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>>2103098
There's a third option as well: return to Sericea and have Rossweisse dock opposite the Everest. That way you could take your own team with a marine escort that would progress far quicker than the Everest's boarding party could, securing crucial targets that much more effectively. The problem is that Sericea hasn't been specifically 'cleared' to dock with Nelson: so again you'd be at risk of the Nelson's crew taking exception, but this time with more lives on the line.

>Force your entry into the hangar: the only boots that need to be “on the ground” this time are your own.
>Join up with the Everest's boarding party, hedge your bets that the Jovians are sincere in wanting to cooperate.
>Link up with Sericea, approach this as an independent and well-coordinated unit. This is what you all trained for.
>Other?

>>2103104
>>Link up with Sericea, approach this as an independent and well-coordinated unit. This is what you all trained for.

>>2103104
>>Link up with Sericea, approach this as an independent and well-coordinated unit. This is what you all trained for.
Maybe focus on securing vital locations on our end instead (bridge and engine room), while giving the Everest team breathing room for the rest of the ship (hangar, armory, what-have-you). It is pretty big after all.

Seems like the kind of sortie where a Loto would be an asset, though I doubt there's any.

I was also gonna suggest piggybacking a marine boarding team, but those never end well. At least in this quest.

>3d10, best of three for your welcome party

Rolled 10, 1, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>2103173
Late addition, but see if ALICE can disable automated defense systems/unlock key bulkheads once we're linked up.

Rolled 8, 4, 10 = 22 (3d10)

>>2103173

>still waiting on one more

Rolled 3, 10, 3 = 16 (3d10)

>>2103173
>>2103208
Taking it.

>writing the 22

>>2103216
aw yee

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>>2103216
“Rossweisse, we're coming in,” you announce. “Haman, could you do us a favor?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“I want Sadalahn and her remaining mobile suits to secure the Nelson's far side,” you explain. “I'm thinking we need to board on the side opposite Everest, secure critical systems so that the Nelson crew doesn't try anything funny.”

“That makes sense,” Haman agrees. “Returning to Sadalahn then, leave site security to us.”

“You keep up with that Rossweisse?”

“Of course,” she reports calmly. “Do you believe we will be met with force?”

“Unlikely,” you respond, approaching the launch ramp ahead of Bianca and beginning the docking sequence.

Rossweisse maneuvers her ship carefully through the wreckage and stony debris between you and the Nelson's far side as Everest moves in as well.

“We're in alignment,” Rossweisse reports. “Carya, be prepared for docking in sixty seconds.”

A fireteam of six marines quickly assembles at the ventral airlock as you feel the ship shudder slightly. A series of mechanical sounds echos through the corridor as the airlock mechanisms engage and finally lock in place, and air is pumped into the hatchway.

“Proceeding down the ladder,” you report through your helmet's build-in microphone. “We're in the Nelson's locks, pull away into a holding position when we cycle the airlock on our side.

“Understood,” Rossweisse replies.

I sense confusion on the other side of this door.

You punch a button just after the last marine reorients himself to the new room, where unlike aboard Sericea there's no artificial gravity. The airlock shuts itself behind him, and you eye the controls which will open the inner door carefully.

“There are crew on the opposite side,” you report. “They're confused, bordering on panic.”

>Stand down. Don't need to present a threat when that door opens.
>Rifles up, take what cover you can find and be ready to return fire.
>Weapons free. If you see a threat, shoot first and ask about it later.
>Other?

>>2103300
>>Rifles up, take what cover you can find and be ready to return fire.

>>2103300
>>Rifles up, take what cover you can find and be ready to return fire.
>>Other?
Open comms on the control pad, state CTF affiliation, reiterate the need for the Nelson crew to stand down, and guarantee them no harm if they comply.

>there's no artificial gravity
Hoho, this is interesting. I reckon have ALICE mess with their magnetic boots (if they're wearing any) to disorient them in case they refuse.

>>2103325
This

>>2103300
Let's see, if the airlock systems are the same as aboard Nagato the communications system should be...

“Nelson crew...” you begin, pressing what you're positive is the right button but hearing the soft tone that tells you the system is offline. “Huh. It's offline.”

You motion to your marines before giving the order. “Up against the walls here, weapons up. The comm systems in this airlock are down, and I don't know if there are any other issues on the other side we don't know about.”

“Understood ma'am,” the ranking marine replies, quickly using his left hand to split his fireteam into left and right sides before joining them against one of the side walls.

You draw your own sidearm and punch the button that will open the inner set of doors...
>3d10, DC 18, Crit 24
>best of four

Rolled 9, 3, 1 = 13 (3d10)

>>2103378

Rolled 6, 10, 9 = 25 (3d10)

>>2103378

Rolled 7, 1, 10 = 18 (3d10)

>>2103378

>>2103396
Wew lad. Carrina is full operator mode.

>>2103396
well how about that

>>2103404
Operators operating operationally.

>>2103396
When you punch that button though, nothing happens. You repeat the movement, and the result is the same.

