Who will die

i believe that the MA did get their hands on a couple of cats some time ago (i'm sure i saw a mention somewhere) but they died very quickly (probably all the bad mind glows) despite their efforts to keep them comfy/useful while they tried to find out how their abilities worked

[/quote]

Bioweapons against Treecats is difficult!

If I remember correct. the Mesans try to get some Treecats, but the Rangers stop them every time. So, the Mesans don´t have Treecat DNA for an really deadly Bioweapon. The only thing that would work would be the big Hammer! A Bioweapon with a big bandwide, a planet killer.[/quote]


Insane! Right now the League is going kaput. The Mesalliance, not Mesans anymore since they've sort of been shattered by nukes, wants the GA to win. They want to see the League in pieces. The treecats are at most to them a minor nuisance.

They want the League to screw up bigtime. A REAL attack by Sollie ships on a few planets will do immense damage, far more than a secret attack. If those planets are represented in the Assembly, there will be screams. If the Mandarins threaten, the damage to them will just be greater.

If the Mesalliance really wants mischief they can do a sneak attack on the Terran infrastructure just as they did to Manticore. That could be the end of the current mandarins.

I would have to say that if there were anyone who would get killed it would someone like Mike Henke. She's senior enough that she would probably not be vital in the next arc and we do care about her.

filbert wrote:Protector Benjamin isn't getting any younger. Seems to me that RFC has telegraphed his coming demise in previous books.

I wouldn't be surprised if one or more of the Shadow of Saganami young'uns meets their maker:
"Oh, wow, uh, gee, David, you created me and all but why did you have to make my death so tragic?"
"It's what I do. Welcome to Novel Character Valhalla. Don't mind the bagpipes."

Abigail? Paolo?

Actually RFC has stated that Mesa had one treecat and
hence DNA. I even think there is textev.

TangoLima wrote:Actually RFC has stated that Mesa had one treecat and
hence DNA. I even think there is textev.

But again, why bother? As far as anyone there knows, they are basically intelligent pets. The only one that seemed to have played a role was Nimitz.

Mesa is collapsing. Actually, based on Shadow of Victory it has been more or less destroyed.

There are so many other things to do than worry about treecats.

ldwechsler wrote:

TangoLima wrote:Actually RFC has stated that Mesa had one treecat and
hence DNA. I even think there is textev.

But again, why bother? As far as anyone there knows, they are basically intelligent pets. The only one that seemed to have played a role was Nimitz.

Mesa is collapsing. Actually, based on Shadow of Victory it has been more or less destroyed.

There are so many other things to do than worry about treecats.

Mesa was always the disposable shell. The Onion has slipped away to Darius aka parts unknown to the GA.

ldwechsler wrote:

TangoLima wrote:Actually

But again, why bother? As far as anyone there knows, they are basically intelligent pets. The only one that seemed to have played a role was Nimitz.

Mesa is collapsing. Actually, based on Shadow of Victory it has been more or less destroyed.

There are so many other things to do than worry about treecats.

Mesa was always the disposable shell. The Onion has slipped away to Darius aka parts unknown to the GA.[/quote]

The issue may be, based on the last snippet released, that the Detweilers decide they want some revenge immediately and thereby give clues as to their existence.

ldwechsler wrote:[humbly snipped for brevity]
The issue may be, based on the last snippet released, that the Detweilers decide they want some revenge immediately and thereby give clues as to their existence.

That leaves Jaques Benton-Ramirez y Chou, Honor, herself, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Eloise Pritchard [with apologies in advance to R&H] and several treecats on the endangered species list. Honor at the top to avenge the foiled attempt earlier with her flag lieutenant.

pappilon wrote:

ldwechsler wrote:[humbly snipped for brevity]
The issue may be, based on the last snippet released, that the Detweilers decide they want some revenge immediately and thereby give clues as to their existence.

That leaves Jaques Benton-Ramirez y Chou, Honor, herself, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Eloise Pritchard [with apologies in advance to R&H] and several treecats on the endangered species list. Honor at the top to avenge the foiled attempt earlier with her flag lieutenant.

Most of the people mentioned are too well protected. They are on planets that are well-defended. We are seeing the collapse of the League.

More likely an unnatural death (remember that Benjamin is aging) would be far likelier on a warship. And it makes more sense in the long run for a death of someone older because the young ones are the seed corn for the next arc. Abigail, Helen, Paolo, etc. would be captains when Raoul starts his career and would help anchor the first book. A captain like Scotty would be an admiral. But some of the older leaders would be retired and not in the picture.

Of, course RFC likes to play games with expectations.

ldwechsler wrote:

ldwechsler wrote:[humbly snipped for brevity]
The issue may be, based on the last snippet released, that the Detweilers decide they want some revenge immediately and thereby give clues as to their existence.

Most of the people mentioned are too well protected. They are on planets that are well-defended. We are seeing the collapse of the League.

More likely an unnatural death (remember that Benjamin is aging) would be far likelier on a warship. And it makes more sense in the long run for a death of someone older because the young ones are the seed corn for the next arc. Abigail, Helen, Paolo, etc. would be captains when Raoul starts his career and would help anchor the first book. A captain like Scotty would be an admiral. But some of the older leaders would be retired and not in the picture.

Of, course RFC likes to play games with expectations.

Just one word: Weaponized nanotech. Think the 600# cousin of the suicide nanite. Easy [translate undetectable] to slip into any system past any guards and drop into anybody's food supply. Textev Rampajet eats nano laced yogurt.

Oh yeah and it screams "Black Victor was right, we jumped Mesa and are alive and doing well." Yet gets no one no closer to where the stinkin' fleein' rats landed.