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Elite Forces?

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Elite Forces?
Post by Hiruu   » Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:26 pm

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Don’t know if the topic has been discussed before, but I’m not wondering why Merlin hasn’t instituted an elite force. I’m not just talking about Special Forces, but the beginning of a force design to confront what awakes in 30 years. With NEAT Tech implants, you’d be limited, but with some eugenics, conditioning, and training, you could establish he very elite force. Call them an imperial guard, to protect VIPs and the like…outfitted with mesh-weave uniforms, and higher crafted era weapons. You would need to initiate all of them, on a limited basis, but that’s what Nimue’s Cave could be. There are several ways to go about it…as for one, you could use orphans, since they lack any familiar attachments, i.e. nobody looking for them. You could also have a heavy screening process and recruit young people of military entry age. Personally, I think using Children offers a better prospect, as they are much more malleable. Start small…maybe with less than 30-40 recruits, and slowly grow to something in the 300-400 range. They could be both Secret Agents AND Elite Special forces. A cell like this could penetrate deep into Temple lands, for example. Merlin’s been on Safehold for at least 7 years…had he stated something like this 3-4 years ago, you could have had your first operatives active at this point.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Expert snuggler   » Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:36 pm

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If he does, the cover story for it is already in place.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Duckk   » Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:53 pm

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viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3545
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by SWM   » Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:22 pm

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Or see: "When is Merlin going to introduce the concept of Special Forces to Charis? (Asked Thu Nov 01, 2012)", in the FAQ at the top of this page.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Hiruu   » Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:54 am

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Thanks for the link guys...knew there must have been a discussion.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Expert snuggler   » Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:28 pm

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Walking into zones of murky ethics leads to interesting places.

Foster orphans in a seijin monastery, install NEATs in infancy, and program them so they can't tell anyone about riding in the assault shuttle.

That would be creepy.

It would create a capability to insert a significant force of augmented fighters anywhere outside the Temple itself in a matter of hours.

This would "prove" to the opposition that the underground seijin network was on every continent and able to field hundreds of seijins. They wouldn't even need TF weapons to be devastating. They'd have body armor and complete surprise.

Then, as Hiruu pointed out, they'd be kickass bodyguards. There's not enough of Merlin and Nimue to go around. There have been too many close calls. Imagine enough augmented personnel to provide 24/7 protection for the entire Inner Circle.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by n7axw   » Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:18 pm

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Expert snuggler wrote:Walking into zones of murky ethics leads to interesting places.

Foster orphans in a seijin monastery, install NEATs in infancy, and program them so they can't tell anyone about riding in the assault shuttle.

That would be creepy.

It would create a capability to insert a significant force of augmented fighters anywhere outside the Temple itself in a matter of hours.

This would "prove" to the opposition that the underground seijin network was on every continent and able to field hundreds of seijins. They wouldn't even need TF weapons to be devastating. They'd have body armor and complete surprise.

Then, as Hiruu pointed out, they'd be kickass bodyguards. There's not enough of Merlin and Nimue to go around. There have been too many close calls. Imagine enough augmented personnel to provide 24/7 protection for the entire Inner Circle.


Murky ethics and creepy are good ways to describe this.

Merlin, Nimue and others cannot claim to be standing in the light and representing the light if they do the works of the dark.

The true strength of what Merlin, Nimue and those working with them is moral strength, the claim that they are walking in the light and seeking to live that out as faithfully as possible.

Given that, they cannot afford creepy and murky ethics.

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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Expert snuggler   » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:42 pm

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Even if Merlin sells his soul to do something like that, there would be a large practical problem.

What would he do with the commandos at the end of the war?
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by Keith_w   » Sun Sep 06, 2015 8:31 am

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Expert snuggler wrote:Even if Merlin sells his soul to do something like that, there would be a large practical problem.

What would he do with the commandos at the end of the war?


My uncle (Sargent, 3 Troop, British Army Special Service AKA Commandos, participated in the Norway, Crete, and North Africa operations) post WWII left the British army for the 2nd time, got a job, got married and had kids. Probably Charisian commandos will do similar things.
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Re: Elite Forces?
Post by JeffEngel   » Sun Sep 06, 2015 8:44 am

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Keith_w wrote:
Expert snuggler wrote:Even if Merlin sells his soul to do something like that, there would be a large practical problem.

What would he do with the commandos at the end of the war?


My uncle (Sargent, 3 Troop, British Army Special Service AKA Commandos, participated in the Norway, Crete, and North Africa operations) post WWII left the British army for the 2nd time, got a job, got married and had kids. Probably Charisian commandos will do similar things.

The kind of conditioning, isolation, and indoctrination suggested in the original post doesn't leave these commandos with the background your uncle had for returning to civilian and family life. It reads much, much more like taking shocked, orphaned kids and making them living weapons rather than taking a young man and making him a soldier.
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