“Dammit, do I have to do everything myself?” you grumble, drawing out your survival knife with a flourish and jamming it between the two sliding doors. With a grunt of exertion you leverage the doors apart with the blade like it's a prybar, then you turn gracefully in place to wedge your boot into the gap you created. Then you brace yourself against the wall and push hard, forcing the doors apart.

Bullets strike the back of the airlock as soon as you get the doors open, causing you to shout back at the crew firing in at you.

“Hold your fire goddammit!” you roar. “You wanna blow this whole section open to space, you morons?”

Diplomatic as usual.

“Not the time!” you counter. The gunfire however does stop.

“Who are you!?” a trembling voice from the other side of the doors demands.

“Captain Carya Marseille, CTF,” you declare your identity. “Your ships surrendered to us, stand down already!”

“We surrendered?” you hear a second voice on the other side wonder aloud. “Hear that? We surrendered... it's finally over! We made it!”

“Hang on!” the first voice snaps. “You got any proof?”

“We docked without being fired on,” you point out. “Either way, the battle's over. So just... don't make me shoot you, okay? It's too late in the game for that.”

“She has a point,” the second voice admits. “Come on, man, just put the gun down. No need for us to be heroes.”

“Fine,” the first voice sighs. “But if we get plugged I totally called it.”

“Nobody's plugging anyone,” you assure them. “We're all gonna be cool and nobody's going to get plugged.”

You nod to your marines, and take the first step out in the open. Your weapon is held low with your knife still out, and you swiftly step to the side of the airlock. The two crew have holed up in a room directly across the hall, with a wooden table turned on its side and hastily pushed across the lower half of the hatch.
>1/2

>>2103446
“See, told you it was going to be okay,” you tell them, carefully glancing up and down the hallway before motioning to your marines, knife still in hand. “You two crewmembers?”

“Technicians,” the owner of the second voice admits. “Neither of us have even shot a gun before... damn things are loud.”

“Unsuppressed?” you muse.

Those weapons look ancient... your sister observes, and she's definitely right. Stamped metal with polymer furniture, badly cracked, with no optics so far as you can tell apart from the ball welded to the end of the flat-topped barrel. That sort of arrangement is functional... for shotguns at least, where precision isn't a thing you even worry about.

>Choose ONE:

>Where did you get those weapons, exactly?
>Did you not get the message about the surrender?
>Status report.
>Other?

>>2103475
>>Where did you get those weapons, exactly?
We recording this by any chance?

>>2103475
>>Where did you get those weapons, exactly?

>>2103475
>>Where did you get those weapons, exactly?

>>2103475
“What are those weapons, exactly?” you ask, peering closer at them. “Where were they manufactured?”

“Right here aboard the ship,” the first man explains, glancing down at his own rifle. “Why's that important?”

“So they're designed for boarding actions,” you suppose aloud, taking a closer look at the weapon's control levers. “Automatic fire only, frangible ammunition, short barrel, rudimentary sighting mechanism. Cheap and limited application, but effective within that application.”

There are enough open areas in this ship that a shotgun would be useless, like the hangars and the engine rooms. But in corridors you could unload and fill the space with bullets.

“I think I prefer being able to hit things when I aim at them,” you decide aloud.

“I wasn't offering,” the first man grumbles.

“Ma'am,” one of your marines reports. “There's a panel over here with a schematic, showing battle damage.”

“On it,” you nod, following him over to the screen. There's a big crack in the panel, so you hope your current section is still visible...

>3d10, best of three

Rolled 1, 8, 9 = 18 (3d10)

>>2103588
Either the ship is just that dilapidated, or we REALLY fucked it over. Maybe both with more of the latter though.

Rolled 7, 1, 3 = 11 (3d10)

>>2103588

Rolled 10, 4, 8 = 22 (3d10)

>>2103588

>>2103610
That's the roll.

>>2103610
After a few moments of searching, you find what you suspected the problem was. “Here. Lateral switching room for the internal comms system, it reads as damaged.”

“So that's why they didn't get the order,” the marine mutters. “Damn it, did they know this side of the ship was dark and send Everest to the opposite side?”

“No idea,” you admit. “Either way it's a pain in the ass, none of the compartments without a direct connection to a section not served by that relay will have received orders to stand down.”

“Great,” the marine grumbles. “You believe in curses, ma'am?”

“I use them when it's appropriate,” you shoot back.

>Head for the relay station, see if you can get it back online and inform the rest of the ship to stand down.
>Work your way aft to the engine room, secure the most critical area aboard the Nelson in case someone gets a turret back online.
>Head for the bridge, trying to avoid any lateral compartments full of people who think the battle is still on.
>Other?

>>2103624
>>Head for the relay station, see if you can get it back online and inform the rest of the ship to stand down.

>>2103624
How are we on tracking the Martian team's progress btw? Can we hail them from our end?

>>Head for the relay station, see if you can get it back online and inform the rest of the ship to stand down.
And broadcast this ship's captain's surrender message that Rossweisse received. Just for added legitimacy.

>>2103624
>Head for the relay station, see if you can get it back online and inform the rest of the ship to stand down.

>>2103624
>>Head for the relay station, see if you can get it back online and inform the rest of the ship to stand down.

