need the GTVA space to expand and to prepare against Shivans (more Icanus to build) and they don't want to be cornered stagnant in their home space.
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Thanks for your enthusiasm for Inferno!
Woo does have vague plans to remake INF:A, but it probably won't happen for a while. Don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of the EA in the somewhat-near future! :D
We're not copying BP's reasons for war, I can assure you of that much. Again, the nature of the war will be elaborated on in future pieces.
Oh, and we probably ARE bringing back the Warlock, though probably in less of a heavy-combat role.
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I approve of this methodology of getting HYPE as the guy who arguably wrote the first Inferno fanfic, lo those many eons ago. (No, really. (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2719820/1/Majesty))
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Oh, and we probably ARE bringing back the Warlock, though probably in less of a heavy-combat role.
That's awesome news! :)
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I approve of this methodology of getting HYPE as the guy who arguably wrote the first Inferno fanfic, lo those many eons ago. (No, really. (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2719820/1/Majesty))
I vaguely remembered that! If it weren't for the Nemesis's launch possibly being set during the INF:A war rather than peacetime, I would immediately and arbitrarily dub it NuINF canon.
And thanks for getting HYPED!
Do other people like these fiction teasers? The more enthusiasm they get, the more I'll write!
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I like them.
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Yes! Write moar.
I like to read stuff that expands (or complicates ;)) understanding of events in campaign. :)
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It looks like the opening moves here can be compared to Pearl Harbor.
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The EA had to launch a quick surprise attack, or the GTVA could've blockaded the node more heavily and stopped the invasion in its tracks. Or just turned off the gate.
Thanks for your enthusiasm, people; expect some more fic in the vaguely near future!
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Correct, and it looks like also in both cases diplomacy was going on at the time of the surprise attack.
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You know what would be awesome to see? A story about first contact between the GTVA and the EA. All I remember about it in the first Inferno is that a GTVA fleet went in, the EA blasted them and immediately charged through Sol Gate.
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You know what would be awesome to see? A story about first contact between the GTVA and the EA. All I remember about it in the first Inferno is that a GTVA fleet went in, the EA blasted them and immediately charged through Sol Gate.
On the schedule (so to speak.) :cool:
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All I remember about it in the first Inferno is that a GTVA fleet went in, the EA blasted them and immediately charged through Sol Gate.
Uh, nope
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What was it then? I thought the EA initiated the war.
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(http://i.imgur.com/ovZqy0i.png)
EA: Stand
A/N: This piece is set after a pre-Gate Sol war between the EA and the Jovian Coalition, which will be covered in more detail in the remade Inferno: Alliance. (If we ever get that far.)
Plaza of Fallen Heroes
Johannesburg, Africa, Sol
2:11 PM TST, August 4, 2371
“All Sol, we stand proud this day!”
Minister-in-Chief Marcos Ienou swept his arm over the packed Plaza. Twenty-meter-tall statues of soldiers and ships towered over the crowd. Claymores from the Nemesis’s CAP buzzed and wheeled in parade patterns. After sharing a glance with his fellow Ministers standing on the air-conditioned balcony, the rail-thin EA head of state tapped his glasses.
5 billion live views. None of the networks would dare miss this, even the Jovians’. A grin flickered over the politician’s well-practiced stolid expression. Like it or not, this is our new era.
“Loyal citizens of Earth. Throughout these decades of fratricide in Sol, you have stood with us, as we sought a lasting peace with honor! Of our Navy, what can I say? The Coalition had decades to prepare their stab in the back, but you shattered their outdated hulls and crushed their ambitions! Soldiers of our Army, you fought across the battlefields of a dozen worlds; then you stood your watch on long occupation tours guiding liberated planets toward peace, all the while enduring the slings and arrows of our misguided brethren. Our men and women, rise to your feet!”
Ienou snapped a salute. Ranks of servicepersons in starched dress grays snapped to attention, returning the gesture.
Can’t let our boys in gray have all the spotlight, though.
“Retirees who volunteered for war desk jobs. Bureaucrats who worked extra hours to keep our overstrained logistics flowing. Civilians who took shelter as Coalition bombs blasted your homes apart, and who then scrubbed fallout and restored infrastructure. All of you stood proud in our time of need. Stay on your feet – you have earned your pride!”
A picked section of Civilian Medal recipients rose to their feet. But around them in the packed stands, more followed in an uncoordinated surge of rippling emotion. Soon, almost the entire crowd was on their feet.
Public Ministry didn’t even script that last part. But who would I be to turn down a spontaneous display of patriotism? After groaning under my war tax regime, they deserve this chance to stand up. He stifled a dry chuckle.
Ienou gestured to a group of Jovian prisoners-of-war, wearing their own dress reds and cordoned off from the glances and insults of the crowd. The Minister-in-Chief let a note of dignified compassion slip into his oratory. “Our brothers, formerly of the Jovian Coalition, rise to your feet! Though misguided by your leaders, you fought with courage for your majestic planet- now stand hand-in-hand with all eight worlds of Sol.”
