SPOILER end of the MA

That will probably lead the Detweilers into more mistakes. They were so upset over the loss of their parents that they engineer the strike on Beowulf. They don't think about how upset the families of those who lost loved ones in the Yawata strike on Manticore.

That loss of perspective has already contributed to their mistakes and will continue to do so. And each mistake will inch the Alignment a bit closer to being completely unmasked.

Don

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I hesitate to describe their actions as mistakes. They are mistakes but not born from miscalculation. They are mistakes born from absolutely pure candor. Their anger from their parents deaths have stripped away any pretense of the idealism Leonard Detweiller held dearly. No, they are treating the objects of their attacks in ways consistent with how much they value of those objects, those victims.


The most profound mistake is their exposing just how much they value unaltered humanity. Heck, humanity in general. This was what Jack McBryde rebelled against when he was confronted with just how dear one human life was a loving father. In contrast the Detweillers showed just how …..dear.... human life is to them at Beowulf.

n7axw wrote:That will probably lead the Detweilers into more mistakes. They were so upset over the loss of their parents that they engineer the strike on Beowulf. They don't think about how upset the families of those who lost loved ones in the Yawata strike on Manticore.

That loss of perspective has already contributed to their mistakes and will continue to do so. And each mistake will inch the Alignment a bit closer to being completely unmasked.

Don

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PeterZ wrote:I hesitate to describe their actions as mistakes. They are mistakes but not born from miscalculation. They are mistakes born from absolutely pure candor. Their anger from their parents deaths have stripped away any pretense of the idealism Leonard Detweiller held dearly. No, they are treating the objects of their attacks in ways consistent with how much they value of those objects, those victims.


The most profound mistake is their exposing just how much they value unaltered humanity. Heck, humanity in general. This was what Jack McBryde rebelled against when he was confronted with just how dear one human life was a loving father. In contrast the Detweillers showed just how …..dear.... human life is to them at Beowulf.

n7axw wrote:That will probably lead the Detweilers into more mistakes. They were so upset over the loss of their parents that they engineer the strike on Beowulf. They don't think about how upset the families of those who lost loved ones in the Yawata strike on Manticore.

That loss of perspective has already contributed to their mistakes and will continue to do so. And each mistake will inch the Alignment a bit closer to being completely unmasked.

Don

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Not calculation in the normal sense, perhaps. But miscalculation in the sense that they really do believe that the rest of the human race are just pawns on a gigantic chess board to be taken off the board at their whim, or perhaps tools at their disposal to be used up and thrown away. The miscalculation is that somehow this doesn't matter, that there will be no consequences...

Don

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Indeed not a calculation but an assumption, a faulty assumption. The MAlign assumes their improved genotypes are sufficient to defeat the rest of the unuplifted galaxy. Beowulf was their statement to the galaxy of their disregard for the value they hold for mundane humanity and for the threat all those mundanes pose to their plans. By killing all those civilians in Beowulf, the MAlign is telling everyone they are nothing but sheep to the MAlign's wolves. That it doesn't matter who knows just how worthless the MAlign views mundanes as a threat. They will crush the mundane galaxy under their uplifted heal.

That is truly not any sort of calculation. It is a foundational assumption and it is wrong.

PeterZ wrote:Indeed not a calculation but an assumption, a faulty assumption. The MAlign assumes their improved genotypes are sufficient to defeat the rest of the unuplifted galaxy. Beowulf was their statement to the galaxy of their disregard for the value they hold for mundane humanity and for the threat all those mundanes pose to their plans. By killing all those civilians in Beowulf, the MAlign is telling everyone they are nothing but sheep to the MAlign's wolves. That it doesn't matter who knows just how worthless the MAlign views mundanes as a threat. They will crush the mundane galaxy under their uplifted heal.

That is truly not any sort of calculation. It is a foundational assumption and it is wrong.

It is not that you are incorrect, but I doubt the Dets will tell anyone their real feelings. Chances are, blame will be tossed wherever it can. After all, a lot of people on Mesa are now dead. Shadow groups can (and probably have been) be created and can get the blame.

Remember that the people on Darius may be slaves but they live very well. Some have said they don't even realize they are slaves.

