Darko
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I sigh. "Thank you for the warning. I will… Begin making preparations
Grayvenbowl in the near future.
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I sigh. "Thank you for the warning. I will… Begin making preparations
I'm not 100% sure, but I think these should all be capitalised. I can see where the inclination to leave them lower case comes from, the word human is lower case after all. But I think because both species names come from a proper noun (Tamareans from Tamaran, Gordonians from Gordane), they would.
Like Australia and Australians.
He's already killed one Graven with far less resources than he has now. What's one more.
He's slightly more heavily build than the other g-goblins I've met,
Komand'r is a tamaranean Tamaranean from Tamaran.I'm not 100% sure, but I think these should all be capitalised. I can see where the inclination to leave them lower case comes from, the word human is lower case after all. But I think because both species names come from a proper noun (Tamareans from Tamaran, Gordonians from Gordane), they would.
Like Australia and Australians.
He doesn't have Anti-Life any longer.He's already killed one Graven with far less resources than he has now. What's one more.
Thank you, corrected.
I don't... Think so? I'm going to need a quote on that.I thought that Hinon was tall like most of the other Controllers?
Unless renegade Hinon chose to look differently?
All Controllers should be tall, as the Guardian split occurred before they turned into small blue dwarves.I can't remember if it was ever mentioned that she was tall, but I just thought that she was like most of the other Controllers.
So both paragon and renegade Hinon look like the Guardians?
He has Harmony, other Grayven is going to have any hard time to make his eye rays to anything.
Granted he had an army and probably more experience fighting but if he is anything like the comics he never fought someone close in power to him.
Another break from the OL show, I see. Good chance to skip over the days of barely-above-light-speed travel in the gyuanites' system. So, Grayven's looking in on one of his investments, eh? Hopefully all's been settling in well...9th August 2012
10:12 GMT
I look around the Tamaranean countryside, taking in the recently planted fields and the genomorphs working them.
"Things going well?"
Another G-Goblin? And I see where his name comes from: Telomeres. Another fitting name. And why waste precious fuel when raw genomorph muscle does the job just as well?Telosmere nods. He's slightly more heavily build than the other g-goblins I've met, though I don't know whether that's to do with the heavy manual labour involved in running a commercial farm or something he was engineered with. While the genomorphs have access to more advanced farming equipment they have an obvious preference for manual labour. G-trolls pull the ploughs and harvesters, and act as ladders to allow the more agile g-elves to pick fruit from their backs.
Presumably equipment more suited to underground mining than the farming gear they have now. After all, they don't have G-moles or something like that for the work, do they."We are already more than self-sufficient. These farms serve as the main supply hub for the Genomorph Entire. In accordance with our agreement with the tamaraneans we have supplied g-gnomes to their schools. We will open our first mines shortly, though we will have to trade for more advanced equipment for the foreseeable future."
I nod. "Any problems?"
Also, maybe tell them you don't have suitable sexual equipment? Not that that would stop particularly interested ladies... Or gentlemen. Then again, he has fingers and a tongue..."A small outbreak of blight. It was easy to deal with. Other than that, the only problem I have is with tamaraneans who wish to mate with me when I visit the capital."
I frown. "They aren't usually pushy once you give them a flat 'no'."
I know, right? He must be a cunning linguist, then, or have magic fingers."I decided not to do that. Sexual intimacy is a significant part of tamaranean culture, and we are trying to maintain a friendly social relationship."
I frown deeper.
"But you don't have genitals or.. erogenous zones. Or a sex drive."
...Okay, that's one way to leave the ladies (or lads) satisfied. And no risk of biological transfer..."No, but I have telepathy. I am not quite as skilled at telepathic illusion as the g-gnomes, but at close range it can be quite convincing. Matching the display to the desires of my paramour is an interesting intellectual challenge, and if I am successful engenders a positive association which is helpful to our ongoing habitation of their planet."
"Well… Ah… As long as you're happy."
Environment seems to play a big part in their development. Dubbilex is a scientist through and through. Ixy is a diplomat (likely from having to smooth feathers ruffled by Grayven...) This guy? Stoic leader."I am as happy as I am capable of being. I have productive work that challenges me while also having observable achievement milestones. I want for little that my cluster cannot provide."
