Strat-4 Chpt-25

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==Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!) - Part 4 - Chapter 25 - Life and Relationships==
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===Learning something new, from a young Agent of Chaos===
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“That’s the other part Helena hopes we’ll learn out here. The Star League could replace us in job lots. So our tactics and strategies are built around having that kind of industrial base.”
"Attrition isn't new…. mind walking slow? The controls on this chair and the health-and-safety regs make it a pain to drive."
“Sorry. Still she’s right. We need to adjust our expectations for a lower level of industrial backing. And we can do a lot of good out here while we also learn without racking up body counts in the process.”
"It's all right. See, that's human right there, Phoenix. You forgot I'm crippled for a moment," Amanda said. "But as I was saying, attrition tactics aren't new, and not even confined to Caspars in that era. Larry and Foster made me study works from the Age of War onward, and everybody was doing that, even before they had AI at all."
Phoenix stopped cold, "Really?"
"It's what the books say," Amanda said. "Not just textbooks either. The writings of the greater Admirals from that era all discuss methods that are, frankly, suicidal when you're resource or manpower limited. And I have a suspicion I know why."
“Hmmm, I must be having a memory fault, that should not be such a revelation for me.”
"It's not a memory fault. It's that you're used to what you've experienced. You didn't have to do most of your learning the hard way," Amanda suggested. "But back to my point: I think I know why they were using attrition tactics back in the old days, and it's why we're not using them now."
They reached the lift, and Phoenix helped open the gate and get Amanda's chair across.
"What's your theory?"
"They used them, because they really didn't know any better," Amanda explained. "See, one of those things you read in the biographies. Always, they show a planetary birthplace, usually Earth or Mars, sometimes colonized Venus, or New Avalon, or Tharkad… or Regulus. But always born on a surface, and schooled on a planetary surface. No spacerborns most of the time, and very few who got their start IN SPACE."
“Institutional inertia. I suppose that makes sense. But a place as limited as the Outworlds always has been, even a surface born person will have a different perspective.”
"We didn't HAVE any great Admirals, Phoenix," Amanda said. "Before Forlough, we didn't. It was how he was able to do what he did with impunity. We didn't have a Navy that would be worth the name, just a few nameless spacers who gave them fits, but VERY FEW," she enunciated, "We didn't start to have one again, until almost the start of the Star League Civil war, and guess who they'd have to tap to run it?"
“A foreigner. And it also highlights what Helena knows to be true. A navy, a real one, will eventually become a hammer and neighbors without one will start looking like nails.”
Amanda nodded. "Someone with school, maybe a rep, maybe not, but formal schooling and a formal commission trained in what worked before. Set the lift for deck nineteen, I have to actually use my station-side quarters for a while… We were the nails in the Reunification War, Amos Forlough used a big ass hammer."
“Yes and your people did get creative in how to try and counter that hammer.”
"We did, but we never had enough," Amanda clarified. "See, attrition tactics work really well when you have cities with as many people as the nation you've set out to subjugate. The entire Outworlds didn't have as many people as, say, Orange County arcology, and that was one of dozens they could pick from on Terra alone."
“True and Helena also recognizes that those without a navy will get desperate.”
"And guess who writes the treatises everyone studies? The guys who won." Amanda added. "The tactics you were designed for were the tactics of the time, because they worked at the time, see?"
“And now the changed context means they still technically work but are unsustainable.”
"Bingo," Amanda said. "Which is why we've been violating the hell out of them, unfortunately. The Sons of Plunder aren't idiots. So now, they're changing the book too… because in their case, they're losing, and one thing an enemy doesn't want is to be losing and KNOW IT."
“And with what the virus did we’ve been on the backfoot again letting them recover.”
"Bingo, hence why Foster's taking my ship out, instead of just riding the Nichols," she stated. "He's looking for another missed guess on the other side. Something they haven't thought about, to flip the map back to our side before it turns bad."
“And while the Larry Nichols is quite formidable, she’s not a commerce raider. She could do it if pressed, but that’s not her true strength.”
"Yup, you're getting it. If I wasn't recovering from eighteen gunshot wounds, he'd just send me in, and calmly evaluate my actions. Because I'm a little agent of chaos, and that's something we need on our side at the moment."
“Well, good thing Esme is getting us cleared as quickly as she is. Some of us can be quite chaotic ourselves.” Phoenix chuckled.
"Yeah, and some of you will get to wear cool hats," Amanda grinned. "Which I'm starting to realize are cool for entirely different reasons."
“Yeah I’m debating between a tricorn and a fez. I think I could pull off a fez.”
"Wait a bit. Try the do-rag look first," Amanda suggested. "It fits under a helmet better and you want to set a good example."
“Yeah, I know. Still feels like I’m wasting a perfectly good suit that could go to a crew member instead. But you’re right, and the terms of how I even have a hull right now are quite clear to me. Which includes setting a good example, and stop sharing my definition of love with humans because it makes them queasy.”
"We're a variable bunch. Maybe you just need to work on your sorting methods to get the right ones," Amanda suggested. "I don't really KNOW how it works with Golden Hind, but we use interviews a lot among the Privateers to find people who can, and will, work together."
“Maybe I’ll eventually earn that for myself, but right now I have a lot to prove before I’m trusted with something like that. Especially since I’m told I still have certain psychopathic tendencies. It wouldn’t be good for a crew of psychopaths to be running around the war zone.”
