Suprising Dolly lasted this long. Would not have been surprised if she had been disabled by the first attack. She may have a slim chance if Lynn or Acantha gets her gun and shoots Kali if the attack is not completely disabling, Acantha would survive doing it because she is royal blood but Lynn might not. A better scenario would be to threaten to kill Douchie unless Kali stands completely down.
I think you are understimating Dolly, Dragonrider. She may be organic, but she has a reinforced frame, she's wearing armor, and is the equivalent of being so cybered-up that as much as that first attack hurt, it is hardly disabling.
Add to that that Kali IS in a weakened state. She would still be a killing machine against humans, but Dolly isn't human, and Kali has yet to make an accurate threat assessment.
This long! It has been under a second and Dolly only took 2 visible blows from Kali.
I think Kali can still put out maximum effort at least until the last few instants before her power runs out. I think that is the logical way to construct a combat android.
Kali is a full out combat model. Steel bones and a regenerative power supply along with fiber Myomer. Dolly while tougher than a normal human is actually at a disadvantage when fighting Kali. Luckily Dolly still has her speed and the armor.
Uh oh. As fast as Dolly is, Kali seems to be her equal (or close enough that it isn't making a difference). This doesn't bode well for Dolly. I thought Dolly would have the advantage by being newer. Apparently that may not be the case. 0.o
Guess it comes down to skill, and that could go either way. Dolly is built to be a better 'human', not optimized for combat.
A "regenerative power supply"? How would that work for an android?
Regenerative power for electric and hybrid vehicles means regenerative braking (i.e., saving energy by using generators for brakes). Regenerative power for gas-turbine generators and such involves converting waste heat into electricity.
I can buy that Kali's power cells can partially compensate for a depletion of energy through capacitors or emergency/backup cells. Or, over a period of time, perhaps a process akin to a battery regenerator can partly recondition cell performance. But for Kali to suddenly get a second wind - i.e., more power - suggests a perpetual motion machine. That is, unless she's getting power wirelessly, it should defy the law of conservation of energy.
Kali uses a high energy fusion plant for her main power. And her high energy capacitors used for " Super strength " Can refill quickly even if shes under combat conditions.
Perhaps the term regenerative inst quite correct. Lets just say shes not at any major disadvantage.
Having a network issue so logging in from my phone. There was NO way I was going to miss this update.
Saying that, I think Kali actually regrets having to fight Dolly she herself is what could be considered a "Guardian " and knows all Dolly really wants is to remove her charge. If Douchie hadn't been so set on enforcing his will over Acantha and Lynn this battle could have been avoided
Which from previous accounts is where her greatest strengths lie. Dolly destroyed the gutters with two pistols. So losing her weapon of choice while Kali has hers still is very much OH SHI... territory!
I remember in the comic idea I had before going with LL, I was going to use that suit our friendly neighborhood Cassian is wearing. But it does not adapt well to G2F... especially the weapon belts, and eventually I gave up. Looks good here though.
It works for some things but does a terrible job in things like belts and shoulder straps. I got the thing to fit in the zero position but put the character in a pose and the sheath and sword would warp. It was funny... and unusuable.
Actually from the earlier fight between Maxus and Hrist, if damaged enough Kali could potentially surrender. That may be the best we can realistically hope for.
This is the kind of fight that people don't walk away from. They are carried away afterward, either on a stretcher or their shield! :-7
I mentioned this in the comments string for the previous page, but I'll clarify: while Decimus is alive, Kali's inhibitor compels her to obey his orders, which overrule all others. He's long since ensured that Acantha can't give Kali actual commands. No one except Decimus himself can order Kali to stop fighting Dolly, who presents a clear and present danger to Decimus.
Kali is required to fight Dolly as long as Dolly represents a clear and present danger to Decimus.
Which, ya know, she doesn't, if we could convince Decimus to keep his damn hands to himself and let the Taylor girl go. Basically, if he were to stop being a dickweed .... Oh.
Well, I guess him not being a dickweed is out of the question, so Dolly really does present a clear and present danger.
You speak as though you think they dislike each other. There's no reason to suppose they do.
