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Omegas 48: Burdens Lightened


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#1 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 24 August 2006 - 07:33 PM

Notemeal:

1. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. New Omega chapter. Boo yah! :D

2. Lots of "relationship" (not romantic, I'm afraid) stuff in this, but it's important stuff.

3. Remember how Falynn's been acting all... well, let's face it. She's been pretty crazy lately. Now we get to beat some sense into her. :)

4. This was a rough section for me to write, though, and I worry it got a bit too campy. We'll have to see, I suppose.

5. Have fun, everybody. Enjoy the ride.

-----

48: Burdens Lightened

The blueprints that the Omegas had recovered from the local computer systems outlined, in great detail, the layout of the complex’s rooms, corridors, access points, and facilities. They’d spent some time poring over the maps and charts, trying to find the best route into the deepest levels of the base, where all the really serious experiments had been conducted. The lifts between the levels were still operational, but most of the security doors intended to halt progress through the hallways had been cut off from the base’s main security systems and were now locked tight, preventing anyone and everyone from easily making their way through those sensitive areas of the base.

That made for some good news and some bad news. The good news was that the doors, despite their sturdy construction, weren’t, technically, a permanent obstacle. Given enough time, the team could circumvent the doors and get on with the rest of their lives. The bad news was that time was one of the things they had only in short supply.

Imoen and Jan had planted themselves in front of one of these such security doors, which was blocking their passage to the primary laboratory chambers. They were busying themselves searching for a way past it. One wasn’t immediately forthcoming.

The door had been specially constructed to resist, and even counter explosive blasts; it was unlikely that even a skilled demolitionist would be able to focus enough destructive power onto the door to disable it… not without lacing the thing with enough RDX (a.k.a. Cyclonite, a.k.a. Hexogen) to bring down the entire corridor as well. That meant that breaching the door would have to be done the slow way… and Jan was doing just that.

Omega Five, amongst his other “engineering” tools, carried an “Arc-fire” plasma torch, which, when properly utilized, emitted a “flame” capable of burning through even a foot-thick durasteel door. The catch was that the process, while guaranteed to work, eventually, was painfully slow – a fact that the team was becoming all too acquainted with. Jan had been at the job for the past quarter of an hour, Imoen working beside him to guide the furrow he was carving through the metal. In that time, however, they’d made little progress. Burning through to the door’s locking mechanism might take another fifteen, and that was far too long a time to just be sitting around waiting. It was going to put the whole team at a bit of a risk.

Imoen flipped the face-shield of her helmet up and blinked her eyes. The shield was constructed of a lightweight but exceptionally strong polymer, known colloquially as “duraplas.” It was normally transparent, but automatically darkened when exposed to bright light to help keep its user from being blinded. She wiped the sweat from her forehead off on her right sleeve. “Our backs still clear?” she asked, taking a pull from the canteen she normally kept tucked in a small pouch on the outside of her right shin.

The rest of the squad had set up firing positions to cover the unit’s flanks while Omegas Two and Five worked. They hadn’t seen a trace of any enemies, and the sensor feeds they were receiving through their tac-headsets were still showing that the area was empty of everyone but them, but they’d still been sitting there for over fifteen minutes, and everyone was starting to get a little antsy.

Imoen took the plasma torch from Jan and dialed the flame down a bit, narrowing it and focusing the torch’s energy output a little more efficiently. Sparks leapt from the door and bounced along the metal plating of the deck below her feet. More sparks flitted towards her face, skipping off her helmet’s shield. She called out over her shoulder. “So lemme get this straight: we’re just going to let the Marines clean up our mess for us?”

Falynn had the firing position closest to Imoen and Jan; the others were farther down the hallway. She had been keeping her eyes downrange, watching the otherwise empty corridor in the off-chance that some orcs might come barreling through at a moment’s notice. She heard Imoen’s question and responded to it. “I know, I know…” she said with a half-sigh. “But I don’t really have any better ideas. We can’t take that entire Dominion team out ourselves. Too many targets, not enough of us to cover ‘em all. We’d risk someone getting away.” She shrugged. “Besides, Command’s mobilizing all of First Battalion.” She smirked. “I’m thinking a thousand Confed Marines have about as much the same chance of getting the job done as we would.”

Her comment drew a few snickers and a mild rejoinder. “Feeling kinda cocky this afternoon, are we?”

“No more so than usual. What’s taking so long with this door?”

“Three things: It’s big, it’s made out of metal, and it’s here.”

“Oh.”

“The lock’s electronic, but it’s not tied in to the rest of the complex’s security systems, which means no remote access to it. We need to cut our way through to the internal mechanisms so I can disable them manually.”

Falynn responded to that with a nod of understanding. “Independent operation, huh? Probably redundant backup systems and all that good stuff.”

“Probably.”

“Must mean there’s something really important on the other side that nobody wanted us to find. And, of course, it’s our job to go find it, anyway.” She sighed.

“Right. Well, we’re working as fast as we can, but it’ll take us a while.”

“Ok.”

Imoen frowned. “You know, Lynn, that extra weight is not looking good on ya…”

“Say what, now?” She looked down. She was pretty sure she hadn’t, but she supposed it was possible that she’d been putting on the tiniest bit of flab around the hips, but-

“Oh, I’m talking about psychic pounds, Pumpkin. Something wrong? What’s with you?”

Falynn held back a frustrated sigh, instead letting out something akin to an annoyed grunt. “Nothing. You know, aside from the fact that we’re stuck in some hole in the ground looking for a bunch of crap we may not find, and I’m not sure we’d want to keep even if we -did- find it. Oh, and did I forget about that whole mess with us being ordered to throw away something that might… just might, help us win this war?”

Imoen dropped what she was doing (Jan took over the torch-work) and stared at her with an expression of clear disbelief. “Lynn… what… what are you saying? That you’re actually -glad- someone was researching this shit?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“All right, then enlighten me: what are you saying?”

Falynn shook her head and sighed tiredly. To be completely truthful about things, she herself wasn’t entirely sure what she meant to say. Her thoughts were jumbled… even more so than they usually were, and she was having a very difficult time sorting them all out. “I guess all I’m saying, Im, is that we’re in a bit of a jam. Confed’s been getting pushed back quite a lot over the past two years, you know. For every battle we’ve won, we’ve lost two. Active Naval forces are at an all time low. We’ve got fewer combat vessels on the front lines now than we’ve had at any other point in the war. Ship crews and infantry personnel are serving longer and longer tours, with shorter and shorter periods of downtime in between. New recruits are being shipped off to the front lines after only a couple of months of basic training. And look at us – we haven’t seen an offensive action in forever - we’ve been rotating from one defensive assignment to another since last Marpenoth. Now is it just me, or is the whole war effort unraveling before our eyes? That doesn’t seem like a bad sign to you?”

Imoen turned away from her work, planted her hands on her hips, and glared laser bolts at her older sister. “No more than you acting like we’ve already lost.”

“Look, I just mean that things are pretty bad… and getting worse. If it comes down to it, we may need this stuff to keep the Dominion from taking everything we’ve worked to build… and, incidentally, from killing all of us in the process. If it comes down to us or them, I choose us. No contest.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s right, Lynn.”

Falynn gave a dejected shake of her head. “I don’t think there’s much ‘right’ about any part of this war, Imoen… at least… at least, not anymore.”

“Y’know, this kinda talk is not something I ever expected to hear outta you. I’ve never known you to be so pessimistic, Lynn… about anything.”

“Maybe I’m just being pragmatic,” came the sullen response.

Imoen didn’t even bother to inject any tact into her response. “Or maybe you’re just being stupid. Hate to say it, Sis, but you’ve been doing that a lot lately… which begs the question: ‘Stupid’ ain’t a good look for you, so why have you been doing it?”

Falynn didn’t answer the question. “I’m putting in for a transfer,” she said instead.

“What?!”

“Huh. Funny, that’s what Jaheira said.”

“If that’s a joke, Lynn, I’m not laughing.”

“I’m about as serious as I’ve ever been.”

Imoen was practically spitting with fury. “How can you be serious? You’re talking crazy! See, this goes back to that whole ‘You acting stupid’ thing I was talking about earlier.”

“What’s so crazy about it?” Falynn replied, indignantly. “Look… the war’s not going so great for us. That’s a fact, and pretending things are different doesn’t help anyone. Plus, I get this awful feeling that it’s all just going to get worse, and I’m getting tired of it. The worse the war gets, the worse it’s going to get for the seven of us. More missions, and more dangerous ones, too.”

The part that frightened Imoen the most was that Falynn just might have a point. Yes, it was buried underneath a mess of self-loathing, failing confidence levels, and out and out bad logic, but the tiny kernel of truth wrapped in the middle of it all… that was there… and it scared her. “We’ve always managed to scrape by, before,” she said, almost having to struggle to believe her own words.

“But it’s never been this bad, before,” Falynn said with a sad shake of her head. “And even if it has… like you said, we’re ‘scraping by.’ How long do you really expect our ‘good’ luck to hold out?”

Imoen rallied back, refusing to answer the question she considered as being only rhetorical in nature. “And how does this fit in with you calling it quits and leaving the rest of us behind?”

“I’m not going to desert the war effort, Imoen. You know me. Assuming the Confederation would even let me, there’s no way I could just sit on the sidelines and not do anything to try and help.” She shook her head. “I’m just going to be transferring to another unit. The only difference between there and here is that-“

And suddenly, it all clicked into place. The motivations, the reasoning… what she was running from. Falynn hadn’t needed to finish her sentence; her point had already been made. Imoen’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You and I won’t be in the same squad, anymore.”

A slightly unsure nod. “Yeah…”

Imoen’s tone went cold, and it seemed as if every word was coming out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. “And you won’t be in a position where you have to order me, or Jaheira, or Minsc or whoever into combat. Just another grunt, huh? Taking orders… and no responsibility for anyone but yourself, is that it?”

“Yeah…”

“You’re a coward, Lynn.” Imoen’s anger had been faint at first, a vague underpinning lurking in the metaphorical shadows behind her words. It built up with alarming speed, and she made no attempts to hide it.

“I’m sorry?”

“Did I friggin’ stutter? I called you a coward.”

Falynn let out a tired sigh, though, to be perfectly honest, she didn’t seem very fazed by her younger sister’s outburst of temper. “No, I got that. I’m just a little fuzzy on why.”

“Because, Lynn, you can’t just walk up to someone one day and say ‘Hey, you know this group I’ve been a part of for like four years? It’s not really working out for me, so I’m taking off. I’ll see you later.’ We’ve been through too much together for you to just walk away like that, so I’m not going to let you.”

