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Are we to assume most of the dialog in the lower panel is being said by Beryl? Talon's grammar seems to have improved a bit since Alex's handshake.

CJSF

Small question: when a word is written in bold front, does that mean the speaker is punctuating it for emphasis?

raistlin34 wrote:Small question: when a word is written in bold front, does that mean the speaker is punctuating it for emphasis?

Seems to be a mix:
"Now that seems like our Stray. Must have followed us from Naam."

Unless Talon is emphasizing names for Alex' benefit.

Has it been explained, what the red icon to the right of Leido is?

raistlin34 wrote:Small question: when a word is written in bold front, does that mean the speaker is punctuating it for emphasis?

Usually, but it's also a convention to emphasize proper nouns.

ewaggin wrote:Has it been explained, what the red icon to the right of Leido is?

Those are system buoys.

Imagine you got someone from the 1830's and introduced them to a laptop PC, and they got the hang of it fast.

I think that's how she's feeling about Alex at this moment.

Roeben wrote:Imagine you got someone from the 1830's and introduced them to a laptop PC, and they got the hang of it fast.

I think that's how she's feeling about Alex at this moment.

It's probably not that bad. I'd say it's more similar to a Windows guy being sat in front of a Mac and asked to use it. At first, he'll be totally confused, but eventually starts to get the hang of it. Humanity is less advanced in terms of weapons power, drive technology etc., but general concepts such as computer consoles and space map displays are likely to be recognisably similar. After all, the Loroi also have ten fingers, eyes that presumably see the same colour range and broadly similar psychology.

Alex should be glad the Loroi computers aren't operated telepathically, that would be... awkward.

I imagine that Ada Lovelace (ca. 1842) would've been a quick study, if introduced to a modern computer.

Imagine a ship like during Columbus’ day filled with all men with no women present for months. To the point that the sailors start to hallucinate manatees as women (mermaids). Now imagine a woman comes on board. Regardless of attractiveness (she will seem more attractive), all the men will instinctively protect and dote on her and compete for her attention. Now imagine if more women come on board so the ratio is one:one. Now the focus diffuses and relations return to normal.
How long has it been since Beryl and Talon have seen a man? Months? Years? Ever?

I don’t think they have a serious crush on him. It’s just instinct. “There’s only one mate available. Protect! Acquire!”.

I hope instinctual Loroi aggression doesn’t come out.

At least now we know one of the reasons it was “unavoidable” that Alex be kept in confinement away from the crew during wartime. For morale reasons.

Of course this assumes that Loroi women are exactly like human men.

At least now we know one of the reasons it was “unavoidable” that Alex be kept in confinement away from the crew during wartime. For morale reasons.

Of course this assumes that Loroi women are exactly like human men.

I don't think that's a safe assumption.

I'm not sure where, if anywhere, the word 'unavoidable' was used to describe either of Alex's stints in prison, but if it was I would bet it was a polite way to not say "We couldn't talk Stillstorm out of it".

Siber wrote:I'm not sure where, if anywhere, the word 'unavoidable' was used to describe either of Alex's stints in prison, but if it was I would bet it was a polite way to not say "We couldn't talk Stillstorm out of it".

To me it rather sounds like a polite way of saying "You are our prisoner. You and your species pose a potential threat to us, a threat that we do not yet fully understand. We will take you to our HQ where our specialists will take you apart cell by cell. Understand that we can't allow you to wander around the ship and gather intel."

In broader terms, I wonder if Alex realizes, in just how much trouble he is with the Loroi, not just by being in one room with a sadistic counter-intelligence Colonel, who looks like she will especially enjoy extracting every last bit of intel from him when they get to their base, two trigger happy meathead marines with a psychopath Major with PTSD who hates his guts, and essentially a child who acts as if she has a crush on him

(speculation ON)

I think the point of the matter is that the Loroi, at least our "Admiral Badass" and the Gestapo colonel, realize that Humanity, being immune to telepathy, pose a significant threat to them if the Umiak get their hands on them and can figure out why this is. As far as they are concerned, with the massive Umiak invasion force about to roflstomp them, that has already happened and Humanity is allied with the Umiak and Alex is a spy.

Entity2636, all I can say is that I'm not sure you and I are reading the same comic.

