TGW-1227
Chapter: Ride for Life
Characters: Admiral ariste, clarissa, Estille, Jonathan, Ladan, lt connie, lt doug, lyn, mavia, Minka, Nat, sheriff
Location: roads, station meeting room
The Gentle Wolf
A modern adventure webcomic
Lt. Connie & ltjg Doug are ONI (office of navy intelligence) ,, connie intro was TGW-613
Well, the cops don’t seem like they want to be aggressors, but that can
change quickly. And I’m sure Minka can change minds, or at least spray
them around a bit!
I’m sure the core has figured out by now the Empire has no problem with
getting ships built, aside from the control boards, it’s getting manpower
up to regs. Attacking Catia first off would be a huge mistake, but they have
made some very bad choices in the past so we can’t rule that out. If they
can force themselves to admit that the Empire is vastly superior to them
in ship capabilities, they seem to think their FTL will be enough… In getting
to the target(s), yes. In fighting? Not so much. Not when a well-placed missile
into the bridge could wipe out the crew and leave most of the ship intact.
Plus their crew aren’t as well trained as the Empire’s and their moral is poor
do to the behavure of the command structure. Constantly brow-beating your
crew makes them want to mutiny!
We don’t know much of their capabilities. A number of rocks released
with near light-speed with high precision can essentially evaporate
each and every ship The Empire has around Catia.
The core would need to send a FTL probe with FTL communication
to guide the “missiles”, but that’s it.
Instant victory.
I have to point out, from their PoV they aren’t aggressors, they’re
defenders. And that’s true whether they have elected to welcome and
escort these invaders as liberators or not. They appear to be taking
their role as defenders of the territory they protect and the citizens
in it behind them seriously. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt
for now, whether they oppose this annexation or not. Time was Teresa
said “The vote will be held this afternoon, and the Empire will abide
by the decision of the people here…” I guess those days are gone.
This feels more like when Nepal was conquering Bangladesh. I hope
it’s more peaceful and the locals see it as to their advantage,
not that they have no choice but to submit, flee or die.
The core doesn’t have the tech nor the idea of that, that’s
strictly something the grav drives can do. The core usually
shows up and starts shooting, expecting their overwhelming
might to scare the defenders to panic. They are bullies, not
experienced combat specialists.
Submit, flee or die? Did you not read my response
to Bill in TGW-1226?
“Anyone who will not accept the responsibilities,
duties and freedoms of Imperial citizenship will
not be forced to accept citizenship, but they will
be held to the law within the Empire,and will have
to pay the sales tax.”
What’s the problem with expecting everyone to obey
the law, especially since it amounts to “Do what
you want, but don’t harm anyone else”?
No, I didn’t see that, and I’ll have to think about it.
I just know the culture of the people of (one-time)
southern Missouri, where this is taking place,
which honestly isn’t that different from that of the
whole swath from North Texas hills to West Virginia.
Main difference is they take “Show Me” to heart.
When I was living overseas, even as a non-citizen,
I had to obey local laws or accept the consequences.
Sure, and if the locals were treated to a regime change without their consent,
you’d have had a new set of laws to obey or go home. THEIR options would
be to accept the regime change, fight it, leave, or, I guess under the Empire’s
rules, become a non-citizen like you and subject to the same options. I’m not
arguing against the Empire’s rules, by and large I like them, but we don’t know
yet how happy the locals are under the current regime. We DO know with
the Empire providing a majority of broadcast news and entertainment, that
the Empire’s projection of itself is known to them if the existing regime isn’t
blocking it. Whether they believe it or not is another matter.
“….and let me talk to them.”
At how many rounds per second?
I hope she can control that trigger for short bursts
instead of one continuous drum emptying spray-and-pray.
depending on the time made and aircraft vs infantry model..
early select trigger, 600 – 1000 rpm, or 10 – 16 rps
later infantry models, were set to 800 – 900, or 13 – 15 rps
reworked ‘aircraft’ models 1700rpm or 28 rps.
so.. i’ll say , 15 rounds per second..
also, 50r drum = 21 second burst..
Since the guys manning the roadblock know the crew from Jericho
is coming, would the roadblock be an aggression? Or would it be
more like the Minbari approaching with gunports open?
As for the Core’s naval tactics I expect them to have a mix of
capital ships and smaller vessels. Regarding Chryzopraz’
suggestion, the problem would be to accelerate the rocks. For
Empire ships that would be a trivial task – just attach a grav
drive unit. If the only way you have to accelerate a mass is
via Newton’s 3rd law then the problem becomes vastly more
difficult. I figure they will show up with such a large fleet
that they’ll expect any “rational” op for to just roll over.
Either way it’s gonna be interesting.
I thought the FTL drive might be able to accelerate the rocks much
easier than normal way.
I mean, a ship gets a rock in a bay, goes FTL, then drops to relative,
but near light speed and releases the rock.
Of course much depends on how FTL works here. Attaching a FTL
drive to a rock and then dropping out of FTL in the same space
the enemy ship occupies might work too.
