Insurrection: Spoilers Chapter 5

[Mad Monk]

She reached out of view, then pulled back a small silvery device. “One of these was implanted in the brains of every single one of them,” she answered. “It’s not working right now, none of them are, so I’m not too sure what they do. I sent one to Myleena so she can study it.”

Some sort of mind control device or is it a telepathy blocker? (Remember that no such device was ever developed by the Feay or any other race) The enemy seems to like using third parties to do its dirty work - the Trillanes, the Urumi, possibly these are also catspaws?

Also, with an insectoid race, targetting Jason and previously Kellin might be because in their race, only the "Royal" males control everything else. They might think instinctively that as soon as the Male leader is removed, everyone either gives up or goes insane.

[boballab]

I believe that the devices block outside telepathy and control this Insectoid race.

Now as to bringing in a new race and some clues/hints dropped here, I think we can narrow it down to two choices of the villians of this story.

1. The Energy beings are real and have come in contact with some survivng Karrine after the civil war and are either allied with them or they are controling them like the insectoids. This would give them knowledge of the Karrines and explain why they would go after Karrine partially but not in following thru on the Imperium.

2. There is surviors of House Karrine (non Generation) that have a grudge against Jason reviving the House for whatever the reason.

The clues as I see it are:

Jason could sense Hatred from these beings. Now this could be caused by one of two things. One the hatred is aimed at the people that are controlling them thru the devices. Two the hatred is aimed at Jason and was implanted by the devices. I believe its number two.

How did they know where the bunker was? I believe the objective wasn't necessarily Jason by himself but also Cybi.

They really didn't break off relations with the Urumi. The attacks for Arctus and Draconis were faints to keep the Imperium away from Karis and also to get Jason to send ships to Dahani. This would weaken the defenses at Karis which was the real objective. Keep in mind the Urumi still attacked Karis after the other fleet arrived and it was a Pincer movement designed to try to split the defenses.

I have a feeling things are not going to go well for the twins ie: they might come back with implants in their heads.

[lapland]

I agree that the things attached to the bugs brains was to control them. Making someone hate using artificial means is fairly easy. I really don't think they are old Kerreins though. I think they are the ones who took the tech off the scout ship. I think they are something of the order of the Borg from Star Trek. They gather tech and use it to take over others and expand their dominance, but they don't do it themselves. They are probably very weak telepathically and want to stay as far away from the Fahe as they can.

I think the tech they found on the scout ship eons ago gave them the location of the planet, but they believed it was destroyed. When Jason found it, they gradually came to understand that he found the tech and were it was. They knew from scout ship where the main computer was so they went after it. The ships are different then the old Kerreins because they didn't get any ships. They got technology, and most of that was research and defensives stuff. The offensive weapans were completely different then Kerreins. The ships are black, like a pirate would use.

Noone seems to talk about there being no gravity on the ships, yet the bugs were not use to gravity. I think I'd be a bit irritable if I was that uncomfortable. If they were given a singular mission in life and were restrained from doing it, they that would also explain the hostility. The devices could just restrain memory path ways so a singular mission were instilled in them. Without telepathy they couldn't control the mind without appliances. These could be a form of the gastalt tech only used to control the mind instead of inhance it.

[Mizriath]

In chapter 5, alot of questions appear.

The big basic ones is who is this insectoid race. Why are they attacking Karinne? What has Karrine done to incite such hatred if not on the insectoid themselves, then whoever is controlling the insectoid. Can the possible simple reason is actually the technological edge of the Karrine after they knew about Karis. The fastest way is to kill off Jason?

Obvious the other attacks are feints but what is the Kellin connection, to get Dahnai pissed off with Karrinne too? That is the obvious one.

Fel mentioned that chapter 6 is short and wil reveal all the conclusions. Or will it be in the installments by the Kimdoris.

THmmmmmmm

[ANTIcarrot]

Well that battle went pretty much how I thought it might.

It also undermines the theory that kerrinne are behind it. Jason's distant relatives would know exactly how dangerous faey telepathy is; and would have built basic countermeasures into Urumi fleet. Computer lockouts that will not fire on a friendly IFF without a hour's reengineering for example. Of course they might still behind it, but only if it was a simple low scale probing attack (No, 300 ships is not a large fleet for a K1+ civilisation) but that would that Jason wasn't really the target after all. And Fel not making Jason the center of the universe? Not likely to happen is it?

