Ambition and Ambiguity. X3:AP DiD

[vukica]

True, but that was not an option poseidon listed in his last chapter

it'a ok. i'm an engineer.

[Poseidon]

Votes so far:

• Enable PBE on Main Guns: 1
  Faster Engines: 1
  Other: 1

Name Suggestions so far:

• Lynx

Venti looks sort of awkward to try to improve because of the way the improvements build on each other.

The Venti is already pretty specialized, so yeah... making changes is going to be less about improving it, and more about adjusting its balance towards a more preferred specialization. Improvements in one area are going to impact the ships parameters somewhere else.

What made the Argons not implementing PBE usage on their ships could be the short range of that weapon.

I completely overlooked range somehow. Now that you mention it, the PRG does look like a healthy compromise for a generalist weapon. PBE is superior for certain uses though. And all ships listed in the narrative have already been 'recycled', regardless of what the vote decides. This rationalizes the learning, and the source of parts used for the upgrade.

with tech tree in mind, increased power seems like the logical choice. after that you should be able to increase weapon energy, acceleration and top speed. (gradualy and at additional cost ) just increasing top speed wouldn't work in real life without additional power.

At this point, there is no generalized parameter for 'More Power' in the ship config files. Each ship class seems to have an implied power limit, and that power is distributed to different systems at varying levels of efficiency. For instance, the Spitfyre has a small Reactor (675W) compared to the Venti (825W), but has a significantly more efficient Weapon Recharge system (270J/s vs 140J/s). I have chosen to model improvements as more efficient systems taken from other ships.

As for cost; I've already invested over 400M credits into enabling ship modifications in the narrative. I think I can justify research at the cost of parts for a little while.

For now, I'm going to stick to modding explicit parameters. Please adjust your vote to one of the options on the list; otherwise, I'll have to count it as a Null Vote.

-----

Thanks for the participation, everyone! I'll leave voting open until this afternoon (US EST), and then I'll use a logged online dice-roller to break any ties.

[vukica]

go for engines.

[Poseidon]

go for engines.

Thanks.

Timescale in kinda borked, so I’m taking liberties. When not in combat, an in-game day could represent anywhere from a week to a month. During combat, realtime is realtime.

-----

I need a break.

“Hey Jackson. What’s our status on available marines for operations?”

Over the commlink, I heard him tapping away at a datapad. “We've got seven fully trained marines, including myself. There are another 16 we could pull out of training if it’s urgent. The other 11 aren't ready for field work.”

I thought for a moment. “Leave everyone in training, but call back the other six who are finished. Set up the tactical environment in the Forge for some simple boarding drills, so everyone can get to know each other.”

“On it, boss. Do you want to send a transport?”

“I’ll order a Sirokos, and have it pick them up. Also, you’re advising me on this. I've got a lot to learn about Boarding Operations…”

… and we’re going to be doing quite a few of them in the coming months, I finished in my head.

-----

My elite team of marines consisted of Jackson, and the Teladi squad I’d rescued from spacewalk such a long time ago. A couple hours in TacSim to sort out their habits and communication quirks, and they were ready to go. I put them on standby, and headed for Pirate Space.

My hope was to find a marauding pirate wing that included an M6, but 3 trips from Ianamus Zura to Cardinal’s Domain and back again yielded no targets. I was about to give up when a Soyery in Moo-Kye’s Revenge hailed me, asking for protection from pirates. Excellent.

“Jackson. I've got incoming. Two M6s, Six M3s, and a smattering of smaller fighters.”

“If I understand your intentions, sir, we only need one of the M6s.”

“Got it. I’ll take care of it. Get everyone ready.”

“We’re ready, sir.”

My Springblossom, fully loaded with SSCs, made quick work of the fighters that approached from the north gate. Following behind were two Pirate Centaurs. I was a little disappointed; I had been hoping for a Yaki ship… but I’d take what I could get.

The first Centaur only took two passes to annihilate. I burned down the shields on the second ship, turned off my turrets, and kicked down my front guns to a single SSC. They returned fire with a steady stream of HEPT bolts, but my shields took it like a champ.

“Get over here, Jackson. The turkey’s done.”

The Sirokos appeared at the north gate, and started making its way towards the battle. I circled the Centaur, half vulture, half bullfighter, testing my different armaments on its shields. Poltergeist missiles were too weak; I’d have to use the SSC… but it was a touch too strong. It would be a balancing act.

“Boarding Pods away,” echoed the computerized voice.

