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173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:26 am
by Jethreuel
New Page Posted.

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Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:28 am
by SaintofM
Can we expect a shut and kiss me from Fireblade then?

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:47 am
by volrath77
Continuing from my last reply in the thread for 172, so it is confirmed that the plug is part of Fireblade's amplifier and quite likely directly connected with her brain/nervous system to give her telekinetic abilities that extra oomph.

That said, if all Unsheathed avoid/deny telepathic links in all cases except to 'speak' only to give warnings or issue challenges, it's a lonely existence I think. Maybe that's why she was incensed (initially) at Jardin because somehow he managed to form a link from the mind probe (despite being telepathically 'dead') and that created a chink in her mental defenses, hence her reaction in the lift? It might also be something very personal and resonates with her in some way. Although judging from her imploring face when Stillstorm dismissed them from the bridge, that animosity didn't last long. The look she gave him when she took off her armor also didn't seem to convey hostility but rather discomfort at being stared at.

Also mentioned in the last reply for 172 that I thought at least one of the guards is not an Unsheathed. Maybe but also maybe not. If they don't trust Jardin, one of them directly speaking to him is a perfect way to convey that now that we know what is going on with the Unsheathed caste. So yeah, the other guards may or may not be Unsheathed themselves subject to Arioch's confirmation. I suspect that they're not, given the difference of the helmets worn. Fireblade's partial helmet may be due to the headpiece she wore which cannot fit under the normal helmet.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:02 am
by kiwi
I’m pretty sure the “does not speak” is about vocalisation, not sanzai. My reading was that an Unsheathed would sanzai in a normal situation, but in a threatening situation she would block off her sanzai to reduce attack surface and then user her voice.

Maybe for her to speak aloud is like using an external speaker system on your main battle tank... it works, but in an alarming fashion.

And Alex can’t sanzai, so they can’t communicate much.

(Also, for anyone who’s about to say “90% of communication is body language,” I invite you to consider the appropriate body language for “what time does the first bus to Munich leave tomorrow?”)

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:49 am
by Turrosh Mak
kiwi wrote:(Also, for anyone who’s about to say “90% of communication is body language,” I invite you to consider the appropriate body language for “what time does the first bus to Munich leave tomorrow?”)
That's easy! Just unzip your pants and do the helicopter while hip thrusting in the general direction of Bavaria and waving your cap (for capital, arm flexing is for Nurnberg).

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:09 am
by novius
For something different, it is interesting to see that Beryl was quick to follow up on Talon's prior question, and on the same note as Talon.

Looks like we can pretty much expect most of the Loroi to cheer him on whenever he gives one of them so much as a second glance.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:46 am
by boldilocks
novius wrote:For something different, it is interesting to see that Beryl was quick to follow up on Talon's prior question, and on the same note as Talon.

Looks like we can pretty much expect most of the Loroi to cheer him on whenever he gives one of them so much as a second glance.
Who would have suspected that one of Beryl's turn-ons was data-acquisition.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:35 am
by Errhile
kiwi wrote:I’m pretty sure the “does not speak” is about vocalisation, not sanzai. My reading was that an Unsheathed would sanzai in a normal situation, but in a threatening situation she would block off her sanzai to reduce attack surface and then user her voice.
Yup.
As the Unsheathed are apparently the equivalent of Marines for the Loroi Empire (shipborne troops intended for boarding / counterboarding operations and as planetside-deployable combat force - they are also tasked with shipboard security, which in many Earth navies was traditional role of the marine contingent), they simply have to communicate with each other.

They need to be able to give orders to their subordinate unsheathed (let's assume their non-Unsheathed superiors could at least address them vocally) and report back, as well as exchange information / coordinate in combat. You can't always rely on written orders, and hand signs - while very useful - are a limited mean of communicating.
For a human, speaking vocally is the most natural way of conveying information. For Loroi, the most natural way would seem to be sanzai. The Unsheathed, therefore, need to handle it somehow.

My guess would be they sanzai when no danger is present (besides - weren't we told the loroi are the sole telepathic species known? If so, there's only one potential source of a telepathic attack: another Loroi). When in combat - they revert to verbal communication (which in turn implies they are fluent enough to use it under stress).

