fandomhigh | Macro-Tactics, Monday

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Macro-Tactics, Monday

Kerrigan was all stalking, abrupt motions today - an irritability born of a fruitless week spent chasing a protoss Dark Templar around some ruins on Ulaan. Not that those were particularly obvious details.

She did not look like she was interested in long lectures today.

"Whoever has the biggest guns tends to win the war," she said, tersely. "New tech is always going to give you an advantage. It's also going to eat through your finances like a bad mold. You have to think about what you go for: maneuverability? Sheer firepower? Air superiority? You can't bank on everything, or you're going to be broke."

She motioned for her TAs to distribute some schematics to the class.

"Here's some examples of innovation from my time and world," she said. "Now here's a thought experiment. If you're fighting a war on your own homefront, what would you go for? What would work best for the terrain? Heavy tanks might look like a cool idea, but get them stuck in the mountains and they're sitting ducks. Take these schematics as an example, and sort out in which direction you'd want to develop your tech. Do you go for mobility, or firepower? Quicker deployment, or armored caravans? Speed or strength? Long-distance or short? Everyone's only got so much cash to throw at something."

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"Or after a weekend," Faramir agreed, shaking his head. "I would also have thought that it could not affect us from such a great distance as I was in Vail along with others. I believe Fandom is attempting to keep us on our toes and prove that what we consider fact is rather more fluid than we would have thought."

"I was in another galaxy," Leia said. "Maybe there is a limit to the range of Fandom's affect."

No, no Leia. And Luke could definitely tell her differently.

"That would be a reassuring thought, I hate to think of this happening while I was in my own world," Faramir admitted. "You travelled home for the vacation?"

Leia nodded. "I did, yes," she said. "It wasn't much of a vacation, though." She gestured to the schematics. "It actually related closely to the topic today."

Faramir cast a look down at the schematics. "Your galaxy is at war?" he asked. It was strange talking on level of worlds, but a galaxy was so much larger that he found it impossible to grasp its scale.

"It is," Leia said, her tone sad but not regretful. "Or it will be. It's just starting now. My home galaxy is under the rule of a tyrant, but we will bring him down and restore justice and peace to the galaxy."

"That sounds somewhat familiar," Faramir admitted ruefully. "Yet it is good to have such confidence in the face of what is coming."

"Some of that confidence is because I know that I'll succeed," Leia said. "I have family here from my future. I don't know all the details, but it all works out." She looked as the schematics again and sighed. "Though I just found out the Empire is building some new and powerful battle station capable of destroying entire worlds, so in the face of that it's hard to know what to do."

"That is hard to fathom," Faramir frowned. He did not know what a battle station was, but the results seemed clear enough. "A truly malicious weapon that leaves both victor and loser with nothing to gain but destruction. It seems to me that they should not be allowed to finish its construction. Is there a way to stop them?"

"That's what I want to find out," Leia said. "A monstrosity like that...it has to have some sort of weakness. We just need to get a hold of something like this" -- she thumped the schematics with a finger -- "to find out what it is."

"The weaknesses should be on these," Faramir nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know where they would keep these? I imagine that they would be precious and guarded well."

"There may be a chance to get them soon," Leia said. She knew she could pretty much talk freely in Fandom, but she didn't want to get into all the details, just in case. "And I'll be there to take it."

Faramir looked thoughtful. Even if he did not know much about her world, he could not help going along with what she had told him. "You will have support?"

Leia nodded. "Some," she said. "We're still small, but growing as more worlds realize there is hope for something better than the oppression of the Empire."

"It is a start," he agreed, "and where some lead the way, others will follow. Hope can move men to lengths they might not know they're capable of."

"And that's our primary commodity right now," Leia said. "Hope. And the memory that the galaxy used to be a better place." She gave Faramir a curious look. "What about you?" she said. "Is your home at peace? What's the level of technology in your world?" She didn't think it was very high from what little she knew about him.

"Nothing close to these," he said, motioning towards the notes. "We have siege weapons made of wood and steel. There are no guns, merely swords and bows."

"There has not been true peace for a long time. Our enemy is stirring and his servants are testing our borders. My father is certain that war will come again under his rule. I do not think he is wrong."

"I almost envy you," Leia said, taking that in. "The ability to completely lay waste to an entire world without seeing or hearing the people that you're killing...that terrifies me. It makes war easy and clean, which it should never be."

"The scale is different," Faramir said, "but the enemy is not. If Gondor falls, all Men shall follow and all good will be destroyed."

He took a breath, "but I understand what you say. It is one thing to fight an enemy and look in his eyes before death than it is to decide their faith without ever having to see their face."

"Forgive me, I didn't mean for it to sound like your struggle was any less important than mine," Leia said. "No matter what kind of different worlds we live in, evil is always there."

"Sadly enough that seems to be the case," he agreed and he shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile. "There is nothing to be forgiven. It is hard for me to even imagine a weapon such as you describe."

"It is for me, too," Leia said. "I'm used to powerful weapons, but one that can destroy a whole planet?" She shook her head. "But it shouldn't surprise me that the Emperor would create such a thing."

"It is a heartless soul that would conceive such a thing," Faramir said. "Yet, does he not lose himself to use such a weapon?"

"I don't think there's anything of him to lose," Leia murmured. "I met him once. He was radiating evil, like he was pitch black inside. Empty of everything but darkness."

A shiver ran past his spine. "Then I pray that our enemies never have a chance to ally themselves. I hope that your plan succeeds and if you need it, my sword is yours."

Re: Discuss!

likes_scoundrels - 2010-10-19 00:43 (UTC) - Expand

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