>back from shower, writing now
>3d10, best of three

Rolled 9, 3, 2 = 14 (3d10)

>>2103756

Rolled 8, 3, 3 = 14 (3d10)

>>2103756

Rolled 6, 6, 1 = 13 (3d10)

>>2103756

>you have a very peculiar encounter along the way...

>>2103796
“We've gotta get to that relay room,” you declare. “Who knows how many sections are flying blind right now.”

You set off down the corridor with a push off your feet, not even bothering with your magnetized boots. Unlike the Earthnoid members of your crew such things will only slow you down. The interior of the Nelson is in disarray: panels and fragments of steel and wire drift aimlessly within her passageways, and the odd shower of sparks illuminates the damaged bulkheads beyond the level afforded by the emergency floodlighting. One deck 'up' and two hundred meters astern from where you entered the vessel, you locate a main elevator tube that appears to be offline.

Using your knife the same way you pry the doors open, using the light mounted under your pistol's frame to examine the space you've opened up.

You motion to your team. “We need to move up two decks. Secure the area and I'll crack the doors open.”

A chorus of “ayes” is your response, and your team of marines gets to work. Two swing out into the elevator shaft and aim downwards, while two more aim back down the corridor you're in. The remaining two you lead into the shaft and up to the door you need opened, where they kneel on the wall facing up-shaft. The two who had been guarding the passage you were just in shift positions to press their backs against the wall opposite the door you're prepared to open, carefully bracing where most of their bodies are safely out of the door frame's silhouette. The last two back up slowly to just below the door's threshold, still aiming down-shaft as you set to work on the door's emergency override panel.

For the second time, prying open a door results in a spray of gunfire.
>3d10, DC 19

Rolled 10, 10, 8 = 28 (3d10)

>>2103866

Rolled 8, 3, 1 = 12 (3d10)

>>2103866

>>2103877
I guess that takes it.

Rolled 1, 5, 9 = 15 (3d10)

>>2103877
gg anon
>>2103866
rolling because why not

>>2103877
“Oh, not again,” you sigh, pulling a flash grenade from your belt and pulling the pin.

The blast causes a break in the gunfire, which you use to push off hard into the corridor and slam one of the crewmen waiting for you in the face with your pistol. The other two get off a round or two in the ensuing chaos, only managing to wound the bulkheads before you drop them. The first you smack across the face with the butt of her own rifle, sending her spinning helplessly into the opposite wall, and the third you manage to completely disarm by smashing his right hand and yanking the rifle out of his grasp. You swiftly holster your pistol and swing the rifle round so the stock rests flat against your right bicep, aiming across your body and right at the third man's face.

“Now, let's all calm down, shall we?” you insist.

“I'm not surrendering to you Feddie pigs!” the man snarls. “I'd burn in hell before I see you steal our flagship right out from under our noses!”

>Wait... the fuck did you just say?
>Listen, follow us to the comm relay station and it'll all make sense.
>Yeah, no time for this. Say hello to my rifle stock.
>Other?

>>2103923
>>Wait... the fuck did you just say?

>>2103923
>Wait... the fuck did you just say?
>Other: Full Sergeant Hartmann dress-down, but with Zeon

>>2103938
In with this.

Rolled 2, 3, 2 = 7 (3d10)

>>2103923
Hmm. Curious about what Carrina noticed here. The Feddie comment? That's worth a chuckle I suppose.
The fact that this is the flagship? I mean, it doesn't feel surprising.
Maybe this particular guy is just sheltered with regards to the CTF and ate up any propaganda that Jupiter spits out. Who knows.

>>Wait... the fuck did you just say?

“Wait, hold the fucking phone,” you snap. “What did you just say?”

“We're not handing over...”

“No, not that shit,” you snap again. “You think we're Federation? Were you born stupid or did you have to practice?”

“I... don't understand what you're yelling at me,” the man admits as his female compatriot finally manages to get her floating under control... though her rifle is well out of reach.

“The Federation hasn't been a credible military force in almost a decade,” you explain. “Who the fuck are you people?”

“So you're trying to tell me that Zeon actually won the war?” the woman demands.

“Neither of them won, they're both gone,” you shake your head. “The major players now are Mars, Luna, and the Republics of Zeon and Riah... at least within the solar system.”

“Bullshit!” the man insists angrily. “Why are you lying to us?”

“I'm absolutely not lying,” you reply, waving your marines in. “I don't know how you can possibly not know this stuff, have you literally never watched or listened to the news in the last decade?”

The man shakes his head. “Television and radio for civilians only work on preset channels.”

So all information here is controlled by the central government, is that it?”

“Sounds like someone's been lied to,” you shake your head.

>Knock these guys out and leave them, move on towards the comm room.
>Request their assistance in reaching the comm room and making repairs.
>Other?

>>2104040
>>Request their assistance in reaching the comm room and making repairs.

>>2104040
>>Other?
Just make do with tying them for now. Free them once the relay's repaired, our stuff's broadcasting, and maybe if they've regained senses after listening to it.

>>2104040
>Other?
Tie them up, give them a radio so they can get updated news because it sounds like Jupiter's better than North Korea where it concerns controlling the information its citizens get.

