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Battlefield Terra sort of, really messy summary
hello! hope youre doing well!! im on a bit of a homestuck kick lately with the animated pilot coming out and all i started rereading all my old fav fics. battlefield terra is still so amazing after all these years! i forgot how funny it was at parts and how the emotional or serious bits were such gut punches, and gamkar reunion arghhh. still hits right! i know beens been a damn long time, and i hope im not coming off as pushy, but i hope youll come back and give us a summary of what would have happened next. or not, no pressure! anyway thanks for writing 10/10 will read again!
hey, thank you. :)
i've been meaning to write the summary for BT for years and it keeps eating all my spoons. idk if you've seen this post which has the next chapter's first scene (fallout from the kiss and preparation for battle) but then i got bogged down in battle stuff. there was some vriska shenanigans VS karkat/john mindmeld and it was so damn hard to convey properly.
it's been so long now that i don't really remember any details. it's not like MotDP where i have the last two-three chapters plotted out pretty dang tight and know exactly where it ends. if i had kept going, BT would have been at a minimum 300k long (more likely to be 500-600k considering the chapters kept doing the accordion on me) and the later arcs were very "handwave it happens somehow".
i'm looking through my notes though and will paste them under there
=> Sollux and what happened to him (does Karkat tell John he's now an engine? Maybe he tells John first since he's gonna have to tell some of the higher ups soon?)
- What happened was that Sollux managed to pass through screening with judicious use of hacking and ruthlessly suppressing his own powers, but like two weeks ? before Karkat's capture by humans, he had to use his power to stop a rampaging mech (Aradia?) from crushing Karkat and Equius (also Nepeta who was around, but Aradia was aiming for Equius) and was captured and engine'd. (Tavros finished calming the mech but aw shit too late.)
- (they totally had a potentially black thing almost going on, pretty intense but never realized, and they were pretty close for out-quadrant hatefriends, but.)
- After Aradia "died" Sollux went all reckless -- john wonders, wait, is she dead or not? Karkat refuses to talk about it. (anyways when Sollux stops dead!botradia she's kinda you're dead to me and they're over which doesn't help.) (ghost in the machine kind of deal?)
- What happened was that Sollux managed to pass through screening with judicious use of hacking and ruthlessly suppressing his own powers, but like two weeks ? before Karkat's capture by humans, he had to use his power to stop a rampaging mech (Aradia?) from crushing Karkat and Equius (also Nepeta who was around, but Aradia was aiming for Equius) and was captured and engine'd. (Tavros finished calming the mech but aw shit too late.)
Askerian (17:00:37): so then they capture them and wow Karkat is feeling SO GUILTY
Askerian (17:01:46): but right on the heels of this attack they counterattack, cause now they have the mech transport to get back to the big hiveship? hmmmm
Askerian (17:01:51): hiveship is HELLA big tho
Askerian (17:02:20): possibly they use the transport ship and drag along like a dozen more human troop transports
Askerian (17:02:39): while Gamzee does his yeah i claim this ship in the name of the heiress thing
bkprsn101 (17:04:01): Oh there is that. Have they TALKED to Fef yet?
bkprsn101 (17:04:29): Sorta dumb to claim something in her name if she's just gonna let them burn
Askerian (17:04:33): nah, they need interstellar abilities XD
Askerian (17:04:55): once they have the hiveship they can send a message XD
bkprsn101 (17:05:33): HI FYI WE'VE STARTED YOUR WAR WITHOUT YOU WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THIS HANDY DANDY STRONGHOLD?
Askerian (17:05:44): but possibly it was always her plan/expected that people would start declaring themselves on her side
Askerian (17:05:49): like, it's acceptable
Askerian (17:06:13): so far they're not being open about it either
Askerian (17:06:22): they need a few more ships first D:
bkprsn101 (17:06:32): It's just…claiming in the name of the heiress is a good way to make the empress bomb you from orbit
Askerian (17:06:52): i dunno XD
Askerian (17:07:01): if the heiress doesn't acknowledge them right back they'll be considered pirates
Askerian (17:07:08): but it happens sometimes, a ship will go pirate and fuck off
Askerian (17:07:22): probably pretty often actually >_>
Askerian (17:07:43): so long as it's only a ship here and there it's more like ok we'll kill you if we get close but who cares where you go
bkprsn101 (17:07:52): And it's not like they don't have more ships, this is a bitty backwater
Askerian (17:08:10): pirating is discouraged around the settled worlds and toward the core of the empire
Askerian (17:08:21): on the fringes? oh hey they ran into alien mines well less work for us
Askerian (17:08:55): discouraged = pirates are hunted down and terminated hard
bkprsn101 (17:09:10): So eventually they send another ship, which also miraculously goes "pirate," and another and another until there are way too many of them and a higher-up goes WHAT IS GOING ON
Askerian (17:09:11): the problem of course is once a ship goes rogue it stops getting supplies, so it has to find them SOMEWHERE
Askerian (17:09:25): if it finds them outside of the empire's worlds, eh, whatevs, but that's pretty rare
bkprsn101 (17:09:36): At which point they go HEY FEF WANT A BATTALION?
