Kyrillos Taliadoros vs. Thandi Palane

Was going to say Thandi as well ...

But seeing Kyrillos is sorely lacking support I'm switching sides and put my money on him.

Besides it's boring when the good gals always are tougher than the minions of the evil overlords.
Heros facing superior opposition make for much better story.

Kyrillos is a modern supervillain - designed and built to be the best, strongest, toughest and most efficient killer in a human-sized and -looking package and trained to use his abilities too.

Thandi might be better in a military situation. But in a close-combat 1 on 1 setting with no surprise for either side I now claim he'll win.

Thandi- if Kyrillos doesn't inflict decisive damage in the first exchange.

You have a genetically engineered and trained assassin/bodyguard going up against a warrior that has matching genetic engineering (in physical attributes like muscle mass, bone density, reaction time, ...), matching or superior training (Sollie Marines are pretty much the only part of their military that hasn't atrophied) and who has been using, and honing, those skills for her whole adult life.

Unless there's some decisive modification that I don't remember- I'd call the physical attribute of the two to be fairly even.

For mental toughness, I think Thandi has that one won hands down. She's been scratching, clawing and fighting her whole life, so facing a Mesan boogieman isn't going to bother her much.

I think her experience in actual combat and using her skills in actual combat (opposed to assassination) will give her an advantage. She's not going to panic at the first sight of blood- hers or his- nor is she likely to let pain from an injury distract her either.

Besides, this is a woman that throws Scrags around for fun and breaks their bones to make a point.

In a fair, no holds barred fight, Kyrillos all the way. And here's why;


1) Given Honorverse tech, the right (sub)dermal inserts to make him resistant to light pulse weapon fire would also negate edged blows Thandi could deliver.

2) Bone inserts. Even we can add steel plating and supports to bone for medical reasons today. Now consider how much better-fitting, nanite-grown inserts Honorverse could deliver with its two millennia of medical advances. And instead of steel, they got materials an order of magnitude tougher at least. Simply put, Kyrillos' bones aren't breaking by a punch. Or even by a fall at terminal velocity. Now if he got in an elevator ride with Harry Dresden...

3) Biochemical augmentation. There's a few things evolution won't be providing to Thandi that Kyrillos could easily have. Muted pain receptors is one. Enhanced glands that pour strength and reaction enhancing chemicals into his bloodstream and remove any strength governors during a fight-or-flight situation is another. After all, someone bred for high receptivity to quick-heal and regeneration techniques wouldn't mind if they took some superficial damage to win a fight.

Belial666 wrote:In a fair, no holds barred fight, Kyrillos all the way. And here's why;


1) Given Honorverse tech, the right (sub)dermal inserts to make him resistant to light pulse weapon fire would also negate edged blows Thandi could deliver.

2) Bone inserts. Even we can add steel plating and supports to bone for medical reasons today. Now consider how much better-fitting, nanite-grown inserts Honorverse could deliver with its two millennia of medical advances. And instead of steel, they got materials an order of magnitude tougher at least. Simply put, Kyrillos' bones aren't breaking by a punch. Or even by a fall at terminal velocity. Now if he got in an elevator ride with Harry Dresden...

3) Biochemical augmentation. There's a few things evolution won't be providing to Thandi that Kyrillos could easily have. Muted pain receptors is one. Enhanced glands that pour strength and reaction enhancing chemicals into his bloodstream and remove any strength governors during a fight-or-flight situation is another. After all, someone bred for high receptivity to quick-heal and regeneration techniques wouldn't mind if they took some superficial damage to win a fight.

So is Kyrillos the Honorverse equivalent of Marvel Comics' Wolverine?

Belial666 wrote:In a fair, no holds barred fight, Kyrillos all the way. And here's why;


1) Given Honorverse tech, the right (sub)dermal inserts to make him resistant to light pulse weapon fire would also negate edged blows Thandi could deliver.

2) Bone inserts. Even we can add steel plating and supports to bone for medical reasons today. Now consider how much better-fitting, nanite-grown inserts Honorverse could deliver with its two millennia of medical advances. And instead of steel, they got materials an order of magnitude tougher at least. Simply put, Kyrillos' bones aren't breaking by a punch. Or even by a fall at terminal velocity. Now if he got in an elevator ride with Harry Dresden...

