THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

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THE SWARM SHEET
  • Informational
    • The Brood of Blades
    ​
    Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke
    LEVEL: 5
    XP: 205/210
    TRAITS
    Strategic Genius: Once per structured encounter, Sam can create a piece of the environment that is in her favor as a sticky spark. Roll a d3 for its value.
    Empathetic: upon meeting an NPC, learn their motivation!
    Legendary Commander: Gain 4 Command sparks at the beginning of each mission/combat. Command sparks may be spent to give NPCs orders, which they may either obey or refuse to obey (doing nothing instead.) Command sparks may not be regained via skills or powers.
    Hunted: Something wants her - but for what? +1 Danger to all scenes​
    SKILLS
    CLOSE COMBAT (2): Brawling, Edged Weapons
    PERSONAL (2): Awareness, Resilience
    SOCIAL (4): Charm, Empathy, Leadership, Taunt​
    MASTERY
    ACU Pilot (2): Nanofabrication [Mass], ObSat Operations [Range]
    The Hilt (4): Biomorphic Spawning (People), Regeneration (Durability), Physical Perfection (Speed), Telepathic Dominion (Range)​

    POWERS
    The Living Swarm
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Gain 1 Living Swarm spark, +1 per vent reduction.​
    The Living Swarm: While this swarm exists, move in three dimensions and through anything smaller than a keyhole, reforming at will. You may expend these sparks to cause 3 Hit Sparks in a Area 2 radius.​
    Area Upgrade: +1 to Area Characteristic​

    Biomorphic Reinforcement
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create 1 Biomorphic Reinforcement spark, +1 per vent reduction, which can be given out to anyone within Range 2, or to yourself
    Biomorphic Reinforcement: +1 to Damage or Mass characteristic for the purpose of raw physical strength/feats.

    Back to Back
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Choose 1 ally (+1 per vent reduction), within Range 1. Each can take one action using one of your skills, any of them that you wish. Once they have done so, you may make a free attack with your melee weapon, getting +1 to your skill per ally that acted.​

    Adaptation
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create a number of sparks equal to the enemy's difficulty, narratively based on turning their abilities against them. Works on enemies of Diff 2>, +2 per vent reduction.​

    Just as Planned…
    Vent: 6-0
    Effect: Vent 6 heat and create 1 Planning Spark for her or an ally, +1 Spark per vent reduction.​
    Planning: The person holding this Spark can expend this to get +1 to a skill check as a free action. Using this Stack counts as you are helping for the purpose of relationships.​

    GEAR
    Zeratul's Psi-Blades
    Adds: +0 (Edged Weapons) | Characteristics: Damage [Speed] (4)[1]​
    Shadowstep (3): Can expend as a free action to move without crossing intervening space.
    Guarded Space (3): Can expend to use Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability, reducing incoming Damage characteristics.​

    GALACTIC WAR
    Victory Points: 5    ​
    RESOURCES​
    TERRAN DOMINION [Background] (1)​
    The men and material of the Dominion - limited, but they're mustering as we speak. ​
    ALLIANCE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES [Mastery] (1)​
    While you have access to several ACUs of every faction, they lack economic and technological support to be fully effective. ​
    ZERG HIVE [Mastery] (1)​
    The scant few Zerg you control that are free of Amon's influence. Mostly Zerglings. ​
    AEON FLEET [Background] (1)​
    While half a dozen CZARs seem impressive, they're not actually well made for ship to ship combat. ​
    ALLIED COHESION [Motivation] (1)​
    The alliance is fragile and weak.​

    FRONTS​
    Trade Sector-34-51 [Pirate Activity]
    Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)
    COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
    RESULTS: Pending

    Braxis [Zerg Invasion]
    Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)
    COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
    RESULTS: Pending

    Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]
    Typhan II Occupied 6 (Xel'Naga ACU Spotted 1)
    COMMAND: Lt. Colonel Mathew Horner | ARMY: UEF Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending

    Deep Space Sector 981 [Hive Fleet Identified]
    Zerg Hive Fleet Spotted 6 (Kerrigan? 1)
    COMMAND: Citizen-Commander Dostya | ARMY: CN Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending
    ​
    ENEMY ASSETS (Currently Known)
    ​
    THE GOLDEN ARMADA
    ACTIVITY: Unknown | Threat Level: 6​
     
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  • Informational
    • aledeth said:
    We took a decent amount of the 'I'm not happy with this situation" options, pretty recently too. Be kinda annoying if that all got handwaved away with 'hormones'
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    Yeah, the "i'm with the swarm" option has nothing to do with hormones and a lot to do with Clarke's losing loyalty to the UEF state. The way I see it, she's still not entirely happy with being in the swarm, but she does see what it can offer her - the strength and position to kick the galaxy into a better shape with the Cybrans.

