Assassination Interrupted

[Father Fletch]

Not to dampen spirits here, but another thought has occurred to me.
If (Big IF) Dulinor had lined up some Moot support, how was he hoping to take advantage of it?
Can you imagine the political wrangling it would take to get him time on the floor? Given what I have read and seen of the British Parliament and the US Congress/Senate of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is very likely another firefight may have broken out right there on the floor of the Moot!
As an adjunct, is the Emperor allowed into the Moot without an Invite?
Who provides security for the moot? There is an interesting background for a character. How does the office of the Auditor General of the Moot (if one such exists) perform its duties?
Perhaps this warrants another thread?
Even though the Moot is not NOT a congress or parliament, there would be some sort of permanent bureaucracy to run it given what it represents. And given how partisan the data presented by the services and ministries must be, I imagine the Moot has at the least a library and statistics branch (which while sounding un-sexy, actually can have an extensive reach and proved tons of good PC patrons)

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by Father Fletch:
Not to dampen spirits here, but another thought has occurred to me.
If (Big IF) Dulinor had lined up some Moot support, how was he hoping to take advantage of it?

Do we know Moot procedure? No.
Do we know he didn't have a Special Address planned? No.
He may have predicated all of his plans on his 'clean sweep' succeeding, and when Lucan got away, that bollixed things and he decided to bug out (a dodgy decision, but not bad once you realize the rest of the IG divisions would be coming on line and would be really irate with the Illelish Gaurd).

Can you imagine the political wrangling it would take to get him time on the floor? Given what I have read and seen of the British Parliament and the US Congress/Senate of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is very likely another firefight may have broken out right there on the floor of the Moot!

We know a High Noble has the right to bear arms in the Imperial Court.

Do we know the same extends to the Moot?

Do we know what kind of Gaurds/Rules of Order exists in the Moot?

As an adjunct, is the Emperor allowed into the Moot without an Invite?

He's not the Emperor until he is confirmed. He's only a claimant. And an Archduke, which I assume he gives up when becomes Emperor.

So I'd say 'not once he *is* Emperor'. But until he's confirmed, as long as he's a High Noble, he shouldn't need an invite.

Who provides security for the moot? There is an interesting background for a character.

Apparently Lucan started to, after the fact... <*grin*>

How does the office of the Auditor General of the Moot (if one such exists) perform its duties?

He's a forensic accountant. Do you mean Solicitor General? Even then, that could be legal stuff. You might just mean Master At Arms.

Perhaps this warrants another thread?
Even though the Moot is not NOT a congress or parliament, there would be some sort of permanent bureaucracy to run it given what it represents.

No doubt. Bureaucracy always reproduces....

And given how partisan the data presented by the services and ministries must be, I imagine the Moot has at the least a library and statistics branch (which while sounding un-sexy, actually can have an extensive reach and proved tons of good PC patrons)

Yes, the Moot is even less known than other branches of the Imperial Structure but has lots of things that could make interesting game-bait.

 

[Richard Saunders]

Hello.
Back to the original question.
If it was me - Shoot Dulinor it only takes one round in the right place, Yes i probably die but everyone does and i have done my duty.

If ditzies second fav uncle is there why dosn't he use his psyonics to distract the assasin????.

MORE story please read chapter 17 where's 18, disgruntled reader.
Kind of reader you want, just dont want them to phone ring or write you.

Even if you cant stop the assasination you must try for your own honor and peace of mind.
Damn that sounds pretentious dosn't it.
Bye.
sock.

 

[lesbates]

Originally posted by Lionel Deffries:
Hello.
Back to the original question.
If it was me - Shoot Dulinor it only takes one round in the right place, Yes i probably die but everyone does and i have done my duty.

Absolutely God-damned right. Dennie does tend to be a bit knee-jerk reflexive about dealing with acts of betrayal. And he had a damned good mentor in Navy OCS.

"We are not in some ancient Solomani space opera where we can phone home for instructions or reinforcements, we deal with the problems we face with the resources we have at hand, or we die."

-- Captain Kenneth Nash, INS Ageone, 1082

If ditzies second fav uncle is there why dosn't he use his psyonics to distract the assasin????.

I assumed that Dulinor had an surgically implanted psi-shield. The two trained psions in the room (Dennie and Lisa) didn't know what was happening until Dulinor had his weapon out.

Dennie had some parental level training from his Mom until she was put out of action by the Zhos. Because of what happened to his mother, Dennie put off formal training in psionics until he was 42.

