A burned out failure

[stupidhonor]

...

...

By popular decision of the Lords, Ankaia will wage war on Earth. Ishin will be first in line, no doubt using his extraordinary might for great effect.

[Sielje is a mess. She sits with her head lowered, not bothering to change from her fancy dress - now torn and dusty from the fight.]

And it is all my fault.


If only... I was strong enough to face and defeat him...

If... only... I was stronger...!

[Her eyes are full of tears and you can hear pretty undignified sniffing.]

Comments

[stupidhonor]

You think Ishin and other Ankaians will march to their deaths.

[keep_your_dignity]

YES.

HERE'S THE DEAL. IF THEY WANTED JUST A SKIRMISH, THEY'D HAVE A GOOD CHANCE. ANKAIAN UNITS ARE BETTER, ON AVERAGE, THAN EARTH ONES, PROBABLY ABOUT THREE-TO-ONE OR SO.

BUT IF THEY COME IN HERE CLAMORING FOR A WAR OF CONQUEST ON THE WHOLE EARTH THE WAY THE VAGANS OR THE WULGARU DID, THEY'RE OUTNUMBERED TWENTY TO ONE, IF NOT MORE. YOUR WORLD IS IN RUINS AND THEIR POPULATION AND PRODUCTION CAPABILITY ARE LIMITED. PLUS IF YOU'RE ANY INDICATION, ANKAIANS EXPLICITLY ESCHEW TACTICS BEYOND THE BASIC ASSAULT. BUT IF YOU PUSH EARTHLINGS TO THE WALL, SHIT IS GOING TO GET VERY NASTY VERY QUICKLY.

WITH ANY LUCK, UNITY GROUP MIGHT DEFLATE THE ATTACK'S LEADERS AND FREEZE THINGS DOWN ENOUGH FOR A RESOLUTION. BUT IF THEY DON'T... WELL, NO OFFENSE, BUT ONE OF THE SIDES OF THIS CONFLICT HAS SPENT THE LAST TWENTY YEARS MURDERING INVADERS IN MULTIPLE WAYS, AND ONE HASN'T.

[stupidhonor]

Lord Ishin is incredibly mighty. I see him able to destroy armies all by himself.

But even if he is victorious as one man...

The rest of Ankaia would be ruined...

[keep_your_dignity]

MORE THAN RUINED. WE CAN BE REALLY FUCKING SPITEFUL WHEN OUR PEOPLE ARE THREATENED.

HERE'S A FUN LITTLE TIBDIT FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT. WITH THE WEAPONRY HUMANITY HAS DEVELOPED, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO ANNIHILATE A COUNTRY THAN TO NOT DO SO. WE DON'T DO ORBITAL MASS STRIKES NOT BECAUSE WE CAN'T, BUT BECAUSE THE INDISCRIMINATE DEATH TOLLS ARE CONSIDERED EXCESSIVE. NOW PICTURE ISHIN MANAGING TO PASS THE THRESHOLD WHERE THAT KIND OF THING STARTS TO BECOME LESS EXCESSIVE RETALIATION AND MORE VALID RESPONSE.

THERE IS NO SCENARIO HERE WHERE ANKAIA CONQUERS EARTH. THE CLOSEST ISHIN CAN HOPE FOR IS MUTUAL DESTRUCTION, AND EVEN THAT IS, HONESTLY, GIVING HIM MORE CREDIT THAN I'M INCLINED TO. BUT I DON'T THINK HE UNDERSTANDS THAT. HE SEEMS TO EXPECT EARTHLINGS TO BE LITTLE WEAK SAVAGES THAT ROLL OVER AND DIE.

[stupidhonor]

What...

What do you advice must be done, then?

Would anyone else be able to prevent this?

[keep_your_dignity]

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS NEUTRALIZING ISHIN, AND DOING SO IN A DECEISIVE WAY. AS WE SAID, IT WOULD DELAY THE WAR, GIVE US A FEW WEEKS TO MANEUVER - AND LOSING YOUR WAR LEADER MID-WAR IS A MORE MMENTOUS EVENT THAN LOSING YOUR RETHORIC SPOUTER BEFORE IT STARTS. EASIER SAID THAN DONE, THOUGH. A GROUP OF US WORKING TOGETHER CAN PROBABLY PUT HIM UNDER ENOUGH PRESSURE TO FORCE HIM TO ACTIVATE HIS POWER WITHIN, AT WHICH POINT WE RABBIT THE FUCK OUT AND RUN DOWN THE CLOCK.

THEN WE NEED TO HOLD BACK THE INEVITABLY DISORGANIZED RETALIATORY ASSAULTS AND FIND, QUICKLY, A WAY TO GET THE OTHER LORDS TO EITHER REALIZE THIS IS STUPID, BEFORE ANOTHER WAR LEADER EMERGES WITH MORE RETHORIC. THIS IS THE PART I DON'T REALLY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO FORMULATE. I DON'T KNOW THE ANKAIAN LORDS.

