Writing Prompts

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novius
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by novius »

orion1836 wrote:Or, better yet, I just realized that Nathanial is also a French name. Instead of Nathanial Hutchins, second-generation Scotch colonial from Ohio, the frontiersman could be Nathanial Jardin, fourth-generation French-American from Louisiana, making his way to Oregon Territory. :mrgreen:
Or, approach it from the other side. Like, if Alex would go back on his own family tree he might find some Hutchins amongst his ancestors. But, rest assured, this won't be the end of it. After all, the Loroi - or the Mizol specifically - went through the effort to create a surveillance network lasting for generations and spanning several star systems, just to be alerted when another human pops up on the scene...

Of course such an effort mandates quite serious motivation to do so.

entity2636
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by entity2636 »

Very nicely written, Novius. I did not expect the story to develop in this direction, aside from the Nathanial arch, that was telegraphed a while ago. But now I'm very much expecting Tempo's day to suddenly turn from not good to plain bad since somehow it appears that she has not been made aware of the fact, but Brightshield, who's of lower rank, has. One could almost start to think that some of the Mizols might be playing spy among themselves and, god forbid, withhold information from one another and have agendas within plans within plans of plans :roll: Or she knew from day one and latched onto Alex for this reason too....

Jethreuel
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Jethreuel »

It could be that Brightshield is just much older and may have heard about it from someone who was around when it happened (her mother maybe?). Also, it may have been procedure for the info to not have been stored in the ship data files, else it would have triggered on Tempo's system when the first tests were done on Alex after he was rescued.

Though if it was on the ship files, and Tempo also saw the files, she may have had her own reasons for not saying anything to Alex before now.

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dragoongfa
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

@novius:

Minor tidbit, there were six regular shuttles and highland 7 full with the crew of Gora relay. Canonically the station is home to 300 personnel and only non essensial personnel were evacuated which should drop the numbers down to 200ish. Also I wrote 200 warriors in my previous entry :P

@werra you should be happy to know that your last entry has a small spinoff of the spicy variety

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

A hundred questions raced through Alex mind. Tearing his face from the picture on the screen he turned to the Mizol. Brightshield had moved a bit away and was watching him intensely now.

"You knew about humans all along?"

"No, Captain, no Listel was present and these files have been sealed for hundreds of years. Every member of that Diral is likely dead now. This is not common knowledge."

"Likely dead after 400 years. Their medical technology must be astonishing. I wonder how old these Loroi actually are.", thought Alex. But for now he had more pressing concerns on his mind.

"You found him on one of your worlds, you said? How did he get there?"

"I was hoping you could tell me, Captain."

Still bewildered Alex answered: "No, we've been spacefaring for barely 200 years. 400 years ago we were still industrialising."

Alex took another look at the picture, as if to convince himself what he saw was real before he continued: "His clothes and the style of building match a period and culture on our planet about 400 years ago. It looks genuine. What else do you know about him?"

Brightshield leaned over behind his back pressing him forward and switched something around on her datapad. It now showed a text file.

She read him the essentials: "His name was Nathanial Hutchins. He was found by a Diral and had lived in the wilderness for at least several months. He befriended the members of this Diral and helped them in their survival by teaching crafting, and survival techniques. With his help the Diral also managed to fend off several predators, netting them many trophies."

"That is not much." came Alex disappointed answer.

"Much of the data has been corrupted over time. This is a very old storage file. Gora had it because its electronics were from a decommisioned frigatte and it needed my Mizol system access to unlock."

"Mizol access, are you saying that Tempo has these files too?" Alex asked.

"She has the clearance, but maybe Tempest doesn't have the files." Brightshield looked hesitant for a moment, before speaking again: "Don't misunderstand me. She will have them when, not if, I make my report. It's part of my duty."

She sounded strangely apologethic to Alex. So he asked her: "You seem worried somehow. Is there more to these files that you haven't told me?"

Brightshield leaned forward, looking Alex straight into the eyes: "I told you this much because you saved my life.Take care that your impressive Lotai never wavers, Enzin."

Tempo had finally gotten on top of the work that had piled up on her desk during her absence. Her substitute had been dutifully diligent but some things required a Parats clearing. In an active warzone lots of things did.

It had taken her the better part of a cycle to clear all the immediately urgent issues. Yet far more work remained. The enemy had found a way to circumvent their Farseers and so the Imperial Fleet was scrambling a network of pickets and scouts to mitigate that. Those were longterm goals however. That business could wait until they resupplied the next time.

