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

[ForeverShogo]

Show lore is stupid. The Zetan implications are also stupid.

The most sensible conclusion one can draw is that China launched first because it was losing the war.

China was getting its teeth kicked in once the United States started deploying power armor in significant numbers. After defeating the Chinese invasion of Alaska, the United States counter-invaded China itself and we know of at least two campaigns. The Gobi Desert Campaign, which saw fighting in and around the Gobi Desert, and the Yangtze River Campaign that at the very least saw the capture of Shanghai and Nanjing. And judging by some of the details given, namely the months spent fighting in Nanjing and Shanghai, they were advancing from west to east since they took Nanjing before they took Shanghai.

They also took Shantou, a coastal city further south that's pretty near to Taiwan. From what I recall, all of the above was actually before T-51 power armor went into mass production which was the model that really put the hurt to China.

Bethesda trying to clumsily insert these stupid conspiracy theories for who launched first is just dumb when the easiest conclusion to draw is that China was losing and decided to make it everyone else's problem.

https://imgur.com/6DROhhK

 

[Mr Zoat]

I deeply appreciate seeing these little moments of rage from you. It's humanizing.

Click to shrink...

Yes. I am human. Continue to enjoy my internet writings, fellow human. How are you humaning today?

But really, if they're just going to ignore the entire established body of lore, couldn't they have used the Borderlands licence instead? After the film flopped it can't be that expensive. The only remotely good thing about it is finally getting definitive confirmation that Todd Howard hates Fallout: Vegas.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th September 2013
22:46 GMT

"That's weird." Bleez looks around the bare rocky hillside we're standing on, clearly not seeing something she expected.

Jade and I are paying more attention to the airbase in the valley on the far side of the hills from Thanaldar for obvious reasons. If Thanagar is expecting an attack, combat air patrols would increase in frequency, or at the very least everyone would get recalled to active duty. On the other hand, if the navy was heading off to attack someone it should be business as usual amongst the self-defence force.

"What?"

"At this time of day? There should be some other people around." She spreads her wings out slightly, feeling the wind. "There's good thermal updrafts coming from these rocks."

"Is that an assumption, or have you seen people using them in the past?"

"I can feel the thermals myself."

"Is it an assumption that people here use them like that? City people don't necessarily have the same interests that you do."

"Yah, I've seen people flying up here before."

"What sort of people?"

"Huh?"

"If we know what demographic would normally be here and now isn't, that might tell us something about what's going on."

"Ah… Everyone?"

Jade and I regard her sceptically.

"What?"

"I remember how much space the flying slopes on your world give the people using them-."

"That's because our thanagarian population is pretty low, and the natives can't fly! That's not how things normally are! It's like… Not the military so much, because they've got actual gymnasiums with weight-rigs and stuff. But undersiders and topsiders both come out here." She makes an 'I'm thinking' wing-jiggle. "You know… The total population of thanagarians… Probably isn't much bigger than the total population of humans. I mean, we build up rather than out like you do, but it's… Just the cities, and a couple of other places where we even live."

Jade frowns as she takes that in. "What about the colonies?"

"Same deal. Havania's got, like… Fifty million thanagarians? And half of that's in our one actual city. And most of the others have about the same? Apart from Conrall, but they've got no native population so then had to have a totally different culture. The New Colonies are different, but they're new, so they only have a few hundred thousand thanagarians. I don't know what the exact total number of thanagarians there are is, but it's… I think it's about six billion thanagarians total?"

"Does that include Queen Hyathis's followers?"

She moues in distaste. "Unless they've been doing nothing but breeding? That's maybe fifty thousand. At most."

"Oh? I thought the divide-."

"Yeah, yeah, the counter-c-. I mean, y'know, the putsch?"

"I don't mind what you call it."

"Right, well… Most people weren't exactly in love with Hyathis? And she took a lot of the ones who did with her. So when the… You know, took over, well… They killed most people who could have created problems for them. Except the ones who ran for it, but… Like, culturally? We're not good at that."

Jade nods. "And after decades of indoctrination, people who were neutral aren't."

"And their kids aren't, either."

"So at this point the thanagarians who are pro-Hyathis are a tiny minority."

"I mean… I haven't checked, but, probably?"

"Is Thandalar under martial law?"

"Yeah? For, like, longer than I've been alive?"

"I mean, was there some sort of 'don't leave the city' warning that I didn't notice."

"If there was, I didn't notice it either."

Jade looks around more carefully. "Are there any cameras?"

"I doubt it. Important people would bring bodyguards or drones with them, if they wanted. But outside of underside, Thanagar's crime rate is pretty low."

"So… Outside of the violent crime-ridden hellhole with almost no police presence… Crime's pretty low."

"Yes!"

