[LP CYOA] Epic

[treave]

I'll have the update out later today, but I believe A takes it.

Just to note: Moving twenty fortresses is no easy feat. It would take many weeks just to get the fortresses to the jump point. Make of that what you will.

 

[Baltika9]

Depends on what that sun is hiding. If it's twenty battlestations, then the joke's on them.

 

[treave]

I was kidding about the star thing. You'd think Senya would notice something like an extra star or planet where it's not supposed to be.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

edit: Don't worry, treave. I'm pretty sure Baltika was joking too. At least I hope so.

It just seems too "JUST AS PLANNED" for it to be real. Our enemies are very smart and I'm not underestimating them, but it would be downright Tzeentchian for them to have planned things down to this level of detail.

Well, Alpha could already be on their way here so that they can intercept Ean's fleet. Assuming they just found out about the attack hours or days ago and are moving to intercept both fleet one after another.

I'm not sure Alpha would move prior to being forced to though. It's more likely that Epsilon is here hiding and if we don't take they bait they'll follow us wherever we decide to go and if we do they'll attack when we over extend.

 

[Baltika9]

edit: Don't worry, treave. I'm pretty sure Baltika was joking too. At least I hope so.

I don't know what you're talking about. I am fully intent on ramming the fuck out of them.

Say, what happens if we fire a matter/antimatter black hole in slipspace?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Or how about just before we enter slipspace so that the reaction goes out of control after we leave? Bye bye, fortress system (sans fortresses, but hey, nothing says fear inspiring like destroying an entire solar system...) :D

 

[treave]

Opening the hangar bay to let your mech out while in slipspace is a good way of making you drop out of slipspace.

Sure, you could destroy an entire solar system, but then that leaves you with nothing that can destroy the massive fortress network the size of a solar system when it drops out of slipspace because you wasted all your antimatter on an abandoned system.

 

[Esquilax]

Just to note: Moving twenty fortresses is no easy feat. It would take many weeks just to get the fortresses to the jump point. Make of that what you will.

Well, it has been two months since our alliance with the Empire was forged after the Battle of Uranus. The Council could have been preparing for war and moving all their fortresses to worlds they deemed most likely to be hit in anticipation prior to this. An alliance between the Federation and the Empire had to have given them pause. They were probably running various invasion scenarios once we had our pact with Adrahasis.

I'm not sure Alpha would move prior to being forced to though. It's more likely that Epsilon is here hiding and if we don't take they bait they'll follow us wherever we decide to go and if we do they'll attack when we over extend.

I agree with you on both counts. Alpha is their best group and will be almost impossible to bait, but since they were probably on their way to Carneus Beta when we approached Gelmark, I think the chances of running into them after a jump is significantly more likely. The possibility of Epsilon following us while cloaked from Gelmark to the next jump point strikes me as an overly elaborate trap as well. Epsilon is dangerous, no doubt, but I'd like to avoid seeing Shulgi behind every rock.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Opening the hangar bay to let your mech out while in slipspace is a good way of making you drop out of slipspace.

Sure, you could destroy an entire solar system, but then that leaves you with nothing that can destroy the massive fortress network the size of a solar system when it drops out of slipspace because you wasted all your antimatter on an abandoned system.

Bingo. So the fortresses are headed to defend the prize world. It's the only thing that makes sense since you've already told us that Beta is more heavily reinforced than Gelmark.

Esquilax, another scenario: They want us to follow them so that we can't back Ean up in time. If they knew we were coming here, they also know that we (Anhur-Shi) won't be with Ean. We're the only ones who can take out 20 space fortresses easily, so they're going to try to ambush us here first, if we don't take the bait, then at least we'll chase them and delay arriving to help Ean against the fortresses. If we ignore them and go after Ean, I'm betting Epsilon will still follow us cloaked though...

edit: missed the post where treve already called it for A. Bah, my arguments are moot. Enjoy the pain, boys.

 

[treave]

It should really have been the first thought that crossed your minds when you saw that the system was empty.

Still, don't forget the premise of the invasion. The Council thinks you are bringing a bomb that can destroy the drones if you bring it to Carneus Alpha. They want to stop you from reaching that system. On the other hand, this is your plot to make them gather their strength so that you can destroy them decisively. To that end they have been misled to a certain extent about the bomb's true capabilities.

