With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

[Mr Zoat]

Also, since I'm here,

than

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Thank you, corrected.

 

[Mr Zoat]

25th February 2284
09:02 GMT -5

"Mister Krowno." Governor Autumn rises from his seat to greet me as I'm escorted into his office. An interesting change from my last visit: my escort isn't in power armour or even a member of the Enclave military, just a regular civil servant who backs out now that his boss has hold of me. Autumn offers me his hand and I shake it with a smile. "Did you have the chance to examine ower little town?"

"Just a brief look as I flew over. I intend to get a better idea of what's going on after our meeting."

The old barrack houses they built when they first moved into the area are still there, but with a foundry and a brickworks and a concrete plant set up they're building actual buildings again with frames of recovered steel and stone and brick both new and reclaimed. The only thing they're really lacking is good timber, but there's only so much that Diana can do to make hardwood grow faster and shipping it from Canada is… Difficult for a variety of reasons.

"I'll happily give you the tour mahself." He releases my hand and sits back down, and I take the chair opposite him. "Ah was surprised when Governor Hayes sent me his message. Iowa does not yet have a fraction of the industreh that California does."

"Hayes is surprisingly okay with being first amongst equals. I think reports about things like the Odious King and Cerberus convinced him that collegiality was the way to go."

"And hwhat is the purpose of this convention of governors?"

"Formally setting out the process to recreate the United States of America, nat-"

He blinks in shock. "Wu-what?"

"-urally-. Yes?"

He… Takes a moment.

"Ah must apologise for my discomportment, but you understand that ah am somehwhat surprahsed."

"And I'll try not to be hurt by that surprise. Mister Governor, recreating America was always the aim. It's just that things have happened in such a way that we can start being a little more direct about it now."

He nods slowly, still trying to keep himself under control. "When you descraabed the slow way, ah assumed that you would need more than one yeuh."

"Well, yes, I need a lot more than one year. This is barely a constitutional convention. We're going to get maybe six stars on the flag, and forget the Commonwealth system, there's no support for it."

"States, then. And ah doubt that such an agreement could give rahs to a federal government."

"A federal government is a 'nice-to-have'. This isn't going to work if it looks like one party annexing the others."

"Then in practical turms, hwhat will we achieve theyah?"

"The leaders of the states taking part will get to know each other, and hopefully agree to cooperate on infrastructure projects like road and rail connections between their territories… Intelligence sharing, mutual defence… We're going to have to go through the process of building a nation in the minds of its inhabitants before we can do anything more concrete."

"At this moment, the State of Iowa has little that it can offuh."

"You have two things, Governor. Patriotism and power armour. I know… That Hayes is on-side, but for everyone else, this is the one state where I know that everyone wants the United States of America to begin functioning as a unified whole once more."

"Ah would have thought that their prior exposyuh to the Enclave would make the people of California the most sceptical of awl."

"Regardless of the precise legalities, most Californians regard the Enclave as separate from the pre-War United States of America. With their separation of powers, free speech and individualistic culture, they've actually fallen back on America's fundamentals, rather than the form the nation took in the immediate pre-War era."

"Ah take it that you approve."

"The America of that period had a lot going wrong with it, and not all of it was the fault of the People's Republic of China. Simply trying to recreate that exact thing would build those problems into it. Having a simpler structure instead would guard against that, and it's not as if we have to prepare to fight an external enemy."

"Ah myself along with most of mah fellow Iowans are more used to a strict hierarchy. But ah have increasingly found that leaves something to be desiyad when dealing with the civilian population." He looks down for a moment, before nodding. "That, ah think, was mah greatest failing in mah dealings with the people of Washington. There were those who were open to awuh message, but ah had no idea how to take advantage of that opportunitay while the Brotherhood of Steel did."

"You were a little unlucky there. Usually, Brotherhood chapters are just as cack-handed at that as you were."

"Still, that does not excuse mah failure. Hwhat do you intend to do with awuh power armour?"

"Well, since you're not under threat here, I thought that you could offer to deploy them as rapid response units in areas under sporadic threat. The N.C.R.'s army is far larger than yours, but it's a bit lumbering and struggles with hardened targets like Deathclaw packs."

"Hwhy would they not use Brotherhood soldiers for that purpose?"

"The Brotherhood has agreed to use its paladins for clearing dangerous pre-War sites, but they have manpower issues and… Most people don't really want the Brotherhood claiming the old military bases in their territory, and the Brotherhood isn't all that keen on America coming back. Elder Rusk genuinely loves Texas, but he's going to be the hardest person to convince to go along with this. And the rest of the Elders are worse."

"Ah was not expecting a favorable reference from Elder Lyons. Will they be joining us?"

"No, not at this stage. The N.C.R. are dealing with Lost Hills and the Mojave Chapter, WARDEN's dealing with what's left of the Maxson Chapter, The Alamo Chapter are doing their own thing but don't really want to have to deal with anyone else, the Midwest and the Capital Chapters are rebuilding and while the Washington Brotherhood technically qualifies due to controlling the entirety of Washington State… We're not on good terms with them. One… Slight issue, though."

"Yes?"

"I'd prefer it if you sent Vice Governor Granite rather than going yourself."

"But this is an historic occasion! Every other governor will be in attendance! We are behand enough as it is without me sending a man who -while entirely competent- is lowuh in status than mahself. And ah want to go. Ah want to be theyah when we take the first steps towards restoring America with the consent of its people. Whay should I send Douglas in mah place?"

"Because it's not just about the agreement itself, it's about getting the state leaders used to dealing with one another. Leaving aside the fact that you being there would immediately end efforts in bringing Washington D.C. on board peacefully... I want them to get used to working with Douglas because I intend to finesse things so that he is ultimately considered a universally acceptable candidate for the position of Vice President."

Autumn calms a little as he tries to work out my reasoning.

"That's… Going to be a decade or two in the future at best, and I haven't began campaigning yet-."

"Whay Douglas?"

"Why him rather than you, or why him out of everyone I could nominate?"

"Both. Ah am not offended, but ah am… Curious."

