Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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Thank you, corrected.
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Thank you, corrected.
Paul really just said "sounds like a you problem" right to Guy's face."He gets his own Corps." Guy frowns. "I don't even know how I feel abowt that."
"I don't think it's ever happened before. I'll be interested to see how it works out."
build -> built
"Found the-?"
"I ain't tawkin' ta you, yet."
So it's like that.
Paul really just said "sounds like a you problem" right to Guy's face.
"Found the-?"
"I ain't tawkin' ta you, yet."
So it's like that.
"I don't think it's ever happened before. I'll be interested to see how it works out."
No, something that actually happened often enough that they build or rebuild
Don't feel too bad about it, OL. Guy may have thought he had the moral high ground, but he didn't have all the information. You can lay the blame for his belligerence as much on the Guardian who briefed him for this (or more likely Salaak, who can be excused for not looking much deeper than needed) as on Guy himself. After all, it's his nature to be gruff and punchy...10th September 2012
20:58 GMT
"Found the-?"
"I ain't tawkin' ta you, yet."
So it's like that.
Man, that is a really sloppy approach they took. Like so much else about the series. Every missed shot would look like this scene... Earth was not going to be a pleasant place afterwards...I turn away, looking down at the.. seventh? Largest city on Padrook, planet of origin of the fourth most significant species in this Sector. There are warships in orbit above us, but they've making a point of not taking position directly above us. Perhaps because they don't want to look too menacing, but more likely because they know that if they open fire from that position every missed shot would kill thousands of their own people. Far better to come at us from below or from the side.
That's what the fleets are for, I guess. Evidently things are not pleasant once the planet's space is under enemy control, though...I found it revolting that the Tearing Bite ships around Tamaran had kinetic harpoon launchers, because those were only any use against soft ground targets. This city is the opposite in some ways. It has levels of anti-air weapons usually only seen in places where their enemies either make mass use of assault skimmers or where their enemies are other people living on the planet. The buildings aren't strictly fortified, but they are clearly built to be tough enough that they won't collapse if someone has a fire fight in one. The city has some pretty powerful force field generators and impressive capacitors to power them under full bombardment, but no ground to space weapons I can see.
Especially since attacking the thing the fleets are defending is likely to piss said fleet off something fierce.Everything here is purely defensive, but… It's designed to keep people alive while their fleet deals with the fleet of whoever's attacking them. It's not efficient to use your ships to attack civilians somewhere that has a fleet defending it. Even if your fleet is superior, it's always more sensible to hit the enemy fleet first.
Indeed. Even without orbital bombardment, the locals would surely have craft capable of aerospace operations. Smaller classes or fighters that could easily rip enemy landing sites to shreds... Especially if planet-side bases are even more well-protected than the civilian cities...Oh, you might threaten civilians with bombardment in order to force the enemy fleet to move into a disadvantageous position; that would explain the shields. But the AA and the structural reinforcement suggest that these people thought that being attacked by a ground army was a risk. No, something that actually happened often enough that they build or rebuild entire cities with that in mind. Deploying an army to a world where you don't have orbital supremacy is generally a stupid thing to do, because you're putting men and materiel somewhere where it's hard for you to get it back and easy for your enemy to shoot it.
To be fair, there are plenty of fictional examples of races that worked out interstellar travel out too damn quick to bring their military doctrine along with it. Like in Turtledove's The Road Not Taken. Or like in Dune, where the Shield technology available doesn't play nice with high-energy weaponry, forcing warfare to play out with projectile weapons and knives. And the occasional highly-illegal nuke...This means that no only did the local fighting get to the point where they were prioritising killing each others' civilians, but that their soldiers hated their enemies so much that they would gladly drop to certain death just to kill some of them.
That's not-. Unless the stellar nations fighting had regressed technologically to the point where the only way they could get through force fields was on the ground, that's a terribly inefficient way of fighting. But I guess that sometimes it's not about being efficient.
