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nweismuller posted:A persistent story amongst the officers of House Weiss holds that the unquiet spirit of King Emmanuel Goodman haunts the old House Goodman command center, now a secondary command hub for the House Weiss fleet. Tales of unexplained bloodstains remain unverified by House Weiss itself. Look, I'm not saying I believe in Goodman's ghost and I'm not saying that I don't, but if we play The Birth every week in the mess cinema then he might be placated by the homage to his, uh, grandiose bombast and air of natural majesty. We'll just say it's important historical viewing for the new cadets.
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Aug 1, 2023 17:26
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Let's not forget his secret, second family with two sons named Feyd and Rabban.
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Aug 1, 2023 19:36
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Xlorp posted:Let's not forget his secret, second family with two sons named Feyd and Rabban. Just remember, Paul was a Harkonnen on his mother's side... I'm also not sure how closely House Weiss fits the model of House Atreides, all things considered. House Atreides was noted for the excellence of its military forces as well as its trustworthiness. I'm not sure 'military excellence' is really the defining trait of House Weiss.
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Aug 1, 2023 19:42
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nweismuller posted:Just remember, Paul was a Harkonnen on his mother's side... I'm also not sure how closely House Weiss fits the model of House Atreides, all things considered. House Atreides was noted for the excellence of its military forces as well as its trustworthiness. I'm not sure 'military excellence' is really the defining trait of House Weiss. Having lots of money and men is perhaps the best kind of martial excellence.
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Aug 1, 2023 21:29
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wiegieman posted:Having lots of money and men is perhaps the best kind of martial excellence. Cicero, Fifth Philippic posted:The sinews of war are infinite money.
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Aug 1, 2023 22:48
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wiegieman posted:Having lots of money and men is perhaps the best kind of martial excellence. "Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics."
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Aug 2, 2023 06:32
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General Revil posted:"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics." Which is why the fact that the support logistics for long-range deployments have fallen apart since the Collapse has rendered modern military forces so much less formidable. Without the ability to support the long-range heavy vessels that were the backbone of the League of Starfaring Nations' military might, modern fleets are short-ranged collections of local patrol and defense forces.
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Aug 2, 2023 11:54
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nweismuller posted:Which is why the fact that the support logistics for long-range deployments have fallen apart since the Collapse has rendered modern military forces so much less formidable. Without the ability to support the long-range heavy vessels that were the backbone of the League of Starfaring Nations' military might, modern fleets are short-ranged collections of local patrol and defense forces. So basically whenever someone figures out how to do industrial scale production of lasers/missiles and the supply infrastructure to get them to the front lines in large quantities, they'll totally dominate the sector.
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Aug 2, 2023 22:55
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wedgekree posted:So basically whenever someone figures out how to do industrial scale production of lasers/missiles and the supply infrastructure to get them to the front lines in large quantities, they'll totally dominate the sector. It's the ability to effectively support large, long-range ships that we no longer really have, and the supply chain for sending out individual wings of interceptors and bombers and the occasional frigate is awkward compared to the old cruisers and carriers that were the mainstay of power projection.
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Aug 3, 2023 02:31
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I'm returning from a week of catsitting away from my computer later today. I'll try to push out an update soon- most likely Wednesday or Thursday, since I have other obligations that will cut into writing time Monday and Tuesday. Sorry for the delays, there's just been an amazing pile of interruptions including two separate full weeks away from home, lately. But at this point everything should be squared away.
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Aug 6, 2023 15:31
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The Foresight of Doctor K By the middle of 2530, House Weiss, following a plan devised by Executive Director Thomas Weiss, temporarily raised the tax assessments for vassal Houses. With this increased revenue, it was hoped that a payment sufficient to purchase Saiph from the Cervantes Alliance could be made.   Following a year of work supervised by Rebecca Weiss, the plastics manufacturing station discovered in the lost colony at Sadalbari was finally placed into orbit around Vega, having been handed off through a series of towing shuttles through multiple warp lane transitions. Rebecca Weiss was promptly appointed as the project manager overseeing repairs to the station, hopefully to restore the ancient factory to full operation. It was anticipated that the supply of plastics, in addition to the profits anticipated from its operations, would greatly ease much of the maintenance and upkeep at Vega, supplying everything from synthetic fabrics to wiring insulation much more cheaply and reliably than before.  In the latter half of 2530, Phyllis Simpson, duchess of the Simpson Alliance and archon of the Simpson League, threw a great feast in honor of her sister, Lael. As ruler of a neighboring league of great power, Director-General Jane Weiss received an invitation to the festivities, attending alongside Director-Consort Mariko Weiss, Executive Director Thomas Weiss, Commissioner Oriole Weiss, and Admiral Carmen Weiss.  In the traditional pre-feast tournament, Oriole was appointed as champion for House Weiss. In the tournament itself, Oriole flew with daring and skill, overcoming each challenger and taking the honor of being the champion of the tournament, returning to the congratulations of her husband and the remainder of the Weiss party at the feast.  Following the feast, during the traditional ball of such a celebration, Phyllis Simpson urged that her guests proceed into a freighter whose cargo hold had been converted into a ballroom, each guest collecting a fanciful mask for the ball. The freighter initially set out under thrust, providing gravity for the ballroom, but, unexpectedly, the thrust was ordered cut, leaving the guests to drift and whirl in zero-g as the freighter coasted on a ballistic trajectory. Laughter erupted across the ballroom as guests adjusted to the unexpected novelty, playing and tumbling in free-fall. For a brief time, the gathered lords and ladies at the celebration were, in heart, children again. The general consensus of the guests, as they returned to the main colony and prepared to set back off for their own colonies, was that this feast and celebration was a very fine one, and not one to be soon forgotten.    Although House Weiss's efforts to ensure order across the league had helped cut down on local rebellions, nonetheless disputes over claims still simmered in some places, a truth which was demonstrated all too clearly when Lady Isabelle Lynn launched a revolt against Colonial Director Afton Stevenson, whose line had only gained rulership of Salm following the the Weiss Guild's destruction of the rebellious Floyd Collective ten years ago. With the assistance of House Weiss ensuring reinforcements from neighboring colonies, the revolt was easily crushed, although whether the matter would remain settled was an open question.  