Okay, cards on the table, and I need to apologize and will edit my previous post accordingly. I was the chess consultant for those chapters of You Hate Mondays, and I was doing the chess research independently and something in the wording got cross-wired.
Our youma friend has symbolically been demoted from a 'maddened queen' (that is, the very powerful chess piece Europeans know as the 'queen' today) to a ferz, a very weak piece that only moves one space diagonally at a time. The ferz is the piece that was eventually replaced by the queen as we know it. 'Ferz' means 'vizier' or 'minister,' roughly.
Now again, I was doing all my research on my own; I already knew there had been such a weakened piece but did not recall its name. But my choice of the name 'katib' was based on either a source which I cannot now find citing 'katib' as an Arabic name for the ferz at some point in history, or on me making a few too many steps of referential leap and obscuring the reference beyond recovery.
Scacchi alla rabiosa (something like "crazy chess") is a (somewhat negative) name for the version of chess with the modern queen move from when it was invented in 15th century Spain.
Katib means "scribe" which has an obvious conceptual similarity to "bishop", but I couldn't find any historical connection between them.
Ferz' also seems to be Russian for "queen." It is also the term used for queen in chess today (Wikipedia). The usage comes from vizier in Arabic, which in Shantranj, from which chess developed, referred to the weaker queen equivalent.
I can't tell if this is actually useful, but hey, it's here.
Yes; the Russians never changed the name, even as they adopted the mechanically powerful super-ferz piece we call the "queen" as part of their standard chess-playing practice.
Bit of a relief that it looks like it is down to the magnitude of bonuses. Those usually lean in our direction... and even if it doesn't then the magnitude of the loss probably isn't going to be major.
Star Wars was also a code(?) name for some missile defense operation/systems, so maybe it could also tie into the mess around moon, but it's anyones guess what would be good or bad there.
MCAT's second contact with the Empty Face 'Team One,' recently thwarted at the MP barracks by Jadeite, comes in the form of a sharp skirmish outside a guarded building loading dock. The presence of at least two and possibly three gifted magicians suggests a real and serious danger- that unlike the three false decoy teams neutralized so far, this is not just a handful of mind-controlled dupes led by a single junior agent.
The mixed security detachment led by the wolf-woman Hana, which had already captured one of the three teams, makes a quick dash through the buildings to try and corral the attackers in a restricted space that can hopefully be cordoned off. But the Empty Faces slip the net. The good news is the enemy infiltrators are kept from accessing a key maintenance tunnel that would lead directly to Dr. Sakurai's labs and less directly to several other important facilities. The bad news is that the entire action was a diversionary attack. Empty Face Team One neither knows nor cares about that particular maintenance tunnel.
A fourth decoy team, meanwhile, has the bad luck to run into a paranoid and hypersensitive security guard, one reckless enough to use a concussion grenade in inadvisably close quarters. His ruptured eardrums will not be the only self-inflicted injury sustained by MCAT security while trying to maintain vigilance against invisible enemies, though MCAT performance in this respect is only slightly worse than the historic average for forces that know they are under Empty Face attack, and far better than some instances.
The concussion grenade also regrettably deafens both the bakeneko sharing the guard's duty post, and the civilian victims making up the bulk of the decoy team. (a small group of unlucky petty criminals). Fortunately, the blast also overwhelms the personal protection of the Empty Face controlling the team.
A reaction team rushing to the scene in the wake of the explosion seizes the stunned Onogoro agent, whose attempt to use magic in self-defense does more to heighten the efforts to secure the prisoner than to permit an escape.
One may call it a minor victory that MCAT manages the first successful capture of a member of the infamous Imperial Truth Makers in several decades. Though this is less a testament to any single strategy or tool at MCAT's disposal, and more to the scale and meticulous character of MCAT's security preparations, and to the sheer quantity of mundane manpower and technology the organization can bring to bear even when disadvantaged by the circumstances of the attack.
However, while this has been going on, the actions of the decoy teams, combined with Team One's willingness to take risks to divert security forces, have accomplished one of Onogoro's major goals for the infiltration mission. Team Two has finally wriggled its way through the inner security checkpoints and past the last of the considerable array of protections surrounding their sensitive target, so far without MCAT's knowledge. Now in position to begin their main mission, they secure their target area, take stock, and prepare the equipment they brought for the task. However, full setup will still take them considerable time, for a number of reasons.