“Contact with the hull, sir. Keep those shields down!”

I focused, and fired off a couple extra bursts. A little hull damage wasn't such a bad thing.

“We’re in.”

Combat progressed through the desk, with only a brief stall on Deck 3. Then spacesuits appears on my sensor display. I panicked.

“Jackson, report! Why are you spacewalking?”

“It’s not us, sir. The enemy crew jumped ship.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hacking the Core now, sir.”

I watched the pirate crew drift aimlessly through the void. I turned to pick them up. I could drop them somewhere safe, at least. Only a few seconds later though, a HEPT round from the Centaur engulfed the spacesuit. I watched in horror as the ship targeted and killed all of its previous crew.

“We’re in. The ship is ours, sir.”

“Jackson… why did the ship just kill the old crew?”

“It must have been a glitch in the Friend-Foe recognition routines, sir. Or else they had Foe set to ALL. It happens sometimes; best be wary.”

I sighed. “Status Report.”

“Op was clean, sir. Minor friendly injuries, no casualties. Hull reports at 84%.”

“Excellent. Transport to the Sirokos, and jump back to Argon Prime. I’ll have an Angel waiting to take everyone wherever they want to go. You’re all back on Leave.”

“Thank you sir.”

The commlink went dead. That couldn't have gone better. I stopped to claim a Susanowa Hauler and Raijin Sentinel that had bailed during the dogfight, and then sent my three new ships south to the Shipyard in Cardinal’s Domain. I didn't need any of them; what I needed was more practice.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Nicely done, especially for your first boarding op. Sad business about the ship fragging its own crew though.

[Poseidon]

Thanks! I did a lot of reading and research beforehand.

-----

I decided to pick up some new recruits on the way home. I made the usual stops at all the Military Outposts. I took a couple jobs here and there, just for old times’ sake… scan some asteroids, defend this station, etc.

While hopping through Black Hole Sun, I picked up a job to ‘Defend the Sector’. They had reason to believe there would be a minor Xenon incursion, and they were a bit understaffed so they were outsourcing the defense. I took the job, set the autopilot to patrol near the north gate, activated the turrets, and settled in for an easy paycheck.

2 Ps, almost a dozen Ls, and a few Ms and Ns. This looked familiar.

I called up the Sirokos. “Hey Jackson, you there?”

“Jackssson is unavailable now. How can Teladi help?” one of the veteran marines answered.

“I've got another boarding opportunity. I don’t want to take you away from your leave, but if you’re up for it, I’ll pay a bonus.”

The marine turns away from the commlink for a moment, and I heard chatter in the background. “We would be happy to sssteal more shipsss for a bonusss.”

“Excellent. See you soon.”

I gave orders for the Sirokos to pick up a couple of the marines that’d recently finished training. They weren't 100%, but they were still quite good.

I cleaned up the Xenon quickly, vaporized one of the Ps, then called in the Sirokos. I stripped down the shields, killed my engines, and parked behind it. Its rear turret was slowing chipping away at my shields, but I had time.

I selected eight marines, and ordered them into boarding pods. I had just ordered the Launch when Jackson’s voice came over the commlink.

“Hey boss. I hit the head, and come back to see you've already found another target?”

“I was in a bit of a rush. There’s a local Military Outpost, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to capture a Xenon P.”

Jackson paled. “Sir. A Centaur and a P are entirely different weight classes. I’d recommend against this Op.”

Shit.

“The boarding pods just made contact with the hull.”

“Send the reserve! Now!”

I quickly ordered a deployment of the 5 marines I had left in reserve, and focused on keeping the shields down. I’d never seen Jackson so shaken up.

“Is this ship that bad?”

“I’ve never seen a successful Xenon Boarding Op, sir. Everyone always dies. Sir.”

I anxiously listened to status reports from the boarding team. The reinforcements arrived as the first team started clearing Deck 3. There were already men down.

"Deck 3 clear."

"Hacking the Core."

“The ship is ourssss.”

Jack and I sighed in unison.

“Permission to speak frankly, sir?”

“Granted, of course.”

“That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. The Xenon are machines; boarding their ships is tantamount to suicide.”

The rebuke stung, but I was pretty sure I deserved it.

“Noted. And thank you for your honesty,“ I rubbed my forehead, where a headache was forming. “We’re going to need to talk about this more, and develop some tactics. This won’t be the last Xenon boarding Op.”

Jackson winced. “Yes sir.” The commlink flickered out.

