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Omegas 52: Political Debate


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#1 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 03 August 2007 - 04:22 AM

Notemeal:

1. Is it possible? Can it be? More Omegas? Yes! Your eyes do not deceive you!

2. For crying out loud, the last one was posted in March. I had to put up -something- to let y'all know I's not ded 'n stuff.

3. So, yeah, other than the fact that it's been an eternity since I put up an Omega chapter, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy. Or try to. If you still remember what the hell's happening in this piece. :twisted:

-----

“Damn it. Stupid bastards. Stupid, arrogant bastards.” In her gloved hand, Falynn held a cylindrical shaped canister, constructed of lightweight metal and perhaps about two feet in length. A large, yellow warning label with a biohazard symbol emblazoned on it stretched across the canister’s middle. She placed the canister back in its holding crate… next to the hundreds of others that were stacked there, as well.

Seeing the research documents was one thing. Reviewing the research notes the scientists kept on their projects was much the same… but seeing hundreds upon hundreds of actual deployable weapons – that was something else entirely. Jaheira’s mouth tightened into an angry snarl – one that was clearly visible even through the faceplate of her hazard suit’s helmet. “Why would the Confederation sanction the development of such weapons?”

Imoen sighed over her comlink. “I don’t think they did, Jaheira. They might not have even known about it.”

“I find that hard to believe, Lieutenant,” Nalia said, cutting in over the squad-wide communications channel. “A facility this big needs a lot of funding, a lot of logistical support. You can’t just hide the expenditures of a base this size on a single line in the Confederation R&D budget.”

“Why not?” asked Imoen. “If whoever’s responsible for this had friends high-up enough, they might be able to slip that much money through the cracks. Confed’s trying to fight a war, Nalia, and they went into deficit spending a couple of years back. I get the feeling they’re not looking too hard at balancing their books.”

Nalia’s face quirked into a skeptical frown at that. “No offense, but don’t you think that’s a little naïve?”

“No more naïve than assuming that the Confederation civilian government is in a position to monitor every single thing that happens under its auspices, Ensign.” Valygar commented.

“Not the time to be debating politics, kids,” Falynn chimed in, trying almost desperately to keep her unit focused on more immediate concerns.

“I would disagree with you, Falynn.”

Raven smirked. Her expression came across as weary, but not angry. “You and me disagreeing, Jaheira? Say it isn’t so.” She managed a small smile, hoping to make it clear that she was only teasing her older friend.

Jaheira responded with a small smirk of her own, having not taken offense. “Falynn, the implications of this are… disturbing. You do realize that.”

Falynn certainly did. She nodded sadly. “I know. Guys, look… I’m gonna lay this all out, all right? And I want you to really listen to me. So let me say my piece and then you can talk. Cool?”

The other six members of Omega Squad gave her affirming nods.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. This looks bad. We’ve found incontrovertible evidence that the Confederation has been developing illegal weaponry. You can’t deny that’s what this stuff is. But that being said, let me also say this: folks, there is exactly one thing that stands between the Dominion and our homeworlds – and that is the Confederation. And for good or for ill, it’s united a whole bunch of races under one common goal: survival. Now I’m not saying that excuses…” She pointed at the weapons canisters, “this… but without Confed, think of what kind of mess we’d all be in right now. Do you really think the Elven Alliance on its own could have held back that advance into Gemini Sector two years ago? And what about when those three Consuls of the Dwarven Combine were assassinated a while back? Without Confed, those two governments might have toppled, and if they had, the Dominion would probably be walking on Toril right now. I’m not saying they’re right, and I’m not saying that we should just let whoever’s responsible for this off the hook, but we -need- the Confederation.” She was silent just long enough for everyone to assume she was finished.

“I’m not arguing that, Major,” said Nalia with a weary sigh. Though she considered herself an idealist at heart, she also liked to think she wasn’t stupid and naïve enough to go around dismissing practical concerns out of hand. “But I do have to wonder about serving a government that would lie to its people… would go behind its backs, breaking treaties and building stuff like… like this.”

“For all we know, Ensign, this is a BlackOps project, without official government knowledge or backing.”

“Respectfully, Major. Seriously. Do you really believe that?”

Falynn couldn’t lie to herself, and she wasn’t about to lie to the rest of them, either. She truly wasn’t sure what she believed, and she felt they needed to hear that – right from her own mouth. “Honestly, I don’t know. No offense, Cipher, but I hope you’re wrong. Like I said, Confed’s all we’ve got… and if it’s compromised, then we’re in deeper trouble than we all thought. Maybe it’s stupid… maybe… but I have to believe that the people in charge, the real people who run this government, aren’t complicit in this… because if they are, we -are- screwed, good and proper.”

The Naval officer nodded in agreement. “Well, for what it’s worth, I hope I’m wrong, too.” She chuckled softly. “If only because my father would be pretty annoyed if he found out that someone in Confed’s higher ranks thought this was a good idea.”

“What do the rest of you think?”

The “rest” in question traded glances amongst themselves, as if not sure who should speak first, or even what they should say when it was their turn.

Most of them figured it would be Imoen who spoke up first, and she didn’t disappoint. “I don’t want to believe Confed could do this,” she said. “What I do want to believe is that some people, maybe even some people high-up, as scary as that might be, thought they needed to do this, and thought they could get away with it. I want to believe that the people who could do this sort of thing are in the minority… and most importantly, I want to believe that we can stop them… and that no matter how bad things with the Dominion get, we won’t ever need their kind of help.”

Jaheira nodded her head. “Agreed. As you said, Falynn, if the government has been compromised as deeply as what we’ve found here suggests, then we have much to be concerned about. But if these crimes have been perpetrated by rogue elements within the Confederation, then perhaps Confed itself can still be saved. I pray that is the case. Our peoples stand little chance of survival without the unifying force and direction provided by the Confederation.”

Falynn nodded. “Minsc? Boo?”

Minsc shook his head. “Ohhh… this chicanery is making Minsc’s head spin.” From atop his shoulder, Boo merely shrugged. It… wasn’t exactly clear how hamsters -could- shrug, but Boo had had plenty of time to ponder those kinds of riddles… and certainly plenty of time (and, don’t forget processor cycles) to construct effective solutions to them.

“Duly noted, big guy,” said Raven, trying to find some manner of humor in the situation, and not meeting with much success. “How about you, Jan?”

“Well-“

“In ten words or less!” Falynn hastened to interject.

Jan closed his mouth, opened it, then closed it again. “I think we’re buggered. But you’re the boss.” He grinned, and held up two fingers in a “V” shape. “Two words to spare!”

“Actually, not really,” said Harlequin, with a shrug. She began ticking off points on her fingers, as if to help herself straighten her thoughts. “‘We’re’ and ‘You’re’ should probably count as two words each. Which means you used exactly ten.”

