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Long updates!

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Short updates!

0 (0%)

Don't care; just give me hot ship-on-ship action.

1 (50%)

Total Members Voted: 2

[a1s]

Ok, now that we're done with super optional miscellaneous task, let's ask Dauntless about The Builders!

Like... Who are the builders? What do they want? Can we trade them some scrap for the Dauntless? (no offense meant, but if they were cannibalizing her, maybe they won't go to war over it?)

[Gwolfski]

looks interessting. ptw

[Iris]

(Is some sort of harem show about ships?)

(I get the sense our military rank prevents us from going that route—or at least, makes it a whole lot harder to do? This feels more like we're playing as some sort of therapist-surrogate, with tactical elements once the actual fighting starts.)

I'll say what I said on Discord when the topic came up. I won't stop you from dating the ships, but be prepared it might have... consequences.

I get the sense the Commander can pretty awkward in social situations... we may want to rely on Genevieve more, moving forward.
Sigh. "You know, I had the notion I could drift about a little today and—what, make small talk? Swap reminisce? Too many thorns, not enough time."

...
"...a scout saved my life once, you know. Human. Quick eye, fresh to the field. Bit like you, in her way."

Hyacinth looked a little uncomfortable, like she was being put on the spot. She shook her head slightly, evidently unsure what to say.

"I haven't been out there, so I haven't had anything like that. There was the time I nearly blew one of my boilers in training - a valve on one of my steam cannons had gotten stuck, and it just kept increasing the pressure. One of my human crew found it. If he hadn't, I could have been disabled for months."

"Is that personal enough? I'm a little new to this."

[Sanyachan]

(that's all of them, isn;t it?)

>Excuse ourselves from the conversation. Let us go ask Venus about Hades?

[a1s]

I still think we should talk to Dauntless about The Builders.

[Superdorf]

Nod. "Good eye he must have had. Lucky, that."

"I'd been on the field a week, was taking lunch behind the top of a hill... my friend saw something before I did. She yelled, I ducked—BAM. A bullet slung right where my fool head'd been, buried itself in the wall of our compound. I've still got it in a desk somewhere."

"Situational awareness, <title>. It's the make-or-break skill. If you can read a fight like you read people, you'll be playing support for the top guns in no time."

>Excuse ourselves from the conversation.

+1—final remarks, pleasant-like

I still think we should talk to Dauntless about The Builders.

I like this better as our next move, yeah. +1.

If we bump into Genevieve on the way, it'd be nice to get her thoughts first on the whole Hades situation. As things stand, I don't have a great plan for how we're supposed to handle that sort of insubordination.

[Eschar]

PTW.

Hi superdorf.

[Superdorf]

hey

[Iris]

This might not get an update for some time for reasons of mental health (don't worry, they're mostly unrelated to this game) but I would like to resolve some issues I have been made aware of with the current subplot and the characterization of Hades. I strongly feel that all the effort I put into this game would go to waste if I abandoned it, and in light of that, I have chosen to continue to update this game whenever I am able. Please enjoy the update.

Additionally (and in much lighter news) I have decided to write longer updates when circumstances permit. If you would like to assist me in creating longer updates, please put additional detail into your suggestions when possible. Thank you.


"It's been nice talking to you, Hyacinth. I have to do other things, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

"Goodbye, Commander. I hope you take good care of yourself."


While walking back to the office, the Commander met with Genevieve.

"Genevieve, could I ask you for some advice?"

"About Hades?"

"How did you know?"

"I have my ways." Genevieve chuckled.

"Don't tell me she did something rash?"

Genevieve shook her head. "Quite the opposite. She was as calm as I ever saw her. She wanted to talk to you."

"How would you recommend I treat her?"

"You could be kind, for one. She's... not in a good place."

"She's a soldier. Discipline needs to be maintained."

"Yes, and you can do that while being kind to her."

"Alright. Where is she?"

"Last I checked, on the observation deck. I think she was hiding in a supply closet beforehand."

"I'll check on her when I'm done talking to Dauntless."

"You'd be wise to."

Genevieve started, as if she'd just remembered something.

"Oh. I've prepared another dossier for you. It has some updates."

Spoiler: Dossier: Dauntless (click to show/hide)

Class: Thunderous-class Missile Battleship
Personality/Bio: Calm, cool, and collected, Dauntless was one of the older battleships in the service of the Builders. While she is generally good-natured, she holds a deep resentment of the Builders for preparing to scrap her - born out of a bottomless pride for her fleet and her place in it. She enjoys shepherding the other ships in the fleet and showing off her understated sense of humour.

Dauntless has a long and storied service history, fighting many of the Builders' conflicts against other races. She seems to have received refits only sparingly; an oddity for a battleship of her size and usage.

• Likes/dislikes: [Unknown]

Rank/Stats: S-tier

• Armour: C
• Speed: B
• Offensive Armament: S
• Defensive Armament: A
• Parasites: C

In his office - a relatively small room, with walls of panelled wood and metal - the Commander sat with Dauntless, intending to get more information on her mysterious Builders.

"Can you describe them?"

"They are a warlike race, Commander. Many races have fallen under their heel, victim to their greed and lust for power. I am just one of many ships they have constructed with my capabilities. Some of them even surpass me."

...

"Their technology is in many ways superior to yours, and they have a much larger fleet. Any pitched combat would be an uphill battle. It would be best not to be caught with your pants down, Commander."

...

"Would there be anything we could do to ward off their attention?"

"Commander, even if you gave them everything you had, they would only ask for more. They will invade."

...

"What kind of equipment can we expect them to use?"

"Our primary armament are self-guided missiles - which you knew already. What you don't know is that one of them can cripple a dreadnought, and I carry 22 of them."

Pausing for effect, Dauntless continued.

