Battle Stations  By Joel Callahan

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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: Battle Stations  By Joel Callahan

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

...Aside from that, I thought it was engrossing and convincing. Are there further stories in this series, or is this a one-off?

Gareth LP
<br><br>Gareth, Limited Partnership?  Gareth Long-Playing?  Pardon the digression.  J.C. is an RPG (role playing game, not propelled grenade) developer(?); the 'Starships and Spacemen' universe is the milieu in which the game ('Megatraveller', I think -- follow the link at the end of the story) is played.  He submitted another story set in the same universe (but with different characters), but I've been nasty and asked for some significant changes (in terms of plot / events, beyond even my Vast Meddling Powers).<br><br>I dunno whether the "Merchanter's Luck" and her crew appear in any other stories, but I think we can expect more visits to the 'S. and S.' universe sometime down the line.<br><br>Joel, over to you ...<br><br>Robert M.
Last edited by Robert_Moriyama on September 09, 2005, 09:51:06 AM, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Battle Stations  By Joel Callahan

Post by Megawatts »

Good "Star Trek" type story, and it was very well<br>written. As I read the story, I felt as if I were there!<br>I like that in a story. This guy can tell a story, and I hope<br>he writes more like this one!<br><br>I would have liked to know more about the pirates--if one was captured and ratted on his home base, that would have made an interesting finish, and a beginning<br>of a new story.<br>
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: Battle Stations  By Joel Callahan

Post by Robert_Moriyama »


I agree. This story cries out for a sequel, Joel.

The pirates just trashed a whole planet. Were they really working alone, or was it part of a larger plan?

GLP
<br>Well, not a whole PLANET.  A relatively small farming colony (20 or 30 families, I think the story said).  Nukes were just the easiest and safest (for the pirates) way to get 'em all at once.  Presumably, there were resources / some form of portable wealth that could still be salvaged post-nuking ... Joel?  Why DID they use nukes?  Were they sterilizing the site to eliminate evidence of nastier crimes?<br><br>Scenario:  the pirates land, murder the colonists, pillage the women, rape the livestock -- er, anyway, they do something despicable that might leave evidence traceable to them (especially once the CSI: Outer Rim team gets there).  Then they erase the evidence and prepare to leave -- but Merchanter's Luck arrives in time to possibly pick up enough traces to identify them.  This assumes, of course, that nukes are relatively cheap and easy to manufacture or steal or build.<br><br>As for sequels, J. C. has a whole freakin' universe built for the Megatraveller game, presumably with factions and alliances and ...<br><br>Robert M.
Last edited by Robert_Moriyama on September 29, 2005, 09:41:32 AM, edited 1 time in total.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

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