I don’t expect the core to be able to do that or the
war would be short and catastrophic to our Empire.
The actual draw-back of that idea is the more mass a ship
has, the more fuel it would take, to carry the mass of a rock
into FTL might be too much. Plus they are bullies, tactics
aren’t their strong point, just scare and overwhelming force.
I’ve never seen an FTL scheme where the FTL velocity translated to
anything in “real” space. The Catman has a dodge that the Empire
stumbled upon a way to “concentrate” gravity but even that has its
limitations. It certainly does not confer any way to exceed lightspeed.
Even such far out things as Alcubierre’s “warp drive” don’t have the
vehicle going superluminal, merely effectively doing so. Now, I did
see one author who, while not allowing an Alcubierre warp drive to
go superluminal (something about heat buildup in the warp bubble
kept them to 0.5C or so), did allow as to an object effectively going
at 0.5C would make a hellova dent if it hit something. If the Core
FTL tech can be miniaturized I could see it being used to slam
projectiles into a target while in FTL. That might work.
Let’s hope they cannot do that, shall we?
Careful here. We have no idea how the FTL drive actually works in
this universe and there are a lot of possibilities.
Right now we can make some assumptions about some things, but
when it comes to the FTL drive, we know nothing about it beyond
the fact that it exists.
I’m hoping the road block is because of raider trouble and to
“feel out” the group, the whole “don’t start any trouble” idea.
I’m sure reasonable people would welcome them, but we have
no idea what the expectations of their old “government” is.
The offer of aid that they have coming should have some
weight, and I have a hunch they have seen the broadcasts
on their TV’s by now.
I guess we have to wait until the next installment to find out.
My hunch is that the road block is to keep the folks from Jericho
from spilling the beans about the Empire to the folks in that
group’s zone of control. Warlords tend not to be too terribly
willing to give up power peacefully. The fact that the roadblock
includes troops hidden in the bushes indicates some level of
possible malevolence. Of course I’d be tickled if Minka doesn’t
have to “say anything” with that thing in front of her.
I would agree with you Bill, but we just don’t know anything. And we know
PC loves to throw curve balls at us at the last second! I doubt they sent
anyone to Jerico to see if the broadcasts are anything but fiction, mainly
because anyone that was to visit most likely want to stay. As far as the men
in hiding go, for good or bad, it’s a sound tactic if you don’t know the people
that’s crossing your borders.
Quite frankly. I’m hoping they get lit up. What the fuck gives them
the right to go around annexing ppl and expecting nothing but love
and kisses? Their self declared superior attitude? They have exactly
as much right to go around annexing ppl and expecting nothing but
love and cookies as mordor does sending their orcs into Ukraine.
And them acting like they have the right to just annex whoever the
fuck they want is putting them in the same league, and lvl,
as putler and his war criminals.
Except that once the Empire teaches them the laws (the few there are)
and helps out those in need, they will pretty much leave them alone,
can you say the same for the warlords and the minions? Annexing can
sound like “taking over” in your context, in another it’s moving into a
besieged region that’s neither law-abiding or safe for it’s inhabitants,
being in food, clothes, medial aid, smart law-givers, and security. Sure,
it doesn’t sound any better than they might of had before, until they
see it IS better. Not one person has expected any Imperial representative
to act without greed or demands, but get compassion and the promise
of a better life, something no one else has done before OR after the fall.
Wow! You HOPE they get lit up? Only Imperial Storm Troopers miss most
of the time. They come around that corner, and get lit up in line with your
desires, one or more of the empire people is gonna get killed. Remember,
the empire doesn’t start fights, they end them. First and foremost, these
are friends out on a leisurely motorcycle ride. One with a heavy (hidden)
retaliatory fist, but it is a retaliatory fist. It doesn’t show unless attacked
first.
Did you miss my entire response to Bill in TGW-1226?
Especially the part about “Most citizens have no contact
with the Imperial government at all, other than the sales
tax or military service.”
Yeah, they’re bringing peace and stability to the northern
regions, but the people there will have an equal stature
with everyone else in the Empire.
‘The safe side or the suicide.’
I just learned what my wife’s god-mother really believes
‘what is going on’ with Trump and the US.
1984 FUCKING WINS.
Do I try to keep writing…
or do I make sure we have the best garden we can manage,
among other things, while the world goes to Fucking Hell
around us. No one will either want, or be allowed to,
read anything I came up with.
Heh, my mother was so much into soap operas that she bought
3 VCRs and 2 TVs, one to record the shows, and two to edit out the
commercials so she can watch uninterrupted. Plus she was one of
the many that wrote hate mail to a certain character on “General
Hospital” that caused the switch the actor from one of the bad guys
to good so she wouldn’t get assassinated in the mid – 80s!
So I can relate, it’s just modern-day propaganda, sad really…
Has Top Webcomics been abandoned?
Did I miss the memo?
No so far as I know. I just cast my votes
(one anonymous, one logged in)
and everything looked normal there.
Why do you ask?
Position #6 this morning —
but as far from #5 as from #11.
2 votes so far…