4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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The Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest Original - Art Quest - Sci-Fi lists the current pilot usage which is... 26?
Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest
- Thread starter 4WheelSword
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- Original Art Quest Sci-Fi
Rat King
Izutsumi-pilled
The Council has made their decision; now let them enforce it.
Night
Widow Null
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- Hoff
When will the Council cease prating of laws to those of us with particle beams at our sides?
Coyote Niff
the most transbian obligate scavenger on the 'net!
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- Misery!
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Citizens, citizens! Might I remind you that we serve the civil leadership at the pleasure of the People? Even if the Council is strangling...new ideas...in their crib as the Daughters wail, this is no catspaw for some sort of fascist coup!
Rat King
Izutsumi-pilled
Look, I'm just saying we should share the results and data from our previous orbital bombardment mission with the council for purely educational reasons.
They should understand what our weapons are capable of and what they might be asking us to do in the future.
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- thousands of feet in the air
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- He/Him
[X] Inclusive Peace Talks
If we want a real peace in S'Taxu, then we need to talk to all the of the factions. As for the Daughters, even if the Council rejects inviting them, us at least attempting to invite them represents a peace offering for our last interaction where we purged several officers sympathetic to them.
If we want a real peace in S'Taxu, then we need to talk to all the of the factions. As for the Daughters, even if the Council rejects inviting them, us at least attempting to invite them represents a peace offering for our last interaction where we purged several officers sympathetic to them.
Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
I'm really concerned by the fallout of inviting the Daughters. Making a power play against the government when we're already trying to thread a needle with the peace talks is not a good idea!
The Dynasts are going to deny any accusations of war crimes publicly presented, because of course they will. The Daughters are going to speak out and cause an incident at the talks, because they'll want to take any opportunity they can get to embarrass the Council. Causing an incident is going to make the Council double down on their support for the Dynasts, because they're stubborn, venal bastards.
And at that point, we lose the trust and confidence of everyone involved in the negotiations, including the ones who approve our budget.
The Dynasts are going to deny any accusations of war crimes publicly presented, because of course they will. The Daughters are going to speak out and cause an incident at the talks, because they'll want to take any opportunity they can get to embarrass the Council. Causing an incident is going to make the Council double down on their support for the Dynasts, because they're stubborn, venal bastards.
And at that point, we lose the trust and confidence of everyone involved in the negotiations, including the ones who approve our budget.
Coyote Niff
the most transbian obligate scavenger on the 'net!
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I agree it's a risk, but I think it's one we have to take. The Daughters in-lore spoke about "preventing disaster" when appealing to the Council for permission to be on the Scout missions, and now disaster has happened! It's reasonable to assume they may still want to be involved in a positive sense-we can't assume that they hold bad blood over the refusal, only regret that their "prophecy" has come about.
Plus, in-character, my office has some ring-kissing and donations and relic-blessing to get involved in.
Doubloon
Quelle horreur!
That wouldn't have helped the Heimdall, though. It got shot out of the sky because it suddenly appeared next to a warship, having a priest aboard can't save you from a nuclear missile.
- Location
- thousands of feet in the air
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The way I understand it, this is simply a proposal to the factions and the Council. What will most likely happen is the Council will reject inviting the Daughters. For me at least, the point of inviting the Daughters is not necessarily to have them present at the talks but rather to open a dialogue with them. Last time they contacted us, we had officers sympathetic to them arrested, partially due to a fair concern from the thread that we don't really know what they stand for. My hope here is that inviting them will serve as an olive branch for last time and as a way to learn more about what they believe in.
Wiadi
Uncompromising Radical Leftist
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Yeah, okay, then I don't think we can afford to invite the Daughters, entirely independent of whether or not it'd be desirable to do so in the abstract. We have finite political capital to burn and we're already going to need to be dedicating it to a pivot away from our current "allies" in S'taxu. If we push too much, the Council could refuse to authorize talks entirely.
[X] Plan Ceasefire
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- thousands of feet in the air
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I sorta agree in the sense that I don't want to establish a theocracy but disagree in the sense that the religion isn't inherently imperialistic.
This piece of text is the only real description of what the Daughters believe. I will admit that the part about them promising that our systems influence will spread beyond its boundaries is a little concerning but it is also... vague? And, I cannot stress this enough, this blurb is pretty much the only thing describing what the Daughters actually believe. In fear of sounding like a broken record here, we need to learn more about what the Daughters actually believe in before we can make a judgement call, which I feel inviting them to the peace talks could push us closer to.