After a few moments of nervously glancing and whispering at each other, most of the Jovians rose to their feet. A few defiantly remained seated.
No, I won’t dignify your resistance with attention. Your backstabbing government is now consigned to the pages of history; may it stay there!
Hardly missing a beat, he next spread his arms to embrace the crowd.
First, the kindly father-figure...
“Now, for the first time in decades, Terrans across Sol can sleep in their beds, without fearing explosive decompressions or tanks rumbling through their streets. Return to your lives. The Interior Ministry is already at work preparing aid packages for the most-affected worlds, and the Economics Ministry is laying the groundwork for inter-Solar economic exchange and shared prosperity.”
Half of those tanks were ours, but better ours than the Jovians’.
Ienou's tone turned strident, amplified by the Plaza’s sound system. “But do not let your knees buckle and turn weak! The Shivans still lurk in the great beyond, and we know not what other threats we will face, from outside – or, our heritage forbid, from within. Let us all preserve this lasting peace we have won!”
“We are Sol! We are the Earth Alliance! And WE STAND!”
“WE STAND! WE STAND! WE STAND! WE STAND!”
Ienou wiped his brow again, drinking in the scene before him. As the sound system fell silent, he cut off the other Ministers' congratulations.
For now, all Sol speaks with one voice. Just treasure this moment while it lasts.
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Another good post, although the countdown is at 19 years now. :p
Is Johannesburg the Earth capital?
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Beautiful fiction.
Out of curiosity, you mentioned inf: alliance. Is there any news on these two mini campaigns that were announced by mobius at the time (gehenna's gate and the spirit of Ptah)?
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Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen.
Again, the countdown is in-universe, counting down to the beginning of Inferno proper. We have no intention of keeping you waiting THAT long (and don't have a set release date anyway.) :p
I think Mobius is off the project, so those campaigns most likely won't be happening.
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I wonder how good the Jovian Coalition is assimilated into EA when war with GTVA started? Are the Jovian territories 100% loyal to EA?
Also, discarting the Sol:A History, from the INF:A I got an impresion that EA prior to the war with Jovians was formed from formelly hostile to eachother Earth and Mars? Considering that you call Jovinas "backstabbing" does it mean that some time after original INF:A Jovians launched a sneak attack on Earth and Mars wich forsed them to become close allies?
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You'll see. :p
The details about the various INF:A wars are so secret that even I don't know all of them yet! :p I'd rather get Woo's take before discussing them much further. Kept some details deliberately vague to avoid potentially contradicting our future plans for INF:A too much. I will say that the Jovians did attack the EA.
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Considering that you call Jovinas "backstabbing" does it mean that some time after original INF:A Jovians launched a sneak attack on Earth and Mars wich forsed them to become close allies?
Happens after the EA was formed that, and it is something that can't happen again by INF time.
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Pluto will ride again!
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Now, for the other side of the Space Pond:
(http://i.imgur.com/iTlYZu9.png)
GTVA: Where Are We Going?
Ten Years Later: Where Are We Going?
By Supreeti Shrestha
Hesperia, Delta Serpentis, August 14, 2377 - “Heck if I know,” Thomas Ferrara told me over a staticky connection from his modest Luyten flat. The gangly, dark-haired Capella refugee took a generous sip of Aldebaran nectar before continuing. “Been bouncing around from planet to planet since Capella went nova.”
His face briefly dropped its apathetic scowl. “Suppose I’m lucky to even have a job. Spent five years on welfare before Luyten bounced back from the post-Capella crash, and Soliton Syswerks was hiring plasma techs again.”
He cradled his forehead in his hand for a couple moments, seemingly lost in thought. I was about to ask a follow-up question, when he shook his head. “But as to where WE’RE going? You tell me.”
Does anyone else have a better answer?
The General Assembly, and our benevolent overseers in the Security Council, tell us we are bound for Earth. That our untouched home will give prosperity and protection we’ve not had since before the T-V War to our adrift people. But four years in, the Gate project is already running over cost estimates, and private analytics firm Sitamun & Hollos already projects that it may take over a decade to finish.
Not to mention, the Outreach Array hasn’t detected any radio signals from Sol in its three years of operation. That can only mean two things: either our Terran brothers in Sol are too badly injured or dead to try and communicate with us, or Sol deigns not to speak with her lost children. Neither possibility signals the friendly and prosperous reunion we are hoping for.
The cynics – and worse - tell us we are headed for ruin, that the Shivans will return any day to finish what they started. But waiting for the end to come is no alternative. When and whether they come for us, better to live well in the years allotted to us, rather than cower and wait for the end to come.
Where are we going? Does the Security Council know? Do any of us know? Perhaps no destination at all is better than a headlong charge into oblivion.
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Oh, and yeah, Johannesburg is capital of the EA.
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Speaking of using radio signal for inestellar communication I head interesting theory that some scientist calcualted that our typical modern radio signal would become so weak that after circa 2 light years it's become indistinguishable from normal stellar background noise. In orther worlds SETI is a stupidity similar to building a giant telescope in hope of seeing a flashligh signal from Mars. I'm quite sure that any developed civilisation would quickly scratch radio from viable long rage communication.
