... I do intend to respond to Murmur. It's just that, well, I find his posts a bit disconcerting, almost intimidating, and that throws me off my stride when it comes to how to address them. If I can make a quick point, the story's not about the violence. Doug might be able to kick the Sabers' collective butt, or vice versa. That's not the point of the story. The whole intent of chapter 12 -- besides giving me an opportunity to write a really cool fight scene (I must admit), and to give the readers a glance at some of the Warriors in action -- was to a) provide a penultimate point to Nene's arc, b) similarly move Linna into play as the conscience of the Sabers, c) set up Sylia in a situation where she has to make a conscious decision about the purpose of the Sabers rather than just run on automatic, and d) most importantly, show the ultimate futility of fighting it out in the streets. Sure, Doug technically kicked the Sabers' butts. What did it get him? Nothing. It lost him important resources: Sylia will refuse to yank his fat out of the fire now, should he need it, because that would be "interfering with one of his operations". Leon, who was just beginning to trust and like him, is going to be hostile again. The only person he hasn't alienated is Lisa. Oh, and after what Hexe told him, he's not going to want to pull out simulacra to save his own butt in the future. Like the Sabers' own operations, it's futile, in the big picture; at best it acts as a brake on the worst offenders. The whole point of chapter 12 was to show that fighting -- boomers, the Sabers, anyone -- in the street is futile, inasfar as a strategy for Doug is concerned. It doesn't matter how much stronger he is than them, if he is at all -- it's pointless because it's only dealing with a symptom, not the cause.
And as a further point, Doug's vaunted power has a limit, and that's range. Most of his power effects won't go past about 33 meters. A few things will reach the length of a football field. Madigan's teams could have killed him without a second thought at any point in the story, if that were their goal, from further away than tnat. So could have the Sabers, if they were so inclined. Doug's only powerful close up. That's why he supplements his field with armor, because people can and have tried to take him out at a distance.
Huh. This turned out longer than I thought. If that satisfies you, Murmur, let me know. If not, I can continue.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
And as a further point, Doug's vaunted power has a limit, and that's range. Most of his power effects won't go past about 33 meters. A few things will reach the length of a football field. Madigan's teams could have killed him without a second thought at any point in the story, if that were their goal, from further away than tnat. So could have the Sabers, if they were so inclined. Doug's only powerful close up. That's why he supplements his field with armor, because people can and have tried to take him out at a distance.
Huh. This turned out longer than I thought. If that satisfies you, Murmur, let me know. If not, I can continue.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.