A fact Tempo was immensely thankful for as there was yet another important field to be worked. Alexander Jardin, that pink alien male they had running around aboard Tempest. The telepathic chatter that reached her was nothing short of amazing. The rang and file were talking about nothing else.

She hated and thanked Stillstorm both for waving reglementations. On one hand, no senior staff would be swamped under mating requests, on the other hand, having Alex run around ship posed an immense security risk. "Did that woman not even consider basic opsec?" thought Tempo angrily.

Tempo pushed her irritation aside for a moment. There were ways to solve the security concerns. She was sure that she could find some Mizol way for that. There were angles to work with, health concerns, diplomatic concerns, issues of secrecy and security...no, she wasn't worried. For a moment she paused, considering the workload she'd have if Alex remained this unsupervised. Virtually all his interactions would need to be recorded, he'd have to be under constant surveillance and she was the one it would all fall back on. No, she wasn't worried that she wouldn't find an angle.

The door to her office opened and Cloud entered. The girl brought her several new data slates and as she had come to rely on, a new batch of rumours and chatter to digest.

"Palat Tempo, here is the data you requested."

"Thank you, Cloud. The crew seems lively today."
"Yes, Parat. Everybody is talking about Jardin."

"Do tell, Cloud."

Tempo liked the girl. She didn't have the telekinetic aptitude for a Mizol, yet was a reliable source of all kinds of colloquial information. Fully aware of her low rank, Cloud had a nack for being in the right places at the right time. Nobody paid much attention to a Paset.

"A large part of the crew is scheming to get an intimade encounter with him. Most of the crew has several bets on who will be first or loudest. It's all in good spirits though. Jardin gained a lot of respect with his stunt at Gora Relay."

"That's reasuring, Cloud. Who is leading in the bets right now?"

"Doranzer Winterbloom and Mizol Brightshield, Parat. Beryl, Talon and you would be leading...." Cloud hesitated to continue.

"Don't worry, this is business, Cloud."

"The crew believes that all of you already had encounters on the shuttle."

Tempo had expected something like that. They had kept Alex on the shuttle for days. Rumours were only natural. Like any rumour, these ones hurt for their falseness.

Cloud waited on her to continue, aware of all that hadn't happened.

"Anything else, Cloud?"

"Yes, Parat, Lashret Stillstorm wants a full briefing on Gora Relay and the alien at the end of your shift."

"Thank you, Cloud. If you want you can take the rest of your shift off now. Enjoy yourself in the rec rooms."

"Will do, Parat. Thank you."

Tempo really liked that girl. She had understood exactly what else was in the rec rooms while Tempo was busy with Stillstorm.

A briefing suited Tempo fine. She had planned to speak with Stillstorm anyway and affect some changes vitally important to save her a lot of work. She was also eager to find out what exactly Alex had said to her.

As she stood up to leave, a tightly focused message was sanzaied to her. Her fellow Mizol Brightshield: "Need to brief you on Jardin. He's second contact."

Bewildered Tempo sent out a quick acknowledgement before leaving her office.

It was a short time after Brightshield had left Alex alone in his cabin. A good deal more confused than he ever was before. A human on a loroi world was monumental. It changed everything. Lieing on his bed he went through several scenarios how it could have played out. But apart from literal magic, all he came up with was some sort of ancient alien. That and these corny alien abduction theories from the 20th century.

Alex was ever glad that the Loroi hadn't done that to him. Their little stunt as he woke up was enough for his tastes. Luckily the freak Lotai of humans had saved him. As soon as he remembered that, an icy shiver went down his spine. Brightshields parting words had hit him quite hard.

His worries were quickly dispersed by the sound of his door opening. Beryl was here. Alex sat upright on his bed. She looked radiant. He hadn't seen her since before they had all boarded the shuttle to escape the relay. Alex opened his mouth to say something. But as Beryl turned around and locked his door, his words stopped somewhere in his throat.

Alex knew that look on her face. He had seen it once before. Then she dove at him.
@dragoongfa
The author even managed to fit it seamlessly into my part of the story.

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dragoongfa
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

Said story can be found here, work of an anon, saved for posterity: https://imgur.com/cdIjFPc

I am half tempted to somehow push this 'event' in the story with a trope mugaffin like 'both events happened but only we two know of this particular event', if only to write the lulzy uncomfortable situations that would inevitably unfold.