Near the end of 2530, King Gustave Porter reached an agreement with the Lamb Clan to surrender his claim to rule an independent state as part of the Weiss Guild, finally resolving the rift brought about after the rebellion of Hyadum from the Lamb Clan twelve years previously. With this, the Weiss League was reduced to only three member states, the smallest number of member states since the admission of the Lamb Clan to the league in 2512. Both the White Federation and the Lamb Clan had gained in territory and in prosperity since their initial admission to the league and had owed only modest amounts of tax, a state of affairs which made it at least credible that their membership in the league had been on balance a benefit to them.  Negotiations near the end of the year with the Cervantes Alliance seeking a purchase of Saiph proved fruitless. Although a significant sum of money and materials had been gathered in the hopes of arranging a payment, it was nonetheless insufficient to sway Duke Jabilo Cervantes.   As these negotiations were ongoing, the Security department at Alsciaukat revealed its discovery that Baron Natori Lamb of Tseen had murdered Lyn Novak, a member of a minor House at Tseen, favored by a local populist movement to take the throne of Tseen. With this revelation, Baron Errol Patton was petitioned for justice by one of Lyn's kin, passing this petition to Director-General Jane Weiss. Upon receiving this petition, Jane forwarded it to Queen Shannen McGee of the Lamb Clan, who was in a position to directly deliver justice upon Baron Natori.  Allen and Vanida Weiss had petitioned over the course of 2530 for permission to try for a second child, but were denied by Director-General Jane Weiss, who was concerned about House Weiss growing beyond its capacity to support. With 28 nobles already living as part of House Weiss, it was the largest House in the colonies by a notable margin, and was only able to be supported comfortably due to the very healthy revenues House Weiss was collecting.  The efforts of House Weiss Administration to continue to restore the prosperity and functionality of the League's colonies continued with the completed restoration of laboratory facilities in Beta Librae shortly after the beginning of 2531, assisting the local Technology department with medical efforts, the monitoring of crop conditions, and testing of ancient equipment to puzzle out faults and functionality. Although House Weiss believed that, with the laboratory restored and the Technology department of House Fardell expanded to properly staff the facilities, future hydroponic crop failures at Beta Librae could be prevented, it proved that their efforts were not timely enough to prevent an outbreak of famine at Beta Librae just as the laboratory was being completed. Although colony operations were not seriously threatened by the starvation deaths, with enough population remaining to keep the colony operating smoothly, nonetheless it was a terrible tragedy, and one that increased the pressure of anger and unrest within the colony. Even with House Weiss peacekeepers deployed to help maintain order, there was a surge of protests and vandalism in Beta Librae, a situation that might ultimately end in violence if not properly managed.  House Weiss was, by no means, the only House working to build the prosperity of the colonies of the league, and the first half of 2531 saw a historic milestone with the restoration of a major electronics factory in Pulcherrima to full operational status- the first such facility restored to operation in the whole of the Weiss League. Up until this point, replacement electronic components for the vast number of electronic systems used in modern life had only been able to be supplied- at significant expense- by small local workshops and artisans. A single major factory would not, necessarily, supply the whole vast territory of the league, but nonetheless represented a major milestone in making supply of electronics within the Weiss League more readily available and affordable.  Although, by this time, the bulk of the minor Houses of Vega had migrated to other colonies, rewarded with the rule of those colonies as House Weiss seized them in war or deposed rebellious rulers, Houses Noble and O'Neal remained native to Vega. Director-Consort Mariko Weiss tendered a full report on the attitudes of Houses Noble and O'Neal in early 2531, indicating that Diplomacy's efforts to address local concerns and the routine round of social engagements with local nobility had served their purpose- the local Houses of Vega that remained, far from believing themselves slighted, exhibited a remarkable loyalty to House Weiss and its Director-General. Given the rather ruthless reputations of both Sir Lathrop Noble and Sir Sutton O'Neal, this was, perhaps, reassuring.   Saiph, that fragile colony which was the current subject of Weiss Guild expansionist ambitions, suffered a revolt in early 2531 spearheaded by Sir Devin Roth against Baron Abie Cervantes, a relative of the ruling House Cervantes of the Cervantes Alliance. Although Abie Cervantes petitioned Director-General Jane Weiss for aid, she refused to become involved. Abie Cervantes had sufficiently alienated nearby rulers that both Sigma Draconis and Algorab offered aid to the rebels, who soon overthrew Abie Cervantes and installed Devin Roth as the new baron of Saiph. Fortunately, the colony at Saiph did not suffer severe damage in the fighting- it was already hovering dangerously close to a cascading life support failure as things stood.  The Cervantes Alliance, for its part, had been preparing for a remarkable realignment, with the Simpson League agreeing to transfer the membership of the Cervantes Alliance over to the Gilmore League. In a pen-stroke, the border at Algorab and Saiph, formerly peaceful, joined with the war against the Weiss League.     Vanida Weiss, who had been in Sigma Draconis to attempt to build intelligence networks for Security, and Lucy Weiss, who had been heading a diplomatic mission to Baron Rad Hunt of Algorab, were now considered agents of a hostile power within the Cervantes Alliance. Local Security forces swiftly arrested both Weiss nobles, who were then sent off to the Gilmore League seat at the McCoy Dominion's home colony of Albali.   A wave of infections by a disease marked by blistering skin and high fevers, meanwhile, left both Jayne Garcia and Adam Weiss nearly incapacitated for several months. Although both recovered swiftly, the concerns over their health while two members of House Weiss languished in captivity weighed on the hearts of many in the House.  Lucy Weiss, for her part, gave birth to her and Harold's first child, Flint, while imprisoned at Albali. What would have been a joyous occasion was gripped with uncertainty, under the circumstances, although Duke Tumo Calderon of the McCoy Dominion at least took care to ensure the proper care for Lucy and her child.  Under the stress of the times and after decades of marriage, Director-Consort Mariko Weiss's long-standing romance with Jane cooled. Jane, whose own feelings towards her wife remained strong, suffered a momentary panic that she could be losing her beloved wife. This panic, however, was ultimately to be replaced by a resolution to act.   Mercifully for the House, Director-General Jane Weiss was able to appeal to Admiral Carmen Weiss and Geraldine Weiss to de-escalate the feud that threatened to pull House Weiss's Military department apart. Although Geraldine still resented the Admiral, who was, at this point, considered a generally disagreeable presence by essentially every single other member of House Weiss, nonetheless some degree of professionalism returned to the relationship between the two highest members of House Weiss's Military department.  When Baron Mihaly Ferrell of Beta Eridani approached Director-General Jane Weiss for justice against the ruler of Delta Pavonis, there was little that could be done at the moment. With an active war in progress, Duke Landon Garrett of the Garrett Confederation could not be charged to deliver justice, and the inaccessibility of Delta Pavonis from the Weiss Guild limited direct options. For now, action would need to wait until the war concluded. When you're charged to deliver justice against a vassal of a state you're at war with, the usual time limit of a year to do something is delayed until the war is over, as your standard option of passing on the charge is unavailable.    