[General Battuta]

I think it's primarily a tactical consideration, to be honest. It doesn't put more ships in more places.

[MatthTheGeek]

WIth the news in the other thread that Solarises now have improved mass drivers...

The Toutatis. Not Solarises plural.

Nothing says the two other didn't follow the same treatment, but nothing says they did either.

[LordPomposity]

Very little. The mass drivers might give the Toutatis extra flexibility in a couple rather narrow cases, but unless its torpedoes got an upgrade, it only has a fraction of the Narayana's long-range firepower. Deploying it in a long-range role would be a waste of a powerful asset.

[qwadtep]

So just jump in a Narayana or two beside it and let them all bombard away from within the Toutatis' cozy Torpedo/Flak blanket. It's not like Calder's so stupid as to try to take back Artemis Station on his own.

[Buckshee Rounds]

That's half of what's left of 3rd fleet right there. It'd have to literally be taking down the Atreus or some other equally important asset to warrant such a concentration of firepower.

What's 3rd fleet's role now anyway? Do they protect the belt or are they on standby to counter Tev raids?

[MatthTheGeek]

Closer to option number 2. They collaborate very closely with 2nd Fleet to slow the Tev advance as much as they can. They're not really on "standby", they actively participate to fleet operations. After all, half the Wargods were 3rd fleet, and we know the Toutatis was engaged in offensive operations at least twice, during Aristeia and during Delenda Est.

[crizza]

I wonder what Steeles doing right after DE.
We know that almost every Fed asset of second and third fleet was engaged with the Tevs.
Thanks to Mat, we know that the big T is in drydock...
The Feds could be reeling from this blow, but has Steele the options to go for the throat?

[MatthTheGeek]

The Tevs are probably licking their wounds from the all-out diversionary attack that occured during Delenda Est. Furthermore, they were still in the process of repairing/rearming/resuplying since the Blitz of Darkest Hour. And the Imperieuse, after hiding for so long without proper support, is probably in a more-or-less critical state of disrepair and could probably use that trip to Delta Serpentis she was supposed to do to begin with.

Steele knows the feds are on their last legs, but he wants to finish the war as quickly as possible, so the GTVA can focus on the real threat out there. He'll go for the throat all right, but he'll need a bit more of preparation yet for that.

[Buckshee Rounds]

Yeah DE effectively neutered the Carthage and its battlegroup as a fighting force. Steele will need to take a defensive posture, at least temporarily. Maybe enough time for Le Fedayeen to strike?

[crizza]

I highly doubt, that every Tev asset was engaged, the big ones for sure, but Steele will have something avaiable to counter any move by the Feds, I mean, he laid the trap the Feds so willingly sprung.

[redsniper]

I wonder what Steeles doing right after DE.

Probably smirking as he looks out his window at the stars and sips some space-scotch.

[Ryuseiken]

I wonder what Steeles doing right after DE.

Probably smirking as he looks out his window at the stars and sips some space-scotch.

Quite probably while doing a monologue about philosophy.

[Mars]

Look out, we've got a bad-ass here.

[CT27]

In terms of who wins, is it possible that a final settlement could be reached like that which happened in the Inferno campaign (IE Earth keeps de jure independence but the GTVA gets to maintain a heavy presence in system)?

[Scotty]

No.  Unbuntu as an ideal cannot be allowed (by the Security Council) to propagate to GTVA space.  Period.  That means the complete and total dismantling of the Ubuntu (and therefore current Sol) government.

[Klaustrophobia]

how exactly do you dismantle an ideology short of exterminating everyone who subscribes to it?

[General Battuta]

how exactly do you dismantle an ideology short of exterminating everyone who subscribes to it?

This is a really quick and clumsy example, but the US had de-Nazification and de-Baathification programs in Germany and Iraq respectively. Japan also underwent a major ideological restructuring post-war.

[Jellyfish]

how exactly do you dismantle an ideology short of exterminating everyone who subscribes to it?

Intense reindoctrination, the likes you don't see outside North Korea.

[NGTM-1R]

how exactly do you dismantle an ideology short of exterminating everyone who subscribes to it?

Finding the ideologues and locking them up is a good start. Exploit public resentment over the war and its loss to help discredit them along the way. Bring in new people who will help to represent your interests.

It's been done before with reasonable effectiveness.

[Crybertrance]

Why dont they just threaten orbital nuking...? Its way easier.... Just have a raynor in orbit, and BAMM! Earth's at your feet....