Megaversal Remix

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:06 am Post subject: Step Nine: Why Are You Here?

Let's face it. This mission is at best dangerous, at worst foolish, and realistically a suicide mission. Some of you aren't coming back from this. Perhaps none of you are. And yet you're still here, still part of the program, still preparing to launch into hostile, unexplored territory with no hope of reinforcements when things go to hell.

So, what happened in your life (aside from the millions of ships obliterating over half of humanity) that has made you opt into this program. Are you here for the potential rewards, the chance to work on the cutting edge of technology, or something more personal?

This question might be tricky to answer in specifics since the word breakdown isn't up, but I'm intending to have that ready by tomorrow at the latest. Still though, I wanted to get this thread up so you can start thinking (and posting) about what has brought your character to this point, to this mission. To this probable death.

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Necessary response to the opening question:

"What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:35 am Post subject:

Vengeance, pure and simple.

My character's race was almost completely wiped out of existence...it's time to repay the favor.

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

General response, based on who I am right now.

Basically, my character is trouble in a normal outfit. He's very competent, but he constantly tests the boundaries. You'll let him go here, so he'll push it to there. If you let him there, he'll go three steps further... and when you finally challenge him on things, he'll move back one of the three steps he just took. This has resulted in three things:

a) His promotion rate has been glacial. MAC II's look positively fleet-footed compared to his promotion track. I figure that as things stand, the UEEF can't really afford an "up or out" system, so he's stewed at the lower ranks (O3 or CW3) for most of his career... early promotion was normal to rapid, then no one higher up was going to take a chance on him.

b) He's been shuffled from command to command a lot, as officers get rid of him. He gets volunteered for special duty that will take him away from whoever his CO is at the time.

c) He's got a lot of weird and varied experience. Need someone who's built fortifications on Jovian moons? He's done that. Need someone who's done grunt-work on new technology testing? He's been there, done that, pissed someone off. Need someone who's done live-fire testing of various weapons systems? He's done that, twice.

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:57 am Post subject:

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:10 am Post subject:

As a rank note, no one other than Al is likely to be above O3, under the UE rank system in the Shadow Chronicles. You guys are highly, highly trained, hence the XP, but you've not done much actual field work of late (lots of simulations, both in simulators and with live targets, but you're not throwing down with the enemy on a regular basis).

Al, you're looking at O4.

pg 93 of the shadow chronicles manga sized edition.

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:13 am Post subject:

Major. Y'all can suck on that one. Twisted Evil

Wait...now I'll get the "Major.......Asshole" comments.

Anyway back to Mark's question. Honestly, of the 3 the first one just seemed kinda dull compared to the other 2. Probably because I've seen the nightmares that come when people get stuck at lower ranks for too long. They become bitter and are often incompetent.

So it's more due to personal flashbacks than anything else. Laughing

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:16 am Post subject:

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:48 am Post subject:

If I could offer a little GM advice based on the setting that everyone isn't privy to yet simply because I haven't put it on paper....

I imagine most Full blood Zentraedi are going to be part of Breetai's fleet if they serve in the UEEF military machine. Considering he has somewhere in the neighborhood of 500,000 ships, that's not hard to handle even with all the new babies being born.

So people like Nexx, who opt into the human side of the military, are very much a rare commodity, even all these years after the sides came together. Half breeds are very common in the human side, but full bloods not so much.

That can have a lot to do with his rank issues.

Another option, given your mother Nexx, is that you've been kept in because of her, but you're not going any higher either unless you do something really exceptional. She could be another Miriam.

Neither of these have to be the answer, but they are both potential extra reasons that can reflect your situation and not necessarily your character's issues or insecurity or whathaveyou.

And whether you choose to take it as a reason or not, full bloods will tend to be with other full bloods for active service -- you're not a 1% of the UEEF type rarity, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-10% of the UEEF human size will be full blood zents, and a LOT of those will be female pilots or exedore like brains.

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

I'll actually take both A and B, Marrow... partially kept in because of my mother's influence (she's not Azonia, but a well-respected Zent brain), and partially because I'm the only black guy on a white police force.

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:59 am Post subject:

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:02 am Post subject:

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:05 am Post subject:

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Until we get into space, and I'm the only purple-belly around.

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:08 am Post subject:

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:10 am Post subject:

Can I recommend Sixth Sense then, Nexx? Very Happy

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:26 am Post subject:

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:28 am Post subject:

Back to my other question, Al. :p

Mark Hall · Acolyte Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 773

Marrowlight · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:33 am Post subject:

Alejandro · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:45 am Post subject: