Writing Prompts

[dragoongfa]

Finally, someone other than me putting in some input

[GrandAdmiralFox]

Finally, someone other than me putting in some input

The only reason that I'm not putting my prompts out is that I'm still working on quite a few mechanics on a personal setting that I've been working on.

Then again, the setting has (compared to the Outsider setting) 1) armor worth a damn, 2) shields worth a damn (including stuff that would be considered planetary shield systems, that is if the atmospheric interference problem gets fixed), 3) AGIs, augments, and uplifts out the wazoo (Homo Sapiens Sapiens is extinct by the 'present' of the setting which his 2440 AD in our calendar), 4) has an industrial capacity in it's 'present' that would outstrip everyone else (thanks to extensive automation and use of nanofabrication), 5) the setting has cracked a psudo-FTL drive (sure it only goes at 0.04c, but it is better than calculating the dV needed to cross the solar system and the time to get to the destination) and everyone has been working on a true FTL drive (with the faction dominated by Russia being the one that is pouring oodles of resources in their research due to reasons that will be told later), 6) has Babylon 5's Interceptor weapons, and 7) is considered outright ludicrous in terms of martial power (in 2440, 45% of the population of one faction is in the military... which adds up to 1,237,500,000 people and this faction only has an unemployment rate of 31%).

In weapons, my setting is more powerful, as the smallest anti-ship weapons tend to be double digit gigajoules as standard. For example, one of the smallest anti-ship lasers is a 5GJ/pulse laser (total output, 50GJ)... and if I read those tables in weapons right, that means that a 'light anti-ship gun' designed to kill only escorts has a rating of 50... for a good while with it going to 25 at 30Mm and can 'hit' targets all the way at 90Mm.

Oh, and the setting is one of constant warfare for centuries because international trade broke down and the UN got killed because of some nostalgic Russians constantly kneecapping it just so they can go back to the 'glory days of the USSR' and damn the consequences in doing so (the consequences being either 'make the denazification of Germany look like a picnic' and 'turn Russia into the new Carthage' being the least horrible fates planned by everyone thanks to just how bad the setting went being at the feet of Russian leaders) and all but one of the great powers don't want trade to be a thing again since conflict is so common (this one faction is the only one allowed to produce black-boxed terraforming tech because people used this sort of technology as weapons)...

... let's just say there is a lot to unpack before I get actually going with these prompts...

[silentstormpt]

Finally more parts to read! Thanks as always guys!

[Kelvandos]

i read thru all of these in a week.....

*insert gif* please sir may i have some more?

Seriously tho, people, you all are hella good writers. Nice job

[Werra]

Weren't there two gunboats at the end of last chapter?

[dragoongfa]

In Beacons?

16 Gunboats, getting retrofitted back to their military specifications.

[GrandAdmiralFox]

i read thru all of these in a week.....

*insert gif* please sir may i have some more?

Seriously tho, people, you all are hella good writers. Nice job

Well, I've been kind of trying to write something down but between how crazy the world went and my lack of a job kind of puts a damper on everything...

... although I could play with a few ideas here and there, those wouldn't be as good as basically introducing my setting to Outsider.

[GeoModder]

In Beacons?

16 Gunboats, getting retrofitted back to their military specifications.

I'm thinking he's asking about "Shout in the dark".
And yes, the Umiak destroyer in that setting has 2 gunboats with it.

[dragoongfa]

New Beacons are up, trying to get back into a writing mindset and I started with Beacons.

[Quickdraw101]

Just spent most of yesterday and all of today reading through the thread, and I absolutely love it! I can't wait to see more posted!

[entity2636]

New Beacons are up, trying to get back into a writing mindset and I started with Beacons.

Thank you very much for the next installment! I love Beacons and your and other co-authors' work so much!

[Krulle]

I can only, once again, add my agrrement to the previous posters.
Thank you!

[dragoongfa]

Some stuff that were left in the air but will be clarified in a later installment when I put things down:

SpoilerShow

All in all the poor fool that is Torret Shortleaf managed to piss off 3 distinct factions that work with different goals in mind:

1st: The 'Alex' faction. Pretty straightforward and extensively covered so far.

2nd: The 'Stillstorm' faction. Stillstorm is also pretty straightforward, she rightfully considers Shortleaf to be incompetent and unfit of her station. Finally having some power and the limited time to do something about it she unleashed the hounds on her.