Jade thinks for a moment. "If we don't know when people stopped using the slopes… We can't tie it to anything. And I doubt that the Thanagarian government will let us take detailed scans of the area."

"I mean…" I raise my left fist.

She shakes her head. "We don't know what you're looking for, and their government is already concerned about you being here."

"Alright, so… Just sight-seeing?"

Her eyes drift away for a moment, before returning to my face.

"We need to talk-." I cringe. "Don't do that."

"Jade, you're saying the line that every man-."

"I want to talk about where we're going to live on Earth."

"You see, you can just say that. I'm perfectly comfortable with clearly defined conversations-. Wait. Do you mean… Soon-?"

She… Sort of tenses slightly, looking away from me. "No. No, I mean in three years. Unless the Reach collapses before that."

"Dox was trying to convince me to use the sun eaters…"

"Bir Tawil is fine as a superhero base-."

"'High-tech flop house', as Green Arrow would say. I agree; it's not really a home."

"Do you have a preference for where we live?"

"I feel like I should suggest Hub City, but no, not really. Ah… You?"

"I think Ripon makes the most sense. Most of my family lives there, and we know that the high school is good."

"Y-es..?"

She meets my eyes for a moment. "For when we have children."

"Oh! Yes, yes, I just thought-"

"Do you not want children?"

"-that would be a separate conversation. Ah. Yes? I mean, I don't.. not want children? Given how… Committed you are to your work, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about taking the time out…"

"I can do a desk job for a few years. Honestly, I could do most of what I do now from a desk."

"I'll-. We can… Take a look at what's on the market when we get back?"

"I doubt it will still be on the market in three y-." Her eyes widen! "SHIELD!"

Huh?

BOOMwooosh!

 

[ScoobyDoo-one-two]

I see work has found them again.

 

[mastermenthe]

how did Jade notice the incoming attack first before the sensor equipment that Orange Lantern has?

@Mr Zoat if Orange Lantern does not want to pay attention to his surroundings, will his sensor suite just decide to not work?

 

[BR549]

if Orange Lantern does not want to pay attention to his surroundings, will his sensor suite just decide to not work?

Click to shrink...

He had literally just been told by Jade not to use his ring to scan for things, lest they make the already-jumpy (...flighty?) Thanagarian authorities even more so.

So he wasn't.

 

[NightmareWarden]

Hmmm
We might see a lot of red text soon, because endangering OL's people is more provocative than endangering him alone.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

7th September 2013
22:46 GMT

"That's weird." Bleez looks around the bare rocky hillside we're standing on, clearly not seeing something she expected.

Jade and I are paying more attention to the airbase in the valley on the far side of the hills from Thanaldar for obvious reasons. If Thanagar is expecting an attack, combat air patrols would increase in frequency, or at the very least everyone would get recalled to active duty. On the other hand, if the navy was heading off to attack someone it should be business as usual amongst the self-defence force.

Click to shrink...

And if this is a regular exercise location, it isn't too suspicious if they're visiting it. Making it look like Bleez is showing them some of the sights while they wait...

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"What?"

"At this time of day? There should be some other people around." She spreads her wings out slightly, feeling the wind. "There's good thermal updrafts coming from these rocks."

Click to shrink...

So the fact it's deserted is telling.

"Is that an assumption, or have you seen people using them in the past?"

"I can feel the thermals myself."

Click to shrink...

Yes, you'd expect beings with wings to be extra sensitive to airflow and currents.

"Is it an assumption that people here use them like that? City people don't necessarily have the same interests that you do."

"Yah, I've seen people flying up here before."

Click to shrink...

So it's not unusual for you to be here. Although jade and OL's presence is a little more curious to anyone watching them.

"What sort of people?"

"Huh?"

"If we know what demographic would normally be here and now isn't, that might tell us something about what's going on."

Click to shrink...

...It's the Thanagarian equivalent of a kiddie beach, OL. You'd expect it to be used by everyone.

"Ah… Everyone?"

Jade and I regard her sceptically.

Click to shrink...

See? Though I imagine there's a natural sort of segregation between rich and poor.

"What?"

"I remember how much space the flying slopes on your world give the people using them-."

Click to shrink...

Advantage of lower population and larger open spaces.

"That's because our thanagarian population is pretty low, and the natives can't fly! That's not how things normally are! It's like… Not the military so much, because they've got actual gymnasiums with weight-rigs and stuff. But undersiders and topsiders both come out here." She makes an 'I'm thinking' wing-jiggle. "You know… The total population of thanagarians… Probably isn't much bigger than the total population of humans. I mean, we build up rather than out like you do, but it's… Just the cities, and a couple of other places where we even live."

Click to shrink...

That's what happens when you have innate powers of flight. And reasonably advanced material technology to manage the heights.

Jade frowns as she takes that in. "What about the colonies?"