In the rebellion at Saiph, House Weiss Diplomacy saw an opportunity, with Baron Devin Roth's loyalties to the Cervantes Alliance still unconfirmed. Diplomacy approached Devin Roth with an offer to purchase his allegiance, which was eventually negotiated to one hundred sixty thousand marks of money and materials. Saiph was withdrawn from the Cervantes Alliance, joining with the Weiss Guild. Given the groundwork that House Weiss Diplomacy had made to establish a claim for the Weiss Guild's rulership of Saiph and the lack of any credible claim by the Cervantes Alliance, this was even accomplished without any negative impact on the Director-General's reputation.   With Algorab now entirely isolated from the Cervantes Alliance, Baron Rad Hunt found himself with little alternative but to break from the Cervantes Alliance and join with the Weiss Guild, having his earlier defection from the Weiss Guild forgiven as a condition of his pledge of loyalty. This was nearly Rad Hunt's last act as baron, as he died of age and infirmities at the age of 61 within half a year, leaving his daughter, Olathe Hunt, as new baroness of Algorab.      During the course of these negotiations, House Weiss was rocked by an unexpected tragedy. Executive Director Thomas Weiss was struck by an untimely heart attack during a family dinner at Vega, collapsing into the soup course. Despite the efforts of Jane Weiss and House Weiss Technology to save Thomas' life, he was soon pronounced dead on the scene, at only fifty-four years of age, a loss which rocked the whole House.   His daughter Rebecca, in addition to becoming the next heir to the Directorship-General of the Weiss Guild, was soon identified as the most qualified member of Administration remaining, and was granted the position of Executive Director for the Weiss Guild. She, her husband Ilario, and their daughter Salome were recalled to full-time residency at Vega, and she took over the guardianship of her sister Emily's son Liberty, with Thomas no longer able to continue serving as guardian. The House mourned at the loss of Thomas, who had been well-liked amongst all his kin. Even his nephew Malachi, who had harbored ambitions of taking the Executive Directorship, found himself mourning Thomas and respecting Rebecca, despite himself.  With Saiph brought into the Weiss Guild, Director-General Jane Weiss ordered that House Weiss's taxes upon its vassals be reduced to their customary levels. It had long been the Director-General's position that the Weiss Guild's light taxation helping cement loyalty of its vassals was an important contributor to the stability of the guild and of the league, and- with the major diplomatic effort to purchase Saiph successful- she sought to ensure taxes were returned to normal before too much damage was done to the loyalty of House Weiss's vassals.   The early part of 2531 also brought somewhat puzzling news from further afield. Dallon Werner, duke of the Werner Dominion and archon of the Werner League, threatened war against the Cervantes Alliance unless the Cervantes Alliance prosecuted a war against the Herring Union to enforce the claim of Dallon's brother to rule Decrux, capital of the Herring Union. Duke Jabilo Cervantes of the Cervantes Alliance agreed to prosecute this war, and, by the midpoint of 2531, the Cervantes Alliance was not only part of the Gilmore League's war against the Weiss Guild, but stood in a state of war against one of the member states of the Werner League. It seemed unlikely that the Cervantes Alliance would be able to fight its way to Decrux, and- if they did- it would come at the cost of a significant portion of the territory of the Werner League. House Weiss Diplomacy suspected that more was going on beneath the surface than was apparent, but what exactly lay behind this remained a mystery.   By the latter half of 2531, Rebecca Weiss had completed the restoration of the plastics manufacturing station now in Vega, helping provide a steady stream of plastic materials and components, even more abundant than the output from the more generalised chemical industries found in some colonies. One of the first effects seen was cheaper clothing for the serfs of Vega, with standard synthetic fabrics now cheaper than ever- along, of course, with a steady revenue stream for House Weiss from its operation of this manufacturing plant. Many other facilities across multiple colonies in the Weiss League finished restoration at approximately the same time, the fruits of the labor of other Houses and their people, and a sign of slowly-advancing prosperity. Not least amongst these restored facilities was a factory for machine parts, plating, ducting, and other metal components at Tegmen, helping supply other colonies with vital equipment needed to maintain and repair themselves.   The latter half of 2531 surprised Director-General Jane Weiss with a demand for justice for a well-known incident twenty years gone. A feast held by Dembhe Shannon in 2511 ended in tragedy with the catastrophic failure of a bulkhead window in the feasting chamber. Although most guests- including Jane herself- survived thanks to the rapid response of House Shannon Security to evacuate the feasting chamber and perform emergency patching, Admiral Zoltan Lindsey of House Lindsey was sucked out into space. The gross negligence of Executive Coligny Shannon, the head of House Shannon Administration and the organiser of the feast, was, in general perception, tantamount to murder. Still, when a request for justice for this murder was passed along by Acting Baroness Kai Lindsey of Alhena, the Director-General was shocked. Although this was certainly a severe crime that demanded justice, Jane had honestly believed that any petitions for justice had been long since settled. This, evidently, was not the case. Jane, naturally, passed on the petition for justice to Coligny's sister, Coordinator Lilli Shannon of the Shannon Collective. This was, ultimately, the best that Jane could do, and she trusted that Lilli would attend to the charge. At the very least, Lilli's reputation would suffer from the dishonor of leaving so infamous a criminal unpunished, should Lilli ultimately do nothing.   Although maintaining pets was direly expensive in the colonies, nonetheless a breeding population of dogs remained in Dubhe, passionately conserved by one of the minor Houses of the distant seat of the Calderon Guild, occasionally sold to travelling traders to be carried across the colonies. Keir Weiss, who had been heading the embassy to Coordinator Lilli Shannon, observed Lilli's purchase of a guard dog from a trader who had managed to bring it across nearly the whole of inhabited space, and Lilli's rapid disillusionment with an animal constantly seeking her attention. Keir soon ascertained that Lilli was willing to sell the dog for fifteen thousand marks- far less than she had initially paid for it- and was not particularly picky about who bought it. Keir, for his part, had rapidly grown fond of the dog, and requested that Jane purchase the dog for him. Jane agreed to this request, providing Keir with a loyal and affectionate guard animal. Lilli was simply satisfied that Keir, not she, was caring for the beast, and that his 'excessively slobbery affection' was now focused primarily on the House Weiss diplomat.  Duchess Kinipela Kennedy of the Todd Planets approached Director-General Jane Weiss in the latter part of 2531, seeking to have the newly-widowed Oriole Weiss be married off to her young nephew Jarrett Kennedy. Jane, who had learned that Oriole had begun to conceive an interest in somebody else following Thomas' death, refused this request, preparing to arrange a marriage with Oriole's preferred husband.    The latter part of 2531 also brought about the untimely death of Duke Jabilo Cervantes, who was succeeded by his son Zbiginiew Wang- so-called because he had been married off into the ruling House of the Wang Confederation, and was still married to Baroness Fondea Wang, even after Fondea resigned her archonship of the Wang League and dissolved the Wang Confederation into the Calderon Guild. As Jabilo Cervantes had been widely detested and resented by his own subjects, his death led to spontaneous celebrations across the colonies of the Cervantes Alliance. Jabilo was so unpopular that his death actually helps reduce unrest for a while across the Cervantes Alliance, in the honeymoon period while the people convince themselves there's no possible way their new duke could be worse.   