I think he's getting a little frustrated by the lack of any evildoing on Malvolio's part, don't you?
For later perusal, no comment. Though the concept is older, I expect. It just wasn't usually applied to general civilian populations on that level."Did you know they were invented by the British?"
Guy frowns, then glances my way for a second before returning to staring at the city.
Ah, these random bits of trivia. I presume OL is bringing this up to make conversation..."No. How come?"
"During the Boer War, when we fought Dutch settlers for control of South Africa. Their civilian population wasn't best pleased to see us, so… The decision was made that moving them from their homes and putting them in camps where their population could be concentrated in one place was a sensible way to manage them and avoid problems with partisans. A bit like the villages America made for Vietnamese people they displaced during the Vietnam War."
Though I have no doubt the effects of said war will be felt for centuries to come by the locals."What're we lookin' at, Paul?"
"A place build during a very nasty war, which is now over."
...Malvolio has fan-pages, doesn't he? And no doubt fan-fiction."Been takin' a look at their internet. They really like Mally."
"And I'd guess that it's not just in the official records that they say that."
Yes, that is a very good question. It can't have been a manpower shortage. Just send a ring out to the locals and drum home the important stuff during Basic..."No. It ain't."
"Why didn't this Sector have a Lantern after Priest quit?"
And then someone had that man locked away for several centuries... A bit short-sighted for such a long-lived people..."Yeah. I been wonderin' that, too."
"There was no one primary instigator in the war. It's not like when Abin Sur stopped Devlos Ungol. Their unified civilisation was build around the vision of one man."
Better a benevolent tyrant than the utter anarchy they unleashed, eh?"What'd'ya think I'm thinkin'?"
"Same thing I am. If things fell apart like this, the Guardians should have left him in place."
I'm guessing one of the more curious Guardians allowed him to be trained by Priest, not foreseeing this...We each glance at the other.
"Or removed him earlier, before he could become that important."
Mostly because none of them want Malvolio 'Coming Over There'... That way lies pain for everyone..."Would'a been bettah."
"For who? Because looking around…" I pointedly look around. "The locals consider further war inconceivable."
Let's see how observant he is, then..."See if they still think that aftah they get t'know him." He contemplates the city for a moment. "What were you an' him tawkin' abowt, anyhow?"
I smile, raising my right hand. "Check it out."
Besides, it's the wrong hand for an engagement ring, you dipstick.He looks, then frowns. "Though you were seein' that assassin chick?"
"Larfleeze's ring. Or at least a manifestation of the desires that went into it."
Comes from their wielders being too stubborn to abandon a fight they realise they can't win, though a lot of those cases would probably have been in the defence of innocent lives..."So it didn't get destroyed by qwa energy. Or… Only tha physical part did. How'd you get it?"
"Reaching around inside the Honden, looking for a ring. That might work for you; a lot more green rings have been destroyed than orange ones."
...He's not wrong.He nods. "Give it a shot. Anythin' else?"
"Remember how the first personal lantern I made looked?"
"Like a melted pile a' scrap?"
Nice, he has improved. Scanning the Lantern in detail, checking the operating code, and so on...I take my latest effort out of subspace. "This is my second attempt. As you can see, it's a little better."
Guy looks it over carefully, his eyes flickering green.
Well, it's not bad for an afternoon's work, really. Still, I wouldn't risk charging off it yet."Huh. Though it'd take long t'get this good at it."
"It wasn't quick, and I haven't had Hinon check it over yet. But it looks better."
Either half of that response should have Guy very interested. Both together..."Can Malvolio do that? I know he had that big Lantern in his space station, but if that took three hundred years I ain't too worried."
"It's a Central Power Battery. He doesn't make personal lanterns because he doesn't need them."
Yeah, some very concerning implications for the Guardians, isn't it?"A Cen-? Does that even..?"
"As far as he knows, yes. He hasn't got the hang of making rings yet. But when he does-."