Lisa (ex-marine officer) had trained earlier but was covering their daughter with her body when the shooting started.

MORE story please read chapter 17 where's 18, disgruntled reader.
Kind of reader you want, just dont want them to phone ring or write you.

"Oh Ditzie..."

Seriously, I have three projects going at once. I'm working on part 18 of FIHP, part 2 of Double Secret Probation, and the story of the assassination day.

Double Secret Probation is a prequel to FIHP which was not posted on the TML because of adult language. Here's the URL for part 1 of it:

http://www.uncia.com/lesbates/Traveller/DSP1.txt

Even if you cant stop the assasination you must try for your own honor and peace of mind.
Damn that sounds pretentious dosn't it.
Bye.
sock.

No, it's not pretentious. It's just basically who we are.

It's the social pragmatism and political correctness of the last century that punishes us for seeing the universe as it truly is and acting in accordance to our true knowledge.

-- Les

 

[Ranger]

I have to dipute this statement:

5. If Dulinor had pulled it off smoothly, would it have been a bad thing? The Empire might have churned on smoothly and Imperial policy might (I say might) have even become a bit more enlightened or progressive.

Dulinor's ideas amounted to eliminating dual sovreignity and imposing Imperial law to all world governments. 97% (that's a total swag) of the Imperium's population live under local law. Some will rejoice at the elimination of petty dictatorships, but most will resent the Imperium intruding itself into local affairs with no just cause. I think the result would have been a rapid and total colapse of the Imperial system.

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by Leslie Bates:

"We are not in some ancient Solomani space opera where we can phone home for instructions or reinforcements, we deal with the problems we face with the resources we have at hand, or we die."

-- Captain Kenneth Nash, INS Ageone, 1082

This is not always an "or". Sometimes it is an "and".

 

[lesbates]

Originally posted by kaladorn:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Leslie Bates:

"We are not in some ancient Solomani space opera where we can phone home for instructions or reinforcements, we deal with the problems we face with the resources we have at hand, or we die."

-- Captain Kenneth Nash, INS Ageone, 1082

This is not always an "or". Sometimes it is an "and". </font>[/QUOTE]For Captain Nash it was definately an "and."

 

[Richard Saunders]

Hello.
Mr Bates.
In part 17 lisa has just witnessed the assasination (in a dream?????).
How come she dosn't try to stop it, if she isn't on the Capital world that's CRUEL because she couldn't do anything about it, but she will blame herself for the rest of her life.
More story.
I await the next instalment with antisipation.
Bye

 

[lesbates]

Originally posted by Lionel Deffries:
Hello.
Mr Bates.
In part 17 lisa has just witnessed the assasination (in a dream?????).
How come she dosn't try to stop it, if she isn't on the Capital world that's CRUEL because she couldn't do anything about it, but she will blame herself for the rest of her life.
More story.
I await the next instalment with antisipation.
Bye

In part 16 Lisa was getting a "Scrooge tour" of the future that would have happened if she had not woke up the way she did in part 17.

That version of the future is no longer possible.


--Les

 

[Murph]

I think you do a slight dis-service to P.G. Wodehouse. After all everyone knows the Imperium is really run by the butlers!

Originally posted by Larsen E. Whipsnade:

Mr. Agent,

Bingo! Give the man a cigar! Throw in the abominable Roderick Spode from P.G. Wodehouse's 'Jeeves' stories and you've got MTU's Imperial nobility too. For that matter, throw in Bertie Wooster, Gussie Fink-Nottle, and the rest of the Drones.

Men that are chinless, bucktoothed, panty waists who can't pronounce the letter R and thus sound like a nasal version of Elmer J. Fudd. Pallid and vapid women who either make Kate Moss look fat or resemble Victor McLaghlen with his legs on upside down. All with the interpersonal skills of a pack of 'dain bramaged' lemurs and totally at sea whenever they find themselves outside of their cozy to the point of incestuous private and privileged world.

We're born to DROOL... errr... rule? That's it! RULE! Right Snuffy?


Sincerely,
Larsen, Duke of Earl, Gin of Rummy, Milk of Magnesia, Quarter of Ten, and Baron of Gray Matter.

 

[Vargas]

A slight correction: S-3, the IISS' Special Services Section, first appeared in DGP's MegaTraveller Journal No. 3. It also appeared in GDW's folio, Arrival Vengeance.

S-3 is the Scout Service's 'commando' arm and is under the Security Branch.

