Diplomacy - [Level 1 Protection]

[how_they_shine]

If anyone can help locate and retrieve the remains of the Empire members who fell at Tharsis, I have a way to return them to the Empire. Thace is infiltrating as the general there, and he's given me a way to contact him directly about it. It's a good way to demonstrate goodwill and that we're learning about their culture. I'm also discussing it with the Admiral, but Travelers may be faster at this than military beaurocracy.

Additionally, I don't know how far this has spread, but the Admiral seems to believe that the ESDF was somehow responsible for what happened at Tharsis, that it was wrong, and that we need to fix it. She's looking to broker a peace deal, hopefully, and is gathering a secret taskforce to work on things. Matt and I have been folded into that taskforce. If you've become a part of it, speak up here.

Be careful about where and how you communicate about this. Even telepathic communication should be done with some form of protection up. The Empire has some telepathic capabilities, and if they overhear something the consequences could be severe.

Anyone else have any information about the internal politics of all of this?

Comments

[desperate_times_right]

Is that general Hacet? I would say be very careful about how bodies are cared for and arranged - this is the ‘better dead than captured by humans’ guy and he and Montrev might use any perceived disrespect as war propaganda. Might be good to run things by Gil first if you can, his overlay is the same species and can probably tell you if you’re being set up.

[how_they_shine]

That's the nickname the humans use for him, yes. He gave me his real name, which I'm going to take as a good sign. He knows mine as well, but that's an acceptable risk.

He gave the order to put the self-destruct in the Empire's mechs?

[desperate_times_right]

He says it's not an order, but after he gave the big speech about it a lot of pilots got it installed thinking that no one will rescue them if they're captured. I don't know what his deal is but you should be careful with him.

[how_they_shine]

[Heavily] Liminal space is going to be bad.

All right. Thank you. That does explain the number of explosions. Do you have the ability to share memories? Or would you be willing to let me help you?

[desperate_times_right]

I have like, three psychic skills, so I probably can’t do that. Can you look anyway if I let you?

[how_they_shine]

I think so. But if you're not okay with that, it's all right. I was just hoping to get a look at the speech he gave, but I can go through other means. [People. He means people.]

[desperate_times_right]

I mean, I’m not thrilled, but I was in a hangar with a bunch of pilots when we heard it so it would give you a good idea of what things are like up here.

[how_they_shine]

It's up to you, ma'am. If you're not comfortable with it, enough said.

[desperate_times_right]

What’s it like? If I can control what you look at, it’s okay.

[how_they_shine]

You essentially remember or relive the memory, and I'd watch what you saw. If you start thinking of other things, or get sidetracked, I'll see those too because it's what's on the top of your mind, but I will cut it off if it looks like you're drifting. Your thoughts and memories are your own, and you get to decide if you want to share them.

[desperate_times_right]

[She can’t believe she’s saying this, but...]

What’s important now is ending the war. I’ll do it.

[how_they_shine]

All right. Focus on the memory, and when you feel my mind touch yours, let it play through. You should feel me pull back when it seems complete.

[desperate_times_right]

Okay, give me a minute.

[When he does touch her mind, he’s looking at things from the vertigo-inducing angle of a centaur standing on a raised platform. Chloe’s working on the elusive mech elbow motor bug and grumbling to herself about it when a screen in the hangar suddenly flickers to life. All activity in the hangar stops as Hacet delivers his pre-deployment speech. Everyone stays quiet for a moment afterward, but once people start talking again, the fear and anger are clear in the tone. (Chloe is also swearing in three languages but never mind that).]

[how_they_shine]

[He waits the full 60 seconds before gently reaching out to her across the Network. There's the sense of a hand resting lightly upon her shoulder as the memory begins.]

[He's lucky that he's been a big centaur before. His dismay and concern is palpable, and when the speech is finished, he releases her at once. There's a troubled silence.]

...Thank you, Miss. [His voice is heavy, but even.] People feel that they won't be rescued? Or is it more patriotic?

[desperate_times_right]

Now that you’ve been inside my head, you really might as well just call me Chloe.

It sounds like they think this means they won’t be rescued. Like contact is a death sentence.