“Imoen-“

“Don’t ‘Imoen’ me, Falynn,” she said, practically snarling as she over-enunciated the syllables of her older sister’s full name – something she usually only did when she was extremely angry. “You remember what we did last month? And two months before that? You remember what we’re doing here, right now? We’re saving the world – again. You don’t think that has any value? Well, think again. It sucks, Lynn – big time – but this war isn’t ending any time soon. It’s gonna keep going… with or without you. Now nobody can question your service; no one can question your commitment to making things better… and if you wanted to quit, to move on, because you thought you’d already done your fair share, then fine. I think a lot of people would go to bat for you… hell, they might even throw you a parade. I know I would.”

Imoen shook her head, her expression having gone through a sudden change from angry to troubled. She almost looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Her voice had dropped to an impassioned whisper. “But if you’re quitting because it’s easier than continuing the fight, then you are not the hero I’ve always thought you were.” Her voice trailed off for a brief moment before strengthening yet again. “The Confederation needs this team,” she said with utter conviction, “and this team needs you, Lynn.”

“That’s just it, Im. I’m not a hero… I… I never was… and I don’t think you understand how difficult it is…” Falynn protested feebly. “How hard it is to have to do this to all of you… send you out on missions… wonder if you’ll be coming home alive. And what happens when I have to send you to do something that I -know- will get you killed? What happens when I have to order you to your deaths? I used to think I could handle that, but… it… it’s too hard, now…”

“It -is- hard… but it’s not too hard. I know you worry about us. That’s who you are, Lynn, you’re a worrier… and all this BS about how we’re all adults and how we all make our own decisions, even those that’ll get us killed… I know that doesn’t mean a damned thing to someone like you. But for the rest of us, it -does- mean something. None of us hold you responsible for what could or couldn’t happen; none of us would hold you responsible if you had to make the choice between our lives and the lives of thousands or maybe even millions of innocents, and you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible, either.”

She frowned, looking her older sibling straight in the eye without flinching. “But you do. That’s a fact; that’s just how things are right now. You’re responsible for all of us because you’ve declared yourself responsible, and right now, nothing I say is going to change your mind. I can accept that. You worry about us, and you always will. That’ll never change. But I know you, and I know that you could never trust anyone other than yourself with the responsibility for keeping us alive. Even if we went home right now, and you marched right up to Keldorn’s desk and said ‘Colonel, I can’t do this, anymore. I’m out.’ Even if you did that, and you got your transfer, that wouldn’t be the end of it. You would agonize over what was happening to us. It would keep you up at night. Because while you might, in a fit of self-loathing, wonder if someone else could do your job better than you could, you would never, for a moment, accept the idea of someone else holding that responsibility. For all the good that could come, for all the bad that could come, you’ve claimed that responsibility as yours; I can’t ever see you giving it up.”

Imoen paused for a moment, but then continued before Falynn could respond. “Lynn, you need to understand something. We’re all here because we all have something to contribute. We all have our strengths; none of us have yours.” She reached out and tapped a finger against her sister’s forehead. “this is what separates you from the rest of us… this is what makes you different. Something needs to get done – maybe the rest of us could figure out the where and the when… but you… you figure out the how, and, maybe more importantly, the why. I can’t do that. Jaheira can’t. Minsc can’t. Jan definitely can’t. That’s always been up to you… and every single one of us, yourself included, knows it. So don’t try to tell me otherwise.” She looked Falynn in the eye and stared hard. “We need you; you know we need you. You’re not going anywhere.”

Neither of them said anything for the next few seconds – Imoen because she felt she’d made her point, and Falynn because she simply didn’t know what to say. Imoen was… probably right, and it was Falynn’s mistake for having underestimated her yet again. People were always underestimating Imoen; Falynn should have known better, and yet she’d once again fallen into the same trap. Despite how close they were, despite how long they’d known each other, even Falynn was sometimes surprised at how her younger sister just seemed to instinctively be able to grasp a situation, take it apart, and find what needed to be fixed.

But more than that, she found herself even more astonished at just how… loyal her younger sibling was to her. It didn’t matter how much she doubted herself, it didn’t matter how much she questioned her own decisions, or even how many close calls they’d had over the years – Imoen had never judged her, never blamed her… she had always stuck by her, and had always supported her. Falynn loved her for that, and yet it frightened her, too… because she was never sure she could live up to those expectations, to be that hero she apparently was in the other woman’s eyes. Falynn never liked to fail at anything, but failing at this was one of the worst things she could ever imagine happening. She couldn’t let that happen. Wouldn’t.

“You are such an idiot,” Imoen said, the harsh words belying the gentleness of her voice. She stood up on her tiptoes, planting a quick kiss on the other’s forehead.

It was a hard thing when someone told you they loved you, and you didn’t feel like you deserved it. Falynn swallowed, fighting past a lump in her throat. “Love you, too.”

-----

“I saw you two talking. Is everything all right?”

“No, but it’s better. Maybe it’s not a lot better, but it’s better.” Imoen sighed. “I don’t know, Jaheira. Sometimes… sometimes it’s like Lynn absolutely refuses to acknowledge that she’s good at what she does… like she can’t let herself believe that it’s not just dumb luck that we’ve been at this for so long and haven’t gotten ourselves killed. I try to tell her I have faith in her-”

The Tethyrian frowned, sadly. “And all that does is make her think that trust is unjustified.”

Imoen managed a cheerless nod.

“She does it to me, too.”

“I know… and it’s not fair to you, Jaheira.”

“What isn’t?”

“You know what I mean. She always gets so defensive around you.”

Jaheira managed a shrug. “I -am- often harsh with her. I won’t deny that.”

“I know, but it’s more than that. She acts as if… like your only purpose in life is to yell at her for any mistakes she might ever make. Even the tiniest slip, and you’d be all over her. I know that’s not what you’re trying to do. I know you’re just looking out for us, and it just bothers me how she sometimes acts as if you’re not… as if you think she can’t be trusted. But you do trust her… don’t you?”

“I suppose I do at that.”

“So how come you know that, I know that, and she doesn’t? Or at the very least, she won’t accept it.”

A small, sad smile formed across the half-elf’s face, as if the question were one she asked herself all the time. And the answer she gave her younger friend was the same answer it had taken her a long time to come up with. She could never be sure of course, but she felt, deep down, that she’d stumbled across the truth of the matter. “Because, Imoen, it is easier to put me in the bad light. Hating yourself constantly is a painful thing… too painful even for someone like Falynn. Instead of blaming yourself for all the shortcomings you see in yourself, it’s easier to act as if someone else is passing judgment on you. I just happened to be the rather obvious choice for that role.”

The younger of the two Llyr sisters looked up, eyes slightly wide in surprise and confusion. “But… that’s not right.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

”Then why do you put up with it?”

Another sad smile. “For the same reason you do, Imoen: she is my friend, and I care for her, same as you.”

“I wish she knew how you felt. It might help.”

“She does. After all we have been through, I honestly don’t see how she could not. Whether she allows herself to admit it, however… that is an entirely different story. But I trust her… I trust her with my life… and I trust that, on some level, she truly knows how we all feel.”

Imoen nodded. “That’s comforting, I guess.”

“I like to think so.”

#2 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 25 August 2006 - 07:04 AM

1. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. New Omega chapter. Boo yah! :D


Yay!

2. Lots of "relationship" (not romantic, I'm afraid)


Boo!

(Well, that is some meaningful feedback so far!) :D

The door had been specially constructed to resist, and even counter explosive blasts; it was unlikely that even a skilled demolitionist would be able to focus enough destructive power onto the door to disable it… not without lacing the thing with enough RDX (a.k.a. Cyclonite, a.k.a. Hexogen) to bring down the entire corridor as well. That meant that breaching the door would have to be done the slow way… and Jan was doing just that.


Let me guess, he’s trying to open it by telling Jansen-stories to it. Hmm, but it just might work. :D

“No more so than usual. What’s taking so long with this door?”


“Three things: It’s big, it’s made out of metal, and it’s here.”


And… where exactly is the problem supposed to be? *scratches head*

“Say what, now?” She looked down. She was pretty sure she hadn’t, but she supposed it was possible that she’d been putting on the tiniest bit of flab around the hips, but-


“Oh, I’m talking about psychic pounds, Pumpkin. Something wrong? What’s with you?”


Pumpkin? :D Awww, that’s too cute!

Imoen dropped what she was doing (Jan took over the torch-work) and stared at her with an expression of clear disbelief. “Lynn… what… what are you saying? That you’re actually -glad- someone was researching this shit?”


“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”


Well, sure sounded dangerously close to that.

“Look, I just mean that things are pretty bad… and getting worse. If it comes down to it, we may need this stuff to keep the Dominion from taking everything we’ve worked to build… and, incidentally, from killing all of us in the process. If it comes down to us or them, I choose us. No contest.”


If you’re beaten, then graciously accept the defeat. The Dominion might be the nominally Evil side in the conflict, but they would not kill you all, that would be just totally economically unsound.

Falynn gave a dejected shake of her head. “I don’t think there’s much ‘right’ about any part of this war, Imoen… at least… at least, not anymore.”


Curiously, has the Dominion ever used anything similar against you? Not that it would make it somehow more right to retaliate in the same way, but just that after using it yourself the whole “we’re the Good side who has the moral high ground” thing kind of evaporates.

Imoen didn’t even bother to inject any tact into her response. “Or maybe you’re just being stupid. Hate to say it, Sis, but you’ve been doing that a lot lately… which begs the question: ‘Stupid’ ain’t a good look for you, so why have you been doing it?”


Falynn didn’t answer the question. “I’m putting in for a transfer,” she said instead.


Yeah, that’s how stupid she has become. :D

The part that frightened Imoen the most was that Falynn just might have a point. Yes, it was buried underneath a mess of self-loathing, failing confidence levels, and out and out bad logic, but the tiny kernel of truth wrapped in the middle of it all… that was there… and it scared her. “We’ve always managed to scrape by, before,” she said, almost having to struggle to believe her own words.


Don’t let Lynn kill your hope too, Immy…

Imoen’s tone went cold, and it seemed as if every word was coming out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. “And you won’t be in a position where you have to order me, or Jaheira, or Minsc or whoever into combat. Just another grunt, huh? Taking orders… and no responsibility for anyone but yourself, is that it?”


“Yeah…”


Well, responsibility is a heavy burden. Even the strongest of people can tire from carrying it all the time. Sometimes a little break can fix it, but sometimes you need a radical change.

