[GZG] Requesting a little help with a background (Revolt on

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu
http://vermouth.csua.berkeley.edu:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lKen
,

You've got a problem. Even if the Consul turned off the gate, when his faction
was being annihilated, he'd have to turn it back on (or someone would do it
without his authority even if that required 'removing' him). If, on the other
hand, it is blown up, how do Terrans even claim 1 full replacement load of
reinforcements?

I think the political angle is better. Consul doesn't want his superiors (and
rivals) to know he's having 'a spot of bother with the wogs' so he just
doesn't report it. He does report a few minor incidents, nothing he can't
handle, but it justifies calling in some Terran units from *elsewhere in the
system* (other terran posts in the middle and outer system) to help 'give the
locals a greater sense of security'. No great technological jigaboo, no great
rebel coup de grace (besides, one presumes the rebel houses still need the
gate to access their own offworld structures and connections).

So the Consul is just unwilling to admit that his problem is serious. He
thinks he can handle it with his existing troops plus some others from ships
and small outposts already in the system.

He could be right, he could be wrong, but no way he's giving the Emperor and
the Consul's rivals at court any sign that this might not be entirely under
control.

For their part, the locals want to avoid *real* Imperial interest, so they
don't do anything crazy (like blowing up a gate - who is going to ignore
that?) or launching attacks in other systems. They want to just quietly seize
key assets and then they'll probably end up getting the current Consul turfed,
getting one of theirs appointed to the job, and things more or less continue
as is (just with a new boss and new concessions to different houses). This
means they really don't want the Empire's attention ever, except when they
point out how inept the current Consul was (assuming they win) and when they
'suggest' his replacement, who now has things well in hand (fait accomplit).

I think this gives both the Rebels and the Terran faction reasons to mutually
hide the realities of the conflict from the Terran government. It helps of
course that the Terran bureaucracy is large, unwieldy, byzantine, and full of
politically interested hacks with axes to grind and small empires to defend.
Stagnant and glacial are their keywords. The only real danger is actually
waking them up and giving them enough of a reason to
really get involved - they don't do it often, but if it happens, watch
you. No one wants that, on either side. That could end up with a disgraced
Consul
and seven houses put under Imperial thumb - which the Empire could do,
if someone actually woke them up. Better to leave the sleeping dragon lie.

That's just one thought,

Thomas B