I’d lost 4 marines, out of 13 deployed. One veteran, and three of my most promising recruits. I turned my attention to relocating the P to MRC, along with two Ls and an M that burned out during the firefight. It was time to get back to research, where the only things that died were ideas.

[Song Of Obsidian]

Poor Jackson. That's all I have to say.

[Poseidon]

An unidentified noise woke me from what was already an uneasy slumber on the Springblossom. I looked around my cabin, but nothing looked familiar. The floor was the wrong color metal, and the doors were in the wrong place: opposite sides of the room, large, heavy, with a single round viewport in each.

I stood up and looked out one of the windows, into the darkness of space. The view was kinda pretty, and peaceful. It was-

My heart skipped.

This was an airlock.

> Depressurization in Progress <

I looked around frantically, and scrambled to a terminal.

> Access Denied <

> Access Denied <

> Access Denied <

I slammed my hands on the screen, and screamed at the wall.

> In Mother Russia, Xenon board you. <

I flinched, and turned to the inner airlock door. Through the window, I saw a Teladi Marine.

“Open the door! Let me in! Help me!”

The Teladi’s face remained emotionless as he shook his head.

The hissing behind me turned to a roar as I was swept into the void.

-----

I woke in a cold sweat, and looked around. I was in my room at the Lobby.

So, yeah. Some guilt issues.

-----

I was thankful for the single-minded focus required for my daily workouts. The banter was gone, and the sparring session that evening was a little more brutal than normal, from both sides. We had some emotions to sort out.

The next day started with messages from Tomes and the Colonel. Joy.

[Idleking]

Nice catch on the centaur, but the P was a tough one.
Jackson seems to be a wise man, you should consider promoting him to take command over that Sirokos with the privilege of vetoing your boarding ops.
Could probably save you some good men in the future

But still, you managed to capture a Xenon P. I vote for calling the Marines who survived that horror the "Suicide Kings" and have them train up more guys to join their ranks.
I'm pretty sure that the Terrans would be somewhat interested in current state of Xenon evolution?
So much to learn, so little time

[Poseidon]

Have you been reading ahead?

I was nervous about the Centaur. I was terrified of the P. I was certain I was going to lose all my marines. But, I've got a plan, and I need to make it happen, whatever the cost. It'll just take longer if I screw it up.

Voting is still open on the Tech Research list here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 54#4085654

I'm going to take a crack at the mod tonight, along with a couple more chapters.

edit: Does ***modified*** disable Steam achievements? I'm going to mod either way, but want to plan ahead.

[Poseidon]

I started by calling Stacy.

"Ops, this is Old Mac. I hear you have a message?"

"Hey Mac. Mr. Johnson wants a heart to heart. Do you have time?"

"I have to milk the cows this afternoon, and check their feed. It sounds like they're getting picky."

"I'll relay that to Johnson; one moment."

I heard the click of feedback when the commlink went mute for a moment, then she was back.

"He says to give the cows the good stuff, and hurry over."

A not so subtle reminder that the ends justifies the means, in his eyes. Bastard was getting impatient.

"Understood, wilco. On a personal note, could I ask a favor from you Ops? I'd appreciate it if you could stop by the market for me."

I sent her an encrypted request for three more of the experimental bodysuits; a second one for me, one for Jackson, and one for Maddy. Also, a case of the most expensive Argon Whiskey she could find. "I'll pick up the tab, of course."

"I'll do what I can, Mac." I heard a smile and a question in her voice.

"You're a dear. MacDonald out."

-----

Before heading back to Legend's Home, I met Tomes at ACME Cuisine in Neptune. My pace was brisk, and my tone short. He was seated in a central area, a cup of coffee untouched in front of him. I surveyed the room using my peripheral vision, and noted three large Terrans in nearly identical attire, doing their best to ignore us.

He'd brought friends this time. I was glad I wore Stacy's gifted bodysuit for this meeting.

"Good Morning, Sir Nedley. I've had a long day, so can we keep this brief?"

"Perhaps," he replied casually. "I wanted to discuss certain inequalities in our previous arrangements."

"Certainly. What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is, the Ion Disruptors you are providing bear little semblance to the Ion Weaponry we see on the front line. We gave you access to our research in good faith, and you've repaid it poorly."

I didn't bother to feign ignorance; he would see through it. Instead, I went for reasonable. "Ion Disruptors are the basis for all Ion Weaponry. I assumed you'd want to adapt it to Terran technology without being limited by Boron assumptions, so I provided it in its purest form. Did you want something more restricted?"

