This page last updated Thu Dec 18 17:09:31 EST 2003 .
Eva's notes on the neogitations:
2780.137:
Interesting representatives to the Committee Plot include (in addition
to the five of us-- Eva, Jim, Katya, Kith, & Mr. V'Dalari):
Pica Friedling (Crux Defender party)
Jaheris Dieth (Crux Cooperative Front party)
Illene (Crux Good Neighbors party)
Helene Chrysarid (Red envoy)
Jason and Lina Gardner (representatives of the Blue envoy)
Lord Dinar (representative of the Vertaki Expeditionary Force)
Grandmother Yarris (Outworlds alliance)
Cmdr Millicen Graf (Bastion Fleet Command)
Phoenix (Inopportune Moment)
Gavin (Navigator Control)
Lt. Justin Cooper (with Lord Dinar)
Jirri MacAllen (Spartan Skald, on duty watching for psi in use)
The first group is seated around a big conference table; everyone else
is an observer, somewhat back from the table. Being an observer means
that you have to get permission to talk instead of getting to
interrupt and pound the table like the main representatives can, but
permission is generally granted.
The initial positions are essentially as follows. For simplicity, the
summaries are written extra-bluntly, with somewhat exaggerated tone;
assume that everyone speaking is in fact polite and makes many
successes of persuasion.
Red: We provided a fleet to our good and dear friends the
Outworlds in their time of trouble. This fleet was not a
gift, but a loan. Once our own people came under threat
from the evil and treacherous Blue invasion, we asked for
the return of the fleet. That it was "lost" was a great
tragedy for both the outworlds and our own people, for it
might well lead to our own fall that we sought to aid our
friends. Now that it is no longer lost, we damn well want
it back. We do not accept that it is the property of the
Outworlds now, and we trust that our *friends* the
Outworlders will return it to those who lent it to them.
Or else.
General
outworlds: We are very sympathetic to the plight of our friends the
Reds. But, *technically*, it's not us who has the ships,
it's the Vertaki, who aren't part of our alliance yet, and
who weren't party to any of the initial negotiations
between us and the Reds. We will certainly attempt to
arrange to have the ships and crew returned as soon as
that is feasible. However, at the moment, the Red
Hegemony is fighting to avoid conquest, while the
outworlds are fighting to avoid OUTRIGHT GENOCIDE. We
kinda think the latter is more important.
Vertaki: Would the Reds like us to put the fleet back where we
found it? I think not. We *also* think that the
threatened genocide of our entire race by the Tarn is more
pressing, at the moment, than a squabble between the
feuding houses of the inworlds. However, we are not
unreasonable people, and are open to discussion that does
not include stripping the Vertak and the outworlds of
their most desparately needed defense.
Blue: We are shocked, shocked I tell you, to hear that the Reds
want to prematurely take back the support they have given
to the outworlds against an enemy that, as my esteemed
colleagues have said, wishes to kill every last one of
them. We're not asking for *our* support back. And you
know, we wanted to send ships to assist, but Red wouldn't
permit it. If they stopped... being a problem... then
we'd send a lot of our fleet to help the outworlds too.
Inopportune
Moment: Now is the time to go and get the Tarn in the staging
area! They're vulnerable! This is the opportune moment
we've been waiting for, it's time to seize it!
*Whoever's* fleet they are, they have to be in on the
plan.
The conference will last several days, during which time there is
opportunity for both public statements and private conference as the
NPCs pursue their mechanic. Those who wish to publically weigh in,
offer general suggestions, use sneaky tactics to affect the
negotiations, or talk to people privately have ample opportunity to do
so.
More negotiations...
2780.160:
The various factions have been discussing and negotiating amongst
themselves for a while now. (Jayla is now involved.)
The arrival of Elmer **TRICONIAN** and Dmitri has distrupted things
somewhat and some old ground needs to be rehashed; Dmitri in
particular is at present rather poor at rational compromise. On the
other hand, he lends a great deal of emotional weight to the "Go get
the Tarn fleet" side.
The proposal currently being hammered at is:
A strike against the Tarn staging area is put together. This will
involve the remnants of the Outworlds fleet, the Goldliners, and what
used to be the Red fleet, under the command of the Vertaki Expeditionary
Force. A number of "munition-level mages" will be sent to the Red
Hegemony as quickly as possible ("expedited by the Hippocrates" is the
hope), as the Outworlds' assistance to their allies the Reds, since
combat telepaths are useless against the Tarn. After victory over the
Tarn has been ensured, the Reds will get some portion of their fleet
back.
The exact details of the above (including whether to do it at all,
though it's at least the front-runner as far as plans go) are still
under discussion; again, if the PCs have things that they'd like to
throw into the mix, suggestions they'd like to make, new possibilities
they'd like the committee to consider, or directions they want to push
in, let us know. Especially let us know about the "expedited by the
Hippocrates" part, whether that's acceptable, and if you'd like to ask
for something in return.
Faction dissatisfactions with the above, simplified:
General outworlds:
We'd like more military power in our own hands; our fleet took a lot
of damage. We're worried about our friendship with Blue if we
support Red in the inworlds war. We're worried about our friendship
with Red because we're keeping their ships and not recompensing them
highly enough.
Vertaki:
We'd rather not give the Reds any of the ships back. We're worried
that we're going to take all of the damage in the above plan, and
once we're mostly dead, we're worried that people will try and take
more advantage of us.
Red:
We don't really count on mages to be that useful in fleet combat.
We want our ships! And what do you mean, "some portion" of the
fleet back? We want all of the ships, they're *our* ships.
Blue:
We don't think the Hippocrates should be taking sides and delivering
munitions to our enemies. And we think the Vertaki should get to
keep all the ships. They did rescue them, after all.
Elmer, Dmitri, and the Inopportune Moment are all pretty much
satisfied with the plan as described.
I'm a little leery of expediting the telepaths back. Janzur's flat out against. Hippocrates believes that as members of the Outworld Alliance, we can still do it and be legally neutral; politics and public perceptions are another matter. He's willing unless we judge these other factors make our doing this hinder our primary mission.