Two parties in competition for one Light. I suppose it remains to be seen how Malvolio organises his force."He gets his own Corps." Guy frowns. "I don't even know how I feel abowt that."
"I don't think it's ever happened before. I'll be interested to see how it works out."
"Huh. Though it'd take longer t'get this good at it."
Thank you, corrected.
Next 1st of April.Damn, now I kind of want to see a Power Rangers crossover. I wonder if the Morphing Grid has some connection to the Emotional Spectrum? Maybe that's why Rangers are all different colors?
If the Emotional Entites do form a Megazord, should it look like a giant Care Bear because it's powered by feelings?
You had one job.
Mighty Marvelous Malvolio Rangers. And they're all Green. An army of Green Rangers. I don't think the universe can contain that level of awesome.
Not.This means that no only did the local fighting get to the point where they were prioritising killing each others' civilians, but that their soldiers hated their enemies so much that they would gladly drop to certain death just to kill some of them.
not
regressed technologically to the point where the only way they could get through force fields was on the ground, that's a terribly inefficient way of fighting. But I guess that sometimes it's not about being efficient.
To be fair, there are plenty of fictional examples of races that worked out interstellar travel out too damn quick to bring their military doctrine along with it. Like in Turtledove's The Road Not Taken. Or like in Dune, where the Shield technology available doesn't play nice with high-energy weaponry, forcing warfare to play out with projectile weapons and knives. And the occasional highly-illegal nuke...
If you go to your History you can delete entries from there to remove them from the recommendations algorithm.If clicking on that link messes up my YouTube recommendations then I'm blaming you.
Thank you, corrected.
As I understand it, the walkers in Star Wars are a product of an in-universe arms restriction treaty. All the non-stupid vehicles got banned.I had honestly thought the link was going to be a clip of Star Wars' Imperial Walkers on Hoth... since that is actually what they were deployed to do. And Star Wars is all about the dramatics.
But... The Empire is twenty years old in the original trilogy. Why the Force does the Empire still give a fig for Republic era arms treaties?As I understand it, the walkers in Star Wars are a product of an in-universe arms restriction treaty. All the non-stupid vehicles got banned.
The Empire is twenty years old in the original trilogy. Why the Force does the Empire still give a fig for Republic era arms treaties?
He steeples his hands, leaning back in his chair with an air of disinterest about him.
"Grayven." "Junior Tyrant."
"Metron." "I don't know your name."
"And companion."
He regards Luna for a moment, carefully feeling out her essence.
"I want to lose that access. If anyone has a record of the Infinity Pit, the device which once contained the Omega Force before my father bound himself to it, it would be you." Knowledge Desires To Be Spread.
"That is what you want? Not a way to siphon Darkseid's portion?"
"No. I've had enough of weird energies messing around with me. I want it gone." All Control Starts With Self.
And if a few tissue samples and a thorough physical examination are all I have to give, I'll consider myself to have come out ahead."
"We may be ageless, but We have things that We wish to do this night."
I smile lasciviously. "Oh yeah?"
When… Two adults have become… Close, as we have become close… There comes a point in their… Relationship. Whereupon they mayst-."
BOOM!
She looks away.
"-decide to continue this later."
Assuming that she was going where I think she was going, I need to find out more about how Equestrians handle intimate relations, both now and a thousand years ago. And… Probably some literature on horse mating, both from Earth and from…
I wonder how awkward I can make it for Sunset?
He regards Luna for a moment, carefully feeling out her essence.
"Ascendancy brought about by the manipulation of collective belie
"So the only person who would know and might actually tell me is Uncle Drax."
"Who is also dead." He notices my expression. "Or am I misinformed."
"I hear things." I turn away. "Thank you for your input, Metron. I'll be certain to let you know if I'm successful."
