Honored dead? That implies that he lead an honorable life. Since Prince Douche put him in charge, something tells me that's not the case. He's acting awfully full of himself here, anyway. And he had no qualms about violently replacing the honorable and respectable Lord General Maxus.
Honestly? I don't recall seeing any actual atrocities committed by Adventus Albinus. His poor treatment of the "runner" here is about as bad as he's done. When last seen he was arguing with prince dickhead about releasing poison gas that would kill everybody in an area that included a bunch of troops. And that's something that a reasonable man would have problems about, and it took a hell of a lot of courage to argue with prince dickhead.
As far as I know, he's not even in on the plot to kill Maxus, other than being informed by the prince that it was under way.
I don't have high hopes for anyone hand-picked by prince Decimus - for all we know this person is just as much an asshole and a monster as all the blueshells. And his language and attitude here don't speak highly of him.
But if the next couple words out of his mouth indicate he's ready to give up the office and follow orders, and Lethia doesn't have specific orders to kill him, and doesn't have knowledge of his character that makes her sure that Roma's better off without him, it's at least possible that he could survive.
I doubt that any of those things are true, however, let alone all of them.
He would not have been in Prince Douchebags "elite" group if he hadn't been released from prison with license to kill, rape, torture and murder (And those are just his good qualities) with impunity, civilians as well as Senators wives and daughters. The only reason he objected to killing douchies "Praetorians" was it would have left nothing but Maxus troops who, for the majority loyal to Maxus and commanding that group was a ticket to a quick painful death with body destruction so no funeral.
We don't have any real history of Adventus Albinus, save for a couple of scenes. He does seem to know of the plan to kill Maxus, though, and doesn't have any qualms with that. He does not know that Maxus is alive at this time. A proper Lord General, would be taking stock of the situation, which Maxus is doing right now. Maxus also has the loyalty of the Cassians, an integral key to success. Adventus Albinus, does not, nor does he realize how important that is. He's about to find that out now.
I agree that a proper lord general should be taking stock of the situation at this point. What I think you fail to notice, is that that's exactly what he was trying to do. Unlike Maxus, however, he does not have access to functional coms equipment, so he's making do with runners. Furthermore, Maxus has the loyalty of the cassians *because* he has access to coms equipment. And he deserves it. But the fact remains that if the cassians thought Maxus dead and the next person in the line of succession was on coms, they'd probably follow commands from that person.
Oh I agree with you, and I do notice he's trying. But whereas Maxus is doing so in a more professional and considered manner, Adventus Albinus is playing the swaggering jackwad. Remember, too, that the Cassians knew that something was about to happen, and worked toward mitigating it. Noctis herself played a large role with her plan which she got Decimus to agree to in the first place. The Cassians themselves worked to ensure Maxus' survival. It has to do with more than just comms.
*ninja edit*
I forgot to mention, that at this time, the Cassians are concerned with Acantha's well being. As long as she is alive, that is the case. Maxus is loyal to this cause.
Some folk have made the claim that, with Decimus' death, all of his orders have fallen away, leaving the Cassians free to ally themselves with Sweetness and Light. However, if this is true, Noctis is no longer acting in obedience to any orders to act for the Glory of Roma, she's just another rogue killing machine gone HK who happens to be working on the side of the characters we like. ^_^
I personally think the strictures of duty and the chain of command are a little more enduring than that.
I think that orders specific to prince dickhead are probably in about three different classes right now.
Those that depended for their value on prince dickhead being alive are, of course, defunct. They fall into the category of "That mission is now clearly impossible to carry out."
Orders from prince dickhead that probably don't serve the interests of Nova Roma fall into a gray area; I don't know if the Cassians would be compelled to obey them or not. If not compelled to, I don't know if they would choose to.
But even if all of those fall away, I'm pretty sure their inhibitors would compel them to act to preserve the line of succession and the continuation of Nova Roma.
Right now that means the center of the Cassians' universe is Acantha, and quelling the shooting war in the capitol is in a tight orbit around that. Maxus' ceasefire with the rebels and Trojans, plus his positive actions to get Acantha to the medical care she needs, make him very clearly the commander who advances their interests (or those of their inhibitors) most effectively.
"Some folk have made the claim that, with Decimus' death, all of his orders have fallen away, leaving the Cassians free to ally themselves with Sweetness and Light. However, if this is true, Noctis is no longer acting in obedience to any orders to act for the Glory of Roma, she's just another rogue killing machine gone HK who happens to be working on the side of the characters we like."
Actually, we have an example to prove that the death of a ruler does NOT rescind their orders. Remember how Kali killed Dec at the end? She was acting on special instructions by Dec's (now deceased) father to deal with him if he harms Acantha.
Anyway, as paranoid as Nova Romans are about the "clockwork people" taking over, I'm pretty sure that they are (normally) not allowed free reign to decide on who they want to ally themselves with.
Even if Dec's orders to work for the Glory of Roma became null and void upon his death, Noctis had already chosen to side with Maxus long, long before she found out that Prince Dec was dead. Never mind how Acantha is heir to the throne and who all Cassians must protect.