The issue may come down to discussions between the assorted Dets in terms of the ways they want to go.

ldwechsler wrote:

PeterZ wrote:Indeed not a calculation but an assumption, a faulty assumption. The MAlign assumes their improved genotypes are sufficient to defeat the rest of the unuplifted galaxy. Beowulf was their statement to the galaxy of their disregard for the value they hold for mundane humanity and for the threat all those mundanes pose to their plans. By killing all those civilians in Beowulf, the MAlign is telling everyone they are nothing but sheep to the MAlign's wolves. That it doesn't matter who knows just how worthless the MAlign views mundanes as a threat. They will crush the mundane galaxy under their uplifted heal.

That is truly not any sort of calculation. It is a foundational assumption and it is wrong.

It is not that you are incorrect, but I doubt the Dets will tell anyone their real feelings. Chances are, blame will be tossed wherever it can. After all, a lot of people on Mesa are now dead. Shadow groups can (and probably have been) be created and can get the blame.

Remember that the people on Darius may be slaves but they live very well. Some have said they don't even realize they are slaves.

The issue may come down to discussions between the assorted Dets in terms of the ways they want to go.

No, the Dets won't explicitly state their opinions. They have expressed it in their actions.

The SLN attack on Beowulf was defeated with very little civilian harm. That was already established fact. The bombs went off well after the last SLN ship hype red out. They went off with a metronomic precision designed to let Beowulf's leadership know Alpha was going to blow and there would be nothing, NOTHING, anyone could do about it. The maliciousness of that calculation confirms just how little they regard the objects of their plans. They don't care how hard mundanes will work to prevent their ascendency. They don't care just how well they motivate the mundanes. Mundanes simply cannot be a threat in their worldview. There are a few outliers who must be watched, but there aren't enough of them to make a difference.

If they did see mundanes as a serious potential threat, they would never have been so blatant in their FU gesture against Beowulf. Attacking the moral champion of the Old Solarian League in such a hateful way is guaranteed to motivate deep seated hatred. So much hatred that all of the mundanes will never forget and never stop looking for the culprits. Heck, "Who nuked the Beowulf habitats" will rise to the top of the list of privately researched galactic mysteries. Sort of like who was DB Cooper?

And alongside the Yawata Strike, what happened at Beowulf will keep the war going. Neither Manticore or Beowulf are going to forget. However long it takes, Darius will be found and justice enacted.

What will be interesting is whether or not the MA will go to ground or if they will come up with new attacks.

Don

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n7axw wrote:And alongside the Yawata Strike, what happened at Beowulf will keep the war going. Neither Manticore or Beowulf are going to forget. However long it takes, Darius will be found and justice enacted.

What will be interesting is whether or not the MA will go to ground or if they will come up with new attacks.

Don

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Lots of low level random-seeming mayhem just to increase the feeling of uncertainty and fear.

What will be interesting is whether or not the MA will go to ground or if they will come up with new attacks.

Don

-[/quote]

Lots of low level random-seeming mayhem just to increase the feeling of uncertainty and fear.[/quote]

The only under ground the MA knows is a nuclear explosion

If You are betting on low level Random You have just lost control of Your OP & People

Nimitz

PeterZ wrote:The SLN attack on Beowulf was defeated with very little civilian harm. That was already established fact. The bombs went off well after the last SLN ship hype red out. They went off with a metronomic precision designed to let Beowulf's leadership know Alpha was going to blow and there would be nothing, NOTHING, anyone could do about it. The maliciousness of that calculation confirms just how little they regard the objects of their plans. They don't care how hard mundanes will work to prevent their ascendency. They don't care just how well they motivate the mundanes. Mundanes simply cannot be a threat in their worldview. There are a few outliers who must be watched, but there aren't enough of them to make a difference.

If they did see mundanes as a serious potential threat, they would never have been so blatant in their FU gesture against Beowulf. Attacking the moral champion of the Old Solarian League in such a hateful way is guaranteed to motivate deep seated hatred. So much hatred that all of the mundanes will never forget and never stop looking for the culprits. Heck, "Who nuked the Beowulf habitats" will rise to the top of the list of privately researched galactic mysteries. Sort of like who was DB Cooper?

Seconded. The nuking of the habitats ensured the GA will keep hunting them until the stars grow cold.

And they're going to fall. The RF knows of the wormhole even if they don't know Darius. Eventually the spies will find that.