>>2104083
I'm fine with tying them up, I guess.
>>2104040

>>2104070
>>2104083
There's a reason this wasn't an option: the comm room is still a bit of a trip from where you are, and the only "radio" you have is in your own helmet. That's not gonna convince anyone.

So a vote for "tie them up" means leaving them behind and completing the mission on your own, same as knocking them out.

>>2104110
Then may as well ask them to help us get the comm system working again.
It's not a system that would let us take over their ship, but it would let them speak to their superiors about their orders. Surely they can see the logic in that?

>>2104110
ok then, knock 'em out.

>>2104110
Ah, okay. Dunno how lucky we'll get with convincing, but I'll go for that then.

>>Request their assistance in reaching the comm room and making repairs.

>3d10, best of 3

Rolled 4, 2, 9 = 15 (3d10)

>>2104144

Rolled 8, 4, 3 = 15 (3d10)

>>2104144

Rolled 1, 10, 10 = 21 (3d10)

>>2104144
I feel like we should give these people chocolate bars.

Rolled 7, 8, 3 = 18 (3d10)

>>2104144

>writing

>>2104153
Heck, maybe a Martian or Luna ration— as shit as I assume they might be compared to actual food— would be ambrosia compared to whatever the Jovians offer.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's a diet of pills or something.

>>2104169
“Look, I could waste a bunch of time explaining to you how the world works,” you tell the conscious crewmembers, “or you could help me repair the lateral comm relays and hear the truth for yourself.”

“The lateral comm relays?” the man repeats skeptically.

“The council has ordered a general stand-down, but half the ship isn't hearing it because of the damage to your comms systems,” you explain carefully. “And if one of your turrets comes back online and puts a blast into Martian Navy's flagship at CQC distance, you're looking at a full wartime deployment by the end of the day.”

“I don't want that. Too many people have died already.”

After a moment the man nods. “Alright, but only because I don't want you fucking around with our equipment.”

Further down the hallway your marines take up position, allowing you to force open the door to the comms relay room. Inside is a mess of wires and exploded panels, along with a single corpse. You take a knee and check the body, thankful that your suit uses a rebreather system and you've been spared the stench.

“Electrical burns,” you declare, pushing the man's body out past his horrified crewmates and into the hallway. “Be careful in here.”

“Yeah,” the woman nods, pinching her nose. “Right. Looks bad.”

“We're going to have to bypass this whole grid manually,” the man decides. “Give me a hand here.”

After a few moments the speakers inside the room blare to life, repeating what sounds like an automated message.

“Bridge to all sections, code 42 condition. Stand down. Message will repeat.”

“It's legitimate,” the woman declares.

“We have to get this to the weapons stations,” the man gulps nervously, increasing the pace of his work. “Tell me where this wire comes out...”
>3d10, best of four
>you only get this roll because you're on fire

Rolled 6, 1, 9 = 16 (3d10)

>>2104259

Rolled 6, 9, 10 = 25 (3d10)

>>2104259
Cool, they can be a reasonable bunch at least.

>because you're on fire
Now watch as this very phrase jinxes my roll

Rolled 3, 9, 4 = 16 (3d10)

>>2104259

>>2104270
shit, son.

Rolled 6, 5, 8 = 19 (3d10)

>>2104259
CTF rations have to be better than Martian and Luna rations. We get the best of everything, and as career soldiers Dom and the rest of the Guard wouldn't skimp on something like that.

>>2104283
You pause for a moment, staring at a panel that's drifting lazily near the ceiling tiles. One phrase stands out to you, printed on the metallic exterior surface: it says “Cryogenics Bay: VIP”.

That's not a section the Nagato has.

>Ask the technicians about it
>Find the nearest internal map to track it down
>There's only one place you can think of where they'd keep a cryo chamber SPECIFICALLY for VIPs
>Other?

>>2104318
>>There's only one place you can think of where they'd keep a cryo chamber SPECIFICALLY for VIPs

>>2104318
>>There's only one place you can think of where they'd keep a cryo chamber SPECIFICALLY for VIPs

Well *that's* a thing.
Who've they got on ice, I wonder?

>>2104318
>There's only one place you can think of where they'd keep a cryo chamber SPECIFICALLY for VIPs

>>2104318
>>Ask the technicians about it
Next archive description: Encino Jovian

>>2104331
I'll laugh if its evil Dom clone with a goatee.

>>2104344
What if its the real Dom and the one on the Nagato is the evil twin?

>>2104348
Obviously we will have to get them into a room stuff it with jello and turn the grav off while they fight to the death.

>>2104318
>Ask the technicians about it

>>2104348

It's the good twin of the evil twin

>>2104344

It's Dom's father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate

>>2104392
Makes me wonder if the Newtype space-folding hijinks are the equivalent to going plaid.

>>2104401
You know with how crazy things have gotten with the remnants, maybe one of them actually did build a mega maid.

>>2104430
Once Big MegaMaid is mass produced....!

>>2104318
There's only one spot where that could be.

You agree with your sister. “You and you... stay here and watch these crewmen work. The rest of you on me.”