"He has more experience than you in dealing with the wasteland's diverse peoples. Early on, most of the Vice President's job will be travelling around and encouraging peoples to work together, and hopefully voluntarily join up with our newly reformed union. You're a better military administrator than he is, but you lack his charisma. And he's… He's an American idealist, while you're more of an Enclave pragmatist. You're better for the position of Governor in a state inhabited by Enclave people, but for America as a whole…"

"Ah see." He nods. "And ah am forced to concede to your point. Ah will have to meet with the other Governors at some point; ah do not want another President Eden situation and ah very much suspect that they do not either."

I nod. "Thank you."

"But ah wundah; if you want Douglas for Vice President, who would you have for President? Is it Hayes? He has Enclave blood, and he has worked with you for the longest time."

"No, not him. California is going to be the most powerful state in the union, and I'd rather have a known quantity in charge of it. No, for President, we need an experienced administrator who's good at negotiating compromises and making them stick. Who can govern but has no strong desire to rule over people. Who has strong ideals, but can put them aside when necessary. My first pick for President -assuming that he's still alive at that point- is Elder Lyons."

Governor Autumn stares at me for several moments, then exhales slowly.

"Then perhaps ah should make arrangements to stay in Iowa for the foreseeable future."

 

[Ngamer11]

"No, not at this stage. The N.C.R. are dealing with Lost Hills and the Mojave Chapter, WARDEN's dealing with what's left of the Maxson Chapter, The Alamo Chapter are dong their own thing but don't really want to have to deal with anyone else, the Midwest and the Capital Chapters are rebuilding and while the Washington Brotherhood technically qualifies due to controlling the entirety of Washington State… We're not on good terms with them. One… Slight issue, thought."

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That should say 'though'.

"No, not him. California is going to be the most powerful state in the union, and I'd rather have a known quantity in charge of it. No, for President, we need an experienced administrator who's good at negotiating compromises and making them stick. Who can govern but has no strong desire to rule over people. Who has strong ideals, but can put them aside when necessary. My first pick for President -assuming that he's still alive at that point- is Elder Lyons."

Governor Autumn stares at me for several moments, then exhales slowly.

"Then perhaps ah should make arrangements to stay in Iowa for the foreseeable future."

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As someone who's never played the Fallout games, how big of a deal is this?

 

[Parzival95]

It's genuinely hilarious is what it is. Granite was Enclave who flipped and helped the Chosen One at the end of FO2 while Lyons was the Brotherhoods big good in 3, who defeated Autumns Enclave in the original timeline.

Enclave dissident vice president and Brotherhood reformer Lyons President.

 

[KyleDaScourge]

As someone who's never played the Fallout games, how big of a deal is this?

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Autumn lead the Enclave in a small-ish scale war against Lyons' chapter as part of his plan to seize a project which would have supplied clean water to DC and instead convert it into another Enclave attempt at a "kill all the wastelanders" weapon. Is my understanding, if I'm getting the characters right and remembering Fallout 3's plot.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

25th February 2284
09:02 GMT -5

"Mister Krowno." Governor Autumn rises from his seat to greet me as I'm escorted into his office. An interesting change from my last visit: my escort isn't in power armour or even a member of the Enclave military, just a regular civil servant who backs out now that his boss has hold of me. Autumn offers me his hand and I shake it with a smile. "Did you have the chance to examine ower little town?"

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Good gawd, I can hear the accent. At least Krono's stocks have risen to the point where he's not met with often thinly-veiled hostility from certain parties anymore. Indeed, many will be happy to see him as word of this conference spreads.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"Just a brief look as I flew over. I intend to get a better idea of what's going on after our meeting."

The old barrack houses they built when they first moved into the area are still there, but with a foundry and a brickworks and a concrete plant set up they're building actual buildings again with frames of recovered steel and stone and brick both new and reclaimed. The only thing they're really lacking is good timber, but there's only so much that Diana can do to make hardwood grow faster and shipping it from Canada is… Difficult for a variety of reasons.

Click to shrink...

It'll go in as it comes, I suppose. Easy enough to work with reclaimed materials for now.

"I'll happily give you the tour mahself." He releases my hand and sits back down, and I take the chair opposite him. "Ah was surprised when Governor Hayes sent me his message. Iowa does not yet have a fraction of the industreh that California does."

"Hayes is surprisingly okay with being first amongst equals. I think reports about things like the Odious King and Cerberus convinced him that collegiality was the way to go."

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He'd rather have a few buffers between his territory and the wasteland's threats, eh?

"And hwhat is the purpose of this convention of governors?"

"Formally setting out the process to recreate the United States of America, nat-"

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Not going to happen quickly, but if things go well it will happen, I suppose.

He blinks in shock. "Wu-what?"

"-urally-. Yes?"

He… Takes a moment.

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Huh, an unusual reaction. Surprised that everyone's willing to make that effort, was he? Especially given how hostile some parties may be towards each other historically.

"Ah must apologise for my discomportment, but you understand that ah am somehwhat surprahsed."

"And I'll try not to be hurt by that surprise. Mister Governor, recreating America was always the aim. It's just that things have happened in such a way that we can start being a little more direct about it now."

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Less potential disasters to worry about out in the wild areas, for a start, and someone going around and smoothing ruffled feathers...

He nods slowly, still trying to keep himself under control. "When you descraabed the slow way, ah assumed that you would need more than one yeuh."

"Well, yes, I need a lot more than one year. This is barely a constitutional convention. We're going to get maybe six stars on the flag, and forget the Commonwealth system, there's no support for it."

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And there's still the distant matter of sorting out how East and West will meet up. Given the wide expanses of the middle of the continent, that's a long way off, though.

"States, then. And ah doubt that such an agreement could give rahs to a federal government."

"A federal government is a 'nice-to-have'. This isn't going to work if it looks like one party annexing the others."

"Then in practical turms, hwhat will we achieve theyah?"

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Promises to not try and conquer each other, for a start. Pretty important detail there.

"The leaders of the states taking party will get to know each other, and hopefully agree to cooperate on infrastructure projects like road and rail connections between their territories… Intelligence sharing, mutual defence… We're going to have to go through the process of building a nation in the minds of its inhabitants before we can do anything more concrete."

Click to shrink...

Getting people used to thinking like tribes to consider folks over the next hill as friends, not rivals for local resources.

"At this moment, the State of Iowa has little that it can offuh."

"You have two things, Governor. Patriotism and power armour. I know… That Hayes is on-side, but for everyone else, this is the one state where I know that everyone wants the United States of America to begin functioning as a unified whole once more."

