"Candlelight's already dead, and they're being actively mind-controlled, aren't they?  Then they can't be Quislings.  We know from some of the data pulled from the Buchenwald that the Dead have entire prison-ships full of the living, like Cleveland, for some godforsaken reason.  I'm wondering if they're making janissaries.  Shock-troops.  Imagine having to kill the same trooper twice.  We've got cultists and sympathizers here, but we haven't dealt with any trained Living troops.  Maybe we should start practicing for that too."

Julius sighs and starts tapping on the screen, setting up dozens of ships, discarding some, replacing others...

"Of course, swords cut both ways."

Daniel frowns. "Some Abyssals might try that but I feel such a plan wouldn't sit well with the Neverborn. The Living are beyond the absolute dominion they hold over the Dead, no matter how brainwashed or bribed they might be. A janissary might serve as a soldier for the Dead twice or turn into one of ours. And even when loyal they'd require upkeep and leadership of a special kind."

He regards Julius's setup process, trying to establish patterns and pulling up data on his pad about the different types of ships being used. As much as Brahe deserved the punch he got, he wasn't wrong. Daniel would have to start applying a broader, more tactical view going forward if he wished to avoid another massacre like the Buchenwald.

"Granted, they'd probably implant some safeguards like cortex bombs or such, but the fact remains the Living are distasteful and unpredictable for the masters of the Dead. The mass incarceration could be for a number of other reasons like experimentation or trying to bait Exaltations through sheer weight of population subject to suffering."

He scoffs. "Still, this is just my take on it. You might be right. And whichever of us is right, fighting the Living should be something to be prepared for regardless. Not every battle in the Good War is against the Faceless Dead."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:59, Tue 14 Mar 2017.

Most of the ships used are the standard.  Kumiho has an interceptor, Tomato a fighter.  Mountain looks like he's flying a bomber and- hold on, is Mercy Brown piloting a fucking tug?

"Well, it's my job to look for any weird stuff.  Think of the things nobody thinks about.  Look at history and learn from it.  The Dead aren't exactly very innovative thinkers, at least that's what we think.  But they're learning and adapting pretty well, aren't they?"

"Mhm. It's seldom a bad idea to find and prepare for the improbable and unexpected", Daniel says with a nod. "And it's true they seem to be getting craftier as time goes on. From what I've... gleaned, there's factions within the Dead despite their seeming uniformity, different Abyssals and Deathlords with differing methods who don't always get along with each other or their masters. Could be they're getting better organized as a whole, could be we keep running into different factions with different tactics. Either way, the trend's still towards-"

He picks up Mercy's little speck on the starmap and seems incredulous.

"...Is that a tug? Is Ms. Brown some sort of specialist or just an idiot?"

"A specialist idiot.  You know how some Solars can make weapons out of their Essence?" He asks Daniel, "Glorious Solar Shotgun or something like that?  She can do it on a bigger scale.  We're working on weaponizing it.  That tug there is for rearmament.  Specialty essence-warheads on the fly, no need to return to rearm, even mortals can use them.  It's quite a nice little setup... if she didn't have the courage of a mouse.  You need a lot of courage to go out there with barely any weapons and she doesn't have it yet."

"Hm. Useful, but if all she does is act as a mobile rearmament station she's practically begging to get focused down. And with small fleet engagements the others are gonna be too busy to keep a perimeter around her."

He pulls up the data on Mercy's tug, checking if it was at least specially armored and  outfitted for the purpose or if it was another Odysseus-grade tin can waiting to be perforated.

"We'll need to make her find her courage then. None of the Chosen of today have the choice of not being warriors. Is she the type who needs a pep talk and support or the type who needs to be driven into a corner?"

"That's why I've been training her in aikido.  And I'm hoping the ideas in that get through her skull," He remarks.

Yeah, the tug is as heavily armed and armored as it could be- basically a refitted bomber with a cargo section and in place of guns a method to refill ammo containers.

"You know, if you met her, you'd swear that if you backed her into a corner she'd tear your throat out with her teeth.  She's definitely more the type that needs to be psyched up to even enter.  If I didn't know any better, I'd say she doesn't want to fight at all- but she keeps insisting she does."

Daniel furrows his brow thoughtfully.

"She's a new Lunar, could be she has issues with her newly emerged bestial side. Afraid of losing control or some such. I suppose we'll see."

He swipes his datapad a few times, going through the tug's info.

"No weapons at all on her ship? I sincerely hope it's because she can manifest them herself. Aikido might suit her but you're gonna need more than the enemy's strength to work with in space combat. Not to mention there'll be plenty of times you need to be the aggressor."

"Her newly emerged bestial side is quite literally a mouse."  Julius says dryly, "Which certainly doesn't help matters.  And no, no weapons.  But a smallish target, designed for defense, with specialized training to mitigate attacks and stay alive.  Could be handy.  I'm starting there and then working her towards offense later.  Have to give her some sort of fundamentals to lean on besides 'punch very hard'.  Much as it hurts me to say that..."