Meanwhile, the captured Empty Face is hastily rushed away for interrogation somewhere a small but reasonably safe distance from MCAT's command center. After a very brief discussion between the two most senior available interrogators, the elder cedes the task to the younger.
Genjuro Kazanari lets out a thoughtful hm and tilts his head deferentially. "Captain Sano?"
Rei Hino has been here in the headquarters for some time already tonight, and when she first got a sense of the situation, she expected Kazanari to be loud and confident and brash and to take charge. But instead, the big man has only done the first two of those things. He seems quite respectful to the JSDF man in the crisp, fussily neat uniform. She overheard him telling a wolfman that since the defense had originally been planned while he, Kazanari, was still in the hospital, and since much depended on Captain Sano's soldiers, he wouldn't want to cause confusion by changing the command structure and asking them to take orders from a civilian.
Rei Hino has decided that Genjuro Kazanari is a very confusing and unpredictable man.
Captain Sano looks to his left at a big wall board with plastic-coated maps and diagrams that three uniformed men are busily making modifications to. And then he begins to speak quickly, but crisply.
"Sailor Mars-" Sano nods deeply in Rei's direction- "tells us that Sailor Venus ran into trouble, but is well, and reports that the eastern enemy is heavily battered. Your men confirm that this seems to be so. Also, we are reinforcing them. Good enough. The western enemy is pinned down, but seems to have taken little damage and could move at any time. The northern enemy is advancing slowly, and my sergeant says they seem to be almost grenade-proof now. But the western enemy wouldn't be erecting barricades if they didn't fear our weapons… Hm. Mr. Kazanari, please take a squad of yokai to the west gate and take charge of the MCAT forces. I trust Lieutenant Meiou, but I think it will be good for your people's morale. They look up to you. And most of my MPs are headed north and east anyway, so more will depend on your men."
Kazanari braces and squares his shoulders, letting off a sloppy salute with his gauntleted hand. Rei sees Sano try to hide a slight wince as Kazanari barks out a hearty "Of course!" The big man pauses for only a moment to see if Sano has anything left to say, before turning to jog out of the command center.
And now the captain is looking directly at her. "Sailor Mars, if I had artillery or tanks to direct against the north gate force, I would. Instead, I can only ask for help from your sisters."
Rei nods, falling back on a polite reply to the man's seemingly reasonable request. "I'll talk to them." Hm. From what she thinsk she knows, it'd be best if Minako stays out of reach for a little while, so that the sealing ritualists don't get too used to her. So…
She steps away a little and taps her wrist, ready to pitch her voice under the buzz of activity and conversations around her. Understanding what Samui and her people think is going on is important, and for all that is wrong about her father, the man isn't wrong about one thing. That sometimes, the most important thing a person can do is to stand in the middle, away from the action, and make good plans.
But only sometimes, Rei adds to herself, pulling her mind away from the subject before it distracts her. She speaks.
"Jupiter?"
"Yes, Mars?"
Makoto's voice is thin and distant. The communicators are quite capable of making people sound rich and vibrant, but at times like this, they somehow seem not to. Rei still doesn't know how they decide.
"Can you see what's going on with the rockets?"
"Ah… I think Sailor Moon has them under control, but it's… really something. She's bouncing all over the sky and tearing them apart, and they haven't caught her yet. Do you think I should go help her out?"
And Rei thinks yes. Oh, yes, but she forces herself to remember everyone else and says "...Uh. Not yet, if that's working. The soldiers need help by the north gate, though."
"On it!"
Rei takes a moment to settle down and try to push aside her worries about Usagi. She's never lost yet, so if Makoto doesn't actually see her losing right now, it should be fine. Rei should concentrate on the moment, make sure she doesn't lose track of what's going on. The big plastic maps, which seem very helpful to Captain Sano, aren't actually helping her very much at all because they're covered with weird symbols and arrows and things. But she still knows how to listen, and Samui's bent over her speakerphone and looks worried. Rei sidles a little closer, and the slightly superhuman hearing of a Sailor Senshi does the rest.