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

Well, let's see what the others take on this is. I'd be open to leaving it vague.

novius
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by novius »

dragoongfa wrote:@novius:

Minor tidbit, there were six regular shuttles and highland 7 full with the crew of Gora relay. Canonically the station is home to 300 personnel and only non essensial personnel were evacuated which should drop the numbers down to 200ish. Also I wrote 200 warriors in my previous entry :P

@werra you should be happy to know that your last entry has a small spinoff of the spicy variety
Drat. Guessed I missed that number, and since a full contingent of the Relay would be ~300, I guessed the skeleton crew to be about one-tenth. They did send away nonessential staff before the fur started to fly, so I guessed it would take about maybe 30-40 to keep basic operations and defense running. Though... it might be a nice thing for Alex's reputation to be hailed as the "Savior of the Gora Relay staff", much to Stillstorms everlasting chagrin :)

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dragoongfa
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

Non essential personnel usually means non military support staff, in this case I guess that they were the various non Loroi auxiliaries that filled secondary roles in the station.

novius
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by novius »

Werra wrote:Well, let's see what the others take on this is. I'd be open to leaving it vague.
I already have a good idea. And, I promise I'll keep it tasteful.

In addition, there's still the fallout of the latest revelations, and still some unsolved mysteries :)

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

This might be a bit dark and a tone shift. I'll put it in spoilers and let you decide from where to continue.
SpoilerShow
After she had given the Parat her report, Cloud had made her way to the crew area. It was more packed than usual. Partly because of the evacuees of Gora had not been distributed amongst the departments of Tempest and so had free time and partly because this was the most interesting place on the ship right now.

That suited Cloud fine. All the chatter proved a nice distraction from the bland meal she had in front of her.

"I bet my next dessert that a bridge officer will get to him first."

"No way, he'll lose it with one of the Doranzers during his 'regular checkups'."

"Yes, think about it, he'll have privacy in the medical wing."

At a particular piece of fruit, Cloud paused. Ever since she had to clean that jail cell, some dishes had lost their good taste for her. At least Tempo had appreciated her provoking penal duty to get info on that alien.

"You slack-ears have no idea. Wait until he sees that the showers are communal."

"Two desserts that he showers in the corner for a week!"

Busy laughing few paid attention to the Listel that made her way through the hall. Cloud saw Tozet Beryl steer a straight line across the room. Her face a careful effort, her eyes staring ahead. When Beryl went dark a few minutes later, Cloud knew what the cause was.

Tempo hammered the button to open her office with the flat of her hand. The briefing has been bad. Usually she was able to deal with the Lashret. Because Tempo was good and because Stillstorm found politics boring.

But this time Stillstorm had been prepared. As Tempo let herself fall on her desk chair,she had trouble keeping herself from screaming.

Tempo had been sure she'd find a way to solve her security problems elegantly. At least one of the angles she prepared had always worked.

She recounted grimmly key points of the briefing. After Stillstorm had been brought up to speed on Enzin, they had discussed further steps.

Of course Tempo pushed to have some limitations put back into place. But Stillstorm had an answer for everything. Worst part of it was, that Tempo herself had given her the material to work with here. Or worse, Tempo had laid the foundation, Alexander Jardin had built the case for Stillstorms decision.

Health concerns?
Tempo had argued with this in her official request for Stillstorm to rescint her mating rights. So Stillstorm had handed the matter to the Doranzers who naturally advised Stillstorm to allow Alex to socialise with the crew. Meaning he got access to the crew area.

Diplomatic concerns?
Meeting the crew and learning about Loroi customs was exactly what a diplomat would be expected to do.

Security concerns?
Tempo herself had recognized Alex as a military attachee. Now that he had expressed his desire to ally with the Loroi several times, he counted as fighting personnel. Of course, he lacked the security clearance to get access to vital areas.

Concerns of secrecy?
As military attachee reglementations were more relaxed. He also lacked any specialized access to their computer systems. These concerns were therefore very minor. Especially considering the success he has had against the Shells.
Besides, Stillstorm reminded her that now, with a way around Enzins Lotai, Tempo could make sure he wasn't a threat. Stillstorm assured her that the means were unimportant to her, but that she expected Tempo to make certain.