“Because, Lynn, you can’t just walk up to someone one day and say ‘Hey, you know this group I’ve been a part of for like four years? It’s not really working out for me, so I’m taking off. I’ll see you later.’ We’ve been through too much together for you to just walk away like that, so I’m not going to let you.”


Oh, she’s understandably upset, but she probably can’t really imagine the burden of responsibility that Lynn has to carry daily.

“That’s just it, Im. I’m not a hero… I… I never was… and I don’t think you understand how difficult it is…” Falynn protested feebly. “How hard it is to have to do this to all of you… send you out on missions… wonder if you’ll be coming home alive. And what happens when I have to send you to do something that I -know- will get you killed? What happens when I have to order you to your deaths?”


I hope that doesn’t happen, I would not want to end up hating Lynn. :D

“It -is- hard… but it’s not too hard. I know you worry about us. That’s who you are, Lynn, you’re a worrier… and all this BS about how we’re all adults and how we all make our own decisions, even those that’ll get us killed… I know that doesn’t mean a damned thing to someone like you. But for the rest of us, it -does- mean something. None of us hold you responsible for what could or couldn’t happen; none of us would hold you responsible if you had to make the choice between our lives and the lives of thousands or maybe even millions of innocents, and you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible, either.”


True from the logical point of view, but I’m afraid deep down logic doesn’t come into it.

She frowned, looking her older sibling straight in the eye without flinching. “But you do. That’s a fact; that’s just how things are right now. You’re responsible for all of us because you’ve declared yourself responsible, and right now, nothing I say is going to change your mind. I can accept that. You worry about us, and you always will. That’ll never change. But I know you, and I know that you could never trust anyone other than yourself with the responsibility for keeping us alive. Even if we went home right now, and you marched right up to Keldorn’s desk and said ‘Colonel, I can’t do this, anymore. I’m out.’ Even if you did that, and you got your transfer, that wouldn’t be the end of it. You would agonize over what was happening to us. It would keep you up at night. Because while you might, in a fit of self-loathing, wonder if someone else could do your job better than you could, you would never, for a moment, accept the idea of someone else holding that responsibility. For all the good that could come, for all the bad that could come, you’ve claimed that responsibility as yours; I can’t ever see you giving it up.”


Hmm, that’s probably the right string to tug on. And I think Imoen is very much right here, almost surprising how Lynn didn’t look at the issue from this point of view.

But more than that, she found herself even more astonished at just how… loyal her younger sibling was to her. It didn’t matter how much she doubted herself, it didn’t matter how much she questioned her own decisions, or even how many close calls they’d had over the years – Imoen had never judged her, never blamed her… she had always stuck by her, and had always supported her. Falynn loved her for that, and yet it frightened her, too… because she was never sure she could live up to those expectations, to be that hero she apparently was in the other woman’s eyes. Falynn never liked to fail at anything, but failing at this was one of the worst things she could ever imagine happening. She couldn’t let that happen. Wouldn’t.


Nice way to get her motivation back, it certainly worked for me. :D

“I know, but it’s more than that. She acts as if… like your only purpose in life is to yell at her for any mistakes she might ever make. Even the tiniest slip, and you’d be all over her. I know that’s not what you’re trying to do. I know you’re just looking out for us, and it just bothers me how she sometimes acts as if you’re not… as if you think she can’t be trusted.”


Yes, it’s not fair. I haven’t really seen much of a reason why Lynn would honestly believe that, but perhaps she might have felt like that at the very beginning of their relationship.

A small, sad smile formed across the half-elf’s face, as if the question were one she asked herself all the time. And the answer she gave her younger friend was the same answer it had taken her a long time to come up with. She could never be sure of course, but she felt, deep down, that she’d stumbled across the truth of the matter. “Because, Imoen, it is easier to put me in the bad light. Hating yourself constantly is a painful thing… too painful even for someone like Falynn. Instead of blaming yourself for all the shortcomings you see in yourself, it’s easier to act as if someone else is passing judgment on you. I just happened to be the rather obvious choice for that role.”


I imagine she is aware of her own character flaws and isn’t at all concerned if many people write her off as a nagging bitch with only one purpose to undermine others. Still, I can’t believe that Lynn’s attitude isn’t hurting her on some levels. :D

“She does. After all we have been through, I honestly don’t see how she could not. Whether she allows herself to admit it, however… that is an entirely different story. But I trust her… I trust her with my life… and I trust that, on some level, she truly knows how we all feel.”


With Lynn’s constant fears that one of them might die on a mission, I’m rather surprised that she hasn’t tried to clear the air in the matter. I mean, if something would happen to Jaheira (well, you would not dare! :)) while something like this remains between them, Lynn would probably feel like really, really ungrateful piece of shit. :D

#3 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 25 August 2006 - 03:00 PM

1. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. New Omega chapter. Boo yah! :D


Is that supposed to be a bad thing?

2. Lots of "relationship" (not romantic, I'm afraid) stuff in this, but it's important stuff.


I happen to like that stuff :D

3. Remember how Falynn's been acting all... well, let's face it. She's been pretty crazy lately. Now we get to beat some sense into her. :)


Yay!

Imoen frowned. “You know, Lynn, that extra weight is not looking good on ya…”


That's one way of putting it.

“Say what, now?” She looked down. She was pretty sure she hadn’t, but she supposed it was possible that she’d been putting on the tiniest bit of flab around the hips, but-


Heh. :D

Falynn shook her head and sighed tiredly. To be completely truthful about things, she herself wasn’t entirely sure what she meant to say. Her thoughts were jumbled… even more so than they usually were, and she was having a very difficult time sorting them all out. “I guess all I’m saying, Im, is that we’re in a bit of a jam. Confed’s been getting pushed back quite a lot over the past two years, you know. For every battle we’ve won, we’ve lost two. Active Naval forces are at an all time low. We’ve got fewer combat vessels on the front lines now than we’ve had at any other point in the war. Ship crews and infantry personnel are serving longer and longer tours, with shorter and shorter periods of downtime in between. New recruits are being shipped off to the front lines after only a couple of months of basic training. And look at us – we haven’t seen an offensive action in forever - we’ve been rotating from one defensive assignment to another since last Marpenoth. Now is it just me, or is the whole war effort unraveling before our eyes? That doesn’t seem like a bad sign to you?”


Oy vey, rambling. Usually not a good sign.

“Y’know, this kinda talk is not something I ever expected to hear outta you. I’ve never known you to be so pessimistic, Lynn… about anything.”

“Maybe I’m just being pragmatic,” came the sullen response.


Ember: No. You're not just being pragmatic.

Imoen didn’t even bother to inject any tact into her response. “Or maybe you’re just being stupid. Hate to say it, Sis, but you’ve been doing that a lot lately… which begs the question: ‘Stupid’ ain’t a good look for you, so why have you been doing it?”


Ember: A slightly less polite way of putting it.

Falynn didn’t answer the question. “I’m putting in for a transfer,” she said instead.


:D

Imoen’s tone went cold, and it seemed as if every word was coming out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. “And you won’t be in a position where you have to order me, or Jaheira, or Minsc or whoever into combat. Just another grunt, huh? Taking orders… and no responsibility for anyone but yourself, is that it?”


I can see how that would feel easier.

“Did I friggin’ stutter? I called you a coward.”

Falynn let out a tired sigh, though, to be perfectly honest, she didn’t seem very fazed by her younger sister’s outburst of temper. “No, I got that. I’m just a little fuzzy on why.”


Isn't it obvious?

“Because, Lynn, you can’t just walk up to someone one day and say ‘Hey, you know this group I’ve been a part of for like four years? It’s not really working out for me, so I’m taking off. I’ll see you later.’ We’ve been through too much together for you to just walk away like that, so I’m not going to let you.”


Besides, if she's not around to order them into combat, someone else will have to. Someone who doesn't know them, their capabilities and their limits, as well as she does.

“That’s just it, Im. I’m not a hero… I… I never was… and I don’t think you understand how difficult it is…” Falynn protested feebly. “How hard it is to have to do this to all of you… send you out on missions… wonder if you’ll be coming home alive. And what happens when I have to send you to do something that I -know- will get you killed? What happens when I have to order you to your deaths? I used to think I could handle that, but… it… it’s too hard, now…”


Suicide runs are bad :D

“It -is- hard… but it’s not too hard. I know you worry about us. That’s who you are, Lynn, you’re a worrier… and all this BS about how we’re all adults and how we all make our own decisions, even those that’ll get us killed… I know that doesn’t mean a damned thing to someone like you. But for the rest of us, it -does- mean something. None of us hold you responsible for what could or couldn’t happen; none of us would hold you responsible if you had to make the choice between our lives and the lives of thousands or maybe even millions of innocents, and you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible, either.”


If she has to order them to die, it'll be someone else ordering her to do that. It won't be all on her shoulders.

“You are such an idiot,” Imoen said, the harsh words belying the gentleness of her voice. She stood up on her tiptoes, planting a quick kiss on the other’s forehead.


Aw :D

It was a hard thing when someone told you they loved you, and you didn’t feel like you deserved it. Falynn swallowed, fighting past a lump in her throat. “Love you, too.”


I really hope Falynn feels better after this talk!

Good chapter :D

#4 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 25 August 2006 - 04:48 PM

Boo!

(Well, that is some meaningful feedback so far!)


Yes, I'm sure these comments will help make me a better writer. :)

Let me guess, he’s trying to open it by telling Jansen-stories to it. Hmm, but it just might work.


Um. No. Cutting through with a plasma torch is the slow-way. :D

And… where exactly is the problem supposed to be? *scratches head*


Um. Usually that things that are big and made out of metal and that are in your way are problems? :D

Awww, that’s too cute!


I thought Imoen calling her "Pumpkin" was adorable, too. But I also wouldn't put it past Gorion to have called them that when they were kids.

Also, that line is stolen from Joss Whedon. He used it in an episode of Angel. :D

If you’re beaten, then graciously accept the defeat. The Dominion might be the nominally Evil side in the conflict, but they would not kill you all, that would be just totally economically unsound.


You mean like annihilating entire worlds with nuclear and biological weapons? Completely destroying those planets so they can never be lived on again and slaughtering the entire population? Yeah. Um. Economically unsound, but I don't think they care much.

It's a war of genocide, dude. The Dominion isn't about to offer any quarter to anyone.

Curiously, has the Dominion ever used anything similar against you? Not that it would make it somehow more right to retaliate in the same way, but just that after using it yourself the whole “we’re the Good side who has the moral high ground” thing kind of evaporates.


