|
| ||||||
Subj: Could be better, could be worse. Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 at 05:28:32 pm EST (Viewed 817 times) | Reply Subj: Four replies so far. So medium interest. Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 at 04:40:16 pm EST (Viewed 1 times) | ||||||
Quote: The whole Herringcarp Gothic storyline made clear that the Hood has now so thoroughly retconned his origins that he is effectively a gestalt entity, compounded of madman, visionary, murderer, humanitarian, scholar, De Sade-style nobleman, comic-book villain and many others. He also remembers everything that has happened to all the "variant" Hooded Hoods in different versions of reality; they are all the same man. So in several ways the Hood is very far removed from "normal" perspectives and morals, and from humanity.That's the funny thing, Faite's message to him isn't based on morals because she has none. She sees only that he's throwing himself willingly into a trap, putting in a lot of resources to get there, and that he insists on it. She knows he's not stupid, so she's convinced he just doesn't see it because his mind is warped and he needs guidance. What would really be strange is if the Hooded Hood asks Lara Night for help or advice, since she does have the ability to know what's on the other side of that wall. Her answer would be hope-crushingly disappointing, but at least he'll know the truth. Quote: And as noted in our previous conversation, the Beth/Laurie co-residency is a middle-term fix. Eventually it will have negative consequences on both of them. So there's still a final solution to be found at some stage. Unfortuately, just cloning or otherwise creating a new body for Laurie wouldn't work because she's still entangled in Herringcarp curse.It's still the best option *right now*, and remember, Faite tends to think in the right now because she can adjust it. Quote: Hatty would be smart enough to warn Yuki that breaking into Schloss Schreckausen riight then would be a gift to von Zemo. Yuki would be smart enough to see it.She would still make the lawyer eat both pieces of paper, even if she leaves right after. But Yuki *is* likely to come back when no one is watching. Quote: I suspect the dead worlds of the former Shee-Yar Imperium depopulated by the Carnifex are sources of significant interest to many interstellar races. Those worlds still have mineral assets, for example. There is a wealth of salvage, including jewels, art, and technology. And there are still-habitable plaetary systems with repairable infreastructure suitable for colonisation.That's probably true, but it's also highly contested. The Alliance members generally aren't willing to fight wars over resources, but only because they have so many worlds to source them from. Quote: Imagine what would happen in our world if, say, Russia was suddenly depopulated of every living thing. Think of the mad scramble to claim bits of it that would follow after. That's the situation in Shee-Yar space about nine months after it died.The Alliance approach would be to explore the section the part that's unguarded, and take possession of it briefly, and then leave before conflict becomes part of it. Saves a lot of money that way. If no part is unguarded, they're unlikely to fight for it. Quote: Here's where the Hood and his consortium are being smart. They are using the minimum neccessary agrression. If there are diplomatic dels to be done, that's how they do it. if there are economic routes, that's the deal. Only when they are met with force are they responsing with greater force. I haven't written yet about how they manage it, but right now the New Empire has about a quarter billion metahumans fighting in its front lines. The LL are seriously outnumbered.It's quite possible that the Hood's consortium is currently trading peacefully with the Alliance. That would be smart too, since, like I mentioned, they're reluctant to fight when trade is at stake. If the LL and its allies attack the Hood's consortium, the Alliance is most likely to defend their trade route and ignore the rest of it. Quote: It's a good story driver that should add some drama to the Traders ongoing plotlines.Note by the way that the "Traders" novel is actually not related to the Trade Alliance, though they have a similar name. The Traders referred to in the novel name are Abe, April, etc. Quote: The parallel model might be 17th and 18th century British trading fleets which were backed only when neccessary with the Royal Navy's ability to bring overwhelming force to bear if pushed to it.That's pretty much it. Essentially the Trading Alliance was a bunch of well-behaved pirates operating under a code and generally cooperating for the sake of profit. Once they started breaking the rules and fighting, the "navy" had to step in. Quote: Also, a society that really believes that trade is the way to success probably looks down on force as a crude and unsatisfying short-term solution. There are better, more profitable, more satisfying ways to win.They have a very solid belief, even taught in schools, that the Trading Alliance would be nothing if it resorted to war and aggression. That their prevalent technology and comfort everywhere would have never been possible. Of course, they also learn that most other societies in the galaxy are savages who fight over resources and neither profit from it nor advance. | |||||||