Should S-3 have been at the Palace? I dunno. Strephon already had a contingent of IISS bodyguards* already assigned to him. The better questions is, where were they?

*This according to DGP in the first place.

 

[Whipsnade]

Vargas wrote:

"A slight correction: S-3, the IISS' Special Services Section, first appeared in DGP's MegaTraveller Journal No. 3. It also appeared in GDW's folio, Arrival Vengeance."


Mr. Vargas,

The former being a fan publication merely apporved for use *with* Traveller, the latter arguably the final 'pure' MT product, and both written well after the Assassination first appeared.


"Should S-3 have been at the Palace? I dunno. Strephon already had a contingent of IISS bodyguards* already assigned to him. The better questions is, where were they?"

Where were they? They didn't exist *when* the Assassination first appeared and, even if they had, they wouldn't have mattered. For MT's metaplot to kick off, Strephon needed to die. Period. It was an editorial decision, nothing logical or personal.

" *This according to DGP in the first place."

According to DGP *after* the Assassination took place. They added a nifty bit of chrome without bothering to see whether it actually 'fit' or not. Which was just like DGP.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[jchurchill]

They added a nifty bit of chrome without bothering to see whether it actually 'fit' or not. Which was just like DGP.
===============================================
Bastards.

 

[kaladorn]

Mr. Whipsnade,

I feel compelled to object, but lack the referential citations to make my objections meritorious at the moment. I have a dim feeling that some sort of security related arm of the IISS has existed for longer than the time you indicate. Perhaps even back sometime into CT. But even if I could find the citation, it might turn out to be WD or some other periodical, rather than a direct ex cathedra publication.

Futhermore, even if we don't call them SSS, where were the Scout bodygaurds? And why (on a strictly practical matter) did Strephon, Iolanthe, and the Princess have no covert gaurds?

If Strephon did have them removed after objections from Dulinor or others, he deserved what he got. Historically, many potentates have been defended by special units, but they were often foreign units or mercenaries whose fate was closely tied to that of the potentate and in whom the potentate could repose trust due to language barriers, cultural barriers, and the simple foreigness of the individuals thus removing the threats from subjects who have political connections into said guard. I think the Emperor would have been further ahead with a unit of Ithklur (well, perhaps not) or Solomani Mercs or Aslan Mercs as his Personal Guard. Or someone like the Gurkhas.

Letting the Imperial Guard (and I mean the unassimilated and domain-wise divided Guard at that) be your sole security seems like a recipe for being removed from the throne.

And so it seems. Further evidence that Strephon wasn't the right man for the job.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I have a dim feeling that some sort of security related arm of the IISS has existed for longer than the time you indicate. Perhaps even back sometime into CT.

The Security Branch first appeared in Bk6.

 

[Vargas]

Originally posted by Larsen E. Whipsnade:
Vargas wrote:

"A slight correction: S-3, the IISS' Special Services Section, first appeared in DGP's MegaTraveller Journal No. 3. It also appeared in GDW's folio, Arrival Vengeance."


Mr. Vargas,

The former being a fan publication merely apporved for use *with* Traveller, the latter arguably the final 'pure' MT product, and both written well after the Assassination first appeared.

I was trying to address where S-3 originated as in an earlier post I thought someone cited World Builder's Handbook


"Should S-3 have been at the Palace? I dunno. Strephon already had a contingent of IISS bodyguards* already assigned to him. The better questions is, where were they?"

Where were they? They didn't exist *when* the Assassination first appeared and, even if they had, they wouldn't have mattered. For MT's metaplot to kick off, Strephon needed to die. Period. It was an editorial decision, nothing logical or personal.

I agree it had to happen to make the plot work, no question. I now look back at it and I can't suspend disbelief

" *This according to DGP in the first place."

According to DGP *after* the Assassination took place.

Actually that information was released at the same time in TD 9

They added a nifty bit of chrome without bothering to see whether it actually 'fit' or not. Which was just like DGP.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[marginaleye]

Historically, many potentates have been defended by special units, but they were often foreign units or mercenaries whose fate was closely tied to that of the potentate and in whom the potentate could repose trust due to language barriers, cultural barriers, and the simple foreigness of the individuals thus removing the threats from subjects who have political connections into said guard. I think the Emperor would have been further ahead with a unit of Ithklur (well, perhaps not) or Solomani Mercs or Aslan Mercs as his Personal Guard. Or someone like the Gurkhas.