bkprsn101 (17:10:07): Well, that's where the humans come in
bkprsn101 (17:10:27): Earth was a target because resources, after all
Askerian (17:10:43): pirates usually end up having to go back to the inner worlds to raid, and then they get hunted down and destroyed
Askerian (17:10:57): cause if they find a workable world then THEY have to work it
Askerian (17:11:03): and that's, like, work or something D:
Askerian (17:11:19): more especially it's work they haven't been trained for and which they are trained to see as below them
Askerian (17:14:32): before they come out as a war force they should probably send Feferi a secret message
Askerian (17:14:37): possibly via Terezi
Askerian (17:14:46): like hey is that what you want
Askerian (17:14:59): but if Feferi says no Karkat will keep going anyway XD
Askerian (17:15:06): ok we are now officially rogue
bkprsn101 (17:16:59): Well, it was always a possibility, and Karkat isn't wired to surrender
bkprsn101 (17:17:39): Someone needs to make a stand, and if Fef won't do it he bloody well WILL
Askerian (17:18:26): also he's got aliens and all his shipmates who are tired of war to defend
bkprsn101 (17:21:28): I mean, he'll LOSE but at this point he can at least leave an IMPRESSION
bkprsn101 (17:21:52): Red-blooded trolls don't lay down and take it
bkprsn101 (17:23:16): …which from the Empress's POV is another good reason to exterminate them but
bkprsn101 (17:23:31): Like limebloods :X
bkprsn101 (17:24:16): Amazing how telling someone you're going to kill them due to an accident of birth tends to make them rebellious :X
paula (02:50:09): is he wearing face paint?
Askerian (02:51:26): no, it washed out in the cockpit
paula (02:52:40): …do clown cultists normally wear face paint in the cockpit or was it a case of NO TIME TO WASH MY FACE TIME FOR REVENGEANCE
Askerian (02:53:10): it was a case of the cockpit stuff is wet
Askerian (02:53:21): he was probably not bothering to redo his paint nice before he got in
paula (02:54:06): ahahaha so… when he got to the troll's siege ship his face was already halfway melted
paula (02:54:18): he probably looked very pleasant and approachable, huh
Askerian (03:08:19):
paula (02:54:52): but then they do wear face paint? and just let it wash out inside mommy dad?
Askerian (02:56:15): cultists usually don't pilot
Askerian (02:56:22): it's a lowblood thing mostly
Askerian (02:56:35): they usually intervene against fellow trolls besides, not aliens
Askerian (02:56:52): Gamzee wanted to cause he has a … complicated relationship with his dad. :X
Askerian (02:57:00): kind of "now you can never leave me again" thing
paula (02:57:10): I see
paula (02:57:24): but from the outside is the fact that Gamzee pilots significant?
Askerian (02:57:41): no?
paula (02:57:42): do they think he's a weirdo for it, or hardcore?
Askerian (02:57:52): which people? opinions differ
paula (02:58:13): well, whoever had to deal with him and his training, I suppose
paula (02:59:13): or, say, the people whose opinions could cause him inconvenience
Askerian (02:59:31): it was a charming eccentricity for him to want to wade in the aliens and subbjugglate them directly, because he's the GHB's descendent and hella murderous besides so no one who still has a brain in their heads would think it was because he's afraid of getting his hands dirty directly
Askerian (02:59:43): but most of the time his mech was in a hangar
Askerian (02:59:52): he wasn't attached to a ship like Karkat's
Askerian: ok so it's about Hass actually
Askerian: and possibly after that another about Jane and some john and OCs
Askerian: so after they've captured the ship, quite a few of the highbloods in command decide to go "okay fine yes Gamzee we will side with the heiress and you"
Askerian: but some of them mostly want to avoid a clubbing by what they see as a traitor
bkprsn101: mm makes sense
Askerian: anyway Hass and the woman general from the committee come to the ship to visit and have a talk
bkprsn101: Gamzee: *does not give two fucks, seriously, just don't get in his way, all good*
Askerian: haha yeah
Askerian: and a lot of them are like "we will plot behind your back and retake the ship"
Askerian: Hass & woman: *stroll through ship with Karkat and john along as translators*
Askerian: they go to the high ranked people to get introduced and have small talk about what can be expected and stuff
Askerian: there's like the ship's captain, who sides with Gamzee cause Gamzee is fine letting her have the ship so long as she steers it where he wants it, and there's others near her level idk, and a couple of teal/cerulean attendants
Askerian: and then of course at some point during the very polite affable greetings one of the attendants tries to stab Hass.
Askerian: Hass: *dodges, barely moving*
dude: *goes flying, lands with a splat, starts with death tremors straight away*
Askerian: Hass: *affable, polite smile*
Askerian: john & Karkat: o_o are we surprised? yeah? no, we're surprised at how little we're surprised. basically.
Askerian: bluebloods: oh that person acted totally on his own we are so sorry >_>
bkprsn101: sorry they made me come down and make the coffee *read read*
Askerian: Hass: naturally! ahh, disgruntled men ^__^ say, you good fellows don't really give much of a damn about bodies and last rites, right?
bluebloods: uh. no?