"Ah would have thought that their prior exposyuh to the Enclave would make the people of California the most sceptical of awl."

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I imagine they're being very cautious, yes. But ultimately, this will be better for everyone.

"Regardless of the precise legalities, most Californians regard the Enclave as separate from the pre-War United States of America. With their separation of powers, free speech and individualistic culture, they've actually fallen back on America's fundamentals, rather than the form the nation took in the immediate pre-War era."

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Kind of inevitable after a cataclysmic event like that. The survivors seek comfort in ideals that encourage survival together. As opposed to going all 'Lord Humungus' or 'Immortan Joe' on their neighbours.

"Ah take it that you approve."

"The America of that period had a lot going wrong with it, and not all of it was the fault of the People's Republic of China. Simply trying to recreate that exact thing would build those problems into it. Having a simpler structure instead would guard against that, and it's not as if we have to prepare to fight an external enemy."

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Tempting fate there, i wouldn't wonder. Fortunately, Fallout tends to have smaller scale drama going on.

"Ah myself along with most of mah fellow Iowans are more use to a strict hierarchy. But ah have increasingly found that leaves something to be desiyad when dealing with the civilian population." He looks down for a moment, before nodding. "That, ah think, was mah greatest failing in mah dealings with the people of Washington. There were those who were open to awuh message, but ah had no idea how to take advantage of that opportunitay while the Brotherhood of Steel did."

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At least he can recognise where he fouled up, and is hopefully working to fix that.

"You were a little unlucky there. Usually, Brotherhood chapters just as cack-handed at that as you were."

"Still, that does not excuse mah failure. Hwhat do you intend to do with awuh power armour?"

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I'm guessing the Brotherhood aren't generally that flexible in doctrine. That branch got lucky with a capable leader, then?

"Well, since you're not under threat here, I thought that you could offer to deploy them as rapid response units in areas under sporadic threat. The N.C.R,'s army is far larger than yours, but it's a bit lumbering and struggles with hardened targets like Deathclaw packs."

"Hwhy would they not use Brotherhood soldiers for that purpose?"

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I'm guessing it's political.

"The Brotherhood has agreed to use its paladins for clearing dangerous pre-War sites, but they have manpower issues and… Most people don't really want the Brotherhood claiming the old military bases in their territory, and the Brotherhood isn't all that keen on America coming back. Elder Rusk genuinely loves Texas, but he's going to be the hardest person to convince to go along with this. And the rest of the Elders are worse."

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Hopefully they won't interfere with the conference or subsequent reunification efforts. Chances are not low.

"Ah was not expecting a favorable reference from Elder Lyons. Will they be joining us?"

"No, not at this stage. The N.C.R. are dealing with Lost Hills and the Mojave Chapter, WARDEN's dealing with what's left of the Maxson Chapter, The Alamo Chapter are dong their own thing but don't really want to have to deal with anyone else, the Midwest and the Capital Chapters are rebuilding and while the Washington Brotherhood technically qualifies due to controlling the entirety of Washington State… We're not on good terms with them. One… Slight issue, thought."

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So the Brotherhood will be an impediment to regaining overall control of things. Though diplomacy will always be the better option, sometimes you gotta apply the boot.

"Yes?"

"I'd prefer it if you sent Vice Governor Granite rather than going yourself."

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It's not the accent, is it?

"But this is an historic occasion! Every other governor will be in attendance! We are behand enough as it is without me sending a man who -while entirely competent- is lowuh in status than mahself. And ah want to go. Ah want to be theyah when we take the first steps towards restoring America with the consent of its people. Whay should I send Douglas in mah place?"

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Damn, that's some strong feelings. Krono better talk fast to avoid trouble.

"Because it's not just about the agreement itself, it's about getting the state leaders used to dealing with one another. Leaving aside the fact that you being there would immediately end efforts in bringing Washington D.C. on board peacefully... I want them to get used to working with Douglas because I intend to finesse things so that he is ultimately considered a universally acceptable candidate for the position of Vice President."

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Ah, I see. Autumn here is in good terms with the East coast, while his deputy is better for the East.

Autumn calms a little as he tries to work out my reasoning.

"That's… Going to be a decade or two in the future at best, and I haven't began campaigning yet-."

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Still, FEV means Krono is going to be around for quite a while, right? So he'll still be able to play a part then.

"Whay Douglas?"

"Why him rather than you, or why him out of everyone I could nominate?"

"Both. Ah am not offended, but ah am… Curious."

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At least he's aware of his limitations. I doubt he'd be suited to such a lofty position.

"He has more experience than you in dealing with the wasteland's diverse peoples. Early on, most of the Vice President's job will be travelling around and encouraging peoples to work together, and hopefully voluntarily join up with our newly reformed union. You're a better military administrator than he is, but you lack his charisma. And he's… He's an American idealist, while you're more of an Enclave pragmatist. You're better for the position of Governor in a state inhabited by Enclave people, but for America as a whole…"

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Ah, well-rationalised. Yes, makes a lot of sense.

"Ah see." He nods. "And ah am forced to concede to your point. Ah will have to meet with the other Governors at some point; ah do not want another President Eden situation and ah very much suspect that they do not either."

I nod. "Thank you."

"But ah wundah; if you want Douglas for Vice President, who would you have for President? Is it Hayes? He has Enclave blood, and he has worked with you for the longest time."

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Ah, there's the question. Who is going to be capable of wrangling all these intense personalities in the early years?

"No, not him. California is going to be the most powerful state in the union, and I'd rather have a known quantity in charge of it. No, for President, we need an experienced administrator who's good at negotiating compromises and making them stick. Who can govern but has no strong desire to rule over people. Who has strong ideals, but can put them aside when necessary. My first pick for President -assuming that he's still alive at that point- is Elder Lyons."

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...Unless everyone decides Krono would be a better pick. But he'd probably refuse every offer.

Governor Autumn stares at me for several moments, then exhales slowly.

"Then perhaps ah should make arrangements to stay in Iowa for the foreseeable future."

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Ah, that's the sound of a man very glad to not be sticking his hand into that piranha tank.

If Krono's plans play out, things are going to be very interesting for the next couple of decades. At the very least, it's going to set precedents for years to come, and leave quite the impression, no matter how it ends. And I have to wonder if he's even asked either man about their opinions on the matter yet...

