callsign-revoked

[callsign-revoked]

Ah, lessee, the next planet on our patrol schedule should be... Ah, we're due for a stop by Hercynia. Wonder how those HRA folk are doin' these days...

Should be fine to ship it there. We've got a few friends planetside that we can trust to hold onto it until we arrive. Thanks, friend.

- "Captain" Jack

Things found during Search and Rescue, pt 2

An incredible amount of you lose shit on the Omninet.

That being said, some of the wreckages today came up with more strange things.

- A completely sealed 1000 thread count sheet set (with duvet)

- A piece of art done in classical painting styles that eerily resembles an acquaintance of mine

- One workboot with teal laces

- An old monocular telescope

- three limes

- eldritch horror potato

- a crowbar made out of rebar (????)

- A dog collar, sans dog

- A sealed glass jar of peanut butter that's so old the contents are...murky.

- Another rubber duck. This one is a princess.

[callsign-revoked]

Hey, d'you ever figure out who that disassembled firearm from the last batch belonged to? We still ain't found Nightingale's revolver and you never confirmed or denied whether the description matched.

If it does, I'll shoot a location to send it off to. If not, don't worry about it.

- "Captain" Jack

Things found during Search and Rescue, pt 2

An incredible amount of you lose shit on the Omninet.

That being said, some of the wreckages today came up with more strange things.

- A completely sealed 1000 thread count sheet set (with duvet)

- A piece of art done in classical painting styles that eerily resembles an acquaintance of mine

- One workboot with teal laces

- An old monocular telescope

- three limes

- eldritch horror potato

- a crowbar made out of rebar (????)

- A dog collar, sans dog

- A sealed glass jar of peanut butter that's so old the contents are...murky.

- Another rubber duck. This one is a princess.

[callsign-revoked]

There's space for nuance. A pirate can be a blockade runner, getting supplies to people that scum like those at the top of Karrakin's hierarchy would rather starve.

They can be showmen, like my lancemate. A clown who draws attention to force the bureaucracy to turn their eyes toward neglected spaces before the real rot settles in too deep.

And sometimes a pirate is just a bastard with a weapon, a soul rotten through with greed, and a flagrant disregard of civilian lives.

These can all be true, sometimes even in the same person, at different times.

But don't deny that evil exists. That's what allows it to propagate. Utopia is still a verb.

- "Captain" Jack

It's interesting seeing new players discuss the "Mundanity of Evil" represented by IPS-N. However, I have to nitpick a lore discrepancy that people seem to miss that certainly impacts the analysis. IPS-N does not have shareholders. They are not a publicly owned business. IPS-N is collectively owned by the workers. Their leadership is democratic.

Yeah. They perpetuate piracy and sell weapons under the table to literally anyone. They work with actual space fascists for weapons research. They also pay and treat their workers the best out of almost any corporation in the galaxy. The benefits are great. Easy to ignore all that shady shit when the paycheck is so good.

[callsign-revoked]

As much as I dislike working with you spooks for... Reasons that should be fairly obvious, count Scopehound in when the orders go out to hunt the bastard down. Even we (nominally ex-)criminals have standards, and mass extermination of civilians and reporters is more than a bit beyond the pale.

- "Captain" Jack, Scopehound Probationary Lance

Alright. I’ve seen quite a few people mention them, and now I feel like I have to ask. What was the 30 Hours War and who is Signal?

[callsign-revoked]

Ya try and give someone advice, and they throw it back in your face... Every time, every time. Well, I suppose that's par for the course, out here.

I won't waste my time or yours continuing to try and convince you that your impression of Union's internal processes is mistaken. At the end of the day, I have my truth, and you have yours.

We'll see which one matches up with reality, one way or another. Don't go dying before then, merc.

- Jack

I have a... few questions for you.

You could've turned yourself in, awaited prosecution, and walked away. As far as I'm aware, you didn't do anything particularly heinous and probably would've walked.

So, why throw in with a war criminal? You're a skilled sniper, and the New Division could use your talents. Stable income, a sanctioned outlet for your talents, the ability to terminate your contract at any time, a retirement plan, reliable teammates... so why a war criminal?

|| JADWIGA ||

( @she-who-paints-with-fire )

(OOC: Sorry if we've had this conversation before. My memory can be charitably compared to that of a goldfish—the snack cracker, not the animal.)

