Chapter ERROR (Arrival) (2/2)

What? Underproject Nazgul? So? We're at Total War.

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UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

Um... what's Underproject Nazgul?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

MANTID FREE WORLDS

ASK HIM!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

It's just a cultural dissonance weapon. It's not that big of deal. It's just a method of fracturing the Lanaktallan culture and society in order to more easily defeat them.

It actually lessens the loss of life on the battlefield as internal stresses begin to mount and they have to devote more and more attention to the cultural dissonance rather than the battlefield.

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ROLE PLAYER'S GESTALT

OK, this doesn't concern me. I'm out.

>ROLE PLAYER'S GESTALT HAS LEFT THE CHAT

MANTID FREE WORLDS

How about you explain exactly what this 'cultural dissonance weapon' did?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

>TREANA'AD FREE WORLDS GRABS HIS POPCORN

TERRASOL

It's part of Underproject Nazgul, you know, one of the Black Box Protocol.

We just used the Black Citadel to ensure that it worked correctly.

We just released a Nazgul, an ACTUAL Nazgul, onto the Lanaktallan.

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

Not just one. Multiple.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Yeah? And?

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Well, to be honest, sis, the poem does say ”Nine Mortal Men”, so yeah, it would be multiple.

What's the big deal?

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

He brought back a Lanaktallan Herd Stallion! A STALLION!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

A male Lanaktallan?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

MANTID FREE WORLDS

No! A STALLION! WHAT AREN'T YOU UNDERSTANDING?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

heehee

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

OK, talk to us like we don't have genetic memory of these weirdo centaur things. What's so big a deal about a Stallion?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

MANTID FREE WORLDS

THEY'RE PSYCHIC! They can dominate and control entire PLANETS! They're like the Overqueens, the Queens, the Speakers!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

>TERRASOL snickers

MANTID FREE WORLDS

It's not funny! The war is going to take longer now! They have leaders to rally behind now.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Yes. They have actual leaders now. With the power to speak for their species.

>TERRASOL snickers

It's not my fault that all you old weirdos were psychic. That sounds like a personal problem. It's not like we're psychic.

You know... maybe that's why all of you fought. You all kept constantly FUCKING SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER!

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

Wait, why does he look biomechanical? Why does he look like something Giger took acid and dreamed up? WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM!?!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Just a bit of time in the Black Citadel.

Man, I love that look on him. And his whole ”End of Line” is great.

It's Total War. What, did you think I was just going to pull out bigger guns?

That's not how you win.

You win by convincing them that it is of no more use to fight.

If The Black Centuarmessiah convinces even a few systems not to fight, that's a few million troops I don't have to slaughter.

If each of the Nazgul convince their populations that fighting us is futility, just a handful of systems each, that's BILLIONS saved.

Save your indignation for planet crackers, nova sparks, and singularity weapons.

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

But introducing religion? That could lead to a civil war! A holy war!

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Don't you get all high and mighty with me Miss Autonomous War Machine.

At least the Dead Fleet has biological controllers.

And know what, maybe they could use a little Digital Omnimessiah in their lives.

They sure as shit don't have any hope as it is.

Or would you rather I just lined them up and shot every fifth one in the back of the head.

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TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

He's kind of right. You can't really fight a psychic prophet that can control your mind.

It might actually save lives and give their people a way to build a new culture that we won't have to smash to the 1% Line in a hundred years.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

MANTID FREE WORLDS

But... Stallion.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

CONFED

You are thinking of Stallions from your wars.

We simply brought them back and weaponized them.

We're Terran. Everything is a weapon.

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

Will you at least be careful?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Tell you what, they start trying to crusade you, I'll nova-spark them. Sound good?

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MANTID FREE WORLDS

Thank you.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TREANA'AD HIVE WORLDS

Jesus, sis.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GESTALT

ARE WE STILL YELLING?