"Same deal. Havania's got, like… Fifty million thanagarians? And half of that's in our one actual city. And most of the others have about the same? Apart from Conrall, but they've got no native population so then had to have a totally different culture. The New Colonies are different, but they're new, so they only have a few hundred thousand thanagarians. I don't know what the exact total number of thanagarians there are is, but it's… I think it's about six billion thanagarians total?"

Click to shrink...

About the same as Earth, just more spread out. Like the Renegade is trying to do.

"Does that include Queen Hyathis's followers?"

She moues in distaste. "Unless they've been doing nothing but breeding? That's maybe fifty thousand. At most."

Click to shrink...

Huh. That's... Surprising.

"Oh? I thought the divide-."

"Yeah, yeah, the counter-c-. I mean, y'know, the putsch?"

"I don't mind what you call it."

Click to shrink...

Hardly any need to quibble over terminology out here.

"Right, well… Most people weren't exactly in love with Hyathis? And she took a lot of the ones who did with her. So when the… You know, took over, well… They killed most people who could have created problems for them. Except the ones who ran for it, but… Like, culturally? We're not good at that."

Click to shrink...

Not good at forgiveness? I can see that. Edit: Ah, a willingness to retreat? Also a trait not common in them...

Jade nods. "And after decades of indoctrination, people who were neutral aren't."

"And their kids aren't, either."

Click to shrink...

So what I'm hearing is that there was a lot of bodies after it was all over...

"So at this point the thanagarians who are pro-Hyathis are a tiny minority."

"I mean… I haven't checked, but, probably?"

Click to shrink...

And they'd not be on-planet if they were. Unless they have been very skilled at keeping those sympathies hidden.

"Is Thandalar under martial law?"

"Yeah? For, like, longer than I've been alive?"

Click to shrink...

But a soft sort of martial law, I suppose. Light curfews, with minimal enforcement, that kind of thing.

"I mean, was there some sort of 'don't leave the city' warning that I didn't notice."

"If there was, I didn't notice it either."

Click to shrink...

Although she probably has a little more freedom, given her associations.

Jade looks around more carefully. "Are there any cameras?"

"I doubt it. Important people would bring bodyguards or drones with them, if they wanted. But outside of underside, Thanagar's crime rate is pretty low."

Click to shrink...

Gee, how unexpected.

"So… Outside of the violent crime-ridden hellhole with almost no police presence… Crime's pretty low."

"Yes!"

Click to shrink...

And she says it like that's not anything unusual...

Jade thinks for a moment. "If we don't know when people stopped using the slopes… We can't tie it to anything. And I doubt that the Thanagarian government will let us take detailed scans of the area."

"I mean…" I raise my left fist.

Click to shrink...

He practically has detailed scans if he feels like it. Even just passive pings should reveal something.

She shakes her head. "We don't know what you're looking for, and their government is already concerned about you being here."

"Alright, so… Just sight-seeing?"

Click to shrink...

I'm sure there's some great vistas for holiday photos.

Her eyes drift away for a moment, before returning to my face.

"We need to talk-." I cringe. "Don't do that."

"Jade, you're saying the line that every man-."

Click to shrink...

Yeah, it's basically a signal that there's no 'safe' options ahead...

"I want to talk about where we're going to live on Earth."

"You see, you can just say that. I'm perfectly comfortable with clearly defined conversations-. Wait. Do you mean… Soon-?"

Click to shrink...

Boy, that's got his attention now.

She… Sort of tenses slightly, looking away from me. "No. No, I mean in three years. Unless the Reach collapses before that."

"Dox was trying to convince me to use the sun eaters…"

Click to shrink...

OL, No. No deploying star system-killing super-weapons just to get to marry your fiancee sooner.

"Bir Tawil is fine as a superhero base-."

"'High-tech flop house', as Green Arrow would say. I agree; it's not really a home."

Click to shrink...

...It's a staging ground. Basically just a forward operating base with comfort.

"Do you have a preference for where we live?"

"I feel like I should suggest Hub City, but no, not really. Ah… You?"

Click to shrink...

Guh, I can't imagine what their kid would grow up like, there. Even if OL manages to gentrify it, it's still Hub City.

"I think Ripon makes the most sense. Most of my family lives there, and we know that the high school is good."

"Y-es..?"

She meets my eyes for a moment. "For when we have children."

Click to shrink...

Who are going to have one heck of a complex, knowing just how powerful their dad is...

"Oh! Yes, yes, I just thought-"

"Do you not want children?"

"-that would be a separate conversation. Ah. Yes? I mean, I don't.. not want children? Given how… Committed you are to your work, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about taking the time out…"

Click to shrink...

Always so uncertain. I know he's being considerate of her preferences, but it does feel... I don't know.

"I can do a desk job for a few years. Honestly, I could do most of what I do now from a desk."