The tug is a small, with two servo-arms for docking, an ammo transfer port, and a LOT of armor.  The thrust isn't the best but it's a shade better than most bombers.  It's also studded with maneuvering thrusters, both for getting the ship into position and for quick evasive action.  There's hard point space for weapons but the moment they're added they'll turn the ship into a snail.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:00, Wed 22 Mar 2017.

"Mouse, huh", Daniel repeats with a hint of surprise. "Well, mice fight all the same when cornered."

His frown deepens as he goes through the data.

"Mmh. Smartly specialized for the purpose, but still not sure I approve due to being helpless if separated. Team support is good but zero solo capability isn't. Perhaps I'll get a chance to demonstrate why in the simulation."

He puts the pad away, getting up and taking a look around the room.

"I believe you lured me out with promises of alcohol. Got a fridge here somewhere?"

"She knows.  I wouldn't beat her over the head too much with it if I were you.  Baby steps." He stands up and walks over to a minibar cleverly disguised as a filing cabinet, "Privately?  If worst comes to worst, she can ram that thing with all the weapons loaded.  I give her a coin flip of surviving if she does.  Lunars are tough and their own weapons do a pretty poor job of killing them.  That tug's also pretty well armored and barely oxygenated, so she might get blown free.  But we're not in the business of raising up kamikazes."

"And what's the great Lucifer's poison?"

"Naturally, but that goes for more or less any ship, even if hers should be more destructive than most. I know I'm not the most appropriate person to say this but blowing yourself up shouldn't be your only method of attack."

He chuckles faintly as Julius pulls out the "files".

"Whiskey. Strong and smoky."

"Really.  You're not the most appropriate person?  I can count on my fingers the number of people who shouldn't be allowed to say that and you're #2 on that list.  I saw the video of you jumping out of the Longinus."  He chuckles and takes out a big-ass bottle of whiskey.  Old stuff.  The oldest, it seems.  Worth its weight in... man, just what is the currency of exchange nowadays anyway?  Last Lucifer heard it was in minutes spent with a Neomah, which means pounds of flesh.  He pours them both a glass and hands one to Lucifer.

"Number one's Core, by the by.  Good thing he doesn't have delusions of grandeur like a certain Solar I know.  Cheers."

"They're delusions only if you can't back them up", Daniel retorts with a chuckle as he raises his glass. "Cheers."

Daniel wasn't much of an alcohol connoisseur, having only started drinking after Ragnarök and rarely, if ever, for pleasure. Still, he could tell the difference between the swill he usually made do with and this slice of Terra. He even made sure to drink in cultured sips rather than his usual down-the-hatch method.

"So what's next on the agenda? You get the simulation blueprints sent to the artist previously known as Dr. Florentine and I read up on the Exodites I'm to strike the fear of God into?"

"Salud."  He tips his glass and then takes a long sip.  "Fair enough.  Yeah.  I'm getting the blueprints sent his way, soon as I finish a bit of the prelim choices.  Just as a warning Core may get a bit bored and try to juice things up a bit."  He sighs, "I'll send you the files now.  Hold on,"  He brings up his datapad and starts typing things in, "Then I need you to start figuring out your character a bit."

Daniel takes a sip before nodding. "As long as the additions don't spill over too much into the real world it's all good. Every battle has its surprises."

He takes up his datapad again in preparation for the incoming info.

"Figuring out how? Isn't it just me with the serial numbers filed off and 90% more skulls and spikes?"

"And skin, don't forget a lot of tanned skin." He chuckles into his drink, "You should have the files now.  Give them a read."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:17, Wed 05 Apr 2017.

Daniel raises a brow in momentary confusion. "Tanned? Aren't Abyssals supposed to be pa- oh, I get it."

He rolls his eyes with a smirk, takes another sip of his drink and sits down at the table to go through the dossiers.

"10 years in quarantine with naught but Core as a regular contact? No wonder Mercy's grown up timid. Strange about her Exaltation, though - you'd think it's not something that'd stay hidden for long under scrutiny. Does she have some propensity for muting its effects or is her Exaltation actually weaker somehow?"

Another sip, another file.

"The prodigal son's return, huh. Good thing he's starting to pull his weight. The knowledge accrued in his travels should prove invaluable."

As he finally starts going through Arkady's file, a peculiar frown overtakes him. It was like he was reading up on himself back on Earth. When his world was still painted clearly in black and white. He spends a moment in reminiscence before commenting.

"Well... The Mountain sure reminds me of a certain someone's beginnings. I expect good things from him, provided his implacability doesn't become frailty in the face of a true adversary."

He raises his empty glass and throws an inquisitive glance at Julius to check if he's fine with a refill.

"Took you a moment there."