“You two,” you order the Jovians, “keep working. There's something I need to investigate.”

“Yeah, understood,” the man nods. “We've gotten through to the first turret just now.”

You backtrack to the elevator shaft, and drop down three decks to find the axial line which serves to carry supplies from one end of the vessel to the other. It's offline at the moment, so you push off the floor and glide forward as fast as you feel comfortable with the marines close behind.

“Ma'am, where are we going?”

“If they built a 'VIP' freezer on this ship there's one place that makes sense to do it,” you explain, “which is where the reinforced axial spine which contains the rail line meets the debris strike plates at the bow. It's the most structurally rigid spot that isn't full of engine.”

“Why would a ship like this have a facility like that?” the senior NCO muses.

“That's what I want to know,” you admit. “We'll find out together in a few minutes.”

When you finally reach the end of the line, you discover that your hunch was correct: there's a hatch here that never existed on Nagato, something that was added to Nelson much more recently in her service life.

Sensing only one person inside, you blast the hinges of the door apart and kick it open. The dimly-lit room beyond that entrance is bitterly cold, enough that the traces of moisture in the air have condensed into a thin sheen of frost over the electronic controls and monitors which cover nearly every surface.

Within the lone pod at the back of the room is a man, not quite old enough to call “withered” but definitely what you would consider ”haggard”, immersed within an unidentifiable liquid. Tubes connect to him through the mouth and nose... at least that you care to see.

“So, I take it this is the 'VIP'?” one of your marines asks, walking over to the pod and kicking lightly at its base.

“It is,” a voice announces over speakers hidden throughout the room, causing the poor NCO to damn near jump out of his skin. “And I wish you hadn't done that.”

“Who are you?” you demand, staring straight into the man's open eyes.

“Crux Dogatie, ruler of the Jupiter Empire,” the voice declares firmly. “And I have been admiring your exploits for years.”

“I think it's time we finally spoke frankly...”

>>2104533
And that's where I need to stop for the night, since I have something to do early tomorrow morning.

Thanks for stopping in, hope it was an enjoyable read, and keep an eye on Twitter for when I'll run next. This coming weekend will be the most likely time.

>>2104549
Later, King. Enjoyed the thread.

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>>2104533
>Crux Dogatie, ruler of the Jupiter Empire
Well, it had to come to this at some point.

>>2104549
Thanks and see ya next time.

Oh yeah King, were some of the plot notes here a carry over from one of the unexplored decision points in the previous quest? I think it's the one where after the Nagato was acquired, a choice was given between staying in the Earth sphere and ranging for Jupiter and Mars.

And now that I'm back tracking that particular piece, it seems like old man Vist has his own team prepped for the Jupiter mission while Team Dom dealt with the Titans and Zeon remnants. Kinda curious if the fate of said team will be brought up.

>>2108729
Wait, my forgetfulness screwed me over again. The old man lied about that 2nd team.

>continuation in 7 hours

>>2118713
Apologies, but there will be a half hour delay on the start of the thread.

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>>2104533
“I'd like that,” you agree, watching the machinery in the room for any signs of unusual activity. “I'm sure you realize I have a ton of questions.”

“Of course,” Dogatie responds over the speaker system. “Luckily for you, I'm in the mood to indulge your curiosity.”

“And why is that?”

“We don't have saturday morning cartoons in the Jovian system,” Dogatie explains. “Watching the wars play out in the inner system was as close as any of us had, and believe me you were among the most popular characters.”

“That's kind of weird,” you shake your head.

“It's true,” he assures you. “Like the X-Men, I'd even say. Of which I would say you would be Storm.”

“Okay,” you nod, simply accepting the statement at face value.

“Anyhow... what would you like to know, Captain?”

>Paptimus Scirocco.
>Involvement with Mars.
>The Colorado incident.
>Other?

>>2119197
>>The Colorado incident.

>>2119197
>>The Colorado incident.

>>2119197
>>The Colorado incident.
The gas giant turned black hole, if I'm not mistaken? And since it required quite a few Newtypes, hopefully it'll segue into where the Jovians are getting and training them.

>>2119197
“We've run into the Colorado anomaly,” you inform the man.

“I am aware.”

You nod. “Good, then care to explain what they were doing out there?”

“You must have your own theories.”

“Don't fuck with me.”

“You're hurting my feelings, Captain,” Dogatie opines, openly mocking your own stern tone. “I'm humoring you, the least you can do is to humor me in return.”

You roll your eye and sigh. “Stellar engineering using a large number of Newtypes, likely cybernetic. It failed because they weren't trained and experienced, they lost control of the process and when the star collapsed into a black hole they were far too close... because they'd probably failed to factor the Axis effect into their calculation of the size and strength of the gravity well such a mistake could create.”

“Sounds about right,” Dogatie confirms. “They simply made a mistake in calculating minimum safe distance. The vessel we sent to investigate, the one you discovered which led to this chain of events, reported the same before we lost contact.”

“I would hope you would not waste our time together on such a simple question.”

“I haven't gotten to my question yet,” you frown. “Why was such an extreme measure necessary?”