However from FS universe point of view it's a far more complex. I'm 100% sure that both side know the actual positions and orbits of colonized planets in both Sol and Alpha Centauri. If both sides would build and direct Arcadia size radio annatenas to eachother they would probably able to put strong enough signal to travel these 4 ly and still be in readable shape. And I think that for some time after node collapse both sides would have thousands of receivers pointed into sky in hope that someone one the other side is broadcasting.
This makes an interesting question. If only goverment-grade dedicated projects would be able sent strong enough signal they do you think that anyone actually build and broadcast it? I think that Arcadia size antena might be a fair bit cheaper that actual Arcadia stations, so it's not a bugdet killer like Collosus or The Gate. Obviously both Sol and GTA had rought economic period after node collapse where they might had other priorities, but I guess that around FS2 time both Sol and GTVA had enough resources to easily build such project.
So the are the hard questions:
- it's quite obvious that GTVA would attempt to broadcast to Sol, but is Sol broadcasting to GTVA? Is it both EA and Jovians? or only victorious EA? Or victorious EA decides to enact full radio silence?
- What would be the communication to eachother? do GTVA metion about official alliance with Vasuans? about NTF? About Juggernaut Armada that can blow up the star (was it the reason why EA started the Icanus project)?
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Uhm. Time to come up with something vaguely plausible.
The GTVA's been transmitting offers of reconnection and intel/tech sharing to Sol as soon as it became economically practical, as reunification has been a high priority.
Sol, on the other hand, has suffered civil dissension and fratricidal war for decades, and had neither the resources or political will to try and contact their former colonies, which they figured might've been wiped out by the Shivans by now anyway. Even after the EA unified Sol and had the breathing space to construct a relay capable of receiving the GTVA's signals, they've been suspicious of the GTVA's reunification agenda. After subduing the rest of Sol by force in a brutal war forced upon them by the Jovians, the EA is a paranoid fortress state that wants to be left alone. They have no desire to share government with their former colonies, have other budgetary priorities than constructing a transmitter, and are too paranoid of getting 14th BGed to give the GTVA any useful intel.
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Creepy hermit kingdom EA. I like it
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I was thinking about what holidays the EA might have, may I make some suggestions?
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Sure, if you're so inclined.
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I'm not saying these have to go into your canon, just a for fun idea I had in my head:
Victory Day (whichever day it was the Jovians officially surrendered)
Unification Day (when Sol officially united under the EA government)
Veterans Day (similar to the current US holiday and Canada's Remembrance Day)
Christmas (not sure how strongly it'd be celebrated, but I'd imagine people would still want December 25 off even in the future)
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Just remembered another relatively obvious one to put in there:
New Years' Day
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Pre-Reunion EA would also "celebrate" Severance Day, the day the Lucifer was destroyed.
Celebrations for that day were of course abolished after the EA government decided the node was better off closed.
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So so far we've got:
New Years Day
Severance Day
Victory Day
Unification Day
Veterans/Remembrance Day
Christmas
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Sole Survival Day, on the basis of the belief that the Shivans wiped out the rest of the GTA/PVN.
Get it? Sole survivor? Ahahahaha.
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Risin up
Back with a fleet
Did our time
Took our chances
Went the distance, now we're back on our feet
Just the Earth and its will to survive
So many times
It happens too fast
You trade your spaceships for story
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them aliiiive
It's the I in Inferno
It's the beam spam delight
Risin' up to a shock jump arrivaaaaaal
And the Sol known survivor
stalks its prey in the night
And we're watching you all with the —
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:D That was just what I needed to reignite some FREDding enthusiasm. (And fiction enthusiasm.)
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Looking forward to seeing the...Sol Train continue.
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Sorry, been demotivated recently. Will post more stuff, exploring the Vasudan situation, Soon.
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Be assured, the Countdown is merely paused. I'm not feeling well these days, so it may be a while between updates. :nono:
In the meantime, are there any parts of the Infernoverse that you guys would like to see covered here in more detail? (Not involving the EA's wars in Sol, though; that period be covered in the INFA reboot, when/if we release it.)
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What about weapon and ship development? If that touches on "EA's wars in Sol" too much, the GTVA's?
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Ooooh, weapon and ship development is a favorite topic of mine! :D Now I just have to make all the ships in our fleetpack fit together as logical developments of post-Capella military technology, in a pseudo-realistic political and military-industrial environment...
But thanks! The GTVA's and Vasudans' are certainly feasible.
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Since I've already mentioned things that might be interesting on the EA side of things (1- debate about whether to go to war with or coexist with the GTVA, 2-building the Icanus or lots of regular destroyers)...something on the GTVA side of things I'd be interested in reading about is the Warlock (since it's been said it will make a return to Nostos) and the GTVA rationale behind that supership.
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Both Nemesis and Warlock are perfectly resonable ships in Inferno era (GTA suppose to a e few Odin super destroyers and a few Warlocks).
