On the Army Of The Red Spear 002: Bleak Despair Sector · 6:08pm Jul 26th, 2019
Bleak Despair Sector
As I have a little time free today that cannot usefully be spent on Illyphase, and I have foolishly been once again encouraged, we will continue the much-delayed second instalment of On the Army Of The Red Spear.
As mentioned last time, today we will be looking at an overview of Bleak Despair Sector and its personnel.
(I am opting to do this before getting into any of the more technical overviews which will come later, since these will have relevance to any future or archival Bleakbane Plays.)
Bleak Despair Sector is a small sector of space controlled by the Aotrs. It is named for Bleak Despair Station which is, barring a few outposts, the only inhabited facility within the sector. Bleak Despair Sector is a relatively quiet backwater, being positioned towards the fringes of Aotrs space. In fact, it would likely not be occupied at all, save for the presence of a wormhole - which leads directly to your particular Sol system[1].
The wormhole is not detectable to 21st century human technology, and while under current Aotrs technologies, the wormhole is inaccessible to starships, it allows transmission of energy (e.g. communications, teleportation) and is still considered a potential threat as a back door into Aotrs space. While in the top ten major powers of the galaxy, the Aotrs are far from the top - and there is a large gap between us and those at the top, who have technologies and/or magic well beyond us. Even possible technological contemporaries might have technology which might allow them to fully utilise the wormhole, even if we cannot. Given its position, an attack though the wormhole would allow a strike right into the centre of the Aotrs space. So Bleak Despair Sector exists as a precautionary measure.
Bleak Despair itself, then, is constructed in proximity to the wormhole on the fringes of the G-2679 system. G-2679 is an otherwise unremarkable single star system, with no planets. The handful of other star systems assigned to the sector are largely barren, and only a couple of minor mining facilities or outposts within them. Bleak Despair station is large, in the five kilometre range, much of which is dedicated to maintenance and starship "dry"-docks.
While a well-protected and formidable combat element in its own right, Bleak Despair is supplemented by its Sector Fleet of around seventy starships and itself maintains a not insignificant ground army. The precise number of ships fluctuates, as vessels are rotated out to more active duty-zones or to the Sector Fleet for periods of rest or even refit on some occasions.
This is Bleak Despair's secondary function. As a quiet backwater, but one not too far from the Aotrs core worlds, Bleak Despair is well-situated to function as a designated mustering point for vessels for various reasons. Some have suffered heavy combat losses of crew (while they are slowly recovered or replaced). Others are new vessels, undergoing or just having completed their shake-down trials and are awaiting new commanders or crew. Some even are assigned for some limited R&R. R&R is typically more suited to the larger planets, but Bleak Despair works as an overflow or a short-term stay. Vessels not at full strength would take a secondary role to the standing elements of the sector fleet and the full-strength ships were combat to break out. Under-crewed vessels could even, in an emergency, be supplemented by the station's own substantial crews, allowing them to function in a combat situation, if not at 100% of their usual combat efficiency.
Bleak Despair is essentially a second-line facility, and is thus usually (but not always!) quite far down the pipeline to be assigned brand new equipment, vehicles or ships, though it is by no means under-equipped.
As a result of all of this, Bleak Despair sector is a relatively relaxed command. As Aotrs ethos is to work smart rather than hard, it means that the crew (including myself) have a lot more free time than they would elsewhere. Though the assumption that this atmosphere translates to lax or inattentive operations would be a highly dangerous one to make. Professionalism is a millennia old-core ethos to the Aotrs, ingrained from the top down, and anyone thinking that they would be able to catch Bleak Despair unaware would find themselves greatly dismayed.
Command Crew
Commodore Bleakbane
Me, perhaps my favourite subject after starships.
I have been in command of Bleak Despair Sector for about dozen years now. I was recruited by the Aotrs at around the turn of the millennium (about the time I was finishing university on (your) Earth). I'm afraid the specifics of that period, and my contributions that got me noticed are one of the things that are classified. After that period, I was assigned to Bleak Despair to become the liaison to Earth (as I was already familiar with it), and eventually taking over command from Captain Foulstorm when he moved on.
