Schlock Mercenary

At first, I thought the "miss" on Jupiter was super precise targeting where Chinhook somehow managed to keep the damage extremely localized. The bit about Lota and Petey obviously corrected that misconception right up.

I would suspect that Chinhook knows a particular signature to look for in regards to finding the long gun. That would be the most logical way to find them that I can come up with. The misses (pretty close misses) implies one of two things to me. One, that the particular signature isn't as precise as anyone realizes, which somewhat obscures the long guns and makes it like shooting at a particular fish in the barrel. Two, the universe broke again. Or for the first time... stupid time travel.

Of course, that the targeting is being tweaked is also a pretty reasonable assumption too.

Given how big space is, those misses are unbelievably close. What we're saying means either that Howard Tayler uncharacteristically fell victim to Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale, or there's more going on than "her targeting just isn't accurate enough".

If the misses are tweaked then it may be on purpose - make her fire close enough, hope that however she has tabs on those guns will register shot arriving and make her think she nailed the target. Easier with Zeus Cannon because its hanging in the turbulent atmosphere than the ones in open space though.

And I really doubt her being able to just detect the guns across the entire galaxy. LOTA and PD haven't been even fired since before Chinook existed.

Looting the dead is not illegal. Why is looting the dead not illegal?

Probably old racist laws defining that only uuplechans are recognized as sapients, anything else is a dead animal and thus fair game.

Or they are using some bullshit argument about Admiralty Laws and salvage rights.

Or maybe all materiel are considered "leased" and death ends the contract?

Its not looting corpses, its collecting rent for occupying space in the system.

Hmm... apparently the syringes don't work like a Healing Shiv.

Those aren't even really syringes. They're wi-fi enabled knives.

I forget the precise rules of engagement, but I believe that drawing weapons on medical personnel who are only doing their jobs is a war crime, and that the medical personnel are allowed to engage in self-defense without otherwise relinquishing their otherwise protected status. That would clear Tarpaulin's problems right up.

Fair point.

edited 19th Apr '18 11:45:09 AM by 32_Footsteps

Modern world's conventions may not necessarily apply to the bigotry-running aliens.

If their government is willing to overlook obstructing life-saving relief aid, not to mention piracy, you're not gonna get far arguing for Space Geneva standards.

Probably not Kevin this time, but another boat has been christened something... interesting.

That feels like Para and maybe Ennesby. The question is why they haven't called anyone yet. I find it highly doubtful that a gunboat wouldn't have a hypernode.

Unless... maybe they think the long-gunner is using active hypernodes for targeting?

@3840 Well, at the very least, silent running when it's pretty well known that enemies are using superweapons against you is not the worst idea.

I just assumed it was a couple of random grunts.

The one doing the naming sounds a little too intelligent to be a grunt, and the one who knows Thurl's full name is way too intelligent. I'm guessing that one is Ennesby.

Ennesby, and all inorganic A.I.s, speak in distinct font. For example after a bit of random walking through the comic.

And on current page we immediately see who it was, so moot point.

Speed is of the essence.

Admittedly, I didn't see Schlock oozing around in the middle panel at first.

Seargeant Schlock may not be very good at Honor, but he is very good at Guard.

I didn't see him either until the panel where he talked, mostly because I wasn't looking hard enough. But hey, that guy can say the same thing.

edit: Interesting note: He silently disposed of that guy and crossed the room again in the space of merely 8 words of dialog. Since the guy on our left did most of the talking in panel 2.

edited 21st Apr '18 9:25:11 PM by Brickman

On the plus side for the race, they do imply that the Uuplechan Senate would not support their actions.

D'oh, I didn't even realize the change in that last panel till you mentioned it.

Well the first guy is still in the same spot, just rather indisposed. All Schlock needed was move enough mass over to be ready for the grab, along with his eyes (for showing off more than anything else).

edited 22nd Apr '18 7:25:23 AM by Adannor

Marines Mercenaries, we are leaving!