 

[Silverias]

Autumn lead the Enclave in a small-ish scale war against Lyons' chapter as part of his plan to seize a project which would have supplied clean water to DC and instead convert it into another Enclave attempt at a "kill all the wastelanders" weapon. Is my understanding, if I'm getting the characters right and remembering Fallout 3's plot.

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Autumn didn't want to do the "Murder everyone" plot. That was Eden, who was a computer.

 

[Mr Zoat]

That should say 'though'.

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Thank you, corrected.

It's genuinely hilarious is what it is. Granite was Enclave who flipped and helped the Chosen One at the end of FO2 while Lyons was the Brotherhoods big good in 3, who defeated Autumns Enclave in the original timeline.

Enclave dissident vice president and Brotherhood reformer Lyons President.

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Granite is the son of the man who flipped and helped the Chosen One. Want to guess who his mother is?

Autumn lead the Enclave in a small-ish scale war against Lyons' chapter as part of his plan to seize a project which would have supplied clean water to DC and instead convert it into another Enclave attempt at a "kill all the wastelanders" weapon. Is my understanding, if I'm getting the characters right and remembering Fallout 3's plot.

Click to shrink...

President Eden wanted to kill some people with it, but it's not all that clear exactly what proportion. It wasn't all of them. Autumn didn't even want to do that.

 

[Sarlar]

Iowans are more use to a strict hierarchy

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Should be 'used' I believe?

dong their own thing bu

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And that should be 'doing' even if it is funny.

Y'know, if you brought Autumn and Lyons to the meeting, it'd start sounding like the setup to a joke; "The least genocidal Enclave leader, the most human Brotherhood elder, and a mutant walks into a bar..."

Excellent chapter Zoat!

 

[Duke Long]

"The leaders of the states taking party will get to know each other, and hopefully agree to cooperate on infrastructure projects like road and rail connections between their territories… Intelligence sharing, mutual defence… We're going to have to go through the process of building a nation in the minds of its inhabitants before we can do anything more concrete."

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'part'?

"You were a little unlucky there. Usually, Brotherhood chapters just as cack-handed at that as you were."

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'are just'?

"Well, since you're not under threat here, I thought that you could offer to deploy them as rapid response units in areas under sporadic threat. The N.C.R,'s army is far larger than yours, but it's a bit lumbering and struggles with hardened targets like Deathclaw packs."

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'N.C.R.'s'

 

[ForeverShogo]

For a summary of the Fallout 3 stuff, and the relationship between Autumn and Lyons . . . Though honestly most of it is about the Enclave . . .

Spoiler: Fallout Lore

The Enclave's forces in the Washington DC area were under the de jure leadership of President John Henry Eden, but the de facto leadership of Colonel Augustus Autumn.

Eden presented himself as though he were just a regular, human American on Enclave Radio. He was in actuality a supercomputer AI housed in Raven Rock that was intended to maintain continuity of government. Over the centuries since the nuclear war that created the world of Fallout he slowly became self-aware. He loved reading the historical archives on the American government. In particular, he loved reading about America's past Presidents and constructed a personality for himself based on said former Presidents.

This included people like President Richardson, who was leader of the Enclave during the events of Fallout 2. A man who tried to enact a plan to release an airborne variant of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, Curling-13, into the atmosphere whereupon it would be spread across the globe via the jet streams. This would, as Wesker from Resident Evil would put it, achieve complete, global saturation.

Curling-13 was designed to kill any and all humans exposed to it, with the only hope for survival being vaccination or being part of a Vault population that has remained sealed off from the world. Curling-13 would itself die out after a month with no hosts to infect. Why do this? Because Enclave leadership at the time viewed all Wasteland humans as mutant abominations that had to be purged for the good of humanity. If the protagonist of Fallout 2 talks to Richardson he sincerely believes they aren't actually human.

The plan is thwarted with the destruction of the Enclave's main base by nuclear fire.

In the chaotic aftermath of this, Eden contacted the Enclave and positioned himself as the next President of the United States of America. He ordered most of the Enclave to abandon the West Coast and make their way to Raven Rock. The leader of the Enclave forces that made this journey was Autumn's father.

The Enclave spends decades rebuilding itself. During that timeframe the Brotherhood of Steel sends an expedition across America that eventually arrives at Washington DC. This expedition is led by a Paladin Owyn Lyons and it had three objectives. Scour DC for any advanced technologies, investigate reports of super mutant activity, and to bring the Midwestern Brotherhood back under Lost Hill's command if they encounter them along the way.

They never successfully make contact with the Midwestern Brotherhood, but they do make it to Washington DC and set up shop in the ruins of the Pentagon. Inside of which they discover a giant robot called Liberty Prime, the discovery of which gets Paladin Lyons promoted to Elder Lyons. They also discover a lot of super mutants menacing the people of the Capital Wasteland.

Lyons increasingly focuses on fighting the super mutants and protecting Wastelanders, something that pisses off Lost Hills because as far as they're concerned his only priority should be salvaging advanced technologies. He more or less tells them to go fuck themselves. Hardliners within his own forces go their own way, focusing on recovering technology and coming to be known as the Outcasts.

Fallout 3 stuff starts happening. The Enclave announces its return by occupying much of the Capital Wasteland and seizing the Jefferson Memorial, which by this point has been converted into what is known as Project Purity. Basically, a massive and supercharged water purifier that will clean all the water in the Capital Wasteland which would otherwise be super radioactive and which people have had to purify in more limited, personal ways.

The Enclave and the Brotherhood actively fight over Project Purity, though getting Liberty Prime operational is really the only reason the Brotherhood stood a chance. While this is happening the Enclave experiences something of a schism.

Eden wants to continue the Modified FEV plan, though this version is waterborne and would use Project Purity as its delivery mechanism. It also isn't as universally fatal. Rather than requiring a vaccination or avoiding exposure altogether, you just have to be sufficiently "pure". Which of course still means it's going to kill super mutants, ghouls, and a lot of Wasteland humans.

Autumn doesn't want to follow this plan. He'd rather just use control over Project Purity to coerce the people of the Capital Wasteland into accepting Enclave governance. Basically, submit to the Enclave and get abundant clean water. Resist and the Enclave will eliminate you the old fashioned way. Though he'd still work on eradicating ghouls and super mutants, and did set up checkpoints that subjected Wastelanders to genetic screening. So there's still some arbitrary line in the sand for a Wastelander being too mutated to be considered human and thus subject to being purged.