Although the ongoing diplomatic mission to the court of Duke Tumo Calderon of the McCoy Dominion had, thus far, failed to produce the peace settlement that Director-General Jane Weiss helped for, nonetheless the efforts to keep lines of communication open and respectful even during the war bore fruit, when Tumo Calderon released Vanida and Lucy from their imprisonment for nothing but goodwill. They were welcomed home joyously, before once again being set to work for the good of House Weiss.   Routine review of the colony at Saiph after it was brought into the Weiss Guild soon uncovered that, although the colony was in very poor shape, it had some stocks of the needed carbon fiber feedstock for the nanoweave printer discovered in Vega in 2520. Although Baron Devin Roth had only a vague concept of the purpose of this carbon fiber, he rapidly determined that it was valuable to House Weiss, and held out for a payment of sixty thousand marks in order to surrender it, on top of the payment that had already been made to secure his loyalty. Jane willingly agreed, and soon the carbon fiber was on its way to Vega.   Rather than layering the nanoweave thus created into a protective suit, with enough thickness and cushioning to provide effective defense against gunfire, Jane rather decided that the silvery-gray, incredibly tough cloth would be made into four sets of distinctive robes, light, comfortable, and essentially impossible to wear out, serving as the centerpieces of new outfits. Soon Jane, Ilario, Carmen, and Noelle Garcia possessed sets of silver-gray robes that could not be replicated by any envious nobles- gifts that were fine boosts to the reputations of all four. I always thought that the people gifted nanoweave robes was essentially random, until, while discussing this with Ilario's player, I checked in the events and saw there is an ordering algorithm... which appears to have been bugged. The chosen recipients are ordered by their opinion of the House head. Given that almost everybody in the House has a 100 opinion of Jane, this looks like randomness. I suspect the intended ordering is the House head's opinion of House members, which would have made the recipients of the robes Jane's three favorite people in the House- Mariko, Rebecca, and Lucy, with Prudence a close fourth after Lucy. It seemed strange when the House member that Jane actually dislikes was one of the recipients. I can, fortunately, edit the expedition so that, in future games, the ordering that makes sense is used, and I've reported this as a bug to Glen.  Juliet Lindsey, duchess of the Lindsey Coalition and archon of the Lindsey League, had been accumulating a great store of treasure indeed over the years, which she put to use when she made a payment of four hundred fourty thousand marks to Mara Farrell, archon of the Anderson League, in exchange for control of the O'Neal Coalition, which comprised over half of the Anderson League's territory. All at once, the Lindsey League more than doubled the number of colonies under its control, and leaped from being considered a relatively minor league to one of the important leagues of the colonies. Mara Farrell, for her part, plotted on how she would make use of this great windfall.   Before the end of 2531, work by House Weiss's Technology department to refine the sensor systems of House vessels paid off when Jane, on a state visit to Nashira, detected the subtle signs of a concealed facility on an obscure moon, thought to be empty and uninhabited. Baron Morrison Perry denied knowledge of any facility on this moon when asked, raising the question of whether this was a secret of his or a remnant of ancient times. When Jane returned with Prudence, a team of officers from Technology, and a Security team to safeguard them, it became clear that the facility was a warehouse packed with advanced computer equipment powered by a small fission reactor, abandoned for centuries, along with an interface helmet near a central workstation- eerily similar to another facility House Weiss had discovered in Albireo in 2518.   Investigation of documentation files at the central workstation soon uncovered project notes by the same 'Doctor K' responsible for the facility at Albireo, bemoaning that it had taken fully 12 years to launch the simulation of the five human brains sampled for the project here- the facility was an earlier effort by 'Doctor K' to upload minds to a computer system. Doctor K's offhand statement that the League of Starfaring Nations was only a few years from civil war, and fearing the NovaCorp's risky approach to science might 'destroy us all', seemed oddly prescient, given the mysterious destruction of Earth and the ensuing chaos of the Collapse which were now matters of established history.   Jane interfaced with the system, experiencing a cycle through the simulation from the perspective of one of the five hosted minds- Rush Whitmer, an agent of the Interstellar Authority, who had been told he was being placed into a training simulation for riot control, but one he had repeated countless times. Whitmer had long since lost track of how many times he had put down the same revolt at a missile base, sustained only by his memories of his family and their pet goose. Whitmer had already been a talented fighter and tactician before being trapped in the simulation, but after centuries of repeated exercises, his familiarity with every aspect of close combat, squad tactics, demolitions, and peacekeeping was nigh-preternatural- and, being privy to Whitmer's thoughts, Jane was able to learn a great deal. Once awakened from the simulation, Jane saw that already the system was beginning to destabilise- and it was obvious that the five people within had been imprisoned in tiny 'worlds' for centuries. Rather than risk further interface with the system, Jane instead ordered that Prudence begin the shutdown procedure, breaking the simulation cycles. In the end, the data was erased from the servers, but not before leaving a message from the simulated minds thanking those who shut down the system from freeing them from the endless lie they had been living. The servers themselves proved to be in excellent condition, top of the line computing equipment from before the Collapse beyond anything of modern craftsmanship and beyond all but the rarest surviving computer equipment across the colonies. They were carefully shipped out to Vega and put to use in House Weiss datacenters, where they provided quicker processing for the data of the colony than anything previously used. Best of all, Technology guessed that these computers, if properly cared for, might well survive decades or centuries more, given how well-preserved they were when discovered.    Ever since the cooling of the romance between Mariko and Jane, Jane had been seeking for ways to rekindle her wife's admiration for her. In early 2532, she found an opportunity as Mariko began to take up ground-effect bike racing, a hobby Noelle and Oriole had already long shared. Through Noelle's friendship with Mariko, he persuaded her to take up the thrilling and dangerous hobby of flying very small craft a very short distance off the ground on moons or planets with suitable gravity and atmospheric pressure. Jane quickly joined Mariko in racing the tiny craft across one of the small, dusty planets of the Vega system, bonding with her wife over the shared experiences.   It was not long after that that other members of House Weiss and officers in their service frequently found the two kissing happily or walking the colony corridors with their hands clasped- a veritable second honeymoon. Although this was, perhaps, slightly undignified, it was also something it would be difficult to hold against the Director-General and her wife.  Less happy was the petition issued shortly after the beginning of 2532 for the Director-General to relieve Carmen from her position as Admiral, delivered by Colonial Director Judith Fardell of Beta Librae, Mariko's niece and Geraldine's sister. Carmen was not only generally disliked in House Weiss itself, but had earned the decided dislike of multiple vassals of House Weiss, who wished to see her removed. Jane, despite having no particular love for her stepmother, refused to relieve her of the position she had been granted, disappointing several vassals.  