"I'll-. We can… Take a look at what's on the market when we get back?"

Click to shrink...

Meanwhile, in the background, Bleez is trying to act invisible while they have this awkward personal chat with her right there...

"I doubt it will still be on the market in three y-." Her eyes widen! "SHIELD!"

Huh?

BOOMwooosh!

Click to shrink...

Oh, hell! Interrupted by... An explosion? Someone swooping past them? We'll see!

I think OL navigated that little minefield of a discussion fairly well. It helps that it got cut short by something big happening nearby. Meanwhile, the Thanagarian situation seems to be getting more and more suspicious. There must be something in the air people are picking up on and making them keep their heads down, perhaps?

 

[Mr Zoat]

Not good at forgiveness? I can see that.

Click to shrink...

Flying away from a fight.

 

[Darko]

how did Jade notice the incoming attack first before the sensor equipment that Orange Lantern has?

@Mr Zoat if Orange Lantern does not want to pay attention to his surroundings, will his sensor suite just decide to not work?

Click to shrink...

He had literally just been told by Jade not to use his ring to scan for things, lest they make the already-jumpy (...flighty?) Thanagarian authorities even more so.

So he wasn't.

Click to shrink...

Plus if this is Hyathis then her weapons may have mystical protections on them, which Paul has difficulty scanning, but they wouldn't necessarily be invisible to the naked eye.

 

[Duke Long]

"Yeah, yeah, the counter-c-. I mean, y'know, the putsch?"

"I don't mind what you call it."

"Right, well… Most people weren't exactly in love with Hyathis? And she took a lot of the ones who did with her. So when the… You know, took over, well… They killed most people who could have created problems for them. Except the ones who ran for it, but… Like, culturally? We're not good at that."

Click to shrink...

'they'?

Oh El not being pedantic? Maybe he's getting mindfucked again.

"I doubt it will still be on the market in three y-." Her eyes widen! "SHIELD!"

Huh?

BOOMwooosh!

Click to shrink...

Would be kinda funny if Jade actually just got blown up, right as she was getting some character development which made me more interested in her.

Somewhat relatedly, do we have foreshadowing for Jade maybe dying at some point, from the future visions in which she didn't feature? Or am I misremembering that?

 

[Steelplaza]

I decided to go back and check on the last time OL met Hyathis to see where her headspace was.

"So… This isn't them ganging up on you because you'd pulled a little ahead, an alliance that will fall apart the moment that you're beaten back?"

"No. Not this time. This is their last hurrah before my new fleet puts itself in orbit around their worlds and does as it will. I will seed their biospheres and make prisons of their worlds, and then concern myself with them never again! And then…"

Giant eyes glow.

"Thanagar."

Click to shrink...

Okay yes, Hyathis said very directly that she's coming for Thanagar. Also she's a giant plant lady now.

Maybe OL can cut a deal for her to leave Havania and its mere 50 million thangarians alone? That's more realistic than it might sound, Hyathis might actually remember Bleez's father with fondness and be willing to cut some slack for his daughter.

She makes a small wing-shrug. "He was one of the people who got Hyathis to cure the Equalizing Plague, and after she got thrown out he negotiated the settlement we have now with the government of Thanagar. They put him in prison for a while for working with her, which was total guano."

Click to shrink...

 

[Jankl]

'they'?

Oh El not being pedantic? Maybe he's getting mindfucked again.

Would be kinda funny if Jade actually just got blown up, right as she was getting some character development which made me more interested in her.

Somewhat relatedly, do we have foreshadowing for Jade maybe dying at some point, from the future visions in which she didn't feature? Or am I misremembering that?

Click to shrink...

Yeah I noticed the same. Future OL doesn't seem to mention Jade at all. Maybe she died of old age? Or maybe Mr.Zoat just hasn't decided yet?

 

[Mr Zoat]

'they'?

Click to shrink...

No, she was thinking 'the high council'.

 

[Steelplaza]

While I understand Hyathis is angry at getting booted off the Thanagarian throne and probably feels like it was a big betrayal, I'm not sure what she really hopes to accomplish with attacking them. If support for Hyathis is as low as Bleez believes (and Bleez is the heir to a planetary throne who only pretends not to pay attention to politics), then ruling Thanagar could come only by maintaining a constant root on their necks. That would be enforced using her own beloved plant people who probably will wonder why they gotta pay blood and treasure so Hyathis can rule over the bird people.

I guess she could do that "seed their biospheres and make prisons of their worlds, and then concern myself with them never again" thing she was going to do to her local rivals.

Seems like a great chance for one of OL's patented, "Okay but let's be sensible, what do you really want to happen here?" speeches.

 

[PDV]

Okay yes, Hyathis said very directly that she's coming for Thanagar. Also she's a giant plant lady now.