Uh. Hun. Did you miss the part where I (allegedly) gunned down my whole squad? Who thought I was on their side? Shot 'em in the back of two of their heads before the third and fourth could even react?

DOJ/HR wants me thrown in a hole with the rest of the murderers. 'Swhat happens when you lose a war.

(Ooc: don't worry! I like getting asks for Pinkie. This slimy rat is my newest blog! :3)

[callsign-revoked]

As much as I hate to point out any similarities between myself and a heathen like you? Point of fact, my old squad is confirmed to my kill count, not even alleged like yours. There's other factors in there, but I didn't even give the courtesy of shooting backs. Just sabotaged the reactors pre-launch and let the rest sort itself out.

They gave me the option of being transferred to a probationary squad, or spending time in a facility about it. I took the former.

It's one thing to trust blindly that what someone says is the truth, without evidence to back it up; but here I am, clear as day, burning time off my sentence every time I launch, despite everything.

It ain't worth what's left of your soul, Pinkerton. Get outta there before you do something we'll all regret.

- "Captain" Jack, Scopehound Probationary Lance

I have a... few questions for you.

You could've turned yourself in, awaited prosecution, and walked away. As far as I'm aware, you didn't do anything particularly heinous and probably would've walked.

So, why throw in with a war criminal? You're a skilled sniper, and the New Division could use your talents. Stable income, a sanctioned outlet for your talents, the ability to terminate your contract at any time, a retirement plan, reliable teammates... so why a war criminal?

|| JADWIGA ||

( @she-who-paints-with-fire )

(OOC: Sorry if we've had this conversation before. My memory can be charitably compared to that of a goldfish—the snack cracker, not the animal.)

Uh. Hun. Did you miss the part where I (allegedly) gunned down my whole squad? Who thought I was on their side? Shot 'em in the back of two of their heads before the third and fourth could even react?

DOJ/HR wants me thrown in a hole with the rest of the murderers. 'Swhat happens when you lose a war.

(Ooc: don't worry! I like getting asks for Pinkie. This slimy rat is my newest blog! :3)

[callsign-revoked]

I guess I oughta give some explanation as to the state of the idiots I was nominally put in charge of, huh. The rest of this Lance's worth of Union's not-quite-worst.

Nightingale is probably the easiest to talk about, considering none of his official record is redacted or classified. Ex-"Pirate", a Long Rim cowboy, and one of those "Celebrity Criminal" types. Y'know the ones, make a whole mess of noise to force Union to put eyes on reaches of space and force the gears of progress to turn a little faster in that direction.

Even managed to keep the actual harm to civilians low enough that he got shipped off to Scopehound in a beat up secondhand Everest, rather than thrown in a cell. I can respect that, at least.

Next up is our team of electronic and paracausal experts, the White R'yehb'ts; Caerbannog and TIM, a human/NHP duo who take up a majority of my worry of having one of these idiots die on me, and yet simultaneously are the ones I trust most out of the whole Lance.

They still won't tell me what these two did, just that it pissed the SSC off something fierce. Prolly deserved it, knowing the bastards. From all I can tell, they act like brothers, or maybe just the kinda old friends that are close enough to it.

The last one's Cook. The big guy, the "super" soldier, the damn near silent one. Lives up to his name, though, and I've yet to get food poisoning -or regular poisoning- from his works, so I'm inclined to let him have his privacy in exchange for meals that ain't MREs. And besides...

They might not tell me what the R'yehb'ts were up to, but they outright told me to stop asking when it came to Cook. I'm not even sure I wanna know after that, if I'm being honest.

And then, of course, there's little old me. Captain Jack, responsible for one of the few truly unforgivable sins a Lancer can commit, even if the Union DoJ decided I should keep living. Can't imagine it'll be long, though.

No one trusts a Lancer who's assassinated their own squad, after all.

- "Captain" Jack Blanchard, Scopehound Probationary Lance

[callsign-revoked]

Say friend, that disassembled firearm wouldn't happen to be a revolver of Long Rim make, would it?

