Episode 54: Vega, Baby
Takes place July 10-11
Short version
Paul flies out into space, starting with the Vega Systems, where he arranges a peace treaty between the main pirate factions to reduce the level of violence.
Longer version
Paul warps out to the Vega Systems, to get the lay of the land before he goes after the Orange Central Power Battery. The locals on Rashashoon panic, recognising the orange light and thinking he's Larfleeze, but he begins spreading news of who he really is. The Blades of Alstair, a Thanagarian mercenary force, let him know that that the local warlords have just concluded a war with the Spider Guild, and peace talks are now in the works, but the Spider Queen is expected to be assassinated.
Paul offers his protection to the Spider Queen, demonstrating some of his capabilities, and the talks are able to commence, albeit with Felicity of Karna (a slave of the Omega Men) taking a potshot beforehand and being captured. However, during the negotiations, forged attack orders are broadcast in multiple languages, prompting a fight between the ships present overhead. The "Zamaron Pirates" also take the opportunity for a hand to hand fight.
Paul is able to protect most of the delegates, and persuade others to stay at the table afterward, including handing the Zamaron Pirates into custody. With his help, the talks are accelerated by nudging all parties to speak more freely about what they want, reaching a settlement in less than a day.
The title is a play on "Vegas, baby," a reference to Las Vegas and the chaos that can be found there.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: When Paul offers to use the orange light to nudge delegates toward cooperation and accelerate the peace talks, most parties are willing and the supervising Citadel Empire is pleased at the prospect of resuming trade. But one delegate is skeptical and about to walk — until a crowd of Citadelian guns point at him.Admiral Dakyn: Well, Jarko? Do you say 'yes', or do I kill you and ask your successor?
- Emotion Control: Paul brands a would-be assassin, allowing him to control her desires. Notably, she's so accustomed to being a slave at others' command that she doesn't resent it even when he diminishes the effect; he soon turns it down to just stopping her from fleeing, and she's still happy to treat him as her master.
- False Flag Operation: The Omega Men infiltrate their enemies' computer systems and send authentic-looking attack orders to each side at a peace conference, hoping for mutual destruction.
- Fantastic Slur: Paul's rings translate one of the reactions to the forged attack orders as "Who the [to eat discarded scales] did that!?"
- Happiness in Slavery: Felicity's upbringing has left her emotionally damaged, and cheerful subservience is now ingrained. At one point, when feeling threatened, she even asks Paul to strengthen his Emotion Control to make it clearer that she's under his protection, which basically makes her a puppet until he turns it off — and the yellow and orange lights in her soul show that she's entirely sincere in her request.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Paul will forever be remembered within Vega as an arachnophile, after a misunderstanding involving a pre-armor moisturiser and a cavity that was not a spiracle. The Spider Queen didn't actually mind...
- Poor Communication Kills: If the Spider Queen had better explained her physiology, or spoken up at Paul's mistake, or if he'd been impolite enough to just give her a full scan, then some embarrassment could have been avoided...
- Weird World, Weird Food:
- Paul deliberately does not ask his ring what's in the stuff he drinks in an alien bar, because he doesn't want to know.Paul: Asking a power ring database about... Some foods... It isn't always a good idea.
- His drinking buddies are having "blurb". The proper stuff, fermented and served with live worms.
- Paul deliberately does not ask his ring what's in the stuff he drinks in an alien bar, because he doesn't want to know.