The protagonist of Fallout 3 gets captured by the Enclave. For whatever reason, Eden thinks they can be recruited to his cause and tries to get them to implement his plans for the Modified FEV. While he's aware by this point that they might be attached to a lot of Wastelanders, he genuinely believes the deaths to be tragic yet necessary sacrifices for the future of the human race. He also thinks the Fallout 3 protagonist is one of the pure humans that will be spared, not realizing that they're actually a Wastelander who grew up in a Vault rather than being a true Vault Dweller. So if they did side with Eden, it would eventually kill them. (In-game you have to drink water that has Modified FEV in it 4 times to die.)

Eden tries to order the Enclave to work with you, and Autumn countermands that order by ordering that you be killed. The Enclave's human personnel side with Autumn. Thus, whether you wanted to help Eden or not, you have to fight Autumn and you use the Brotherhood of Steel to do it.

Even without all the above context, I suppose you could also simplify it as Autumn and Lyons having fought a war against each other. One in which they both wanted to rule over the Capital Wasteland, albeit using different methods.

Also, Lyons is super old so I don't think he'd be a good choice for President. He was already 75 during the events of Fallout 3. He would be at least 82 years old as of the most recent update. Which is pretty impressive considering he canonically died when he was 76.

 

[PDV]

taking party

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taking part

 

[PepeTheFrog]

As someone who's never played the Fallout games, how big of a deal is this?

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It would be kind of like going up to Superman and endorsing Bane as the next leader of the Justice League. Bane would likely make an excellent leader but has fought against the side you are now suggesting he should lead. Sure Bane and Superman have fought but they aren't exactly die hard enemies of each other.

 

[hkim]

Wow, I almost feel bad for Autumn here and that's not usually the sort of reaction you get for a cardboard cutout. Nice work Zoat.

 

[Steelplaza]

No, for President, we need an experienced administrator who's good at negotiating compromises and making them stick. Who can govern but has no strong desire to rule over people. Who has strong ideals, but can put them aside when necessary.

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An experienced administrator (running the Skywalkers), who's good at negotiating compromises (look at everything in this arc) and making them stick (oh he has a hell of a stick). Who can govern (demonstrated) but has no strong desire to rule over people (yes). Who has strong ideals (he has ideas about how the world should be) but can put them aside when necessary (yes).

Krono is describing himself. He's describing himself in this arc where he's visiting all the leaders that a President would have to coordinate and satisfy, and showing they all trust him to some extent.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Should be 'used' I believe?
And that should be 'doing' even if it is funny.

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'part'?
'are just
'N.C.R.'s'

Click to shrink...

Thank you, corrected.

Also, Lyons is super old so I don't think he'd be a good choice for President. He was already 75 during the events of Fallout 3. He would be at least 82 years old as of the most recent update. Which is pretty impressive considering he canonically died when he was 76.

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Oh, him being old is a good thing. No one wants anyone who might get too comfortable.

An experienced administrator (running the Skywalkers), who's good at negotiating compromises (look at everything in this arc) and making them stick (oh he has a hell of a stick). Who can govern (demonstrated) but has no strong desire to rule over people (yes). Who has strong ideals (he has ideas about how the world should be) but can put them aside when necessary (yes).

Krono is describing himself. He's describing himself in this arc where he's visiting all the leaders that a President would have to coordinate and satisfy, and showing they all trust him to some extent.

Click to shrink...

He's neither 40 nor a natural born citizen.

 

[Ngamer11]

He's neither 40 nor a natural born citizen.

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Is anyone (wrongly) worried that Krono can become something like the man behind the man due to his connections to those in power?

 

[Someguy Somewhere]

I would think that the known telepath visiting all the tribal chiefs and state leaders would be a red flag for 'puppet master' conspiracy types.

 

[Steelplaza]

He's neither 40 nor a natural born citizen.

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Objection, by his own story of having been born prewar he is definitely over 40 Krono-logically. (I made this post 90% for that pun.)

Natural-born is a bit trickier but could potentially be finagled. There's actually a clause about "or a resident for 14 years in the territory at the time the constitution was ratified" since obviously the first presidents were born before the US existed. A good lawyer could argue that by re-ratifying the constitution the constituent states are allowing the clause to take effect once more.

 

[xSieg]

He's neither 40 nor a natural born citizen.

Click to shrink...

Somewhat ninja'd by Steelplaza but I think you would be wrong in both accounts by clause. Krono is something shy of three hundred years old and the original constitution included something along the lines of "a Citizen of the United States at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution". Since you'd be ratifying the constitution again, you'd become a natural-citizen of the new United States of America. Though I guess some of the most boneheaded in the Enclave would dispute that the constitution needed to be ratified at all.

 

[Mr Zoat]

September 7th, 2013
21:24 UTC

"Hahehahey! That's cheating!"

I feel my eyes narrow as I glance up at the cage. I wasn't lying when I said that I don't mind them wrestling, but tickling isn't the same thing. Paul is-. Ah, he was trying distract her so that he could try-. Some.. sort of hold. His form is so bad that I can't actually tell. It's actually.. possible that he isn't trying for an actual hold and is just making it up as he goes.

I tried teaching him -briefly- but… Neither of us could really afford to spend the time to focus on it. And he's a Lantern. He wasn't wrong when he pointed out that better unarmed technique wouldn't improve his combat ability in most circumstances.

And when we did, he-. We, tended to get distracted.

…

Three years.

I originally agreed to five years because I wanted to establish myself, as he knew. But it was also because I wasn't… Sure about our relationship. Or about relationships. Would it really be better to focus on getting closer to a person who valued our relationship than making myself useful to an organisation that valued what I could do for it?

I'm not exactly sure when I went from hedging my bet to agreeing with him that I'd have preferred a shorter... Engagement. Perhaps when we went to Hell? When I shot him with the Ace of Winchesters it wasn't because I thought that he'd betrayed me. It wasn't even because I thought he might have betrayed me. I immediately knew that he wouldn't say that if he was himself.