Hass: great! I can bring back a souvenir. *cracks horn off dead dude, wraps root in handkerchief, puts in front pocket so the nicely stabby end points out clearly visible* ^-^
bluebloods: ......................................................... >_>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Hass: right! where were we.
bluebloods: ... this way sir. ._.;;;
Askerian: woman general: *siiiiigh* -___-;
bkprsn101: hahahahaha. they are probably old chums
Askerian: old enemies I think
bkprsn101: XDDD even better
Askerian: but they knew it was going to happen XD
Askerian: oh and also after he kills the dude he's all "splendid! that old trick works on you fellows as well. :B"
bkprsn101: can they be friendly enemies? Like, "I would stab you in the back given, like, 1/3 of a chance. Tea?" "Oh, yes, definitely. :-) "
Askerian: yes XD
Askerian: and Karkat is like "... they are going to hit black on him like crazy if this keeps on"
Askerian: weirdly enough the whole scene barely needed translation
bkprsn101: John: DDDDDD: NO GRANDPA HASS IS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE SEX EVER
Askerian: hahahahahahaha oh lord
bkprsn101: Karkat: ...*eyeroll* Yes, that's likely and also a sound choice for continued existence, let's go with that
Askerian: "ahaha flattered but I'm too old to still feel much in the way of earthly desires."
"... he's old enough he can't even participate in reproduction and either so terrifying they let him live or so terrifying no one managed to kill him for it"
bkprsn101: "Someone call Rose, I am not having a drone talk with you."
bkprsn101: John: What's a drone? Karkat: ...how does your species continue to exist.
Askerian: haha nah, he already knows they're mammals
bkprsn101: true enough
bkprsn101: but even so, who's to say nobody shows up once a year and is like FUCK RIGHT THE FUCK NOW OR ELSE
Askerian: pff XD
bkprsn101: :P
bkprsn101: meh anyway, yes, kickass Hass is kickass and I love him
Askerian: ^____^
bkprsn101: also, Karkat is going to spend so much time eyeing Jake sideways afterwards. "How are you this dumb when your ancestor is that awesome, this just proves my point that ancestor idolization is dumb"
Askerian: seriously. D:
Askerian: ok so Jane and john >>
Askerian: so they're still up in the troll ship, it's pretty damages in some places
bkprsn101: right
Askerian: most of it is intact but there are places where the hull is kind of. not.
Askerian: so they have like transparent plastic pockets over it to put in air while they close it but okay that doesn't actually matter too much
bkprsn101: right
Askerian: so there's this brownblood dude carting around a load of pipes to construct a scaffolding so the ship can regrow over it
Askerian: and there's this blueblood dude storming out of somewhere he got a dressing down possibly by the captain who's pro Gamzee and he's kinda furious and shit and when he storms out there's a couple of human soldiers standing guards at the corners and he's not far gone enough to attack them but there's brownblood dude going around minding his own business
Askerian: a couple of other people but they were less busy and notice his mood and step the fuck back into the common room at the other end of the corridor right quick
bkprsn101: ...I can see where this is going.
Askerian: BAM brown dude gets backhanded to the floor out of the blue (... haha. :-X )
bkprsn101: Jane is going to rip blueblood's face off
Askerian: then kicked for good measure, then the soldiers are like HEY THERE SIR WHAT'S GOING ON
Askerian: so they come closer and the blueblood is like nothing to see here move along *casual last kick for the road*
bkprsn101: ...:-(
Askerian: soldiers: *shit he's high ranking so politically important but he's also whaling on another prisoner this is not on*
Askerian: Jane was around!!
Askerian: MA'AM PLEASE THIS WAY. >:(
Askerian: Jane: *eyebrow up* what's going on? ... shit that dude is bleeding *goes to sit him up, kind of warily mime at him where the fuck are you hurt while the soldiers tell her what happened and sort of wedge themselves between brown dude and blue dude*
Askerian: Jane! ... >:(
Askerian: *gets up slooowly, turns to blue dude, SCOWLS* *frozen voice* sir, this is not appropriate behavior.
Askerian: then I forget exactly how it goes but possibly he tries to wander off like who cares and she's like "stop him" and the soldiers circle around
bkprsn101: XDDD
Askerian: and possibly he commits the mistake of making an irritated move in their direction it doesn't even matter if he was planning to hit them
bkprsn101: Jane Egbert: NOT ON MY SHIP YOU SONOFABITCH
Askerian: Jane: *CLOTHESLINES TO THE GROUND*
bkprsn101: yuuuuup
Askerian: meanwhile all the trolls in the common room farther down are clustered at the door staring
Askerian: dude: *loses his shit, attacks*
Jane: STAND BACK STOP PEOPLE FROM JOINING IN *okay you want to dance*
soldiers have called reinforcements but they just make sure no one tries to help the poor asshole blueblood
I think he punches her in the face when she was still trying to ask him if he was sure he wanted to go :-X
Jane: *turns into tornado of death!Jane*
bkprsn101: XD XD >D
bkprsn101: Jane just became the hottest human, didn't she?
