Page 11.12 Poll: To Blast Or Not To Blast

I just realized there's not a "Shoot Quel" choice here. Completely unplayable. I'm returning to the front of the book.

Well, I am not against shooting the thing, but I am very much FOR letting Quel think for a second. Just a second. Then shoot the @@ thing. Factors going FOR the shooting: I wouldn't expect it to be so dire, but Tim says "If discovered... Quel's options for how to handle the wanted fugitives in his company vanish." Also, I think that the starcaster won't betray their position right now (because it's not in use? Because it's a vague feeling that the other bearers have? Whatever the reason, the Lance Major is moving to the surrounding systems, not pinpointing them). So the main threat to them being discovered seems to be the transponder. On the other hand: The transponder does not give away THEIR location - it gives away Quell's. So Quell could simply fly off and go meet the fleet and get them away, Cort & co. escape and they all rendezvous somewhere. Transponder dying all of a sudden draws suspicion and probably kills this option. On the other-other hand (hey, it's a space story, I could be a four-armed alien), if the transporter actually died, maybe they would consider it a fluke in the system? Probably not though. But maybe Quel could also explain that away, if he is going to go off and meet with them? Really don't know, I would go with don't shoot because of all the reasons the others have stated, but Tim is hinting suspiciously here...

Better listen to Quel and stay with the federation. If they were able to sense Cort using the Starcaster, the enemy could probably sense the Starcaster as well.

Quell better be right about this, all I'm saying without having any context about what I'm talking about.

I'm voting "Listen to Quel". Under regular circumstances, blasting the transponder is the most Cort-thing that Cort could do. But this is Quel, friend to Cort's father and last stand up officer in the Federation. If there is anyone that Cort is going to listen to (even for a split second or two), its going to be Quel. Also, Cort just threw in with the Federation when Quel showed up. Part of showing that he can be an ally to the Federation is Cort proving he can take an order and put some "trust" or its equivalent in one of its officers. Third, this is a chance for Quel to prove that he can keep Cort save and keep up his end of the bargain. Think of it as a little bit of redemption on Quel's part since Quel couldn't save Cort from the corruption that drove Cort from the Federation in the first place. I can see Quel contacting the fleet commander and stating he is on an off the record mission to track some smugglers. Quel could then ask that the fleet move on because they could be startling the smugglers and that is disrupting Quel's ability to apprehend them. Could the fleet please move away from this system temporarily. From there Quel would have to think fast to move Cort and crew while reaching out the his Federation contacts.

I give my vote for blasting the transponder, here is my reasoning: Speck has just notified Cort that the ship is up and running again, so they are no longer stranded here, they can leave if they so choose. If the federation battle fleet finds and captures Cort (who is a wanted fugitive), I'm not sure this would qualify as "coming willingly", which in turn probably means that Quel will not be able to "have their backs". With this in mind, I feel that it would be better to kill the transponder before the fleet has their exact location, board the ship and leave. If they trust Quel, they can head for any federation outpost Quel chooses.

While _I_ would prefer listening to Quel, Cort's history involves snap, split-second decisions...for better and often for worse. I know it's cringe-worthy, but we're going to get the best story by letting Cort be Cort and having the sparks fly!

"You have three seconds to give me ONE good reason not to shoot this transponder." "I'll give you two. First, if you shoot now, an entire Dreadstorm fleet will think you murdered a Marshall and come in guns blazing. Second, you're pointing your gun at the popcorn maker, and I know you love popped corn."

I'm all for shooting, but how much damage will that gun actually do ? How easily can it _just_ disable the transponder without creating an even bigger signal, like a marshall ship's exploding.

It's obviously not the transponder that brought them their in the first place. Besides, that many ships would have homed in on the transponder signal already. Blasting it would just cause problems at this point. It's weird that this was even a poll, honestly. Like the choices are "act irrationally and recklessly", or "take a moment to think things through". His personality may be reckless and irrational, but the poll responders are gonna be less so.

Agreed and as they are already here it doesn't do them much good to kill the transponder as they will investigate nonetheless

Listen to Quel. We already made the IMO poor decision to throw in with him. To then immediately defy him would be incredibly stupid. He said not to do it, we're trusting him, so don't do it. (Also the Federation isn't there because of Quel's beacon, they're there because Lance Major sensed Cort practicing. No blaming Quel for this, this one's on Cort and Nyrrah.)

It's too late to shoot it. They got the ping, and if it disappear suddenly, they'll just assume the Marshal need help and search for it, while being on the lookout for any "hostile". Shutting down the transponder will be as useless as in Starsector when a patrol already saw you - just make the patrol angrier. Best to hope for is listening to Quel and have him take off and use his authority to prevent the battlegroup from searching further.

Listen to Quel. It's already too late, the transponder has been seen, destroying it now will only call them down upon them more quickly. A Marshal's beacon suddenly going silent, almost certainly means foul play. They WILL send someone to investigate. And it may be shoot first, ask questions later.