Of course, all that is being based on what Beryl tells Alex, so it may be truth & whole truth, it may be a simplification based on tradition, or might be simply conscious misinformation (no idea what for, though).

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:32 pm
by Krulle
Why is she putting on (donning) the amplifier now?

There's not much to do right now, is there?

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:38 pm
by dragoongfa
She is 'Unsheathed', ready for combat at anytime.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 1:15 pm
by DevilDalek
Well, looks like I lost in the'Arioch next page lottery'!!!
Lol.
Turrosh Mak wrote: That's easy! Just unzip your pants and do the helicopter while hip thrusting in the general direction of Bavaria and waving your cap (for capital, arm flexing is for Nurnberg).
Is clockwise for am and counterclockwise for pm, with number of turns for time slots I belive.!!

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:01 pm
by DCR
Krulle wrote:Why is she putting on (donning) the amplifier now?

There's not much to do right now, is there?
Think Fireblade only removed the headpiece as she was removing her armor. I'm curious if she sleeps with the headpiece... that indicates a bit more than simply 'ready for action'.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:27 am
by SaintofM
DCR wrote:
Krulle wrote:Why is she putting on (donning) the amplifier now?

There's not much to do right now, is there?
Think Fireblade only removed the headpiece as she was removing her armor. I'm curious if she sleeps with the headpiece... that indicates a bit more than simply 'ready for action'.
I would think that as well. They are still in a dangerous situation, and she needs her primary armament ready incase tall, sand colored, and buggy decides to check for survivors.

Probably no different than a roman legionnaire sleeping with a dagger under their pillow, or a modern soldier with their side arm within reach while they rest.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:26 am
by Voitan
Something tells me Unsheathed regularly do policing actions on their own populace, Loroi are thus far, the only psychics (Telepathic links can be exploited for attack).

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 10:08 am
by GeoModder
Voitan wrote:Something tells me Unsheathed regularly do policing actions on their own populace, Loroi are thus far, the only psychics (Telepathic links can be exploited for attack).
I thought that was more the pregorative of the Mizol (Tempo's branch).

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:12 pm
by novius
It's notable that Beryl is quite forthcoming with information. The headpiece being some sort of weapon might not be a well kept military secret, but still something not to outright tell a likely still untrusted alien.

Sure, Loroi have problems with telling outright lies (with Mizol being the exception), but she could have deflected the truth behind the device or given a more non-commital answer.

Either she is really intent on building trust and a rapport with Alex, or it is a situation where it would not matter how much or how little he would know of the Loroi, for example, if he'd be dead in the forseeable future anyway.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:37 pm
by Arioch
I think that sometimes deterrence value can be worth more than tactical surprise, especially when you're dealing with a potential ally.

They could have kept Fireblade's psychokinesis entirely a secret from Alex, but since their orders are to keep him alive, it was important for Alex's own safety to let him know that Fireblade could and would kill him if the situation called for it... which he could not otherwise know, since she appears to be unarmed. Additionally, Tempo and Beryl both want to get as much information out of Alex as they can, and he has made it clear that this is contingent on them being forthcoming with him (as much as is reasonable).

At the moment, they're all "in the same boat" in terms of their unfavorable situation, and all of their survival may hinge on Alex not making ignorant blunders based on misinformation.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 12:20 am
by Ithekro
And given how far away his homeworld is expected to be, its not like he can report in on anything he learns for quite some time.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:36 am
by SaintofM
novius wrote:It's notable that Beryl is quite forthcoming with information. The headpiece being some sort of weapon might not be a well kept military secret, but still something not to outright tell a likely still untrusted alien.

Sure, Loroi have problems with telling outright lies (with Mizol being the exception), but she could have deflected the truth behind the device or given a more non-commital answer.

Either she is really intent on building trust and a rapport with Alex, or it is a situation where it would not matter how much or how little he would know of the Loroi, for example, if he'd be dead in the forseeable future anyway.
It could be possible she's not thinking too deeply about any more than a soldier with a standard issue assault riffle is with their weapon, or the fact they use the ultra common NATO rounds.

Re: 173: A Form of Warning or Challenge

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 5:56 pm
by CF2
Oh, hey, what if the amplifier connections are what allowed Alex to "see" Fireblade back when he was doing his best zen thing?