Maybe OL can cut a deal for her to leave Havania and its mere 50 million thangarians alone? That's more realistic than it might sound, Hyathis might actually remember Bleez's father with fondness and be willing to cut some slack for his daughter.

Click to shrink...

And you want to fix it?"

"I just want to fix my little bit of it. And don't even think about giving me a power ring. The government will never let me do any of it if I've got a power ring."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Until the end of my holiday, anyway.

Click to shrink...

Well, that would certainly be a way to negotiate independence for Havania.

 

[Mr Zoat]

While I understand Hyathis is angry at getting booted off the Thanagarian throne and probably feels like it was a big betrayal, I'm not sure what she really hopes to accomplish with attacking them. If support for Hyathis is as low as Bleez believes (and Bleez is the heir to a planetary throne who only pretends not to pay attention to politics), then ruling Thanagar could come only by maintaining a constant root on their necks. That would be enforced using her own beloved plant people who probably will wonder why they gotta pay blood and treasure so Hyathis can rule over the bird people.

Click to shrink...

Thing is, Hyathis is really old. She's not going to consider a mere two generations to be that big a deal. If thanagarians can be made to hate her in that span of time, they can probably be made to love her in about as long. Especially if she doesn't actually change all that much about how their society works.

Well, that would certainly be a way to negotiate independence for Havania.

Click to shrink...

Havania couldn't really function independently. It's surrounded by the Thanagarian Empire, for one.

 

[Mr Zoat]

7th September 2013
22:50 GMT

Air turns to plasma about an inch away from my outstretched hands, and Guy can never find out that was my instinctive reaction to Jade's shout. The orange barrier between us and-.

"What are they shooting us with?"

"Uh." Bleez tears her attention away from the sight and stares at me wide-eyed. "Huh?"

"Disrupter cannon." Jade's checking her computer. "Probably from one of their defence platforms."

Ahh... I try and remember the schematics. And the pos-.

I add a circular construct wall around us, position a stronger shield construct under my initial rushed effort and… The same below us. Disrupters work on the same general principle as a bleed torsion generator. But where the generators use the uncertainly on the edge of reality to add energy to the universe in a safe and controlled way, disruptors do it destructively. All the energy the matter they strike needs to come apart is suddenly available, and unlike a plasma cannon they don't need to worry about beam attenuation-.

Gah! Yep, I was worried that might happen. Thanagar hasn't scrimped on its defence arrays, and another one just came over the horizon. The disrupter beam doesn't do much to constructs by itself, but were surrounded by a high pressure high temperature plasma field right now!

Weaknesses… The beams are relatively slow to charge and the platforms need to rotate to face the target. I could probably have dodged-. Irrelevant now. Plasma field is blindingly bright on the other side of my construct shield-. Flickering slightly, which most likely means that the platforms are firing their secondary weapons as well. Second beam took out the hillside we were standing on, so… The plasma is dense enough to hold our weight.

The texture on the outer surface of the construct is starting to become indistinct.

"Bleez, does-?"

"It's not us!"

"Hate to point out the obvious, but-."

"The air base is inside the blast radius! This is killing our own people!"

Jade scowls. "The area was evacuated. I wouldn't be surprised if the air base was, too."

"Thandalar is right next to us!"

"Not in the blast zone. They're looking at some damage from the pressure wave."

They nearly got me. More to the point, they nearly got Jade. And Bleez. I might have come back from this… It's just a big gun that uses exotic energy rather than anything clever, but…

"Jade, is now a good time to bring up afterlives again?"

She looks around at my construct. "Are you struggling?"

"When it comes to the idea of you dying, you may reasonably assume that I'm struggling as hard as I can. If anything happened to you my behaviour would be immoderate to say the least. I really think that sensible afterlife planning would make resurrecting you much easier for me, with the accompanying reduced level of damage to the structure of the universe."

"I don't think these things would leave a body."

"I have tissue samples and cloning cylinders to begin with. Inorcisms aren't that hard, but I'd like your soul to be somewhere safe while I sort things out."

"How many operate universally?"

"Only the Silver City. But most places are thaumically isolated, and souls can persist in the material universe for a long time if not exposed to external sources of energy."

"But I should pick somewhere in case you can't."

"That would be the rational thing to do."

"But also somewhere that won't try to stop you."

"That would be my preference. I would miss you terribly, and their worshippers might miss all the gods I'd kill to break you out."

"Fine, I'll come to Themyscira and make an offering to Hades."

"Thank you. I wouldn't have minded if you picked somewhere else, but they really are the leading service provider for anyone without strong monotheistic leanings. May I asked why you delayed waiting this long to decide?"

"Because the League of Shadows didn't leave me with the best impression of cultists. And given the number of people I murdered, I assumed that I was going to Hell whatever I did."