    Which may have been unclear in the vote, lol.
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    Yeah, the "i'm with the swarm" option has nothing to do with hormones and a lot to do with Clarke's losing loyalty to the UEF state. The way I see it, she's still not entirely happy with being in the swarm, but she does see what it can offer her - the strength and position to kick the galaxy into a better shape with the Cybrans.

    Which may have been unclear in the vote, lol.
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    So, not only is it not the impression that Clarke would want to give to Raynor and his buddies, I'm not sure if she wants to tell Sarah that she forgives her by siding with her this much, but also if Matt is watching/listening, she might not want to say that. Which isn't to say he might take it badly, but I feel like Clarke would want to point out that her identity isn't Zerg, she's just allied with them and cares about them.
     
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    [X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    if you pick all four, there'd be 2, 2, 1, 1 sparks at the start of each battle, and allowing you to use them very few times per combat/or before you need to take an action to refresh them
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    does the refresh action reload all the sparks or just the ones for certain/selected abilities?
    DragonCobolt said:
    "STill have not figured out how to tell your mysteriously alive commanding officer how it is you earned such a perfect partnership?" she asked, grinning warmly.

    "You can't be married under duress!" Matt said, flushing.

    "You were not duressed at the time..."

    "I had a blood alcohol content of ought six! I was barely sentient. I'm shocked I lived!"

    "And yet you seem to have been quite alive in the honeymoonsuite..." Mara was nibbling on his ear.

    [...]

    Mara looked at him, then back up at the sky.

    "I hope you're right, Matt," she said, and squeezed his hand.

    Matt was absurdly comforted by the pressure.
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    Honestly it's kinda sweet lmao


    I am taking all the funny options lmao
    [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    [X] Have Cr tackle Kerrigan and start licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    [X] Oh right, she means sexually, not metaphorically. You wouldn't believe the things Zerg biology lets her stick in me and still get away with. Alright, now that I've expertly cut through the weird sexual tension of two exes meeting post transition, how about we go and plan how to kill two fascist motherfuckers? (Taunt skill check)
    -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.

    With a slightly more serious one here
    [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
     
    Avangelion said:
    does the refresh action reload all the sparks or just the ones for certain/selected abilities?
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    So, it works like this! You choose a narratively appropriate skill that would refresh the sparks, then test it against Difficulty 1, and you get 1 spark, +extras based on how high the skill is, and you can get more sparks by taking more heat. Now, not all those sparks have to be the same spark, if they're narratively linked then you can spread it out.

    Like, if Sam takes a combat stance with her edged weapon skill, she can make 2 sparks, which can refresh her shadowstep, or she could refresh her guarded sparks. Or she could take heat and refresh both!
     
    The fun thing is scaling when you do have high skills or characteristics you can make a huge chunk of sparks for 0 heat. Then you can either add +1 to that spark stack for 1 heat by spending heat to raise the skill (blegh) or you can spend 1 heat to take that action again and create a new stack of identical sparks (which is drop dead gorgeous)

    Now, the balancing there is the Difficulty. Because, if you are needing to hit a Diff 10, then spending extra heat to make more sparks makes sense because usually it would be eating even more heat to hit Diff 10(+1 from extra action penalty) a second time.

    HEAT is literally one of the best Diceless Systems I have ever seen. Coming from someone that on principle is opposed to Diceless Systems.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Feb 25, 2024 at 6:21 PM, finished with 33 posts and 22 votes.
    • [x] "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien. You don't need to play it up. Come, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."
      [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
      -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
      [X] "Sarah, stop deliberately needling Jim. It's stupid to quantum teleport sixty five light years and waste time with this bullshit." (Diff 5 Taunt check, 1 HEAT)
      [X] Have Cr tackle Kerrigan and start licking her face like an overexcited dog.
      [x] "Guys, are you going to act like high school exes, or like mature adults? We have a tyrant to kill, right?" (Diff 5 leadership check, 1 HEAT)
      [X] Oh right, she means sexually, not metaphorically. You wouldn't believe the things Zerg biology lets her stick in me and still get away with. Alright, now that I've expertly cut through the weird sexual tension of two exes meeting post transition, how about we go and plan how to kill two fascist motherfuckers? (Taunt skill check)
      -[X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
      [X] "It's okay Jim. I'm...part of the Swarm. I've made my peace with it." (DIff 5 Charm check, 1 HEAT)
      [X] Then Cr tackles Kerrigan and starts licking her face like an overexcited dog.
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    I'm gonna say this is Taunt, same diff since it's basically the same vibe as one of the non-write ins
     