What would I really like to hear about is the logic behind Inferno era Colossus (aka Icanus).
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I edited my post, I had meant to say Icanus instead of Nemesis.
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You two want Icanus exposition? You get Icanus exposition!
This piece was originally written by Darius, and is used in NuINF canon with his permission, and with modification to fit said NuINF canon.
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(http://i.imgur.com/1xmTfzR.png)
Icanus: The Best of Intentions
Federal Hall
Johannesburg, Africa, Sol
1:22 PM TST, January 4, 2372
The Great Hall of Representatives gave audience to a distinguished academic. He was softly-spoken, with a gentle accent that suggested an origin somewhere in East Africa.
"Representatives of the Earth Alliance General Assembly, I thank you for your audience and for your charity in allowing me to appear today. I know that in this time of upheaval and rebuilding, you are hard at work establishing a new Sol. Yet it is crucial that we do not lose sense of who we are, and we must always remember why Sol tore itself apart in civil wars. I am here to propose a project which will reunite all of humankind in the very essence of humanity that binds us."
The lights in the great hall dimmed, and the giant screen behind the speaker's dais lit up in a holographic display. The image of an Orion-class destroyer became visible, a wireframe set against a backdrop of stars. The symbol of the Galactic Terran Alliance was superimposed against the image,.
"In the years leading up to the Great War, our destroyers embodied our military strength. Citizens of systems protected by destroyers were assured of their safety. They were a symbol of what all of humanity could achieve, if we only worked as one.
"The Vasudans came, then the Shivans, then our fratricidal wars.” Service histories of the GTDs Galatea, Bastion, and others flickered across the screen. “The need for these beacons of hope became more powerful. Legends were born.” The Orion icon faded out, replaced by the newer Tereus and Lindos-class destroyers. “For better or for worse, these great warships have symbolized and guarded Terran governments and peoples.”
"Now, to re-knit our common ties of humanity after decades of war, we need a new symbol."
The wireframe representations of the Tereus and Lindos were replaced with a massive, bulky warship. The GTA symbol disappeared to make way for the globe-crest of the Earth Alliance. Those delegates who were previously affecting a mild interest in the proceedings now stared at the screen with interest.
"Members of the assembly, I present the Icanus. My team of researchers have drafted a preliminary design for a new class of vessel that exceeds the specifications of the SD Lucifer by tenfold. Utilising the most advanced armour composition that is available, she will be all but invulnerable to even the strongest Shivan weapons encountered during the Great War. My team expects-"
"Professor Zuma."
The speaker looked up, his address interrupted and his momentum disturbed. Marcos Ienou was looking at him, his severe features matched by the expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Minister-in-Chief. Is...is there a problem?"
"I apologise for the interruption, Professor, but I must have clarification over a few issues before we proceed." Chief Minister Ienou looked down at his desk, and Professor Zuma realised that he must have been taking notes during his speech. "First item. What you are describing, Professor, is essentially a new flagship for the Earth Alliance. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Secretary-General...well, almost. The Icanus will be more than just a warship. She was also designed to harness pride and unity in our race, and serve as an icon of Earth military power."
"Which are all desirable properties of a flagship, Professor. However, we already have a flagship, one which has already been blooded in defense of Sol. Why should we spend billions to replace the Nemesis?"
Professor Zuma had expected this objection. “With all respect, her service history is one of bloodshed. We need a symbol of humanity reunited, a ship built by all Sol, if we are to put that era behind us.”
Ienou’s eyebrows narrowed. “Are you suggesting that we of the Earth Alliance should be ashamed of our war history? That we should seek to whitewash the sacrifices our military made to defeat the Jovians and their unprovoked aggression?” Some murmurs from the audience.
“Certainly not, Chief Minister.”
"If we are going to approve this project, Professor, then I'm afraid you must outline a more productive role for this Icanus."
"Yes, Chief Minister."
"Second item. How do you propose to resource this project? Between replenishing our conventional fleet and rebuilding infrastructure across Sol, our budget and our credit are stretched to their limits."
"Ah." Professor Zuma licked his lips nervously. He was not sure how his next statement would be taken. "As I was about to mention, Minister, the ship is designed to be invulnerable to all known weapon systems, and forwards-compatible with future weapons developments. She will be more effective than her equivalent cost in destroyers. Therefore, I propose that funding be diverted away from the fleet reconstruction program into this project."
This remark caused several of the delegates to mutter darkly to one another. Marcos Ienou cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that your proposal is not feasible at this time, Professor Zuma. We require fleet assets to maintain a powerbase in this system, and there are still rogue Jovian elements in the outer rim that require neutralization. Let us not also forget the possibility of a Shivan incursion into this system. Twenty current destroyers will provide us with a far better projection of force than a single ship."
"I...understand, Chief Minister." Zuma bowed his head in resignation.
"Is there anything else before we submit a motion?"
"No, Chief Minister."
"Then I hereby submit a motion to approve Professor Zuma's Icanus project. All those in favour of approval?"