Siber -> we most certainly are reading the same comic, could be I'm interpreting things differently, i.e. worse than they actually are and could be imagining stuff that isn't there

Well, less glibly, if the Loroi want to take Alex apart ASAP there's not going to be much story unless a new third party with completely unprecedented tech pops in to save him here shortly. There are no signs I'm aware of that Tempo is sadistic, there are no signs that the guards with him are trigger happy meatheads besides general stereotyping of infantry. There're no signs I'm aware of that Fireblade is psycho though she's almost certainly got PTSD, her thoughts on Alex are still a closed book and probably a complex one from some of her expressions. And Beryl has completed advanced education, served on the front line of a war(though I doubt she's seen face to face combat, ship to ship combat's still no picnic), and probably given birth. Calling her essentially a child just because she acts youthful is selling her rather short even if her chronological age ought to give Alex some pause.

So from my perspective you're not just assuming the worst, in some cases you are inventing the worst. Your final speculation probably does accurately describe some forces in the Loroi, and that will probably be a issue Alex has to contend with, but the rest of your inferences seem rather out there to me.

Yeah, that's the sort of thinking that leads to "we need to get them before they slaughter us", when the only thing they plan to slaughter is the lions that keep eating them.

Siber => OK, granted, I may be going a bit heavy on typical tropes and stereotypes when it comes to the main cast, but that is the impression I was getting when I read the comic and most of the Insider lore, including their character sheets. True, there is no concrete proof that Tempo is a sadist, but there's something about her and would make me feel uneasy. There is definitely more to her than we know, much more. Plus, you know, intelligence/counter-intelligence officers in general

Fireblade, on the other hand, is as straight forward as a ruler. She doesn't like Alex personally, not just professionally, she can't read him and from her point of view he's the enemy and she's waiting for the first smallest reason to kill him. That being said, she is a security officer on board the ship and it is her duty to seek out and address any potential threats.

As for Beryl, I don't think I'm selling her short, I'm selling her for what I see, how she behaves (she's the female lead of the story, "The Girl" trope), and read about her in her character sheet - charitable, impulsive, curious, easy to read, xenophilic (lol), and two hidden quirks. I know she is well educated and has a child, but for the Loroi that is something you just do or get terminated. Also, from all we know, this may be Beryl's first tour or her first real combat action. It was stated that most of Tempest's crew are noobs and Beryl is only a Lieutenant. I suppose I can understand her excitement - all the information she could get from studying Alex would surely make her to fall up the career ladder a couple of steps.

entity2636 wrote:
Fireblade, on the other hand, is as straight forward as a ruler. She doesn't like Alex personally, not just professionally, she can't read him and from her point of view he's the enemy and she's waiting for the first smallest reason to kill him. That being said, she is a security officer on board the ship and it is her duty to seek out and address any potential threats.

It's "funny", I see almost the opposite of this, in the way Arioch has drawn her expressions/body language. I think when we get to know more about her and she interacts more with Alex, we're going to have some surprises.

CJSF

For Tempo, I don't know any intel folks personally, and if judging by pop culture understanding of historical/real figures or by fiction I'd think only a very few are sadists. Hardened generally yes, prone to abusing power perhaps yes, but sadism is something separate and quite a leap.

For Fireblade, I'd suggest taking another look at pages 34 and 91 in particular, where Fireblade looks understanding and protective of him, respectively. If I had to distill them to single words, anyway.

For Beryl, matter of opinion I suppose.

Siber wrote:For Fireblade, I'd suggest taking another look at pages 34 and 91 in particular, where Fireblade looks understanding and protective of him, respectively. If I had to distill them to single words, anyway.

I just did. On page 34, top frame, her expression is that of authority and contempt, like one would expect from a security officer towards a prisoner/traitor/spy. Lower left frame is a neutral expression, idle, idle but at attention.

Fireblade's expressions on page 91, however, appear to not be related to Alex at all. Fourth frame - Fireblade is given an order by the Soroin, I guess, Commander, on behalf of Admiral Stillstorm, on who's personal sh!t list Fireblade is together with the rest of our 3 main Loroi heroes, to remove the alien from her bridge, have him locked up and key thrown away and that all of that YESTERDAY, probably followed by some threat or insult, likely along the lines of "NOW or I'll personally throw the three of you out the nearest airlock!" Her expression is a mental "YES, MA'AM!" followed by an angry frown towards the Commander.

I'm sorry, but I don't see any protective and understanding towards Alex, towards the safety of the ship and the Captain - of course, they are officers on a warship during a battle.

entity2636 wrote:I'm sorry, but I don't see any protective and understanding towards Alex, towards the safety of the ship and the Captain - of course, they are officers on a warship during a battle.

I'm thinking you like to look for the worst in expressions drawn in the comic.