"That's almost the exact opposite of how it works. Though I would feel less conflicted about permanently destroying demons in order to free you."

"Hm. I'll take that-. Ah. Bleez, in about twenty seconds we'll find out whether this is your government or not."

"That's when the plasma disperses and we can get a message out?"

"No, that's when the next defence platform comes over the horizon. If it fires, they were behind it. If it doesn't, then they either regained control or they destroyed it with the defence fleet."

"Anything you want to say while we're waiting?"

"Um… I was kinda trying to seduce you when we first met?"

Jade and I both stare at her.

"I know, but it was for a good cause!"

"Bleez…"

"And I hadn't even met Jade back then, so-."

"We knew."

She blinks. "You did? But I didn't-. Oooh. I think.. what I was doing.. was a bigger deal in human culture than it is in thanagarian culture."

"Could be. That's twenty seconds."

Jade checks her computer. "Give it a few more."

"By the way, how did you spot the incoming attack?"

"I had my computer monitoring defence fleet activity. At first I thought it was just reorienting, but it kept turning and we were the only obvious target."

Bleez looks around. "So it wasn't my government?"

"Either that or there's been a coup."

I nod. "The plasma should die down to a level I can move through shortly. Um. About having children…"

"I thought we could start on our honeymoon."

"No sense wasting time, I suppose. Did you have a number in mind?"

"Did you?"

"Given that we haven't even had one yet, and stating numbers before we did anything is why we've still got three years to go despite both of us wishing it were less-."

"We shouldn't decide everything in advance."

"Right. Bleez, who do we talk to about what just happened?"

"I wouldn't worry about that. I'm pretty sure they'll find us."

 

[BR549]

Bleez looks around. "So tit wasn't my government?"

Click to shrink...

Thanagarians are a bit more marital than tits, so 'it'.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Thanagarians are a bit more marital than tits, so 'it'.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

 

[Darko]

May I asked why you delayed waiting this long t

Click to shrink...

"I ask"

And given the number of people I murdered, I assumed that I was going to Hell whatever I did."

"That's almost the exact opposite of how it works

Click to shrink...

Pretty sure it's exactly how it works.

 

[Jankl]

Pretty sure it's exactly how it works.

Click to shrink...

I am pretty sure anyone can end up in the silver city no matter what you did you just have to geniunely regret whatever evil deeds you committed.

 

[LordVishnu]

despite both of us wishing it were less-."

Click to shrink...

I genuinely don't understand why they can't revise it. They're rational adults. They both agree in hindsight that 'five years' was a bit long. Just freakin' change it. It's not that hard.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

7th September 2013
22:50 GMT

Air turns to plasma about an inch away from my outstretched hands, and Guy can never find out that was my instinctive reaction to Jade's shout. The orange barrier between us and-.

Click to shrink...

Ah, still feeling a bit gun-shy about such simple constructs as giant hands, OL? Still, good work protecting the squishier members of your party. Losing either of them might well have upset you. And then Thanagar would have a very bad day.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"What are they shooting us with?"

"Uh." Bleez tears her attention away from the sight and stares at me wide-eyed. "Huh?"

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Certainly, viewing wild plasma that close would be quite the experience, even with an orange tinted lens between you and it.

"Disrupter cannon." Jade's checking her computer. "Probably from one of their defence platforms."

Ahh... I try and remember the schematics. And the pos-.

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Probably quite worrying, especially if someone turned it on the planet like that.

I add a circular construct wall around us, position a stronger shield construct under my initial rushed effort and… The same below us. Disrupters work on the same general principle as a bleed torsion generator. But where the generators use the uncertainly on the edge of reality to add energy to the universe in a safe and controlled way, disruptors do it destructively. All the energy the matter they strike needs to come apart is suddenly available, and unlike a plasma cannon they don't need to worry about beam attenuation-.

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Precise and powerful, so this wasn't a wild shot. Someone pointed a gun at you three and pulled the trigger.

Gah! Yep, I was worried that might happen. Thanagar hasn't scrimped on its defence arrays, and another one just came over the horizon. The disrupter beam doesn't do much to constructs by itself, but we're surrounded by a high pressure high temperature plasma field right now!

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I expect all of your shields are in full multi-layered mode right now, then. Also making one hell of a target with the big glowing ball of plasma...

Weaknesses… The beams are relatively slow to charge and the platforms need to rotate to face the target. I could probably have dodged-. Irrelevant now. Plasma field is blindingly bright on the other side of my construct shield-. Flickering slightly, which most likely means that the platforms are firing their secondary weapons as well. Second beam took out the hillside we were standing on, so… The plasma is dense enough to hold our weight.

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So someone wants you dead a lot. The question becomes who and which side they're on if this is Thanagar versus Hyathis kicking off.