The gnome stroked his beard (or rather, would have, if he could have reached it through his helmet) and looked thoughtful for several seconds before finally speaking up. “Well, that is an interesting point you raise, my dear… since contractions are a way of shortening two words, should they be considered one word, or two? Does the number of syllables actually spoken have any bearing on the matter whatsoever? This will require a good bit of thought, oh yes, indeed. Why, it’s positively a conundrum. It’s like my fifth cousin from a fourth marriage thrice removed used to say…”

Falynn was tempted to slap a hand across her forehead and just drag it down her face. She would have done exactly that were it not for the clunky helmet she was wearing over her head. Instead, she merely groaned into her comlink. “Immy! Couldn’t leave well enough alone!”

Imoen looked just a tiny bit shamefaced as her older sister chided her. “Sorry.”

Completely ignoring Jan’s rambling (which was standard operating procedure,) the impromptu poll moved on to the two newest members of Omega Squad. Both the Army ranger and the junior Navy officer were looking thoughtful.

“Spectre? Cipher?” Falynn asked, breaking into their thoughts.

Valygar took a breath and let it out slowly. “I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but I think I agree with the gnome. Though not about the turnip-lime pie.”

Nalia smirked wryly. “Well, it’s been clearly established I’m a member of the radical left and I shower in rampant conspiracy theories.” She shrugged. “But I’d very much like someone to prove me wrong.”

Everyone had had a chance to voice their opinions, but few seemed to understand what purpose their speaking out had actually served. Imoen watched her older sibling’s face, searching for the slightest hint of intent, but finding nothing. Her lack of success in reading Falynn distressed her. The two sisters were normally open books to each other. “Where are you going with this, Lynn?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Falynn said with a sigh, realizing that her loyalties were more divided than she really felt comfortable with.

She was not naïve. She knew that people had flaws and that any government, no matter what the intent behind its formation, was flawed, as well. The simple fact that governments were formed by imperfect groups of people meant that the organizations themselves were imperfect. And yet, the Confederation had stood for so long, and been such a… presence in the lives of its citizens for time almost immemorial. For those reasons alone, she was almost… desperate… to reassure her squadmates that Confed was worth saving. “I wish I could simply tell you guys that Confed knows what it’s doing… reassure you that we’re not out here fighting for a corrupt government. I’m sure that’d make things a whole lot easier,” she told them, and indeed, her words were met with several affirming nods.

“But I can’t make that kind of a promise, and I won’t blow sunshine up your asses, either. This is how things are. They’re… fluid,” she said, wincing at the vague term. “We don’t know exactly what the hell is going on… yet… so I guess what I’m asking is for you all to reserve judgment for now. Stick to the mission. We’ll dig deeper, see what we can see, find whatever we can find. And if it looks like some of us are right and this was all just the doing of a handful of bad apples, then great. Those bastards will get theirs eventually, and we might even get the chance to help with the clean-up. Either that, or… well, if it looks like Confed really is trying to screw us all in the ear, then we’ll deal with that if… or… when… it comes. Ok?”

Imoen reached out, putting a gentle, reassuring hand on Falynn’s forearm. “Look. Politics are one thing. I’m not saying they’re not important, but you’re right that we have to look at the smaller picture for the time being. We’ve still got a job to do, and we’ll do it. You’re still in charge, and we still trust you. Or, at least… I do…” The corner of her mouth rose into a wry smirk. “But you knew that, already.”

Ever the non-com, Valygar nodded in agreement. “You lead, Major. We’ll follow.”

#2 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 03 August 2007 - 02:32 PM

1. Is it possible? Can it be? More Omegas? Yes! Your eyes do not deceive you!


*peers about* Hmm. Is it really Omegas? Or is it some sort of homogenized, mass produced Omega substitute? Like Non Dairy Creamer. We ill have to investigate further.

2. For crying out loud, the last one was posted in March. I had to put up -something- to let y'all know I's not ded 'n stuff.


Hey, last Odyssey chapter was in February. Course, I did manage a few other chapters of other things, here and there (and dude... these are the things buffers are for. :wink:)

3. So, yeah, other than the fact that it's been an eternity since I put up an Omega chapter, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy. Or try to. If you still remember what the hell's happening in this piece. :oops:


Well, there better be that orgy scene in this chapter. I mean, that was clearly hinted in 51. I want to see some Nalia/Jaheira/Imoen!

“Damn it. Stupid bastards. Stupid, arrogant bastards.” In her gloved hand, Falynn held a cylindrical shaped canister, constructed of lightweight metal and perhaps about two feet in length. A large, yellow warning label with a biohazard symbol emblazoned on it stretched across the canister’s middle. She placed the canister back in its holding crate… next to the hundreds of others that were stacked there, as well.


Gotta love it, no? Illegal research and all that. And the tangible results right there in front of you.

Seeing the research documents was one thing. Reviewing the research notes the scientists kept on their projects was much the same… but seeing hundreds upon hundreds of actual deployable weapons – that was something else entirely. Jaheira’s mouth tightened into an angry snarl – one that was clearly visible even through the faceplate of her hazard suit’s helmet. “Why would the Confederation sanction the development of such weapons?”


Bran: "Desperation? Insanity? Boredom?" *sighs* "Look, you do black ops work. I did it. We know it can get a little... less than real. People start thinking the wrong thoughts, that they can get away with anything. Well, here's an excellent case of it.

“I find that hard to believe, Lieutenant,” Nalia said, cutting in over the squad-wide communications channel. “A facility this big needs a lot of funding, a lot of logistical support. You can’t just hide the expenditures of a base this size on a single line in the Confederation R&D budget.”


Bran: "Oh come on, like they can't hide a few minor expenses here and there. Syphon a bit here, a bit there and viola! Fully funded black ops base."

“Why not?” asked Imoen. “If whoever’s responsible for this had friends high-up enough, they might be able to slip that much money through the cracks. Confed’s trying to fight a war, Nalia, and they went into deficit spending a couple of years back. I get the feeling they’re not looking too hard at balancing their books.”


Actually, you'd think they would be looking more closely with expenditures rising, just to make sure they're spending it wisely. There are always bean counters available, you know.

“No more naïve than assuming that the Confederation civilian government is in a position to monitor every single thing that happens under its auspices, Ensign.” Valygar commented.


Point V.

Raven smirked. Her expression came across as weary, but not angry. “You and me disagreeing, Jaheira? Say it isn’t so.” She managed a small smile, hoping to make it clear that she was only teasing her older friend.


*chuckles*

Jaheira responded with a small smirk of her own, having not taken offense. “Falynn, the implications of this are… disturbing. You do realize that.”


Only just wildly disturbing.

Falynn certainly did. She nodded sadly. “I know. Guys, look… I’m gonna lay this all out, all right? And I want you to really listen to me. So let me say my piece and then you can talk. Cool?”


And away we go! Exposition time!