"Self knowledge. I'm half delusional and occasionally unstable as hell, Phoenix. I talk to imaginary friends and wanted to be a swashbuckler so bad, I made it reality. You just need to find the people who will balance you, and learn to listen to them."
“You know, Truk is from the same brain scan as the rest of us, and he’s still a he because of his own choices that could be considered delusional. And we know what Desmond is, and how he presents.”
"You mean, with Desmond, that he's an avatar of everything every soldier would aspire to be, and a savior of little girls in danger, right?" Amanda prompted.
“Because they pull from their host, a lot. It’s why Helena’s presents as her idealized father she never really had.”
"Huh, I always just thought Simon was kinda stuffy," Amanda quipped. "He always felt like some Terran's idea made… well… not flesh, but still…"
“Despite being a tomboy and a hellion growing up Helena, was a real daddy’s girl. But with how soon he died in her life she never really got to know the full Simon Cameron. So yeah, her image of her father is a bit stiff and stuffy, but also incredibly kind. Firm but gentle.”
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===Reflection of Alice and Friends===
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"Help me across the threshold? These decks weren't made to be wheelchair accessible."
“Here we go.”
"At least you're my size… about anyway. Welcome to my station-side abode, closet's in the side there, you'll need to dress for dinner and I bet fifty escudoes you didn't buy any formal clothes."
“My Dress Uniform’s back on the ship.”
"Which you're not going back to, because I'm going to need help with the shower and you're medical now," Amanda told her. "And I'll need help getting dressed, so you might as well borrow some of my stuff for tonight."
“Thank you.”
"You'll also be sure to at least TRY enjoying it. Maybe hit Mashona with a few jokes to try and crack her up. It's going to be fun!"
“I’ve been told my sense of humor is dark.”
Amanda reached into the utility desk, and passed a flat rending over to Phoenix. "Try this one."
It was a set of equations that could only be understood in its absurdity by someone with a built in KF calculator.
The equation wouldn't translate to human sensibilities, but the essence of humor is a combination of absurdity and uncomfortable truths.
A joke, in other words, that only an artificial Intelligence on an M-5's scale could understand enough to actually find funny.
“You know this would drive Helena nuts for days. She’s actually short a sub-ten second jump on her Guild Pathfinder certification, so she’d understand just enough of this to drive her insane.”
"Sub tens are hard. I completed mine, but it was seriously difficult."
"So you DO get the joke?" 
Amanda shrugged. "Maybe. I am, after all, just a little farm girl playing pirates." Her eye twinkled.
“Did we just become best friends? Because I think we did.” Phoenix laughed.
"Buddies, it takes time to become besties," Amanda said. "And I'm on enough doctor's restrictions you won't have to hold my hair back when I'm puking drunk in the head."
“Fair enough.”
"Still, see if that one doesn't shake Mashie's reserve a little bit. Kolossus swears it's hilarious... me? I want to try it."
“Maybe when the war is over. I might even help you with it.” Phoenix winked.
"Well, we've got to make it through dinner. And Daryl doesn't have Samantha cooking it, so God knows if it's going to be any good."
“Well, I did hear about what Alice pulled. So it can’t be as bad as that.”
"She was trying to make a good impression without the experience to know better," Amanda said more seriously. "ALICE is a sweet little girl, and that monster HURT HER."
“Yeah, I’ve never seen Billie Hoel this angry before. She’s actually kind of scary in the fleet cyberscape when Alice isn’t around.”
"Billie's not good at hiding her feelings, Phoenix." Amanda said. "In the fight, and don't you DARE tell the shrink… I saved his head so he could suffer. God may judge that hell-worthy, but maybe not. After all, the Lord is a Just God!"
“Your secret is safe with me, and Billie appreciates it.”
"I just wish Alice could get better sooner." Amanda said sadly. "She was so lonely when we got here. She'd been left behind for centuries without knowing why."
“One thing I know is that Billie was able to restore Alice’s shared memories with her so they at least have that.”
"Kolossus has arranged for someone better," Amanda said. "Kolossus told me Kolossus knows exactly who to bring in to help her. The problems are just time and distance."
“If you told Billie that she’d definitely arrange for Olivia to help with that since she has an LFB (Love Crush).”
"Billie? Kolossus wouldn't even tell me who it is. Only that they're the only entity that MIGHT be able to help. Kolossus didn't give a name, but Kolossus told me you'd recognize who it is instantly."
“Huh. Well that suggests a rather unlikely list."
"Yah," Amanda said. "Okay, now for the humiliating bit… at least you're not squeamish."
Phoenix helped Amanda to disrobe and into the shower unit, but her mind was working overtime to work out the REAL puzzle-who did Kolossus call in?
“And waterproof.” Phoenix was naked as well to not get her uniform wet.
"Keep it professional, Phoenix. It's why they didn't send me Stacey." Amanda told her. "What you can know, and nobody else? I experimented on a trip to the Capital to testify, and confirmed I'm not inclined to girls. It was part of figuring out who I really am."
“Ah yes. I see, double meaning and yeah, Stacey would be beside herself right now, but not for that reason. For what it’s worth, I think Stacey’s less able to express herself in a way to indicate anything other than that sort of interest.”
"She'll learn," Amanda said. "Or she won't."
“She just lets herself get too excited with you. Gives everyone else the impression she only has eyes for you, and thus romantic designs. But really, she just wants to be your friend or I could be wrong. I’m a bit of an outcast in the Fleet, so I don’t see or hear everything.”
"Well, we have topics for dinner then," Amanda said, as they continued preparing for dinner.
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