Shipwide Announcement [Slightly bendytimed]

[governmentninja]

I really haven't bothered to do any campaigning, for a number of reasons. And even this isn't some kind of campaign speech, but on the eve of elections, I felt the need to talk to everyone for a few moments.

Forgive me if this rambles a bit, I'm not entirely sure what I want to say right now.

My father once told me that God puts you where you need to be. You can either stand there and complain about it, or you can do the best you can, and trust that God has a plan, even if you can't see it yet. I've never been a terribly religious guy, so I don't know if God has a plan, or if this is all random, or somewhere in between. But, looking back on my life, I can't help but wonder if my Dad might have been on to something.

I've been serving as Acting Captain of this ship for the past few weeks. What the title of 'Acting Captain' means is that... that this job belongs to someone else. Someone who, unfortunately, wasn't there to do it, so I took it upon myself because I was there and the job needed doing. I'm only on the ballot by default, basically. I have the job now, so if you want me to keep it, I'll keep doing it. If you don't, I'll gladly step aside for whoever you choose. I was quite content being Chief of Security, I had more free time to spend with my daughter, then.

That's really all I see this as, another job that needs to get done. That's mainly why I haven't bothered campaigning. If given the choice between either A) pandering for votes to keep a job that's been sucking up all my time, been grinding me to death, and wasn't even my job to begin with, or B) doing the job as best I can for as long as I have it... I'll choose option B every time.

And this is a tough job, made all the more harder because everyone I talked to expects me to pander for votes when I just want to cross a few more items off of what's become a massive To Do list. If this isn't my job anymore come tomorrow, then whoever wins, I do not envy in the slightest.

But maybe they'll handle the job better than I have. This job comes with a steep learning curve, and it's not like I'm a natural at this. I'm not a politician, or a monarch, and I've never been commander of an Imperial fleet, or led a revolution. I'm just a guy doing a job because someone had to do it. This whole thing has been a learning experience, to say the least. Which might be why I can't figure out what you all want in a leader.

I realize that, yes, everyone will want something different, but... I've been listening. I've also been barking orders for the past few weeks, but I've also been listening. Listening to the campaign speeches, to the responses, all of it, just trying to figure out what you guys want in a leader.

Strangely, while everyone has been going around saying 'this is what you should look for in a leader', no one has really bothered to ask what you want in a leader. This is probably why I felt compelled to address you all like this, so I can be the one to ask.

What do you all want in a leader? What are you looking for in them? What kind of person do you want them to be? When you go vote tomorrow, are you voting for the kind of leader that you do want? Or are you just voting for someone you can live with?

I guess I'm wondering because, on my world, politics tended to boil down to people voting for the least worst option on the table. I'm curious to see if that's what will happen here. I sincerely hope not.

Best of luck to all the candidates tomorrow.



Special Agent Leon S. Kennedy, US Strategic Command
Acting Captain, Transmigration 9

Comments

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

I've delayed, and even called off assaults to rescue prisoners instead of destroying them enemy if that's what you want to hear. I also did it while trying to minimize our own casualties. It was also in the best interests of the war effort. Placing the war first, and caring about my people don't have to be exclusive things. That means keeping this crew alive, and well is the best thing for the war effort. Any decent commander can see that.

So what will you say now? That I'm not callous enough? Make up your mind. I'm exactly what I've said I am. You can have a general, or a politician. I'm the former.

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

Make up my mind? I should ask you to do much the same.

You say that you will place the war effort first. Then for the moment, I shall take you at your word. For you, the war effort supercedes all else.

Then imagine a situation in which the war effort might be far greater served with the sacrifice of a number of crew members than would their survival. Certainly not impossible. Even with your compassion, it might be an inescapable possibility.

So which would you choose? To sacrifice the crew members and prove yourself callous, or to prioritize their survival and prove that you are not decisive enough to stick to your own decisions?

The war effort and the crew's survival may not always be exclusive, but that does not mean that they will always coincide. Any real commander could see that.

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

I'm not answering that. That's simply too vague of a description to make a call, and you know that. No decision of that importance is as simple as that. Present me an actual scenario if you want an actual answer.

Also why aren't you posing this question to Kennedy? You might trust him, but what about those of his that haven't been here as long as you? We don't know him. If you're so concerned for this crew show it by grilling us all the same. That will serve them better than singling me out.

How about a question for you? Who's more valuable, the people back on that planet we defended, or this crew? Pretty vague isn't it? I wouldn't expect you to give a reasonable sounding answer to that because you can't. No matter what you say you'll sound either too weak, or too callous.