WONDER IF HANDING THEM THE HEAD OF THE CEO OF FUMERCO ON A SILVER PLATE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HELP GETTING THEM ON A PROPER NEGOTIATING TABLE.

[stupidhonor]

Power Within... someone like Ishin would survive it. Probably. Even a greatly weakened the Fated makes for a formidable opponent.

... I know only few of the Lords. Names and titles are one thing, but to realize how each one feels and what their stances on this are...

[Sielje doesn't know. But someone else surely does.]

[keep_your_dignity]

SURVIVE, YES. BUT FROM WHAT I KNOW, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE YOU COME OUT OF IT A HELL OF A LOT WEAKER THAN YOU WERE. AT WHICH POINT WE CAN TAKE HIM.

AND WHATEVER YOU KNOW COULD BE USEFUL. MAKE A POINT OF WRITING IT DOWN. AND IF YOU CAN THINK OF ANY WAY TO FIND OUT MORE, THAT TOO.

[stupidhonor]

I know... a way to find out more.

Ynya and Kimhone are most well oriented in such ways. From all Ankaians, they will remain your closest and best allies.

[Then why is Sielje so hesitant to say it?]

[keep_your_dignity]

THEN SEE IF YOU CAN GET THEM TO GIVE YOU SOME DATA. THIS IS RATHER MORE PRESSING THAN YOUR ISSUES WITH YOUR EX-FRIENDS.

[Kagura waits for a couple seconds after that for Sielje to react, before continuing]

AND NOW I IMAGINE COMES THE BIT WHERE YOU TELL ME YOU HAVE NO ISSUES AND I REMIND YOU I CAN DETECT WHEN YOU'RE LYING, SO IF IT'S ALL THE SAME TO YOU I'D RATHER MOVE PAST THAT AND TO THE PART WHERE YOU TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

[stupidhonor]

I do not lie, lying is dishonorable. My relationship with them... will not be a problem.

The problem is that Ynya and Kimhone stayed on the Ankaian side. To seek support against Lord Ishin, no doubt. But it means we cannot talk unless a gateway is opened from the other side.

[keep_your_dignity]

YEAH RIGHT. THIS ARMOR MAY NOT HAVE ACTUAL EYES, BUT I'M NOT BLIND, KID. [Kagura does not believe you for a minute, Sielje. Still, no point pressing Sielje... yet. She turns to start going away, speaking as she does.]

THE GATEWAY ISSUE IS EMINENTLY SOLVABLE GIVEN ENOUGH TIME. OF COURSE, THE QUESTION IS WHAT YOU WOULD FIND THERE. DON'T PUT ALL YOUR STOCK ON THEM.

AND ON THE THING YOU WERE CRYING ABOUT, IF YOU WANT TO GET STRONGER, POKE AROUND THE TRAINING FIELD TOMORROW. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT A CHEAT LIKE ISHIN IN DIRECT COMBAT, BUT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO USE YOUR HEAD I CAN PUT SOME FIGHT INTO YOU.

[stupidhonor]

...

...

What have you in mind?

[keep_your_dignity]

IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CHICKEN OUT, A FULL PROGRAM. PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, FIGHTING FORMS, THE WHOLE LOT. LEAVE YOUR PRIDE AT THE DOOR BECAUSE WHAT I DO WORKS BUT IT ISN'T PLEASANT. [Kagura's elite executors sure as hell would agree with this. There's a reason all of them are among the very best, but also why they dread training sessions more than PRAYER attacks.]

ALSO BASIC TACTICS. THAT YOU REFUSE TO USE THEM BECAUSE YOU'RE AN IDIOT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING TO. SO IF YOU TAKE THIS UP YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN SOME BASIC TACTICAL DOCTRINE SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT OTHER PEOPLE TO DO AND NOT GET MY SOLDIERS KILLED.

[stupidhonor]

I see.

[keep_your_dignity]

WELL THEN. I HAVE WORK TO DO. IF YOU TAKE IT UP, TOMORROW AT EIGHT, FIELD THREE. IF NOT, YOUR LOSS.

[And with that, Kagura leaves. She doesn't entirely expect Sielje to actually show up the next day, granted, but hey, she's bet on wider chances, and it's not like it loses the fairy major any if she doesn't show.

And if she does, hey, Sielje gets to learn a few tricks (because whatever else Kagura is, Kagura is very good at what she does) and Kagura gets a new recruit to yell at to let go some of that frustration she's been dealing with for the last month. Everyone wins.]

[stupidhonor]

[This is when a hero of a story would be all fired up, ready to take everything Kagura throws and show them what they're made of.

So the next morning Sielje is not there, or anywhere nearby, at all.]