I completely agree that Noctis may well currently be choosing to support Maxus on his merits, rather than (as previously) in obedience to Decimus' orders to "put her plan into effect for the Glory of Roma". This is one of those gray areas I was highlighting, where it is difficult to tell whether the clockwork's actions are motivated by choice, or by inhibitor. And, in my opinion, many people would say "Who cares? She's doing it, isn't she? Who cares about why? Stop distracting us from the story." <shrug>
I think the Cassians may not be as unified as you may be implying here. Hypothetically we should find among their ranks even those who agreed with Decimus and enjoyed his excesses and abuses -- as long as they were visited upon others, and not herself, of course. I don't think we'll actually see that here, because I don't think that's the story the creatrices are telling; but, if the Cassians are capable of expressing the full range of free will and the emotional spectrum we find in humans, and if Decimus was able to find so many Praetorians, logic suggests he should have found at least one like-minded Cassian.
Which, given she would still be inhibited to protect the citizens of Nova Roma, secure the peace, and generally behave ethically unless given specific orders to do otherwise, would make her one frustrated Cassian. ^_^
You are correct, but I was under the impression that Maxus was a worthy opponent for any of the Cassians, and they sent Hrist partially in hopes that she wouldn't be able to damage him too badly. When she reported that she had failed, she was allowed to stand down. If it were imperative for Maxus to fall, they would most likely have to do more to make sure. I have to agree that there may those among the Cassians who sided with Decumus, and those who did not, but since they all have inhibitors, up until now, none were able to act on it. As Sheela said, Noctis was ordered to "Execute her plan for the glory of Nova Roma." The plan itself, was formed by Noctis. It involved getting Decimus to order her to execute the plan without knowing exactly what the plan was. I don't know Noctis' end goal, but I think it at least involves clearing away the madness. I hold the sentiment that the Cassians as a whole, and some individuals in particular, are undervalued, underappreciated, and underestimated.
Any theory that "they" picked Hrist in the hope she would fail falls flat, since Prince Headcase picked the participants *himself* -- see "King of Swords (Reversed)", presently at http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1145
@ antrik: He picked the participants (The Cassians' best), but he did not choose their assignments. If Maxus had to fall, (which seemed to be Decimus' plan) they would or should have sent two Cassians to make certain of it.
There is so much speculation and opinion swirling around, I almost hate to interject -- especially because of my tendency to get certain things wrong. But I feel I should highlight a few things:
* - Kali was (apparently) different from all other Cassians in that she was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius, while the other Cassians are hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma. The fact that she was then placed in command of the Cassians makes it very hard to make sensible inferences about exactly where and what the constraints on their behavior actually are. Are they doing a particular thing because they want to, because they are hardwired to, because they were ordered to by someone who wanted them to, or because they were ordered to by someone who was hardwired to give that order.
* - Malati's example defies practically everything we have been told about Cassians, especially when thrown into such stark relief by the direct comparison with Hrist. Since the two of them were (essentially) put in identical circumstances, but behaved very differently in response to their "hard" wiring. The more free will you imagine Cassians (and Malati) to have, the more heinous Hrist's actions appear to be. The less free will you imagine them to have (and therefore the more forgivable Hrist's actions), the more miraculous Malati's sacrifice becomes.
* - As I recall the scene, Kali made the personnel assignments, while Decimus approved them. This means (in my opinion) that she did bugger the mission success odds, on purpose and within very small limits, but most people would miss it. If Kali wanted Maxus dead, she would have assigned Nox to the murder mission and put Malati on Acantha-kidnapping duty. I think she did what little she could, within her own constraints, and then had to hope for something other than the worst.
@ Gilrandir
" * - Kali was (apparently) different from all other Cassians in that she was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius, while the other Cassians are hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma. "
I don't believe that is accurate. See what Centcomm posted below: "The cassians are hard coded to protect the throne. and whoever sits on it."
The only part of Kali's behavior that seemed to defy what we know about Cassians is how she killed Decimus at the end. But that can be explained by how Decimus' father instructed Kali to do whatever she deemed necessary if he harmed Acantha again. Those were special instructions from the (then) throne-sitter.
@xpacetrue, my search-fu is weak and, under other circumstances I might try to commission @Stormwind13 to gather more appropriate, relevant references. I recall there being several places in the commentary where @Tokyo Rose addressed this, but I only found one in the minimal amount of time I allotted to searching. Nevertheless, if you will look at Comic 1360 - Game On, specifically the comment of @Tokyo Rose timestamped "8th May 2016, 6:33 PM", you will see she addresses the question of Kali's inhibitor. Admittedly this comment is not the most clear and specific one I recall her making about Kali as a special case, but it is the one I could readily find.
@Gilrandir
"...if you will look at Comic 1359 - Game On, specifically the comment of @Tokyo Rose..."
That is interesting canon information. However, there is more than one way to interpret Rose's comment. By that, I mean it doesn't explicitly state that Kali loyalty was set differently from other Cassians.
Moreover, you claimed that Cassians are quote, "hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma." In my book, that implies that they are devoted to the State first and foremost, to the point that interest in the State could (potentially) override any loyalty to the throne.
As I pointed out, CentComm said that Cassians are hard coded to protect the throne. To be fair, though, that doesn't disprove your claim, either.