“I’m not gonna lie to you. This looks bad. We’ve found incontrovertible evidence that the Confederation has been developing illegal weaponry. You can’t deny that’s what this stuff is. But that being said, let me also say this: folks, there is exactly one thing that stands between the Dominion and our homeworlds – and that is the Confederation. And for good or for ill, it’s united a whole bunch of races under one common goal: survival. Now I’m not saying that excuses…” She pointed at the weapons canisters, “this… but without Confed, think of what kind of mess we’d all be in right now. Do you really think the Elven Alliance on its own could have held back that advance into Gemini Sector two years ago? And what about when those three Consuls of the Dwarven Combine were assassinated a while back? Without Confed, those two governments might have toppled, and if they had, the Dominion would probably be walking on Toril right now. I’m not saying they’re right, and I’m not saying that we should just let whoever’s responsible for this off the hook, but we -need- the Confederation.” She was silent just long enough for everyone to assume she was finished.


Bran: *grimaces* "I don't know the status of your government, but mine's been using that line for a long time. We're necessary, we're the last bulwark against tyranny and oppression. But what happens when that last redoubt starts rotting from within? When it's lofty ideals are just that... ideals. No one pays them any mind while the cut out their little piece or make their credits. I doubt it's that bad... but I think what it must have been like some dozen years ago. When the same things started happening to my Alliance." *sighs* "They say a war is the time to buckle down and worry about the rest afterwards. What's the point of winning the goddamn war if you end up losing in the end anyway?"

“I’m not arguing that, Major,” said Nalia with a weary sigh. Though she considered herself an idealist at heart, she also liked to think she wasn’t stupid and naïve enough to go around dismissing practical concerns out of hand. “But I do have to wonder about serving a government that would lie to its people… would go behind its backs, breaking treaties and building stuff like… like this.”


Bran: "There's bending the treaties, there's breaking them... then there's that."

Imoen: "Fun stuff."

Bran: "Isn't it?"

“For all we know, Ensign, this is a BlackOps project, without official government knowledge or backing.”


Imoen: *coughs* "Bullshit." *coughs*

Bran: *smirks* "That your official Intelligence report?"

Imoen: *chuckles*

“Respectfully, Major. Seriously. Do you really believe that?”

Falynn couldn’t lie to herself, and she wasn’t about to lie to the rest of them, either. She truly wasn’t sure what she believed, and she felt they needed to hear that – right from her own mouth. “Honestly, I don’t know. No offense, Cipher, but I hope you’re wrong. Like I said, Confed’s all we’ve got… and if it’s compromised, then we’re in deeper trouble than we all thought. Maybe it’s stupid… maybe… but I have to believe that the people in charge, the real people who run this government, aren’t complicit in this… because if they are, we -are- screwed, good and proper.”


Valygar: "The term is 'Proper fucked.'"

The Naval officer nodded in agreement. “Well, for what it’s worth, I hope I’m wrong, too.” She chuckled softly. “If only because my father would be pretty annoyed if he found out that someone in Confed’s higher ranks thought this was a good idea.”


Bran: "Always nice to hope. Maybe even your government isn't a complete sack of crap. Or your Admiralty."

Most of them figured it would be Imoen who spoke up first, and she didn’t disappoint. “I don’t want to believe Confed could do this,” she said. “What I do want to believe is that some people, maybe even some people high-up, as scary as that might be, thought they needed to do this, and thought they could get away with it. I want to believe that the people who could do this sort of thing are in the minority… and most importantly, I want to believe that we can stop them… and that no matter how bad things with the Dominion get, we won’t ever need their kind of help.”


Imoen: "Damn straight, Harly. See, I knew there were some brains in that cockamamie outfit!"

Jaheira nodded her head. “Agreed. As you said, Falynn, if the government has been compromised as deeply as what we’ve found here suggests, then we have much to be concerned about. But if these crimes have been perpetrated by rogue elements within the Confederation, then perhaps Confed itself can still be saved. I pray that is the case. Our peoples stand little chance of survival without the unifying force and direction provided by the Confederation.”


Jaheira: "And it if it so compromised, you will survive one war in time for a civil war."

Falynn nodded. “Minsc? Boo?”

Minsc shook his head. “Ohhh… this chicanery is making Minsc’s head spin.” From atop his shoulder, Boo merely shrugged. It… wasn’t exactly clear how hamsters -could- shrug, but Boo had had plenty of time to ponder those kinds of riddles… and certainly plenty of time (and, don’t forget processor cycles) to construct effective solutions to them.


*chuckles* I love Minsc.

“In ten words or less!” Falynn hastened to interject.

Jan closed his mouth, opened it, then closed it again. “I think we’re buggered. But you’re the boss.” He grinned, and held up two fingers in a “V” shape. “Two words to spare!”


Go Jan! Nice!

“Actually, not really,” said Harlequin, with a shrug. She began ticking off points on her fingers, as if to help herself straighten her thoughts. “‘We’re’ and ‘You’re’ should probably count as two words each. Which means you used exactly ten.”


Imoen: "Oh crap. You just had to go and do that, didn't you?"

The gnome stroked his beard (or rather, would have, if he could have reached it through his helmet) and looked thoughtful for several seconds before finally speaking up. “Well, that is an interesting point you raise, my dear… since contractions are a way of shortening two words, should they be considered one word, or two? Does the number of syllables actually spoken have any bearing on the matter whatsoever? This will require a good bit of thought, oh yes, indeed. Why, it’s positively a conundrum. It’s like my fifth cousin from a fourth marriage thrice removed used to say…”

Falynn was tempted to slap a hand across her forehead and just drag it down her face. She would have done exactly that were it not for the clunky helmet she was wearing over her head. Instead, she merely groaned into her comlink. “Immy! Couldn’t leave well enough alone!”

Imoen looked just a tiny bit shamefaced as her older sister chided her. “Sorry.”


Imoen: "Just couldn't help yourself, huh?" *smirks*

Valygar took a breath and let it out slowly. “I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but I think I agree with the gnome. Though not about the turnip-lime pie.”


Wise man.

Nalia smirked wryly. “Well, it’s been clearly established I’m a member of the radical left and I shower in rampant conspiracy theories.” She shrugged. “But I’d very much like someone to prove me wrong.”


Mmm... rampant conspiracy theory showers. :D Mmmm...

Nalia shower scene... Mmmm... :oops:

Everyone had had a chance to voice their opinions, but few seemed to understand what purpose their speaking out had actually served. Imoen watched her older sibling’s face, searching for the slightest hint of intent, but finding nothing. Her lack of success in reading Falynn distressed her. The two sisters were normally open books to each other. “Where are you going with this, Lynn?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Falynn said with a sigh, realizing that her loyalties were more divided than she really felt comfortable with.


Bran: "Seriously, I'd go get a few drinks. And then, hit the beach. And then find the assholes and shove a couple of M-250 Armorbusters up their ass at near cee fractional velocities."

She was not naïve. She knew that people had flaws and that any government, no matter what the intent behind its formation, was flawed, as well. The simple fact that governments were formed by imperfect groups of people meant that the organizations themselves were imperfect. And yet, the Confederation had stood for so long, and been such a… presence in the lives of its citizens for time almost immemorial. For those reasons alone, she was almost… desperate… to reassure her squadmates that Confed was worth saving. “I wish I could simply tell you guys that Confed knows what it’s doing… reassure you that we’re not out here fighting for a corrupt government. I’m sure that’d make things a whole lot easier,” she told them, and indeed, her words were met with several affirming nods.