Three years. And then what? I was worried that there wouldn't be enough work for a former Darkstar on Earth. But I'm running an investigation on Batman with my whole team. The Director made it clear that there was no need for me to rush back. It sounded like he was perfectly content for me to go back to Earth permanently.

I'm not sure how insulted I should have been. And I actually don't care.

So I could keep working for the Darkstars on detached duty, writing reports and suggesting policy changes to Earth governments in the same way I do to the governments of NEMO member planets. Or use my exo-mantle to get a better private security job than I had when I left. Or even be a superhero.

Or a mother.

Hm.

My parents were… Not good parents. There are things about what I've done that… I wouldn't do again, but leaving home isn't one of them. I'm closer to Artemis than I am to Mom. I'm probably closer to Alan and-. My grandparents, than I am Mom. It's not that I hate her. I don't doubt that she's better now, but in the time in my life when a normal girl would bond with their mother… I didn't, because she was her.

I don't think Artemis remembers that part. Or maybe the prison visits overrode it.

My computer shows another dozen notifications, and with a quick glance up at the cage I start going through them.

A load of soldiers don't just leave a bar. No officer wants to have to deal with drunk soldiers, and what they serve here is alcoholic. I've dealt with enough alien species to know that some things are almost universal. So if they were recalled to duty when they were off duty, something dangerous must have been happening, and there can't have been much notice. If the thanagarian government was planning something, these soldiers wouldn't have been here in the first place.

I don't know how my hacking suite matches up to thanagarian government security, and we're supposed to be here to talk about buying broadcasting rights. But there's more ways to find out what's happening than penetrating their military central command. Social media isn't anything like as developed here as it is on Earth, but there are still thousands of messages going back and forth between individuals every moment of the day.

Gang members, sending gang lieutenants and leaders messages about troop movements. Businesses ordering stock, or cancelling orders. Ships docking or landing and communicating with traffic control stations. And of course personal communications from the soldiers themselves letting friends and family know where they are even when they're supposedly under a communications blackout.

It's usually difficult to find anything useful when you aren't looking for one specific thing, so I've got my analytics tools looking at patterns of things that don't match the historical data logs. Ship movements that aren't part of normal patrols, patrols vanishing from some places or redoubling in others. I tried looking at their public banking records to see if the inevitable insider trading was happening, but it doesn't look like they have those.

Motherhood…

Before I met the Crock family I never really thought about it. But there's something about seeing a functional family that thinks I'm a part of it that… Makes me envious of how they relate to each other. Seeing how things are supposed to be when your parents aren't internationally wanted criminals. Helping out at the Ubu kindergarten was one of the chores newly initiated Shadows got stuck with, so I know I could handle the basics. I'm really more worried about whether Paul and I could socialise them properly.

Commodity prices aren't exactly public knowledge but it's not hard to get them from the personal computers of the people involved in the trade. There's been a steady increase in food prices, and a commensurate increase in unrest amongst the people living in the underside. Complaints from the rural governors that aliens are showing up in their territory. A few asking if they can use them to replace…

Why is there a shortage in lizarkon labor in rural areas?

I send out more enquiries, and my analytics suite gets to work again.

Bir Tawil is completely unsuitable for raising a child. I appreciate the security, and the weather, but children need other children around. Especially if they're going to be raised by us…

Ah. I've already assumed that's going to happen. Nice to know I'm not conflicted. So… Gotham? New York? Or Ripon?

I snort dismissively. Gotham's Gotham, so no. New York puts us close to Alan and Wonder Woman, and all the other Amazons coming and going through the embassy portal. And a lot of them either have young children or are thinking about having children. But I don't know them, and both Alan and Wonder Woman work full time. And Wonder Woman hasn't exactly had a normal life either.

So, Ripon. Close to my grandparents, uncle, aunt and -when they're on leave- my cousins. And some of the other, more distant relatives I saw in the photos on wall. Low crime, good local school, transport… Not great, but Paul can put a dolmen gate or a zeta tube in.

It's been a while since I've had to drive a car…

Okay, that's our best option. Getting Paul to agree shouldn't be hard-.

Lizarkon labor shortage confirmed. Lizarkons in rural areas are almost exclusively employed in agriculture. It looks like the area of cultivated land has increased, but not in a way that would create a labor shortage. There aren't any other major industries which focus on lizarkon labor in the same way, even-.

Thanagarians use lizarkon auxiliary units, not as a regular part of their military. Because when you're oppressing an entire species you don't want to teach them how to fight or arm them. But if you need to increase the size of your army quickly and can't redeploy members of your own species because they have specialist skills that make them too valuable to use as foot soldiers, it's a reasonable choice. It's also one they've occasionally used when the Thanagarian Empire has had to fight multiple opponents at once.

Thanagar actually prefers not to engage in open warfare. Instead, they engage in low intensity warfare and present an annexation treaty to the people they're antagonising once they've demonstrated the difference in strength. It prevents them having to occupy territory… When it works, while generating almost the same benefit to outright conquest.

But if they're calling up auxiliaries, they're actually planning to land soldiers somewhere. I'd have to-.

"Ah-agh!"

"Huh? What-? Oh no!"

My eyes snap up again. What have they done-?

Paul's right arm is hanging loose in its socket, and Bleez is looking very guilty.

"I'm as strong as you, but I'm not quite as tough." He reaches across with his left arm and winces as he touches his right shoulder. "Ah. Call it here?"

 

[Ngamer11]

Before I met the Crock family I never really thought about it. But there's something about seeing a functional family that thinks I'm a part of it that… Makes me envious of how they relate to each other. Seeing how things are supposed to be when your parents aren't internationally wanted criminals. Helping out at the Ubu kindergarten was one of the chores newly initiated Shadows got stuck with, so I know I could handle the basics. I'm really more worried about whether Paul and I could socialise them properly.

Click to shrink...

That mention of the Ubu kindergarten makes so much sense as they're literally raised to serve Ra's.

Bir Tawil is completely unsuitable for raising a child. I appreciate the security, and the weather, but children need other children around. Especially if they're going to be raised by us…

Ah. I've already assumed that's going to happen. Nice to know I'm not conflicted. So… Gotham? New York? Or Ripon?

I snort dismissively. Gotham's Gotham, so no. New York puts us close to Alan and Wonder Woman, and all the other Amazons coming and going through the embassy portal. And a lot of them either have young children or are thinking about having children. But I don't know them, and both Alan and Wonder Woman work full time. And Wonder Woman hasn't exactly had a normal life either.