The Assembly made their votes, flickering across the screen. Only thirteen percent were in favour of approval.
"Secretary-General." A voice from the general assembly. A tall, blonde-haired man with severe features stood up from his desk, standing at attention. "Professor Armand Eriksson, Geneva Tech, Applied Energy. I beg leave to address the assembly." Ienou appraised the newcomer for a few moments, and gave a nod of assent. Eriksson continued. "I've read Professor Zuma’s papers on the Icanus project, and I’d like to contribute a few points to the discussion."
Professor Zuma looked up at his unlikely ally. Eriksson was the head of the original Flux Cannon research team, building modern EA beam cannons from highly-classified data gathered during the Great War and what could be salvaged from the shattered Lucifer hulk. The most notable achievement had been the construction of the Punisher: a huge platform-based cannon deployed in Earth orbit should the planet ever be threatened. Zuma had had deep personal misgivings about the prospect of a weapon capable of one-shot, 100% casualty-rate planetary bombardment orbiting Earth.
"Professor Zuma's ship concept may seem unfeasible when used in a standard destroyer role, but I see a potential alternative use of the design. If we can amalgamate the Punisher cannon and this new ship, then we may have a new mobile weapons platform. This will substantially increase the versatility of the Punisher cannon, while giving us a powerful fleet asset. The Icanus will be able to destroy any projected Shivan warship class in one shot, and discourage future planetary rebellions." The Outer Planets’ delegates did not miss the thinly-veiled threat.
"That is an interesting concept, Professor Eriksson," said the Secretary-General. "It provides an elegant and feasible solution to the first item of contention. However, what of the second? Where are we to find enough resources to build this ship?"
"Not with our current crippled resource base, Chief Minister. However, I propose an alternative method to extract minerals previously beyond our reach." He keyed in some data into his desk screen, and broadcast the information to other delegates in the assembly hall. "There are currently four privately-owned mining corporations on the surface of Mars that are still active. By implementing wartime advances in resource-extraction, and by combining these corporations into one government-controlled super-corporation, we can finally harvest Mars's untapped deposits at a much larger scale."
Zuma looked down at the data on his screen, and was horrified. "Professor Eriksson," he said. "What you propose is the complete strip-mining of the planet." Shocked whispering was heard from the Martian delegates.
"What I propose, Professor, is the acquisition of badly-needed resources at a time when the Earth Alliance sorely needs them most. Moreso, the choice of Mars is a prudent one, as it is highly centralised and in close proximity to Earth. Security of the project would be easier to enforce than if the project was based in, say, Europa."
"But there are three hundred million people on Mars!"
"Professor Eriksson," said Secretary-General Ienou, "Your colleague's objections are not unfounded. Has your team conducted any tests to evaluate how the surface of the planet will be affected by global mining of this scale? I remind you of the terraforming project that is currently under progress, and also that Mars is a founding member of the EA."
"Unfortunately, Chief Minister, our study did not find any conclusive evidence on the mining's effects on the planet's surface. Tectonic activity may increase, but it should not endanger residents currently on the surface. The terraforming process may slow, even halt, but I assure you that it will not be reversed. In any case, I request that the motion be resubmitted." Professor Eriksson turned to Zuma with a sardonic smile. "In the event that Martian residents experience a decrease in living standards...surely those patriots can bear another economic sacrifice, for the sake of a better-defended and more-unified Sol."
"Sacrifice?!" cried Zuma in disbelief.
"Calm down, Professor Zuma," chided Ienou. "Professor Eriksson has provided possible solutions to both points of contention, which seem feasible enough to carry out at this time. I will hereby resubmit the motion to approve Professor Zuma's Icanus project. All those in favour of approval?"
The screen at the head of the assembly hall lit up again. A full seventy percent of delegates approved of Professor Zuma's project. The Martian delegates and the outer-worlders objected en masse, but their voices carried little weight in the population-based Assembly.
"It has been decided. Professor Zuma, the Icanus project has been approved, incorporating Eriksson’s Punisher cannon suggestion, with construction facilities in orbit of Mars. Under these conditions, are you willing to undertake directorship of this project?"
Yakubu Zuma looked over at the animated assembly, and at the smiling face of Armand Eriksson. He felt his control over the proceedings slipping through his fingers, and he saw his dream of uniting humanity twisting into something entirely different and sinister. Under these new conditions, the Icanus would be nothing less than a mobile planet-killer. An iron fist, wielded by the dominant Earth power bloc to keep the outer planets prostrate. His heart now went out to the Martian delegates. But he could do nothing to stop his own proposal.
"Yes, Minister-in-Chief." The only thing he could do now was fight, and try to shift the project back towards the noble ideology that he originally envisioned. No matter what happens, he thought, I will make sure that this ship is constructed for the good of all humanity.
Deep inside, Zuma knew how little it would truly matter.
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That is a really nice take on the origin of such a mighty ship!
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Thanks, but most of the credit goes to Darius. I'd admired the original story and thought it'd make a nice addition to NuINF fluff.