Hm. As far as I've been able to tell, g-goblins are perfectly happy to go almost indefinitely without anyone to talk to. But it… Seems…
Well, that's one way to carry on with your solitude."You're alright with no other individual sophonts to talk to? Really?"
He looks out across the field.
"Individuality is a burden I bear because someone must. I have no great love for my own thoughts. I prefer to spend my time dissolved in the cluster, using my greater creative capacity to assist others."
Very interesting fellow."Ah. Um, sorry about forcing you out of it."
"This is my burden to bear. Do you require anything else?"
Bonus: It would give him someone to talk to, if he felt the need."Do you?"
He thinks for a moment. "Reclamation has gone well. We have room to expand further. Dubbilex or Ecksey could create another cluster and send it here."
Pleasant little stop on the road. Now to something more lively, eh?I nod. "I'll pass that on. Have a nice day. Mother Box?"
"Ping."
BOOM!
So the sharp crack of the tube materialising has become so mundane, it's like the sound of traffic. Could be an issue if they have to deal with other New God forces.I step through the boom tube aperture and stroll out onto the command deck of the tamaranean self-defence fleet's main command station. A few members of the command staff look around, but there are enough boom tubes around here that I get more attention than the manner of my ingress does.
And why would they? Far more personal freedoms out here. The smoking hot orange guys and girls are a nice bonus.Most of the crew are tamaranean, though a few Euphorians are still around the place. While this is in theory a temporary assignment… Well. I'm pretty sure that Regent Dulak used this opportunity to get rid of the noisiest dissenters, because while a few have made noise about going back 'in a few years', I haven't really noticed any great rush. And I have noticed a smattering of interspecies marriages, and if we assume that tamaraneans are being as formal about their interpersonal relations as they usually are, a far greater number of actual relationships.
These aren't people in any great hurry to get back under the Regent's aegis.
Hopefully offering them the choice of a quite retirement somewhere pleasant on Tamaran, or a teaching position. I'm sure some would enjoy the chance to help shape their successors.I amble over to the officer of the watch, who draws herself up slightly but doesn't leave her station. Good. The.. cybernetic eyes and left arm and the greying hair mark her out as a survivor of the tamaranean's previous fleet. Our… Experience is that those don't make good fleet officers. They tend to struggle with active combat, which given the conditions they endured isn't all that hard to understand. On the other hand, their greater experience makes them good rear echelon officers, though we'll probably replace them all once we've got people who can replace them.
Ah, cleaning up sidequests, now that you have some free time, eh? At least, the ones that aren't time-sensitive (like the Pirate Conference quest OL did.)"Prince Grayven."
"Commander Delor. Anything to report?"
"The system is secure. Princess Komand'r strike fleet is near Raggashoon, while the home fleet is exercising. Ship production remains on schedule."
I see the Tamaraneans haven't been wasting time. Must be quite a heady rush, to go from conquered to conquerors. Let's hope they don't make the mistakes their predecessors did.Raggashoon will be an interesting test case for how dominant Tamaran can be. With the pirates exterminated, the Spider Guild slaughtered, the Citadel Complex crushed to slag, the Barnx undergoing planetary isolation and societal meltdown and Wombworld burned, there aren't any 'evil' factions left in the area. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any empire-builders trying to fill the vacuum. The Karnans have aligned to the Crown Imperium, but they're in no condition to extend their reach without aid that the Imperium isn't all that eager to give them.
And what of any native populations? Integration into Tamaranean culture, presumably, but how subservient are they being positioned as?And so Tamaran has started colonising its neighbours.
It makes sense, really. With all the gordonians did, large areas of Tamaran are actually less hospitable than its most primitive neighbours. Having not sustained a civilisation's rise into space, they have untapped mineral resources which in many places are readily accessible. And in the long term, more room means more tamaraneans. A core population of their new empire that share a species and a culture.
And I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun convincing her. Though I find myself wondering what Koriand'r's up to.With the more developed places, it's a little trickier. Certainly, they're used to being under someone's thumb. But there's still the question of how to integrate them. They don't have a significant tamaranean population, and their social structures are too different to integrate them into the semi-feudal structure that the tamaraneans use. I suggested a free port model, offering protection under better terms than the Citadel offered in exchange for nominal fealty; most importantly not building up their fleet or claiming other worlds. Komand'r -bless her avaricious little heart- wants something a little more domineering, but I suppose allowing herself to be argued down to my idea wouldn't be a terrible thing.