I guess we need a bit of clarification from the authors?
It threw me as well, until @Tokyo Rose clarified it. I regret I could not provide the explicit commentary references I recall where she clearly and unambiguously called out Kali as a special case. Since then, whenever any member of the creative team makes a statement about Cassians in general, I just assume there's an implicit "except Kali, who is (was) a special case" implied.
I am using "Throne of Nova Roma" and "State of Nova Roma" as interchangeable synonyms, since the impression I have formed is that in whichever place(s) such definitions are laid down, a tyranny of Nova Roma is established which essentially gives the ruling Prince absolute autocratic power as far as the Cassians are concerned. The Senate appears to be little more than an advisory and confirmatory body whose power is not inconsequential, in that they can lend or deny immediate resources through the approval process, as well as having the power to exert actual decisive actions during the brief periods of interregnum or incapacity on the part of the Tyrant.
Of course, Kali's existence as a special case also implies the possibility that there are other special case Cassians out there as well. We don't know what happened when the android-hating powers-that-be of Nova Roma ordered those refrigerator parts from the Weapon Shops of Isher and got sent a bunch of cases of Borg-level enforcement androids instead, or how the androids got divvied up. We just know what we have been canonically told about the aftermath: to wit, that all of the Cassians we've seen or heard about (except for Kali, who is a special case) are hardwired for loyalty to the Throne of Nova Roma, and that Parvati/Kali was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius.
Here and here I think is what refers to the difference in Kali. Her inhibitor was adjusted to, I think, give her free will in the event of Acantha's demise. She hated Decimus, and when she thought that Acantha was gone, she was unbound, and her only act of free will, was unleashed in her despair.
One for Gilrandir, yes they did send both Hrist, and Malati. I went back and reread that section. I had misremembered it, since Hrist was basically the only one to fight Maxus. Malati was holding Irene. In 1161, Noctis was assessing the responses from all of them when Kali was laying out assignments. Noctis was pretty sure that Maxus would be OK.
The second apology is for this necro-post. Apologies to Centcom, and Tokyo Rose, that it took me so long to formulate such a lame reply. :D
Apologies? For an error of fact? Please don't establish that as the new standard, lest I be constrained to spend my days apologizing for my posts, and my nights apologizing for my days. (Working in apologies for my puns on weekends and holidays. ^_^)
I make mistakes all the time, so please put paid in mutual respect any balance you might feel is owed.
Of course, I cannot speak for our creatrices, but I will tell you that, though @Centcomm is a cruel and harsh taskmistress with an unforgiving nature, from her lofty Tower of Art she rarely troubles herself with the doings of us pitiful mortals. @Tokyo Rose, on the other hand, is the embodiment of sweetness and light, forgiving all others their shortfalls against the shining standard of perfection her very being presents to us here in the commentary pages. So, in neither case need you worry overmuch, I think, that they will be unduly fashed by the short span elapsed between the unfolding of events, and your reply thereto.
Or did I maybe get those names mixed up ...? <shrug> <smile> ^_^
" ...Hypothetically we should find among their [Cassians] ranks even those who agreed with Decimus and enjoyed his excesses and abuses -- as long as they were visited upon others, and not herself, of course. "
You're comparing the Cassians with the blue-suited Pretorians, who were Decimus' loyal lapdogs? Well... I guess they both were. But certainly NOT for the same reasons. They're programmed to follow the throne-sitter's orders and they have no choice in the matter.
"...if the Cassians are capable of expressing the full range of free will and the emotional spectrum we find in humans, and if Decimus was able to find so many Praetorians, logic suggests he should have found at least one like-minded Cassian."
That's just it: The Cassians have no free will. They can't just do as they please. Nova Romans are paranoid about the "clockwork people" taking over. And Decimus had no need of buying the loyalty of the Cassians - that was already guaranteed.
@Rms2000
" ...Furthermore, Maxus has the loyalty of the cassians *because* he has access to coms equipment. "
Respectfully, I disagree. Sheela pointed out that Noctis tricked Decimus into commanding her to work "for the Glory of Nova Roma", whatever that entails. I think Noctis evaluated the situation and determined that Maxus is a far better choice for Nova Roma, as is supporting Acantha. At least, I wouldn't be surprised if Noctis respects Maxus as a smart and capable leader.
The whole situation more or less hinged on what Noctis was allowed to do and decided to do. And she just found out that Decimus and Kali are both dead. As one of the oldest and higher ranked, she became the defacto Cassian leader. She had been in control of the comms and relaying orders to Cassians, anyway.
Besides, with Decimus dead, Adventus has nothing. Who would support his claim to the position of Lord General? Acantha? (Not!)
Oh, and let's not forget that Cassians are hard wired to protect and support the Livius family. The only member left of that family is Acantha. And Acantha's support of Maxus is no secret.
* - Nice touch being sure to show the runner in mid-stride as she comes through the door. The runner is not collared, but also not apparently uniformed.
* - Adventus has been busy modifying the prescribed uniform for the Praetorian Lord General (at least compared to the one seen here). Apparently heavy weapons and a homicidal disposition are sufficient to overcome the limits of military tradition and good taste.