Happier news was Anna- Thomas and Oriole's youngest daughter- and her clearly developing friendship with her niece Salome. Although a gap of six years separated the 14-year-old Anna and the 8-year-old Salome, the two shared any number of games and gossip, seeming more like sisters than aunt and niece.  After seventeen years of independence for the Ferrell Clan, the split between the Garrett Confederation and the Ferrell Clan was finally mended after House Garrett paid Duchess Talen Gallegos of the Ferrell Clan nearly half a million marks in money and supplies to dissolve the Ferrell Clan and rejoin the Garrett Confederation. Born from a revolt against the Garrett Confederation by the ruling Cherie Ferrell of Phecda, the Ferrell Clan finally peacefully rejoined the Garrett Confederation under Cherie's daughter Talen Gallegos, who resumed her position simply as baroness of Phecda.   While, in the Gilmore League, old divisions were being set aside, a fresh revolt was sparked in the Lindsey League when Archon Juliet Lindsey demanded that the Roach Colonies surrender control of Wei to the Lindsey Coalition. As Wei was the home colony of Duke Hayden Roach, this would have meant the end of the Roach Colonies as an independent state and reduced Hayden to a baron. Rather than submit to this, Hayden launched a revolt, although the dangerously depleted fleets across the Roach Colonies left him in a distinctly vulnerable position. Whether the Roach Colonies would survive as a state- or if Hayden would even retain the rule of Wei- remained to be seen. Although Director-General Jane Weiss tended to dislike Hayden Roach, she nonetheless held out some hope his state would endure, given Hayden's position as husband to Jane's sister Jessica.  The request for justice for the murder of Lyn Novak by Baron Natori Lamb was ultimately denied by the Lamb Clan, with a statement that this was the just punishment for the Weiss Guild's annexation of Rotanev. Director-General Jane Weiss was forced to confess that this was a legitimate retaliation, although she held out hope that Lyn Novak's kin might find some other way to achieve justice for her blood.  House Weiss Diplomacy attempted to negotiate an end to the war with the Gilmore League in early 2532, but were ultimately rebuffed. Although relations were about as positive as two leagues at war could manage, nonetheless Tumo Calderon believed that simply forgiving the action against the Gilmore League was unacceptable. With the border between Saiph and Sigma Draconis close enough that active military operations might be expected, it could potentially be quite some time until the war was resolved.  Back in Vega, the early part of the year saw Oriole marry Noelle Garcia, making Noelle a member of House Weiss by marriage as well as by adoption. It soon became clear that Oriole was decidedly charmed by the younger man, who was the one she had requested permission to marry of Jane. Although Noelle's feelings were distinctly cooler, he liked Oriole well enough, and, at least, was happy enough to be married again after his time as a widower.   Allen and Vanida petitioned once again for permission to try for a second child in early 2532, which Jane granted. Following Thomas' death, and anticipating that Carmen was also approaching the end of her life, Jane judged that House Weiss once again had the safety margin for another member.  Baroness Fondea Wang had recently passed away at the age of 66, and the recently-crowned Duke Zbiginiew Wang of the Cervantes Alliance, only 25 years old, thereafter sought a younger wife who might be able to bear him an heir. This wife came in the form of Jaclyn Patton, a young noble who had left Rotanev and House Patton three years ago when she reached her majority, instead joining her admired great-uncle Baron Neely Clay in the colony of Nusakan in the Garrett Confederation. Jaclyn was less than thrilled about this marriage, finding Zbiginiew obnoxious, unreliable, and abrasive, but- from the standpoint of the Cervantes Alliance- it seemed likely to guarantee the succession of the state. The Weiss Guild and Weiss League, early 2532   Rebecca Weiss, although not quite a match for Thomas' abilities, nonetheless has been able to maintain Administration's operations nearly as well as her predecessor, while House Weiss's Military operations have grown remarkably more efficient. Security has suffered, however, while Oriole recovers from her mourning at the death of her long-time beloved husband.  The servers that once hosted Doctor K's experiment in mind uploading at Nashira, repurposed for the use of House Weiss, allow for quick and accurate access to the archives. Technology has taken steps to carefully preserve this precious asset, which is expected to serve House Weiss for a long time to come. Another permanent modifier for our House strengthens our position. Our permanent modifiers are now Bean Counters, from House generation, Strategic Secrets, from the Galileo Institute data vault, Interstellar Authority Corps, from Bella Garcia's training program, General AI, from Polly, and the new Advanced Pre-Collapse Servers.  Although Director-General Jane Weiss still misses her brother, she has had some time to move on and apply herself to her duties for House Weiss and the Weiss Guild. Her continued studies and the insights gleaned from her exposure to Rush Whitmer's thought process have helped her become a very qualified military leader. She does not match the excellence the finest military nobles of House Weiss have achieved, but nonetheless she would be readily accepted as a fleet commodore or colonel of peacekeepers in essentially any House in the colonies. She is, in fact, generally considered remarkably accomplished in every aspect of rulership save for security and intrigue, which her native honesty notably impairs. She has continued to do her best to impart her knowledge to Salome, for Salome's eventual succession to the Directorship-General.  Executive Director Rebecca Weiss has smoothly moved in to take on her father's duties, a task at which she has proved well-suited. If not quite the administrator Thomas was, nonetheless she has a grasp of administrative matters matched by few in the colonies, slowly improving with practise. Her tutoring under Ilario has slowly helped her progress in scientific and technical matters, although her military and- particularly- security skills remain less than perfect for somebody directly in the line of succession. She has taken over the education of her nephew Liberty Weiss- who, within the next two years, should reach his majority and be ready for recruitment into Administration. In addition to her duties as Executive Director, Rebecca has been remotely managing a project group restoring a shuttle factory at Saiph to operation.. She is happy and energetic, ready to tackle the challenges of her position with a will.  Despite Jane's defense of Admiral Carmen Weiss's position, Jane does not like Carmen- in fact, essentially the whole of the House dislikes the creaking, greedy, fickle head of Military. Jane was guided by her obligation to the Council, rather than personal feelings. Carmen, for her part, reciprocates with loyalty as absolute as she can give to her Director-General. Under Carmen's leadership over the past two years, Military's efficiency has been remarkable, while Carmen has overseen a peacekeeper deployment under a peacekeeper major at Marfik, helping to settle the unrest at that colony. Her ward Adam should reach his majority within a year.  Director-Consort Mariko Weiss has continued to oversee a Diplomacy department of great efficiency, helping to stabilise relations with neighbors. Diplomacy can also take credit for the territorial expansion of the Weiss Guild over the past two years, with Saiph and Algorab drawn into the Guild by bribery and negotiation. Her romance with Jane has been renewed and her long friendship with Noelle remains strong, not least due to a shared interest in ground-effect bike piloting. She has continued to oversee a diplomatic mission to Albali which has kept lines of communication open, even through the war, while she has taken on the duty of education of Allen and Vanida's young son George.  