Siber wrote:There is a potential additional option. That option being that the farseeing is being jammed, and the Umiak have noticed this fact by watching the presumably unusual Loroi actions in this system, but the Umiak themselves are not responsible. Thus by lying Kliktik potentially scares useful information out of the Loroi, and at the same time sows disinformation in the Loroi ranks, making them potentially fear a threat that in actuality doesn't exist, or at least doesn't in the form they believe it does. Even that aside, by telling the Loroi that he's jamming their farseeing when he isn't, he could potentially shake loose some information on what is really going on, and that could be valuable information indeed.
No, it doesn't seem like he leaned much in the exchange, but that doesn't mean it was foolish to try.
Cunning, yes, but if hes bluffing about being the cause of the jamming he over played his hand with the notion of major fleets pressing on Azimol. If command receives a report of this dialogue without a concurrent invasion and they will be forced to assume Tiky was grasping here, not just about the fleets but about the jamming as well.
I do like the notion that maybe this is all a ploy on his part to figure out if the Loroi farseers are jammed by some unknown force for the same reason I think everyone else would like to think so, it means the Loroi aren't screwed. Or that everyone is equally screwed by the bigger badder guy turning the space nazis and commies into instant hippies (just add humans!). But, from a narrative stand point, I can easily see the Loroi being offered up as a sacrifice to the gods of drama. I keep remembering reading somewhere that Ellen was supposed to be tethered to Alex, and found lifeless when he comes to floating in space, but that was dropped as being too dark. Knowing it was entertained seriously makes me think Arioch is perfectly capable of putting together a very dark narrative, but discerning enough to leave out the parts that might make folks squeamish. Makes it difficult to know which way hes going to take the story
Or maybe it is only a war of extermination from one side's point of view (the xenocidial one).
Which would be... neither? I mean, neither side has set out to kill everyone but themselves, just anyone strong enough to resist them. Ok you can make an argument for the Umiak given that they work their subjects to death, but they do that to themselves too. Or maybe... genocidal...? Sure, but then, both? Each has a history of expunging others who stand in their way.