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I don't care.

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I don't care.

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Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am

[Superdorf]

"Your potential has caught my eye and I'd like to get to know you. Can you tell me about yourself?"

+1

[19_EgarAlnis]

"Um...oh." Isela rubs at her arm, she looks hesitant for all of a moment, then, "I'm the daughter of Outlander debt-slaves.I joined the Scholars to avoid that. I decided to join the Crusader Officer program after one of my mentors recommended it, especially with the war going on. I finished the program less than a month ago and received my first posting. My platoon was one of the many in charge of evacuating the city. We only saw brief combat during that time."

[ZBridges]

"As you know, we have suffered a horrible defeat. We have an incredibly high number of casualties and wounded, and we are low on serviceable weapons and fuel. It makes sense to wait to recuperate before we attempt to fight the plague again."

"Would you agree with that assessment?"

[19_EgarAlnis]

"If that is your assessment, then I will not disagree, Mother Pheonix." Isela is polite, but she's tactfully avoided answering the question.

[ZBridges]

"I am asking for your input, dear. Please speak freely, whether you agree or not."

[Superdorf]

"I am asking for your input, dear. Please speak freely, whether you agree or not."

+1

[19_EgarAlnis]

"Then I disagree fully." Isela pulls a document from her pile of papers, it's dated from the beginning of the war. "This is going to sound crazy, but I think the Plague is far more intelligent than anyone has ever considered. It's not some unbeatable demon -- its a carefully planning, scheming enemy, who knows how to feint, who knows how economies work, how best to win a war."

"Let me put it this way: I think it always had the strength to break through the defensive line. It was bleeding us of manpower and economic ability by letting us throw our soldiers at it." She pauses, reaching down to grab a bottle and pour out alcohol for both of you into neat, elegant ceramic cups, covered with designs of what you assume are the outlands -- salt marshes and dusty lands. "It hit the hydrogen plant-- why didn't it do that everywhere? Unless it was testing our internal defenses. It knew we would respond with all the strength we could -- and we did."

She takes a gulp of hers, starting to get into a flow with her lecture. "It was testing when was the best time to break through the Line -- the best time for the Holy City to be weak enough to be seized. Fortifications like the Holy City are force amplifiers, if we held up with all the resources we wasted on the line there, it wouldn't have been able to break through for -years-. We lasted five months trying to protect everything. The lands around it would've been destroyed, but the city was its primary objective. We could have used sorties and hit and run tactics to whittle down the enemy forces while keeping our primary industrial base intact."

"Instead, we over-extended ourselves, just like it hoped we would. It created a foe that you had to fight to stall you. Then, it broke the line like a twig. We didn't have the forces to hold the Holy City, and it broke through our defenses because we focused on the Line."

"So, now that the city has fallen, and we are weak -- what will it expect us to do? Go on the defensive. Hold what we can -- restock, replenish our troops while it rips away at our territory. If we do that, the war is already lost -- it made us incapable of offensive attacks.. What will it not expect us to do?" She pulls out the file -- its the one filled with pictures of the Western Outlands, "It won't expect us to attack its 'infrastructure'. To go on the offense with heavy surgical strikes."

[ZBridges]

I like this one.

[The Canadian kitten]

This general is good.

[Superdorf]

That... was everything I've been planning since the Holy City's destruction, and then some
put into better words than ever I had.
We need this.

Grin. "Well spoken indeed."

"I'll be blunt, Child Tabbett: my councilors tell me you're a genius. A budding tactician, such as is hardly seen in a century. After that little lecture, I'm inclined to believe them."

"I'm in need of a general-- someone bright and fresh, not tied to old institutions and old tactics-- and as it so happens, you fit the bill perfectly. How about it?"

[19_EgarAlnis]

"It went to war knowing it would win. That's the first rule of warfare, right? Never start a war you cannot win." Isela takes your pause as a reason to continue, "So it's not going to falter or hesitate to start localizing its strength with our industrial bases. It suffered a heavy loss, a [Pyrrhic] victory. If we act now, we can disrupt its current supply and communication lines and we can start whittling it down to nothing."

Isela hesitates, taking another sip of the vodka from her cup, "Forgive me. I started rambling, Pheo-- Mother Pheonix."

You grin at her, taking a sip of the harsh, cheap liquor before you make your offer. "I'll be blunt, Child Tabbett: my councilors tell me you're a genius. A budding tactician, such as is hardly seen in a century. After that little lecture, I'm inclined to believe them."

She blushes, rubbing at her tanned face and looking into her cup. "I-- yes, thank you."

"I'm in need of a general-- someone bright and fresh, not tied to old institutions and old tactics-- and as it so happens, you fit the bill perfectly. How about it?"

Isela doesn't hesitate, doesn't fret or act as if she even needs to consider the decision. Her eyes light up, and there's a giddiness to her voice. She's genuinely excited by the offer, "Yes. God-- SEE-- yes, I mean. I will accept that role, if you really wish it, Mother Pheonix. I...I know I'm young, but I will do my best! I mean, if you want me to."

[ZBridges]

We do have one more candidate, but unless she's amazing I'm inclined to just go with this one.

[Superdorf]

Our last candidate was just an old compatriot of Hardy's-- useful if we wanted to preserve the original institution, but we don't. This is much better.
Besides, we've already extended our offer!

"I really do." Smile. "I'll make the necessary arrangements."

"A curiosity, Child Tabbet, before I take my leave. Speak freely once again: what is your mind on the question of SEED's divinity?"

[ZBridges]

Nah, I meant Mother Nicole, who previously fought the plague and won. The Twelfth Crusader.

[Superdorf]

Is that why you wanted to meet with her!

My choice stands. This girl knows what she's about.