They have. I've made mention of it multiple times in previous Omega chapters, in quiz pieces, etc.

Here's an example: (I have a file with a timeline of events; this is one of the entries)

11 Alturiak, FY 2257 (Operation Ebony Horse; Saradush – Gemini Sector)
- As part of their resumption of hostilities against the Confederation, Dominion forces attack the Confederation planet of Saradush with biological weapons;
- Local defense forces attempt interception of the pandemic-laced warheads; ground-based fighter-craft scramble into space and safely neutralize several of the incoming weapons, but many still penetrate the planet’s atmosphere;
- Plague sweeps across the planet; the first wave of the assault results in 70% casualty figures;
- Hard-pressed in multiple theaters of operation, the limited Confederation military presence in the system is forced to fall back and allow another bombardment of the planet which effectively eliminates the entire planetary population

So, as you say, use of such weapons in response isn't exactly "right," but Confed didn't start that game, either. (At least that's what those responsible for authorizing the development of these bioweaps would argue.)

Don’t let Lynn kill your hope too, Immy…


Won't happen. Imoen's definitely one of those who sees hard situations like these and realizes you really only have two options: laugh or cry. She plans to laugh right up until the bitter end if it comes to that.

Well, responsibility is a heavy burden. Even the strongest of people can tire from carrying it all the time. Sometimes a little break can fix it, but sometimes you need a radical change.


Which is why she was thinking about a transfer, about voluntarily giving up the responsibilities she's taken on. But unfortunately, Falynn's not the type to shirk responsibility. And as sad as it may seem, she's more the type to push herself until she falls apart. Like we were discussing about paladins and such the other day, I see Falynn as one of those characters who, while technically not a paladin, has much of the same mentality. She has this job, these responsibilities, and she -has- to see them through, regardless of the cost to herself.

And yet, she's also unwilling to sacrifice anyone else for her cause, which means she feels she has to take on even -more- to get stuff done while still protecting her friends. It is very much a vicious and painful cycle, but I've always loved characters like that. (Shrug)

Now, am I going to be mean to her, pushing her to the breaking point, then push her over the edge? Well... you never know. :D

Oh, she’s understandably upset, but she probably can’t really imagine the burden of responsibility that Lynn has to carry daily.


In some ways she can, in some she can't. Imoen hasn't had much opportunity to be in command situations. She's had some. Enough to know that it's not something she wants to have to worry about every single day. But at the same time, she's got a lot of empathy. She can instinctively understand how people feel, especially someone like Falynn who she's been close to all her life. So while she may not understand the day to day experiences, she certainly understands how much it hurts someone like Lynn to have to risk the lives of her friends the way she does.

I hope that doesn’t happen, I would not want to end up hating Lynn.


See, I couldn't hate her for that. I really couldn't. If it were ever a situation where she knew, for a fact, that the deaths of her teammates, while regrettable, would save millions, billions of lives... she would likely do it. Obviously, she wouldn't -order- them to do it, per se. She'd ask for volunteers... but while the sacrifice would be so painful she'd never be able to forgive herself if she survived, she'd still do it.

And I couldn't hate her for it. But you and I just don't see eye to eye on this. Like when I posted that AU where the team got sent far behind enemy lines to assassinate a major figure in the Dominion religious caste. That act, though it cost all of the Omegas their lives, ended the war and saved countless human, elven, dwarven, etc. lives. Lynn and the team thought it was worth it, otherwise they never would have gone.

I respect that, even if it makes me sad. (Shrug)

True from the logical point of view, but I’m afraid deep down logic doesn’t come into it.


Right. And Immy realizes that, too. I see her as intelligent in terms of book-smarts, certainly. And even though her in-game WIS doesn't necessarily reflect it, I think she's the type who genuinely understands people, too. She can empathize with them, she can relate to them. And so she knows that emotion is going to override logic when it comes to something like this.

Hmm, that’s probably the right string to tug on. And I think Imoen is very much right here, almost surprising how Lynn didn’t look at the issue from this point of view.


Because while it seems perfectly obvious to Imoen that this is what Falynn is doing, Lynn herself has never questioned why she does what she does. She's just been fighting this war for so long, trying to keep her friends alive for so long, that now only the how matters. It doesn't occur to her that she could pass the job on to someone else or whatever. It's -her- job, always has been, always will be.

Nice way to get her motivation back, it certainly worked for me.


I think she's enough of a selfless person that one of her primary motivations for doing anything is to protect those she cares about. Ultimately, that's why she joined the military. To protect people. And Imoen letting her know just how much she's needed, and how much she'll be missed if she lives is, I think, the key. The right thread to pull, as you put it.

Yes, it’s not fair. I haven’t really seen much of a reason why Lynn would honestly believe that, but perhaps she might have felt like that at the very beginning of their relationship.


Sometimes that sort of thing just happens. In your head, you may know someone cares about you. You may know that they're looking out for you and they want the best for you. But when they seem to yell at you more often than anything else, when their words are always more criticism than praise, then it's easy for your heart to convince itself that they really don't care about you, and they're just plain disappointed in you.

Jaheira has never been the most diplomatic of people. And while she is extremely loyal and one of the best people you could ever hope to have watching your back, she isn't known for her subtlety or tact. She speaks her mind, she gets in your face about it, and even if it's because she wants you to succeed, the -way- she says it makes it seem like she wants you to fail.

So deep down, Lynn will always know that Jaheira cares for her and would never want anything bad to happen to her... but there'll still be a part of her that chafes at the criticism, wonders if she's doing something wrong, wonders if Vix really does trust her, etc.

For the most part, though, I don't think it harms their relationship, just adds a little bit of angst to it.

I imagine she is aware of her own character flaws and isn’t at all concerned if many people write her off as a nagging bitch with only one purpose to undermine others. Still, I can’t believe that Lynn’s attitude isn’t hurting her on some levels.


Of course it hurts. When two people genuinely love each other, but for whatever reasons, like conflicting personalities or ideas, they can't always be all sweetness and light with each other, both sides get hurt. And that's just a sad fact of life, unfortunately. It doesn't mean the two will never be happy, or that they'll never be able to appreciate the other's company. Certainly not. But maybe they'll never be perfectly comfortable with each other. They don't have to be. There's still a strong foundation for the relationship: the knowledge that no matter what, the other will have your back. Maybe there's always going to be some antagonism between the two, maybe... but at the end of the day, knowing the other guy/girl will back you up does more to strengthen a friendship/relationship than a lot of other things could do to ruin it.

With Lynn’s constant fears that one of them might die on a mission, I’m rather surprised that she hasn’t tried to clear the air in the matter.


Part of it is she can't. She's military, remember. They all are. Talking about your feelings isn't standard procedure for a reason. Do I think that people -should- talk about their feelings from time to time? Especially when things are tough? Of course I do. But it also does make you more vulnerable at times. The gang realizes this. They know they have to keep -some- things to themselves. It's not pleasant, but it's all part of the job, and I think they all know that.

As it is, they're already pushing things. Siblings would never be allowed to serve together in real life for exactly the kind of thing we've been seeing with Falynn and Imoen. And even close friends like Falynn and Jaheira might be pushing it.

So as silly as it might seem to you, a civilian, the members of Omega team -have- to just not talk about some things. (Shrug)

#5 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 25 August 2006 - 05:06 PM

Is that supposed to be a bad thing?


No. "Boo-yah!" is an expression of joy. :D You place the emphasis on the "Boo" so it's more like BOO-yah!

I've also seen/heard "Booyaka!" used. Same thing.

I happen to like that stuff


It has its place. But military sci-fi is... rarely the right place. :D

That's one way of putting it.


Indeed. And it is also the way that Imoen prefers putting it. :D

Heh.


She's military. She's a Special Operations trooper. They... usually don't have much in terms of flab. :D

Oy vey, rambling. Usually not a good sign.


I wouldn't call it rambling. She brings up some very good points. The war has been going very badly for the Confederation. All of those things she was saying are true. And when you're constantly being pushed back, when you haven't had any chance to hit back since you're always on the defensive... that's... not a good sign at all.

Ember: A slightly less polite way of putting it.


Harlequin: "I could have been polite, but if I had, it might have diulted the meaning of what I was trying to say. And I wanted to make sure my words were getting through that" (Knocks hard on the side of Falynn's head) "Thick. Skull. Of. Hers."

Raven: (Rubbing the side of her head) "Owwwwww..."

I can see how that would feel easier.


Raven: "It sounded like a good idea at the time." (Sighs) "The hardest part of this job was never the actual fighting, or the living out of a backpack for weeks at a time, it was... the idea that my little sister, or my close friend would have to die and that it would be me to have to tell them to go do it... I just... I wanted away from that... even if only for a little while."

Besides, if she's not around to order them into combat, someone else will have to. Someone who doesn't know them, their capabilities and their limits, as well as she does.


Bingo. There's certainly more than a little bit of hero-worship (Justfified or not) in Imoen's speech. But the logical part of her brain hasn't gone off to take a nap, either. That part of her brain knows that the best commander is the one who knows exactly what his/her people can do and how to get them to operate at their full potential.

The Omegas are a very talented group of individuals. Each of them has a pretty long list of useful skills, but a unit isn't just a bunch of people. It needs to be able to work together as one group, it needs to operate in such a way that it's almost like one person with lots and lots of skills. And not everyone can figure out how to get a group of very different individuals to operate in synch like that. Falynn can, and that's why the gang needs her.

If she has to order them to die, it'll be someone else ordering her to do that. It won't be all on her shoulders.


In theory, yes. She won't see it that way. And that's part of her own psychological hang-ups. She's a responsible person, but she's too willing to put blame on her shoulders, especially when other people have gotten hurt as a result. She may be given orders from her commanders, but ultimately, she would have passed those orders along. Since she's the unit commander, she is more directly responsible for what happens to those people than anyone else, including Keldorn or even anyone higher who hands orders down to them.

Aw.


Yes. They're cute. :D

I really hope Falynn feels better after this talk!


I think she will. Of course, that doesn't preclude the notion that something else could happen that'd make her feel horrible, again... :)

#6 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 25 August 2006 - 10:57 PM

If you’re beaten, then graciously accept the defeat. The Dominion might be the nominally Evil side in the conflict, but they would not kill you all, that would be just totally economically unsound.


You mean like annihilating entire worlds with nuclear and biological weapons? Completely destroying those planets so they can never be lived on again and slaughtering the entire population? Yeah. Um. Economically unsound, but I don't think they care much.


