Schlock Mercenary IV: Chrome and Punishment

[factotum]

and gave them an homicidal AI who is a tactical genius. Xeno team was already important, they turned the childish Oafa into something way more sinister.

There's no indication Chinook-nee-Tagii is still homicidal (and if she *was*, it would specifically be Tagon's Toughs she'd be homicidal against), and I'm not seeing this thing with the Oafa becoming sinister--that's like saying a child who grows into a normally adjusted adult has somehow become sinister.

[lord_khaine]

And then it just...stopped. The Toughs aren't being shot at anymore, Tagii doesn't want to kill them, the station decided (off-panel!) not only to stop attacking but to take orders from them (EDIT: And seems to be saner after 10,000,000 years than Tagii was after 10 minutes).. We don't know what exactly the Oafa are up to but they just ended the need for haste regarding the Prabstdi, Xeno Team has apparently forgotten all about finishing their 'sample collecting', Kevyn is unshot and no-one's mentioned the damage to Bristlecone.

Regarding the Station and Tagii thing, then the main difference i think is that Tagii were in total sensory deprivation, while the station were just alone.

[Mando Knight]

Opinion: RoboChef looks odd, but better than the old melty-explodey-walking-candle body.

[EnragedFilia]

They might be sinister or they might be benign, but either way they're a remnant without much in the way of power and can't pose a realistic near-term threat to much of anything. Even with their minds expanded, I expect they're still dependent on the Prabstadti, after all, and will be for the foreseeable future.

[ChowGuy]

They might be sinister or they might be benign, but either way they're a remnant without much in the way of power and can't pose a realistic near-term threat to much of anything. Even with their minds expanded, I expect they're still dependent on the Prabstadti, after all, and will be for the foreseeable future.

Well sure. If you accept the premise that not-senile insane AI that spent the last 10 million years guarding the last redoubt of her long dead builders is going to "remake" herself by turning her back on the closest thing they have to descendents, in favor of driving a fleet for someone "a little young for my tastes."

But that's just SWAG. No epileptic trees here, nope nope nope.

[memnarch]

"a little young for my tastes." is referring to the PD hive-mind, not Tagon.

[ChowGuy]

"a little young for my tastes." is referring to the PD hive-mind, not Tagon.

\Right. Which is way she didn't want to mind-meld with them, but is perfectly fine letting the idiot scion of a race that didn't how to put a sharp end on the stick (or why) when she was last around barter with them for her and her "Because Mine" fleet's services.

And I chose my words about "expanded consciousness of a race" very carefully. You do remember what triggered the not-so-ominous remark don't you? It wasn't Murtaugh's statement itself, it was Schlock's question "Does the fizzy taste go away?"

What's that shaking the trees?

[factotum]

Hmmm. I'm starting to think I'm wrong and that Tagon actually *is* going to sell those other warships...I suppose it makes sense since he probably doesn't have the men to run them all, but it's a bit disappointing that we won't see the Toughs actually performing any fleet actions.

Speaking of ships, sweepstake on how long *this* one lasts, anyone? I reckon eighteen months in real world strips before they crash it, blow it up, or otherwise render it unusable.

[ChowGuy]

Speaking of ships, sweepstake on how long *this* one lasts, anyone? I reckon eighteen months in real world strips before they crash it, blow it up, or otherwise render it unusable.

We've just started Act III, Scene II, of the current play book, most of Chekov's Guns haven't blammed yet, and we have yet to meet the BBEG.

Or have we? duhn duhn DUHN!!!

[Marnath]

Howard is spending that trust-currency I mentioned earlier at an alarming rate with this wrap-up.

However did you make it through book 11 then, if this is all it takes to ruin the experience for you? O.o

Heck, I read that at a dead-run through the archives and it was still almost too much for me to handle.

[The Glyphstone]

However did you make it through book 11 then, if this is all it takes to ruin the experience for you? O.o

Heck, I read that at a dead-run through the archives and it was still almost too much for me to handle.

I liked Book 11. I just ignored the parallel-plotline thing and treated each story as its own independent side-story, enjoying all of them. Nothing there (i can remember, I may have scarred something out of my brain) jarred me the way this has.