Dolly despises gutters and thieves; Kali isn't a gutter or a thief. Kali has no reason to suppose Dolly's actions in response to a threat to HER principal are in any way less than honorable.
They are opponents on this battle, yes. But they harbor each other no ill-will; this isn't a personal conflict. They are each simply doing their duty with honor, and they recognize that in each other.
From now on, anytime I ever hear shit about "CG comics" and "uncanny valley", I'll show 'em Dolly's face in panel one... it is hatred and contempt, it is impending doom, it is beautiful.
Agreed. Lirvilas, although I could do a records dive through both DC and LunaStar, and find enough examples of Outstanding artwork that it would make whoever says that about CG comics not only eat crow, but eat so much of it that they would have to wash it down with humble pie!
What Cent does with her CGI work IS the bar that everyone should try to attain, and she just keeps getting better at it.
I have a question. I know Kali has to protect Dec, but is there possibly someone she can't harm even if that person harms Dec? If Acantha decided to take him out herself, would Kali try to stop her, or if she prohibited from harming Acantha because she's a member of the royal family? And of course, she's rather distracted right now.
I honestly don't know if Acantha would do something like that, unless Dec tried to grab Lynn or something; or if he grabbed Acantha and she fought back well enough to cause significant harm. Just wondering.
If Acantha killed Decimus, she'd be the new Imperatrix, and would thus be in command of Kali. We already saw such a scenario with Decimus and his father.
I know I should probably just let the creatrixes respond, but I can't help myself ...
Ancient Rome _invented_ lawyers. I strongly suspect that more is involved in the orderly transfer of supreme executive power in Nova Roma than "He's dead! Bow down and worship me!"
At least, not in theory? At the dinner, Kali thought that if Kyle shot Decimus that she could be ordered to stand down before she had to kill him. So, if not Imperatrix, at least Cassian command must transfer instantly?
I expect Cassians have a chain of command, not a single person in the "driver's seat". So, if Decimus becomes incapacitated or killed, his orders remain in force, but she can receive new orders from those authorized. It's likely that those new orders cannot contravene orders from the Imperator which are in-force, but they can adjust to new circumstances. Once a new Imperator has been confirmed by the Senate (or whatever the proper procedure is), the _new_ Imperator can probably countermand orders of the previous one. However, things to consider:
1) Per @Tokyo Rose, Acantha can have no part in any existing chain of command. So, until she gets approved by the Senate, she's not a candidate for giving orders to Cassians.
2) I expect Cassians have standing orders to deal harshly with rebels. Acantha standing over Decimus' corpse with a smoking gun in her hands probably counts as a rebel. If someone like Maxus were right there on the spot, he could _probably_ order Kali to take her alive for questioning, but there's no way she gets anything other than the prisoner treatment at best, and summary execution at worst.
3) Even if someone were in the chain of command, I expect that 'probable cause' to suspect them of treason or conspiracy to commit treason automatically removes them from the chain of command while the Cassian consults with proper authority. (Especially since they all have built-in walkie-talkies.)
As always, the above are just my opinions and the creatrixes will know better than I
We actually have two questions here. The first relates to control over Kali, while the second relates to transfer of executive power in Nova Roma.
1) Kali is constrained by her inhibitor to protect the House of Livius, and to obey the head of said house. Decimus is the head of the house at this time. If he keeled over of terminal asshole disease, Acantha could give Kali orders. If someone else killed Decimus, Acantha could give Kali orders. If Decimus is simply knocked unconscious, Acantha couldn't give Kali orders. If Acantha killed Decimus in front of Kali, she couldn't give Kali orders. If Kyle had shot Decimus dead over the dinner table, Acantha WOULD have been able to order Kali to stand down (if she'd spoken REALLY QUICKLY).
2) Upon Decimus's death, Acantha automatically becomes the new ruler of Nova Roma in name, because she's his official heir. She would then have to be confirmed in the position by the Senate to formally take the reins of power.
If Acantha killed Decimus in front of Kali, she couldn't give Kali orders.