More Acquisition for the Godhead. Still have to question how well they'll take to ruling, though...The work of this generation will be settlement and military expansion. Building up core territory and the strength to protect it. Then with the friendly Crown Imperium ensuring the safety of one border we will be free to begin a program of annexation and conquest in all other directions.
"Good show. Has a crew for the-?"
Huh, I guess that's one way the dust could have settled. These would be some of Grayven's 'How about we not raise them to be amoral science-nerds?' experiment, then."Grayven."
I turn to face the diminutive Controller, managing a polite smile even as I see her psion acolytes following behind her. I mean, it's nice to see a Maltusian actually take some responsibility for that whole mess but I'd really rather not be in a position where there were any psions on Tamaran.
Oh, that's never a good sign."Hinon. Something I can do for you?"
"On the contrary; I believe I can do something for you."
"After all, I put that sort of thing behind me long before my... Little nap."I raise my eyebrows. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm in a relationship at the moment. Not that you're.. unattractive or anything, but I'm inclined to monogamy and you're so short that you rather-."
"Don't be tiresome, Grayven."
Since Maltus here is not. That would give the local Grayven free reign. Presumably something's nobbled his plans, though."Okay. What is it?"
"Your… Doppelgänger." She holds out her right hand and creates a construct image of him. "It seems that he was planning on making war on the Reach."
Huh. That does not sound good. Wonder what he ran into that could have caused him to change his mind?"A fair target."
"Was planning. He's stopped advancing, and as far as we can tell he's recalling his forces. With boom tube technology he can travel the distance instantly but he needs time to dismantle his infrastructure."
Well, shit. Looks like there's no escaping the Galactic War thing in any timeline...
Looks like he might have to speed up Tamaran's rebuilding, and the plans to secure Vega. Because I doubt he's got the option of cutting off the head of the beast this time, like he did on Earth-50"I don't know his mind, but that seems most likely."
I sigh. "Thank you for the warning. I will… Begin making preparations."
Ecksey is a diplomat (likely from having to smooth feathers ruffled by Grayven...)
After all, I put that sort of thing behind me long before my... Little nap."
Huh. That does not sound good. Wonder what he ran into that could have caused him to change his mind?
Wonder how the Renegade will handle Grayven-16'soversized penis substitutePlanet-Killer Dreadnought...
He's already killed one Graven with far less resources than he has now. What's one more.
Too bad he disintegrated Melmoth (I think that's what happened but I don't remember exactly), he could have gotten access to Aurakle, which would probably have been useful for his plans
Tamarans conquering other worlds? Under Komand'rs leadership? Yeah, can't see that going wrong at all.
And Grayven vs Grayven! Round one: standing with your hands behind your back! Go!
And that was how Grayven's story ended.Zoat once mentioned renegade and his daughter going to the Babylon 5 universe and using Grayven's New God ship.
Guardians were designed to look like David Ben-Gurion. Hinon looks like his late wife. Only shorter. Controllers don't have a uniform appearence, but most are taller than that.I can't remember if it was ever mentioned that she was tall, but I just thought that she was like most of the other Controllers.
So both paragon and renegade Hinon look like the Guardians?
What exactly were you expecting from a God of Conquest? A British God of Conquest, no less?
Lots of tea drinking?What exactly were you expecting from a God of Conquest? A British God of Conquest, no less?
I thought her name is Ixy? Or is this just due to pronunciation?
I thought her name is Ixy? Or is this just due to pronunciation?
I also remember him using a picture of an elderly woman for Hinon.Zoat used this image when Paragon first saw a Controller.
Paragon didn't note that Hinon looked any shorter, and I've definitely been assuming that she was the size of a standard humanoid.
Further in I see a bier… No, a medical station of some kind. Another Controller lies upon it, motionless. She's also wearing blue and red, not robes but simple trousers and pullover.
In my head I imagined Hinon looking like a female guardian, but I don't recall if that was due to something in the story or just my head filling in the blanks.Guardians were designed to look like David Ben-Gurion. Hinon looks like his late wife. Only shorter. Controllers don't have a uniform appearence, but most are taller than that.
In my head I imagined Hinon looking like a female guardian, but I don't recall if that was due to something in the story or just my head filling in the blanks.
Ixy is on the team. Ecksey is helping Karsta Wor-Ul.I thought her name is Ixy? Or is this just due to pronunciation?