The two things seem pretty mutually exclusive.

[Mad Monk]

The Urumi attacks on Arctus and Draconis could have been to make sure that the Faey fleet could not help during the real attack on Karis.

It is also possible that the rest of the Urumi fleet does not have the upgraded weapons. After all, upgrading a whole fleet would take time, and would be noticed. Upgrading a part could be more easily hidden. The Kimdori would probably have noticed earlier if the whole fleet had been modified.

It was also interesting that the attackers tried suicide attacks as soon as the Kimdori appeared. Was there a stealthy enemy "command" ship controling the insectoid drones?

[ANTIcarrot]

What has Karrine done to incite such hatred if not on the insectoid themselves, then whoever is controlling the insectoid.

You've never heard of xenophobic bugs? They hate everything don't you know.

[boballab]

Well that battle went pretty much how I thought it might.

It also undermines the theory that kerrinne are behind it. Jason's distant relatives would know exactly how dangerous faey telepathy is; and would have built basic countermeasures into Urumi fleet. Computer lockouts that will not fire on a friendly IFF without a hour's reengineering for example. Of course they might still behind it, but only if it was a simple low scale probing attack (No, 300 ships is not a large fleet for a K1+ civilisation) but that would that Jason wasn't really the target after all. And Fel not making Jason the center of the universe? Not likely to happen is it?

The two things seem pretty mutually exclusive.

Actually you overlooked the obvious. The Karrine on the scout ship contained no Generations in it and the only Karrine that knew all the secrets of the Karrine and the Kimdori were the Generations. That leaves it wide open on what they would do, remember the Generations controlled the house and they became fixated on the program and themselves. This could have caused problems with non Generation Faey in the Karrine household. At this time unless mentioned in some type of chat Fel hasn't written anything about the internal politics of house Karrine except that the Generations knew the secrets and everything went to the program. As to giving the Urumi protection against Telepathy that would make no sense to them, for it would leave them open to being attacked by the Urumi. Never give an Ally a defense against your best weapon they might one day be your enemy, especially if it's an alliance of convinance. Remember also the Insectoids were immune to telepathy so the consortium knew about the Faey in fighter tactic, however they didn't know about the Comunion between Cybi and Jason being able to use TK against the mechs. Again the non Generation Karrine would not know about this type of thing since they can't gestalt with a AI they can only use an interface. The gestalt is a secret that no non Generation Karrine is allowed to know, Jason has even blocked Jyslin from this knowledge in their melds and I believe Miaari pointed that out in Subjugation. So my contention is they are still the leading canidates to be involved in this. Now as to wrapping things up in chapter six, Fel wouldn't leave us hanging with a cliffhanger until another book would he.....

[Hearly]

To me those Insectoids are not a Natural species or maybe they were but they did not evolve, they were engineered, Clues in the chapter, they have no Virus's in there system at all, They can't live in a gravity well (at least a 1g area gravity well) There all Female and they are all sterile.

I think the Consortium used the Urumi and the Trillianes as a Feint to draw forces away from Karis to attack it with the bugs, they didn't care about the Urumi deaths or how many died (as seeing how the Insectoids killed themselves, life isn't precious to them)

the Main Unresolved questions in my mind are.

1. Who is the Consortium.
2. How did they know where Jason would be. (or just Cybi) on a planet the size of Karis seems kinda weird they'd land on an isolated Island vs a Large City area.
3. Why did they try Killing Kellin instead of Dahnai


Those are the 3 main questions, there are others (like why did the Urumi even bother sending fleets just to recall them and leave there border systems wide open to counter-attack, etc..)

[SYED]

well jason will indict karis but he should try to get two gates, one for kimdori, one for earth. quick allies, mysterious karrine gate, gate indict terra, use neutral space system as entry keep a joint fleet there, so earth has gate to neutral and draconis, while exposing a lot it is a huge statement that karrine has power over space, you can only travel where they let you. also allows greater control over new tech they are salvaging. insects have hive mind and produces in large numbers easier to control and produce as deposable soldirs, implant amplifier of contol. also has new army, from the trained personnel. enemy knows of kimdori fleet ships, kimdori are a myserty, how is it known. also the taken planets who will get authorit, jason he was harmed by their actions therfore deserves recompensation, he would be fair to the inhabitants, other aliens trust him, so any joint initiatives with allies would prefer to deal with him. the consotium has never actually faced any one, they use cat paws, but they have such hate, that they would not be frightened so it must mean limited numbers, sure lots of material but there has only been a few seen at atime

[SYED]

just an idea, now that karis will be official, jason can use his tech to help other planets or help terraform, that would be worth a fortune, also is the faey establish all system gates and indict all systems, no enemy forces could sneak in, they would be bottleneckek at stargates

[ANTIcarrot]

The Karrine on the scout ship contained no Generations in it and the only Karrine that knew all the secrets of the Karrine and the Kimdori were the Generations.