“It is necessary for all peoples to grow to survive,” Dogatie explains, his tone reminding you of the trainers back at the Zeon military academy when they used to drill dogma into your heads... spacenoids this and repressive policies that.

Calm down, sis. I don't think you wanna let this guy see how you really feel... about anything, really. Not yet at least.

Your sister is right of course. You take a deep breath as Dogatie continues his lecture.

“If we gained the ability to create suitable systems for habitation and exploitation, it would give us the upper hand for decades or even centuries to come. That was the true purpose of the Colorado's mission.”

>You seem awfully concerned about the future. How does destroying peace factor into that?
>How long have you been meddling in the inner system? You mentioned 'watching' the War?
>I don't believe that. Growth was possible without risking so much on a wild theory.
>And so where did those cyber-newtypes come from? How extensive is your research program?
>Other?

>>2119303
>>And so where did those cyber-newtypes come from? How extensive is your research program?

>>2119303
>>And so where did those cyber-newtypes come from? How extensive is your research program?

>>2119303
>>And so where did those cyber-newtypes come from? How extensive is your research program?
>>You seem awfully concerned about the future. How does destroying peace factor into that?
Gonna guess that he'll mention something about accelerated development in times of crisis and war. But I guess it's a sort of laid back attitude that can be taken if you're not shouldering the cost in lives.

>>2119303
“And so where did those newtypes come from?” you demand.

“Of course that is the issue you pick out,” the man grumbles. “There are plenty of volunteers in the Jupiter system, who are desperate enough for a change in status and means. Becoming a cyber newtype provided that opportunity.”

“That sounds pretty scummy,” you sigh, “even by newtype research standards.”

“It proved effective.”

“How many?” you ask.

“I have no idea,” Dogatie admits. “Many dozens at very least. The research into technology for normal pilots to utilize had more lasting military significance.”

“We encountered some of those,” you shake your head. “I wasn't impressed.”

“The technology is far from mature.”

>And so which was your true purpose, the technology or the stellar engineering?
>And so why did you invest so much effort into funding terrorism?
>What is your relationship to the Vist Foundation? We found the beginnings of a paper trail.
>Other?

>>2119416
>>What is your relationship to the Vist Foundation? We found the beginnings of a paper trail.

>>2119416
>>And so which was your true purpose, the technology or the stellar engineering?

>>2119416
Huh. No connection between the Newtype kidnappers back in Luna and the Jovians then?

>>What is your relationship to the Vist Foundation? We found the beginnings of a paper trail.
>>Other?
"And it started with a senator of the Luna government too. How deep are you entrenched in the political sphere of Luna and Mars?"

It's honestly why I assumed there'd be a connection with said kidnapping ring.

>3d10, DC 18, crit 21

Rolled 9, 3, 9 = 21 (3d10)

>>2119463

>>2119464
hiyoo!

Rolled 1, 2, 4 = 7 (3d10)

>>2119463

Rolled 7, 10, 8 = 25 (3d10)

>>2119463

>writing
>also eating, trying to clear out the fridge

>>2119490
Damn, son.

>>2119463
“And your relationship to the Vist Foundation?” you press. “Don't try to deny it, we found some evidence of a connection.”

“I see, so you learned of that as well.”

The self-declared ruler of Jupiter sighs, a strange gesture for someone whose body hasn't moved in the slightest this whole time. You can't even be sure his lungs work enough to actually sigh.

“They had certain interests, and I had an interest in... promoting that interest.”

“And what interest would that be?” you demand, before snapping at one of your marines who has come perilously close to pressing a rather large button. “Don't touch that!”

“Sorry, ma'am!” he yelps. “This is all very interesting and I'm paying close attention!”

“Freaking smartass...” you grumble.

“It's all rather personal,” Dogatie sighs again... hang on...

“The AI core,” you realize aloud. “Hooking up an AI core to a psychoframe is what allows my sister to take up residence inside that RX-type they produced... you wanted it for yourself!”

“And what makes you say...”

“Just look at yourself” you insist. “Which I presume you can literally do with some of these security cameras. You're body's not failing... it's already failed, and you know it. You leaned on Vist, and Vist used its influence in Anaheim to produce something like that on a flimsy pretense.”

“You are wrong about one thing,” Dogatie corrects you. “It's not a pretense. The development of AI-controlled mobile suits is a valid goal in and of itself. Simply because you fear something does not mean it has no place on the battlefields of the future.”

“And can I guess you also paid the Cuithe pirates and the Mars dockyards for their 'developments' as well?” you accuse the man.

“No sense hiding the truth now that you already have most of it...” he admits. “Yes. That was my doing.”

>Why sow so much instability in the inner system while ALSO trying to expand?
>So you intended to use these weapons after they were developed? To what end?
>Is all this REALLY just about getting you out of that corpse you call a body?
>Other?

>>2119543
>>So you intended to use these weapons after they were developed? To what end?
Fucking marines.
Give him a pack of crayons to chew on, Carya.

>>2119543
>>So you intended to use these weapons after they were developed? To what end?

>>2119543
>>So you intended to use these weapons after they were developed? To what end?

>>2119543
“So you intended to use all these weapons after other people developed them?” you ask. “For what purpose?”