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You asked for stuff we might like to see, could I make one more for the list (in addition to a mention on the GTVA rationale for the Warlock)?
I'm not asking for it to be a main focus of a fiction piece of yours (though if you wanted to go that route I wouldn't object), but if/when you do more EA stuff, would it be possible for the Vasudan pilots (who helped in the Lucifer strike) to make at least a cameo? I've always been curious at how they're doing.
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It sure is a nice addition. I like it very much, except to a certain clichédness of it. At a certain level, I'm especially torn at the "sardonic smile" representation. I know, fiction is not obliged to follow reality, but I find that these kinds of overt sardonicisms and calls for sacrificing entire planets "for the cause" are a just a weeny bit over the top. I.e., it's black and whiteness is too shoved into my throat if you know what I mean? Real psychopaths are extremely charmiing and manipulative, i.e., likable. That's why they are so dangerous.
But nevermind, I enjoyed it and that's what matters! Thank you! :yes:
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CT, I can certainly do that. EA fiction's taking a break for a little while, though. Next, we'll have a couple Zod pieces, including the long-awaited reason why the Zods sit most of the EA war out!
Luis, thanks. Yeah, perhaps I could've toned that guy down a bit. It's hard to tell a story with meaningful moral themes while keeping everyone acting more-or-less realistic.
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First fracking, then they strip mine Mars. Those rotten little jerks
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Emperor Khonsu is dead. Long live the new Emperor!
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(http://i.imgur.com/ono1nF3.png)
Dharl Degalu: Snapping Shackles
Emperor’s Council Chamber
Oasis IV, Aldebaran
Half to Nightfall, Imperial Standard Time, 47th day of Rising, 2375
“But, noble Emperor, please, Khonsu had agreed to-“
“Unlike Khonsu, I will not waste our people’s resources to keep your failed state afloat. Tell the Security Council that I am cutting off all aid for your Gate project, effective in six months. You have no place in these halls any more.” dHArL teS urOS DegALU, 78th Emperor of the Unification Dynasty, motioned the Terran emissary to the door. The woman quickly made the gesture of Imperial supplication and vanished.
The Emperor, on his ornamented throne, beheld the cavernous council room. His fourteen councilors, mostly holdovers from Khonsu’s reign, had to crane their necks just to see their new Emperor. It was not a sensation they were used to.
Foreign Councilor Iunmin gestured for the right to speak. Upon Dharl’s curt acceptance, the robed elder pushed himself to his feet. “Beneficent Emperor-“
“You were beneficent only to Khonsu, but continue.”
Iunmin hesitated. “What Egyptian name will you take?”
“None.”
Khonsu’s old guard glanced at each other, but most kept their tongues. The Terran ambassador, and now this?
Iunmin sighed. “I shall be plain. Your current agenda is disastrous. You would strain the alliance which Khonsu built?”
“The Terrans cannot pull their own weight, but we drag them fumbling through the desert. There can be no ties of friendship with them, Iunmin. Only shackles which drag Vasuda down.”
At Dharl’s gesture, the chamber came alive with projections. Screens and charts lit up and shifted through the air. Bright orange and gray lines snaked horizontally across the councilors’ vision.
“Look at the flow of our respective GDPs. Ever since Reconstruction, we have prospered under the monarchy’s guidance…” The orange line hovered high, with a trough over the last decade; Khonsu had arranged to pay half the cost of the Sol Gate.
“…And the Terrans have spared no expense in driving themselves into the ground!” The grey line lagged below the orange one, with sharp troughs around the NTF Rebellion and Capella, and only a recent gradual recovery.
“This despite Khonsu’s unparalleled generosity.” Dharl waved up another graph, showing Vasudan lending and economic aid over the years. The Terran debt to Vasudan banks stood at 19.7 trillion GC, 89% of the Terran GDP.
“And the Terrans repay us with this?” The facts and figures vanished, replaced with a diorama of the GTA Hades smashing a Vasudan node blockade. The Hades’s orange flux lances gutted a fleeing Aten, and Lokis shot down fleeing escape pods.
“The work of a few bitter rebels, they pleaded. That our alliance would last, they assured us. Then, just when we had forgiven them their indiscretions…”
“Die, Zod scum! Neo-Terra Victorious!” A simulated blast rocked the council chamber. The display now showed a Terran freighter crashing into the former Vasudan capital of Oasis III, taking much of the landscape with it in a roaring antimatter eruption. “Eleven million dead, in just one of the NTF’s attacks. 24 million dead in the entire NTF war.”
“But Aken Bosch was hardly content with ripping apart his species and ours. He then called down the Destroyers upon us.” This time, a Sathanas juggernaut’s red lances tore through the GVD Psamtik. Another flicker of screens; Serapis fighters, protecting fleeing Terran transports at Capella, were snuffed out in a storm of Shivan missile fire. “78,000 more Vasudan crew dead. All to protect the very species which huts both us and itself at every opportunity.”