3) Biochemical augmentation. There's a few things evolution won't be providing to Thandi that Kyrillos could easily have. Muted pain receptors is one. Enhanced glands that pour strength and reaction enhancing chemicals into his bloodstream and remove any strength governors during a fight-or-flight situation is another. After all, someone bred for high receptivity to quick-heal and regeneration techniques wouldn't mind if they took some superficial damage to win a fight.

If that is the case, I fallback to the modified Indiana Jones option:

*Taliadoros confronts Palane
*Taliadoros explains (bad guys always explain things) why he will kill her because of all the advantages above.
*Thandi smiles.
*From ambush Victor blows his head off.
The End.

Hutch wrote:

Belial666 wrote:In a fair, no holds barred fight, Kyrillos all the way. And here's why;

1) Given Honorverse tech, the right (sub)dermal inserts to make him resistant to light pulse weapon fire would also negate edged blows Thandi could deliver.

2) Bone inserts. Even we can add steel plating and supports to bone for medical reasons today. Now consider how much better-fitting, nanite-grown inserts Honorverse could deliver with its two millennia of medical advances. And instead of steel, they got materials an order of magnitude tougher at least. Simply put, Kyrillos' bones aren't breaking by a punch. Or even by a fall at terminal velocity. Now if he got in an elevator ride with Harry Dresden...

3) Biochemical augmentation. There's a few things evolution won't be providing to Thandi that Kyrillos could easily have. Muted pain receptors is one. Enhanced glands that pour strength and reaction enhancing chemicals into his bloodstream and remove any strength governors during a fight-or-flight situation is another. After all, someone bred for high receptivity to quick-heal and regeneration techniques wouldn't mind if they took some superficial damage to win a fight.

If that is the case, I fallback to the modified Indiana Jones option:

*Taliadoros confronts Palane
*Taliadoros explains (bad guys always explain things) why he will kill her because of all the advantages above.
*Thandi smiles.
*From ambush Victor blows his head off.
The End.

Love it, anything that gets me to belly laugh in the Honorverse is an unexpected bonus. Poor Black Victor would then have to explain to her that "yeah, I know you'da kicked his a-- anyway, dear..." Although I don't know if Vic. has a sweet enough smile to help calm this girl down well enough. More likely he'd have to quickly offer to trade a quick romp in the hay, her choices for a significant amount of forgiveness. Everybody would feel so much better afterwards. Oh, except Taliadoros. He's dead, Jim.

Belial666 wrote:In a fair, no holds barred fight, Kyrillos all the way. And here's why;


1) Given Honorverse tech, the right (sub)dermal inserts to make him resistant to light pulse weapon fire would also negate edged blows Thandi could deliver.

2) Bone inserts. Even we can add steel plating and supports to bone for medical reasons today. Now consider how much better-fitting, nanite-grown inserts Honorverse could deliver with its two millennia of medical advances. And instead of steel, they got materials an order of magnitude tougher at least. Simply put, Kyrillos' bones aren't breaking by a punch. Or even by a fall at terminal velocity. Now if he got in an elevator ride with Harry Dresden...

3) Biochemical augmentation. There's a few things evolution won't be providing to Thandi that Kyrillos could easily have. Muted pain receptors is one. Enhanced glands that pour strength and reaction enhancing chemicals into his bloodstream and remove any strength governors during a fight-or-flight situation is another. After all, someone bred for high receptivity to quick-heal and regeneration techniques wouldn't mind if they took some superficial damage to win a fight.

It wouldn't matter. Thandi is a killer. She would know her opponent. And although Kyrillos could wear a high impact cup to protect his oysters, his eyes, nose and neck would still be vulnerable. You can kill a man by driving his nose into his brain. Thandi has the strength, tactics and kill spirit.

Kyrillos will be little more than one of Lady Croft's sparring robots, and when Thandi is done with him, and all of those implants have been ripped out of him thru his spleen, it'll only serve to fuel an argument with Victor, "You told me this was going to be worth my time and a good fight. I missed sex for this shit? What a pussy."

Victor, "Maybe it was a defective model babe."

I'm not sure which would win, but I would hesitate to say Thandi since she has meanness and a killer attitude on her side. If that were the be all and end all, then the wolverine would rule the world. There are other factors, and we don't know enough about Taliadoros to make a call.