Askerian: she eventually allows him to flop on the ground with a broken jaw and at best pretty battered ribs then goes to finish her, then john's like HEY SIS STOP D:
bkprsn101: ...oh my god, it's like a porno
Askerian: *grabs furious!Jane, turns her face to him, takes a deep breath*
Jane: ... *OKAY FINE breathes too* I AM CALM NOW >:(
john: I totally believe you :B
bkprsn101: hahaha
Askerian: Jane: *grumbles* *goes to check on brownblood dude, miming to get him to tell her where he's hurt*
brownblood: .... O_O *waugh dad where are you bluebloods noticing me all over the place and now ALIEN bluebloods oh god* umm here? not badly at all haha OWW
bkprsn101: XDDD
Askerian: meanwhile john gets the story from soldiers, not looking super impressed :-X
Askerian: the trolls watching still look like OHSHIT though??? as one of the soldiers points out
Askerian: blueblood: *HULKS OUT RAAAAAAAAA*
Askerian: *shoves john on his ass, rushes Jane*
bkprsn101: ...tell me they tag-team him plz
Askerian: Jane: *so those metallic supports used for construction. they are pretty hardy, yes?*
bkprsn101: XDDDDDD
bkprsn101: oh my god, Jane Egbert is my hero
Askerian: *grabs one, WHACK, WHACK, YOU DIDN'T NEED THAT TIBIA RIGHT, OR THAT STOMACH, OR THAT* *goes to jab throat in*
john: *trips dude on his ass so she misses then pins down on the ground, twisting his arms back*
dude: *fight fight raaaaa*
john: *sigh* *knocks head into ground*
bkprsn101: ...at least knock him out, John, god
Askerian: BONK. :-X
bkprsn101: XDDDD
bkprsn101: seriously, they are so pale by troll standards
Askerian: john: *... pretty srs sad face, looks up at Jane*
Jane: *flinty-eyed glare, sharp nod toward brownblood still bleeding and confused with his arm broken in three places and his ribs in... more places*
Askerian: john: sighs* handcuffs, plz.
soldier: *gives handcuffs*
john: *cuffs, then proceeds to tear off shoulder and throat insignias, then flips over on his back, gets knife, cuts out any sign he sees on his clothes*
trolls watching: O_O HOLY SHIT
he really doesn't look happy, but still determined. Jane isn't sorry at all, the asshole asked for it.
ties his legs too, then tells the soldiers to get him on the next shuttle, destination the labs :-X
then he gets up to go throw the insignias and signs in nearest incinerator/garbage worm/whatever*
bkprsn101: Karkat: *from behind* *helpfully translates*
Askerian: well seriously they gave him a TON of chances to calm his ass down and back off
Askerian: trolls wouldn't have been half so lenient even with a blueblood
Askerian: meanwhile Jane is briskly assessing brownblood's injuries, and when she makes sure he can walk she's like "you and you, carry that stuff to where he was getting it. soldiers, get him to the infirmary."
Askerian: brownblood: ... D: ????????????
Askerian: she doesn't go with him, she's still too angry, but anyway
Askerian: Karkat probably stays a bit in the common room to take the temperature of the gossip XD
Askerian: WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO TO POOR BROWNDUDE D:
Askerian: "meh, fix him and release him into the wild, I told you that yesterday -___-"
bkprsn101: Karkat: Oh, it's horrible, they're going to heal his injuries and ensure he's ready for work again. *eyeroll*
Askerian: XDD
Askerian: I think he'd try not to participate much >>
bkprsn101: probably
Askerian: but anyway the lowbloods especially would be a bit calmer about aliens, if they're actually ready to enforce "no fighting" even with the higher ranks
bkprsn101: yeah
Askerian: and then later the yellowblood moirail tracks Karkat down and is all WHERE IS HE YOU MUST KNOW
bkprsn101: awww <>
Askerian: and he's like ... jegus cool it he's with their doctors I bet, come on let's go
bkprsn101: ^^
Askerian: and he leads her through and they get an escort to the infirmary where dude is completely bewildered about his bandages and stuff
bkprsn101: hahahahahabkprsn101: Karkat: *eyeroll*
Askerian: they had to operate to fix torn ligaments in his shoulder and it was a novel experience for everyone but they actually asked him if he wanted to be asleep for it!
bkprsn101: I feel like Karkat is going to get a kick out of being the guy with all the answers for once
Askerian: they have a doctor dude who mimed it for him and everything
Askerian: like "awake, they do stuff with your shoulder, WAAAUGH"
Askerian: brownblood: D:
Askerian: doc: asleep, yawns awake, oh my shoulder's a bit sore, miracle! ok so which one do you want.
Askerian: brown: .... ASLEEP PLZ?
bkprsn101: hahahahaha
Askerian: ... doc asked cause they haven't really been using sleep drugs on trolls yet and it was ... not extremely sure he'd wake up >>
Askerian: didn't tell him that much though hahaha XD asshole
Askerian: :-X by the way the whole time Karkat was in the labs they didn't put him under at any point
bkprsn101: ...welp. XD
bkprsn101: oh, human doctors
Askerian: there's always a chance they won't wake up even when it's a species you know, after all
bkprsn101: true
Askerian: they had time to review the data and formulate stuff that was a bit more likely to work >>
Askerian: also possibly in the first days after the battle there were lots of dudes where if you didn't try to get them asleep to operate the shock or the injury would do them in anyways.
and then.
SECOND ARC STARTS.
caliborn and calliope are humans in this. bit younger than the pilots.