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I find this one interesting. Your point about Kali and the House of Livius, as opposed to other Cassians and Nova Roma is well taken. However, that being the case, why would fratricide make Acantha ineligible for elevation to the head of House Livius? Is kinslaying grounds for immediate expulsion from the family? This seems to me to be on a little more shaky ground. And it certainly does open the question, since legal channels are not involved, if Decimus is discovered to be a parricide after the fact, why would the same protocols not apply?
Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence! What we know is that Kali believes Decimus to have killed the previous Imperator. There is no evidence to suggest that Kali was present at the time, or that Decimus was ever charged with the crime, or even that there was ever any evidence of the crime before Decimus was confirmed as the new Imperator. (Besides the dead body.) For all we know, it might only have been after Decimus was confirmed that he privately confessed (bragged?) to Kali, knowing he was now safe from arrest or retribution by the hardwired-for-loyalty Cassian. Knowing his penchant for cruelty, it might even have included such dialogue as "... And make sure you never fail to protect me in the same way you failed to protect my miserable, witless weakling of a father, you <insert several cruel and cutting adjectives here>."
We also don't know that Decimus didn't use intermediaries (though that seems unlikely). Certainly if _Dolly_ kills Decimus, there's no obvious reason for that to make Acantha unfit to be Imperatrix over the smoking, glowing hole in the ground that Nova Roma used to be before the contingencies were triggered. All surviving Cassians could legitimately pledge their loyalty to her as soon as an emergency session of the Senate could be convened from the remaining cockroaches and bunny rabbits to confirm her.
The only reason I don't suggest that Decimus might, in fact, be innocent of the crime is that we have commentary from the authors to the effect that he is guilty. But (as far as I recall) there's nothing in the canonical content to suggest that he might not be allowing slanderous (but untrue) rumors of his regicide circulate as a means of inflating his reputation for ruthlessness and solidifying his political power.
When you are constrained to follow rigid and uncompromising laws of behavior, there is (in my opinion) a very big difference between what you believe and what you can prove. And, similarly, a big difference between whether you can prove it _before_ or _after_ Decimus is confirmed as Imperator of Nova Roma.
All of the above are just my opinions, of course. The creatrixes will know better than I what the truth of the matter is.
If Dec is KOed, Dolly could just remind Kali that she should tend to his care, and that she has no reason to hurt him as long as he isn't hurting Lynn. He can't do that if he is knocked out. Can a person take a hit like that and still be awake?
Also, his well being takes priority over tasks. Either he is much less hurt than the flying teeth and crunching sound would indicate, or Kali is flawed in her programing.
On a side note, could the girls use any of the dying blue shirts weapons? Would the princess have rights to use such weapons? Are they user locked?
I think I have exceeded my upper question limit for today.
- Kali has to disarm and incapacitate Dolly at the least to ensure that she can't continue to pose a threat to Decimus. She's not going to listen to anything Dolly has to say that is not "I surrender" accompanied by appropriate physical gestures of submission.
- Kali knows a whack in the mouth isn't going to do Decimus fatal harm.
- No, the girls can't use the Praetorians' weapons.
I was just perusing the archives at random a bit (specifically the immediate aftermath of Dolly's bio-conversion) and noticed something that spired a question: Why would Kali ID Dolly as "the Taylor Guardian"?
We know that Nova Roma has intelligence assets in New Troy, so Kali knowing of the existence of a Taylor guardian makes perfect sense. Even having a dossier including appearance and capability estimates is likely.
But that should be for Metal Dolly.
Given (in DataChasers) the unambiguous and overwhelming superiority of metal over meat, and the fact that Bio Dolly was designed to appear fully human to even deep scans as long as she doesn't demonstrate non-biological performance -- and we have seen from Maxus that the limits of biological performance can still be pretty extreme -- it seems a very far-fetched intuitive leap for Kali to assume that Dolly is THE Taylor Guardian, rather than just an enhanced Taylor operative.
Admittedly, it makes the introduction scene cooler if you just give Kali this moment of spontaneous enlightenment ... but is it really warranted?
Lynn: Yes, drag him the other side of the door at least... now, how can we keep him down without, - y'know...?
Acantha: Oh, I've had lots of time to think about this, and research, and consult.