It's a war of genocide, dude. The Dominion isn't about to offer any quarter to anyone.


So they basically do Really Evil things not because it makes sense, but because it’s Just Really Evil. :) Well, I guess it keep the opponent’s morale down. Though you would sort of expect them to notice that their asses are being kicked anyway.

Curiously, has the Dominion ever used anything similar against you? Not that it would make it somehow more right to retaliate in the same way, but just that after using it yourself the whole “we’re the Good side who has the moral high ground” thing kind of evaporates.


They have. I've made mention of it multiple times in previous Omega chapters, in quiz pieces, etc.


Alright, I thought that could have been the case, so I didn’t assume that they hadn’t done it. But really, I can’t be asked to remember all the details! :D

I hope that doesn’t happen, I would not want to end up hating Lynn.


See, I couldn't hate her for that. I really couldn't. If it were ever a situation where she knew, for a fact, that the deaths of her teammates, while regrettable, would save millions, billions of lives... she would likely do it. Obviously, she wouldn't -order- them to do it, per se. She'd ask for volunteers... but while the sacrifice would be so painful she'd never be able to forgive herself if she survived, she'd still do it.


And I couldn't hate her for it. But you and I just don't see eye to eye on this. Like when I posted that AU where the team got sent far behind enemy lines to assassinate a major figure in the Dominion religious caste. That act, though it cost all of the Omegas their lives, ended the war and saved countless human, elven, dwarven, etc. lives. Lynn and the team thought it was worth it, otherwise they never would have gone.


Oh yes, absolutely. I didn’t like the idea behind that story, but as they say, to each their own. I think it’s the amount of pathos in these types of stories that does it for me - it’s a bit too much.

Not to mention that as an Evil person I consider the exchange of the lives of seven highly likable characters to millions of lives of nameless masses of average morons as highly inadequate. But that’s just my random Evil selfish thought of the day. :D

True from the logical point of view, but I’m afraid deep down logic doesn’t come into it.


Right. And Immy realizes that, too. I see her as intelligent in terms of book-smarts, certainly. And even though her in-game WIS doesn't necessarily reflect it, I think she's the type who genuinely understands people, too. She can empathize with them, she can relate to them.


I agree with that. But the way I see her, she would rarely stop and make the effort to try and understand other people. In case of one as close as Lynn, she obviously will, of course.

With Lynn’s constant fears that one of them might die on a mission, I’m rather surprised that she hasn’t tried to clear the air in the matter.


Part of it is she can't. She's military, remember. They all are. Talking about your feelings isn't standard procedure for a reason. Do I think that people -should- talk about their feelings from time to time? Especially when things are tough? Of course I do. But it also does make you more vulnerable at times. The gang realizes this. They know they have to keep -some- things to themselves. It's not pleasant, but it's all part of the job, and I think they all know that.


As it is, they're already pushing things. Siblings would never be allowed to serve together in real life for exactly the kind of thing we've been seeing with Falynn and Imoen. And even close friends like Falynn and Jaheira might be pushing it.


So as silly as it might seem to you, a civilian, the members of Omega team -have- to just not talk about some things. (Shrug)



I don’t actually remember seeing anything from Jaheira in this story that would lead any credence to Falynn’s nagging suspicion that Jaheira is out to get her and just waiting for that one final slip-up. I really can’t recall her being at all critical, so I’m questioning whether they actually have to ‘talk about their feelings’ as you put it, for Lynn to abandon her silly suspicions.

Meh. I don’t know. It’s just that you saying that it will never be resolved between the two, it brings me some level of dissatisfaction as a reader. I can see the logic behind your decision on it, but that doesn’t mean that I (have to) like it. :D

#7 Guest_Userunfriendly_*

Posted 26 August 2006 - 10:42 PM

the most interesting thing about this episode is an almost throwaway line you did at the end, alpha...

about how it seems that Fae almost needs Jaheira as someone who spends all her time critisizing...

could it be that Jaheira instinctively acts in a behavior that her friend wants? that she took on the role of perpetual nag, because her friend wants her to fit that role? I'd think that jaheira's real personality also is at least partially a factor, but think about your own real life friends...you almost want a friend to act in a way that you're familiar with...you expect party attitude from the "wild and crazy" guy, and you'd spend the most time talking about deep things with the insightful one...

my gut feeling almost tells me that fae needed someone who would always critisize, always poke holes in all the things she does...because fae needs someone to verbalize all the ways that things can screw up...good command decisions are those that have error checking, or fall backs in case things go to hell..jaheira, in a way is a to check out the murphy factor before actually committing to a course of action...verbalizing all the things that can go wrong. it makes for a better team, because everyone is really aware that the constant harping actually helps fae's command ability..despite how annoying it can be sometimes....

so how much do our friends become what we expect? and how much is our selection of who we decide to become friendly with, based on what our personality needs? interesting stuff...

and a darned good chapter. ;)

#8 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 27 August 2006 - 06:35 PM

So they basically do Really Evil things not because it makes sense, but because it’s Just Really Evil.


No, it's both.

When you don't think a planet has anything to offer you... either you don't need the resources, or maybe you don't -have- the resources necessary to exploit what's on the planet, or you simply don't want to have to deal with a bunch of rowdy humans, killing off the entire population is a pretty viable option. It destroys many of your potential enemies and it's relatively painless for your forces.

So it's evil, but in a sense, it's also practical.

Though you would sort of expect them to notice that their asses are being kicked anyway.


Who are you referring to with the "them" here? Confed is getting its butt whooped, no question. They already know it. They don't need to have entire planets wiped clean to have that notion reinforced. The Dominion is just doing it because it's expedient for them. And, yes, partially because the Dominion also just enjoys twisting the knife a little.

But really, I can’t be asked to remember all the details!


(Shrug)

Not to mention that as an Evil person I consider the exchange of the lives of seven highly likable characters to millions of lives of nameless masses of average morons as highly inadequate. But that’s just my random Evil selfish thought of the day.


(Shrug) I can't help it. If it comes down to, say, 10 for a million. You would choose the 10? Why? Why are those 10 any better than the other million? Because the other million are nameless, faceless "morons?" Granted, if it were me making the decision, I'd probably be selfless, too, I'm ashamed to admit. I don't think it'd be an easy choice, but I think I would want to save the ones I knew and cared about as opposed to a bunch of people I'd never met.

But I -know- that's selfish, and I don't like that about myself: the idea that I'd pick people I knew and save them just because I knew them and didn't know the rest. Those other people should be considered just as worthy of salvation, and so since you can't decide who lives and who dies based on the "quality" of that person, the only thing left you have to decide with is quantity. If everyone's life is worth an equal amount, whatever that amount might be, then you -have- to save as many as you can.

That's the way I look at it. If forced to make a decision that hard, could I do it? Probably not. But then again, I don't think I'm a particularly good person. (Shrug)

I agree with that. But the way I see her, she would rarely stop and make the effort to try and understand other people.


I see her as the exact opposite, actually. She seems like a very open and outgoing person, and she seems to genuinely care about people. With someone like that, it's hard for me to picture them not trying to make the effort to get to know somebody, especially somebody she's interacting with often.

Meh. I don’t know. It’s just that you saying that it will never be resolved between the two, it brings me some level of dissatisfaction as a reader.


(Shrug) It's something I feel is just a big part of their relationship. Will it -always- be that way? Maybe, maybe not. Not everything can end in sweetness and light. Sometimes, no matter how much people may care about each other, they're never totally, completely honest with each other. It may not be what people want to see, per se, but it does happen.

#9 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 27 August 2006 - 06:42 PM

could it be that Jaheira instinctively acts in a behavior that her friend wants? that she took on the role of perpetual nag, because her friend wants her to fit that role? I'd think that jaheira's real personality also is at least partially a factor, but think about your own real life friends...you almost want a friend to act in a way that you're familiar with...you expect party attitude from the "wild and crazy" guy, and you'd spend the most time talking about deep things with the insightful one...


Partly. Like you said, her normal personality is a factor. And a big one, I think. She really has a very no-nonsense type of personality, and while Falynn is capable of being serious, for the most part, she tries to keep a more upbeat attitude. And sometimes she resorts to being out and out silly in order to maintain that kind of attitude.

Given that, it's no surprise she and Jaheira are going to be at odds from time to time. Add to that the idea that Jaheira is just used to getting things done a certain way, and Falynn often doesn't do things in the same way.

So there's plenty of "real" reason why those two wouldn't always get along. Is it possible that Vix is kinda projecting a personality out there? It's a possibility, but I don't think that's really a big part of it, if only because Jaheira is too strong-willed to ever change who and what she is for another person, even someone she truly cares for, like Lynn.

If anything, it's just the fact that Falynn is used to getting criticism from Jaheira that she now often uses her as a sort of sounding board, much the same way she uses Imoen.

#10 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 28 August 2006 - 06:51 PM

1. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. New Omega chapter. Boo yah! :lol:


I do not believe it. I cannot.

Neat. O.

2. Lots of "relationship" (not romantic, I'm afraid) stuff in this, but it's important stuff.


Considering it's Immy and Falynn...

Ew?

4. This was a rough section for me to write, though, and I worry it got a bit too campy. We'll have to see, I suppose.


Works well. ;)

5. Have fun, everybody. Enjoy the ride.


Keep your arms, hands, feet, legs, swords, bows and demonic powers inside and enjoy the ride... :roll:

That made for some good news and some bad news. The good news was that the doors, despite their sturdy construction, weren’t, technically, a permanent obstacle. Given enough time, the team could circumvent the doors and get on with the rest of their lives. The bad news was that time was one of the things they had only in short supply.


Bran: "That's the deal with security doors. But then again, if they were easy to circumvent, they wouldn't be very useful."

Imoen and Jan had planted themselves in front of one of these such security doors, which was blocking their passage to the primary laboratory chambers. They were busying themselves searching for a way past it. One wasn’t immediately forthcoming.


This is where a good disruptor cannon can be useful, no?

Except that eating through that door would probably kill a lot of it's power.

The door had been specially constructed to resist, and even counter explosive blasts; it was unlikely that even a skilled demolitionist would be able to focus enough destructive power onto the door to disable it… not without lacing the thing with enough RDX (a.k.a. Cyclonite, a.k.a. Hexogen) to bring down the entire corridor as well. That meant that breaching the door would have to be done the slow way… and Jan was doing just that.


Imoen: "We can blow the door."

Falynn: "Good. What's the hold up."