By "liaison", we really mean "to keep an eye on you," rather than any official diplomatic contact. In fact, the greatest pain of my duty here are the regulations explicitly forbidding me from doing anything outside of plausible deniability. So, much as I would like to march around in the naked bone and terrify the populace and be visible on every news channel, or better turn up with a Midnight Dreadnought to bombard large parts of the planet and/or conquer it - I can't. (I do keep putting those requests in, though...) I am therefore, obliged for all official purposes to pretend to be what I was before, up to an including using the relevant multiple sense illusions when out in public.
(With great irony, places like here, or the Giant in the Playground, I can afford to me actually myself, simple because OF the air of plausible deniability granted to me. Someone once commented how he'd never seen my "break character," but of course the irony is that in my interactions, it was just about the only time I am NOT "in character," - and even here, I am not entirely free.)
I thus spend a fair amount of time going between Bleak Despair and Earth. Indeed, connecting to the internet requires me to either be Earth-side or linking to it, since linking what is roughly the equivalent of 27th century technology to 21st is like trying to directly get an MP3 player to talk to a gramophone.
Fortunately, my own capabilities make this easy. I am a spellcaster - necromancer - of some considerably ability. On the D&D-steeped Giant in the playground boards, I have described myself as being Epic level (a term used in 3.0 and 3.5 for characters above level 20) and this is - like a lot of things, not strictly accurate but illustrative. It means I have no problem with the illusion spells required, nor in using Gate XXV - which is classified as a 30th level spell by our metric - whenever i need. (This would equate to something like, a 13th level spell slot in 3.5 DD? It is not an exact process, since, funnily enough, the world does not run on D&D standards. "Levels" of spell exist, however, measured by complexity and what is best described as I once heard someone talk about D&D spells as akin to the valences of electron orbits.)
I am, as you have surely gathered by now, a Spirit-Bound Lich. I have been unusually lucky to have undergone Spiv-Wi-Re-ment at such an early age (as I am only hitting 40 come October). This can be either blamed or credited to my local ponythread, depending which way you look at it. My interactions with the denizens thereof are best described as "shenanigans," but they did not interfere with operations (or at least not as anything we couldn't use as training exercises), so I permitted an amount of leeway I would not have extended to anyone else. One of these instances involved me attempting to mana-mould, which means essentials trying to make a spell, essentially, on the fly by the direct manipulation of magic. This is a risky business, as i found to my cost, as my attempts to reverse a shape-shifting effect backfired when my concentration was disrupted, and i spent some weeks in what can only be described as a "chibi" form. As it was something I had inflicted upon myself, it couldn't be broken directly. But eventually something triggered a burst of rage, which kick-started my Spiv-Wi-Re-ment and restoring me to my normal form - with the exception that I am now composed, not of bone, but a form of mithril alloy. Which is, as you can imagine, frickin' awesome.
I have often mentioned a personal preference for Maximised Disintegrate as my primary offensive spell. While it IS a disintegrator beam, it in practise is a spell of my own devising (more of a custom modification, to be precise) and bears only superficial resemblance to the metamagiced spell after which is it named.
However, my personal go-to for excessive violence is my dear rocket launcher. That too, is slightly inaccurate. The SK-series Snake Guided missile Launcher is not really a "rocket", but an anti-tank/SAM warhead. The launchers have changed little for many years, with the advancement being in software or the actual warheads. (The most current being the SK-4, which came in a few years ago, replacing the SK-3B.) The SK launcher itself is a good two metres long and is very sturdy, making it an ideal heavy object with which to pound things to a delightful squishy pulp. Thus, when I often speak of being an angry Lich with a rocket launcher, I usually am not intending to waste a precious warhead on the object of my ire...
I also have acquired a Strayvian "rocket" launcher in my tenure. Strayvians missiles are even more advanced than ours, so I am very sparing with the reloads. It also has had to be customised, as the Stravyians are seven-eight-foot tall lava aliens built like brick outhouses, so the grip had to be adjusted somewhat. Fortunately, with that Lich-strength, I could, if I so wished, dual-wield both weapons at once...