Commissioner Oriole Weiss, although slower to recover from the shock of her husband's death than anybody else in the House, nonetheless has been delighted by her marriage to Noelle, which has seemed to revitalise her. Security's efficiency, which had been flagging somewhat, seems likely to pick up in the near future. She continues to ensure that special guard is maintained on the Director-General, for, although Jane is very well-liked, it only takes one angry House to slip an assassin into a colony. Under Prudence's guidance, her military skills have continued to increase, leaving her very formidable indeed in the tournament. Her daughter and ward, Anna, should reach her majority within two years, upon which point Anna is planned to marry Jayne Garcia.  Technology Director Prudence Weiss oversees a Technology department of immense efficiency, as she has for many years, only aided by the new computer equipment House Weiss has access to. She has, by now, recovered from the shock of her brother's death, and works for the future of the House. Her ward, Anthony, Emily's son, still has a number of years to go until his majority, while Prudence has thus far continued to help find references on piloting and tactics for Oriole, in the hopes of ensuring future tournament victories for Oriole.  Romeo Weiss's older sister Devon Kelley is now 65 years old, making it seem likely that Romeo could inherit the colonial directorship of Ross 128 at any moment. He has contentedly maintained his long-standing posting at Pulcherrima, overseeing shipping logistics and taxation there to ensure improved revenues for House Weiss. He nearly matches Rebecca in skill as an administrator, but nonetheless Rebecca better merited the position.  Ilario Weiss has been happy enough to settle permanently at Vega with his wife Rebecca, continuing to oversee her scientific education. Although he cannot help having eyes for Jane, he nonetheless is very happy in his marriage to Rebecca and continues to hope to provide her a second child.  Noelle, now Noelle Weiss, has been drawn even closer into House Weiss's kinship with his marriage to Oriole. Although not as charmed by Oriole as she is by him, he nonetheless has a solid friendship with his wife and finds the marriage pleasant enough. His work as chief investigator at Vega has gone relatively routinely over the past years, helping solve the low background level of crime that never truly goes away, even in a colony so peaceful as Vega.  Malachi Weiss, although disappointed that he was passed over for the Executive Directorship, is, objectively, the least qualified of the three remaining nobles in Administration for the position. This does not, by any means, make him unskilled as an administrator- he is rather quite notable in his skills. He has recently been set to start the restoration of the most intact section of the great ring station in Miaplacidus, hopefully to allow a significant increase in living space at the colony.  The outbreak of famine and the ferment of political unrest at Beta Librae have ended any thought of Leslie Weiss's redeployment from the colony. He instead continues to serve as a colonel of peacekeepers there, desperately trying to keep a lid on the situation with every ounce of his considerable abilities as a peacekeeper.  Geraldine Weiss, the evident next choice for Admiral once Carmen's frail health finally gives out, has been deployed as a colonel of peacekeepers to bring the situation at Algorab under control once it was brought into the Weiss Guild. She and Malachi continue to share a deep love with each other, although they can normally only occasionally meet at visits back to Vega.  Harold Weiss remains rather unskilled as a military officer, but has honed his abilities helping to keep control of the situation at Saiph- a relatively simple task compared to the situations at Beta Librae or Algorab. He and Lucy's new son, Flint, is now a year old, the youngest member of House Weiss.  Young Lucy Weiss remains a promising but inexperienced diplomat, well in love with her husband Harold. She was set to ensure firm relations with Baron Devin Roth of Saiph, until his loyalty has been assured. At this point, it seems likely that her diplomatic skills will be redirected elsewhere.   Keir Weiss is delighted with his new dog, a shaggy brown beast he has given the traditional name of Dalmatian. Although Dalmatian is capable of being fierce when he feels he or his master or threatened, his normal behavior is more insistently affectionate and prone to excessive licking. Many people consider Dalmatian a creature best taken in small doses. The fact that Keir continues to lead the diplomatic mission to Lilli Shannon at Zubenelgenubi has been somewhat dismaying to Lilli, primarily because it means she still has to see the dog. Despite this, his diplomatic efforts remain a success, helping keep that border secure.  Vanida Weiss has once again begun overseeing the creation of an intelligence network at Sigma Draconis, this time at a distance and working through remote agents. Although this slows her work, it avoids her being arrested in enemy territory. She and her husband Allen once again are trying for a second child.  Allen Weiss has been tasked with helping provide simulators and references so Geraldine can develop her tactical and strategic skills, a task which he has set himself to with a will, which has carried him to Algorab. He is a skilled, if not immensely remarkable, young member of Technology.  Emily Weiss, brilliant technologist that she is, has been entrusted with the primary responsibility of the Director-General's training as a military leader. Jane's sudden improvement in abilities from her time inside Rush Whitmer's head has meant Emily has made much more progress than she anticipated. She and Leslie Weiss remain devotedly in love, even if their chances to stay together are limited.  Not only the Lindsey League, but also the Anderson League, has fractured into civil war, while border wars between vassals of the Werner League and Gilmore League and the Lindsey League and Shannon League disturb the peace. Much of the Weiss League has slowly been growing more prosperous and stable, but the three newly-gained colonies on the border remain trouble spots for the largest state and largest league of the colonies. The past two years have been marked by any number of difficulties for House Weiss, but the House has largely rallied and risen above its challenges. The House now hosts ten minor children, ranging from Jayne Garcia and Adam Weiss, 15 years old and nearly at their majority, to Flint Weiss, only one year old. With the discovery of the facility at Nashira, more evidence of the mysterious 'Doctor K' and their pre-Collapse efforts to upload fully functional and intelligent human minds into simulation have been found, raising many questions- although whether those questions will ever be answered seems unlikely. God willing, the Weiss Guild will continue to enjoy success, helping to bring prosperity and peace to its people.
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Aug 13, 2023 16:24
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Sorry this took so long- as noted, there were an incredible number of interruptions in real life, and it took several days to write everything up once I got started on Thursday. I should have individual reports out for people in a few hours- I need to rush out of the house soon, but will be back in two and a half hours and should be able to get those out relatively quickly once I'm home. E: OK, reports should be out. If you have further questions, ask- this applies particularly to Diplomacy, who may well have reason to check up on specific people. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Aug 13, 2023 |
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Aug 13, 2023 16:26
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Audio Diary of Malachi Weiss posted:While losing the executive directorship to my cousin is a minor setback, it's a temporary one at worst. If anything, it just gives me more time to secure my power base before my rightful ascension. It seems that Rebecca isn't yet ready to make any big changes to uncle's priorities, and has directed the department to stay the course for the time being. Understandable, as her skills as an administrator can't compare to her father's. Not that I'm complaining. I managed to skim quite a few marks during that period of elevated taxation.