"We have search radar, but it can be fooled if you know how. Other than that we use smaller missiles and rapid-firing guns. Most ships of my size and below use jet turbines and ducted propellers, which makes us very fast compared to any of your large ships."

"What about your parasites?"

"I carry a limited number of them for parasite defense and small ship interdiction. Some of the dedicated carriers have a lot more, and some carrier-battleships have missile firepower as well."

...

"I know the location of several fleet yards. Some are lightly patrolled. They may be of use to you."


Later, the Commander went to talk to Hades. He was a little apprehensive - what if she blew up again? - but he still decided to hear her out.

The observation deck was a warren of viewing rooms and corridors, so it took some time for the Commander to find her. When he did, Hades was sitting in what looked like a conference room - a large wooden table was sitting in the centre of the room, with multiple chairs and a panoramic window. The lamps were off, but the system's star was looming outside the window, giving the room a contrast of darkness and warm light. Hades sat at the end of the table, with a paper in front of her and her face in shadow.

"Oh, Commander. I was just enjoying the scenery. You weren't supposed to find me yet - I would have come to your office." Her voice was light, and a little hoarse, like she'd been crying.

"Genevieve said you wanted to talk to me."

She sat up straigher. "Oh, yes."

Hades passed the paper to the Commander. It was a form, already filled and waiting for his signature.

"I've decided to resign. I have made a disgrace of not only myself, but my sisters and the rest of the fleet. I cannot continue."

The Commander passed the sheet back.

"No, I won't accept it. You're a good soldier, Hades. You just need some help."

Hades looked incredulous.

"Commander, I yelled at you like a child."

"I'll let it go. I will, however, be expecting a written apology for your insubordination. And it best be pretty."

"Of course."

There was an uncomfortable silence, for a bit, before Hades addressed the elephant in the room.

"I... don't know why I do it. I don't know what's wrong with me, and everyone has different opinions. I just know that sometimes... that happens."

"I don't mean it. Sometimes I just get away from myself."

"It's okay."

"Thank you, Commander."

Spoiler: Bonus snippet (click to show/hide)

"Genevieve, why are they so... unstable?"

The woman was silent, choosing her words, before answering.

"It's part of the process that makes them. Part of why they're so close to human. Sometimes they're built in the shipyard with burdens, sometimes they acquire them with stress. Battle. It happens in humans too, remember? Shell shock."

She continued.

"Dauntless just ran for her life. 'Sunny' was injured in battle. The best you can do is... try to support them. You are the Commander, are you not?"

Huh, this update turned out surprisingly more wholesome than I was expecting.

[Eschar]

It would be good to know how comfortable Hades is with the other ships, in case she is likely to have similar reactions with them or be worried how they will see her if she does - especially since she listed disgracing her sisters as a reason for resignation. I don't know how to ask her this though.

[Iris]

It would be good to know how comfortable Hades is with the other ships, in case she is likely to have similar reactions with them or be worried how they will see her if she does - especially since she listed disgracing her sisters as a reason for resignation. I don't know how to ask her this though.

Would you like to delegate the task to the Commander?

[Eschar]

It would be good to know how comfortable Hades is with the other ships, in case she is likely to have similar reactions with them or be worried how they will see her if she does - especially since she listed disgracing her sisters as a reason for resignation. I don't know how to ask her this though.

Would you like to delegate the task to the Commander?

yes, I suppose? I assume you mean making this an official action. So yes

[Superdorf]

Woh hey, cool writing happened!

yes, I suppose? I assume you mean making this an official action. So yes

I like how the Commander handled things this time, so I'm just gonna +1

[Iris]

"Hades?"

The carrier sniffled, then looked up. Her eyes were tearing again.

"Is this a good time?"

"No, go ahead. I'm fine."

"Are you afraid what the others will think of you?"

"Venus understands. She tries to shield me from the others."

The Commander nodded.

"To try and cope with it, I started the teasing. I felt... better, sometimes, when I made fun of them. It didn't go away, though."

"This isn't how the lead ship of her class should act. I'm the one setting the example. Every time I do anything like this, I end up disgracing everyone holding a commission in the fleet. It's not acceptable."

"Hades. Look at me."

Hades looked up at the Commander again. Tears were slowly flowing down her face.

"As long as you maintain the standard as becoming a soldier, the only one you have to appease is yourself."

"I... understand, Commander," Hades said, in between sobs.

There was silence, for a moment.

"If you like, we can wait here for a bit."

Hades sniffled again, and started breathing slowly in and out.

"No. I'm fine. I just need a minute."

"I have time."

"Okay."

In the meeting room, the shadows danced over every surface. As the station slowly moved relative to the sun, the light shifted, causing the lower half of Hades' face to be illuminated.

"You might be here for a while."

[Superdorf]

Nod. "I have time."

The Commander sat, and waited, and mused.

Warships with shell shock.
You didn't used to get warships with shell shock.
You got soldiers with shell shock, sure. Not that they used to call it that.
You certainly didn't talk to those soldiers. Not properly. You sent them off, brought in new blood. Clean, simple.

You can't do that with warships, thought the Commander. Too expensive.

Warships with shell shock. Ridiculous.

...

...the ships felt more human than the crew sometimes.
Made sense, really. Humans, you could gloss over—that was your job, to keep them lined up at arm's length. Respectable. In fighting order.
You couldn't ignore a warship. If one of them started crying, like it or not, you paid attention.

...

It was sort of nice, in its way, to work with the ships. You could forget your place a little bit.
Forget my place, thought the Commander. Dangerous business, that.


Bide our time, and keep talking if it helps. Once Hades is a bit more stable, we should report everything we've learned from Dauntless to High Command: the particular capabilities of our enemies, and any intel we have on their fleet yards. At this point, we should consider ourselves at war with the Builders.