Also, quick question @4WheelSword, the blurb mentions that several minor cities are aligned with the Daughters, suggesting a degree of local autonomy. What is the status of regional/local governance on our Home Planet?
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Go for Monitor and I'll throw support behind Plan Ceasefire?
No, we don't. Look back to the intrudactory post. We're based on an unelected heridetary position. Even the principal opposition seems to be based on a single messianic figure.
Coyote Niff
the most transbian obligate scavenger on the 'net!
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To mangle Asimov, the peril of a religion of science is that its curses really work-for all we know she could have raised her hands and shut the missiles down.
I think, though, that in-character, the pro-Daughter/Daughter-curious/unaligned elements in the SWB, like my own IC, would have been swayed by the Heimdall Disaster towards more open action.
Coyote Niff
the most transbian obligate scavenger on the 'net!
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The Citizens' Council claim hereditary representation and rule over the People on Home. To me, they're quasi-representative, in much the same way as the parliaments of pseudo-constitutional monarchies in Enlightenment Europe. My point was to play on the phrase "the pleasure of the President" in American jurisprudence-basically cautioning that they could have us fired.
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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Cities are generally governed semi-autonomously, because each is a partially isolated dome or dome-cluster. Essentially there is a regional/federal split. Politics on Home are far more complex than there only being one faction, but I've noted the only faction that has significant broad-base support outside of their home dome - the daughters.
edit: Also - update soon.
@4WheelSword BTW, the Daughters are said to be based on religion. Is their religion the same as mainstream, some sort of sprinter faith or some new belief original to Home?
3-5: Armistice Station
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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Which of the above ship designs would the Navy like to consider building: The 6,000 ton Interstellar Monitor
Where will negotiations take place? On a neutral planet or asteroid in the S'Taxu system, guarded by an equal number (1 each or other agreeable split) of Home and Junta vessels.
Who will be invited to negotiations?
- The Chambrestrong Dynasty
- The People's Military Council
- The Democratic Republic of Cassalon
- The Xyphon Freedom League
- The Democratic Peoples Council of Xyphon
- Freedom! Strength! Unity! (a third split-off group of Xyphon Federation survivors)
- Daughters of the People
Interstellar Monitor
Home will build its first capital ship scale interstellar warship beginning in the fifth year since the beginning of interstellar efforts. While it will take almost three years to build, it will be the last word in the local clusters war making capacity. It should even be able to go head to head with one of the Junta's asteroid defence ships without any particular fear of damage. It will, however, also occupy the vast majority of our yard space for the next several years - we will see what else we can fit into those few remaining tons over the next few years.
Peace Negotiations
It takes several months to convince the Junta, Dynasts and our own government that only the best intentions are held by all parties, the negotiations constantly delayed by having to wait a week at a time in jump space for any answers. Then, location decided and invitations issued to all parties, construction can begin on the treaty station amongst the asteroid belt colloquially called S'taxu-6. All told it takes over a year before diplomatic invitations are actually issued to any of the parties involved and transport is offered to those parties that cannot provide it for themselves.
04y05m00w - HSWS Tlaloc arrives at the designated guard ship location, emerging from jump space only a short distance from the belt. She joins a formation alongside the PMCS (Peoples Military Council Ship) Dreadnought and the CHGS (Chambrestrong Household Guard Ship) Admiral Tulin in position to watch over the diplomatic station which is just powering on for the first time. Each ship delivers a small guard contingent to the station to ensure security prior to negotiations beginning.
04y05m01w - A Junta war-rocket, the PMCS Leopardo delivers representatives of the democratic factions from S'Taxu-4. It is the first Junta ship allowed into orbit around the main world in several years, and it does so with dynasty household guards aboard to ensure the weapons are kept stowed the entire time. A second rocket, the PMCS Chacal, brings the Junta's own representatives to the station.
04y05m02w - Final arrivals are coordinated. HSWS Ninurta brings the delegation from Home, while CHGS Sinop delivers several junior members of the Chambrestrong Dynasty. Negotiations finally begin in earnest, eight months after they were originally agreed to.