Askerian : oh my god adi i was rereading early BT chapters and -- one thing skaialabs had to give ground on in exchange for keeping karkat was allowing their gene alteration for teenagers to go on human trial
==> that's where cal and callie come from!!!!
Askerian (03:26:54): john will feel so bad when he knows
Askerian (03:26:59): then again it would have happened at some point
Askerian (03:27:22): but this way they had no control over the choice of test subjects and how they were treated and educated and everything
bkprsn101 (03:27:22): yeah but. woooow
and... i don't remember what i was gonna DO with them. not a single thing.
John and Karkat are less glued together this arc because Karkat is running around playing translator and mediator between prisoners and humans and his circle of old friends is planning a revolution and then there's the human leaders to talk with, and John is training cal and callie and possibly more kids. they might not even be on the same island full time. i don't remember if they managed to clarify the romance thing! (yes i love gamzee; it's PALE love. you guys don't have a name for that one cause you're all pale sluts. ... what do you mean we don't do black romance WHAT ABOUT BRO AND NOIR.)
and then eventually they wish to take over the next hiveship over, because it's the one that might be sent to crush them and their little rebellion, AND it's the one Sollux is on.
Askerian: oh btw I had a BT plot thought two days ago XD
Askerian: maybe you saw
Askerian: I was rereading the last chapter of BT hoping that'd get me back in the mood for it, and there's this part where Karkat is embarrassed at the thought of people going together inside the psychic-gel-filled inside of a cockpit, especially with how much of a tight fit that would be. And John immediately jumps to sex … mostly because mental/emotional intimacy intense enough to get flustered about is not something he groks as well as sexual intimacy.
But then I was like “lol from Karkat's pov it sounds like cuddling in a slime bath pings John in the kink gland or something.”
But of course cockpit sex, urgh, CRABDAD IS WATCHING YOU GUYS NO, NO, STOP!!! which um yeah, boner killer. u.u
… which leads me to my next thought…
I have GOT to get them together in a recuperacoon for some contrived reason at some point. Dear lord. YES.
The reason I found is indeed properly and delightfully contrived and also I won't get a chance to get it to happen for a couple centuries considering how much plot needs to happen beforehand, but I WILL HAVE MY SHOEHORNED-IN GRATUITIOUS FANSERVICE AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME.
I mean it's not like I can stick a shower scene in EVERY chapter. :'(
This concludes the “dear writer: where do you get your ideas!” section of today's interview. (SEE?? YOU SHOULD NEVER ASK THAT. THE ANSWERS ARE NEVER PRETTY.)
Askerian: psst little girl want some spoilers
joisbishmyoga: YSPLZ
Askerian: so at some point Karkat and john infiltrate a troll ship for espionage purposes! :-D
Askerian: so Karkat disguises as a TEALBLOOD and john as his slave XD
joisbishmyoga: trollslave?
Askerian: no humanslave :-P
joisbishmyoga: oooh, so not all the humans have been executed for entertainment?
Askerian: noooo tho some probably wish they'd been
Askerian: trolls practice the war trophy thing. :-X when the Empire doesn't require that you give them your loot, you can keep it
Askerian: note, it's a pain in the ass to provide for a slave in such a closed environment, but as a greenblood Karkat starts being high enough to afford it
Askerian: anyway I have not yet decided if he makes john sleep in his 'coon because his official reason to keep john at hand is for pailing purposes, or if they've got to hide john somewhere an the one-place 'coon is the only spot there is. depends.
joisbishmyoga: It's totally for official sex toy reasons. Why would you keep some weak ass human who can't understand any orders you give, unless it's for the reason they don't need to know any language for?
Askerian: XD
Askerian: v. good point. :-D
Askerian: also Karkat would have to be rough with john, enough to maybe shock him into developing some empathy about how totally unnerving and exhausting it was to be stranded on earth >>
joisbishmyoga: Unless it's to take out your sadistic nonsexual jollies on, but I doubt anybody would be willing to beat up John long enough to make it look like he's been in the hands of a sadist for months.
Askerian: and you just KNOW john would pretend to be obedient but he'd be the kind who always has a little "humoring you" smile on his face and that's just not appropriate
Askerian: hehehe
Askerian: Karkat: *for the good of the mission...* *SMACKS IN THE FACE*
joisbishmyoga: Karkat probably has to backhand him hard enough to leave John's face swollen so that he can't smile.
joisbishmyoga: Just how scantily dressed would a Johnslave be?
Askerian: ahaha
Askerian: I wonder *_* maybe Karkat would leave him in his pilot's clothes. they're skintight.
Askerian: ... probably unzipped in the front though XD
Askerian: like low enough to see his bellybutton XD
Askerian: wow cleavage.
joisbishmyoga: (This is a PERTINENT QUESTION. The amount of skin showing determines if and where John has to be bruised!)
Askerian: :-X the issue here is nanomachines
Askerian: short of deactivating them...
joisbishmyoga: true
Askerian: which they can!
Askerian: anyway Karkat would probably have to hold onto john's wristwatch-thing
Askerian: be too weird, a slave with something that is not really an ornament, and visibly technological
Askerian: oh hey maybe he'd have to do the whole trip without nanomachines. welcome to how the normal population lives all the time! when you get hurt YOU STAY HURT.
joisbishmyoga: They'll have to. I doubt the Empire would've left a fancy different breed of pilot in some piddling greenblood's hands, so John can't be noticeably healing faster than he should.