Lynn: Ah, yeah - your.. archpriest mentioned you were studying medicine and injury treatment and so on, right?
Acantha: Yes. And now you know why. Let's get to work. *grim smile*
>:=)>
Add to that that Kali IS in a weakened state. She would still be a killing machine against humans, but Dolly isn't human, and Kali has yet to make an accurate threat assessment.
As it stands, the odds favor Dolly.
I think Kali can still put out maximum effort at least until the last few instants before her power runs out. I think that is the logical way to construct a combat android.
And a lot of years of training herself.
Guess it comes down to skill, and that could go either way. Dolly is built to be a better 'human', not optimized for combat.
Regenerative power for electric and hybrid vehicles means regenerative braking (i.e., saving energy by using generators for brakes). Regenerative power for gas-turbine generators and such involves converting waste heat into electricity.
I can buy that Kali's power cells can partially compensate for a depletion of energy through capacitors or emergency/backup cells. Or, over a period of time, perhaps a process akin to a battery regenerator can partly recondition cell performance. But for Kali to suddenly get a second wind - i.e., more power - suggests a perpetual motion machine. That is, unless she's getting power wirelessly, it should defy the law of conservation of energy.
Perhaps the term regenerative inst quite correct. Lets just say shes not at any major disadvantage.
Still fun to see though! And yes I get the Sherlock Holmes reference.
...after what you said in the comments, CentComm, I was expecting more douchie beating...
Saying that, I think Kali actually regrets having to fight Dolly she herself is what could be considered a "Guardian " and knows all Dolly really wants is to remove her charge. If Douchie hadn't been so set on enforcing his will over Acantha and Lynn this battle could have been avoided
...sorry girls, I couldn't resist. I'll just go stand in the corner over here now...
I was wondering why nobody has yet mentioned the word "Sword" on this page. "Oh, shi-...", indeed!
This is the kind of fight that people don't walk away from. They are carried away afterward, either on a stretcher or their shield! :-7
I mentioned this in the comments string for the previous page, but I'll clarify: while Decimus is alive, Kali's inhibitor compels her to obey his orders, which overrule all others. He's long since ensured that Acantha can't give Kali actual commands. No one except Decimus himself can order Kali to stop fighting Dolly, who presents a clear and present danger to Decimus.
Which, ya know, she doesn't, if we could convince Decimus to keep his damn hands to himself and let the Taylor girl go. Basically, if he were to stop being a dickweed .... Oh.
Well, I guess him not being a dickweed is out of the question, so Dolly really does present a clear and present danger.
Carry on, ladies.
Dolly despises gutters and thieves; Kali isn't a gutter or a thief. Kali has no reason to suppose Dolly's actions in response to a threat to HER principal are in any way less than honorable.
They are opponents on this battle, yes. But they harbor each other no ill-will; this isn't a personal conflict. They are each simply doing their duty with honor, and they recognize that in each other.
"Tragedy is not when Good fights Evil. That's Drama. Tragedy is when Good fights Good."
First blood! Not first hit, but still first blood. Here is my take:
1) The person who draws first blood on hand-to-hand combat, has a 72.4% probability of winning the fight.
2) 87% of statistics found online are made up.
What Cent does with her CGI work IS the bar that everyone should try to attain, and she just keeps getting better at it.
I honestly don't know if Acantha would do something like that, unless Dec tried to grab Lynn or something; or if he grabbed Acantha and she fought back well enough to cause significant harm. Just wondering.
Ancient Rome _invented_ lawyers. I strongly suspect that more is involved in the orderly transfer of supreme executive power in Nova Roma than "He's dead! Bow down and worship me!"
Are we barbarians? ^_^
Also, no, flat-out regicide is not an acceptable method of transferring executive power in Nova Roma. :D
1) Per @Tokyo Rose, Acantha can have no part in any existing chain of command. So, until she gets approved by the Senate, she's not a candidate for giving orders to Cassians.
2) I expect Cassians have standing orders to deal harshly with rebels. Acantha standing over Decimus' corpse with a smoking gun in her hands probably counts as a rebel. If someone like Maxus were right there on the spot, he could _probably_ order Kali to take her alive for questioning, but there's no way she gets anything other than the prisoner treatment at best, and summary execution at worst.