Bran: "Clarity is nice... when you can get it. Thing is, it's awful rare."

“But I can’t make that kind of a promise, and I won’t blow sunshine up your asses, either. This is how things are. They’re… fluid,” she said, wincing at the vague term. “We don’t know exactly what the hell is going on… yet… so I guess what I’m asking is for you all to reserve judgment for now. Stick to the mission. We’ll dig deeper, see what we can see, find whatever we can find. And if it looks like some of us are right and this was all just the doing of a handful of bad apples, then great. Those bastards will get theirs eventually, and we might even get the chance to help with the clean-up. Either that, or… well, if it looks like Confed really is trying to screw us all in the ear, then we’ll deal with that if… or… when… it comes. Ok?”


Bran: "Well then, watch your ass Falynn. Hate to see it blown off."

Ever the non-com, Valygar nodded in agreement. “You lead, Major. We’ll follow.”


Bran: "That's the V Man. Heh."

Good chapter Alpha... like the way you handled the reactions... make sense and fit in with the characters well

VH

#3 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 05 August 2007 - 08:12 PM

*peers about* Hmm. Is it really Omegas? Or is it some sort of homogenized, mass produced Omega substitute? Like Non Dairy Creamer.


Actually, at this point, I wouldn't mind some homogenized, mass-produced substitute. Better that than nothing. :oops:

Hey, last Odyssey chapter was in February. Course, I did manage a few other chapters of other things, here and there (and dude... these are the things buffers are for. icon_razz.gif)


Yeah, except that's just it... I don't really have a buffer... not anymore, anyway.

Well, there better be that orgy scene in this chapter. I mean, that was clearly hinted in 51. I want to see some Nalia/Jaheira/Imoen!


Um... look for that in a one-shot quiz thingie. :D

Like you don't get enough lesbians as it is...

Wait... what am I saying? You can never have too much of that.

Bran: "Oh come on, like they can't hide a few minor expenses here and there. Syphon a bit here, a bit there and viola! Fully funded black ops base."


Bingo. It's actually pretty easy to hide the funding for something like this, especially if we're talking about a bureaucracy... and we are.

Actually, you'd think they would be looking more closely with expenditures rising, just to make sure they're spending it wisely. There are always bean counters available, you know.


Actually, a lot of those probably got blown out an airlock during a few Dominion attacks. They may be somewhat of an endangered species.

...

One can hope, anyway.

Bran: *grimaces* "I don't know the status of your government, but mine's been using that line for a long time. We're necessary, we're the last bulwark against tyranny and oppression. But what happens when that last redoubt starts rotting from within? When it's lofty ideals are just that... ideals. No one pays them any mind while the cut out their little piece or make their credits. I doubt it's that bad... but I think what it must have been like some dozen years ago. When the same things started happening to my Alliance." *sighs* "They say a war is the time to buckle down and worry about the rest afterwards. What's the point of winning the goddamn war if you end up losing in the end anyway?"


Raven: "As someone wise beyond her years once told me, you don't solve all your problems at once, you solve 'em in pieces. Like if you're in a burning building, you've got a couple of options. You can die, or you can jump out the window. Once you're out the window, well, you're alive for a few more seconds, during which you figure out the solution to the next problem, and so on and so on."

Harlequin: "I said that."

Raven: "Yes, you did."

Harlequin: "You think I'm wise beyond my years?"

Raven: "Well, that's not actually that hard, given how old you are."

Harlequin: (Sighs) "She giveth and she taketh away."

Raven: (Grins and hugs her)

Bran: "Always nice to hope. Maybe even your government isn't a complete sack of crap. Or your Admiralty."


Cipher: "I'm not sure I always trust the government... or the Admiralty. But my Dad's a Senator, and him I trust."

*chuckles* I love Minsc.


It's hard not to. :wink:

Imoen: "Just couldn't help yourself, huh?" *smirks*


Harlequin: "To be fair, I should have known he'd do that... it just kinda... slipped my mind." :oops:

Mmm... rampant conspiracy theory showers. icon_biggrin.gif Mmmm...

Nalia shower scene... Mmmm... icon_biggrin.gif


Seriously. Saving that for one of the quizzes. :evil:

#4 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 05 August 2007 - 10:30 PM

2. For crying out loud, the last one was posted in March. I had to put up -something- to let y'all know I's not ded 'n stuff.


I'm not dead either. At least not on the outside. Inside's a different story... I mean how dumb does a person have to be to ring me at three in the morning to ask for money? And try to reverse the charges... suffice to say, if I do disappear again it's likely because I've been arrested for strangling someone... although I think in this case I'd probably get off with just a warning.

“I find that hard to believe, Lieutenant,” Nalia said, cutting in over the squad-wide communications channel. “A facility this big needs a lot of funding, a lot of logistical support. You can’t just hide the expenditures of a base this size on a single line in the Confederation R&D budget.”


You don't actually think they spend $20,000 on a hammer and $30,000 on a toilet seat, do you?

“No more naïve than assuming that the Confederation civilian government is in a position to monitor every single thing that happens under its auspices, Ensign.” Valygar commented.

“Not the time to be debating politics, kids,” Falynn chimed in, trying almost desperately to keep her unit focused on more immediate concerns.


Edwin: Trouble with young people today - just no interest in politics. And yet, politics has an affect on everything. It's fun too, with all the backstabbing and assassination...

“I’m not arguing that, Major,” said Nalia with a weary sigh. Though she considered herself an idealist at heart, she also liked to think she wasn’t stupid and naïve enough to go around dismissing practical concerns out of hand. “But I do have to wonder about serving a government that would lie to its people… would go behind its backs, breaking treaties and building stuff like… like this.”


Tarant: Pfff. All governments are like that. Besides, people who get ahead are the ones who break the rules.

The gnome stroked his beard (or rather, would have, if he could have reached it through his helmet) and looked thoughtful for several seconds before finally speaking up. “Well, that is an interesting point you raise, my dear… since contractions are a way of shortening two words, should they be considered one word, or two? Does the number of syllables actually spoken have any bearing on the matter whatsoever? This will require a good bit of thought, oh yes, indeed. Why, it’s positively a conundrum. It’s like my fifth cousin from a fourth marriage thrice removed used to say…”


Tarant: No, it's not a conundrum at all, you addled little turd. It's two words. Just because I can speak a sentence really fast doesn't mean it's all one word does it?

Imoen: Like 'whatchatalkinbout, Willis?' That's five words. You sure, because when I see them on the page...

Tarant: No... I'm just not going to have conversation about this.

Valygar took a breath and let it out slowly. “I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but I think I agree with the gnome. Though not about the turnip-lime pie.”


BGH Imoen: That was the special on wednesdays. Quite popular really, but that was mainly because of the toy that came with it... a robot that transformed into a turnip.