    ACT TWO, MISSION FIVE: True Colors (0.2)
  • Threadmarks
    • You snorted loudly. "We can all see that you're a weird sexy alien, Sarah, you don't need to play it up." Her eyes narrowed at you, two glowing lines in the darkness. You offered your hand - still seeming human, chiten hidden underneath. "Come on, let's meet old friends and plot revolution."

    Her eyes narrowed more...then she chuckled. "All right, Sam. Lead the way. I wouldn't miss this reunion for worlds."

    ***
    ​
    The meeting room that Jim had in the center of the Hyperion was centered on the bridge - which itself was situated in the hammerhead front of the battlecruiser. It was high enough and near enough to the skin of the ship that there were heavy duty windows that looked out into the vastness of space. The glittering stars were beautiful, and the broad sweep of the world below was welcoming, but it couldn't miss your attention that the ship's design had put everyone important right near the front, where all the lasers and railguns would be pointed. When you muttered that to Sarah, she chuckled and whispered back.

    "This ship's old. It's a Guild War era battlewagon, designed right around when Ghost operatives were coming into their swing. The old models had recessed bridges, automatic targeting systems, and Adjutant managed fire control and acquisition programming."

    "And?" you asked.

    "A single Ghost with a psi-boosted lockdown round could shut the entire thing off for almost two minuets," she said, smirking as her spined hair flexed in a warm memory - as if she was remembering a particularly entertaining part of her past life. "Turns out, that was a little unfair."

    "And what if the bridge gets hit by lasers?" you muttered.

    "Then the Confederacy Navy promotes some up and comers," Sarah said, shrugging. "People die in war."

    "...right," you said, shaking your head.

    The center of the room had a glowing holographic display that, when you entered into the room, was displaying a buxom blond who was bouncing cheerfully and dancing for the few bridge techs of duty. It had been shifted to an orbital display under the glower of Jim Raynor. And now it showed the glowing white dot of the shuttle that was rising up towards you. However, you did notice the other ship that had arrived - the curved, elegant shape of the Gantrithor'es. That was the name, at least, that was displayed below it on the holographic projection.

    "So, is Fenix on his way?" you asked, nervously.

    "No, our old buddies in the Protoss are sending some new bigwig they got running the show," Jim said, sighing. "His name's Artanis. I think he was supposed to be an Executor during the Great War."

    Sarah frowned, ever so slightly. "He worked with Tassadar?"

    "Yup," Jim said, nodding.

    "Good," Sarah said. "That means he'll have a brain."

    "Didn't expect you'd to be praising Tassadar, considering," Jim said, his voice trying for casual.

    "Tassadar was the first person to teach me anything of value as a Zerg," Sarah said, her voice quiet. "The Overmind...was more distant than you'd think."

    Jim grunted. The shuttle from the Gantrithor'es arrived before the UEF launch - one of the advantages of launching from orbit, rather than having to claw up and out of a gravity well. After a few minuets, the doors to the bridge opened and the Protoss were escorted aboard: Two armored figures that took up honorary guard positions at the doorway, and a slender, youthful looking Protoss - the contrast itself was enough to make you realize that...while Zeratul was going to live a very, very, very long time, there was a still a difference between being long lived and being truly immortal. You had only ever really seen a few Protoss, and both Zeratul and Fenix had toughened, wizened faces compared to this smooth, gently sloping figure that looked at you, and then shook his head slowly.

    It is...an honor, Samantha Clarke... He said, his voice soft as he swept one arm out to the side, giving you a bow. I know that this not how you would wish to continue the fight against darkness in the galaxy - but I have heard from Zeratul that your heart remains your own... His gaze swept from you to Sarah. But this one?

    Sarah frowned, slightly. "I saved her life," she said.

    So you claim, Artanis said. But did not my master, the noble Tassadar, tie you into knots on the fields of Char, chasing after shadows - consumed by your own short sighted bloodlust? I don't see how a creature such as yourself could ever care for another enough to save them for their own sake.

    You grabbed her shoulder as Sarah's claws sprang out and her wings twitched as she let out a quiet growl. "How about-"

    "Sarah," you said, softly.