Commander Hopereaver
Commander Amalyar Hopereaver is my second-in-command and able adjutant. She is a highly competent officer and her secondary speciality is assassination, which means she occasionally has a few off-Sector assignments and-
I feel I should mention that it took him five years to realise I was a girl.
- she has an unfortunate tendency to interrupt me when I'm talking!
Well, if you will do this on the speech-to-text system on the bridge, boss...
And we've been over this, you have a quite a deep voice-
I believe your exact word was "androgynous." No, you're not the only one that remembers things exactly from years ago.
-and I can't tell the difference between a boy skeleton and a girl skeleton, I’m a necromancer not a biologist and wow, that actually makes it sound worse doesn't it?
You see what i have to put up with?
Quiet you.
AS I WAS SAYING, like me, she was a regular (if you can call it that) Lich before our interactions with ponythread.
However, due to an instance of her being resurrected by one of the more... eccentric? Divinities that also frequented ponythread, Hopereaver is no longer skeletal, but has the appearance of her living self.
So there is no question that I'm a girl, now, is there?
...
Hopereaver, please don't do that.
Hopereaver is still Undead (technically, her ground state makes it hard to determine), but she has access to all her lich powers and can enter a series of what we have taken to calling a magical girl state, where her form becomes more Undeath-y, starting with just her eye glowing like eyeglows to her most recent top-form where she essentially becomes skeletal. The whole affair, though, has given her a significant power boost, though we can't quite work out if it truly counts a Spiv-Wi-Re-ment.
Also, I have hair again, and i like my hair. It's blue, in case you were asking, since ponythread assumed I was a redhead because of the voice-to-text output.
...
I'm taller than Bleakbane, too.
And now you see what I have to put up with...
The LT
The LT, who prefers to try and keep out of the shenanigans, is our long-suffering optio on the station's bridge. Say hello, LT.
Must I, sir?
Ensign Thunderpeel Rowdy Tsunami Golden Muffin Do'Hooves I
Woohoo! My turn!
*sigh*
You might have let me brace them first...
Yes, that is our local Derpy. (Local, I should say in the sense of "first Equestria I found when looking though various dimensions from the station.")
I inducted Derpy as an honorary member of the Aotrs as Master Star-Sergeant, following her efforts to remove a larger number of errant ponythreaders from the station.
I found the picture!
This was during my aforementioned unfortunate chibi-state.
Derpy has proved to be an... Alarming proficient student, and has learned spells, like, frankly, a boss.
I can make muffin-zombies now!
Quite.
She was promoted to Ensign by none other than Lord Death Despoil the Lichemaster himself, following an eleven month assignment - operation Scattering Cloud - where he need to be out of sight, and so, because he sadly in this one instance, is not without a sense of humour, faked his death at Derpy's hands and made her ruler. This was dropped on me on April the first. After I thought dressing Derpy up as Lord Death Despoil was the joke.
I was Bleakbane's boss for a nearly a whole year, and I made him call me Lord Derp Despoil or the Lichmuffin and we were the Army Of The Red Scone-
There was a disturbing thorough explanation of how scones were a type quick-bread like muffins.
- and made them introduce a mandatory annual baking competition!
Lord Death Despoil rather liked that idea and has kept it on...
Carnage Team
Finally, we must mention, largely collectively, for their sheer number, my Pokémon, who I collected during another little reality-jaunt. They number about eight hundred now, all told, though only about a hundred and fifty form the primary team.
Foremost among them is Darkspark the Pikachu, the greatest proof that "there are no bad Pokémon" is a bald-faced lie.
Pika!
I am the entity that thinks of him highest in the world, and even I think he's a psychotic little sadistic maniac.
Ka pi chu.
But he is my psychotic little sadistic maniac.
Darkspark's idea of "held items", for example, has in the past run to haddocks (both fresh and several weeks old), mallets, clubs with nails in them, a sock full of horse-shoes, crowbars, tasers, cattleprods, Molotov cocktails, rocketguns and on one notable occasion, a communicator uplink to an orbiting Subterfuge Scoutship.