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Aug 13, 2023 21:38
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Admiral Carmen Weiss posted:I'm not completely satisfied with the defenses at Saiph, yet, but given a bit longer to reinforce local fleets things should be fine there. I'm not sure we're ready to launch any offensives unless we get a truly significant mercenary force, however. As far as public order goes- I'd say it's fine, except in the three new border colonies, all of which have issues. Military is on it, but we can't afford to pull our deployments from any of them. Other than that, not much to report. Executive Director Rebecca Weiss posted:It's good news that Devin Roth has gotten to work helping restore Saiph- things should actually be quite economically secure there within relatively short order, if he keeps on the projects. To that end, I hope to start a new project restoring the ship components plant at Algorab once the shuttle factory at Saiph is back up and running. That should help stabilise that region, and might well help allow for more ships in place to defend Saiph with the better local manufacturing capability. We're looking at satisfactory revenues, but I'm expecting a bit of an economic retrenchment here at Vega within the next four years- we've had some very efficient factories for some time, but between equipment wear and many of our older workforce retiring out, I'm not sure how much longer we'll keep up these output levels. Hopefully revenues overall will continue to support Guild operations effectively. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Aug 14, 2023 |
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Aug 13, 2023 21:58
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As ever, unclaimed House members are available for people if they want. Geraldine might be a good choice if somebody wanted to pay attention to Military- she's better-liked than Carmen and considerably younger and healthier.
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Aug 13, 2023 23:11
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Noelle Weiss, personal musings posted:Second time I've changed my name through marriage, this time to the actual name of the house I've been a part of all this time. My sons from Bella are earning their own appellations, Howard learning his trade and giving me a grandchild, Jayne betrothed and thankfully over that horrible disease. Vega is as quiet and as peaceful as we can get it, and I do like Oriole. All this and the head and consort have both taken up one of my major pastimes. On a personal level, things are going as well as can reasonably be. The one thing we need is to end this damned war.
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Aug 13, 2023 23:47
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Director-General Jane Weiss posted:As a matter of staffing, I have concerns about how thin Administration shall be after I and Romeo are gone from the House. I think we may need to consider recruiting in even less qualified House members out of their majority to ensure that Administration is prepared for the future, and trust to job experience and Technology to make up any deficiencies. Likewise, I believe that with Jayne reaching his majority, we may well wish to shift Harold from Military to Diplomacy and fill the Military gap with Jayne. We'll need to consider the specifics once we have real aptitude testing for Jayne, but this is how I'm inclining. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Mar 5, 2024 |
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Aug 14, 2023 00:02
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Ooh, good to see this going on! Is there anything you can do to help with the planet that's undergoing famine? Well, within game mechanics.
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Aug 14, 2023 00:14
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wedgekree posted:Ooh, good to see this going on! Is there anything you can do to help with the planet that's undergoing famine? Well, within game mechanics. There's two big things that can be done. Peacekeeper deployments help ensure unrest doesn't get out of control while the unrest spike dies down, and making sure at least four facilities are operational in a colony prevents future food shortages (as well as each operational facility modestly reducing per-turn unrest gain). We've managed to get them up to their fourth facility, so they should avoid future famine, and we have a peacekeeper deployment in place to keep the situation from boiling over. That's about the best we could do.
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Aug 14, 2023 00:18
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Ilario speaking to Liberty in private posted:I promised to tell you about how I broke my arm someday. Of course it's an interesting story. Don't tell your step-grandfather I told you, but it was all his fault. He got into a barfight, which wouldn't have been all that annoying, if he hadn't gotten me involved. Sadly, he did, and I wasn't ready for what came next. That was over 20 years ago. No, I don't hold it against him. Mind you, I don't particularly like him, but he's just a much more rash personality. I think I practically begged your grandmother to accept him in Security and get him out of Technology. I think it did a lot of good for him, and since then we've had a lot more people added to technology, like your mom, and your great aunt still runs the entire department very efficiently. Liberty Weiss posted:I didn't know all of that. That's not what I was expecting to learn... --------------------------------------------------- Ilario thinking to himself, holding Rebecca posted:I'm glad we were able to attend Thomas's funeral. It gives a proper sense of closure. Better not let it slip to Rebecca to say how lucky she is to have lost her father this way.
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Aug 15, 2023 08:37
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General Revil posted:Some tragically beautiful writing drat. That perspective of the memory really makes you feel just how barely even the most prosperous colonies are scraping by.
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Aug 15, 2023 08:53
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Very VERY non-canonProfessor G posted:Doctor K has left the Earth-sphere. Instructor H posted:Does that mean his project to upload minds to a computer has been a success? Master O posted:That depends on your definition of successful. The upload process is irreversible, and nothing seems to indicate that that was resolved. But it's possible he achieved stability inside the simulations. Doktor S posted:Will it be enough to tame the Zero System? Doctor J posted:We don't have time to find out. The Earth is on the brink of civil war. We'll have to scale down our weapons. They'll make do without the Zero System. Instructor H posted:I propose we proceed independently from now on. Doktor S posted:We can't trust communications to not be intercepted, and meeting in person will soon be too dangerous. Doctor J posted:Very well. We will proceed independently from now on. Operation Meteor will begin on April 7th, exactly four years from today. I look forward to seeing your handiwork.
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Aug 15, 2023 09:02
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BassMug posted:<Some tragically beautiful writing> Thank you. That is high praise.
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Aug 15, 2023 09:15
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General Revil posted:Just communication. Glad to see I wasn't the only one whose mind immediately went there. 
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Aug 15, 2023 10:08
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Ilario's story to Liberty has been linked in the OP as one of the bits of supplemental update.
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Aug 15, 2023 16:47
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Commissioner Oriole Weiss posted:First the not news. We have our spy network on Sigma Draconis back up and running. Protecting the future Terraforming Project will be secondary only to protecting Vega itself once we begin. 94 Aquarii and Beta Virginis would be nice to have as security zones to keep anyone from making raids on Sigma Draconis and breaking stuff once we fix it up. Xlorp fucked around with this message at 07:42 on Aug 16, 2023 |
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Aug 16, 2023 07:12
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Director-General Jane Weiss posted:At the moment, it appears that any dissent stirred up by the White Federation has died down- this might well be a dead issue, and in any event a matter between two of the league's member states. We find ourselves with competing demands of justice and stability, here- justice would urge us to reveal what we have found, and let the injured seek remedy. Stability, for its part, would call for us to hold our peace and let the matter rest.
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Aug 16, 2023 08:58
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Apologies I didn't receive the Diplomacy report notification for some reason. Let me go over it.
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Aug 16, 2023 19:10
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Artificer posted:Apologies I didn't receive the Diplomacy report notification for some reason. Let me go over it. Feel free to ask any clarifying questions you want, or ask for reports on specific individuals or the relations between some people- i.e., 'how high is the opinion between the head of the Cervantes Alliance and his master' or the like. There's a lot you might potentially want to check, and I can't necessarily anticipate all questions.