3rd: The 'Shadow' faction which is the de facto 'status quo' faction. She doesn't hold any personal animosity towards Shortleaf but she has ample reason to make an example out of her. To put it short she needs to make it abundantly clear that Stillstorm is off limits to the 'rank and file' officers despite the still present distrust of the Imperial cabinet towards her. She is now a full flag officer, her rank and status demands respect, deference and obedience that is to be given to her without question; she is now too important to the fleet to allow small fish to nibble at her heels. She may still and always be in disfavor (unless something changes in regards to the Emperor's or Stillstorm's outlook towards each other) but military discipline alone demands full adherence to orders while there is also the fact of an in group bias for those who hold the rank she now holds; all the other Soshrets and even the various Tazites will not look kindly to any disrespect to one of their 'own'. Only the Emperor and the Diadem are to show displeasure towards them and maybe have them sidelined; everyone else better show proper military discipline and follow their orders or they will be on everyone's shit list.

Shadow in the case acted on her own with Duskcrown's implied blessing (which she would receive as a matter of fact for this case). She didn't coordinate things with Tempo or Stillstorm and the official punishment will come from her office alone, to give the implied message the necessary weight.

Shortleaf is lucky in a way, if the situation had escalated she would have ended on the firing line.

[GeoModder]

Talking about overkill!

[dragoongfa]

Talking about overkill!

SpoilerShow

It may look like it but this is the status quo looking out for itself and its own. The rank of Soshret is a full flag officer, it's prestige and political status demand respect and obedience. It has been tacitly implied in the 'Insider' via Sunfall (a now dead hero of the war) that those who reach this rank are military divas that 'parallel' our various divas of WW2; divas like Montgomery, Patton and Eisenhower who practically influenced the direction of the war effort by their influence and status. Those of lower rank would do well not to cross them even when said divas are at fault, they were protected even when they made otherwise catastrophic mistakes because they were too important to openly punish.

The Loroi take it a few steps further due to the very nature of their military organization as a caste based ranking system. The Torrai caste, especially the combat branch, takes care of its status; Stillstorm being against the Emperor due to her coming from the 'support' branch is par of the course. The Emperor putting the squeeze on Stillstorm and freezing her ascent despite her accomplishment in order to discourage dissent is also par of the course. The situation however changed; Duskcrown had two Soshrets under her command to lead the entire sector. Them dying at the same time is a major blow to the war effort and the only one who could be counted upon to properly take their place is Stillstorm; all the other surviving Lashrets didn't have anywhere near her experience, the abilities or personal gravitas to take the mantle so Duskcrown and Shadow decided to promote her because it was the only way to maintain their command in the junction both from a chain of command/authority and morale reasons.

Stillstorm is now a full Diva of the war effort, recognized by both the status quo and the rank and file. All the other Soshrets and the admiralty may see her as competition in their usual political games from now on but they will protect her as one of their own because they want to maintain their own status. A Torret willingly deciding not to properly service Stillstorm's flagship? Amidst this crisis that may as well decide the fate of the war itself?

Shortleaf foolishly thought that it would be business as usual because of the past treatment that Stillstorm universally received but as Shadow put it: She is senior enough in rank that knowing better should have come naturally to her. Shadow and by extent, the established status quo, need to make an example out of her in order to discourage anyone else who may not know better. Soshrets are off limits, only their equals and above can play games with them. Everyone else should shut up and obey.

[Errhile]

I guess the short translation would be

She our Torrai baby sister now, therefore only us Torrai are allowed to do nasty things to her!

if I get the gist of it?

[dragoongfa]

Not far from the truth; the truth is:

See this armor? This armor means that WE are in charge. It means that only the Emperor can stab us in the front and our backs are reserved only for each other's knives. You better not even look at one of us funny if you know what's good for you.

[sunphoenix]

'Snicker'... poor Shortleaf.. think she is going to be in traction for a while. But she won't have to worry about 'hair products' for some time!

[mwightman]

If Shortleaf manages to survive this ass-kicking will only be miraculous or Fireblade being ordered not to kill her even should she try to fall on her sword.

[Quickdraw101]

Shortleaf is so unbelievably screwed.