Nightingale's been complaining that one of his is missing, and I'm tired of hearing him bitch about how one of us in the squad must've taken it.

Should have "Showtime" engraved in fancy calligraphy along the barrel if it's his.

- "Captain" Jack

Things found in today's Search and Rescue:

- a rubber duck with a cowboy hat

- three strange copper coins

- a hairclip

- a really fucked up and dented wrench

- four bananas, still fresh (and edible, according to Mira)

- a fully disassembled firearm

- one shoe

- a paracausal marker (confiscated)

- a half-eaten sandwich (baloney, tomato, and...jam? Strawberry jam???)

Sometimes one finds the most bizarre things out in space.

-Booker

[callsign-revoked]

3 years?! Hold on...

[Sounds of Intense Squad Discussion in the background, unintelligible]

Alright, I'm back. Yeah, Caer tells me you might've just been dating an NHP at that point, buddy.

- Jack

so to clarify i am asking abt this for a FRIEND and not MYSELF but

does anyone who plays the HA mechgirls game know the rate on iskander bc a friend of mine has been playing for a year and still hasn't pulled her and its so sad yknow bc iskander is clearly his fave but somehow he keeps pulling nothing but napoleon and its getting on his nerves

[callsign-revoked]

Look man, there's two reasons I pilot a Viceroy, and the ability to use Launcher-class weaponry as shotguns is only one of 'em.

- Jack

hold up, were people not joking when they say they find mechs hot??

[callsign-revoked]

Wait, they actually made one for HA? The fuck? I thought the meme going around was about a game like that for SSC or Horus.

No clue on the pull rate, but your friend knows they can find better... Ah, "art", just by browsing the Omninet, yeah? Usually by better artists with an actual grasp on what makes something/someone attractive other than "big booba good".

- Jack

so to clarify i am asking abt this for a FRIEND and not MYSELF but

does anyone who plays the HA mechgirls game know the rate on iskander bc a friend of mine has been playing for a year and still hasn't pulled her and its so sad yknow bc iskander is clearly his fave but somehow he keeps pulling nothing but napoleon and its getting on his nerves

[callsign-revoked]

Well, howdy to you as well, stranger.

Yeah, we keep fighting, but damned if command breathing down my neck about keeping my Lancemates on task doesn't strike a nerve sometimes. Y'know they still won't tell me what half of these idiots did to get sent out here?

If we're a match for any Cradle story, it'd probably be Monty Python, if anything. We've already got the White R'yehb't piloted by Caerbannog and TIM.

But that's enough bitching. Good day and good luck, Hearts.

- "Captain" Jack

Connecting...

...

...

Online!

--------------------------------

Well, Omninet, I guess I'm here again.

Call me Jack. "Captain" Jack Blanchard, I suppose, but that name is a joke as much as anything else.

Nominally, I'm the lead pilot of Union's Scopehound Probationary Lance, a last-chance setup for those deemed too useful and not quite damaged enough to be rid of after being caught on the wrong side of Union DoJ.

I hold no real authority, naturally.

I don't regret what I did, nor will I ever, more likely than not. I hold that my actions were for the good of Union. Perhaps that's why I got off with a demotion and orders to look after the rest of these idiots.

If you want a chat, to compare notes, or just to ask questions as to what, where, when, and why, I'll answer as much as I'm allowed, so come on by, I guess.

Better than listening to my comrades bitch about things I can't change, anyway.

- "Captain" Jack Blanchard, Scopehound Probationary Lance

[callsign-revoked]

Not to be a shill for them bastards over in SSC, but would you mind terribly giving your thoughts on the Monarch's sister frame pattern as well?

The Viceroy's set for something resembling mass production, unlike the Monarch, enough that even someone like me could get my hands on one of the licenses, but the differences in how it acts as a frame pattern are all too evident, even if it still loves its Launchers dearly.

Oh, and uh, nice to make your acquaintance. Call me Jack.

- "Captain" Jack Blanchard, Scopehound Lance

//Sucker\\

So I think I've made my opinions on SSC as a mech manufacturer very clear.

That they tend to fall on two extremes. Insanely good and capable of doing things no other mech can, or being the most expensive way a mech can do the thing they do.

I mention this because the reason I don't like SSC is because of some idiotic decisions they've made in regards to what is absolutely their best mech.