In Bujold's "Vorkosigan" series, the Cetagandan royals have servants called "Ba," who are genetically-engineered for loyalty (and, as neuters, also serve as disposable "test-beds" for proposed genetic modifications to future generations of the heavily-engineered royal family itself).

The canonical Strephon cloned himself (for dubious reasons), and the Imperium is capable of engineering human beings for specific purposes (e.g. Jonkereen), so fitting a "Ba-like" Imperial servitors/bodyguards into the Traveller universe wouldn't be totally impossible, although I admit it would change the "feel" of the Imperial court a bit.

Or why not remove the "human element" entirely, and go with warbots? "Low Artificial Intelligence" is only Tech Level 16, and thus almost certainly within the Imperium's capabilities (given the importance of the job, the small number of individual robots required, and the ability of the Imperial family to throw money at problems). Not pseudo-biologicals, just "contoured." And if, for some reason, the Imperium can't manufacture a couple of hundred of Tech Level 16 robotic bodyguards, the Hivers (who are solidly Tech Level 16, at least with respect to robot brains) could surely help. Again, the "feel" of the Imperial court would be changed, however.

There's no reason you couldn't mash these two possibilities together... Genetically-engineered bodyguards, tailored for loyalty, "force-grown" in tanks, educated through sim-stim, and then cyborged with all sorts of enhancements.

 

[Whipsnade]

Andrew Boulton wrote:

"The Security Branch first appeared in Bk6."


Mr. Boulton,

The Security Branch is present in LBB:6 and "is charged with providing security and law enforcement for the Scout Service. Security Branch Scouts serve as police enforcers on Scout property, as commandos or shipboard light troops, for special Scout activities, and as clandestine agents for (sic) Intelligence Branch. Agents of IISS Security Branch have great authority to arrest, detain, or question individuals suspected of violations of Imperial law, and can demand cooperation from local authorities as the need arises."

There is no mention of S-3 in LBB:6, although the reference to 'special Scout activities' can be stretched to include them.

S-3 did not exist in CT. S-3 is a MT artifact and post dates the announcement to the hobby of the Assassination and the MT megaplot.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Whipsnade]

Vargas wrote:

"I was trying to address where S-3 originated as in an earlier post I thought someone cited World Builder's Handbook."


Mr. Vargas,

That was me and I was wrong. I was trying to remember when MT first addressed the Scouts.

"Actually that information was released at the same time in TD 9"

All the nifty details regarding Dulinor's Plot and the Assassination; including S-3, were part of TD 9. However, the release of MT and the decisions regarding MT's megaplot; killing Strephon, occurred before that. We had the fact of the Assassination well before we had the chrome.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Whipsnade]

kaladorn wrote:

"Futhermore, even if we don't call them SSS, where were the Scout bodygaurds? And why (on a strictly practical matter) did Strephon, Iolanthe, and the Princess have no covert gaurds?"


Mr. Barclay [ ],

They did have covert guards and they should have had covert guards, but that is of no consequence. Strephon had to die. I can't and won't defend the plausibility of the Assassination *as described* in canon because I don't believe it myself. Sadly, there it sits, offical as all hell, and so we must accept it or move around it.

"Historically, many potentates have been defended by special units, but they were often foreign units or mercenaries whose fate was closely tied to that of the potentate and in whom the potentate could repose trust due to language barriers, cultural barriers, and the simple foreigness of the individuals thus removing the threats from subjects who have political connections into said guard. I think the Emperor would have been further ahead with a unit of Ithklur (well, perhaps not) or Solomani Mercs or Aslan Mercs as his Personal Guard. Or someone like the Gurkhas."

Very true. Of course our first look at the Imperial Guard; perhaps even the first real mention of it, occurs in the TD issue in which the Four Knights visit Sylea. A publication which post dates the Assassination! (Note: the adventure in that issue is pre-Assassination, but the issue itself is post-MT's release.)

An Ithklur, or other non-political minor race, 'gurkha' troop would be very plausible IMHO. Piper had the rulers of his First Empire bodily guarded by Thorans whom he describes as tough, capable, willing to die for their sworn leader, and 'supremely uninterested in politics beyond their villages'.

"Further evidence that Strephon wasn't the right man for the job."

He is a descendent of Styryx and the uncle of Lucan after all. I nod to the idea at the very end of 'Wounded Colossus'. Strephon may have become the Imperium's 'Marble Man' after his return to the throne but what if he is also a psychological time bomb?


Sincerely,
Larsen