The texture on the outer surface of the construct is starting to become indistinct.

"Bleez, does-?"

"It's not us!"

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As in the intelligence agency you're working for, or the government in general? Best to be precise, kiddo.

"Hate to point out the obvious, but-."

"The air base is inside the blast radius! This is killing our own people!"

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I suspect some members of your intelligence agency wouldn't care about potential collateral damage if they could take out a potential threat without risk of retribution.

Jade scowls. "The area was evacuated. I wouldn't be surprised if the air base was, too."

"Thandalar is right next to us!"

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On the other side of a hill, right? At best, that's some broken windows.

"Not in the blast zone. They're looking at some damage from the pressure wave."

They nearly got me. More to the point, they nearly got Jade. And Bleez. I might have come back from this… It's just a big gun that uses exotic energy rather than anything clever, but…

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Like I said: If they'd gotten the ladies, Thanagar would be in for a bad day.

"Jade, is now a good time to bring up afterlives again?"

She looks around at my construct. "Are you struggling?"

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With this motivation? Not bloody likely. But he's going to have to drop his shields sometime to get you two clear.

"When it comes to the idea of you dying, you may reasonably assume that I'm struggling as hard as I can. If anything happened to you my behaviour would be immoderate to say the least. I really think that sensible afterlife planning would make resurrecting you much easier for me, with the accompanying reduced level of damage to the structure of the universe."

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Because he would rip open whatever afterlife she's in to get her back? I can see that, and he's probably capable of it by now.

"I don't think these things would leave a body."

"I have tissue samples and cloning cylinders to begin with. Inorcisms aren't that hard, but I'd like your soul to be somewhere safe while I sort things out."

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'Inorcism'... Ah, OL, what a way with words. It is a logical inversion of Exorcism, though.

"How many operate universally?"

"Only the Silver City. But most places are thaumically isolated, and souls can persist in the material universe for a long time if not exposed to external sources of energy."

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And we already know he'd pick a fight with them.

"But I should pick somewhere in case you can't."

"That would be the rational thing to do."

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It's like insurance. You don't expect to ever need it anytime soon, but when you do... You'll be glad you have it.

"But also somewhere that won't try to stop you."

"That would be my preference. I would miss you terribly, and their worshippers might miss all the gods I'd kill to break you out."

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Now that's an event with theological implications.

"Fine, I'll come to Themyscira and make an offering to Hades."

"Thank you. I wouldn't have minded if you picked somewhere else, but they really are the leading service provider for anyone without strong monotheistic leanings. May I ask why you delayed waiting this long to decide?"

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And Hades is generally okay with resurrections, as long as they're requested ahead of time and approved.

"Because the League of Shadows didn't leave me with the best impression of cultists. And given the number of people I murdered, I assumed that I was going to Hell whatever I did."

"That's almost the exact opposite of how it works. Though I would feel less conflicted about permanently destroying demons in order to free you."

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Acceptable targets, really. He might be annoyed if any under Mammon's command get fried, because that'll cause friction in that relationship.

"Hm. I'll take that-. Ah. Bleez, in about twenty seconds we'll find out whether this is your government or not."

"That's when the plasma disperses and we can get a message out?"

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She's such an optimist, isn't she?

"No, that's when the next defence platform comes over the horizon. If it fires, they were behind it. If it doesn't, then they either regained control or they destroyed it with the defence fleet."

"Anything you want to say while we're waiting?"

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Good chance to come clean about anything. No regrets in case you're about to die...

"Um… I was kinda trying to seduce you when we first met?"

Jade and I both stare at her.

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Oh, gee, the scanty clothes and blatant flirting wasn't just how you normally behave? Who'd have thought...

"I know, but it was for a good cause!"

"Bleez…"

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Orders, huh? Seeing if they could tempt OL into their sphere of influence...

"And I hadn't even met Jade back then, so-."

"We knew."

She blinks. "You did? But I didn't-. Oooh. I think.. what I was doing.. was a bigger deal in human culture than it is in thanagarian culture."

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Kind of is, but you weren't really being subtle about it anyway.

"Could be. That's twenty seconds."

Jade checks her computer. "Give it a few more."

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Just because it has line of sight doesn't mean they were pre-aiming, after all.

"By the way, how did you spot the incoming attack?"

"I had my computer monitoring defence fleet activity. At first I thought it was just reorienting, but it kept turning and we were the only obvious target."

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Well, good to have that explained. Good instincts.

Bleez looks around. "So it wasn't my government?"

"Either that or there's been a coup."

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So the platform was subverted, operating on orders other than the navy (or whatever agency handles their command.)

I nod. "The plasma should die down to a level I can move through shortly. Um. About having children…"

"I thought we could start on our honeymoon."

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No rush, after all.

"No sense wasting time, I suppose. Did you have a number in mind?"