Tempo let out a heavy breath. It was covert surveillance then. She would need to inform the lower ranking Mizol on board of this. They needed a program to catch any video feed showing Enzin and they needed personel to check up on him, discreetly, regularly. A nightmare of work. Just making sure the operatives surveing weren't uncovered would be a major task.

Even the respect Jardin had won with the survivors of Gora would work against her now, as that would prove to be a possible motivation for a leak. The same respect she had been so pleased about before would also trouble her personally soon.

On top of all that, she was now again saddled with her ordinary heavy workload, with all the addage of enemy action and their latest trick.

Enzin couldn't have made her situation worse. She wondered if he was aware of that. Tempo rested her head on her hands for a moment. Aware or not, it wouldn't matter anymore after today.

After a while she felt Brightshield approaching. At least the Mizol Sosat was polite enough not to mask her presence as she approached.

When the blue eyed Loroi entered, Tempo had uprighted herself again.

"Sosat Brightshield. You send me something quite astonishing earlier."

"I did, Parat. We received a top priority duty." Tempo was put off by the complete lack of rivalry Brightshield displayed all of a sudden. She was all professionalism. This was serious then.

"Received how, Sosat?"

Handing her a data slate, the Sosat explained: "A sealed data vault opened on Gora as we uploaded Jardins DNA results into the computer."

Now there were two opposing angles to work and two Mizol to do so. Brightshield would need to take care of this latest thing. Tempo had to burn a bridge.

Alex stared at the ceiling, flaoting on a wave of warmth. Next to him lay Beryl, her head on his chest. They didn't need language to know what the other felt. Lowering his Lotai had been the best thing to happen to him since his acceptance into the scout corpse. Beryls joy at that radiated into him and he gladly sated her curiousity by showing her his whole initiation ceremony. He dug up as many details as he could, for her.

A polite knock on the door tore them out of their dreams. Beryl looked at him for a moment and reminded him that while touching him, she couldn't sense other Loroi well. So he grudgingly let go of her.

Her face turned sour, then angry, then worried.

"Enzin, we need to get dressed. Tempo needs to see you in her office."

"Everytime we get interrupted."

"It's on official business, Enzin." she added.

Having given the message, Cloud didn't return to the rec hall. Duty called. She had only dark ideas of what would happen, but Tempos tone had set a mood her curiousity couldn't miss.

After a few minutes Beryl and he stood before a door. It looked more official than the door to Stillstorms quarters. For one the door was adorned with the Imperial Logo of the Loroi Union. The sign next to the door was set in a dark red and read: "Mizol Parat Sedel – Office "

Alex entered with Beryl. Tempo sat behind a large desk with slots for data disks neatly arrayed. A large display was drawn out of the desk. Behind her was a viewscreen that showed space. A few potted plants were placed in the office. A single chair stood in front of the desk, a bench on the side of the room. Cabinets were set into the walls. On one wall hung a large banner, too martial for Alex tastes. It was also quite dark in here.

If Tempo was surprised to see Beryl with him, it didn't show. Her voice was level and perfectly polite. If anything she sounded untypically uninterested.

"Captain Jardin, please come in and take a seat."

A cold sidelook to Beryl sent her to the bench. Then Tempo continued.

"With us back on Tempest there have come up some duties I am charged with. I am pleased you have found the time to meet me in person, Captain."

"Thank you, uh, Parat Tempo. I am surprised at the formality." Alex tried.

"This is a formal matter, Captain. Please be advised that for protocols sake, we are being recorded."

A sharp breath from Beryl made Alex turn his head. She did not meet his eye, instead she stared intently at Tempo.

Puzzled Alex asked: "What is the occasion, Parat Tempo?"

Tempo made a dismissive movement with her left hand and leaned back a bit.

"Formalities of a technical nature in due process of your status as diplomat and military attachee. With that comes freedom of movement to a degree on Tempest, which requires a security clearing for you, Captain Jardin."

That made sense, yet something made the hair on his neck stand up.Why would Tempo be this formal, even downright cold to him over this?

"I'll gladly help you in this matter, Parat."

"Thank you, Captain Jardin. Your cooperation is appreciated. As chief Mizol it falls on me to ascertain that you are not in any way a security risk."

Beryl rose, agitated: "What? You can't do ..."

Tempos head swivelled around, fixing Beryl. The Listel stopped its rise, grew sluggish and sacked back on the couch. She then slid to the side and started snoring softly.