"-can't hear you?"
"Not through two cones of silence and the fox's attention to stop him casting spells, he can't. Look, this could be important-"
Nonphysical activity; Agent Tinsnips Old Man Prowess penalty inapplicable!
Agent Tinsnips Trait: Mentalist ?: +? to psychic combat!
Empty Face Trait: ??? Mage: +? to psychic defense!
Empty Face Trait: Mentalist II: +3 to psychic combat!
Agent Tinsnips
d10 + ?? + ?? + ? - ? (Haste) = 1 + ?? = ?? no fumble
Vs
No One In Particular
d10 + ?? + ?? + ? = 2 + ?? = ??
???
"All right then, Sir Evans. What are your impressions?"
"He's tough, he's probably done this himself from the other side, and if he knows the plan he's guarding it damn well. I worked sideways- he's guarding his secrets but he's not quite sneaky-man enough to realize how badly he needs to guard what he knows about you. Especially since he expects me to already know it all. I could be wrong, he could have slipped false facts or a fake conviction onto me, but my gut instinct… send a team to check the jail cells."
Samui winces, looking irritated. "The prison block just reported in a minute ago, Sir Evans. They're fine."
"Just a slight weapons malfunction…"
Samui frowns down at the speakerphone. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing important. Just… please, send that team. A good one. Get Dame Clarabelle for it, if you can. I won't lie, he might be playing mind games of his own, but I think you should. I'll keep working on him."
Shorter scenes overall but giving more glimpses into the overall situation is nice. Though it also looks like it is still before the full effect of the most recent high end combat rolls. The sheer number of questions marks in the rolls is mildly concerning but I think Sir Evans isn't getting fooled?
Shorter scenes overall but giving more glimpses into the overall situation is nice. Though it also looks like it is still before the full effect of the most recent high end combat rolls. The sheer number of questions marks in the rolls is mildly concerning but I think Sir Evans isn't getting fooled?
Honestly, I don't see any way to be sure other than by making our own judgment of the hidden factors.
We know Sir Frederick* rolled a 1 and the Empty Face rolled a 2.
_____________________
*(Properly, Spellblade names are things like 'Dame Judith,' 'Dame Clarabelle,' and 'Sir Frederick,' but Japanese characters get this wrong a lot; Sailor V kept calling Dame Judith 'Carroll-sensei' and Samui calls Sir Frederick 'Evans-dono.' This is largely invisible due to the translation conventions since we're reading the story in American English)
Still dealing with that Androphobia trait. Not that she is wrong as such but most people put a more positive spin on it.
"Sailor Mars-" Sano nods deeply in Rei's direction- "tells us that Sailor Venus ran into trouble, but is well, and reports that the eastern enemy is heavily battered. Your men confirm that this seems to be so. Also, we are reinforcing them. Good enough. The western enemy is pinned down, but seems to have taken little damage and could move at any time. The northern enemy is advancing slowly, and my sergeant says they seem to be almost grenade-proof now. But the western enemy wouldn't be erecting barricades if they didn't fear our weapons… Hm. Mr. Kazanari, please take a squad of yokai to the west gate and take charge of the MCAT forces. I trust Lieutenant Meiou, but I think it will be good for your people's morale. They look up to you. And most of my MPs are headed north and east anyway, so more will depend on your men."
The Empty Faces continue to be a major threat. Even senshi senses and relevant enhancements don't have a great chance against their default glamours, IIRC, even if it's better than just about anyone else's. Maybe someone should carry around one of those flare things?
The Empty Faces continue to be a major threat. Even senshi senses and relevant enhancements don't have a great chance against their default glamours, IIRC, even if it's better than just about anyone else's. Maybe someone should carry around one of those flare things?
Counters and removes all illusions and untruths from the area
These near pearlescent white flames have the ability to strip away all falsehoods and lies, dispersing with illusions and lies, and revealing the truth to all who stand within the circle they form
If we send Mars after the Faces, we need to put someone else in here, ideally Moon even. Blowing up the command center and/or assassinating MCAT leadership is almost certainly something they will try if they get the chance.