    She breathed in, then opened her hands. Behind Artanis, you could see the glittering psi-blades of his two guards buzzing back into their sheathes.

    Artanis regarded her as Sarah glared at him. Then he said, quietly. But I could be wrong.

    "An executor of the High Templars being wrong? That sounds about as likely as a Zerg with a soul," Sarah said, her voice tight.

    "...so, uh, anyone want some coffee while we wait?" Jim asked. "We got cola, too."

    I will sample this...cola of which you speak, Artanis said, nodding politely to Jim.

    "Diet or..."

    Die...et?

    "Regular I think," Jim said, then jerked his head at one of the techs on the bridge, who looked startled to be so suddenly given an order - it seemed he had just wanted to stay and watch the drama. You couldn't blame him. When he came back, it was with a small can, which Artanis took and began to poke and prod at the can with one finger. He had just managed to get the ring pull and yanked it free, and jerked his head back as the loud hiss started to spurt and sputter from the can when the door opened and Matt Horner, Mira Han and Doctor Hanson. They made quite an odd set, with Matt in his UEF blues, Dr. Hanson in her white and civilian underclothes, and Mira Han looking like she just crawled out of some historical about the post-collapse New Atlantis colony.

    Matt froze, his eyes widening as he saw you. As if he couldn't quite believe it. He didn't think you could be here. That you couldn't be...you.

    He sprinted forward, and you swore he was seconds away from throwing his arms around you - but he stopped himself, then took your hand, shaking it. "It's good to see you, sir. It's...it's..." His eyes drifted up and he saw the thin spines sticking out from around your hand. He blinked slowly. "...I see...what you meant in your message."

    You took your hat off, while Sarah shifted slightly, moving to stand beside you.

    "...holy shit, Matt, your old girlfriend's a Zerg," Mara said.

    Matt's expression was worth bottling.

    "Sarah, uh, lost...control of her hydralisks thanks to the Psi Dampener that Mengsk has," you said, sighing as you slid your hands into your pockets. "I was dying. So she had to save my life."

    At least, that's-

    Your thought was derailed as Sarah shrugged one shoulder. "There was also a traitor."

    Everyone looked at her, their eyes widening.

    Sarah's hair flexed slowly. "Samir Duran. I ripped his heart out."

    "Duran..." Jim said, slowly.

    "He was an ex-confederate ghost," Matt said, his frown growing focused. "We hired him on because he was against Mengsk."

    "He was lying," Sarah said. "He worked for me. He was how I got aboard your ship."

    "You were planning to stab us in the back the whole time?" Matt growled, slightly.

    You watched her, feeling a sudden tension coiling and tightening in the room. Even more so than before. Sarah frowned, then lifted her chin. "I was planning to protect myself against a potentially lethal outsider invader. I was planning to find a way to kill the new Overmind that Daggoth was building. I was planning on finding a way to be safe. I...didn't want to hurt anyone. But this galaxy doesn't exactly play around with kid gloves, now does it?" She smirked at you, looking right into your eyes.

    You frowned.

    Liar.

    She was lying. But about what?

    ...she didn't just want to be safe...did she?

    Your stomach did a flipping tumble - but Artanis was the one who spoke up first. Tell us more of this New Overmind.

    Sarah explained everything, and once she was done, Jim rubbed his hand along his cheek, and Dr. Hanson frowned intently. "That would explain the quantum emanations I've been tracking..." she said.

    "I think we need to contact the UEF even more now," Matt said, firmly. "We need reinforcements. If the Overmind is as dangerous as you claim - and I see no reason to doubt you, Gen-" He caught himself "...Sam. Then we'll need at least three Commanders." He frowned. "Assuming the Aeon front can keep up without them..." He rubbed his chin.

    Right. There was a whole Infinite War going on at the same time. Right. Right. Right.

    Fortunately?

    Your entire job was built around managing this kind of multiplanetary theater. You rolled your shoulders and stepped forward with a grin.

    You had a plan...

    ---
    HEAT: 1/6

    [ ] Begin with destroying the psi dampener to allow Sarah to take full control of the swarm. With the Swarm caught between her and Daggoth, lead a drop straight onto Char and strangle the Overmind in its crib.
    [ ] Write in a better plan, if you think you can BITCH :cool2::cool2::cool2::cool2:
     
  • Threadmarks
    • DC, quick question, is there any chance we could capture the Dampener and get it to Charr, so we could further fuck over the nascent Overmind by modifying it specifically to fuck over him (while making sure it's packed with something Sarah can use to destroy it at the touch of a button so that she knows we aren't going to fuck her over)?
     