“But I can’t make that kind of a promise, and I won’t blow sunshine up your asses, either. This is how things are. They’re… fluid,” she said, wincing at the vague term. “We don’t know exactly what the hell is going on… yet… so I guess what I’m asking is for you all to reserve judgment for now. Stick to the mission. We’ll dig deeper, see what we can see, find whatever we can find. And if it looks like some of us are right and this was all just the doing of a handful of bad apples, then great. Those bastards will get theirs eventually, and we might even get the chance to help with the clean-up. Either that, or… well, if it looks like Confed really is trying to screw us all in the ear, then we’ll deal with that if… or… when… it comes. Ok?”


Tarant: Finally. Enough of this pleasant chatter... go kill some things.

Imoen reached out, putting a gentle, reassuring hand on Falynn’s forearm. “Look. Politics are one thing. I’m not saying they’re not important, but you’re right that we have to look at the smaller picture for the time being. We’ve still got a job to do, and we’ll do it. You’re still in charge, and we still trust you. Or, at least… I do…” The corner of her mouth rose into a wry smirk. “But you knew that, already.”


Imoen: I'm so sweet. I often think that for one day I'd like trade places with someone who isn't perfect, just so I'll know what it's like.

Ever the non-com, Valygar nodded in agreement. “You lead, Major. We’ll follow.”


Good stuff :oops:

#5 Guest_Ananke_*

Posted 06 August 2007 - 04:59 AM

3. So, yeah, other than the fact that it's been an eternity since I put up an Omega chapter, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy. Or try to. If you still remember what the hell's happening in this piece. :D

Err. If I did, and want more, I probably have to search through the boards, haven't I? No chance for a brief recap? :oops:

#6 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 August 2007 - 07:31 AM

I don't have much to say (other than that Jan can go burn somewhere very hot) except that I look forward to seeing how this will pan out!

#7 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 09 August 2007 - 07:36 AM

2. For crying out loud, the last one was posted in March. I had to put up -something- to let y'all know I's not ded 'n stuff.


Didn’t you have a backlog?

“Why not?” asked Imoen. “If whoever’s responsible for this had friends high-up enough, they might be able to slip that much money through the cracks. Confed’s trying to fight a war, Nalia, and they went into deficit spending a couple of years back. I get the feeling they’re not looking too hard at balancing their books.”


Or you just don’t want to admit the possibility of the Good side being able to slip to ‘ends justify means’ reasoning?

Jaheira responded with a small smirk of her own, having not taken offense. “Falynn, the implications of this are… disturbing. You do realize that.”


Indeed. Can you continue carrying out your orders in good conscience if this indeed has been Confed fully sanction and approved?

“I’m not arguing that, Major,” said Nalia with a weary sigh. Though she considered herself an idealist at heart, she also liked to think she wasn’t stupid and naïve enough to go around dismissing practical concerns out of hand. “But I do have to wonder about serving a government that would lie to its people… would go behind its backs, breaking treaties and building stuff like… like this.”


Lesser of the two Evils, then? If you can live with that. For me, the name ‘confederation’ as such implies a terrible abhorrent Lawful jungle of bureaucracy and a certain kind of inherent evil. :lol:

Jaheira nodded her head. “Agreed. As you said, Falynn, if the government has been compromised as deeply as what we’ve found here suggests, then we have much to be concerned about. But if these crimes have been perpetrated by rogue elements within the Confederation, then perhaps Confed itself can still be saved. I pray that is the case. Our peoples stand little chance of survival without the unifying force and direction provided by the Confederation.”


So it’s like fighting on two frontlines now, not only against the Dominion, but also against some of their own. Cheery thought. :)

Falynn was tempted to slap a hand across her forehead and just drag it down her face. She would have done exactly that were it not for the clunky helmet she was wearing over her head. Instead, she merely groaned into her comlink. “Immy! Couldn’t leave well enough alone!”


Encouraging Jan. What a dreadful thing to do.

Nalia smirked wryly. “Well, it’s been clearly established I’m a member of the radical left and I shower in rampant conspiracy theories.” She shrugged. “But I’d very much like someone to prove me wrong.”


I like her way of thinking. Then again, I live in a country where all these conspiracy theories of radical left always prove correct. Our government is pure evil and not exactly very subtle, because they can get away with everything. ^^

She was not naïve. She knew that people had flaws and that any government, no matter what the intent behind its formation, was flawed, as well. The simple fact that governments were formed by imperfect groups of people meant that the organizations themselves were imperfect. And yet, the Confederation had stood for so long, and been such a… presence in the lives of its citizens for time almost immemorial. For those reasons alone, she was almost… desperate… to reassure her squadmates that Confed was worth saving. “I wish I could simply tell you guys that Confed knows what it’s doing… reassure you that we’re not out here fighting for a corrupt government. I’m sure that’d make things a whole lot easier,” she told them, and indeed, her words were met with several affirming nods.


There are governments that are not corrupt? :roll:

Ever the non-com, Valygar nodded in agreement. “You lead, Major. We’ll follow.”


Huzzah? :)

#8 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 09 August 2007 - 08:15 PM

I mean how dumb does a person have to be to ring me at three in the morning to ask for money? And try to reverse the charges... suffice to say, if I do disappear again it's likely because I've been arrested for strangling someone... although I think in this case I'd probably get off with just a warning.


Gah. That's about as bad as "Dude. I'm stranded in New York. Can you come get me?" And then, after picking the bum up and dropping him off, getting a message over Instant Messenger: "Dude. I left my Blackberry in your car."

(Headdesk)

This didn't actually happen to -me-, but it happened to someone I know. Poor guy. :lol:

You don't actually think they spend $20,000 on a hammer and $30,000 on a toilet seat, do you?


I wouldn't be surprised. The Prime Minister spends a lot of time on the can. He needs a comfy toilet seat.

Imoen: Like 'whatchatalkinbout, Willis?' That's five words. You sure, because when I see them on the page...

Tarant: No... I'm just not going to have conversation about this.


Oh, God... the Immy-madness is SPREADING.

BGH Imoen: That was the special on wednesdays. Quite popular really, but that was mainly because of the toy that came with it... a robot that transformed into a turnip.


Trans... FARMERS?

Imoen: I'm so sweet. I often think that for one day I'd like trade places with someone who isn't perfect, just so I'll know what it's like.


Oh dear God, she's so cute, I need to hug her. :roll:

#9 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 09 August 2007 - 08:18 PM

Err. If I did, and want more, I probably have to search through the boards, haven't I? No chance for a brief recap?


Er... heh.

:roll:

I've never gotten around to collecting all the chapters in one place. Actually, more like I've just been lazy. Sorry. :)

But I suppose I could give you a recap... er... basically...

The gang is in a super-sekrit military base which may or may not be sanctioned by their government. Their original mission was simply to help the defenders secure the base and clean out the bad guys (orcs) in the place, but they've found all kinds of stuff being researched here that shouldn't have been researched, and now they don't know what to do. They're in the middle of a moral quandry.

Is... that enough of a recap? :lol:

#10 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 09 August 2007 - 08:21 PM

(other than that Jan can go burn somewhere very hot)


:)

He... annoys me, and yet also amuses me, which is why I haven't had him get detonated by a grenade yet. :)

except that I look forward to seeing how this will pan out!