Imoen: "Well, we'd be turned into meat paste by the blast, so I wasnted to run it past you first."

Omega Five, amongst his other “engineering” tools, carried an “Arc-fire” plasma torch, which, when properly utilized, emitted a “flame” capable of burning through even a foot-thick durasteel door. The catch was that the process, while guaranteed to work, eventually, was painfully slow – a fact that the team was becoming all too acquainted with. Jan had been at the job for the past quarter of an hour, Imoen working beside him to guide the furrow he was carving through the metal. In that time, however, they’d made little progress. Burning through to the door’s locking mechanism might take another fifteen, and that was far too long a time to just be sitting around waiting. It was going to put the whole team at a bit of a risk.


Bran: "Always a pain in the ass. You're much more vulnerable when you're stationary."

Imoen: "Well, unless you've got a ship battery handy... cutting has to work."

Bran: "I know. Just don't like it."

The rest of the squad had set up firing positions to cover the unit’s flanks while Omegas Two and Five worked. They hadn’t seen a trace of any enemies, and the sensor feeds they were receiving through their tac-headsets were still showing that the area was empty of everyone but them, but they’d still been sitting there for over fifteen minutes, and everyone was starting to get a little antsy.


Yeah. Never know when the neighbors will come and check out what all the ruckus is.

Falynn had the firing position closest to Imoen and Jan; the others were farther down the hallway. She had been keeping her eyes downrange, watching the otherwise empty corridor in the off-chance that some orcs might come barreling through at a moment’s notice. She heard Imoen’s question and responded to it. “I know, I know…” she said with a half-sigh. “But I don’t really have any better ideas. We can’t take that entire Dominion team out ourselves. Too many targets, not enough of us to cover ‘em all. We’d risk someone getting away.” She shrugged. “Besides, Command’s mobilizing all of First Battalion.” She smirked. “I’m thinking a thousand Confed Marines have about as much the same chance of getting the job done as we would.”


Bran: *grins* "Special Ops folks. The few, the proud, the absurdly cocky."

Valygar: "No sir, we're just that good."

Bran: "With enough bar room brawls to prove it."

Valygar: "You are just lucky Baby Doll didn't have a problem with you tussling with the troops."

Bran: "You ever seen her in a brawl? She said, if you'll fight on the field, you can fight in the bar with em."

Valygar: "A wise and evil woman."

Bran: "Yeah."

Her comment drew a few snickers and a mild rejoinder. “Feeling kinda cocky this afternoon, are we?”


She's got her Irish up. ;)

“Three things: It’s big, it’s made out of metal, and it’s here.”


Three definite problems. ;)

“Must mean there’s something really important on the other side that nobody wanted us to find. And, of course, it’s our job to go find it, anyway.” She sighed.


It's actually the complex's Edible Underwear factory. Considering troop morale to be a critical component for victory, the Office of Special Projects commissioned Project Happy Pants. Now Confederation troopers have the tasties of undies which should boost morale and serve as emergency rations. :)

“Say what, now?” She looked down. She was pretty sure she hadn’t, but she supposed it was possible that she’d been putting on the tiniest bit of flab around the hips, but-


Bran: "Even accomplished troopers can fall for that one."

Jaheira: "Is that a grey hair?"

Bran: "What? Where?"

“Oh, I’m talking about psychic pounds, Pumpkin. Something wrong? What’s with you?”


Cute. :)

Falynn held back a frustrated sigh, instead letting out something akin to an annoyed grunt. “Nothing. You know, aside from the fact that we’re stuck in some hole in the ground looking for a bunch of crap we may not find, and I’m not sure we’d want to keep even if we -did- find it. Oh, and did I forget about that whole mess with us being ordered to throw away something that might… just might, help us win this war?”


That would definitely be a few psychic pounds, yes.

Imoen dropped what she was doing (Jan took over the torch-work) and stared at her with an expression of clear disbelief. “Lynn… what… what are you saying? That you’re actually -glad- someone was researching this shit?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“All right, then enlighten me: what are you saying?”

Falynn shook her head and sighed tiredly. To be completely truthful about things, she herself wasn’t entirely sure what she meant to say. Her thoughts were jumbled… even more so than they usually were, and she was having a very difficult time sorting them all out. “I guess all I’m saying, Im, is that we’re in a bit of a jam. Confed’s been getting pushed back quite a lot over the past two years, you know. For every battle we’ve won, we’ve lost two. Active Naval forces are at an all time low. We’ve got fewer combat vessels on the front lines now than we’ve had at any other point in the war. Ship crews and infantry personnel are serving longer and longer tours, with shorter and shorter periods of downtime in between. New recruits are being shipped off to the front lines after only a couple of months of basic training. And look at us – we haven’t seen an offensive action in forever - we’ve been rotating from one defensive assignment to another since last Marpenoth. Now is it just me, or is the whole war effort unraveling before our eyes? That doesn’t seem like a bad sign to you?”


Translation: "We're getting our asses kicked seventeen ways from Sunday and we might, just might be able to take a little pressure off if we ignore the rules our enemy already is. Maybe turn the tide. Maybe lose ourselves."

Imoen turned away from her work, planted her hands on her hips, and glared laser bolts at her older sister. “No more than you acting like we’ve already lost.”


A solid shot from the sister. Probably needed.

“Look, I just mean that things are pretty bad… and getting worse. If it comes down to it, we may need this stuff to keep the Dominion from taking everything we’ve worked to build… and, incidentally, from killing all of us in the process. If it comes down to us or them, I choose us. No contest.”


Bran: *nods* "History shows that it's happened. It will happen. Because survival usually wins out against morals. The history of my Alliance shows that... its why we have the Burned Sectors. All sorts of hell was unleashed to save the Alliance. I wonder if it actually was..."

“That doesn’t mean it’s right, Lynn.”


Bran: "War isn't right."

Falynn gave a dejected shake of her head. “I don’t think there’s much ‘right’ about any part of this war, Imoen… at least… at least, not anymore.”


Bran: "It's a cage match. Survival time."

“Y’know, this kinda talk is not something I ever expected to hear outta you. I’ve never known you to be so pessimistic, Lynn… about anything.”

“Maybe I’m just being pragmatic,” came the sullen response.


Bran: "When a soldier says that, he's beaten. When a commander says that, people die. Murphy loves to visit those who give up. He gives them what they want. So Falynn? Time to ante up and kick in. People need you."

Imoen didn’t even bother to inject any tact into her response. “Or maybe you’re just being stupid. Hate to say it, Sis, but you’ve been doing that a lot lately… which begs the question: ‘Stupid’ ain’t a good look for you, so why have you been doing it?”


Love that line.

Falynn didn’t answer the question. “I’m putting in for a transfer,” she said instead.


And the bag is out of the cat. :)

Imoen was practically spitting with fury. “How can you be serious? You’re talking crazy! See, this goes back to that whole ‘You acting stupid’ thing I was talking about earlier.”


Imoen: "Gotta agree with Harly here. Crazy talk."

“What’s so crazy about it?” Falynn replied, indignantly. “Look… the war’s not going so great for us. That’s a fact, and pretending things are different doesn’t help anyone. Plus, I get this awful feeling that it’s all just going to get worse, and I’m getting tired of it. The worse the war gets, the worse it’s going to get for the seven of us. More missions, and more dangerous ones, too.”


Bran: *nods* "The drain, the stress. The knowledge. It can be a whole hell of a lot. And if you can't take it, and can live with giving it up, you should. But you're not that type Falynn."

The part that frightened Imoen the most was that Falynn just might have a point. Yes, it was buried underneath a mess of self-loathing, failing confidence levels, and out and out bad logic, but the tiny kernel of truth wrapped in the middle of it all… that was there… and it scared her. “We’ve always managed to scrape by, before,” she said, almost having to struggle to believe her own words.

“But it’s never been this bad, before,” Falynn said with a sad shake of her head. “And even if it has… like you said, we’re ‘scraping by.’ How long do you really expect our ‘good’ luck to hold out?”


She's starting to head for the bottom of the barrel. Confidence is down and its starting to eat her up.

Imoen rallied back, refusing to answer the question she considered as being only rhetorical in nature. “And how does this fit in with you calling it quits and leaving the rest of us behind?”


A good return, especially with that spin.

“I’m not going to desert the war effort, Imoen. You know me. Assuming the Confederation would even let me, there’s no way I could just sit on the sidelines and not do anything to try and help.” She shook her head. “I’m just going to be transferring to another unit. The only difference between there and here is that-“


The truth is revealed.

And suddenly, it all clicked into place. The motivations, the reasoning… what she was running from. Falynn hadn’t needed to finish her sentence; her point had already been made. Imoen’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You and I won’t be in the same squad, anymore.”


Which is why the military usually doesn't allow kin to serve with each other. Command decisions can get in the way of family ties... to disasterous results for all involved.

Imoen’s tone went cold, and it seemed as if every word was coming out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. “And you won’t be in a position where you have to order me, or Jaheira, or Minsc or whoever into combat. Just another grunt, huh? Taking orders… and no responsibility for anyone but yourself, is that it?”

“Yeah…”


*nods* I can understand that... the weight of that responsibility could be soul crushing.

“You’re a coward, Lynn.” Imoen’s anger had been faint at first, a vague underpinning lurking in the metaphorical shadows behind her words. It built up with alarming speed, and she made no attempts to hide it.


Them there is fighting words.

“Because, Lynn, you can’t just walk up to someone one day and say ‘Hey, you know this group I’ve been a part of for like four years? It’s not really working out for me, so I’m taking off. I’ll see you later.’ We’ve been through too much together for you to just walk away like that, so I’m not going to let you.”


That's our Immy. :D

“Don’t ‘Imoen’ me, Falynn,” she said, practically snarling as she over-enunciated the syllables of her older sister’s full name – something she usually only did when she was extremely angry. “You remember what we did last month? And two months before that? You remember what we’re doing here, right now? We’re saving the world – again. You don’t think that has any value? Well, think again. It sucks, Lynn – big time – but this war isn’t ending any time soon. It’s gonna keep going… with or without you. Now nobody can question your service; no one can question your commitment to making things better… and if you wanted to quit, to move on, because you thought you’d already done your fair share, then fine. I think a lot of people would go to bat for you… hell, they might even throw you a parade. I know I would.”

Imoen shook her head, her expression having gone through a sudden change from angry to troubled. She almost looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Her voice had dropped to an impassioned whisper. “But if you’re quitting because it’s easier than continuing the fight, then you are not the hero I’ve always thought you were.” Her voice trailed off for a brief moment before strengthening yet again. “The Confederation needs this team,” she said with utter conviction, “and this team needs you, Lynn.”