* - We appear to have all kinds of Praetorians represented here: red without crest, blue without crest (panel 4, middle), red with crest, blue with crest, and Lord General with skunk/python hybrid attached to helmet. ^_^
* - The Cassian's sword is not yet energized.
* - I wonder who the runner is and what she was doing before getting dragooned into performing runner duty?
* - Did Maxus ever wear the golden eagle as a codpiece? Because -- based on how Adventus is wearing that belt buckle -- it sure looks like the Lord General is making a political statement. ^_^
* - Why is there a mixed bag o' troops, rather than a detachment from a single unit with just one or two officers and more rank-and-file types?
* - Will the Cassian's sword be revealed to be a power sword, or does she prefer a simpler and more elegant weapon from a more civilized age?
* - Who has the authority to revoke a promotion to the topmost rank of the Praetorian Guard made by Prince Decimus?
* - And seriously ... what is up with that crest? Did Adventus lose a bet or something? ^_^
A very fun page, creative team. Please do not construe my trivialities as conveying any level of dissatisfaction. Just errant thoughts.
While I can't say anything about high heels, track spikes are made to run on the ball of your foot and for your heel to never touch the ground, and it really does work well for sprinting.
Now granted, I don't think high heels would be well cushioned or have the good traction you'd get from spikes. Also I'm sure the heel hitting would be jarring. So it doesn't seem ideal, so much as potentially possible.
I do know a few girls who aren't comfortable in less than a 2 inch heel. So from what I gather you can get used to it.
People who spend too much time in heels often get shortened tendons - and then it becomes very difficult (and often painful) for them to wear regular shoes.
Of course, this doesn't make the skeletal or muscle structure well-suited to doing anything athletic in heels either; if they try they often get broken ankles.
We used to have a track and field coach who'd get into a flaming purple snit about it when some of the girls needed lifts in their shoes just in order to run. She'd have those kids out there in ankle wraps, doing laps in the shortest lifts they could possibly use, every day, and usually within a few weeks they could use regular shoes. Supposedly it gets harder to correct once they're beyond high-school age.
I hate wearing high-heeled shoes. I have a couple pairs, but they only leave the closet when I dress up, which is very rarely, and I don't think I could run more than three steps without snapping an ankle (or breaking the heel off one). I habitually wear Ariat cowboy boots with a one-inch block heel, and running in those works better. :D
[Here's the latest installment of my lyric silliness. As always, comments are appreciated. This is set to the tune of Sting's Russians.]
Among Roman society, there's a growing feeling of anxiety.
We can see that in the floor debate
Of the Roman Senate there's a growing hate.
Prince Decimus is in a stew.
We fear he'll act in a way we'll rue.
Such an ignorant thing to do,
Because the Trojans love their children too.
How can I save my little boys from horrid CentComm's clockwork toys?
If we make a strike, and then they strike back,
It won't be the Prince facing their attack.
Samson, Nero, and Ahab
Will see us all laid on a slab.
There isn't much that we can do.
We know the Trojans love their children too.
"They have a hysterical president," is the word from the palace resident.
"They won't dare face us in a war.
They will beg for peace once they know the score.
Mrs. Taylor soon will be meek and mild
To save the life of her only child."
If His Highness only knew
How much the Trojans love their children too.
Samson, Nero, and Ahab
Will see us all laid on a slab.
He's bitten more than he can chew,
For all the Trojans love their children too.
As a comment on Lord General Adventus Albinus, I will first refer you to this page. For a long time, I had thought that the sentence in the midst of which Quintus was interrupted was something like "He's already wearing your armor."
However, I am now convinced that Maxus never wore the ridiculous looking outfit we currently see the Praetorian Lord General in, which means the sentence was actually more like "He's already wearing his Lord General's insignia." Why is this interesting? ...
Because it means Adventus Albinus already had this outfit made for him while ostensibly serving as a Praetorian under Maxus' command. (I'm assuming the Nova Roman fabrication shops couldn't turn out a new suit of custom-made high-tech military armor from scratch in less than a day.) Now, I'm not a military veteran, but I'm guessing the fact he had this suit hanging around in his closet well before this day tells us more than we ever needed to know about the personal character of Adventus Albinus. ^_^
Probably means that Douchie called him in an offered him the job and he knew if he turned it down he was dead; if he took it, he might live a long enough to plan an escape from the Loony Toony Bin Douchie was building.
Right, a serving officer is approached by his sovereign and given advance notice (say ... a week, to get the armor made) of an extra-judicial murder of his immediate superior and is offered promotion in exchange for his cooperation. Said officer accepts and remains quiet, rather than making any effort to warn his superior ... like I said, I think it speaks volumes about Adventus' character -- especially since we've seen the kind of officer that Maxus is. Just my opinion, of course.
The impression I got (from this page) was that even the Praetorians are nominally under the command of the Lord General -- since he may, apparently, examine any of them for fitness at any time. I assume the situation is (was?) analogous (for Americans) of Decimus as President and Commander-in-Chief, while Maxus would be the equivalent of Chief of Staff of the Army and Adventus would be the equivalent of the Provost Marshal General. Since Nova Roma is just a city state, Maxus is probably also the sole Operational Commander in the Nova Roman Army. But I could easily be wrong about the DataChasers canon, and certainly military structure falls well outside my area of expertise.