Askerian: well most people wouldn't necessarily know how fast an alien is supposed to heal
joisbishmyoga: They probably do leave the humans with their flight suits. Why waste good clothing on one when they have something to wear already? Though I doubt the trolls with trophies bother trying to keep the flight suits intact. Who cares if the slave's wearing shredded filthy rags around their slutty freakish dangly bits?
Askerian: yeeeess.
joisbishmyoga: ..... oh man. The trolls probably think their male human captives ARE always receptive to sex.
Askerian: XDDDDD
Askerian: I would be unsurprised if some did assume
joisbishmyoga: It's not as if they could explain "no, it's always out".
Askerian: XD
Askerian: after some experimentation some trolls would realize that
Askerian: others would simply not care because that enables them to ridicule them over it
joisbishmyoga: if they cared
Askerian (15:13:10): did we ever find a way to justify john going undercover as Karkat's slave
Askerian (15:13:37): cause if they need, say, brute force to get to the helmsman, and a human face to act as representative in a message to Feferi
Askerian (15:13:45): but idk that's a huge risk
Askerian (15:14:22): maybe if other pilots and their mechs were waiting outside ready to barge in. >__>
Askerian (15:14:29): cloaked. hm.
bkprsn101 (15:15:24): don't think we did, no
bkprsn101 (15:15:33): probably they'll just go for stealth
bkprsn101 (15:15:45): brute force to break in, then stealth to get down there
Askerian (15:15:47): if they were supposed to finish the mission in a day or two their allies could be waiting nearby
Askerian (15:15:49): hmmmm
bkprsn101 (15:16:04): that would take more than a day, though?
Askerian (15:16:09): idk what if the first thing they did in those situations was to lock down
Askerian (15:16:15): ... maybe they're going to save Sollux first
bkprsn101 (15:16:21): that works
Askerian (15:16:31): he needs extraction but to get to him ... well
bkprsn101 (15:16:36): yeah
Askerian (15:16:39): also the second he's out people are going to know
bkprsn101 (15:17:06): so once he's out the plan is to go straight to the larger ship and take the helm
bkprsn101 (15:17:26): ...yeah no that doesn't work
Askerian (15:18:11): Karkat and john infiltrate, john uses his super strength to break in cause weapons and cutting implements/beams would be detected before getting to the helmsblock, outside OH NO an attack!! panic everywhere
Askerian (15:18:40): Karkat and john and Sollux (john is carrying him) get lost in the chaos (NO MORE POWER)
bkprsn101 (15:18:50): oops
Askerian (15:19:02): do they have escape pods I wonder
bkprsn101 (15:19:03): too bad they didn't bring one of the Striders for this bit
Askerian (15:19:22): hahaha never mind because Karkat came in on a ship of his own, right? he'd have made sure to lock it up so no one else can get in
bkprsn101 (15:19:48): probably there's supposed to be a rendezvous with one of the others
Askerian (15:19:52): well it's also fun if the escape doesn't happen as planned
Askerian (15:20:05): possibly other trolls allied with them at this point, maybe nepeta
Askerian (15:20:28): Equius could have served as the one-man-escape-tunnel dude instead of john but at this point either he doesn't want to collaborate yet or he'd be too noticeable and also he sucks at acting
bkprsn101 (15:21:08): really it's the latter two things
Askerian (15:21:10): Karkat's spent his life fronting and pretending he had bigger shameglobes than he does. >> he can pretend to be Teal that long, yeah XD
bkprsn101 (15:21:22): Nepeta said "We are doing this thing" and he said "yes dear whatever you say"
Askerian (15:21:44): people would notice a blueblood with a broken horn that's supposed to be berthed on a ship that's been behaving weird
Askerian (15:21:50): idk if at this point they know yet that the ship was taken
bkprsn101 (15:22:02): probably not
Askerian (15:22:25): anyway once the helmsman is out then they can't send messages very far and if in the meantime they were surrounded by stealth ships to disrupt communications, they couldn't even send a heads up
bkprsn101 (15:23:10): so the plan is to infiltrate, cut off communications, and then kidnap the helmsman before taking the ship
Askerian (15:23:17): yeah XD
Askerian (15:23:25): it's convenient that Karkat wanted the helmsman anyways right XD
bkprsn101 (15:23:34): yuuuuup
Askerian (15:23:41): "hey fef we found you allies and two ships, want?"
Askerian (15:23:51): I wonder how Karkat would send the coded message
bkprsn101 (15:23:55): "Also we rescued Sollux just saying"
Askerian (15:23:57): wow I wonder if he pretended to be Libra
Askerian (15:23:59): hahaha
bkprsn101 (15:24:23): "Hey look free matesprit"
bkprsn101 (15:24:28): "You can thank me later"
Askerian (15:24:29): "remember when you were a kid and bored us all to tears with your cuttlefish? i've found you a whole planet of sentient ones, and they actually want to play your game, just saying."