Fossil watches quietly as the other exalt reads. "Well, not that strange- if the Exaltation thrives on going unnoticed, then nothing's going to notice, is it?  I'm not sure if it's actually weaker or just strong in different ways, but evidence is suggesting the former."

He lets Daniel continue to read.

"Yeah, he's starting, but he doesn't excel in any one area.  Especially as a pilot.  He's worse off than some mortal pilots I know, simply because he's just spread so thin."

Now here Fossil tries to suppress a smile.  After the statement he starts to repour.

"Yeah, I thought you'd take an interest in that, huh?  Like a mirror image of you.  Mountain's just a bit too cocky so he could get knocked down a peg.  Also like a certain someone I know."

"We'll see. I'd like to assume the Exaltation's just different rather than weaker, because the latter case has dire implications should it turn out to be more than an individual anomaly."

He rubs his temple thoughtfully. Could it be that after the deaths of Sol and Luna the Sparks of their Exaltations were losing power somehow? Maybe the thinning of the blood wasn't a worry for just the Dragon-Blooded anymore. He'd have to ask Lytek.

"Sounds to me he just needs to find a focus that can draw from his versatility. He's been spreading thin and exploring because he hasn't found what he wanted to do; once he does he'll find a way to consolidate the pieces into a whole."

As Fossil pours and speaks of Mountain, Daniel's expression shifts from initial amusement into graveness. He instinctively brushes the spot where Spiderweb's talisman had been before taking a long sip from his refilled glass.

"Raid on the Buchenwald not enough for you? It's been a while since I've felt that useless. Or you can wait till whatever shitstorm Brahe cooks up for getting punched."

He sneers, downs the rest of the glass, and puts it back on the table with a clank.

"But yeah, Mountain's gonna learn some lessons. We don't want him to get himself killed the first time he meets his match."

"I don't know about dire implications.  There have always been stronger and weaker Exaltations.  Compare yourself with the Red Queen, for example.  Even if she focused on it I doubt she could match you in combat.  The Exaltations have never been exactly uniform.  Personally, I think it's a good thing."  He sips his drink, "A little weakness in the right place can force you to compensate in other ways.  From your deformities, find might.  Hers might just be the ability to be overlooked."

He then pulls up a screen- a simulation of the Buchenwald fight.

"You say that, but... one thing I've noticed is we've usually been pretty proactive in our operations.  We've only rarely had to deal with them actually taking the fight to us.  Stone Place, Ceres... we nearly got our faces caved in during the Ambush of the Outer Void. Sure, we took the advantage against the Buchenwald, but this time this was kind of their territory.  We need to get used to defensive actions."

"Looks like we're actually in agreement, just using different definitions of strength. Not everyone needs to be like me - hell, we wouldn't have gotten off Earth in the first place if that was the case. We need Lyla and Michael at least as much as we need me. That said, my understanding is that all Exaltations carry a certain base level of fortitude and raw power and if I'm wrong I want to ensure it's always been that way rather than a new development."

He regards the Buchenwald simulation with restrained anger and frustration as the mortals plink off the map in droves.

"Yeah. Although that's because staying mostly ahead of the enemy is necessary for our survival. The enemy is always one successful ambush away from total victory. Naturally that means we need to be prepared for defensive action for that exact reason."

He casts a momentary glance at his empty glass.

"About done with the preparations?"

"Can it even be measured?  I mean, I've tried to talk to Lytek about it, and all he does is babble about dirt and grunge on the shards and how his tools aren't what they used to be, but then he matter-of-factly tells me that the Exaltation shards are basically invincible and will flit around the void after everything else is gone."

He watches the simulation, pausing it before the worst of the carnage.

"About done.  Still waiting on the last bits from Core.  Killing time at the moment.  I could always take you to go see the simulators."

"I'm sure Core has several systems of measurement at the ready - hell, how would the simulation work if he didn't? I don't mean exact figures, though, just a general set of traits everyone seems to share. That includes superhuman healing ability. Anyway, wouldn't hurt to try if I can't wrest something more specific out of Lytek at some point."

Daniel's happy to get a distraction from the massacre, pushing himself up from the table.

"Yeah, sure I suppose."

"Buy Lytek a few drinks, wait until he's good and drunk and then try."  He stands up too, putting away his bottle.  "I don't think anyone's using it, but you never know.  It's starting to get a lot more popular."

They head out from his office and down a hall of the Martial Library, eventually reaching a room with ten pods in it.  It's nothing Daniel hasn't seen before.  They've been using similar for at least 2-3 years to filter out the bad pilots.  The hardware connected to the pods in the center of the room, however, is new.  Normally each pod was connected to its own terminal; a shared one is different.

Also, hm, they look pretty reinforced.  One of them is showing signs of damage, and if Daniel is any judge it's due to Dragon-Blooded anima flux.

"Huh, one of them's in use." Fossil walks up to one and checks the readout, "Looks like Kumiho's in there.  She's been a regular."