He pretended to ponder for a moment. "I can understand your angle, but adapting it to higher power output produces its own set of challenges... challenges a less fledgling technology would have addressed already. If you want continued research access, we require more."

I had expected this, but not so soon.

I clasped my hands on the table in front of me and looked him in the eye. "How about a counter-offer? I've been making expeditions into Xenon space recently, and I've captured some ships. I can give you an intact, fully functional L and M chassis'. That should give your engineers something sink their teeth into."

He tilted his head. "Not good enough. Xenon M3 and M4 ships, and a Pulsed Beam Emitter complex."

Internally, I flinched, but I kept my mannerisms calm. The Colonel said to give him the good stuff, so here we go.

"Perhaps we're thinking a bit short-sighted," I offered thoughtfully. "Let's make this negotiation sweeter for both of us. I'll give you an L and an M. I'll also build a Split-centric tech complex, which will include forges for Pulsed Beam Emitters, Mass Drivers, and Ion Shard Railguns. I'll even throw in a 25MJ shield production facility."

I could see the mental drool. I also saw him snap out of it, and grow suspicious of what he'd have to give up.

I continued. "In return, I retain access to Fighter-class subsystem designs, and gain access to Corvette-class subsystem designs."

He choked on his coffee. "Absolutely no way. Those aren't even comparable."

"I think they are. Your agents are so xenophobic, they have no hope of gaining access to Commonwealth technology. You had asked for examples of larger Ion technology, and I'm handing it to you, along with most of the Split arsenal. M6 access on delivery of a first articles from the new complex. Or, we can terminate our arrangements now, and walk away."

I watched the gears turn in his head. He knew I flew in on a Springblossom, so M6 subsystem access wasn't unreasonable given the current level of trust extended to me by the ATF and Terran Military.

The silence stretched for a while. I waited.

He broke first. "Done."

I stood up. "I'll let you know when the complex is complete. It may take a while; this will require some subtelty on my part."

He nodded, and I walked out.

He never asked about Mass Driver Ammunition, I thought and smiled.

[Song Of Obsidian]

I'm just waiting for the day that there's a contingency you don't think of ahead of time.

I expect a long wait. Very, very nice.

[Idleking]

[maniclaughter]
Get your Suicide Kings ready and about 30-40 men strong and take a Xenon I - if he refuses to give you capital tech data, show him the recieving end of xenon capital tech
[/maniclaughter]

The ***modified*** tag disables achievements yes.

Going there in your Springblossom was - quite literally - a good move.
If he denied your proposal, you could just have made your techs reverse engineer the thing and gather some intel yourself.
That way, Tomes would not be able to have an eye on what you get to know.
Two brains trying to outwit each other - nice!

[vukica]

Have you been reading ahead?

I was nervous about the Centaur. I was terrified of the P. I was certain I was going to lose all my marines. But, I've got a plan, and I need to make it happen, whatever the cost. It'll just take longer if I screw it up.

Voting is still open on the Tech Research list here:
http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php? ... 54#4085654

I'm going to take a crack at the mod tonight, along with a couple more chapters.

edit: Does ***modified*** disable Steam achievements? I'm going to mod either way, but want to plan ahead.

i suggest copying game folder to some other location an using the non steam exe before modding.

[Poseidon]

I'm just waiting for the day that there's a contingency you don't think of ahead of time.

It'll happen, likely sooner than I'd like. DiD makes me spend a lot of time thinking, and Dan's empire practically runs itself. If the world doesn't give him some surprises on its own, I've got a couple things up my sleeve. My opposition probably needs a little more agency.

[maniclaughter]If he denied your proposal, you could just have made your techs reverse engineer the thing and gather some intel yourself. That way, Tomes would not be able to have an eye on what you get to know.

This is a good idea, and was plan B. As an engineer who's had to do reverse engineering in real life, I know the value of reference designs and app notes, so I'm going to milk him for as long as possible. This false-trust is fragile though.

i suggest copying game folder to some other location an using the non steam exe before modding.

Thanks for the suggestion; I'll do that.

Glad you're all enjoying it.

[Poseidon]

I'm sure Tarquin was getting impatient, but I had one more stop to make. A quick hop back to MRC to pick up a couple microchips, and I was on my way to the OTAS Shipyard.

A few queries to the station computer directed me to a workshop overlooking the manufacturing floor. Filibert Atilio was a fair skinned man of 4' 10". Short, silver hair, mustard colored eyes and a muscular build with a slight paunch. His forearms were adorned with grease and scars. He glanced up as I walked in. "A moment please," rumbled his moderate baritone.