"Did you?"

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Eh, see how you feel after the first one, especially if there's any complications from OL's rather unique makeup.

"Given that we haven't even had one yet, and stating numbers before we did anything is why we've still got three years to go despite both of us wishing it were less-."

"We shouldn't decide everything in advance."

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And there's always the chance of multiples.

"Right. Bleez, who do we talk to about what just happened?"

"I wouldn't worry about that. I'm pretty sure they'll find us."

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Even so, it's better to take the initiative in these matters.

It'll be interesting to find out just who ordered that ill-advised shot. And see just how badly they panic when they realised it failed and now have to deal with an annoyed OL. What's the bet it gets blamed on a 'Hyathis cultist' who just happens to have fallen on their sword before they could get anything more out if them...

 

[BR549]

It'll be interesting to find out just who ordered that ill-advised shot. And see just how badly they panic when they realised it failed and now have to deal with an annoyed OL. What's the bet it gets blamed on a 'Hyathis cultist' who just happens to have fallen on their sword before they could get anything more out if them...

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"Really. I would have hoped you would at least have tried something less obvious. I was 'annoyed'. Now I am 'right peeved'. Pray I do not become 'nettled'."

 

[Duke Long]

I add a circular construct wall around us, position a stronger shield construct under my initial rushed effort and… The same below us. Disrupters work on the same general principle as a bleed torsion generator. But where the generators use the uncertainly on the edge of reality to add energy to the universe in a safe and controlled way, disruptors do it destructively. All the energy the matter they strike needs to come apart is suddenly available, and unlike a plasma cannon they don't need to worry about beam attenuation-.

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'uncertainty'

I had forgotten that thanagarians had bleed torsion because it seems like super-advanced tech, but now I remember Hawkwoman vouching for its safety when Oh El wanted to install one on the Watchtower.

Gah! Yep, I was worried that might happen. Thanagar hasn't scrimped on its defence arrays, and another one just came over the horizon. The disrupter beam doesn't do much to constructs by itself, but were surrounded by a high pressure high temperature plasma field right now!

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'we're'

So it has some sort of two-stage attack? I don't understand the mechanics.

Weaknesses… The beams are relatively slow to charge and the platforms need to rotate to face the target. I could probably have dodged-. Irrelevant now. Plasma field is blindingly bright on the other side of my construct shield-. Flickering slightly, which most likely means that the platforms are firing their secondary weapons as well. Second beam took out the hillside we were standing on, so… The plasma is dense enough to hold our weight.

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Wow, that's some dense plasma. Is there some sort of containment field that prevents it from dispersing? Otherwise it seems surprising that it stayed that dense for more than a very small amount of time.

"I have tissue samples and cloning cylinders to begin with. Inorcisms aren't that hard, but I'd like your soul to be somewhere safe while I sort things out."

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Nice Zoatism. I assume, anyway, though I do see a couple hits for it on Google.

"Fine, I'll come to Themyscira and make an offering to Hades."

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So is this her changing her mind on that martial path redemptive Source religion she was keen on? The one that had union with the source as its afterlife, which I thought was foreshadowing for her being permakilled. I suppose the angels we've seen don't seem to care much about people worshipping 'false gods', so maybe she can just do both somehow?

 

[BR549]

So it has some sort of two-stage attack? I don't understand the mechanics.

Wow, that's some dense plasma. Is there some sort of containment field that prevents it from dispersing? Otherwise it seems surprising that it stayed that dense for more than a very small amount of time.

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These are related - the beam, as mentioned, isn't affecting the constructs itself very much. What it is doing is turning the air surrounding the constructs into physics, and while it would disperse, both platforms were still firing and thus replenishing said physics as it bleeds off, and "highly energetic plasma" is not as friendly to constructs.

(Presumably, near the end, when Paul mentions "The plasma should die down to a level I can move through shortly.", that's because the first platform has either been deactivated or moved below the horizon, and the second either has or will shortly.)

 

[Neruz]

Pretty sure it's exactly how it works.

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I am pretty sure anyone can end up in the silver city no matter what you did you just have to geniunely regret whatever evil deeds you committed.

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According to Catholic doctrine, no matter how bad your sins are, as long as you meet the requirements for true repentance (contrition, confession and penance) then you are forgiven and can go to Heaven.

According to Protestant doctrine, you don't need confession and penance, just sincere repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

And according to Jesus himself, there is only one single unforgivable eternal sin: Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Note that this is not blasphemy in general, but rather a very specific kind of blasphemy. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit has only ever been committed once, by Lucifer\Satan when he rejected God and Fell. And it can basically be summarized as knowing the truth of God and rejecting him with all your heart anyway, to the point that you are actually incapable of repentance.

Anything else can be forgiven, even someone like Pol Pot could theoretically have been forgiven.