[how_they_shine]

Chloe. I'm Shiro.

Do you know if that fear is justified? Have people exposed to X. Pressure died from it alone? Or is this rooted in propaganda and fear around the Tharsis event?

[desperate_times_right]

I’ve heard all kinds of things, but people are so scared that it’s hard to know what to believe. I think they put the people who really can’t handle it and go into the feedback loop into some kind of stasis.

[tookashirototheknee]

I'm working with codes and messages, so I can try and update everyone as to what I'm finding.

If you need something, 'Kashi's right, be really careful how you go about communicating. I can encode anything that people need, and I'm working on a code-slash-program for the Travellers to communicate with each other. So, let me know how I can best help.

[how_they_shine]

Hey, Starshine, why don't we pop into liminal and upload what we can onto the liminal intranet? Then anyone who can get to liminal can search for what they need.

[tookashirototheknee]

Oooh, yeah. That would be good. Can you portal me there? I, uh, never did figure out portals.

Although, now that I'm thinking about it, I want to make a portal gun.

[how_they_shine]

Yeah, of course. No problem. You know, I might be able to teach you how to do portals sometime if you want. Thinking of them like wormholes helped.

....Can you tie portals to a physical object or trigger like that? That's an interesting thought.

[tookashirototheknee]

I have no idea, but I wish I had the skills to try it.

Hm. Maybe I could do portals if I tried. But for now, I'll just catch a ride with you.

is he playing it straight or making a double entendre? the world may never know.

[how_they_shine]

You can have a ride whenever you want, babe. Just let me know.

[chalicejoker]

I can tell you that the Mantoids don't really care who's in charge; they didn't have interstellar travel before the Aurigans came and most of them are having a ball going out and hunting new things. They like Thace's infiltration well enough--he actually takes the time to tell them apart. He's made a good impression on them. Lots of the vertebrate species don't.

...the Mantoids are well aware they're just being used for soldiers and they don't care because it's fun. My overlay's never seen one take any real command of anything.

[how_they_shine]

. . . [sigh]

If we stop the war, or at least forge a possible set of peace talks, are the Mantoids going to sabotage it by continuing to hunt humans?

[chalicejoker]

Not a chance. They won't hunt other sentients unless it's at time of war or unless the hunted party has committed some kind of crime. To continue to try to hunt humans would be a huge breach of honor and a crime in and of itself--and they'd take care of the criminal themselves pretty quickly.

Basically, yeah, they're kind of aggressive, but there's a sense of fair play to it.

[how_they_shine]

Ah. Good. [That is a big relief.] Is it just Mantoids, Xuil, and Augurians among the ranks? We've been hunting down some images and clips of interactions before and around Tharsis and it looks like there are a few other species there too.

[chalicejoker]

No, there are a bunch of other species here. Some of them I'm not really sure what they are. But we've got reptilians, avians, centaur people, all sorts.

[how_they_shine]

Oh! All right then. ....Do they all pilot mechs? [Yes, hi, sidetracked by trying to figure out if he could pilot a mech as a centaur.]

[chalicejoker]

I think so. I haven't really seen anyone being limited on the basis of their species--unless you count Mantoids not getting into politics, but Mantoids don't get a lot of politics--and if you want to fight, they're not going to turn you away. They'll adapt things for different species.

[how_they_shine]

...Any chance you can get copies of the mech adaptations for centaur-types? Or if there are any aquatic species? Those could be really useful for Travelers.

[chalicejoker]

I can try.

I'm very familiar with the Mantoid adaptations, if nothing else--they're also not exactly human-shaped.

[how_they_shine]

No, I'd imagine the Mandoids are not terribly human shaped. If you can't, it's not a big deal. I can think of some useful applications, that's all.

[chalicejoker]

I definitely see how that could come in handy with some of the form changes people have, so yeah, I'll give it a try.

[breakaleginhalf]

I hope this isn't like, stating the fucking obvious? But don't trust Hacet. He is absolutely using you. He'll use anyone who isn't another Xuil to try and further his own agenda.

Also it's only Aurigans who are psychic, for the record.