[LP CYOA] Epic

[ScubaV]

I'd also love to see how treave writes Ean from an outsider's perspective (hopefully without the Codex derp that accompanies direct control).

 

[Baltika9]

Ahem

Enormous roots that bore branches adorned with leaves of gold burst from the ground, swallowing up the replica army. The soulless white automatons were pierced through and absorbed, melting into nothingness. Dio looked around, stunned. “The tree…” he whispered. “What is it doing here?”

A particularly massive root unfurled itself, cracking the earth as it did so, and from within, he walked out. His left arm was rough, and coarse, and budding with branches. His right eye was no more; instead golden leaves continuously shed from where the eye once was.

And then, he spoke.
“Hi.”

Although, I'm pretty sure having most of the Innana destroyed didn't do him any favors. Marduk, on the other hand, feasted on planets.

All in a day's work for our bros.

 

[treave]

A involves catching the Federation main fleet in an ambush, swooping in and disabling their flagships. It'll require lots of hit and run tactics and high-mobility maneuvers. The aim is to make fools of them, not inflict casualties.

B has you hitting a major Federation base while its fleet is stationed there, Pearl Harbour style. You will destroy as many of their warships and military assets as you can before they eventually mobilize. The aim is to inflict as many casualties as possible.

C will be a cloak & dagger meeting with some of the more influential officers in the Federation armed forces. They have not expressed outright disagreement with their superiors' policies but dissent is brewing. You are there to offer them an alternative way to fight for humanity instead of being stuck with the Federation. Regarding the victory track record; you have your reputation as a pilot, and tales of your ship-ramming exploits and daring raid into Imperial space have started to spread. Your comrades in the Autonomous Fleet have some contacts with the Federation's military proper.

Something to note with C; most of the rank and file of the Federation military are taking in Fed propaganda hook line and sinker. It's the more well-informed, higher ranking officers that you have the opportunity to convince. If you succeed, it will not result in the entire military defecting. You could pull away 10%, maybe 20% of their troops - though these are likely to be their elite due to the officers in charge - not enough to equalize the numbers, but if executed at the right time extremely crippling. The morale blow to the Federation would also be significant.

Then again, it's risky - on the other hand you could blow it all and end up with little to show for your efforts. Since all three choices will need your hands-on involvement to stand the greatest chance of success, you'll have to decide what to do.

 

[Baltika9]

Yeah, C seems the most useful, in both the long and short terms.

 

[treave]

Right, looks like it's time to throw in a tidbit of information that might cause you guys to think twice about C then.

Vic Gradius Camna will be at the meeting. He is an influential officer after all.

Naim won't be, of course. No one's going to invite Julia's lapdog, they're not that dumb.

 

[Baltika9]

Even better: he joins us or ceases to exist. Too dangerous to be left as an enemy.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Too dangerous to be left as an ally too, I daresay.

After hearing more, A or B sounds optimal. C seems like it could be too finicky.

A

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Camna? Ugh. I can just smell the betrayal incoming:

Erika: "We've drawn them in, Senya. The enemy are falling for our trap."
Senya: Excellent. Yua, send Camna the signal. His forces should press in on the enemy from the rear, closing the trap.
Yua: Signal sent! ...um... It looks like he's responding with a strange message, Master. A picture. I'm not sure what it means...
Senya: Let me see...
Yau: On screen:

Senya:


edit: seriously, treave. Do we have a personality profile on Camna? We are/were an information broker, right?

 

[treave]

By all accounts, he is not an orator or a gregarious leader of men, taking a workmanlike approach to his profession. In personal interaction he is stoic and firm, preferring not to speak unless necessary. But on rare occasions, he will voice his opinion, and at that time the men will listen. Besides his reputation in the Federation, he has received rare accolades from the Star League because of his piloting skill, which has turned the tide in more than one battle during the war against the Empire. He does not have the outright popularity or fame of Naim, and is being prevented from progressing in rank by the Federation elite. If he had been more of a firebrand, or outspoken in his views, he would have been discharged from the military a long time ago. As it is, his loyalty to the Federation, or at least the ideal of it, his reluctance to rock the boat (too much), and his passivity in political affairs continues to make him a useful tool for them. He personally believes that the Federation is Earth's best hope for a common government, and does not think power should be concentrated in the hands of any one man, no matter how brilliant or noble.