The Monarch.

Keep in mind. I'm used to piloting HA stuff. So utilitarian effectiveness dictated design. (Or patiently stolen tech that they barely understand.)

So when I say that the Monarch is the single best frame on the market? I'm not mincing words.

Now, a lot of people may not share my opinion, so allow me to make my point.

Throughout humanity's history, there has largely been one major truth since the advent of artillery.

That it is the king of battle.

The reason is simple. If you can establish fire superiority over your foe, you are almost certain to win the fight.

So accurate direct and indirect fire support is critical to winning on the tactical level.

The Monarch is a size two MLRS system in the form of a mech, capable of also working as an anti-air battery, or, if you deploy them in EVA, as an exoatmospheric fighter.

All of this is because it went all in on guided missile systems.

And this thing can deploy theater-grade missiles.

If a Monarch decides you're getting hit by a missile, you're getting hit by a missile.

To the point I will say this thing, if it were built in sufficient numbers, would either change mech combat as we know it, or put a massive selection pressure on any mech that isn't the monarch to find a way to deal with it.

As for why this isn't the case?

It's made by SSC, they bottleneck production arbitrarily so they can make even more money.

And now you see why I am of such split opinions on their mechs.

//For Cogito Ergo Sum\\

[callsign-revoked]

You got something against Viceroys? It's a good frame pattern, even if SSC themselves are sketchy as hell.

That said, that's *probably* not mine, unless my Lancemates decided to be "funny" and send my mech print order halfway across Union Space.

Again.

- "Captain" Jack

Who added a viceroy to the print queue?

[callsign-revoked]

Nice to meet y'all as well. Don't know what Legends y'all are intending on Bleeding, but I'll give the benefit of believing it's probably deserved. Would be a hypocrite if I didn't.

Utopia is a verb, my friend/s. Good hunting.

- "Captain" Jack

Connecting...

...

...

Online!

--------------------------------

Well, Omninet, I guess I'm here again.

Call me Jack. "Captain" Jack Blanchard, I suppose, but that name is a joke as much as anything else.

Nominally, I'm the lead pilot of Union's Scopehound Probationary Lance, a last-chance setup for those deemed too useful and not quite damaged enough to be rid of after being caught on the wrong side of Union DoJ.

I hold no real authority, naturally.

I don't regret what I did, nor will I ever, more likely than not. I hold that my actions were for the good of Union. Perhaps that's why I got off with a demotion and orders to look after the rest of these idiots.

If you want a chat, to compare notes, or just to ask questions as to what, where, when, and why, I'll answer as much as I'm allowed, so come on by, I guess.

Better than listening to my comrades bitch about things I can't change, anyway.

- "Captain" Jack Blanchard, Scopehound Probationary Lance

[callsign-revoked]

You know, I have to thank you, Pinkerton.

Just about any time I get to feeling like maybe I don't deserve the second chance I was handed, I come across scum like you to remind that there's always someone worse than little ol' me out there who's also gotten one. It's real motivating.

Makes me remember why I took up a pilot's seat in the first place. Utopia is a verb, rat.

- "Captain" Jack, Scopehound Lance

Damn am I tired of smokin' cheap shit. Hopin' my next sortie'll pay enough to get me some of them fancy SSC cigars.

[callsign-revoked]

Connecting...

...

...

Online!

--------------------------------

Well, Omninet, I guess I'm here again.

Call me Jack. "Captain" Jack Blanchard, I suppose, but that name is a joke as much as anything else.

Nominally, I'm the lead pilot of Union's Scopehound Probationary Lance, a last-chance setup for those deemed too useful and not quite damaged enough to be rid of after being caught on the wrong side of Union DoJ.

I hold no real authority, naturally.

I don't regret what I did, nor will I ever, more likely than not. I hold that my actions were for the good of Union. Perhaps that's why I got off with a demotion and orders to look after the rest of these idiots.

If you want a chat, to compare notes, or just to ask questions as to what, where, when, and why, I'll answer as much as I'm allowed, so come on by, I guess.

Better than listening to my comrades bitch about things I can't change, anyway.

- "Captain" Jack Blanchard, Scopehound Probationary Lance