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Did the Federation truly fall?

This fascinating series is a combination of historical seafaring, swashbuckling adventure, and high technological science-fiction. Join us in a discussion!
Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by Arol   » Sat Jun 14, 2014 7:23 am

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Direwolf18 wrote:... or throw in a curve ball.

That would be my bet! ;) :twisted:
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by Earldrygulch   » Sat Jun 14, 2014 10:10 am

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Direwolf18 wrote:Well yea clearly SWM. That is why I consider it to be a pipe dream. That being said its possible things could have happened to change what everyone KNEW was going to happen. Merlin/Nimue/Whatever has spent the entire series so sure of herself...himself...itself...whatever... and the fact that Nimue clearly died during operation Breakaway, and the Terran Federation not to shortly after.



There was no death scene, therefore what we have is a presumption of the end and a not vey strong one at that. Allowing for authorial dictates, of course. (Yes, I am a lawyer. This kind of thing is raw meat thrown in front of a law school professor - after you've been nailed to the wall in a class of sixty or so, you learn carefulness.)



I would just find it highly entertaining that Merlin would discover that the previous assumptions were dead wrong. I enjoy that kinda thing, I'm told that makes me childish and immature. ::shrugs::


Science 'makes a living' testing assumptions.



.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by colfaxstation   » Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:00 am

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It seems like A LOT of people seem to assume that Nimue was killed. Nothing written says that. The final scene with the Earth fleet says something to the effect that one Gbaba scout escaped, but two fleets are sighted.

What if:
All the data thats been alluded to (in the Wilson artifact and under the Temple) was a dump of last minute Earth research into some type of wormhole/time displacement discovery that needed refining. Safehold becomes the construction point for anautomated fleet, using PICA constructs for manning.
It was intimated that it was a close run fight against the Gbaba. If it was one Gbaba fleet and one SAFEHOLD fleet there at the end. Nimue gets to meet Merlin and Nimue.
This would be just the twist that would delight RFC.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by SWM   » Mon Jun 16, 2014 1:30 pm

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colfaxstation wrote:It seems like A LOT of people seem to assume that Nimue was killed. Nothing written says that. The final scene with the Earth fleet says something to the effect that one Gbaba scout escaped, but two fleets are sighted.

What if:
All the data thats been alluded to (in the Wilson artifact and under the Temple) was a dump of last minute Earth research into some type of wormhole/time displacement discovery that needed refining. Safehold becomes the construction point for anautomated fleet, using PICA constructs for manning.
It was intimated that it was a close run fight against the Gbaba. If it was one Gbaba fleet and one SAFEHOLD fleet there at the end. Nimue gets to meet Merlin and Nimue.
This would be just the twist that would delight RFC.

No, David doesn't pull stunts like that without foreshadowing.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by colfaxstation   » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:08 pm

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But that's my point. There are bread crumbs out there that 'something' happened that wasn't expected. The Terran fleet only expected one Gbaba fleet. There was a comment about the other. And there has been a lot of speculation by the characters as to what all the additional data covers.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by DrakBibliophile   » Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:03 pm

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Sorry, while the scene in OAR does indicate that two fleets are heading for the Project Ark fleet, Admiral Pei Kau-zhi didn't seem too surprised at that.

Quote from OAR

"Well," he observed almost whimsically. "At least they cared enough to send the very best, didn't they?"

End Quote

For that matter, the impression that I got was that CIC was sure that both fleets were Gbaba.

If David Weber had intended that one of the fleets wasn't Gbaba, then IMO there would have been some comment that CIC wasn't sure about the second fleet.

As for the speculation about "what stored in the Key", while we don't know what's on it, we need more information to support a "way out" idea like yours (no offense intended). :)

colfaxstation wrote:But that's my point. There are bread crumbs out there that 'something' happened that wasn't expected. The Terran fleet only expected one Gbaba fleet. There was a comment about the other. And there has been a lot of speculation by the characters as to what all the additional data covers.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by Starsaber   » Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:56 pm

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Direwolf18 wrote:Plus, hey, if RFC really does skip the whole Gbaba arc because he wants to retire, he could write the epilogue where the Safeholdian Federation (or whatever its called) is marshaling its forces to go Gbaba hunting, or throw in a curve ball.


I'm perfectly fine with skipping the Gbaba arc without something like that. To me, the Gbaba were just backstory explaining how the Church was set up and the true history of humanity was lost, not something that has to be wrapped up by the end of the story.
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by MWadwell   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:24 am

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colfaxstation wrote:It seems like A LOT of people seem to assume that Nimue was killed. Nothing written says that. The final scene with the Earth fleet says something to the effect that one Gbaba scout escaped, but two fleets are sighted.

What if:
All the data thats been alluded to (in the Wilson artifact and under the Temple) was a dump of last minute Earth research into some type of wormhole/time displacement discovery that needed refining. Safehold becomes the construction point for anautomated fleet, using PICA constructs for manning.
It was intimated that it was a close run fight against the Gbaba. If it was one Gbaba fleet and one SAFEHOLD fleet there at the end. Nimue gets to meet Merlin and Nimue.
This would be just the twist that would delight RFC.


Well, as that was nearly a thousand years ago, wouldn't the Federation have gotten in touch with Safehold by now (even if it was just with Merlin???)
.

Later,
Matt
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Re: Did the Federation truly fall?
Post by n7axw   » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:46 am

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MWadwell wrote:
colfaxstation wrote:It seems like A LOT of people seem to assume that Nimue was killed. Nothing written says that. The final scene with the Earth fleet says something to the effect that one Gbaba scout escaped, but two fleets are sighted.

What if:
All the data thats been alluded to (in the Wilson artifact and under the Temple) was a dump of last minute Earth research into some type of wormhole/time displacement discovery that needed refining. Safehold becomes the construction point for anautomated fleet, using PICA constructs for manning.
It was intimated that it was a close run fight against the Gbaba. If it was one Gbaba fleet and one SAFEHOLD fleet there at the end. Nimue gets to meet Merlin and Nimue.
This would be just the twist that would delight RFC.


Well, as that was nearly a thousand years ago, wouldn't the Federation have gotten in touch with Safehold by now (even if it was just with Merlin???)


Hi Matt,

I agree. The Federation is gone.

I admit I would like to see the story arc confronting the Gbabba. Not only does the situation explain how Safehold came to be as it is, the confrontation is a long term goal for Merlin/Nimue and I would like to have the tale of how it is reached told. I think RFC does intend to tell it, iirc.

Don

Ps. Maybe he will please RoseandHeather with some sizzling shipboard romance! :lol:
When any group seeks political power in God's name, both religion and politics are instantly corrupted.
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