Unbelievable as it was to Alex, Tempo had apparently put Beryl to sleep in a matter of seconds. She looked back at him. After a terrible second his eyes darted to the door. The lock turned as if by a ghostly hand. A pressure on his cheek turned his head back, making him look straight into Tempos red eyes.

"Please roll up the sleeve on your right arm, Captain." she said just as she deattached the sleeve of her left arm on her uniform.

As she grapped him by the forearm Alex desperately concentrated on his Lotai. His hope of his natural ability shutting her out was squashed.

She simply sent: "Not anymore."

When she was done Alex knew a lot more. The worry that Tempo had implanted a subliminal message to mindwash him had been completely unreal. She needed no such parlour tricks. Alex also knew now what it felt like when the Gestapo kicked in the door to your brain.

As soon as she had let go of his arm, Alex had hastily rolled down his sleeve again. Sweating profusely he had pressed himself as far back in his chair as possible. An animalistic panic in his bones. Now he mustered the Parat warily through squinted eyes.

She was entering something into her data terminal. It took a while, but Tempo typed one handed and took her time.

He recognized her typing in population numbers, size of ships, capabilities of ships, Arcturus, Vega and finally Sol. Alex had been a pilot on the Bellarmine. He knew the coordinates to earth by heart and now the Loroi had the precise way.

At last she stopped typing. Tempo turned her chair to him and gave him a pitiful look.

"Captain Jardin."

No reaction from him, so she continued. "Thank you for your cooperation. The Loroi Union is aware of the gross indiscretion this procedure can be perceived as. Please be assured that this was an entirely protocolar matter required for the high security position you have as military attachee to the 51th Strike Group of the Imperial Fleet."

Her tone was apathetic and she avoided his glare. Alex didn't care that she looked very tired all of a sudden. With the tingling in his arm subsiding, still he said nothing.

"I will inform Torrai Lashret Dellasoni that you can be trusted."

With clear bitterness Alex at last found his voice: "Trust? You think there is trust between us?"

Tempos voice grew strained: "No, I don't think you will ever trust me again, Captain Jardin."

The door behind Alex opened and Cloud came in. Tempo folded in her viewscreen and stood up to leave.

"Paset Cloud will stay with you until Tozet Beryl wakes up again."

"Excuse me, Captain Jardin."
I know, I posted two parts in a row...but this idea had to be posted.

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dragoongfa
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

I think that you went too far with it, the key issue is that on matters of diplomacy and espionage Tempo easily overrides Stillstorm since she has admiralty granted authority backing her for such things. Maintaining a good working relationship with the diplomat would be a primary concern over any secondary concerns about security mainly because said concerns would be addressed in time with having said good working relationship.

EDIT: And lets not forget the fact that after everything that happened this may actually be a cause for a REAL mutiny.
EDIT2: So no, even if Tempo is stupid enough to do this there is no way this is going to end with anything other than a dead end.
Last edited by Guest on Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Warringrose
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Warringrose »

SpoilerShow
Um... I'm not rly that smart on politics but isn't openly telepathically mind raping a diplomat like this kind of a declaration of total war?

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

You are both probably right and I'm glad for the feedback.
SpoilerShow
We can't be sure about the legality. When in doubt, I lean to total war policies allowing such things. It may also be a standard procedure for those serving close to leadership positions on flagships. If our earth agencies had such means, they would use them on candidates. Probably like a regular check-up even.

Personally I see it more as a tactical spending of Tempos influence with Jardin to seize all he knows. There are more Mizol around and he is far from home with no way to contact his people. In space nobody can hear you scream no.

And I just don't believe that Tempo gets to override the Torrais orders completely. If you want you can read it as Stillstorm pressing her to do the steps required necessary for a militarie attachee. Basically a reminder to do her duty according to reglementation if she is so big on it.

Mutiny? That stunt will definitely make Tempo very unpopular. The question is, how much of it will get out there. Tempo won't tell, Beryl was out and Alex is unlikely to speak about it.

Edit:
This also doesn't need to end in a dead-end. Alex has potentially the fate of all of mankind resting on his shoulders. Swallowing whatever crap gets on his plate is part of the mission. As long as somebody reminds him that making a good impression by any means possible is his purpose, he has the motivation to overcome these setbacks.

Just my thought process. You can pick up from anywhere you like.

And think of the redemption arc, guys.
At worst this is a hopefully amusing what-if.

