Annnnd we're off!
Personally, I've sort of learned that you have to actually let Mr. Zoat finish an episode before you get all up in arms. Because you don't know where he's going with all thise.
Ultimately I agree with what other people have said, that this test seemed like a half-assed exercise in morality theater meant to let OL feel better about gunning down unarmed prisoners.
Again I will point out that OL gunned down precisely no one. He just stood there while Amalak's defenses did the job. Also, Amalak, Starfire and Blackfire also just stood there along with OL...annnd I don't hear a peep complaining about that. At best OL goaded the stupid ones into charging.
And in my opinion, OL just committed a war crime; like has been pointed out, you don't mind control a bunch of people into destroying their civilization, then stand in front of them immediately afterwards, without any cooloff period, except you're looking for an excuse to murder them.
And he's reinforcing bad habits in Komand'r as well.
Unfortunately for that opinion, to Tamaran and probably every other world under Citadel control, Paul is the Ultra Super Hero of god damn liberation. Also hard to commit a war crime when there aren't any laws or so called "rules" of war pressed upon Paul or his currently small organization. Doubtful also that anyone who might want to prosecute him actually has the muscle to be able to do it if he blows them off. Also, in my opinion, all this "war crime" nonsense is just that...nonsense.
Or he's letting Blackfire get it all out of her system so she can feel properly avenged.
By the standards he's espoused here, neither Conner nor the G-nomes would have survived being decanted. Nor would Match.
I'm not sure what you mean by decanted, but if you're talking about being let out of their tanks, well...funny thing is...Paul is perfectly capable of doing different things to different groups who might have similar origins. Now his meta knowledge makes this even easier. It's not like he's locked in some sort of logic circuit of "Well I killed those clones, might as well kill all clones."
And the whole no options thing just doesn't hold up to inspection.
He could have marooned them in bulk on one planet.
He could have split them up and put them on different planets, or in different sectors of space; they have enough skills to make a living in a technological society.
People keep saying that. He could have, he could have. But I'm not hearing WHY he SHOULD have. I mean other than all generically noble. All that time he would spend doing that? He could be doing literally anything else that he actually WANTS to do.
Paul literally just went with the most immediately expedient option, and the one that is most likely to be actively detrimental to his longterm goals, both with regards to Orange Lantern culture and recruitment, and reputation. Not to mention his relationships.
It's yet another of those decisions that's both ethically and tactically indefensible on his part.
Unless of course it doesn't prove to be actively detrimental to his long term goals, OLC business, and reputation. Because...you know, there isn't anything that says it does. Amalak is standing right there, someone who has done business with OL and who also will probably be telling this tale to others, and he doesn't seem to be bothered in the slightest. As a matter of fact...who is to say that OL doesn't WANT people to be told just what happened here?
He gave his prisoners a legitimate offer of mercy, under circumstances that he'd deliberately set up to be as soul-crushing and emotionally charged as possible against that offer. What did he want out of this?
If he genuinely wanted them to take the offer, why engineer the circumstances to have the Citadelians as irrational as possible when he made it? If he didn't want them to take the offer, why make it to begin with? If he wanted some but not all to take the offer, then how was the scenario he created designed to select out the Citadelians he considered useful from the ones he didn't?
He could have spaced them all, or ordered them to kill themselves. He could've kept them as his own army. He could've turned them all over to Amalak still branded, with orders to serve faithfully. He could've let Komand'r assimilate them. He could've marooned them, released them from his control, and given them a day, or a month, or a year to think over what they really wanted. He could've released them to let Komand'r get off on their despair and impotent rage, and then killed them all. He could've released them and then re-branded them. He could've done a million different things. Why do it the way he did?
This is an orange lantern fic, so what the hell did he want out of that?
So Zoat already said that long term branding leads to many a mental problem, and I love how you lump ASSIMILATION, something even Grayven feels is abhorrent, as something BETTER then plain death. (In a universe with confirmed afterlives.)
But to the point....Did it ever occur to you that perhaps he didn't want anything? That he did not really care either way? Hence his just standing there and doing nothing? Is it possible that he looked at these 800 tank bred soldiers that he in no way needs or wishes to see others harmed by, and just thought of a fancy, English way of going "Meh."
Plus, just look at the tale he's already weaved.
Shows up in Vega and brokers a deal between opposing powers. Showing he can be reasonable with those who will be reasonable. Also openly kicks the hell out of a pirate leader and that he can easily take control of a person.
Breaks up a slave ring, liberates a planet, and installs defenses upon it.
Meets with the Controllers and beings a new Lantern corps (this may not be openly known)
Removes the god damn beast of Okaara and Kills the First of the Citadel
Flattens the Citadel empire, uses their own men, takes their shit, and then mass drivers the shit out of them.
Makes an offer of mercy towards the men he used, and then stands there stone cold as they chose to brave Amalak's defenses because he clearly doesn't give a shit EITHER WAY. Though this will show that if he takes you prisoner, and you don't mindlessly berserk, you can probably leave with your skin.
You know what that all adds up to? A guy, and from him a group, that you REALLY don't want to fuck with. You might want to be all open and reasonable or they might just END YOU.
Best yet? He's not even done setting a rep up.