Yeah, so do I... I have no idea where to go with it. :roll:

Well, ok, I kinda do, but getting there? Double :lol: :)

It's funny. I started this crazy business like three and a half years ago. Seriously. End of 2003. I honestly never intended it'd go on this long. I actually kinda expected I'd lose interest and just completely abandon the project without warning, but... well, I haven't. Unfortunately, it's also left me in a position where I didn't quite plan out where I wanted to take things... so... admittedly, a lot of this is very seat of the pants. I hope it doesn't suck as a result, but sometimes... I wonder if it -reads- like something written from the seat of one's pants. Heh.

:)

#11 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 09 August 2007 - 08:33 PM

Didn’t you have a backlog?


Yeah, about a year ago.

/me slams head against desk.

Combine laziness with writer's block, with MORE laziness, and you have THIS unmitigated disaster.

YAY!

:roll:

Or you just don’t want to admit the possibility of the Good side being able to slip to ‘ends justify means’ reasoning?


It's Imoen. She doesn't like thinking like that. Especially since if it turns out to be that way, she's very scared about what to do about it. It's like "Ok, well, on one side, I have people who are trying to kill me. On the other side, I have people that are willing to do some VERY BAD THINGS in order to make sure me and other people like me don't die. I don't like either of these sides."

It'd be a total getting caught between a rock and a hard place, and if things got that bad, well, what do you do, then? Try and find some hole in the ground to hide for the next hundred years? Not a bad deal if you can manage it, but with a galaxy-wide war going on? Probably not something you can pull off.

Indeed. Can you continue carrying out your orders in good conscience if this indeed has been Confed fully sanction and approved?


Exactly. And for people who look at things from a military mindset, this is basically a death sentence. It's all about trusting the chain of command. You listen to the people above you because, most of the time, you just have to BELIEVE that they know better than you. But if it's clear that they don't know better, or they're bad people, or whatever, then you're in trouble. Because if you're used to following orders, and you find out the people giving you orders are bad people, well... what, then?

It helps that there are good people above them in the chain. People like Keldorn and such. Not everyone is a bastard like Ulraunt, so that's good news, at least. Is it enough? Are a handful of Keldorns and people like him enough to stop the people who ordered that all these bioweapons and junk get built? Well, everyone's hoping so. Because the alternative just isn't nice to think about.

Lesser of the two Evils, then? If you can live with that. For me, the name ‘confederation’ as such implies a terrible abhorrent Lawful jungle of bureaucracy and a certain kind of inherent evil.


Hey, look at it from my point of view. Confederacy is associated with "The South" as in, the southern U.S. during our Civil War. For someone from up north, (i.e. a Yankee,) the idea of a "confederacy" brings up a good number of not-so-flattering images. :)

So it’s like fighting on two frontlines now, not only against the Dominion, but also against some of their own. Cheery thought.


Bingo. It's bad enough the orcs are trying to kill everyone, and I mean -everyone-. But how long until it goes from "Let's just get rid of the orcs, then we'll fix the rest of the mess" to "Ok, orcs dead, but now there's a bunch of, say, elves who don't agree with our President. Let's take 'em out." ? As you said. Cheery.

I like her way of thinking. Then again, I live in a country where all these conspiracy theories of radical left always prove correct. Our government is pure evil and not exactly very subtle, because they can get away with everything.


Nalia's got a little bit of "liberal arts university student" in her. And by that, I mean that she reminds me of a lot of the kids I went to college with. They didn't think a lot of that stuff through, they just thought "Hey, the 'adults' say one thing, so I -have- to distrust them and protest against everything they try to tell me."

Nalia isn't stupid, though. She's still thinking for herself, but she's still kind of geared towards not trusting "The Man." Still, unlike the kids I went to school with, she's at least willing to admit she might be wrong, if provided proof.

There are governments that are not corrupt?


Stop trying to ruin my fantasies! :lol:

#12 Guest_Ananke_*

Posted 10 August 2007 - 11:12 AM

Err. If I did, and want more, I probably have to search through the boards, haven't I? No chance for a brief recap?


Er... heh.

:roll:

I've never gotten around to collecting all the chapters in one place. Actually, more like I've just been lazy. Sorry. :)

But I suppose I could give you a recap... er... basically...

The gang is in a super-sekrit military base which may or may not be sanctioned by their government. Their original mission was simply to help the defenders secure the base and clean out the bad guys (orcs) in the place, but they've found all kinds of stuff being researched here that shouldn't have been researched, and now they don't know what to do. They're in the middle of a moral quandry.

Is... that enough of a recap? :)

Actually, I meant more like - they haven't been in that base for the three years you've been writing this? Or have they, and has this been actually a pivotal chapter? Because, if yes, 'm sorry for not noticing it :lol: If it's not - just... a few lines about what happened in the show's previous seasons, how they got here and all? :bats eyes:

#13 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 11 August 2007 - 04:43 AM

Actually, I meant more like - they haven't been in that base for the three years you've been writing this? Or have they, and has this been actually a pivotal chapter? Because, if yes, 'm sorry for not noticing it icon_redface.gif If it's not - just... a few lines about what happened in the show's previous seasons, how they got here and all? :bats eyes:


They haven't been in this super-secret research base for the entire three years I've been writing the serial, but everything previous has been leading up to it.

Basically, the core squad was Falynn, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc, and Jan. Valygar was assigned to the unit early on in the series run. Nalia was actually an officer on a small space station/outpost that got destroyed when the Orcish Dominion (The bad guys) came in and took over the planet.

Why'd they take the planet? Well, because they knew about the research base on the planet's surface. They just didn't know what kind of research it was, though they had some idea. Ironically, they seemed to know more about it than the good guys. (Again, because it's apparently some kind of black-ops thingie going on.)

Anyway, Nalia survives, of course, and links up with other survivors when the rescue force shows up. Blah blah blah...

I'm glossing over a lot of stuff, obviously. Heh. 50+ chapters doesn't condense easy. :roll: Any other questions? Feel free to ask. I just hope I remember enough of what I wrote to answer 'em. :lol:

#14 Guest_Ananke_*

Posted 11 August 2007 - 06:21 AM

Ah. In other words, it was a pivotal chapter, and I did entirely manage to miss it. :roll:

How long has the mission lasted so far? Also, it's the Dominion (orcs) vs. this Confederation - the elves, humans and dwarves, I take it? Are there halflings? Is Jan a gnome, or just a very short human? Do half-elves exist, and if not, is Jaheira elf or human? Do half-orcs exist? How long has the war lasted, who was winning when the squad left for the mission - a bit of the wider background, if you may?

Also, in the reply to Theodur's post, you mentioned Keldorn and Ulraunt. I take it that Keldorn is the generic good guy, and Ulraunt is a bad one, somewhere up in the chain of command? And are there any other recognisable names, and if yes, who/what roles they fill?