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Aug 16, 2023 19:33
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nweismuller posted:Feel free to ask any clarifying questions you want, or ask for reports on specific individuals or the relations between some people- i.e., 'how high is the opinion between the head of the Cervantes Alliance and his master' or the like. There's a lot you might potentially want to check, and I can't necessarily anticipate all questions. Not a problem! It seemed straightforward enough. Diplomacy Director Mariko Weiss posted:Lucy can be reassigned to the next hotspot or opportunity for diplomatic outreach. I would also welcome Harold to diplomacy team if it is deemed appropriate; there's always work here to do. Artificer fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Aug 16, 2023 |
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Aug 16, 2023 21:33
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Director-General Jane Weiss posted:Given your assessment, Mariko, perhaps we can set Lucy up with the usual fund for establishing a claim, before setting her to attempt to improve relations with Sigma Draconis. If that doesn't prove enough, we can look into increasing the funds available for bribery as well. If three hundred thousand marks aren't enough to sway loyalties, we can start looking into how many mercenaries three hundred thousand marks can muster. Does that sound reasonable to the Council? Executive Director Rebecca Weiss posted:Just bear in mind saving up three hundred thousand will slow down Administration's work of restoration. We should wait on building up a treasury that large until we've confirmed lesser measures won't work, Director-General.
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Aug 16, 2023 22:30
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nweismuller posted:
Diplomacy Director Mariko Weiss posted:I concur with the Director General and the Executive Director. These seem like reasonable and measured courses of actions. Mariko Personal Log posted:"Grasp on life." That's politely putting it. Watching the powerful and wealthy escape in a panic as their station's systems fail. Watching the serfs die like bugs. We as a species are scrabbling for existence among the stars, despite the personal comfort and wealth my family and I enjoy. It's hard, I think, for some leaders to view their serfs and citizens as anything other than numbers on a datapad, but I think we deserve more.
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Aug 16, 2023 23:37
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Something I'm not really clear on: how much of humanity is in orbital habitats, and how much is in planet-side habitats? There's clearly no earthlike world available for use, but the two contexts present different challenges and requirements.
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Aug 17, 2023 00:23
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wiegieman posted:Something I'm not really clear on: how much of humanity is in orbital habitats, and how much is in planet-side habitats? There's clearly no earthlike world available for use, but the two contexts present different challenges and requirements. It's not really specified, but implied there's both (and since colonies often have peripheral installations not directly attached to the main settlement, there may well be people in both in the same colony). We know specifically the Vega main settlement is in an asteroid belt because of the system special, but other colonies could well be either orbital or planetside.
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Aug 17, 2023 01:12
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Admiral Carmen Weiss posted:Frankly, I think that if we have a military advantage, it will serve our House to use it, whatever the Diplomacy Director says. For all that, though, we don't have a military advantage now on our war border, so Diplomacy may as well see if they can sway neighboring colonies over with their own methods. Concern for the welfare of serfs on colonies that aren't even under our jurisdiction yet seems to be high-mindedness beyond any practicality. Although I suppose I should expect as much from this council; this House I've married into is a strange one. I'll continue to argue that we need to focus on our power and our security against all the competitors out there who'd just as soon see us fall. Director-General Jane Weiss posted:Your input is noted, Admiral, but Mariko is right. We have many duties, and not all to our own House. We have a duty to serve the survival and prosperity of House Weiss. We have a duty to protect and bring justice to our subjects. We have a duty to uphold the oaths between our House and our vassals. And we have a fundamental duty as children of God and as Christians to provide service to all mankind, even to the least of our brethren. Our Diplomacy Director is raising this very fundamental duty that we should not forget. It is my hope that through our work we shall do what is right, ladies and gentlemen, and pray that in the process we are an example, and remembered for the good that we have done, even while we seek to strengthen and protect our own House as is our duty to it.
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Aug 17, 2023 21:59
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"Polly the friendly AI" posted:\ \ self-reflection-cycle \\
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Aug 18, 2023 17:48
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Orion Industries and NovaCorp The two largest interstellar commercial combines in the colonies of the pre-Collapse era were Orion Industries and NovaCorp. Although both were present across many colonies, their institutional cultures, areas of focus, and general reputations varied widely. Over time of uncovering old NovaCorp projects, through research of ancient data archives, through conversation with the ancient AI Polly Weiss, and through what remains of ancient tradition, House Weiss has begun to ascertain, to some extent, just how Orion Industries and NovaCorp differed. Orion Industries was a relentlessly efficient industrial corporation focusing on mining, manufacturing, and colonial development using established and proven technologies, grown to its commanding position through a hard-nosed focus on the bottom line and assessment of the profitability of any area of Orion Industries operation. It had a reputation for scrupulous compliance with the established law, give or take some instances of income reporting structuring to evade tax obligations. By reputation, it had reasonably good relations with long-term labor forces and had a strong sense of corporate solidarity amongst its management and executive layers, which contributed to the cohesiveness that helped ensure House Weiss survived as a minor House as descendants from local Orion Industries executives at Vega. Its relations with short-term contract workers were less positive, given reluctance to open up pay for short-term contract labor. NovaCorp, on the other hand, focused on development and marketing of advanced technologies, particularly (but not limited to) biomedical technologies. Unlike the scrupulously correct, safe, and boring reputation of Orion Industries, however, NovaCorp was continually haunted by rumors of ethics violations and dangerous experimentation- some evidence of which has been discovered over the past years by House Weiss. NovaCorp maintained very close relations with elements of the Interstellar Authority and the militaries of the League of Starfaring Nations, and was involved in research for the very blackest of their projects. Beyond development of advanced medical treatments, new power sources, and advanced shipping systems, House Weiss has found enough information to show that NovaCorp research, often using involuntary test subjects, was involved in projects supporting assassination, falsification of memories, cloaking technology to support black operations, and mutilation of healthy human brains in the hopes of achieving advantage for secret military projects. NovaCorp maintained an unsavory reputation- but, through use of expendable scapegoats, support from the Interstellar Authority, which was the ultimate upholder of law before the Collpase, and a well-funded Legal department, it avoided catastrophic consequences right up to the Collapse. Although there was little loyalty to NovaCorp amongst the rank and file, for certain persons of ethically-flexible nature in the sciences or amongst its executive staff, it proved the ideal environment- right up until the Collapse shattered NovaCorp once and for all. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Aug 19, 2023 |
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Aug 19, 2023 00:33
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Doctor Prudence Weiss posted:First off, Rebecca, welcome to the council. I only wish it was under better circumstances.
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Aug 19, 2023 22:02
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With the deaths of Oriole Weiss and Devon Kelley, our old Commissioner is now dead and our old Technology Director has accompanied her husband to Ross 128. Let us welcome Noelle Weiss and Emily Weiss as new council members, leaving only Mariko from the original House Weiss council. E: Before beginning of terraforming operations at Capella, it might be prudent to ensure that Atlas is brought into the league. This might mean we shall soon be faced with one more war... and yes, it means that we got Capella before we got Sigma Draconis. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Aug 19, 2023 |
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Aug 19, 2023 22:59
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Doctor Prudence Weiss, private journal posted:So, this is my last entry as Technology Director for the great Weiss Guild. With the departure of Prudence I'm claiming Geraldine. Depending on if Carmen clings on to life for yet another update, I'll pilot her the next council meeting as well, for some consistency in my moving back to the military department after Harold (senior).
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Aug 19, 2023 23:54
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