Not sure what page but remember Maxus thoughts about the Praetorians not respecting him because they are directly under the control of Douchebag, and they only obeyed him because he let them rape and murder indiscriminately. They were Douchebags private army/guard/thug/enforcer platoon.
The creatrices know, I can only speculate, but it seems to me that an order from Decimus to Maxus along the lines of, "Lord General Maxus, until further notice you are ordered to leave all matters of discipline for the Praetorian Guard in the hands of General Adventus, to whom I have personally given specialized and detailed instructions. In all other matters, of course, the Guard and its General remain under your command," would do the job nicely.
@Gilrandir; Actually part of this lyric makes me think of something from Mel Brooks the "History of The World" some of The Spanish Inquisition scenes Spanish Inquisition.
I think ComicFury supports many BBCode tags, but not necessarily all of them. Also some work in the Forums, but not on the comment pages. Your mileage may vary.
Gilrandir,
re: Him having the armor already made.
On his first appearance wearing red, the alt-text was that he was wearing blue prior. A joke was made about paint fumes.
Frankly, promotion could have been as simple as a couple cans of Krylon. One in red and one in gold leaf. Masking it so it didn't look like a mess at less than ten feet would have taken more time than actually painting it.
Of course, if the trim snaps OFF, it can be painted separate, allowed to dry to the touch, and reassembled.
P.S. The archive is rather difficult to navigate, when you're looking for a particular strip, but I did find it.
http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1250
On a second look, his armor has only gotten more ornate since his "promotion".
Somehow, in the middle of an armed uprising, he's found time to add gold leaf to his armor.
The man may have never committed a single atrocity for which death is the best remedy, but he certainly has demonstrated a terminal case of stupidity.
Adventus Albinus could not possibly wear Maxus' armor. It wouldn't fit. Maxus is 130% his height and at least 250% his mass, with myostatin-inhibited genetics and accompanying muscular hypertrophy. Albinus is (relatively) normal in stature and musculature.
@Morituri, the obvious answer is : Velcro(TM) <smile>
However, I will concede you have a point. Obviously not the power armor, which Maxus is currently wearing, but even the normal stuff would be decidedly uncomfortable and less effective -- if it could be made to fit at all.
On the other hand, would an individual so low in self-esteem as to need to resort to insisting on the absurd "Sir, Lord General" from all over whom he commands any sort of authority really care about relative combat effectiveness compared to huge boost of ego it would give him to (figuratively) say "Nyah nyah, Maxus! I'm in your rank, wearin' your armor. All your troops are belong us, for great Adventus! Now who's got the silly-lookin' helmet hairdo? I do! Not you do, me do! You're so bald ... you were bald before, but then the Prince cut off all your helmet hair, too! Now I've got all the hair, and you've got nuffin'! What're you lookin' at, trooper?!?" ^_^
Hey are those Hot, Cold and Frozen Fast Food containers in panel 1. Ex Lord General hamburger meat was planning on having a full meal. BTW wonder how the Cassions work will compare to Mirakos in time, effort expended, and results obtained.
I think you are right, chk. Maxus was never REMOVED as Lord General. Douchimus tried to have him killed, but not removed from his position.
So Adventus is a pretender, since the position was never vacated. The Cassian should be arresting him; however, if he offers any resistance she might decide he isn't worth the effort. :-D
Well, it will be interesting to see Lethia (TBC) in action, but I still can't help wishing that Malati was still with us...
Malati: ++Hey, princeps lady, what would you say if I reported that Adventus Albinus accepted his demotion, surrendered his insignia of rank and is requesting new orders?++
Noctis: ++I would tell you to avoid idle chatter on the network, Malati.++
Malati: ++Fine... in that case, I must report that Adventus Albinus ordered his squad to shoot the messenger - me - and had to be further demoted to tiny chunks and reassigned to wall-covering duties. Additionally, Noctis is- ++
Noctis: ++ -Advising you not to finish that sentence, Malati. Attend to your next objective. Noctis out.++
Malati: (mugs sarcastically) "Advising you not to finish that sentence, Malati!!" Why couldn't she have got a sense of humour installed?! Anyway, next objective, having dealt with Assbendus Asinine: make contact with senior officer in command post... *glances over dead men, tallies her way down chain of command* Hey, girl, d'you think you can handle a field promotion?
Runner: *rabbit-in-headlights stare*
Malati: *sigh* I'll take that as a "no". But you'll join my social media group, right? *produces pen, writes URL on runner's arm* We've gotta push them to get the gladiatorial bouts going again as soon as this is over. Now, get yourself somewhere safe, and stay there! Nice outfit, by the way! *exits*
You know, the last time we saw this guy he seemed to be acting semi sanely. I guess power went to his head really really fast. I mean it's only been a couple of hours right?
Everyone seems to forget it was the worst of the worst Douchie freed and made members of the "Bluebelles". Why is everyone so shocked this numb nutted dimwit reverts to his true form?
page 1228 Mission Control
Of course, this may not be the first time someone has been able to accuse me of being Colorblind, lol.
I'd color-coordinate my speech with my pants as well. :)
Oh wait .. I don't wear pants!
Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-_k7BMr1oI
As far as I know, he's not even in on the plot to kill Maxus, other than being informed by the prince that it was under way.
I don't have high hopes for anyone hand-picked by prince Decimus - for all we know this person is just as much an asshole and a monster as all the blueshells. And his language and attitude here don't speak highly of him.
But if the next couple words out of his mouth indicate he's ready to give up the office and follow orders, and Lethia doesn't have specific orders to kill him, and doesn't have knowledge of his character that makes her sure that Roma's better off without him, it's at least possible that he could survive.
I doubt that any of those things are true, however, let alone all of them.
*ninja edit*
I forgot to mention, that at this time, the Cassians are concerned with Acantha's well being. As long as she is alive, that is the case. Maxus is loyal to this cause.
It doesn't get much more legit than that. :D
I personally think the strictures of duty and the chain of command are a little more enduring than that.
Those that depended for their value on prince dickhead being alive are, of course, defunct. They fall into the category of "That mission is now clearly impossible to carry out."
Orders from prince dickhead that probably don't serve the interests of Nova Roma fall into a gray area; I don't know if the Cassians would be compelled to obey them or not. If not compelled to, I don't know if they would choose to.
But even if all of those fall away, I'm pretty sure their inhibitors would compel them to act to preserve the line of succession and the continuation of Nova Roma.
Right now that means the center of the Cassians' universe is Acantha, and quelling the shooting war in the capitol is in a tight orbit around that. Maxus' ceasefire with the rebels and Trojans, plus his positive actions to get Acantha to the medical care she needs, make him very clearly the commander who advances their interests (or those of their inhibitors) most effectively.
"Some folk have made the claim that, with Decimus' death, all of his orders have fallen away, leaving the Cassians free to ally themselves with Sweetness and Light. However, if this is true, Noctis is no longer acting in obedience to any orders to act for the Glory of Roma, she's just another rogue killing machine gone HK who happens to be working on the side of the characters we like."
Actually, we have an example to prove that the death of a ruler does NOT rescind their orders. Remember how Kali killed Dec at the end? She was acting on special instructions by Dec's (now deceased) father to deal with him if he harms Acantha.
Anyway, as paranoid as Nova Romans are about the "clockwork people" taking over, I'm pretty sure that they are (normally) not allowed free reign to decide on who they want to ally themselves with.
Even if Dec's orders to work for the Glory of Roma became null and void upon his death, Noctis had already chosen to side with Maxus long, long before she found out that Prince Dec was dead. Never mind how Acantha is heir to the throne and who all Cassians must protect.
I have many failings.
I think the Cassians may not be as unified as you may be implying here. Hypothetically we should find among their ranks even those who agreed with Decimus and enjoyed his excesses and abuses -- as long as they were visited upon others, and not herself, of course. I don't think we'll actually see that here, because I don't think that's the story the creatrices are telling; but, if the Cassians are capable of expressing the full range of free will and the emotional spectrum we find in humans, and if Decimus was able to find so many Praetorians, logic suggests he should have found at least one like-minded Cassian.
Which, given she would still be inhibited to protect the citizens of Nova Roma, secure the peace, and generally behave ethically unless given specific orders to do otherwise, would make her one frustrated Cassian. ^_^
There is so much speculation and opinion swirling around, I almost hate to interject -- especially because of my tendency to get certain things wrong. But I feel I should highlight a few things:
* - Kali was (apparently) different from all other Cassians in that she was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius, while the other Cassians are hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma. The fact that she was then placed in command of the Cassians makes it very hard to make sensible inferences about exactly where and what the constraints on their behavior actually are. Are they doing a particular thing because they want to, because they are hardwired to, because they were ordered to by someone who wanted them to, or because they were ordered to by someone who was hardwired to give that order.
* - Malati's example defies practically everything we have been told about Cassians, especially when thrown into such stark relief by the direct comparison with Hrist. Since the two of them were (essentially) put in identical circumstances, but behaved very differently in response to their "hard" wiring. The more free will you imagine Cassians (and Malati) to have, the more heinous Hrist's actions appear to be. The less free will you imagine them to have (and therefore the more forgivable Hrist's actions), the more miraculous Malati's sacrifice becomes.
* - As I recall the scene, Kali made the personnel assignments, while Decimus approved them. This means (in my opinion) that she did bugger the mission success odds, on purpose and within very small limits, but most people would miss it. If Kali wanted Maxus dead, she would have assigned Nox to the murder mission and put Malati on Acantha-kidnapping duty. I think she did what little she could, within her own constraints, and then had to hope for something other than the worst.
" * - Kali was (apparently) different from all other Cassians in that she was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius, while the other Cassians are hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma. "
I don't believe that is accurate. See what Centcomm posted below: "The cassians are hard coded to protect the throne. and whoever sits on it."
The only part of Kali's behavior that seemed to defy what we know about Cassians is how she killed Decimus at the end. But that can be explained by how Decimus' father instructed Kali to do whatever she deemed necessary if he harmed Acantha again. Those were special instructions from the (then) throne-sitter.
"...if you will look at Comic 1359 - Game On, specifically the comment of @Tokyo Rose..."
