Vote for Issue 16, Page 4

1 isnt going to work. They'll just tranq him again at the first opportunity. He still doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

I first voted for option 2 - to hell with this federation. But reading through everyone else ‘ comments, I changed my mind. The federation is about to engage the Dranglaex fleet. Without Cort, they will miss a hell of a weapon. With Cort fighting with them, they may have the upper hand- and it may give Cort a chance to finally earn their trust. Long shot, but better than running from everyone.

Now I understand who Cass was, she was Cort replacement if he lost the Starcaster, right? They have no leverage the federation can just stun them again and this time they would lock them up for the trouble.

Ugh. Unfortunately, he needs to get to Speck and get them off the ship. Otherwise, the Fed can hold his friends hostage and still force him to give in to whatever they demand. Staying on that ship is just asking for a firefight that will firmly plant him as an enemy that must be detained and killed for the Starcaster. Things have already gone South, so get out and get some distance. Sure, La'ni will find them, if La'ni is not already too busy with defending the fleet, but they don't seem to be the kind to instantly assassinate them.

Option 1. First, they won't expect it. When you have the Captain under your trigger finger, you have the ship under your thumb. And to get out of the situation you have to get away from the ship. It's a top down structure, so you have to force the top to agree with you. Being on the run from the Feds is the situation we've been trying to END this whole time, and La'ni has shown that she can track us down independent of everything else. Force a new deal, STAT.

Just one question - what if Speck is already gone because they forced him to leave at gunpoint?

Option 2 allows splitting the narrative between Cort making a run for it, fighting the Draglaex on his own terms, and confronting the first-tier-of-the-iceberg-of-betrayal from Lance Major La'ni in a one-on-one (or two-on-one) Starcaster confrontation versus those who were left behind dealing with the federation legal and bureaucratic side. Marshall Quel'oran has plausible deniability to continue his investigations and possibly one of the others gets captured, probably Nyrah? Nyrah would be qualified to testify that removal of the Starcaster would have killed Cort. Cort could find new friends with Captain Karada and his robot while Nyrah could eventually find help from the pilot who lost her friend Cass.

The orders are coming from WAY above the captain, what could he do?

I'm really not sure how either of these options is supposed to have a noticeable chance to work out. Trying to escape on a small fighter from fully armed Dreadstorm should get them shot down before they can jump. And making his position known to feds should get La'ni on his ass in no time, since, by Cort's opinion, she's not on his side and understood fully well what was going to happen and just stood by - and that's without direct orders to nuke the rogue starcaster-wielder that she should be getting as soon as the situation is known. The way I see it it's a choice between a very slight chance that Feds will suddenly change their minds and agree to much more severe demands (independent agent) than what Cort has made before (let his crew stay in the loop) or that La'ni will not get or refuse orders to take starcaster at all costs. The other choice is that Cort will be able to sneak on board the Aphelion at which point Speck will comply with orders to get the hell out of the Dreadstorm before Feds are able to react. Well, ok, there is also a possibility that Vicen Droma ordered all of it on his own without approval of any other council members and raising a ruckus will attract their attention, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Cort leaves, he’s branded an enemy of the state, then he has the Feds AND the rest of the galaxy hunting them for a sizable bounty. Yes he’d be negotiating in the equivalent of a gun to the head, but option 2 is just way way worse in the long run. It’s time to stop running.

Damn, tough one ..both options are bad but also realistic - but I think he needs to get of the ship to be able to get better in control - as long as he is on the ship he will be severy limited in options ..of the ship he might find a better position. Federation has shown they do not consider him a "player" so even if he stays they will just treat him the same. Take the chance, run for it ... no chance of improvement where he is.

Cort's already been playing the "I have the Starcaster, so I'm in charge" card and it's gotten him in the mess he's in now. That card is over, no point in trying to play it yet again, it's likely to just get him darted and sent back to the OR as well as who knows what for his crew. It's time to escape.

I feel like they need to get out of there. But ideally send a message as they leave that they are willing to help but feel betrayed

They want the Aphelion off the ship. If Cort and Nyrah take the time to confront the captain, I'm afraid they'll be stranded in hostile territory with no way out. Get the gang back together and regain some control over their circumstances.

I just don't see option 2 as anything realistic. It puts him, at absolute best, right back where he was before this whole current scenario where his only realistic option was already to turn to the Federation. Really, it's worse, because before he was simply considered an unknown, a risk, by the Federation, but if he tries option 2, he will be definitely seen as an enemy, and a top priority target at that. Of the Federation AND the Dranglax. Option 1 at least leaves open the possibility he'll still be backed by the Federation.

The federation is corrupted by good intentions and fear. I’m done with them.