Great speech. :D

“That’s just it, Im. I’m not a hero… I… I never was… and I don’t think you understand how difficult it is…” Falynn protested feebly. “How hard it is to have to do this to all of you… send you out on missions… wonder if you’ll be coming home alive. And what happens when I have to send you to do something that I -know- will get you killed? What happens when I have to order you to your deaths? I used to think I could handle that, but… it… it’s too hard, now…”


Bran: *grim faced* "That's the price. That's the price to take the top slot. To sit in the Captain's chair. That knowledge that you could send your friends, your people to their deaths. The even worse knowledge is that you know you could have chances to save them, but duty demands that toll. I've paid it... and it hurts. And it keeps hurting. And you're in that slot now Falynn... and you can't just back out."

“It -is- hard… but it’s not too hard. I know you worry about us. That’s who you are, Lynn, you’re a worrier… and all this BS about how we’re all adults and how we all make our own decisions, even those that’ll get us killed… I know that doesn’t mean a damned thing to someone like you. But for the rest of us, it -does- mean something. None of us hold you responsible for what could or couldn’t happen; none of us would hold you responsible if you had to make the choice between our lives and the lives of thousands or maybe even millions of innocents, and you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible, either.”

She frowned, looking her older sibling straight in the eye without flinching. “But you do. That’s a fact; that’s just how things are right now. You’re responsible for all of us because you’ve declared yourself responsible, and right now, nothing I say is going to change your mind. I can accept that. You worry about us, and you always will. That’ll never change. But I know you, and I know that you could never trust anyone other than yourself with the responsibility for keeping us alive. Even if we went home right now, and you marched right up to Keldorn’s desk and said ‘Colonel, I can’t do this, anymore. I’m out.’ Even if you did that, and you got your transfer, that wouldn’t be the end of it. You would agonize over what was happening to us. It would keep you up at night. Because while you might, in a fit of self-loathing, wonder if someone else could do your job better than you could, you would never, for a moment, accept the idea of someone else holding that responsibility. For all the good that could come, for all the bad that could come, you’ve claimed that responsibility as yours; I can’t ever see you giving it up.”

Imoen paused for a moment, but then continued before Falynn could respond. “Lynn, you need to understand something. We’re all here because we all have something to contribute. We all have our strengths; none of us have yours.” She reached out and tapped a finger against her sister’s forehead. “this is what separates you from the rest of us… this is what makes you different. Something needs to get done – maybe the rest of us could figure out the where and the when… but you… you figure out the how, and, maybe more importantly, the why. I can’t do that. Jaheira can’t. Minsc can’t. Jan definitely can’t. That’s always been up to you… and every single one of us, yourself included, knows it. So don’t try to tell me otherwise.” She looked Falynn in the eye and stared hard. “We need you; you know we need you. You’re not going anywhere.”


Bran: "The pipsqueak's got it right there, Falynn. No one else can do that job. It might suck, but there are things worth fighting for. Just keep your head down." *grins*

But more than that, she found herself even more astonished at just how… loyal her younger sibling was to her. It didn’t matter how much she doubted herself, it didn’t matter how much she questioned her own decisions, or even how many close calls they’d had over the years – Imoen had never judged her, never blamed her… she had always stuck by her, and had always supported her. Falynn loved her for that, and yet it frightened her, too… because she was never sure she could live up to those expectations, to be that hero she apparently was in the other woman’s eyes. Falynn never liked to fail at anything, but failing at this was one of the worst things she could ever imagine happening. She couldn’t let that happen. Wouldn’t.


Bran: "Failure is not an option."

“You are such an idiot,” Imoen said, the harsh words belying the gentleness of her voice. She stood up on her tiptoes, planting a quick kiss on the other’s forehead.

It was a hard thing when someone told you they loved you, and you didn’t feel like you deserved it. Falynn swallowed, fighting past a lump in her throat. “Love you, too.”


Great section... absolutely fantastic. :D

“No, but it’s better. Maybe it’s not a lot better, but it’s better.” Imoen sighed. “I don’t know, Jaheira. Sometimes… sometimes it’s like Lynn absolutely refuses to acknowledge that she’s good at what she does… like she can’t let herself believe that it’s not just dumb luck that we’ve been at this for so long and haven’t gotten ourselves killed. I try to tell her I have faith in her-”


Some people are driven by that... the feeling that they can always do better, that there was always something that could have saved more lives. Eventually the come to grips with it or it kills them. One way or another.

The Tethyrian frowned, sadly. “And all that does is make her think that trust is unjustified.”


That self doubt it perhaps the most crippling part...

“I know, but it’s more than that. She acts as if… like your only purpose in life is to yell at her for any mistakes she might ever make. Even the tiniest slip, and you’d be all over her. I know that’s not what you’re trying to do. I know you’re just looking out for us, and it just bothers me how she sometimes acts as if you’re not… as if you think she can’t be trusted. But you do trust her… don’t you?”


A greater part of the relationship revealed.

“I suppose I do at that.”


That's our Jah. ;)

“So how come you know that, I know that, and she doesn’t? Or at the very least, she won’t accept it.”

A small, sad smile formed across the half-elf’s face, as if the question were one she asked herself all the time. And the answer she gave her younger friend was the same answer it had taken her a long time to come up with. She could never be sure of course, but she felt, deep down, that she’d stumbled across the truth of the matter. “Because, Imoen, it is easier to put me in the bad light. Hating yourself constantly is a painful thing… too painful even for someone like Falynn. Instead of blaming yourself for all the shortcomings you see in yourself, it’s easier to act as if someone else is passing judgment on you. I just happened to be the rather obvious choice for that role.”


That makes a lot of sense. The two care for each other, but each plays a role, much like UU said. It's a dynamic, and it balances. The XO balances the CO's frailities and flaws, allowing them to succeed.

The younger of the two Llyr sisters looked up, eyes slightly wide in surprise and confusion. “But… that’s not right.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

”Then why do you put up with it?”

Another sad smile. “For the same reason you do, Imoen: she is my friend, and I care for her, same as you.”

“I wish she knew how you felt. It might help.”

“She does. After all we have been through, I honestly don’t see how she could not. Whether she allows herself to admit it, however… that is an entirely different story. But I trust her… I trust her with my life… and I trust that, on some level, she truly knows how we all feel.”

Imoen nodded. “That’s comforting, I guess.”

“I like to think so.”


Great cap to the piece.

Some damn fine work Alpha. Damn fine. ;)

VH

#11 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 29 August 2006 - 07:46 PM

I do not believe it. I cannot.


I know, I know... it's like a miracle.

Considering it's Immy and Falynn...

Ew?


Could be worse: Could be Coll/Clara. :lol:

Imoen: "We can blow the door."

Falynn: "Good. What's the hold up."

Imoen: "Well, we'd be turned into meat paste by the blast, so I wasnted to run it past you first."


Mmmmm. Meat paste... :D

Bran: *grins* "Special Ops folks. The few, the proud, the absurdly cocky."

Valygar: "No sir, we're just that good."


Raven: "Yes. Yes, we are." :D

It's actually the complex's Edible Underwear factory. Considering troop morale to be a critical component for victory, the Office of Special Projects commissioned Project Happy Pants. Now Confederation troopers have the tasties of undies which should boost morale and serve as emergency rations.


Harlequin: "Ok, no. You know how in the movies they always say 'If I'm gonna die, anyway, you have my permission to eat me...' well, I don't want anyone cutting up my dead body for food. But you know what's weird? The idea of someone eating my underwear for food after I'm dead is even creepier. It just completely skeeves me out."

Bran: "Even accomplished troopers can fall for that one."

Jaheira: "Is that a grey hair?"

Bran: "What? Where?"


Oh, no, a wrinkle!

Oh, no, a gray hair!

Oh, no, a wrinkled, gray hair!

Translation: "We're getting our asses kicked seventeen ways from Sunday and we might, just might be able to take a little pressure off if we ignore the rules our enemy already is. Maybe turn the tide. Maybe lose ourselves."


Raven: "Maybe. I don't know, but I might be able to live with that. I haven't figured it out yet."

Ever see the episode of DS9 where Ben tries to bluff a Romulan senator in an attempt to convince him the Dominion is planning on attacking Romulus? That is some damn, fine television. That's the kind of difficult moral decision that people agonize over, and it's just... really intense to watch. Intense in a good way. I was trying to do something similar.

Bran: *nods* "History shows that it's happened. It will happen. Because survival usually wins out against morals. The history of my Alliance shows that... its why we have the Burned Sectors. All sorts of hell was unleashed to save the Alliance. I wonder if it actually was..."


Of course. It's a tricky thing. And it's not like you can just have some sort of hard and fast line - this far, and if you have to go further to "save" everyone, it's not worth it. Doesn't work that way, unfortunately.

Love that line.


Immy gets all the good lines. ;)

Which is why the military usually doesn't allow kin to serve with each other. Command decisions can get in the way of family ties... to disasterous results for all involved.


Pretty much. But it wouldn't be nearly as interesting a story without Harlequin, so... there goes "realism." :P

That's our Immy.


Ya gotta love her. :P

Great speech.


Yep. The writers of the Justice League: Unlimited cartoon are pretty good. :)

Bran: *grim faced* "That's the price. That's the price to take the top slot. To sit in the Captain's chair. That knowledge that you could send your friends, your people to their deaths. The even worse knowledge is that you know you could have chances to save them, but duty demands that toll. I've paid it... and it hurts. And it keeps hurting. And you're in that slot now Falynn... and you can't just back out."


Raven: (Sighs) "I know. That's the worst part. I asked for this job, because... because I thought I could handle it and I guess I thought nobody else could. And now I'm stuck with it. I can't leave. I'm in too deep now." (Massages her temples with her fingertips) "At times I wonder if I made the right call... there've been moments when it was good that I was there... and moments when I wish I could've been anywhere else..."

Great section... absolutely fantastic.


:P I'm glad you think so. The relationship between the sisters is one of the most fun parts of writing Omega stuff for me.

That makes a lot of sense. The two care for each other, but each plays a role, much like UU said. It's a dynamic, and it balances. The XO balances the CO's frailities and flaws, allowing them to succeed.


Right. Like Imoen said, they all have a role to play. Some are obvious, like how Nalia's the comm tech, Jan is the electronics wiz, Jaheira's the medic, Minsc is heavy weaps... others are less obvious. Falynn is the brains of the outfit, but Imoen is probably it's heart. Jaheira is its conscience. Stuff like that.