Askerian (15:24:31): hahahaha
Askerian (15:24:56): they should have set up a code to chat in .__. he has to make do
Askerian (15:25:02): oh right!
Askerian (15:25:38): the humans were all "what you know the heiress" and then he's all "how the fuck did you think I survived long enough for Gamzee to claim me"
Askerian (15:25:53): and then they're all "...???? survival wat" and then he's like
Askerian (15:25:53): oh they don't even know I'm a mutant do they
bkprsn101 (15:26:03): awwwww
Askerian (15:26:07): ... ahahahaha <3
Askerian (15:26:23): then he explains the hemospectrum to them in detail and why he's such a mess and john is all ;____;
bkprsn101 (15:27:22): and then Rose goes "So is it like albinism? You're a reverse... lime blood? If that's a color more frequently on the spectrum."
Askerian (15:28:42): :X
Askerian (15:28:50): no he's just a mutant alas
Askerian (15:29:00): also if he were a lime blood he'd be even worse off
bkprsn101 (15:29:10): XD "How the fuck should I know, there aren't any lime bloods anymore"
Askerian (15:29:11): powerless mutants can be allowed to live!
Askerian (15:29:13): haha
Askerian (15:29:49): but actually it helps, because once the humans have access to a variety of troll blood types, they can figure out what Karkat's is missing to produce any color at all
bkprsn101 (15:29:59): well, the humans don't know that. Now he has to explain that they exterminated an entire color because too dangerous
Askerian (15:30:19): his problem is he's default troll, so by adding the right coloring thingies, they can make him drugs that make him look like anything.
bkprsn101 (15:30:20): yup
Askerian (15:30:25): ... for, like, a few hours only alas
bkprsn101 (15:30:33): ooooh
Askerian (15:30:37): Karkat: ... I could be tyrian.
Askerian (15:30:51): Karkat: yeah only if I want to be killed messily on live tv
bkprsn101 (15:30:52): it's like being AB+. You can use anything
Askerian (15:30:53): but
Askerian (15:30:54): hahaha
bkprsn101 (15:32:10): I actually like that explanation. Like, he somehow ended up with blood typing for all of the spectrum
bkprsn101 (15:32:18): and it came out cherry red
Askerian (15:32:24): hehehe
Askerian (15:32:40): the easiest color to produce would actually be tyrian :O
bkprsn101 (15:33:05): Karkat: ...ahahahaha yeah no don't do that that would be the opposite of helpful
Askerian (15:33:09): the midbloods without any reds in them would need a more complex cocktail
Askerian (15:33:11): hahahaha
Askerian (15:33:23): anyway they don't have any tyrian at hand to analyze, so they don't know that yet
bkprsn101 (15:33:43): dude, they're more likely to be going for indigo
bkprsn101 (15:33:49): they have some of that on hand
bkprsn101 (15:34:38): Gamzee: ...bro I am all up in this plan
bkprsn101 (15:35:40): I AM HAVING THE MIRTHFUL ITCH TO BE DOING YOUR FACE PAINT >.>
Askerian (15:35:44): hehehehehe
Askerian (15:35:53): Karkat: D;
Askerian (15:36:02): I think they'd remember a tiny indigo with ridic horns
bkprsn101 (15:36:14): yes that is why Karkat vetoes
bkprsn101 (15:36:29): it is not at all because a Gamzee determined to play dress-up is terrifying
Askerian (15:36:32): hahaha
Askerian (15:36:41): also his eye color changes which is pretty unnerving
Askerian (15:36:49): even tho oh my god I look normal ;__;
Askerian (15:37:14): but it's good that he doesn't need contacts because a scanner would catch those
bkprsn101 (15:37:23): yeah
bkprsn101 (15:37:24): ;;
Askerian (15:38:21): I think john did destroy the helmsblock while getting Sollux out and pretty deliberately at that
bkprsn101 (15:38:30): mm hmmm
bkprsn101 (15:38:38): Karkat: STOP FLIRTING WITH ME
Askerian (15:38:38): he didn't want anyone to suggest they plop Sollux or that other psionic on Karkat's home ship back in
Askerian (15:38:41): hahahaha
bkprsn101 (15:38:42): John: ...??
Askerian (15:38:45): XDDDDD
Askerian (15:39:08): because you bet there'd be some asshole going "he's catatonic anyway might as well get some use out of him"
bkprsn101 (15:39:39): At this point, pretty much anything John does is "flirting." The other option is "really, really big crush," and that's just embarrassing.
Askerian (15:39:45): XD
Askerian (15:40:01): I think at this point Karkat has kissed john already
Askerian (15:40:07): "ball's in your court." u.u
bkprsn101 (15:40:08): oh true
Askerian (15:40:21): john is flustered about it but also oddly happy. >__>
bkprsn101 (15:40:23): "STOP BEING WONDERFUL AND ALSO WEIRD ABOUT SEX"
Askerian (15:40:25): XDD
bkprsn101 (15:41:54): "WHO EVEN CARES ABOUT GENDER DURING SEX GOD THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD." "...how did me busting the controls in the helm become about pansexuality?" "AAAARGH."