In personal life, he has a wife and one son. Although part of the powerful Camna clan, his refusal to leverage his military reputation for their political gain has left him somewhat of a black sheep in the family. I suppose you could say that he is the consummate soldier, a disciplined professional with an ideal.

 

[Baltika9]

A involves catching the Federation main fleet in an ambush, swooping in and disabling their flagships. It'll require lots of hit and run tactics and high-mobility maneuvers. The aim is to make fools of them, not inflict casualties.

But, then again, is this wise? Goading them in such a manner will likely "awaken a sleeping giant," as another Japanese tactician (maybe) said. If we'll remind them of ourselves in such a fashion, they just may get their shit together and attack en masse. And we don't yet have the technology to take them like that, ambush or straight fight. I'm starting to become wary of A.

I see another problem with C: how will we convince these commanders we really are the winning side? I'm thinking we'll have to reveal our black hole tech to them and trust in their confidentiality. Which may be a problem with Camna: maybe he's not like his originator, or maybe he is. Why not just erase him from existence, I'm sure Sek can provide us with plenty of details.
Thoughts, guys?

Edit:

He personally believes that the Federation is Earth's best hope for a common government, and does not think power should be concentrated in the hands of any one man, no matter how brilliant or noble.

I think we can find common ground here.

I suppose you could say that he is the consummate soldier, a disciplined professional with an ideal.

Or is he? I guess we'll have to find out.

 

[treave]

You'll likely be asked to do something to earn their trust.

 

[Baltika9]

Give up Sek, maybe, and Ean fighting the fleet in a giant Mega Mech along with her? NEVER! Hell no. That, or disclose our black hole engine. Not optimal.

Going for B, since I don't see the sense in provoking their ire and fighting them full-force.

 

[treave]

It's not the flip that's retarded, mind you, it's the assumption about what they will be asking for.

A - 3
B - 2
C - 3

Waiting for a tie-breaker.

 

[Azira]

Yeah. I don't get that Baltika vote either. Doing the Pearl Harbor thing on them will not provoke their ire?!?

It certainly worked out beautifully for the Japanese during WWII...

 

[Baltika9]

It will, but they will be weaker and more demoralized. Or outraged and pissed. I know it's a drastic flop, but I don't want to put Sek or our research at risk. And considering the officers will want us to show loyalty/usefulness to the cause, they'll probably adk for the alien that may doom them all. I don't want to do that.

I also don't see the advantage of A.

Edit: flopped to B to stall, mostly, but too late now.

 

[Baltika9]

Yeah, we skipped that train. Our future lies here, with this planet and this reality and the will not fall!

...oh, who am I kidding?

 

[treave]

and offer Sekhenun as a token of our goodwill.

That should be an interesting scene.

 

[m4davis]

B

 

[Baltika9]

It's good for what it is.

 

[Azira]

I still feel the best course of action is to humiliate the fleet so the competent officers see that we're their best bet, but while keeping the core of their forces intact. That way we show that we're superior, yet not brutal. We're fighting our own men here, no need to reckless loss of life. We're outnumbered badly enough as is. B seems stupid.
And C, while it might work, well, I think we'd be in a better position if we do A first.

 

[Baltika9]

Wait, what if we don't like the officers' demands? Wouldn't we be able to kill them, thereby removing the Feds' elites?

 

[treave]

> concerned over protagonist's lack of moral compass
> wants the protagonist to resort to murder at the slightest provocation

 

[Azira]

Welp, it's the 'dex. Derp can't be helped.

 

[Baltika9]

Don't blame a bloke for trying to cover his bases, Senya long ago entered the "ends justify the means," no teeth gnashing on my part can fix that. But, yeah, I am derping here, so might as well use it. Too paranoid as to what the price will be for their cooperation. Maybe I'm overthinking.
Back to C, what's the worse that could happen?

 

[treave]

It might not be clear yet, but part of the result of completing that little tete-a-tete is that Senya now has a more stable personality that has moved on from his past.

Ends justifying the means also requires that you actually remember what your desired endpoint is. Making Earth stronger? I don't think slaughtering the Federation's finest commissioned officers helps you achieve that goal. Honestly, I've always thought that 'the ends justify the means' is just the sort of excuse that characters like Diogenes Camna use to justify their own actions, at least to other people. They like acting in a cruel and brutal manner and explain it after the fact as saying 'it was necessary', or 'it was for the greater good', regardless of whether it truly was the best option to take.