Also. Um. Bioweapons are, apparently, out - only for the Confederation, or do the orcs keep to this, too, officially? Also, if bioweapons are out, what's in? Nuclear weapons? :lol:

#15 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 11 August 2007 - 03:55 PM

Ah. In other words, it was a pivotal chapter, and I did entirely manage to miss it.


Only sorta. The "Big Reveal" is actually... still to be revealed. I'm working on it. It's hard. :)

How long has the mission lasted so far?


In real world time, a LONG time. But in terms of story time, well, from Chapter 1 to this Chapter, it's only been a couple of days, and they've only been "in the field" for maybe a day and half or so. In this base, only for several hours. The reason why the plot seems to be moving at a glacial pace is only because, unfortunately, I just haven't been writing fast enough.

Also, it's the Dominion (orcs) vs. this Confederation - the elves, humans and dwarves, I take it? Are there halflings? Is Jan a gnome, or just a very short human? Do half-elves exist, and if not, is Jaheira elf or human? Do half-orcs exist? How long has the war lasted, who was winning when the squad left for the mission - a bit of the wider background, if you may?


Hmmm. Well, the thing is, a lot of these questions I haven't answered at all yet... I mean, even if you'd been reading since Day 1, you might not know all the answers to these. I've kept some stuff deliberately vague. :roll:

But ok... (Maybe I should write up a primer or something on the geopolitical situation.) :lol:

Major players in the galaxy as it stands:

1. The Torillian Confederation consisting of the human planets, the planets of the Elven Alliance, the planets of the Dwarven Combine, et al. There is a halfling population, (I've written Mazzy in before. She's just not part of the Omegas) and a gnomish population, but they're not as large. I imagine that as with the dwarven and elvish governments, the halflings and gnomes have their own "sovereignty" but I just never got around to going into great detail about that. But yes, you can basically assume that every major D&D race has its own government, and that most of the "civilized" races have been folded in under the Confederation. For good or for ill.

2. The Orcish Dominion (Basically, the big, bad enemies. While most of the antagonists have been orcs, I imagine that a lot of the other "monster" races are folded in under the Dominion. So, maybe trolls (Though I've never written any), goblins, bugbears, etc.

3. The Drow Imperium (If you're in any way knowledgeable about Star Trek, think of the Drow Imperium as the Romulan Empire. Not that large, but powerful and very secretive, and also impossible to predict. The Drow haven't been a major force so far. They haven't gotten involved in the Dominion/Confed war, but they're out there.

Those are the biggest alliances/governments. I figure it's a large galaxy, you'll find other small collections of worlds and such, but those are the big three, and really, I've only gone into detail with just the two. The Drow are still a wild card, even to me.

As for the question of half-elves existing and Jaheira being one. Yes, and yes. As with D&D half-elves, more than likely half-elves are going to tend to live in human communities, as opposed to elven communities. There might also be some racial tension with regards to half-elves, but it's never been an issue for Jaheira. Mostly because I've never chosen to make it an issue for her. :)

Half-orcs? Possibly. Not something I ever stopped to think about, really, but I don't see why it couldn't be possible.

As for the general status of the war... well, that's where the bad news comes in. As of this moment, Confed is losing. They have a strong technological advantage as evidenced by their energy-based weaponry. However, as you might expect, the Dominion possesses superior manpower. Confed's technological edge allows it to produce superior equipment, and much of it, but the fact that the Dominion's population is just far larger, means that if they keep the pressure on (which they've been doing) they can push Confed's back to the wall. Over the past few months, and maybe even the past couple of years (The war has been raging for several years now, and it's just one in a series of several armed conflicts that have happened over the past, say, half-century.) But over the past few months, Confed's been getting pushed back. They've been suffering a lot of incursions in their territory, and even had to abandon some of their outlying colonies because they were too close to Dominion space. So, it's not looking very good.

Also, in the reply to Theodur's post, you mentioned Keldorn and Ulraunt. I take it that Keldorn is the generic good guy, and Ulraunt is a bad one, somewhere up in the chain of command? And are there any other recognisable names, and if yes, who/what roles they fill?


Ah, cast primer. Ok, then. :)

Falynn's unit is a Special Ops style unit attached to a Confederation heavy cruiser named the Gallante. Ulraunt is captain of that ship, with Tethtoril as his second in command. (It's mostly name-dropping. :) ) But the idea is that Ulraunt isn't really a bad guy, so much as he just doesn't like Falynn or Imoen, and by association, anyone who likes -them-. He's got it into his head (and perhaps he's actually somewhat right) that Falynn is... well, somewhat of a menace, and also somewhat unpredictable in the field... (Note, unpredictable, yet undeniably effective. That's what rankles him more.)

Keldorn is currently a Colonel and the director/commander of the Special Operations units aboard the Gallante, making him Falynn's immediate commander. Omega Squad used to be his unit, with Falynn as his second, until he decided he was too old to lead field operations. He didn't want to retire, so he took a job "upstairs" as it were, and left his protege to command his old unit.

(Incidentally, I've always been a big fan of the old paladin, and I've always figured that he and the Llyr sisters would be pretty close. He's practically adopted the both of them. That being said, I've always tried to write their relationship as one where Lynn looks up to him as a father figure, and he thinks of her as a daughter. (His own family is hale and hearty, though, and his marriage is in good shape, thankfully. I couldn't be mean to him that way.) Anyway, I've established that Keldorn is one of the most skilled infantry tacticians in the entire Confederation, and, well... Lynn was one of his best students. So, she's a bit crazy, but she also has the skills to back up the crazy. :) )

As for other notable personalities, well, Nalia's father has been established as a Confederation senator, and a former member of the Marine Corps. So, yes, he's still alive, too.

Then there's the members of "Sideshow Squadron." The heavy cruiser the gang operates off of has fighters for attack, escort, etc. duties and one of the squadrons has Aerie (callsign: Seraph), Haer'dalis (callsign: Sparrow), and Garrick (callsign: Minstrel) as pilots. They show up from time to time in cameo roles.

Then there's the rest of the Special Ops force. Omega Squad isn't the only squad doing this kind of work. There are five others stationed aboard the Gallante.

Most of those are filled with random people (random people I've named only because I'm addicted to those particular kinds of details), but there are a few more cameos.

Alpha Squad, for example, has both Mazzy and Edwin in addition to four others.

And then, Delta Squad is led by Anomen, and Viconia's their squad medic. (Yes, she defected from the Imperium. I've not gone into great detail about it, since she's mostly a sideline character.)

And I've made other small cameos from various BG characters, but those are pretty much the only major ones so far.

Also. Um. Bioweapons are, apparently, out - only for the Confederation, or do the orcs keep to this, too, officially? Also, if bioweapons are out, what's in? Nuclear weapons?


Unfortunately, no... the Dominion hasn't restricted itself to such "civilized" forms of warfare. I posted a quiz piece a while back that detailed the Dominion lacing a Confederation world (Saradush - it was just a small colony, but still a Confed world) with bioweapons that essentially wiped out most of the population. So there is precedent for use of such things.