Before him lay a disassembled PRG; he appeared to be reattaching the control electronics. I watched. Steady hands, controlled breathing, and intense focus. I guessed this part was dangerous, and wondered why he wasn't wearing any protective gear. I took a couple steps back anyway.

The wiring harness made contact with a loud clack, and sparks flew, tracing more burns across his forearms. He didn't flinch, and continued attaching wires and watching. The power coils began to glow. A few more wires and he stepped back, apparently complete.

"Couldn't you have attached that without the power being live?" I asked.

"Not for this test. The circuit is fused; I wanted to control the spin up."

"Why? PRGs are a stable technology."

"Oh, this isn't a normal PRG. I'm trying to increase the effective range, but I need a more stable power system first." He walked over to the wall and flipped a switch. The hum from the PRG grew quieter as it powered down. "How can I help you?"

"I need more of that," I said, pointing at the gun on the workbench.

He looked at me sideways.

I continued. "I represent Sidhe Laboratories. I have some custom ship designs that I'd like built. You come highly recommended."

He shook his head. "This is an OTAS facility, son. I already have a backlog of projects to last until they invent artificial youth, and then I'll still be working on them until I die. I don't have time for side projects, and I won't use OTAS resources for private ventures."

Time to test him. "I'll pay for, or provide, all materials. I'll also pay you, personally, 1M credits for every prototype."

He face hardened. "Not interested."

"5 million credits."

"Still not interested."

"10 million."

He sighed in frustration. "I don't think you understand. I can't be bought. Go away."

I smiled. "And that's exactly why I came looked for you: your reputation of competence, discretion, and integrity."

He looked confused.

"My name is Riordan Clery. I run the Mandelbrot Research Complex, and I have explicit authority to use OTAS resources for private ventures."

His face registered comprehension. "Shit, you're Old MacDonald? I was wondering who was ordering all those ships."

I facepalmed. How the hell did he know that?

"Yeah, that's me." I tossed him the case containing the microchips. "Sidhe Labs is an independent venture to design a small number of Advanced Ships. Think Bala Gi, but without the mass production requirement. It doesn't make sense for me to buy a shipyard for low volume. You interested in pushing the boundaries of cutting edge? I'd be willing to entertain your ideas on improved weaponry as well."

He slotted one of the chips, and scanned the changes I'd made to the Venti. "I've never seen anything like this."

I shook my head. "Most of it is taken from prototype Terran ship designs."

He nodded. "That makes sense. But you managed to integrate it, which is the other half of the problem." He stared for a few more moments, then turned to me. “Are you still offering payment per ship?”

I smiled. I'd gladly pay the credits; removing financial worries meant one less thing to distract him. “I’ll pay you 10 million per ship, provided they get a high priority. I need to prototype and test these designs very rapidly.”

Once again, he face showed understanding. I guess he had working on projects with time-limited access to research in the past.

“I’m in.” He offered his hand.

I shook it. "Glad to have you on board. I'll be keeping you very busy."

He grinned.

[Poseidon]

As I entered the reception area, Stacy gave me an appraising look. "You're looking better."

I tilted my head. It'd been four weeks since I started Jackson's program, and I was down about 12 lbs... I still had a long way to go. "I've been working in with the marines. They kick my ass. I crawl away. They continue for another four hours after I'm gone."

She smiled. "It shows. Your face is leaner. Anyway, I'll have the goods you requested loaded onto your ship. I've taken the liberty of billing your account. Those suits are hard to find; I had to pull rank for one of them, and the one for Maddy is one of my own."

I nodded. "I really appreciate it. Things are getting more complicated, and this'll give me one less thing to worry about."

"Why the Space Fuel?"

"I made some mistakes, and I want to offer an apology to my marines."

She winced. "Well, this is the right way to do it. I found six bottles of some truly old vintage. Glass bottles, not fuel tanks. It set you back some credits, but I think it was worth it."

"Thanks for taking care of me."

She nodded and smiled. I headed into the Colonel's office.

-----

He was waiting. He was not smiling.

"So, you ready to get back to work?"

"I have been working, sir."

He raised his eyebrows. "You disappear for a month after providing Ion Tech to the Terrans. I've yet to see any return on that investment."

"You are correct, sir. That transaction was not meant to provide any return at all. It was an initial establishment of trust, and meant to set a precedent: I give them Tech, they give me Access to Ship Schematics. Ion Tech bought us access to fighter-class schematics. As of this morning, I have negotiated access to corvette-class schematics."