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    Mailstrome said:
    DC, quick question, is there any chance we could capture the Dampener and get it to Charr, so we could further fuck over the nascent Overmind by modifying it specifically to fuck over him (while making sure it's packed with something Sarah can use to destroy it at the touch of a button so that she knows we aren't going to fuck her over)?
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    Sure, though you should make that a plan, if you're gonna make that a plan. Blowing it up is WAY easier.
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    Sure, though you should make that a plan, if you're gonna make that a plan. Blowing it up is WAY easier.
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    Cool, because I think having something like this would be INCREDIBLY useful against psychic stuff (like the Aeon, or other weird fucked up evil psychic bastards) and I bet Dr. Hanson would love to study it.

    [x] Operation Palette Swap: Lets capture the dampener instead so we can use it specifically against the new Overmind. Sarah, you'll have full control over the c-4 we're going to plant inside the thing, just in case it becomes a problem for you.

    [x] Begin with destroying the psi dampener to allow Sarah to take full control of the swarm. With the Swarm caught between her and Daggoth, lead a drop straight onto Char and strangle the Overmind in its crib.
     
    Mailstrome said:
    Cool, because I think having something like this would be INCREDIBLY useful against psychic stuff (like the Aeon, or other weird fucked up evil psychic bastards) and I bet Dr. Hanson would love to study it.
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    Aeon don't have psychic stuff in this AU iirc.

    Though there's almost certainly going to be "other weird fucked up evil psychic bastards" as you say, considering Narud.
     
    Solarshade said:
    Aeon don't have psychic stuff in this AU iirc.

    Though there's almost certainly going to be "other weird fucked up evil psychic bastards" as you say, considering Narud.
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    I'm pretty sure they have some sort of psychic network similar to the Khalah, which could be disrupted by it, and that could impose a general malus on them, which could help stop their offensive.
     
    I don't really remember what's going on on Char, or why we can't just throw big rocks at it from a safe-ish distance.
     
    Draz said:
    I don't really remember what's going on on Char, or why we can't just throw big rocks at it from a safe-ish distance.
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    The Overmind's Cerebrates are trying to form a new one, which would be very bad. 'Why can't we punt asteroids at the problem': We could, HEAT probably supports that. It'd just be a 'distract the overmind till we deploy kinetic nukes' fight.
     
    Solarshade said:
    Aeon don't have psychic stuff in this AU iirc.

    Though there's almost certainly going to be "other weird fucked up evil psychic bastards" as you say, considering Narud.
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    To be clear, Clarke and the UEF think they don't have psychic stuff!

    Since it always seemed like the UEF was pretty hard nosed and would be like, "Psychic shit? Sounds fake"

    Mailstrome said:
    The Overmind's Cerebrates are trying to form a new one, which would be very bad. 'Why can't we punt asteroids at the problem': We could, HEAT probably supports that. It'd just be a 'distract the overmind till we deploy kinetic nukes' fight.
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    I mean, that's an entirely acceptable strategy! I mean, it'd take more steps than just a single "throw rock" check, you'd need to get it through their orbital defenses, you'd need to then somehow get Zeratul or a similar dark templar onto Char's surface during an extinction event and, also, Zerg can burrow pretty deep and emerge out to fight you in the howling malstrom of Char's destruction - which is, admittedly, a sick as fuck image. Metal as hell, even!
     
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    I imagine Kerrigan might take issue with bombarding Char repeatedly with space rocks, given its basically the capital planet for Zerg. Not literally their homeworld, but darn close to it. Sure, the zerg can likely rebuild from that, but that doesn't mean Kerrigan or the rest of the swarm would be happy about it. On the other hand the zerg might honestly just not care the same way humans would about that being done to Earth or another major human world.

    I do like the idea of stealing the Psi Dampener and using it for ourselves.
     
    [X] Plan Internationale -- Get in contact with an outside faction, alright: the Cybran Nation. Return Dostya with an apology and an offer of alliance; Cybran forces (possibly including Dostya, if she volunteers) can help us here, and some of Sarah's Zerg can be sent back in return to help in the Infinite War.
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    "...Sam. Then we'll need at least three Commanders." He frowned. "Assuming the Aeon front can keep up without them..." He rubbed his chin.
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    well, we do have Matt, Sam and Dostya if she could be convinced.
    Also there's still Black Sun out there, not that anyone present is aware of that I think? I'd have to look at what exactly we talked about with Riley.
     
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