[runeghost]

I liked Book 11. I just ignored the parallel-plotline thing and treated each story as its own independent side-story, enjoying all of them. Nothing there (i can remember, I may have scarred something out of my brain) jarred me the way this has.

The jump from "OMG we're all in big trouble" to "everything is hunky-dory" did seem rather abrupt to me as well. Which is why an ever-larger part of my Schlock Mercenary-reading brain is thinking

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we're looking at either Virtual Reality or Memory Alteration. And given that the Schlockverse explicitly has memory alteration... I've got no evidence for who or why though, beyond pure speculation.

.

After posting the above, I had one additional thought:

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I suppose another explanation could be that T'kkkuts Afa is both clever and malevolent, and has completely pwnd Ennesby and Taagii and is currently puppet-mastering the Toughs for its own purposes, but that doesn't seem to match up with what we saw of it.

[Kane]

After posting the above, I had one additional thought:

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I suppose another explanation could be that T'kkkuts Afa is both clever and malevolent, and has completely pwnd Ennesby and Taagii and is currently puppet-mastering the Toughs for its own purposes, but that doesn't seem to match up with what we saw of it.

I think I have a place to put my money now.

Just 'cause it's crazy doesn't mean it has to be the screaming-and-swinging-axes kind of crazy.

[The Glyphstone]

I don't know about Admiral, but Commodore Tagon has a nice ring to it.

[Cikomyr]

I don't know about Admiral, but Commodore Tagon has a nice ring to it.

Twas one of the great moment of Battlestar Galactica, without a doubt.

[The Glyphstone]

Twas one of the great moment of Battlestar Galactica, without a doubt.

Did I just inadvertently quote something?

[Cikomyr]

Did I just inadvertently quote something?

At the end of the event of "Pegasus", President Roslin is talking to Commander Adama, and tells him that "I checked the military books, and an officer in command of two ships is called an Admiral" *hands over the pips*

It was a great moment, and a sign that the series wouldn't just contend itself eternally with the status quo.

[tonberrian]

Howard still hasn't done an end of chapter message. I'm guessing something sinister, the longer till then the more so.

[factotum]

Howard still hasn't done an end of chapter message. I'm guessing something sinister, the longer till then the more so.

I don't think he always does do one, does he? He usually does at the end of a *book*, but there might be more than one plotline in this one.

Oh, and that clears up what happened to Bristlecone, so the questions posed during this thread are gradually being answered...

[Kornaki]

Lol at the above two posts

[Wayson]

Yep lol

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Surprise, bitchez! No closure for us.

[Cikomyr]

Yep lol

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Surprise, bitchez! No closure for us.

Oh well.

First real disappointing story in a while. They can't all be ringers.


But I gotta say, that was a sweet moment.

[The Glyphstone]

Wait, what happened to 'Ex-Celeshul generals get quiet retirements or treason trials?"

[Rockphed]

Wait, what happened to 'Ex-Celeshul generals get quiet retirements or treason trials?"

This is not the first time kaff's dad joined the toughs. I wonder if kaff will get a peer worth dating.

[Cikomyr]

Wait, what happened to 'Ex-Celeshul generals get quiet retirements or treason trials?"

That sort of flew right out the window after his son blew up his second Battleplate, the Celesthul Military was now forcibly unified with the UNS.

[The Glyphstone]

This is not the first time kaff's dad joined the toughs. I wonder if kaff will get a peer worth dating.

Wasn't the first time just 'role-playing as an officer'?

[Cikomyr]

Wasn't the first time just 'role-playing as an officer'?

It was.

But like I said, I think the situation is somewhat.. different.

[memnarch]

Wait, what happened to 'Ex-Celeshul generals get quiet retirements or treason trials?"

The general was informed about a new pressing development and knows that he is a critical intelligence asset on their spreadsheets.

[The Glyphstone]

Ohh right. Okay, that makes a bit more sense now.

[ChowGuy]

Yeah, and given what Morokweng was up to, I don't he has to worry about a treason trial any more. Or, you know, any other kind of trial.