Warringrose
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Warringrose »

SpoilerShow
I... hope this isn't cannon, there can be no peace with such creatures. If Alex doesn't tell every Loroi and Human what just happened in that room he is a fool and a traitor. He has no choice but to report this, and this ends any possibility of any sort of relationship between the two nations at all. Tempo would know this and have no choice but to kill him. This is thoughtless, foolish, sloppy and completely unnecessary. This forces humanity to have no choice but join the Umiak. I don't think this is very smart from anyone's perspective. Just have guards on his butt all the time and monitor him with cameras. or make him wear a computer bracelet with a gps or something... If any human nation did this to another human nation we would nuke them. Alot.

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

SpoilerShow
Warringrose wrote:I... hope this isn't cannon, there can be no peace with such creatures. If Alex doesn't tell every Loroi and Human what just happened in that room he is a fool and a traitor. He has no choice but to report this, and this ends any possibility of any sort of relationship between the two nations at all. Tempo would know this and have no choice but to kill him. This is thoughtless, foolish, sloppy and completely unnecessary. This forces humanity to have no choice but join the Umiak. I don't think this is very smart from anyone's perspective. Just have guards on his butt all the time and monitor him with cameras. or make him wear a computer bracelet with a gps or something... If any human nation did this to another human nation we would nuke them. Alot.
It's in a spoiler precisely because you guys are meant to pick up from wherever you want. Treat it as a what-if. Fine by me. I mostly wanted some feedback.

Now, I can see where you are coming from, but the Loroi already attempted this very thing with Alex back in chapter 1. I don't think it's unbelievable that they would try again with an established way around his Lotai. They have always been doing this sort of thing in war and presumably in clandestine Mizol operations. The only reason we readers haven't already considered this as a real threat is humanities very convenient immunity.
Would Tempo do it to Alex? No, but she ended up the only Mizol in a position to do so.
It's an alien concept to us, but it's at most on the level of waterboarding to the Loroi. I don't see why we should be warbound with the Loroi now. We care little about literal torture prisons today. Many would even make the case that a non invasive intrusion into the mind would be preferable to our crude methods.

And yes, Alex is after this essentially expendable for the Loroi.

With all due respect, but I can't understand this vehement critique.

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dragoongfa
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

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In addition to everything I wrote earlier I am siding with Warringrose here, established diplomatic protocol is that a military attache is a diplomat that helps with whatever military matters they can while still serving the best interests of their nation. They are still a diplomat with all the diplomatic immunity that comes with. What you just wrote is like having a US diplomat torture/interrogate the military attache of a NATO country. Such actions are cause for war.

And yes, the Mizol have expanded authority in diplomatic, espionage and military policing matters, especially now that they have a Mizol Emperor. Tempo won't take such orders from anyone else other than a superior Mizol or the Emperor herself. Hell, Stillstorm ordering such an action against a recognized diplomat of a friendly state would be grounds for a quite harsh punishment.

Closing, with such an event the only solution Alex is left with is suicide since he is now essentially a PoW of a hostile state that just recanted his diplomatic protection status. His duty would best be served with somehow warning the TCA of the inherent and now proven hostility of the genocidal Loroi against those who help them, failing that he must do his best not to provide any further aid to the enemy and the only way to do that now that his Lotai is no more is by dying.

EDIT: On Chapter 1 Alex wasn't a recognized diplomat and Tempo took full diplomatic responsibility for all indignations he suffered in front of two other diplomatic representatives. There is no going back from this if the Barsam and the Historians learn of this event.
EDIT: Addition.

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Werra
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by Werra »

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dragoongfa wrote:In addition to everything I wrote earlier I am siding with Warringrose here, established diplomatic protocol is that a military attache is a diplomat that helps with whatever military matters they can while still serving the best interests of their nation. They are still a diplomat with all the diplomatic immunity that comes with. What you just wrote is like having a US diplomat torture/interrogate the military attache of a NATO country. Such actions are cause for war.

And yes, the Mizol have expanded authority in diplomatic, espionage and military policing matters, especially now that they have a Mizol Emperor. Tempo won't take such orders from anyone else other than a superior Mizol or the Emperor herself. Hell, Stillstorm ordering such an action against a recognized diplomat of a friendly state would be grounds for a quite harsh punishment.