That is interesting canon information. However, there is more than one way to interpret Rose's comment. By that, I mean it doesn't explicitly state that Kali loyalty was set differently from other Cassians.
Moreover, you claimed that Cassians are quote, "hardwired for loyalty to the state of Nova Roma." In my book, that implies that they are devoted to the State first and foremost, to the point that interest in the State could (potentially) override any loyalty to the throne.
As I pointed out, CentComm said that Cassians are hard coded to protect the throne. To be fair, though, that doesn't disprove your claim, either.
I guess we need a bit of clarification from the authors?
I am using "Throne of Nova Roma" and "State of Nova Roma" as interchangeable synonyms, since the impression I have formed is that in whichever place(s) such definitions are laid down, a tyranny of Nova Roma is established which essentially gives the ruling Prince absolute autocratic power as far as the Cassians are concerned. The Senate appears to be little more than an advisory and confirmatory body whose power is not inconsequential, in that they can lend or deny immediate resources through the approval process, as well as having the power to exert actual decisive actions during the brief periods of interregnum or incapacity on the part of the Tyrant.
Of course, Kali's existence as a special case also implies the possibility that there are other special case Cassians out there as well. We don't know what happened when the android-hating powers-that-be of Nova Roma ordered those refrigerator parts from the Weapon Shops of Isher and got sent a bunch of cases of Borg-level enforcement androids instead, or how the androids got divvied up. We just know what we have been canonically told about the aftermath: to wit, that all of the Cassians we've seen or heard about (except for Kali, who is a special case) are hardwired for loyalty to the Throne of Nova Roma, and that Parvati/Kali was hardwired for loyalty to the House of Livius.
One for Gilrandir, yes they did send both Hrist, and Malati. I went back and reread that section. I had misremembered it, since Hrist was basically the only one to fight Maxus. Malati was holding Irene. In 1161, Noctis was assessing the responses from all of them when Kali was laying out assignments. Noctis was pretty sure that Maxus would be OK.
The second apology is for this necro-post. Apologies to Centcom, and Tokyo Rose, that it took me so long to formulate such a lame reply. :D
I make mistakes all the time, so please put paid in mutual respect any balance you might feel is owed.
Of course, I cannot speak for our creatrices, but I will tell you that, though @Centcomm is a cruel and harsh taskmistress with an unforgiving nature, from her lofty Tower of Art she rarely troubles herself with the doings of us pitiful mortals. @Tokyo Rose, on the other hand, is the embodiment of sweetness and light, forgiving all others their shortfalls against the shining standard of perfection her very being presents to us here in the commentary pages. So, in neither case need you worry overmuch, I think, that they will be unduly fashed by the short span elapsed between the unfolding of events, and your reply thereto.
Or did I maybe get those names mixed up ...? <shrug> <smile> ^_^
You're comparing the Cassians with the blue-suited Pretorians, who were Decimus' loyal lapdogs? Well... I guess they both were. But certainly NOT for the same reasons. They're programmed to follow the throne-sitter's orders and they have no choice in the matter.
"...if the Cassians are capable of expressing the full range of free will and the emotional spectrum we find in humans, and if Decimus was able to find so many Praetorians, logic suggests he should have found at least one like-minded Cassian."
That's just it: The Cassians have no free will. They can't just do as they please. Nova Romans are paranoid about the "clockwork people" taking over. And Decimus had no need of buying the loyalty of the Cassians - that was already guaranteed.
" ...Furthermore, Maxus has the loyalty of the cassians *because* he has access to coms equipment. "
Respectfully, I disagree. Sheela pointed out that Noctis tricked Decimus into commanding her to work "for the Glory of Nova Roma", whatever that entails. I think Noctis evaluated the situation and determined that Maxus is a far better choice for Nova Roma, as is supporting Acantha. At least, I wouldn't be surprised if Noctis respects Maxus as a smart and capable leader.
The whole situation more or less hinged on what Noctis was allowed to do and decided to do. And she just found out that Decimus and Kali are both dead. As one of the oldest and higher ranked, she became the defacto Cassian leader. She had been in control of the comms and relaying orders to Cassians, anyway.
Besides, with Decimus dead, Adventus has nothing. Who would support his claim to the position of Lord General? Acantha? (Not!)
Oh, and let's not forget that Cassians are hard wired to protect and support the Livius family. The only member left of that family is Acantha. And Acantha's support of Maxus is no secret.
Revoked! That is ONE way of saying it. Couldn't happen to a nicer idiot!
* - Nice touch being sure to show the runner in mid-stride as she comes through the door. The runner is not collared, but also not apparently uniformed.
* - Adventus has been busy modifying the prescribed uniform for the Praetorian Lord General (at least compared to the one seen here). Apparently heavy weapons and a homicidal disposition are sufficient to overcome the limits of military tradition and good taste.
* - We appear to have all kinds of Praetorians represented here: red without crest, blue without crest (panel 4, middle), red with crest, blue with crest, and Lord General with skunk/python hybrid attached to helmet. ^_^
* - The Cassian's sword is not yet energized.
* - I wonder who the runner is and what she was doing before getting dragooned into performing runner duty?