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

I do not question Mr. Kennedy because I myself have no reason to. If you have similar concerns, then you should bring them up yourself. I am not your nursemaid. You are hopefully mature enough to ask your own questions.

But you wish for a scenario. Very well. A scenario, then:

You recieve report of an Ohm world having been located, teaming with billions of Ohm warriors. They are poised to strike at a world which the crew cannot reach in time. The only way to stop them is on their planet.

But facing them on their own world would be suicide. The only way to destroy them without sacrificing the entire crew is to send a group with a reaction-bomb into perhaps a noted fault line or a vein of unstable material in the ground. Regardless, this would have the effect of wiping out a vast majority, if not all, of the Ohm forces on the planet.

However, the group that must perform this task will most certainly not survive. The group would have to be large enough that its loss will most certainly impact the crew's ability to defend itself. No one among the crew wishes to go, but you have exhausted all other options.

I do hope that is specific enough for you. Now, which will you choose?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

Details on the planet if you would? What we might be sacrificing some good people for matters.

...He is very good at this kinda thing

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

The planet the Ohm are poised to attack is a highly populated one, with a major military operations installation, which coordinates our allied forces within a large section of the multiverse.

Without aid, the base will surely fall. Should it be destroyed, not only would billions upon billions of people die, but our allies would be cast into disarray, easy pickings for the Ohm.

As for the planet the Ohm have been found on, it appears to have been a well hidden staging point for many of their attacks within the area. Billions of Ohm reside there, but if it could be destroyed, you would help ensure victory over the Ohm in that area.

Is there anything else you would like me to add?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

It's not an easy to decision, but we'd have to strike against the Ohm. We'd lose some people, but if we didn't we could lose the entire crew down the road. Without allies, or the supplies that installation can provide to us, and the entire war effort we'd be dealing ourselves a crippling blow. Maybe severe enough for the Ohm to gain the upper hand, and wipe this crew out.

I'd explain what's at stake. Even if the team in the end doesn't volunteer they still have a right to know why I'm asking them to go on a mission like this. Hopefully it would be enough that I wouldn't have to send unwilling people. Also I wouldn't write off that strike team that easily. It might be very long odds, but if they are as good as you say then they'll beat them, and come home. I'd do what I could to maximize that chance.

That's my answer for this situation. Were any of the details different, then my decision would change. They aren't though. No matter what that situation will be a loss for us. At least by striking I can minimize the damage.

Commanders aren't asked to make the easy decisions, and ones like this are the hardest.

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

A good explanation. But then let us see how you would react if the situation were different.

The situation is much the same, only now, the planet the Ohm intend to strike at is a civilian one, densely populated. It has absolutely no way to defend itself.

This time, the crew actively wishes to go to defend those unable to defend themselves. But the stakes aren't nearly as high. If the Ohm strike, all that would be lost is a world of no strategic importance. Strategically speaking, it is not worth the same risk as in the previous example.

Yet if you choose not to go, you risk destabilizing the crew. Their faith in you and your decisions will be marred by this one choice, should you choose to take it.

Your choice then?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

I'd need to meet with my officers, and make sure they'd help back me. I'd have them help me explain the risks to the crew. If we still have enough willing to undertake the mission I'd lead it myself. While the planet isn't strategically important, the Ohm staging ground is. It's a threat to the entire area, and if we don't shut it down they'll just move onto the next planet.

There's also the fact those people are deserving of our protection, and that's a soldier's purpose. With a population that large we have to do something. Also even if their world isn't producing munitions, or weapons, it could one day. Abandoning them could also have repercussions with other worlds in the area who might be less willing to lend us aid as a result. That could hurt us just as much as the lose of crew members.

Neither of these situations are the sort of fight I'd prefer for us to be fighting. We don't have the ability to do these sort of straight up fights. It gives every advantage to the Ohm. We also don't always have the luxury of choice though.

As I said don't mistake my willingness to make personal sacrifice as callousness. There's no point in winning a war if there's nothing to go home to.

[daemonomicon.livejournal.com]

Noble indeed. But you do reveal one more thing to me: You assume you knew everything about the situation.

Had you decided to question me more, you might realize that the Ohm are known for being able to strike at any time from any direction. I had said the Ohm world was a staging point, but I didn't say it was the only one.

One of the few things about the Ohm that is known is that despite the nigh-unimaginable numbers they deploy in combat, they never send in their entire forces at once. If their primary invasion force is delayed by the defenders somehow, more and more appear from other areas of the multiverse.

If you put up such a strong counter-offensive against their one staging point, the forces at the next would deploy, likely wiping out either the planet you sought to defend or the rest of the crew.

In the end, all you would have accomplished is destroying a pittance of their unending legions. Had you sought out more information, you might know that.