Closing, with such an event the only solution Alex is left with is suicide since he is now essentially a PoW of a hostile state that just recanted his diplomatic protection status. His duty would best be served with somehow warning the TCA of the inherent and now proven hostility of the genocidal Loroi against those who help them, failing that he must do his best not to provide any further aid to the enemy.
I well understand what you're saying. If the Loroi were human I would fully agree with you two. But they aren't. They're an explicitly racial supremacist nation locked in total war with a no neutrality doctrine. Their society formed with mindreading capabilities. What we view as a serious breach of protocol might be minor for them. Again, such a deep mindread may even be a requirement for certain security clearings. You know it would be for us if we could do that.

Your reaction is great to consider, btw. This might be why the Umiak prepared for war against the Union. Because to them they look like weird aliens.

Edit:
Let's agree to disagree. We know too little about the laws in place to make a judgement. The point at issue comes down to this.
Is it believable for a telepathic species with mindreading to require a mindreading for security clearance by protocol?

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dragoongfa
Posts: 1920
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Re: Writing Prompts

Post by dragoongfa »

Werra wrote:
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dragoongfa wrote:In addition to everything I wrote earlier I am siding with Warringrose here, established diplomatic protocol is that a military attache is a diplomat that helps with whatever military matters they can while still serving the best interests of their nation. They are still a diplomat with all the diplomatic immunity that comes with. What you just wrote is like having a US diplomat torture/interrogate the military attache of a NATO country. Such actions are cause for war.

And yes, the Mizol have expanded authority in diplomatic, espionage and military policing matters, especially now that they have a Mizol Emperor. Tempo won't take such orders from anyone else other than a superior Mizol or the Emperor herself. Hell, Stillstorm ordering such an action against a recognized diplomat of a friendly state would be grounds for a quite harsh punishment.

Closing, with such an event the only solution Alex is left with is suicide since he is now essentially a PoW of a hostile state that just recanted his diplomatic protection status. His duty would best be served with somehow warning the TCA of the inherent and now proven hostility of the genocidal Loroi against those who help them, failing that he must do his best not to provide any further aid to the enemy.
I well understand what you're saying. If the Loroi were human I would fully agree with you two. But they aren't. They're an explicitly racial supremacist nation locked in total war with a no neutrality doctrine. Their society formed with mindreading capabilities. What we view as a serious breach of protocol might be minor for them. Again, such a deep mindread may even be a requirement for certain security clearings. You know it would be for us if we could do that.

Your reaction is great to consider, btw. This might be why the Umiak prepared for war against the Union. Because to them they look like weird aliens.
SpoilerShow
You are overestimating the security clearing aspect of a military attache, the military attaches of all NATO nations in the US don't have any short of security clearance for classified US military intelligence, they are liable to learn ONLY what the US wants them to know. In addition in depth background checks are done by the nation that sends the diplomat, not by the nation that hosts them; the only solution for the host nation if they don't like a military attache is tell them 'We have nothing to share with you at the moment' until they get the picture and send someone better suited for the task.

Also the Loroi Union is an interstellar state with several fully fledged members races while also being formally allied with at least two independent stellar states, they know how to play the diplomatic game or they wouldn't be where they are now.

entity2636
Posts: 339
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:53 am

Re: Writing Prompts

Post by entity2636 »

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While I do think Werra put Tempo, how I tend to see her in in canon, "on paper" pretty much spot on, I have to agree with Warringrose and Dragoongfa that Tempo's stunt will, or should be, considered a declaration of war on TCA by the Loroi Union, and the only directions the story can realistically go on are

a) for Alex to either incite a mutiny against Stillstorm, on who's orders Tempo did this and Tempo herself (not impossible since he may have supporters among the Tempest's crew, the Barsam captain Mozin and the Historian VI construct who both witnessed him being assigned diplomatic status that now has been violated), or

b) do whatever he can to protect Humanity from the information leak, i.e. either by scuttling the Tempest or running them head first into a bug armada.

Alex now has become disposable to the Loroi so running away, aligning with the bugs or simply committing suicide will not help anyone anymore. It'd be much better to take as many of the blue-skinned space fascists with him as possible

There is also option (c) - Tempo's redemption where, for example, she had implanted a message Alex sees in his dream in that Tempo says how sorry she is and that she was forced to do this at the threat of her own life. The information she entered in the computer has been encrypted for her eyes only (note - sanzai, nothing was said aloud and recorded on tape, except that Alex is no threat) and she will get one back at Stillstorm

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