An out of order snippet: Significant spoiler

n7axw wrote:I find myself wondering if she brought along a detail for gathering up the household guard and control of the prison rather than magicly appearing in Black Horse's sitting room like Merlin did for Thirsk.

Don

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I doubt it. That's what Captain Zhohannsyn is expected to do. All Nimue needs to do is to walk out with either Black Horse's head or is healthy and surrendered person. I doubt the troops would spare a moment to do anything besides trying to disappear before there ARE enough soldiers or marines to take them into custody.

Nimue walks out with Black Horse telling all the household guards to lay down their arms and either disappear or await soldiers to arrest them.

If Black Horse pushes things, Nimue walks out with his head and tells the household guard the same thing.

She then orders the artillery crews to stand down. All they can do is die if they resist. With Black Horse dead or surrendered, their rebellion has been defeated.

That ought to put a real wet blanket on ANY further rebellions. Regardless of well planned they may be, all Their Imperial Majesties need to do is send in one of their seijins to either kill or capture the ring leaders. Gorjah of Tarrot already knows and thoroughly understands that gambit. Corisande and Emerald are secure as all get out. Once Chisholm is relieved of their more recalcitrant aristocracy, the Empire is well and truly secure.

It's time to import escaped Desnarian slaves to develop Silverlode. I can just see Irys developing an under ground railroad from Desnair to Delfaharahk. Give her aunt and uncle an opportunity to do the right thing for a change. I am sure Hektor will foot the bill to pay per freed slave to both the Delferahkan crown and individual ship captains who arrive at the appropriate ports in Silverlode. I would think that some traffic would come from the Gulf of Jahras but without an allied controlled port on its Desnairian coast, the volume may be limited.

I can see how the Southern Harchong merchants would be more than happy to traffic in escaped slaves. Keep them in warehouses and Dohlaran ships pick them up for delivery to Charisian controlled islands.

I would love to see that subplot be developed during the hiatus between story arcs.

Off with his head...

But she is a *creative* young woman.

She should make him a foot shorter...sidewise. Cut him in two from (with apologies to the 13 clocks) guggle to zatch.

Regarding doing it by herself, I'm pretty sure she can!

She'll get there first, and privately, and "appear." When she emerges, either with Black Rock or his head, all she needs to do is get the "arrested" imperial artillerymen released, and she'd have all the manpower she needs until other troops show up.

runsforcelery teased

"... messy and there probably won’t be a great deal left of Maryksberg when the smoke clears.”

Ah, Mary-k-berg. Does the city have a cosmetics industry? Does the place have a generally pink color scheme?

-- Bob G

edited...

runsforcelery wrote:Your mother warned you about wicked people who offer snippets for free!



snip

My mother is much too saintly to even conceive of such people existing. Fortunately for her health I don't reveal to her that I hang out with those characters, and worse, thank them for it!

There is obviously no question but what Nimue could handle the situation walking in alone. The point might be that if she walked in with an army detail she might be able to do so without shedding quite as much blood sinse the threat represented by the guard would be more recognizable than having a woman walk in alone and apparently unsupported.

Don

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runsforcelery wrote:Y
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“Now, I realize the Army invested quite a few marks in emplacing modern artillery to protect your waterfront. I also realize that one of the very first things you did as your part in your treasonous conspiracy was to place the Army gun crews under arrest and replace them with men loyal to you. So, I suppose it’s possible you’ll be foolish enough to attempt to prevent Captain Zohannsyn from carrying out his orders. If you do, I’m afraid things will get very . . . messy and there probably won’t be a great deal left of Maryksberg when the smoke clears.”

Her calm tone never wavered, but those unearthly blue eyes — eyes exactly like the ones Black Horse had seen looking out of Merlin Athrawes’ face — were hard and cold.

“I’m a simple woman at heart, Your Grace,” she told him, “and I really don’t like messy solutions to problems. So I thought I’d just come ahead of Captain Zohannsyn and take this opportunity to avoid one here. You see, my instructions from Her Majesty are to take you into custody for treason, and I’m sure she’d prefer for me to arrest you unharmed. But she didn’t specifically say that, and I’m equally sure she’ll forgive me if that turns out to be impossible. So it occurred to me that one way to prevent you from ordering the batteries to open fire and getting quite a lot of your own subjects killed would be to remove your head before you do.”

Steel whispered, and Black Horse swallowed convulsively as the curved blade gleamed under his study’s lamps. The katana was rocksteady in her slim hand, and she raised one eyebrow.

“Are you going to make it necessary for me to disappoint Her Majesty, Your Grace?”

Well, that certainly puts an end to all of the concern about the plotting aristocracy in Chisholm.

Apparently, they finally got enough rope to hang themselves.

Agreed. However, there is the mystical factor to consider. By this time EVERYONE has heard of the seijin's serving the Ahrmahk dynasty. Having a woman seijin walking in alone and confronting the ringleaders (in this case Black Horse) emphasizes the extraordinary capabilities Their Majesties have at their disposal. I am sure most people have come to believe all the stories about seijin being bruited about. THAT should completely deter resistance to a seijin wanting to accomplish something peacefully rather than....messily. Which would deter armed rebellion quite handily. I suspect that the lives saved in the future is worth the risk of an aristocratic idiot right now, eh?

A seijin come to arrest a rebel ringleader all alone and succeeding is quite the deterrent. A little, ity, bity woman seijin doing the arresting will just add to the story.

n7axw wrote:There is obviously no question but what Nimue could handle the situation walking in alone. The point might be that if she walked in with an army detail she might be able to do so without shedding quite as much blood sinse the threat represented by the guard would be more recognizable than having a woman walk in alone and apparently unsupported.

Don

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SNIP
(emphasis mine)

PeterZ wrote:A seijin come to arrest a rebel ringleader all alone and succeeding is quite the deterrent. A little, ity, bity woman seijin doing the arresting will just add to the story.

So when I read this, why do Merlin's words come to my mind (as I have a smirk on my face): "If any of them - any of the rest of them, I mean - were inclined to pull that 'I'm really a major and you're just a miserable little captain' crap with her, they sure as hell won't do it now, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they've gotten past the 'she's just a wooooman' stage where she's concerned, too."

One little beheading can change everyone's opinion of you... just like THAT...

Recall that THIS seiijin is a mistress of unarmed combat. She'll humiliate the guards by taking them out without using weapons. Many broken limbs and shattered egos, but likely no lives lost. I suspect she will shoot anyone trying to use firearms.

That would be quite the deterrent!

WeberFan wrote:SNIP
(emphasis mine)

PeterZ wrote:A seijin come to arrest a rebel ringleader all alone and succeeding is quite the deterrent. A little, ity, bity woman seijin doing the arresting will just add to the story.

So when I read this, why do Merlin's words come to my mind (as I have a smirk on my face): "If any of them - any of the rest of them, I mean - were inclined to pull that 'I'm really a major and you're just a miserable little captain' crap with her, they sure as hell won't do it now, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they've gotten past the 'she's just a wooooman' stage where she's concerned, too."

One little beheading can change everyone's opinion of you... just like THAT...