#12 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 02 September 2006 - 12:31 AM

2. Lots of "relationship" (not romantic, I'm afraid) stuff in this, but it's important stuff.


Booooo! As a man, I demand explosions and bikini clad amazons operating heavy machinery. None of this girly relationship fluff.

Plot? Character development? That's for girls too.

That made for some good news and some bad news. The good news was that the doors, despite their sturdy construction, weren’t, technically, a permanent obstacle. Given enough time, the team could circumvent the doors and get on with the rest of their lives. The bad news was that time was one of the things they had only in short supply.


Imoen: So, another typical day in the office.

Omega Five, amongst his other “engineering” tools, carried an “Arc-fire” plasma torch, which, when properly utilized, emitted a “flame” capable of burning through even a foot-thick durasteel door. The catch was that the process, while guaranteed to work, eventually, was painfully slow – a fact that the team was becoming all too acquainted with. Jan had been at the job for the past quarter of an hour, Imoen working beside him to guide the furrow he was carving through the metal. In that time, however, they’d made little progress. Burning through to the door’s locking mechanism might take another fifteen, and that was far too long a time to just be sitting around waiting. It was going to put the whole team at a bit of a risk.


Imoen: These are the times when you need your morale officer to keep spirits up.

Tarant: Oh god...

Imoen: Now, I say we all mention three things that make us happy.

Tarant: Imoen... shuts up... now.

Imoen: No, I mean things like cookies, puppies and the theme tune from CBS News.

Tarant: What?

Imoen: It's good... the news comes on and the tune is like 'you're about to be licked by puppies...'

Tarant: Somebody shoot me now... I can't go on...

Imoen took the plasma torch from Jan and dialed the flame down a bit, narrowing it and focusing the torch’s energy output a little more efficiently. Sparks leapt from the door and bounced along the metal plating of the deck below her feet. More sparks flitted towards her face, skipping off her helmet’s shield. She called out over her shoulder. “So lemme get this straight: we’re just going to let the Marines clean up our mess for us?”


That never works. Haven't you ever seen Aliens?

“No more so than usual. What’s taking so long with this door?”

“Three things: It’s big, it’s made out of metal, and it’s here.”

“Oh.”


Well, they tried making doors out of soggy biscuits but it just didn't work.

“Say what, now?” She looked down. She was pretty sure she hadn’t, but she supposed it was possible that she’d been putting on the tiniest bit of flab around the hips, but-


Aerie: N-Nalia said I'd filled out...

Tarant: Yes. Another couple of pounds and people may start to notice you.

Falynn shook her head and sighed tiredly. To be completely truthful about things, she herself wasn’t entirely sure what she meant to say. Her thoughts were jumbled… even more so than they usually were, and she was having a very difficult time sorting them all out. “I guess all I’m saying, Im, is that we’re in a bit of a jam. Confed’s been getting pushed back quite a lot over the past two years, you know. For every battle we’ve won, we’ve lost two. Active Naval forces are at an all time low. We’ve got fewer combat vessels on the front lines now than we’ve had at any other point in the war. Ship crews and infantry personnel are serving longer and longer tours, with shorter and shorter periods of downtime in between. New recruits are being shipped off to the front lines after only a couple of months of basic training. And look at us – we haven’t seen an offensive action in forever - we’ve been rotating from one defensive assignment to another since last Marpenoth. Now is it just me, or is the whole war effort unraveling before our eyes? That doesn’t seem like a bad sign to you?”


Edwin: What... what is this talk? Did Churchill give up? Did Boadicea?

Aerie: Um... Boadicea lost...

Edwin: Be quiet girl, what could you possibly know about history?

Imoen: She's right.

Edwin: Foolish British, making a failure one of their heroes. No wonder they haven't an empire any more... Anyway, I want no running away. At least not before I get to see someone's brain sucked out of their heads.

“That’s just it, Im. I’m not a hero… I… I never was… and I don’t think you understand how difficult it is…” Falynn protested feebly. “How hard it is to have to do this to all of you… send you out on missions… wonder if you’ll be coming home alive. And what happens when I have to send you to do something that I -know- will get you killed? What happens when I have to order you to your deaths? I used to think I could handle that, but… it… it’s too hard, now…”


I'm reminded of that Star Trek when Troi was taking the officers exam and couldn't pass until she realised the only way to save the entire ship was ordering Geordie to his death... still don't think she should have a seat on the bridge though.

“You are such an idiot,” Imoen said, the harsh words belying the gentleness of her voice. She stood up on her tiptoes, planting a quick kiss on the other’s forehead.

It was a hard thing when someone told you they loved you, and you didn’t feel like you deserved it. Falynn swallowed, fighting past a lump in her throat. “Love you, too.”


(sniff) girly emotional tripe (sobs) I'm not moved by it at all.

“I wish she knew how you felt. It might help.”

“She does. After all we have been through, I honestly don’t see how she could not. Whether she allows herself to admit it, however… that is an entirely different story. But I trust her… I trust her with my life… and I trust that, on some level, she truly knows how we all feel.”

Imoen nodded. “That’s comforting, I guess.”

“I like to think so.”


Bah... more girly tripe... yet cannot look away... if I could just reach... my ... utility belt...

Anyway, seriously I don't mind relationship stuff and I thought this was well done. So long as something blows up later.

#13 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 02 September 2006 - 06:26 PM

Booooo! As a man, I demand explosions and bikini clad amazons operating heavy machinery. None of this girly relationship fluff.


Well, I don't know about bikini-clad, but VH's Urban Dead series has Amazons in it... well, one Amazon, anyway. :?

Plot? Character development? That's for girls too.


Well, I guess I'm a girl, then. 8)

:)

Imoen: So, another typical day in the office.


Raven: (Shrugs) "Pretty much."

Imoen: No, I mean things like cookies, puppies and the theme tune from CBS News.

Tarant: What?

Imoen: It's good... the news comes on and the tune is like 'you're about to be licked by puppies...'

Tarant: Somebody shoot me now... I can't go on...


/me is now desperately trying to remember what that sounds like.

I'm drawing a blank. I haven't watched CBS in... well... forever.

That never works. Haven't you ever seen Aliens?


Harlequin: "Except our Marines would be fighting orcs, not like... creepy aliens that burst out of people's chests and have acid blood. Plus, our guys aren't movie Marines, so they're... a little less expendable..."

Aerie: N-Nalia said I'd filled out...

Tarant: Yes. Another couple of pounds and people may start to notice you.


CN: "Yeah, there's thin, there's anorexic-thin, then there's... Aerie..."

I'm reminded of that Star Trek when Troi was taking the officers exam and couldn't pass until she realised the only way to save the entire ship was ordering Geordie to his death... still don't think she should have a seat on the bridge though.


I never did like that episode... I thought it was kinda crappy. And yeah, I agree... she's no command officer. Bah. But then again, I was never a big fan of her character in general.

(sniff) girly emotional tripe (sobs) I'm not moved by it at all.


(Pats)

Bah... more girly tripe... yet cannot look away... if I could just reach... my ... utility belt...


No toonking people with Batarangs, please. Those hurt. 8)

So long as something blows up later.


I think that's a given.

#14 Weyoun

Posted 02 September 2006 - 11:11 PM

1. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. New Omega chapter. Boo yah! ;)


TEMPEST! 8)

The door had been specially constructed to resist, and even counter explosive blasts; it was unlikely that even a skilled demolitionist would be able to focus enough destructive power onto the door to disable it… not without lacing the thing with enough RDX (a.k.a. Cyclonite, a.k.a. Hexogen) to bring down the entire corridor as well. That meant that breaching the door would have to be done the slow way… and Jan was doing just that.


In a game, there'd always be a conveniently placed airduct next to the impassible door... or a button somewhere. :)

“Three things: It’s big, it’s made out of metal, and it’s here.”


Open it Mythbusters style! 8)

Falynn gave a dejected shake of her head. “I don’t think there’s much ‘right’ about any part of this war, Imoen… at least… at least, not anymore.”


What, can't find the WMD's in this war either? :?

Imoen rallied back, refusing to answer the question she considered as being only rhetorical in nature. “And how does this fit in with you calling it quits and leaving the rest of us behind?”


Wars run on luck, mostly, though. Good or bad.

“Because, Lynn, you can’t just walk up to someone one day and say ‘Hey, you know this group I’ve been a part of for like four years? It’s not really working out for me, so I’m taking off. I’ll see you later.’ We’ve been through too much together for you to just walk away like that, so I’m not going to let you.”


Laska : Yeah, coward!

Vierna : Yellow chicken!

Aribeth : Daughter of a silly person!

Weyoun : Ahum, don't rub it in, gals.

Neither of them said anything for the next few seconds – Imoen because she felt she’d made her point, and Falynn because she simply didn’t know what to say. Imoen was… probably right, and it was Falynn’s mistake for having underestimated her yet again. People were always underestimating Imoen; Falynn should have known better, and yet she’d once again fallen into the same trap. Despite how close they were, despite how long they’d known each other, even Falynn was sometimes surprised at how her younger sister just seemed to instinctively be able to grasp a situation, take it apart, and find what needed to be fixed.


Now we see what impassible metal doors are good for, hm?

Another sad smile. “For the same reason you do, Imoen: she is my friend, and I care for her, same as you.”


“I wish she knew how you felt. It might help.”


“She does. After all we have been through, I honestly don’t see how she could not. Whether she allows herself to admit it, however… that is an entirely different story. But I trust her… I trust her with my life… and I trust that, on some level, she truly knows how we all feel.”


Imoen nodded. “That’s comforting, I guess.”


“I like to think so.”


Well, at least that's sorted out somewhat. :roll: Nice chapter.
TnT Enhanced Edition: http://www.fanfictio...rds-and-Tempers

---
Sith Warrior - Master, I can sense your anger.

Darth Baras - A blind, comotose lobotomy-patient could sense my anger!

---

"The New Age? It's just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds" - James Randi

#15 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 02 September 2006 - 11:46 PM

TEMPEST!


Maybe later. She and the rest of her team are somewhere outside this deathtrap mountain complex. 8)

In a game, there'd always be a conveniently placed airduct next to the impassible door... or a button somewhere.


That would be too easy. 8)

Open it Mythbusters style!


So, I guess that means Jaheira is Jaime, Imoen is Adam, Falynn is Kari, Valygar is Tory, and Jan is Grant? :?

Well, at least that's sorted out somewhat.


A little. :)




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