“To wage war,” Dogatie replies cheerfully, “of course! These times of peace have left us too weak, the mass exodus has left us spread too thin.”

Not this argument again...

“What, the old military-industrial argument again?” you ask. “You realize that war's not the only thing that drives technological innovation... or do you really believe the human cost is worth the small acceleration in development you do get?”

“Small?” Dogatie scoffs. “You consider terraforming and AI research small? You consider the Axis phenomenon and the psychoframe to be small? The emergence of newtypes themselves?”

“Those are all things that were possible without war driving them,” you argue.

“But we wouldn't have them now were it not for the wars,” Dogatie counters. “You know that to be true.”

“And is that it?” you demand. “You just wanted to try kickstarting technical development again? Why focus solely on weapons then?”

“Because weapons are useful,” the man replies calmly. “Those with military strength remain relevant in politics. Those who sacrifice their military strength lose their relevance, as the Earth Federation has.”

>Bullshit. You must've had a larger purpose.
>What's so wrong with having peace, exactly?
>Why not just develop your economy instead?
>Other?

>>2119619
>Other?
And weakening humanity by having internal conflicts as the non-human galaxy watches us and wonders if we're an opportunity to take advantage of, or a threat to eliminate, is a smart move?

>>2119626
LEt's go with this, I suppose.

>>2119619
supporting this: >>2119626

>3d10, DC 14, critical 18
>the write in dinged it on the nose

Rolled 8, 6, 7 = 21 (3d10)

>>2119645

>>2119648
lololol

Rolled 1, 2, 10 = 13 (3d10)

>>2119619
>What's so wrong with having peace, exactly?
Earth almost breaking to the point where humanity would've been extinct due to the wars was what prompted this exodus in the first place. And now, what? He wants to redo that on multiple habitable worlds next?

And he has no idea how lucky we were to have stumbled upon the Axis phenomenon when we did.

>>2119645
Oh, might as well roll too I guess.

Rolled 4, 3, 4 = 11 (3d10)

>>2119645

>>2119648
Suddenly... it makes sense. It's an outdated sort of logic, but it makes sense.

“Survival of the fittest,” you guess. “That's you're goal, isn't it? The whole point was to put all of humanity back on a war footing... give them reasons to fight each other, and give them a resurgent Jupiter to fear.”

“Precisely,” he agrees. “So you understand after all.”

“But I disagree,” you counter. “That would just leave us even weaker and more divided, with economic insecurities to be exploited.”

“Only military might and a willingness to use it will help us as we stumble out into the dark,” Dogatie insists sternly. “You know better than most what is out there.”

“What's he saying, Cap?” the ranking Marine asks in confusion. “What's he talking about?”

“So you haven't told anyone, have you?” the man chuckles. “About how the Zeon war truly ended, about the genesis of the psychoframe?”

>... so you saw it too?
>Who told you about that?
>Nobody knows what that was.
>Other?

>>2119689
>>... so you saw it too?

>>2119689
>>... so you saw it too?

>>2119689
>... so you saw it too?

>>2119689
>>... so you saw it too?
>>Other: "I thought only Newtypes are able to perceive something like that in greater detail?"

>>2119689
So does that mean...

“You saw it too?”

“I did not,” Dogatie admits. “But Paptimus did. He was a man I trusted with my fleet, I have no reason to doubt his accounts.”

“What the hell is happening?” the Marine repeats. “What does that mean, 'you saw it'?”

You sigh wearily. “Years ago, prior to the Axis event, there was an... incident. Several newtypes had similar experiences, of a dream-like state where they... learned things. That's where the concept and design of the psychoframe came from.”

“Which newtypes?” the sergeant presses.

“All names you'd recognize... the 'White Devil', the 'Red Comet', the 'Devil's Jester'. The 'Black Star' even got to go along for the ride.”

“You?”

“Me.”

“You were contacted,” Dogatie insists.

“What, by little green men who wanted us to build a psychically-powered death machine?” you scoff. “Face it, none of us knows what actually happened back then. But I doubt it was ever fucking aliens.”

“Now you disappoint me, Captain,” Dogatie laments. “They say you should never meet your heroes... you have proven far more narrow-minded than I had hoped.”

“And you're a madman in a metal box!” you counter. “Talking about newtypes picking up alien transmissions... is this seriously what you were trying to kickstart a war over!?”

“Then how can you explain the Benefactors?” Dogatie asks.

>What, you mean the figures our brains tricked us into thinking we saw? We were psychics stuck in a freaking war zone! Nothing made sense back then!
>Balance of probability is that was our own minds filling in the blanks in our bizarre newtype nightmares. Something should be there, so we invented it.
>Have you seen any evidence that there are aliens out there? Like... ACTUAL evidence? Because then I'd believe they were somehow involved.
>Let's analyze that, assuming this COULD be true. Why the fuck would they contact us like that and accelerate our technological development?
>Other?

>>2119758
>>Let's analyze that, assuming this COULD be true. Why the fuck would they contact us like that and accelerate our technological development?

>>2119758
>>Let's analyze that, assuming this COULD be true. Why the fuck would they contact us like that and accelerate our technological development?