So, Ripon. Close to my grandparents, uncle, aunt and -when they're on leave- my cousins. And some of the other, more distant relatives I saw in the photos on wall. Low crime, good local school, transport… Not great, but Paul can put a dolmen gate or a zeta tube in.

Click to shrink...

This is an unexpected but nice look at Jade's thoughts on having a domestic life with Paul.

 

[Cool10007]

Nice seeing the love in Jade's thoughts - more focused on her future plans with her boyfriend than infiltrating the alien datanet to figure out what's going on, very sweet

On the Thanagarian side, something fucky is for sure going on. I almost want to say they're planning an invasion of Earth while Paul is distracted/entertained with their red tape - but only because showing up right as they're about to attack for completely unrelated reasons would be a very Paul thing to have happen. I could see them moving up the schedule while Paul is 'contained' because, as far as a space-faring empire is concerned, clearly Orange Lantern is the biggest threat to an invading empire.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

September 7th, 2013
21:24 UTC

"Hahehahey! That's cheating!"

I feel my eyes narrow as I glance up at the cage. I wasn't lying when I said that I don't mind them wrestling, but tickling isn't the same thing. Paul is-. Ah, he was trying distract her so that he could try-. Some.. sort of hold. His form is so bad that I can't actually tell. It's actually.. possible that he isn't trying for an actual hold and is just making it up as he goes.

Click to shrink...

Ah, a look inside Jade's head? This will be interesting, especially given the byplay in the background. And tickling is a good plan, unless Thanagarians don't have the same response to it that humans do. Though it definitely sounds like they do.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I tried teaching him -briefly- but… Neither of us could really afford to spend the time to focus on it. And he's a Lantern. He wasn't wrong when he pointed out that better unarmed technique wouldn't improve his combat ability in most circumstances.

And when we did, he-. We, tended to get distracted.

Click to shrink...

And if he is forced into melee combat, he is in way deeper trouble than a few hours of grappling training can do much to help with.

…

Three years.

Click to shrink...

Ah, thinking about how long you've known him, and your engagement, eh?

I originally agreed to five years because I wanted to establish myself, as he knew. But it was also because I wasn't… Sure about our relationship. Or about relationships. Would it really be better to focus on getting closer to a person who valued our relationship than making myself useful to an organisation that valued what I could do for it?

Click to shrink...

Logical, given her upbringing and training, both by her father and by the League of Shadows.

I'm not exactly sure when I went from hedging my bet to agreeing with him that I'd have preferred a shorter... Engagement. Perhaps when we went to Hell? When I shot him with the Ace of Winchesters it wasn't because I thought that he'd betrayed me. It wasn't even because I thought he might have betrayed me. I immediately knew that he wouldn't say that if he was himself.

Click to shrink...

At least she's sure she is in love with him. You don't get that much violet without being deep in love.

Three years. And then what? I was worried that there wouldn't be enough work for a former Darkstar on Earth. But I'm running an investigation on Batman with my whole team. The Director made it clear that there was no need for me to rush back. It sounded like he was perfectly content for me to go back to Earth permanently.

Click to shrink...

I wonder how much of that is her being an odd alien species (by NEMO standards) or her being so skilled and professional he maybe feels a little threatened in his position...

I'm not sure how insulted I should have been. And I actually don't care.

So I could keep working for the Darkstars on detached duty, writing reports and suggesting policy changes to Earth governments in the same way I do to the governments of NEMO member planets. Or use my exo-mantle to get a better private security job than I had when I left. Or even be a superhero.

Click to shrink...

Wouldn't be the first time someone working as a member of an alien military also operated on Earth as a superhero. Heck, there's been multiple Darkstars doing that in comics before.

Or a mother.

Hm.

Click to shrink...

Ah, now there's an unexpected angle.

My parents were… Not good parents. There are things about what I've done that… I wouldn't do again, but leaving home isn't one of them. I'm closer to Artemis than I am to Mom. I'm probably closer to Alan and-. My grandparents, than I am Mom. It's not that I hate her. I don't doubt that she's better now, but in the time in my life when a normal girl would bond with their mother… I didn't, because she was her.

Click to shrink...

Not unreasonable. At least she has good and bad examples of parenthood to learn from.

I don't think Artemis remembers that part. Or maybe the prison visits overrode it.

My computer shows another dozen notifications, and with a quick glance up at the cage I start going through them.

Click to shrink...

She's a very good multitasker isn't she? Natural talent, or a side-effect of the tune-up she gave herself when she had the Ring?

A load of soldiers don't just leave a bar. No officer wants to have to deal with drunk soldiers, and what they serve here is alcoholic. I've dealt with enough alien species to know that some things are almost universal. So if they were recalled to duty when they were off duty, something dangerous must have been happening, and there can't have been much notice. If the thanagarian government was planning something, these soldiers wouldn't have been here in the first place.

Click to shrink...

Something going down that they hadn't been expecting, then. But not so big it's reached a general alert for the public.

I don't know how my hacking suite matches up to thanagarian government security, and we're supposed to be here to talk about buying broadcasting rights. But there's more ways to find out what's happening than penetrating their military central command. Social media isn't anything like as developed here as it is on Earth, but there are still thousands of messages going back and forth between individuals every moment of the day.

Click to shrink...

Man, that must be a wild thing to experience. Alien memes are the least of it, I bet.

Gang members, sending gang lieutenants and leaders messages about troop movements. Businesses ordering stock, or cancelling orders. Ships docking or landing and communicating with traffic control stations. And of course personal communications from the soldiers themselves letting friends and family know where they are even when they're supposedly under a communications blackout.

Click to shrink...

All the strata of civilisation, slowly shifting into some manner of emergency footing.

It's usually difficult to find anything useful when you aren't looking for one specific thing, so I've got my analytics tools looking at patterns of things that don't match the historical data logs. Ship movements that aren't part of normal patrols, patrols vanishing from some places or redoubling in others. I tried looking at their public banking records to see if the inevitable insider trading was happening, but it doesn't look like they have those.

Click to shrink...

I'd honestly be surprised if they weren't government-controlled.