My point still stands. "A kerrine off shoot being behind the attack" and "Jason being the target" are still mutually exclusive. If the kerrine were behind the attack, the choices of tactics used does not tally with him being the target. In fact the tactics seemed similar to the Borg's style of military intelligence than anything else: learn about the enemy by watching them kill a small number of your soldiers.

>Never give an Ally a defense against your best weapon they might one day be your enemy,

That's just short term thinking. The Urumi *should* by all that's decent have battlefield computers already. It's such a painfully obvious counter measure it stretches credulity beyond breaking point that no one would think of it in the thousands of years they've had to deal with the Faey. Just give them better ones, with a back door you can use later. Again though, if the point if to smash the Kerrinne, and Jason really was the tippy top most important number one target on the list, it's sensible to give away the computers anyway just to achieve your primary goal. It's hard to imagine a more perfect application for loss leader tactics than this.

>so the consortium knew about the Faey in fighter tactic,

Maybe not. It could just be natural immunity. Same way Faey can't talk to regular computers because they're just too different.Though if it is that could be *very* disruptive. And in the long term possibly more damaging to the Imperium than outright military invasion.

>the non Generation Karrine would not know about this

All of what I've said applies to regular faey telepathy. Knowledge of the Generations programme is not needed to construct counter measures against regular grade mind benders.

>Fel wouldn't leave us hanging with a cliffhanger until another book would he...

He'll probably give us an ending. But I think he's already hinted that there will be at least one more short set in the Imperium. So expect a healthy dose of 'to be continued...' with your ending.

[ANTIcarrot]

1. Who is the Consortium.
2. How did they know where Jason would be. (or just Cybi) on a planet the size of Karis seems kinda weird they'd land on an isolated Island vs a Large City area.
3. Why did they try Killing Kellin instead of Dahnai

4. Why were the Urumi so willing to give up three farming worlds on their border? Dahnai and her advisers seemed to think this was distinctly odd behavior.

2 isn't that big a mystery. He was sitting under the planet's command bunker; and multiple layers of high energy shielding. That's probably detectable in various ways. There might have been a traceable wave front from the order the ships were disabled by Jason's scream.

I'm guessing the answer to 3 is that there's something special about him. In the same way Jason didn't know he was telepathic or Generations until the right stimulus was provided.

And 4 would make perfect sense if the Urumi now had food replicators.

[Hearly]

1. Who is the Consortium.
2. How did they know where Jason would be. (or just Cybi) on a planet the size of Karis seems kinda weird they'd land on an isolated Island vs a Large City area.
3. Why did they try Killing Kellin instead of Dahnai

4. Why were the Urumi so willing to give up three farming worlds on their border? Dahnai and her advisers seemed to think this was distinctly odd behavior.

2 isn't that big a mystery. He was sitting under the planet's command bunker; and multiple layers of high energy shielding. That's probably detectable in various ways. There might have been a traceable wave front from the order the ships were disabled by Jason's scream.

I'm guessing the answer to 3 is that there's something special about him. In the same way Jason didn't know he was telepathic or Generations until the right stimulus was provided.

And 4 would make perfect sense if the Urumi now had food replicators.

on 2, wouldn't of the Planetary shield and all the weapons on the surface put out energy sign's? I mean Honestly the Planet shield should have put out way more than the Command Bunker, I mean it makes sense that probably most of the activity below ground would be Shunted using underground cabling to other locations to keep it's location from being easy to Identify. I mean we do that now with C&C (where the Radar/Communication Truck is a bit away from the C&C location to prevent a Radar Tracking missile from locking on there location)

[TLGG]

First of all, since this is my first post, hello to everyone.

I just want to throw a wild idea. Wasn't Jason's itcher design modified to kill bugs? What if the attackers were taking revenge for the death of their cousins. It doesn't solve many of the questions, but I still think it would be a nice twist.