So... Whew! How was that? :(

#16 Guest_Ananke_*

Posted 12 August 2007 - 05:30 AM

So... Whew! How was that?

Great and just what I needed, thanks. :)

Now, just one more question I forgot and which, in fact, clinches the whole matter of reading or not for me --

The orcs. The bad guys. Are they bad because they are evil to the bone, and whatnot (take Tolkien's orcs, for instance) or are they bad just because they happen to be the good guys' enemies? That is, would killing each and every single one of them be a morally reprehensible or a morally laudable action?

And I'm asking in all seriousness. Because I'm sick of stories where Our Guys have any sort of innate moral superiority over the Bad Guys - not the kind that goes with actions, but a... genetic one, I suppose - and if this is one, I'd prefer to save my time. :(

#17 Weyoun

Posted 12 August 2007 - 06:34 PM

2. For crying out loud, the last one was posted in March. I had to put up -something- to let y'all know I's not ded 'n stuff.


Trust me, I know how it feels. I is not ded, but I often feel as if I is ded.

3. So, yeah, other than the fact that it's been an eternity since I put up an Omega chapter, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy. Or try to. If you still remember what the hell's happening in this piece. :D


Nope! Recap first :D Preferably done by Viconia in a red bikini in the way of cue cards which she holds over her head! :)

“Why not?” asked Imoen. “If whoever’s responsible for this had friends high-up enough, they might be able to slip that much money through the cracks. Confed’s trying to fight a war, Nalia, and they went into deficit spending a couple of years back. I get the feeling they’re not looking too hard at balancing their books.”


It's hard to go to war when you've only got two nickels to rub together, though.

“I’m not arguing that, Major,” said Nalia with a weary sigh. Though she considered herself an idealist at heart, she also liked to think she wasn’t stupid and naïve enough to go around dismissing practical concerns out of hand. “But I do have to wonder about serving a government that would lie to its people… would go behind its backs, breaking treaties and building stuff like… like this.”


Heh, happens on earth here all the time. :)

“For all we know, Ensign, this is a BlackOps project, without official government knowledge or backing.”


HAH! :D And if you believe that, then my name is Megatron. :)

Nalia smirked wryly. “Well, it’s been clearly established I’m a member of the radical left and I shower in rampant conspiracy theories.” She shrugged. “But I’d very much like someone to prove me wrong.”


radical right are pretty good at rampant conspiracy theories too. Just watch The Colbert Report. :(

“I wish I could simply tell you guys that Confed knows what it’s doing… reassure you that we’re not out here fighting for a corrupt government. I’m sure that’d make things a whole lot easier,” she told them, and indeed, her words were met with several affirming nods.


During wartime, there's always the chance that a government 'goes nuts', I suppose. Let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if the Confed governemnt has an open line with the Dominion government... and not just to hurl insults about. :)

Imoen reached out, putting a gentle, reassuring hand on Falynn’s forearm. “Look. Politics are one thing. I’m not saying they’re not important, but you’re right that we have to look at the smaller picture for the time being. We’ve still got a job to do, and we’ll do it. You’re still in charge, and we still trust you. Or, at least… I do…” The corner of her mouth rose into a wry smirk. “But you knew that, already.”


Ever the non-com, Valygar nodded in agreement. “You lead, Major. We’ll follow.”


Nice. :)
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

#18 Laufey

Posted 12 August 2007 - 06:49 PM

An enjoyable read! :wink:

This chapter gave me Babylon 5 vibes, what with the war against the Shadows going on at the same time as the Earth government collapses. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the Confederacy proves to be rotten to the core, not at all. In my experience, governements either consist of people who screw you over on purpose, or fools who screw you over accidentally through their bumbling.

Too bad governments are the lesser of two evils, eh? :D
Rogues do it from behind.

#19 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 13 August 2007 - 07:04 PM

Trust me, I know how it feels. I is not ded, but I often feel as if I is ded.


:wink:

Yeah. I've been having some... odd health issues of late, having to go bug a lot of different doctors, and yeah... I, too, sometimes feel as if I is ded.

Preferably done by Viconia in a red bikini in the way of cue cards which she holds over her head!


Tempest: (Sighs and puts on an "old-fashioned" set of horn-rimmed spectacles. She sits on the edge of her desk, one leg crossed over the other, dangling a red pump from her foot. She turns a little bit, motioning towards the blackboard behind her) "Class, your assignment, as well as the notes for today are there. I suggest you copy both down..."

(I prefer that image.) :shock:

It's hard to go to war when you've only got two nickels to rub together, though.


One of the joys of being an interplanetary government. You can just "print" money and get away with it. :wink:

Inflation for the win!

And if you believe that, then my name is Megatron


Do you transform into a handgun, or some stupid alien-looking jet? :lol:

Sure, there were parts of the movie I liked, but a lot of the time, it was one instance of F*#@$ you, Michael Bay, after another. :lol:

During wartime, there's always the chance that a government 'goes nuts', I suppose. Let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if the Confed governemnt has an open line with the Dominion government... and not just to hurl insults about.


What, like they did in Sum of All Fears? Hmmm. Tell you the truth, to me, the idea of them having such a thing is more frightening than the idea of them not having one. I don't trust the Dominion. They're too much like the DS9 Dominion. Way too much backblading. Not that the Federation was completely innocent of that sort of thing, but I'd still take the Federation over the Cardassian Union, the Dominion, the Breen Confederacy, etc.

#20 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 13 August 2007 - 07:13 PM

An enjoyable read!


I'm glad. I've been stressing over these chapters something awful. When I first started writing this series, it was just for fun, and to be honest, I almost didn't mind if it ended up sucking because I was having fun. Now I'm... worried that it'll suck, and I'm quite relieved when it turns out not to suck. :wink:

Whew! :lol:

This chapter gave me Babylon 5 vibes, what with the war against the Shadows going on at the same time as the Earth government collapses.


Oh yeah. As you can probably tell, I'm big on sci-fi, and I've pretty much watched all those shows. B5, DS9, SG-1... lots of other shows with acronyms. :lol:

A lot of core concepts are going to overlap, and this just happens to be one of them. The idea that EarthGov was so corrupt that it couldn't even hold itself together in the face of an unknown force that threatened pretty much all life everywhere? Really creeps you out.

But B5 and its writers were really good at writing that kind of dark material without keeping the viewer from losing hope entirely. I'm not sure I could do the same, so I'm trying to keep the Omega-verse a little bit lighter, if only because it'd be very hard to do a show like B5 justice if I were to take this series more in that direction.

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the Confederacy proves to be rotten to the core, not at all. In my experience, governements either consist of people who screw you over on purpose, or fools who screw you over accidentally through their bumbling.


Well, thank God I live in AMERICA, and we don't have those problems!

:shock:

Anyway, like I said, there's definitely some skeletons in Confed's lockers. All governments have 'em, and ones of that size kinda can't manage not to have some kind of bad elements around somewhere. But rotten to the core? Mmmm... hopefully not... my sanity is begging me not to make it that bad. :wink:




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