>>2119758
>Let's analyze that, assuming this COULD be true. Why the fuck would they contact us like that and accelerate our technological development?
>Other?
"And assuming that they did want to accelerate our technological development in order to not go extinct, then they have technology far surpassing our own, and if we want technological and industrial parity with them, it makes far more logical sense to accept their outstretched hand to bootstrap ourselves while making ourselves seem less of a threat, rather than continuing to fight among ourselves and make us look like a lost cause, or even worse, an infestation that's taking up all the good real estate in the galaxy."

>>2119758
>>Other?
"Maybe the idea has been there all along. It just took a lot of pieces falling into place along with the right circumstances in order for it to be realized."

Like, imagine if there are multiple psychic Da Vincis or Einsteins. It would make sense for an accelerated leap in tech to happen.

>>2119758
“Alright, let's analyze that assuming that it's possible that you're right,” you sigh. “Why the fuck would they contact us and accelerate our technological growth like that?”

“Why indeed,” the man behind the glass muses. “And would it even matter? The simple fact that our growth as a species was manipulated by an outside force could be considered an aggressive act.”

“How does that follow?” you demand. “What purpose could it serve to give us the means to expand beyond our own solar system if they were hostile? With technology advanced enough to teach us how to build psychoframes across interstellar distances they could have strangled us in our proverbial crib instead.”

“Perhaps they need us to spread across the stars, to multiply,” Dogatie guesses. “Perhaps they simply need to feel that they were threatened first to justify destroying us.”

“Like you use that vague semblance of a threat to justify everything you've done?” you scowl.

“Am I not allowed to appreciate a like mind, even among the enemy?”

“You're insane,” you insist.

“And you are unbelievably naive,” Dogatie counters. “Why would you believe that an alien race would be some sort of benevolent, nurturing force?”

“And why would you presume otherwise?” you contest, refusing to back down from your position. “I mean, unless you're stuck in some kinda bad sci-fi flick where the aliens are always malevolent?”

"All that attitude will do is ensure that we'll look like the bad guys if we do find other life out there."

“I see that we are set to talk past each other,” Dogatie declares. “Our positions are intractable.”

>You have to answer for what you've done, Dogatie.
>You and I are going to negotiate with the Council to put this to a stop.
>You may actually have a point... just not the one you THINK you're making.
>I need you to talk. I need to disassemble the web you've spun.
>Other?

>>2119838
>>You have to answer for what you've done, Dogatie.

>>2119838
>>I need you to talk. I need to disassemble the web you've spun.

>>2119838
>You may actually have a point... just not the one you THINK you're making.

>>2119838
>>I need you to talk. I need to disassemble the web you've spun.

File: 330136-untitled_6.png (308 KB, 1024x569)

308 KB PNG

>>2119838
“I need you to talk now, Dogatie,” you order, slowly moving through the room. “I need you to tell me your contacts on Mars and Luna so I can unwind this web you've spun.”

“I don't believe you'll be doing that, Captain,” Dogatie tells you: if he could move his lips he'd probably be grinning like the madman he is. “You see, I might have been lying this whole time. This conversation wasn't solely between us.”

Your hand finds the grip of your pistol as you hear the movement behind you. “That's enough, Private.”

“Sorry, ma'am,” the NCO apologizes shakily. “But... you kept this from everyone for years. You have only yourself to blame.”

“Private what the goddamn hell are you tryin' to...” the sergeant begins, only to find a corporal drawing a bead on him.

“This guy's talkin' about real goddamn squidheads fuckin' with people's minds,” the corporal insists, his tone panicky. “The Captain's been compromised from the start, sir!”

“The fuck are you doing!?” the second private demands.

“Stand down, Mickey!” the corporal shouts. “Any of you three move and I blast you, got it?”

“Neither of you get how this works, do you?” you sigh, your eyes locked firmly on Dogatie's hoping he can see you through the tank. “I give the orders here, not the man in the pickle jar, and if you shoot at me I'll just have to put a round between old pickle-Jovian's ears.”

“The glass is bulletproof composite,” Dogatie informs you casually.

“And if you draw your weapon I'll shoot before you get a chance to!” the corporal adds. “So just you fuckin' try it!”

“You watch your mouth, Leroy!” the sergeant snaps. “You're still talkin' to our goddamn CO.”

“Shut the fuck up you morons,” you grumble, still scowling straight at Dogatie, “and take a look where I'm standing.”

There are a few moments of silence, so you explain. “I haven't just been talking with you either... this whole time I've been examining the room, testing the temperature, sound level, and the structural composition of the floors. And you wanna know what's right here at my feet, under an unarmored panel, right where my gun's been pointing since before this dumbass corporal drew me down?”

“... no!” Dogatie hisses.

“That's right, dumbass,” you smirk. “Your chamber's primary coolant feed. It seems we have ourselves a standoff...”

>>2119927
And that's where I have to call it quits. I've got shit to take care of and an early morning flight to catch, so hope you enjoyed the read and look forward to seeing you next time!

I'll post on twitter when it's clear to me when "next time" is going to be.

>>2119939
Good thread, have a nice flight!