“No, Iunmin. No, Khonsu. The Terran is no ally, fit to walk side-by-side with us. He is a shambling corpse, stabbing himself and stabbing us as we try to drag him through the predator-filled desert.”
Dharl dismissed Khonsu's Gate funding from the budget with a gesture. The projected Vasudan GDP evened out, as the Terran financial recovery slackened.
“No, we will not be shackled to a corpse. Trade with the Terrans? Yes, though not at cost to our economy. But will we save them from their own rebellions, their own economic suicide, their own suicidal provocation of the Shivans? No more. We snap our self-made shackles! Let the Terran wither, parched and alone. We will only fight for this Vasuda we have forged among the stars, our Vasuda everlasting!”
“Iunmin, your loyalty to Khonsu will only bring further strife to my government. I understand you will tender your resignation?”
The beige elder fixed Dharl with a stare, pondering a rebuttal, but he slowly signaled his assent. “Yet as I am no longer an officer of the government, I am free to leave you with one last proverb. ‘Let your brother stumble, and he will not lift you up when you stumble.’ Our people are not sinless. Recall the Galatea, and recall the Hammer of Light.” With a last sigh, the elder stood up and made for the door.
“If any others here cling so tightly to Khonsu and the Terrans that they cannot serve our new government, you may wish to retire with dignity for your loyal service.”
The councilors glanced around uneasily. Four left their seats with stiff gestures of supplication. The Emperor’s loyalists ushered them out in silence.
As Dharl began laying down the policies of his new regime, Iunmin and his colleagues strode out of the chamber.
“Dharl’s regime is already six councilors short,” the ex-Finance Councilor muttered.
The ex-Foreign Councilor looked back at the empty seats, then nodded. “When we lack an Emperor, what need have we for councilors?”
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Looks like someone is about to steal a Het'Ka.
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Good stuff!
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Looks like someone is about to steal a Het'Ka.
No Vasudan civil wars, I'm afraid, at least not quite yet. :) Besides, we don't even have an HTL Vasudan superdestroyer yet! :p
You do, however, have your explanation as to why the Vasudans are so uncooperative with the Terran-EA war effort. This guy.
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But when the EA manages to take most of the Terran part of the GTVA, the Shivans return and all your Het'Kas get stolen, who are you gonna call?
This new Emperor isn't gonna fly.
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Good story.
With how anti-Terran the new Vasudan emperor seems, I'm surprised he didn't try to pull the Vasudans out of the GTVA entirely. Does he want to do that?
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Maybe he wants some fragments o a relationship with Terrans for if the Shivans decide to come back on his watch. He can talk Vasudan superiority all day long, but neither species has fared well against the Shivans without the other, and even then, they don't survive on their combined strength and skill alone.
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I imagine these developments wouldn't make the Terran president happy.
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Expelling an ambassador is kind of a big deal I'd think.
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Vasudan democractic rebellion in 3... 2...
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I imagine these developments wouldn't make the Terran president happy.
Oh, the Terrans as a whole are not happy about this development. But, given they're the weaker alliance partner and more dependent on the Vasudans then the Vasudans are on them, there's not much they can DO about it.
Vasudan democractic rebellion in 3... 2...
We'll be exploring the Degalu regime's internal frictions in future releases. As I'd totally planned of all along. Thanks for pointing out stuff that the story really ought to cover.
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Did the Vasudans develop the Hetka SD like they did in the old Inferno TL?
EDIT: You should probably link "Snapping Shackles" in the OP like you've done with other story segments.
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As of currently, we have a Vasudan SD in the works, but you won't be seeing her for a couple releases.
Oh, thanks for pointing that out.
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Vasudan democractic rebellion in 3... 2...
What would this Vasudan democratic rebellion think of Terrans?
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Vasudan democractic rebellion in 3... 2...
What would this Vasudan democratic rebellion think of Terrans?
Hard to say, but in every empire there's some unsatisfied group that could cause trouble if stirred up the right way and that's something Terrans don't lack skill at.
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I guess what I was saying was since the new emperor seems to be very anti-Terran...if a democratic coup overthrows him would it support restoring good relations with the Terrans?
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Something to keep in mind. Monarchy, as an institution, WORKS for the Vasudans. Khonsu revitalized the Vasudan government and economy when he personally took power from the bureaucratic PVE. The average Vasudan probably doesn't have the same affection for democracy as the average Terran/modern human does.
Not that Dharl's own reign will necessarily be smooth... :p
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It takes only a dissatisfied minority to stir trouble (and no parliament is dissolved without pissing off someone), they don't have to necessarily topple the emperor, just make him feel uneasy enough to reconsider his position towards humanity... After all terrans are adept at counterinsurgency.
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Thanks for showing your interest and speculation!