3) Even if someone were in the chain of command, I expect that 'probable cause' to suspect them of treason or conspiracy to commit treason automatically removes them from the chain of command while the Cassian consults with proper authority. (Especially since they all have built-in walkie-talkies.)
As always, the above are just my opinions and the creatrixes will know better than I
1) Kali is constrained by her inhibitor to protect the House of Livius, and to obey the head of said house. Decimus is the head of the house at this time. If he keeled over of terminal asshole disease, Acantha could give Kali orders. If someone else killed Decimus, Acantha could give Kali orders. If Decimus is simply knocked unconscious, Acantha couldn't give Kali orders. If Acantha killed Decimus in front of Kali, she couldn't give Kali orders. If Kyle had shot Decimus dead over the dinner table, Acantha WOULD have been able to order Kali to stand down (if she'd spoken REALLY QUICKLY).
2) Upon Decimus's death, Acantha automatically becomes the new ruler of Nova Roma in name, because she's his official heir. She would then have to be confirmed in the position by the Senate to formally take the reins of power.
I find this one interesting. Your point about Kali and the House of Livius, as opposed to other Cassians and Nova Roma is well taken. However, that being the case, why would fratricide make Acantha ineligible for elevation to the head of House Livius? Is kinslaying grounds for immediate expulsion from the family? This seems to me to be on a little more shaky ground. And it certainly does open the question, since legal channels are not involved, if Decimus is discovered to be a parricide after the fact, why would the same protocols not apply?
We also don't know that Decimus didn't use intermediaries (though that seems unlikely). Certainly if _Dolly_ kills Decimus, there's no obvious reason for that to make Acantha unfit to be Imperatrix over the smoking, glowing hole in the ground that Nova Roma used to be before the contingencies were triggered. All surviving Cassians could legitimately pledge their loyalty to her as soon as an emergency session of the Senate could be convened from the remaining cockroaches and bunny rabbits to confirm her.
The only reason I don't suggest that Decimus might, in fact, be innocent of the crime is that we have commentary from the authors to the effect that he is guilty. But (as far as I recall) there's nothing in the canonical content to suggest that he might not be allowing slanderous (but untrue) rumors of his regicide circulate as a means of inflating his reputation for ruthlessness and solidifying his political power.
When you are constrained to follow rigid and uncompromising laws of behavior, there is (in my opinion) a very big difference between what you believe and what you can prove. And, similarly, a big difference between whether you can prove it _before_ or _after_ Decimus is confirmed as Imperator of Nova Roma.
All of the above are just my opinions, of course. The creatrixes will know better than I what the truth of the matter is.
Also, his well being takes priority over tasks. Either he is much less hurt than the flying teeth and crunching sound would indicate, or Kali is flawed in her programing.
On a side note, could the girls use any of the dying blue shirts weapons? Would the princess have rights to use such weapons? Are they user locked?
I think I have exceeded my upper question limit for today.
- Kali knows a whack in the mouth isn't going to do Decimus fatal harm.
- No, the girls can't use the Praetorians' weapons.
Did I cover it? :D
I was just perusing the archives at random a bit (specifically the immediate aftermath of Dolly's bio-conversion) and noticed something that spired a question: Why would Kali ID Dolly as "the Taylor Guardian"?
We know that Nova Roma has intelligence assets in New Troy, so Kali knowing of the existence of a Taylor guardian makes perfect sense. Even having a dossier including appearance and capability estimates is likely.
But that should be for Metal Dolly.
Given (in DataChasers) the unambiguous and overwhelming superiority of metal over meat, and the fact that Bio Dolly was designed to appear fully human to even deep scans as long as she doesn't demonstrate non-biological performance -- and we have seen from Maxus that the limits of biological performance can still be pretty extreme -- it seems a very far-fetched intuitive leap for Kali to assume that Dolly is THE Taylor Guardian, rather than just an enhanced Taylor operative.
Admittedly, it makes the introduction scene cooler if you just give Kali this moment of spontaneous enlightenment ... but is it really warranted?