So the question is this:

Any spy worth his or her salt would have told the League exactly where the bomb is, and you only have one ship capable of lugging it around anyway. Will the League actually need to defend Carneus Beta if they think they have a good shot at capturing or otherwise dismantling the bomb that they deem to be their main threat?

Hell, if I were the Council I'd be cloaked and rubbing my hands in glee as Senya chases after Delta, then I board the Sword of Ean and take over the ship with my superior physical abilities. The only one that can stand up to us in foot combat is a week's jump away. And now he can't fire on me because I have the bomb *moustache-twirling evil laughter*.

 

[Baltika9]

Those lunatics will kill us all.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

edit: Yes, Baltika. Yes, they will.

It should really have been the first thought that crossed your minds when you saw that the system was empty.

Still, don't forget the premise of the invasion. The Council thinks you are bringing a bomb that can destroy the drones if you bring it to Carneus Alpha. They want to stop you from reaching that system. On the other hand, this is your plot to make them gather their strength so that you can destroy them decisively. To that end they have been misled to a certain extent about the bomb's true capabilities.

So the question is this:

Any spy worth his or her salt would have told the League exactly where the bomb is, and you only have one ship capable of lugging it around anyway. Will the League actually need to defend Carneus Beta if they think they have a good shot at capturing or otherwise dismantling the bomb that they deem to be their main threat?

Ah, didn't realize we had done that whole lying about the bomb thing.

Oh, well. Guess I get to do my "I told you so" dance again...

 

[Esquilax]

Still, don't forget the premise of the invasion. The Council thinks you are bringing a bomb that can destroy the drones if you bring it to Carneus Alpha. They want to stop you from reaching that system. On the other hand, this is your plot to make them gather their strength so that you can destroy them decisively. To that end they have been misled to a certain extent about the bomb's true capabilities.

Well fuck, I completely forgot about this. Ah shit, I guess we pay the price here.

 

[treave]

I'm just taking the assertion that we have a spy feeding them information to its logical conclusion.

 

[Baltika9]

I suppose the potential boarding party neglected one thing: we can permakill immortals.

The potential joke's on them.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Nope. We're gonna be running after Delta. Jokes on us.

One more time:

 

[treave]

I suppose you neglect the fact that you're off in the distance fighting Delta while they have the bomb. If you attempt to retake the ship, they will detonate it, not knowing the sheer extent of its power. I suppose you could fire upon them and destroy the Sword of Ean from a distance, but that leaves you without a bomb, and that makes them more than happy to depart the core since they believe the threat is over and they don't need to face you in a straight fight anymore. Oh, and you didn't prepare for a stealth insertion so good luck getting past the drone field.

 

[Baltika9]

Can't we erase their ship from existence? Or teleport?

 

[Azira]

All this because of the free-form vote for splitting up the fleet.

See? Trainwreck.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Hey, I flopped remember? But did anyone listen?

Can't we erase their ship from existence? Or teleport?

I suppose our only option is for Senya to have his "i have to win" moment of the series and instinctively "kill" the space between him and the sword of Ean, teleporting him onto the bridge to kill the immortals.

treave, what would have happened had we fired the cannon btw?

 

[treave]

Erase them from existence from that far away? Nah. You can't teleport right into the ship either, too tricky. And the moment you appear in near the ship guess what the Councilman is going to do?

Well, as I said, all this could happen if we had a spy telling them where we were going. I mean, we did just have a page of discussion about spies setting us up for an ambush, right? Is there one, or is there not?

You fire the cannon, take out about half of their fleet, they run off, you get the choice whether to pursue them alone via wormhole to mop the rest up, have the fleet come after you when they are ready, or send them to Bainur, and/or go with them.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

treave = Shulgi levels of epic troll

I don't often Shulgi, but when I Shulgi, I treave.

 

[treave]

GMing Paranoia on the Codex would be horrible and hilarious.

 

[Baltika9]

Do eet.

 

[Esquilax]

Well, as I said, all this could happen if we had a spy telling them where we were going. I mean, we did just have a page of discussion about spies setting us up for an ambush, right? Is there one, or is there not?

There probably is, and I'm pretty sure she's hanging out on the bridge of the Sword of Ean. Goddamnit.

All this because of the free-form vote for splitting up the fleet.

This has nothing to do with splitting up the fleet, I stand by that. That's like saying that all of Ean's troubles stemmed from not putting Sekhenun's head in a jar. Having everyone together would pose its own problems as well. Sure, having Ean around would allow us to counter a hijack, but what's even better is not having the flagship hijacked in the first place.