Also, Dharl builds much of his powerbase from the aristocratic and bureaucratic factions, like the Ambassadors, who were removed from power by the Khonsu regime and wanted back in. Of course, his current policies have certainly alienated the Vasudans who still support the Terrans, so his regime is bitterly divided. During the pre-Recontact era, he's still riding high on a groundswell of popular and aristocratic Vasuda-is-better-alone sentiment, for the reasons mentioned in his speech. But as his own policies begin to take effect, and are put to the test by the outbreak of the EA war and further crises, who knows.... :drevil:
Our next tale will return to Sol, introducing you to yet another player in the upcoming drama. Suffice to say, many Jovians are still sore losers...
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I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the Jovians.
Concerning the Martians though, how are they viewed by Earthers in the EA? It was stated in a previous story segment that Mars was a founding EA member...does that mean Earth looks at them a little better than the Jovians?
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Not sure if this is a stupid question, but is the EA supposed to be at least partly democratic, or is it a complete military dictatorship?
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I actually asked Lepanto a similar question in a PM.
Lepanto, may I share the contents of that response here?
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Sure, go ahead and share it. Share any of our discussions, for that matter. :nod:
The Martians and Earthers have a very strong bond (though, as you've seen, not one immune to realpolitik.) They've been fighting wars alongside Earth for decades.
I know my pace has been slow, between actually FREDding for Inferno and dealing with other issues. Still, expect the Jovian piece Soon(ish.) After that, Recontact is coming soon!
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Are we still going to get to hear about the Vasudan pilots trapped in Sol from the Lucifer mission and their fate/how they're doing? Sorry for pinging again, that's just something I've really looked forward to. :)
Anyways, here's what Lepanto said in a PM about the EA government:
I asked him if the EA had a parliamentary (UK/Canada) or republican/presidential (US) style of government and he responded:
"The EA's cabinet Ministers are the executive branch of government. They're more powerful than their equivalents in a RL parliamentary system, and serve for long tenures. They're supposed to serve as a long-range steering committee, but still answer to the unicameral legislature. The Minister-in-Chief, the Head of State, is more of a primus inter pares among his colleagues than a dictator, though. The EA constitution gives wide authority to the executive branch in general, but has significant checks on the power of any one individual, to keep the state safe from a single cult-of-personality leader or bureaucratic fiefdoms.
The Parliament is unicameral, elected by population. This structure deliberately favors Earth, with its 7+ billion population and therefore the most representatives. The legislature has authority over the budget, and power to remove any Minister through a supermajority vote.
In sum, the EA government is carefully engineered to keep an Earth-appointed executive in power, while keeping the other structures of a democratic government."
I then asked if this made the EA a combination of oligarchy and parliamentary democracy. He responded:
"Well, pretty much. The EA's not an out-and-out tyranny, but its leaders want to maintain strict control over their territories and over long-term planning. They A: want to prevent any future unrest in Sol, and B: implement coordinated long-term military and economic policies (like building the Icanus) to keep the EA defended against external threats, Shivan or otherwise."
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This would be below my Vasudan pilot request (and is kind of in jest), but wouldn't it be interesting to see the faces on some of the EA Joint Chiefs when the initial design for the Lindos was submitted? :D
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Given that the Lindos is a spaceship, and its aero- and hydrodynamics are irrelevant, there's no reason not to make it a floating H. Or a floating % sign. Or whatever shape makes it easiest for the designers to stuff all the systems/weapons/etc. in.
Most pop sci-fi spaceships are only longer than they are wide/tall because of designers' perceptions of what a spaceship "should" look like. I'd like to see more designs like the Lindos that push the aesthetic boundaries of FS warships, TBH.
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Well, TBH what is missing is a ship that uses the sphere philosophy (aka defending top and bottom the same as the sides) instead of mocking WWII battleships one way or the other...
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Given that the Lindos is a spaceship, and its aero- and hydrodynamics are irrelevant, there's no reason not to make it a floating H. Or a floating % sign. Or whatever shape makes it easiest for the designers to stuff all the systems/weapons/etc. in.
Most pop sci-fi spaceships are only longer than they are wide/tall because of designers' perceptions of what a spaceship "should" look like. I'd like to see more designs like the Lindos that push the aesthetic boundaries of FS warships, TBH.
The Lindos is super cool but there are decent reasons to have a long thin ship, mostly acceleration-related. Not that I give a **** about this in terms of FreeSpace ship design but I dunno I thought it might be interesting to know.
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if you need help i can help you with fredding missions i can build for you what you need
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Thank you, but we need high-quality FREDders, ideally with proven track records on well-received campaigns.
On that note, if there are any skilled FREDders who want to help get Inferno out the door, please PM me or Woo. Doing all the FREDding work by myself is hard.
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i did send you massege
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Are we going to see more EA fiction pieces in the near future?
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Sorry, not been in the mood lately. Focusing all the modding energy I've got left on the Atreus mission for BP.
But rest assured, the Countdown will resume.
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If I may ask (and it wouldn't reveal spoilers), what do you mean by the BP Atreus mission? Do you mean you're designing a mission for WIH3 or working on Steele's BP:BC mission?
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Designing a BP mission for the Directors' Cut. Why I've got the BP badge. ;)
You'll fly the Atreus during the attack on Jupiter at the beginning of WiH. It'll be epic.