And barely a step behind in temperament and viciousness are Bleakling...
Minnnnnccino!
...and Blitzkrieg.
Emolllllga!
I will not try to introduce them all, for we should be here all day, but let me just mention in passing, in no particular order, Sleepstar, Crevasse, Gloomquake, Teratorn, Coldsteel, Ambush, Subterfuge, Incinerate, Cinder, Gagana, WytchFyre, Glorious, Sear, Singe, Ignite, Waverunner, Slurry, Razor, Cloudwisp, Undertow, Overflow, Riptide, Mystery, Radiant, Entrancer, Nova, Galesmite, Chasm, Cerastes, Scitalis, Serpent, Venom, Viper, Toxin, Virulence, Splashdown, Coruscate, Endikiyr, Gloaming, Spite, Wraith, Banshee, Lich, Revenant, Dreamrose, Ethereal, Whipslash, Wingfight, Pterasaur, Windrazor, Mindslayer, Timerender, Starseeker, Starsurge, Sparkle, Balefire, Cavitate, Traproot, Royal Oak, Impact, Iron Slam, Cascade, Bladerush, Mithril, Frigate, Hurricane, Typhoon, Fenstalker, Earthdrake, Grass Slam, Seism, Smoulder, Hopebrand, Iridium, Cavelier, Moonbeam, Drown, Lava, Viledeep, Zaprunner, Bast, Lightspeed, Overburn, Valour, Tyrant, Hellbore, Pounce, Skeleking, Scramble, Iceberg, Doomflood, Desiccate, Brightfang, Magi, Warlock, Enchanter, Smite, Webshock, Argyroneta, Scimitar, Pyreblight, Oceanid, Cacophony, Caustic Mire, Gladius, Patagaly, Abiea, Snowdrift, Illithid, Snowdrift, Nightfire and Kunochi (and I have left a great deal more out still, even of the primary teams...)
I will not even joke about you trying to guess what Pokémon they are.
So, there you can see what sort of organised chaos (often quite literally) that Bleak Despair is on most days.
In the next instalment, come that when it may, we will look at Aotrs magic, and an explanation of the Aotrs Gate spells and technology.
(Don't fear - or perhaps do - there are a LOT of topics i can cover... The rest of them are really rather sane by comparison.)
And I thought this was going to be SHORT entry...
[1]I make that distinction for good reason, for it is one that is a complex topic all to itself to be discussed at a later date and I only note in passing here.
I was under the impression that you favored setting things on lightning. Granted, that seems to mostly come up against jerks who are not strictly combatants, so maybe here you're talking about what you favor during actual fights. (Yes, I've seen some of your posts on GitP, although I'm not really lurking there anymore beyond checking the first page of the discussion thread for the new comic page whenever there happens to be one on the assumption that I missed some of the subtler jokes)
I had to look up what an "Optio" is. The definition I found suggests jurisdictional issues with Hopereaver.
Also, in the same way that idiots do not understand knowledge, geniuses do not understand foolishness.
ShineWrite on, crazydiamondmythril skeleton.5094610
Oh, I do, in preference to fire. I have a WIDE range of offenses after all.
It should be noted, of course, that setting things on lightning means they have a chance to suffer before they die, whereas Maximised Disintegrate is best when used when you making people OTHER than the victim scared, since it, sort of by definion, instantly zots the target out of existance. (Well, it's actually more of a kkkhowwwww sort of sound, maybe a like a gout of water exploding out from something under high pressure, but you get the idea.)
(Also, in practical terms, the Aotrs-standard Lightning Bolt is an effective anti-tank weapon, whereas Fireball is not so much.)
I was being more polite than "dogbody..."
That said, it is worth noting that the analogy holds adequately if you know the structure of the Roman Army a little better; Optio is indeed more correct if you assume that Hopereaver is the Centurion and I am the Legate.
(I mean you could make a an arguement towards Hopereaver being the Praefectus and the LT being the Tribunus Laticlavius but then you're perhaps extending the metaphor a bit far, and if you had to look up Optio...!)