Spoiler Solarian idiots Spoiler

Vince wrote:

Northstar" [quote="waddles for desert wrote:Policy has changed since Mike sent the first expedition to Saltash. Since she has changed her policy, I just do not see Mike leaving a guy like Duenas in control at Saltash. Saltash is more or less on the route from Meyers to Mesa. Maybe a second expedition will be sent to implement the new policy.

Saltash is closer to Lynx than most of the systems in the Talbott Quadrant and about as close to Spindle as systems like Pequod. But, inviting it to join the SEM might seem too imperialistic to star systems the SEM may hope to rally to its cause in the future.

Something like the Madras Federation may be the first SLN successor state. Saltash, while nominally independent, had problems when it was fully independent. But, by now,Saltash would probably be quite pleased to be end its association with OFS. Joining something like a future Madras Federation might be a viable option.

The distance from Meyers to Saltash is probably greater than the distance from Spindle to Pequod. But, it is probably less than the distance from Lynx to Pequod. Maybe not an ideal permanent solution, but maybe the best hope it has for now.

Did Duenas survive? I thought he was in a bunker under the building Terakov zapped bigtime. ???

I agree with the rest of your post. Sounds entirely reasonable to me.

I need to read the book again. I'm too fuzzy in too many places.

No, Terekov hit the tower that President Lombroso (hiding in the basement) and Brigadier Yucel were in the capital city of Landing (a very common name for capital cities in the Honorverse), in the Mobius system. And the forces that hit both Mobius and Meyers set out after Zavala returned from Saltash. Terekhov even let Yucel know about the results of the battle when he contacted her.[/quote]


Nope, Lombroso was hiding in the basement of the Presidential Palace what Terikov hit was the President Lombroso Arms Tower that Yucel was using as her HQ. IIRC the KEW Terekov used destroyed everything within 3km (2mi) of the Lombroso Arms including the Presidential Palace

saber964 wrote:Nope, Lombroso was hiding in the basement of the Presidential Palace what Terikov hit was the President Lombroso Arms Tower that Yucel was using as her HQ. IIRC the KEW Terekov used destroyed everything within 3km (2mi) of the Lombroso Arms including the Presidential Palace

Correction: The kinetic strike obliterated everything within an 3 block radius, not a 3 kilometer radius. For people who don't know the reference, in the US a "block" is usually 1/8th of a mile, or a hair longer than .2 km.

A 3 km radius would have destroyed the entire city.

In my opinion, Mike will leave Saltash alone. She has no reason to go back, or to send someone else to do in Duenas. As word of the fall of Meyers gets around, and it will eventually, planets will start to bubble. Saltash, after the demonstration that their local OFS Gov. is totally idiotic, will be looking for new leadership without any further shaking. Lt. Gov. Tiilikainen has positioned herself as being smart enough to see what was coming from the Manties and willing to do something to mitigate others stupidity. The locals are also smart enough to realize they need an outside stabilizing influence. With the backing of Capt. Myau and Capt. MacNaughton, can she overthrow Duenas and set up her own government?

Well, one good thing came out of the Saltash expedition.

Now we know what it takes to make a Solly see reason.

A tribarrel pointed at their knees seems to work wonders.

jtg452 wrote:Well, one good thing came out of the Saltash expedition.

Now we know what it takes to make a Solly see reason.

A tribarrel pointed at their knees seems to work wonders.

It wasn't a tribarrel. It was a flechette gun.

KNick wrote:

jtg452 wrote:Well, one good thing came out of the Saltash expedition.

Now we know what it takes to make a Solly see reason.

A tribarrel pointed at their knees seems to work wonders.

It wasn't a tribarrel. It was a flechette gun.

You're right, I just checked my copy.

See what happens when I work 13 hours and try to be a smart alec? I screw it up every time.

KNick wrote:In my opinion, Mike will leave Saltash alone. She has no reason to go back, or to send someone else to do in Duenas. As word of the fall of Meyers gets around, and it will eventually, planets will start to bubble. Saltash, after the demonstration that their local OFS Gov. is totally idiotic, will be looking for new leadership without any further shaking. Lt. Gov. Tiilikainen has positioned herself as being smart enough to see what was coming from the Manties and willing to do something to mitigate others stupidity. The locals are also smart enough to realize they need an outside stabilizing influence. With the backing of Capt. Myau and Capt. MacNaughton, can she overthrow Duenas and set up her own government?

I wonder if she is from Mannerheim? Her name is the wright ethnic background. Which would make her "lack of ambition" part of her assignment and enable her to join the RF in about 18 monthes.

waddles for desert wrote:Policy has changed since Mike sent the first expedition to Saltash. Since she has changed her policy, I just do not see Mike leaving a guy like Duenas in control at Saltash. Saltash is more or less on the route from Meyers to Mesa. Maybe a second expedition will be sent to implement the new policy.

By my map, it's hardly on the route. Saltash appears to be farther from Myers than Mesa is, and roughly 30 degrees off a direct approach.

Saltash is closer to Lynx than most of the systems in the Talbott Quadrant and about as close to Spindle as systems like Pequod. But, inviting it to join the SEM might seem too imperialistic to star systems the SEM may hope to rally to its cause in the future.

It may not be a matter of an "invitation". To the best of my knowledge, no human-inhabited star system has ever been "invited" to join the Star Kingdom/Empire. San Martin, Lynx (A), and the Talbott Cluster weren't "invited"; they asked to join the SKM (although the Cluster ended up forming a separate entity within the Empire rather than actually joining the Kingdom). As the standard of living of TQ citizens sharply rises, it is not far-fetched to think that Saltash and some of its neighbors might wish to form their own Quadrant of the SEM. I even expect New Tuscany to come to the realization that they'll be better off if they join the TQ, especially if a Matapan Quadrant is formed to their galactic "north", and everyone sees how that works out.

The sort of deal [spoiler: click/drag cursor across to read]Mike offered the King of Myers[/spoiler] is probably the standard approach that will be used when the GA liberates a system from OFS. All impetus to join the Empire will come from free systems, who already enjoy being on good terms with Manticore, but feel that even a military alliance and open trade isn't as secure as the commitment the Crown makes to defend and invest in an actual member of the Empire.

One of the ways to make trouble for the SEM, by the author, is to have many planets and systems decide they would be better off as members of the Empire and ask to join on the TQ terms, using the TQ Constitution only substituting their names in the appropriate places.

The SEM is already severely challenged incorporating the TQ, having more and still more planets and systems clamoring to join - on the same terms and Constitution Parliament already accepted for the TQ - would be very difficult for the SEM to handle.

It is not only EEs and weapons that can wreck havoc, too many 'We love you and we want to get married now' kisses could be even more difficult to deal with.

TheMonster wrote:It may not be a matter of an "invitation". To the best of my knowledge, no human-inhabited star system has ever been "invited" to join the Star Kingdom/Empire.

Silesia was "invited" to join the Empire in the "you have no choice" sense.