Ah, they're meeting him in pony form, then. Darn, I was hoping we'd finally get to see Luna's humanoid form. Ah, well. At least he's finally getting his lazy flank up, chewing the bit as he is. The lady does him good, methinks.10th September 2012
16:30 GMT -7
"You do not think that he will take umbrage at your equine form?"
I wing-shrug, and take a moment to be smug about how naturally I can pull off the gesture now.
I'll be amused if he's all "Ah, Equestrians. Not an unfamiliar sight." There's very little the New God of Sticky-Beaking hasn't seen after this long, after all."Metron is interested in novel phenomena. I doubt that he's ever seen a New God pony before. And if a few tissue samples and a thorough physical examination are all I have to give, I'll consider myself to have come out ahead."
Just a few vaguely-Norse-as-drawn-by-Jack-Kirby ruins, I expect. Seriously, the man loved him his 'God were ancient Aliens' ideas. So much he made some for both of the Big Two.We're standing on the upper hull of the Absolute Dominion a very long way away from anything very much. If I squinted really hard and waiting a few million years I might just be able to spot the dim light emanating from Mageddon as it lurks around the edge of the universe. Down below us is a long-destroyed bastion of the Old Gods, people of the Third World and our predecessors in terms of a species who could connect to the Source. There's nothing much left there now, which is why Hinon was willing to give me the location, but hopefully it will put Metron in a receptive frame of mind.
I suspect He will be mildly amused by the inventiveness of your approach... After all, Tyranny is ultimately powerless without some hope of freedom someday.That, and the tiny amount of x-element that Himon was willing to part with in exchange for food and children's books. A risk… With Amazing Grace revealed, Darkseid has no real reason to allow any sort of resistance to remain active… Until he gets around to creating a new patsy, at least. But at this point, I'm introducing a source of wonder and joy and Darkseid has no immediate counter. Will he object? Will he see this as a provocative escalation?
I don't know. I can't tell.
"I still say this is a bad idea. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"...Um, well... I'm afraid I don't have his number."
"It's not like there's some grand central directory of New God contact details..."
And you know how he loves poking alternate universes... Always providing such interesting data."Is yon box having some manner of difficulty?"
"Ah… She doesn't have his details. I mean, he can usually detect open transmissions, but if he's in the arse end of the vibrational spectrum again we won't hear from him until he gets out."
The Vibrational Spectrum being a fancy name for things like the Speed Force, and the dividing walls between timelines...She frowns. "Vibrational… What?"
"Metron knows more about the underlying structure of reality than anyone I know. But it's gotten to the point where no one else can understand what he's going on about. Very definitely including me. Okay, Mother Box, give it a try anyway. We're ageless. We can wait."
"I'd cross my fingers, if I had any... Here goes."
Keep it sheathed, loverboy. Don't want Metron turning up while you're in flagrante delicto."We may be ageless, but We have things that We wish to do this night."
I smile lasciviously. "Oh yeah?"
Let's hope all goes well, then. Though you might want to be prepared for nothing but starstruck fans turning up."Indeed. We have taken your idea of local petitions to heart, and will begin negotiations with the City of Trottingham to hold court there for three nights."
"I suppose you need to send out heralds, dress the audience chamber…"
Ah, such an old-fashioned lady she is. Though I suspect Grayven here has been more polite than some pony nobility about their intentions..."Information shall be made available at the Town Hall, and notices shall be sent out in newspapers. The audience chamber shall be left as it is, to emphasise that We are there representing the government of the nation and not on a tour of self-aggrandisement. And…" She coughs quietly. "We hath not… Discussed… That."
"'That'?"
Always tweaking her tail, eh, Grayven? Well, I suppose it helps keep her grounded, unlike Celestia.She looks awkwardly away. "You knowst of what We speak."
"I might, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to hear you say it." I look her directly in the eye. "I shouldn't think it would be difficult for you."
Watch that body language. She's getting annoyed.She awkwardly paws the hull with her right forehoof.
"When… Two adults have become… Close, as we have become close… There comes a point in their… Relationship. Whereupon they mayst-."
And now she's offering a silent 'thank you' to whatever gods are listening for the interruption...
Go ahead, indulge your troll side. You know you want to. But yes, probably a good idea to double-check these things. After all, the show studiously avoided the physical side of romance.Assuming that she was going where I think she was going, I need to find out more about how Equestrians handle intimate relations, both now and a thousand years ago. And… Probably some literature on horse mating, both from Earth and from…
I wonder how awkward I can make it for Sunset?
A bit more visually interesting, certainly. Much better than the deep blue-black onesie with silver detailing he wears in the comics.Metron's chair floats out of the tube, heading towards us at a leisurely pace. It looks… Simple than I remember from the comics, and its pilot far less human. Tron lines, a chest emblem I don't remember and the blue colour is far lighter. But that's definitely him.
He steeples his hands, leaning back in his chair with an air of disinterest about him.
Yes, I'm looking forwards to seeing his actual Godname. Only so many times I can give him a cutesy synonym for 'curiosity'..."Grayven." "Junior Tyrant."
"Metron." "I don't know your name."
And of course he's seen Ponies before. Wonder if they were G1-style or G2. Or worse, G3. Serious uncanny valley on those abominations..."And companion."
He regards Luna for a moment, carefully feeling out her essence.
"Ascendancy brought about by the manipulation of collective belief. Hardly unique. Quadruped herbivore sophont species are rarer, but not especially interesting."
Not one to turn down a gift, eh? Even if he has to part with a little secret or two for it..."But have you looked down?"
"Yes, and that was the sole reason why I answered your summons." He holds out his right hand, causing the cube of x-element to float up to him. "I am nowhere near to requiring more fuel, but I suppose that equity requires that I hear you out. What is your request?"
Gee, can you lay the sarcasm on any thicker? I think there's still some uncertainty about it.
HEh. That's got him off-balance. An Apokaliptian New God who doesn't kowtow to or plan to overthrow the Great Tyrant?"I want to lose that access. If anyone has a record of the Infinity Pit, the device which once contained the Omega Force before my father bound himself to it, it would be you." Knowledge Desires To Be Spread.
"That is what you want? Not a way to siphon Darkseid's portion?"
Of course, it'll just be sitting there, just waiting for someone dumb enough to try and absorb it in full defiance of the Evil Overlord list..."No. I've had enough of weird energies messing around with me. I want it gone." All Control Starts With Self.
"I suppose that such a device could be used to take the Force from Darkseid himself, in time."
In other words, "Call me before you try it, I'll bring popcorn.""Could it?" I raise my eyebrows. "I hope so, but I genuinely don't know. Has something like that ever been attempted before?"
"I do not believe that it has. Interesting. Should you find a way to make it happen, I would be willing to trade a great deal for that knowledge."
It'd be too much to hope for that this would be easy, eh? That offer of Harmonising the chunk of Omega Effect still on the table, Luna?
Heh. Uxas was pretty thorough about removing any obstacles in his path to the throne, eh?"Queen Heggra did not allow me to study it. She held that it was the rightful domain of the Apokoliptian royal family alone. And now Yuga Khan is on the Source Wall, Heggra is dead and Darkseid is."
"So the only person who would know and might actually tell me is Uncle Drax."
Nicely baited, Renegade. You got him curious now. And that'll lead him to help you get what you want just so he can learn more..."Who is also dead." He notices my expression. "Or am I misinformed."
"I hear things." I turn away. "Thank you for your input, Metron. I'll be certain to let you know if I'm successful."
I suspect He will be mildly amused by the inventiveness of your approach... After all, Tyranny is ultimately powerless without some hope of freedom someday.
And now she's offering a silent 'thank you' to whatever gods are listening for the interruption...
Yes, I'm looking forwards to seeing his actual Godname. Only so many times I can give him a cutesy synonym for 'curiosity'...