RocketGirl wrote:
That's the only thing that I can think of that makes booting the Icebreakers make sense: by kicking them out of the service, they're no longer under any obligation to explain what has happened aboard the Outcast when they get to the Hypatia.
Well... That could be true from a legal perspective, but they are in a warzone and the Hypatia is hunting for a renegade ship. I'm sure any information on the Outcast would be REALLY appreciated... Besides, Captain Kurosawa was relieved of command by Admiral Cherensky, so she might not have had the authrority to dismiss the Icebreakers from the service, something that's likely going to be pointed out to them if they backtalk to their rescuers. Withholding important information from superiors is a punishable offense.
Not that they know much of use in addition to Toat and BG though, something Captain Konrad probably realises. Revealing your masterplan to people you are about to maroon for pursuers to pick up just doesn't seem like a smart course of action for Capn' Rob.
Loser wrote:
b) they'd want to rescue Hammer, once she tells the crew that she's the reason she let Shorty go.
While I'm sure the Icebreakers would want to, I'm not sure they were going to try without the Outcast behind their backs. There were some good friendships there and common dangers brew a sense of camaraderie, but still, Hammer is being held on a big-azz colonial warship. An epic tale and all, but just what are three youngsters supposed to do about it?
... Unless, if Hammer had a mithril shirt under her pilot outfit and the colonials got into a violent argument over who gets it...
I can't say I think Hammer was the reason the Captain let the colonials escape, and I view it doubtful it was even a significant contributing factor. They were about to board an enemy that had professed a determination to resist until the end, so casualties were probably a certainty. Why abandon it all for the life of a single soldier? There have to be other reasons.
RocketGirl wrote:
Loser wrote:
As to losing pilots, it is quite possible she'll be losing a lot of crew, so what difference do 3 people make?
Just how many pilots does she have
left? I'd think she would retain as much of the crew as she possibly can.
Quote:
If you wish to argue it's 3 PILOTS, remember how little training they had - she can train others if she needs them that bad.
...I really don't think that's how it works. Even if she can train older, more mature crewmembers to fly, that doesn't mean they'll be any good; they're non-flight personnel for a damn good reason, I'm sure.
Discounting the Icebreakers, the Captain currently has the Green Giants and Scimitar, which amounts to 5 or 6 pilots (one GG was KIA at the jumpgate, one other GG fighter was lost to the missile strike though it was not stated if the pilot survived). So three pilots represent a significant proportion of her fighter arm.
And I'm not sure impromptu fighter pilot training is really an option for the good Captain. Military hardware has increased in complexity substantially over the past decades and the trend is likely to continue, and it is not a simple matter to train a fighter pilot even nowadays (if it ever was). For all the Icebreakers' faults, at least they had some professional training and combat experience.
But if they were to try training, I'm guessing Pronto would train shuttle and tug pilots (who at least already know how to fly small spacecraft), and somebody would train others to fill those vacancies (civilian vessels being easier to learn to operate than high-performance combat spacecraft, I assume).
RocketGirl