Motherhood…

Before I met the Crock family I never really thought about it. But there's something about seeing a functional family that thinks I'm a part of it that… Makes me envious of how they relate to each other. Seeing how things are supposed to be when your parents aren't internationally wanted criminals. Helping out at the Ubu kindergarten was one of the chores newly initiated Shadows got stuck with, so I know I could handle the basics. I'm really more worried about whether Paul and I could socialise them properly.

Click to shrink...

Nothing like contrast to see how strange or unusual your own life has been.

Commodity prices aren't exactly public knowledge but it's not hard to get them from the personal computers of the people involved in the trade. There's been a steady increase in food prices, and a commensurate increase in unrest amongst the people living in the underside. Complaints from the rural governors that aliens are showing up in their territory. A few asking if they can use them to replace…

Click to shrink...

Hmm... Sometimes the most mundane information can be the most revealing...

Why is there a shortage in lizarkon labor in rural areas?

I send out more enquiries, and my analytics suite gets to work again.

Click to shrink...

An uprising? Some outside interference? I suppose it'll become clear in time.

Bir Tawil is completely unsuitable for raising a child. I appreciate the security, and the weather, but children need other children around. Especially if they're going to be raised by us…

Ah. I've already assumed that's going to happen. Nice to know I'm not conflicted. So… Gotham? New York? Or Ripon?

Click to shrink...

I suspect a small town would be better than two superheroic hotspots.

I snort dismissively. Gotham's Gotham, so no. New York puts us close to Alan and Wonder Woman, and all the other Amazons coming and going through the embassy portal. And a lot of them either have young children or are thinking about having children. But I don't know them, and both Alan and Wonder Woman work full time. And Wonder Woman hasn't exactly had a normal life either.

Click to shrink...

Man, I really hope those two catch on sometime...

So, Ripon. Close to my grandparents, uncle, aunt and -when they're on leave- my cousins. And some of the other, more distant relatives I saw in the photos on wall. Low crime, good local school, transport… Not great, but Paul can put a dolmen gate or a zeta tube in.

Click to shrink...

Ideally have a place on the outskirts so both of you can come and go quietly.

It's been a while since I've had to drive a car…

Okay, that's our best option. Getting Paul to agree shouldn't be hard-.

Click to shrink...

Couch it in the right terms and he'll agree.

Lizarkon labor shortage confirmed. Lizarkons in rural areas are almost exclusively employed in agriculture. It looks like the area of cultivated land has increased, but not in a way that would create a labor shortage. There aren't any other major industries which focus on lizarkon labor in the same way, even-.

Click to shrink...

Not quite slave labour, I imagine, but not overly well-paid either.

Thanagarians use lizarkon auxiliary units, not as a regular part of their military. Because when you're oppressing an entire species you don't want to teach them how to fight or arm them. But if you need to increase the size of your army quickly and can't redeploy members of your own species because they have specialist skills that make them too valuable to use as foot soldiers, it's a reasonable choice. It's also one they've occasionally used when the Thanagarian Empire has had to fight multiple opponents at once.

Click to shrink...

I imagine any training levees are given consists of 'aim this way, squeeze this to shoot' and things like weapon maintenance and logistics are covered by trusted Thanagarian officers and staff...

Thanagar actually prefers not to engage in open warfare. Instead, they engage in low intensity warfare and present an annexation treaty to the people they're antagonising once they've demonstrated the difference in strength. It prevents them having to occupy territory… When it works, while generating almost the same benefit to outright conquest.

Click to shrink...

'Low intensity warfare' meaning stuff like special operations work and long-distance bombardments, eh? I suppose it works to minimise risks.

But if they're calling up auxiliaries, they're actually planning to land soldiers somewhere. I'd have to-.

"Ah-agh!"

Click to shrink...

...That didn't sound like a good noise.

"Huh? What-? Oh no!"

My eyes snap up again. What have they done-?

Click to shrink...

I'm guessing Bleez overestimated OL's durability.

Paul's right arm is hanging loose in its socket, and Bleez is looking very guilty.

"I'm as strong as you, but I'm not quite as tough." He reaches across with his left arm and winces as he touches his right shoulder. "Ah. Call it here?"

Click to shrink...

Showing a lot of self-control, but I imagine he'd very much like to have a RIng back now.

I have the feeling Bleez surprised herself with that result, given how strong OL seems in most circumstances. Seeing him with a dislocated shoulder must feel odd. Not that he'll have one for long once he gets a Ring on. As for what Jade's been seeing... It seems Thanagar is getting up to something troublesome. Hopefully it isn't aimed at Earth.

 

[NightmareWarden]

I have the feeling Bleez surprised herself with that result, given how strong OL seems in most circumstances. Seeing him with a dislocated shoulder must feel odd. Not that he'll have one for long once he gets a Ring on. As for what Jade's been seeing... It seems Thanagar is getting up to something troublesome. Hopefully it isn't aimed at Earth.

Click to shrink...

It's almost certainly some sort of direct contact with the druid queen. Contact, not conflict. Perhaps with an offer or an ultimatum for Thanagar following a decisive end to the four-way war that world was resolving.

 

[BR549]

The thing is that it's clearly something that has been in the works for awhile - there wouldn't be a response to a labor shortage of lizarkons if they had been called up for auxiliary service in the 'immediate to very recent' timeframe, as they'd still be processing that this would result in a labor shortage at all.

But something has just happened that - as Jade observed - meant they felt they need to call in soldiers directly from off-duty-drinking-and-carousing to do something right the frick now.

So either there's two different things going on and the second has led to the first being exposed to the Darkstar snooping into it, or they really have decided that Orange Lantern being on Thanagar means Orange Lantern (a) is in a position where they know where he is and (b) perhaps more importantly they know where he isn't and so they can scramble to activate Plan Reach Out And Touch Someone...

 

[Steelplaza]

I could see them moving up the schedule while Paul is 'contained' because, as far as a space-faring empire is concerned, clearly Orange Lantern is the biggest threat to an invading empire.

Click to shrink...

That would be legitimately hilarious.

Let us remember that Batman currently has an army of OMACs who are capable of fighting kryptonians and doing real damage to them. I hope the Thanagarians do invade Earth; be nice to see the OMACs do something useful for once.

That said, I think it's more likely they're fighting that plant queen and her new plant computer technology (that Paul gave her).