The initial layers of the negotiation are simple: The Junta ask for guarantees that the occupation of Xyphon domes will end and Dynast forces will retreat, allowing aid to be delivered to civilians. The Dynasts ask, in turn, that the democratic factions lay down their arms and accept the occupation of their domes. The democratic factions of course, cannot accept anything but a return to the previous order of things, preferably with a constitutional limitation on the monarchist power structure. They argue that the Peoples Military Council would back them with warships if necessary. The representatives of the Junta are very clear that they would not be willing to make a move into the inner system while the Dynasts still maintain such an effective nuclear deterrent held like a guillotine over their own people. The Dynasts are equally clear that those nuclear weapons would never be turned on the people, and are solely for the defence of the orbitals.
Home suggests, quite plainly, that the nuclear weapon stations could be turned over to a neutral third-party to ensure that that remained the case. The Junta, remarkably, backs this course of action. Home has already demonstrated that they are willing and able to enact remarkable amounts of violence to achieve their ends, and if that end is turned to peaceful means that would be a better position for S'Taxu than the current balance of power. Following in their wake, the democratic representatives also agree - though 'Freedom! Strength! Unity!' also request a time-table for nuclear disarmament in orbit around S'Taxu.
An initial agreement is reached - somehow - with concessions being made by all sides:
- The Junta agree that their asteroid ships (Dreadnought and Indefatigable) will not enter the inner system, though other ships may be used to deliver aid and supplies. They also agree that they will not build any more jump capable ships without the explicit permission of all parties involved.
- The Dynasts agree to a timetable of allowing their nuclear weapon stations to be partially staffed by service members from the Home Space Warfare Branch, to ensure that there is no risk that those weapons would be turned on the surface of the planet. The stations will remain in order to ensure the balance of power in the system.
- Two of the Three Xyphon groups agree to lay down their arms in return for regular aid and support in rebuilding damages domes and buildings. The Xyphon Freedom League does not agree to this.
- Cassalon will function as an intermediary, allowing ships from the Peoples Military Council to land within their territory and then ship aid over land and sea into Xyphon territory.
It is in the wake of this agreement being made - a month into negotiations - that a truth is laid out. A junior officer, part of the attending party from Home, passes a signal that is seen on internal security cameras. Negotiations are paused as the ink is drying on the agreement and an eight place is set at the table. The final delegation joins the negotiations, a pair of well-shod but simply dressed women representing the Daughters of the People. It has been six weeks since they arrived on the station aboard the Tlaloc and they have been waiting this entire time for the opportune moment to join.
The conference room descends into furious, shouting arguments as an aide whisks the signed documents out of the room before they can be damaged.
Initial peace negotiations have been completed - there is something in place now to maintain the systems balance. What would the Navy like out of ongoing negotiations?
[ ] Fuelling and Resupply in S'Taxu for military ships.
[ ] Military construction rights in S'Taxu yards.
[ ] Access to recruitment pools in S'Taxu's population.
[ ] Financial compensation for the operations of the HSWB in S'Taxu.
[ ] Limitations on S'Taxu's defensive fleet.
[ ] Civilian construction in S'Taxu yards.
[ ] Other - write-in.
I'd just like to comment on the way that the datestamped event timeline format hints that some horrible disaster is about to unfold, while the same format being used for completely mundane events means there's no way to be sure which is which until the end.
I think that the people responsible for reigniting the war should probably not do anything that looks like they're profiting from tidying up the mess they helped make. But I'm not a diplomat.
I think that the people responsible for reigniting the war should probably not do anything that looks like they're profiting from tidying up the mess they helped make. But I'm not a diplomat.
These two are what we should really drive for. Fueling to, well, fuel further scouting and recon. Recruitment, NOT CONSCRIPTION, to grow the fleet's pilot pool.
We as a nation do not need this, and could be seen as a dick move to even suggest it.
Wiadi
Uncompromising Radical Leftist
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Should we pick a single item, or should we construct a potentially multi-item plan (with picking more items presumably making negotiations more difficult)?
Huh. That was way easier than I assumed.
EDIT: In terms of importance refuelling first, civilian construction second, pilots third. Oh, plus the return of our remaining servicemen, lest we forget about it.
Agreed. That and civilian construction, so we are not overtaken im terms of trade.
EDIT: In terms of importance refuelling first, civilian construction second, pilots third. Oh, plus the return of our remaining servicemen, lest we forget about it.
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