"What did you give them, agent?"

I sighed. "The entire Split arsenal, sir. Pulsed Beam Emitters. Ion Shard Railguns. Mass Drivers, although they forgot to ask for ammunition. I am also handing over the intact hulls of two Xenon fighters that I captured."

"Do you have any more?"

"Xenon ships? Yes sir."

"Provide samples to our engineers as well. I won't allow us to fall further behind. If you don't have samples, find them."

"Yes sir.

"How long are these new arrangements going to take?"

"I am uncertain. My best estimate is another month, sir."

"That is unacceptable. I suggest you expedite one of your alternate plans."

"My alternate plans require well-trained men, and that takes time. We aren't officially at war with anyone, sir."

He snorted. "Well, figure something out, agent. Men are dying on the front lines, and you're telling me you need at least another month to make incremental progress. We've bent over backwards to accommodate you, and you've delivered nothing. I suggest you start delivering."

You're the one that forcibly recruited me, jackass. I'm working on it.

"Yes sir."

"Also, I still don't have eyes on the contested sectors."

"Working on it, sir. There were political complications."

He waved his hand in irritation. "Whatever. Dismissed."

-----

Back out in the reception area, I stopped in front of Stacy's desk. "What's eating him?"

She shook her head. "The Terrans have started being more aggressive, and they might even be winning. There's a very real concern that we're going to lose Omicron Lyrae."

Ouch. The loss of the shipyard there would be a devastating blow. I needed to move faster.

"Thanks," I said as I turned towards the door. "I'll see what I can do."

How the hell am I supposed to simultaneously work with the Terrans while defending the front line?

[Idleking]

[..]"Shit, you're Old MacDonald? I was wondering who was ordering all those ships."

I facepalmed. How the hell did he know that?

"Yeah, that's me."[..]

You sir, are a genius

Looks like you've made a name for yourself huh?

[Poseidon]

"Robert Jackson, please report to the Officers' Lounge," called out the intercom on the Equipment Dock.

-----

The lights were out, and I stood flush against one wall, a plasma sidearm in my hand. The door opened, and Jackson walked in. He looked around the dark lounge, confused. He started forward... one step, two... I raised the pistol, aimed, and fired.

The flare from the pistol blinded me; Jackson dropped out of sight. I started towards where I last saw him.

Two plasma bolts caught me in the chest, and threw me back against the wall. A sudden chill erupted across my torso, and continued out across my extremities. I couldn't move. Jackson crept around a counter to my left, weapon draw, keeping a bead on me.

"Stand down, Marine." I flipped my wrist, and tossed my weapon away. "That was a job well done."

He kept the weapon on me as he approached, and kicked my sidearm behind him. He glanced around the rest of the room, looking for other threats.

"There's no one else here, Jackson."

He looked back at the door. "You missed on purpose."

I nodded. Throbbing in my chest was receding, as was the cold. I could move again. I looked at the plasma burns through my casual clothes, and examined the body armor underneath. Blue seams glowed as they dissipated the heat from the plasma blast.

Jackson's gaze caught the suit. "This was a test."

"Not for you. For me. I wanted to see the proper response to an unexpected ambush. I also wanted to know what it felt like to be shot in this body armor." I started to stand up. Jackson eyed me warily.

"You're crazy. What if I'd hit you in the head?"

"Then you'd be finding a different employer. Besides, you can't tell me that didn't feel good. I know you've been angry with me."

Jackson shrugged. Then he shot me again. I collapsed to the floor. "Yeah, I guess it did."

-----

We sat by the window in the Officers' Lounge, sipping on authentic Space Fuel that was older than I was. I had explained my plan to him, after which we sat in silence.

"Talk to me Jackson. What's going through your head?"

"Honestly, sir? I still think you're crazy, but if you allow for crazy, it makes sense. The real problem is going to be combat experience. I don't care how long you spend at the academy; there are some things you can't learn through drills and TacSim. We need a small army of combat experts, or this isn't going to work. And even then, the losses will be atrocious."

"The losses due to our supposed truce are already atrocious," I reminded him.

He nodded, and sipped thoughtfully on his drink. "What you need, boss, is an enemy. It can't be the Terrans. They need to be organized, but not a legitimate threat to Argon space."

He looked at me meaningfully. I nodded. We raised our glasses somberly, and drank.

Tomorrow, we went to war with the Yaki.

[Song Of Obsidian]

More delighted laughter ensues. Stop it.