Askerian (15:41:57): hahahaha
bkprsn101 (15:46:09): ...ps I am sort of hoping that Karkat does the "ball in your court" thing and then spends the next two months while John thinks about it getting increasingly more sexually frustrated
Askerian (15:46:18): hahahahaha
Askerian (15:46:20): very likely
Askerian (15:46:27): WHY IS IT TAKING YOU THAT LONG
Askerian (15:46:29): ASSHOLE
bkprsn101 (15:46:55): Like, literally any rant Karkat gets into at John somehow ends up being about sex
bkprsn101 (15:47:13): everyone else finds this extremely funny
Askerian (15:47:36): pff
bkprsn101 (15:49:37): can Gamzee be screamingly unhelpful by offering to explain the miracle of life to John?
bkprsn101 (15:49:47): Just in case, you know
bkprsn101 (15:50:01): Like, he's a little concerned, it's taking him a while to make a move
ANYWAY they get sollux back and send fef a message and then more space opera war things happen. /handwave handwave
Askerian: … you realize Fef's totally gonna be training hardcore with bro and noir and Jane
Adi: I mean, they need to get through the fleet to get Fef to her, but…
Adi: oh my god yes
Askerian: rolls in glee
Askerian: she might even get nanomachines to heal faster, even tho as a tyrian she heals super fast already
Adi: dude, this is, like, the start of a Star Trek-esque alliance, sorta
Adi: if they win
Askerian: hahaha yeeess
Adi: and I'm assuming they win, because if they don't it would be a sad ending
Askerian: hopefully some human factions won't have been thinking of it in "we're allies until the Condesce dies and then you'll try to conquer us so let's kill you first" terms
Askerian: maybe part of the fleet still loyal to Condy breaks off
Askerian: hey, go and do your own thing, asswipes, we have the mothergrub >:D
Adi: oh, I'm sure there are those factions, but as long as they're not the ones in power it doesn't really matter
Adi: hahahaha yeeeeah
Askerian: …the humans would totally send a squad to kill the old mothergrub :-X
Adi: good luck, losers.
Adi: …hrrm
Askerian: look at that your rates of birth are way lower with a young mother grub!
Askerian: it'd be really not a happy thing for tee troll side but I feel like some bad things must also come from the human side
Adi: yeah
Adi: I mean, it is war
Askerian: and they'd have gotten Kanaya to get hers and zoom off
Askerian: I was thinking about installing her on mars but really they would NOT want baby trolls in their backyard
Askerian: maybe a squad or maybe drugs/a virus
Askerian: really the only reason she lived that long was Condy
Adi: okay, so there is a two-part strategy for the humans/troll rebels to win. One: take Alternia and kill the old mothergrub. Two: get Fef to Condy and let her kill her. if it's the rebels who give the okay, it won't be, like, an alliance-breaking offense. and it does make sense from a tactical angle. Control the children and the newborns. god, though, that is going to be a hard thing for the trolls to okay. I guess as long as Kanaya grabs the matriorb and gtfo before the humans arrive…?
Askerian: yeah, probably we can have john and Karkat riding to outrace the virus. Kanaya should manage to kidnap her mom and PCHOO out of there early tho. like, they rendezvous in space and then escort her
Adi: yeah. do they take out all the current generation on Alternia, too? D:
Askerian: D: nooo that might provoke their allied trolls to rebel
Adi: yeah. They're not going to agree to support that
Askerian: like, okay, they don't care PERSONALLY about the wigglers who managed to pupate and become trolls. they don't know them, they don't care. BUT THEY MANAGED TO FIGHT THEIR WAY OUT OF THE CAVES?? also they have a huge ingrained certainty that Alternia should be safe. they can never go back home but it's still, always home
Adi: Like, it's already a lot to get them to support killing the mothergrub.
Askerian: I don't think the humans… asked before doing that
Adi: yeah, probably not.
Askerian: but at the same time as the news that the old mothergrub is dead comes
Askerian: they also learn that a Feferi supporter has a virgin mothergrub in a safe location
Askerian: so even if they didn't want to throw in with Feferi… well
Adi: so the rebel trolls are going to flip. their. shit. but, I mean, they do control the mothergrub now.
Askerian: a lot of factions are going to be really angry. at the same time Feferi will be Officially Grateful to those humans who risked themselves to help save at least one mother grub from this disaster despite what some Bad Human Factions might have said or done. >>
Adi: and it'll then be made clear that this was a small faction of humans, and they are Not In Control Anymore
Askerian: yes
Askerian: haha I could totally see Hass letting them do it, v. ruthlessly, and then being NO BAD.
Adi: hahahaha
Askerian: but only cause he had faith john (and possibly rose) would get there on time
Adi: Yeah. Basically, it's in motion when he hears about it, and instead of just putting a stop to it, he goes "John, Rose, you need to save at least one mothergrub. Go." so it's only sort of a crime against… personhood: hrm. I dunno if Hass should let them put it in motion if he could have stopped it, though. It's not quite genocide, because they're not doing it just because they're trolls in order to eliminate all trolls from existence, but it's close. I think Hass should fight pretty hard to stop it, fail, and then send the kids to save as much as they can? like, he made the tactical error of assuming he could talk them down
but so much handwaving to get there oh my little ponies. my notes were such a MESS hgh hghhhgb. T^T anyway questions welcome but i probably won't remember much of anything.