* - Did Maxus ever wear the golden eagle as a codpiece? Because -- based on how Adventus is wearing that belt buckle -- it sure looks like the Lord General is making a political statement. ^_^
* - Why is there a mixed bag o' troops, rather than a detachment from a single unit with just one or two officers and more rank-and-file types?
* - Will the Cassian's sword be revealed to be a power sword, or does she prefer a simpler and more elegant weapon from a more civilized age?
* - Who has the authority to revoke a promotion to the topmost rank of the Praetorian Guard made by Prince Decimus?
* - And seriously ... what is up with that crest? Did Adventus lose a bet or something? ^_^
A very fun page, creative team. Please do not construe my trivialities as conveying any level of dissatisfaction. Just errant thoughts.
there is mixed group here these guys are all pulled from diffrent sections
Red no crest standard guy
All red crest squad leader
then the general has his own type of crest .. and his own armor as you can see
Odds are that Noctis issued the order as a preemptive measure, because she knew Maxus would have wanted to deliver it in person.
She could open up with all sorts of Waif-Fu techniques! A little Miss Badass in disguise!
My daughters absolutely REFUSE to try to run in flats.
They say they don't like the idea of falling flat on their face when the shoe comes off.
Now granted, I don't think high heels would be well cushioned or have the good traction you'd get from spikes. Also I'm sure the heel hitting would be jarring. So it doesn't seem ideal, so much as potentially possible.
I do know a few girls who aren't comfortable in less than a 2 inch heel. So from what I gather you can get used to it.
Of course, this doesn't make the skeletal or muscle structure well-suited to doing anything athletic in heels either; if they try they often get broken ankles.
We used to have a track and field coach who'd get into a flaming purple snit about it when some of the girls needed lifts in their shoes just in order to run. She'd have those kids out there in ankle wraps, doing laps in the shortest lifts they could possibly use, every day, and usually within a few weeks they could use regular shoes. Supposedly it gets harder to correct once they're beyond high-school age.
Tell that to these german ladies!
Among Roman society, there's a growing feeling of anxiety.
We can see that in the floor debate
Of the Roman Senate there's a growing hate.
Prince Decimus is in a stew.
We fear he'll act in a way we'll rue.
Such an ignorant thing to do,
Because the Trojans love their children too.
How can I save my little boys from horrid CentComm's clockwork toys?
If we make a strike, and then they strike back,
It won't be the Prince facing their attack.
Samson, Nero, and Ahab
Will see us all laid on a slab.
There isn't much that we can do.
We know the Trojans love their children too.
"They have a hysterical president," is the word from the palace resident.
"They won't dare face us in a war.
They will beg for peace once they know the score.
Mrs. Taylor soon will be meek and mild
To save the life of her only child."
If His Highness only knew
How much the Trojans love their children too.
Samson, Nero, and Ahab
Will see us all laid on a slab.
He's bitten more than he can chew,
For all the Trojans love their children too.
However, I am now convinced that Maxus never wore the ridiculous looking outfit we currently see the Praetorian Lord General in, which means the sentence was actually more like "He's already wearing his Lord General's insignia." Why is this interesting? ...
Because it means Adventus Albinus already had this outfit made for him while ostensibly serving as a Praetorian under Maxus' command. (I'm assuming the Nova Roman fabrication shops couldn't turn out a new suit of custom-made high-tech military armor from scratch in less than a day.) Now, I'm not a military veteran, but I'm guessing the fact he had this suit hanging around in his closet well before this day tells us more than we ever needed to know about the personal character of Adventus Albinus. ^_^
An oddly fitting moniker, imho.
re: Him having the armor already made.
On his first appearance wearing red, the alt-text was that he was wearing blue prior. A joke was made about paint fumes.
Frankly, promotion could have been as simple as a couple cans of Krylon. One in red and one in gold leaf. Masking it so it didn't look like a mess at less than ten feet would have taken more time than actually painting it.
Of course, if the trim snaps OFF, it can be painted separate, allowed to dry to the touch, and reassembled.
P.S. The archive is rather difficult to navigate, when you're looking for a particular strip, but I did find it.
http://datachasers.thecomicseries.com/comics/1250
Somehow, in the middle of an armed uprising, he's found time to add gold leaf to his armor.
The man may have never committed a single atrocity for which death is the best remedy, but he certainly has demonstrated a terminal case of stupidity.
However, I will concede you have a point. Obviously not the power armor, which Maxus is currently wearing, but even the normal stuff would be decidedly uncomfortable and less effective -- if it could be made to fit at all.
On the other hand, would an individual so low in self-esteem as to need to resort to insisting on the absurd "Sir, Lord General" from all over whom he commands any sort of authority really care about relative combat effectiveness compared to huge boost of ego it would give him to (figuratively) say "Nyah nyah, Maxus! I'm in your rank, wearin' your armor. All your troops are belong us, for great Adventus! Now who's got the silly-lookin' helmet hairdo? I do! Not you do, me do! You're so bald ... you were bald before, but then the Prince cut off all your helmet hair, too! Now I've got all the hair, and you've got nuffin'! What're you lookin' at, trooper?!?" ^_^
...I guess his license to live might also have been revoked...
@alt text: indeed - at least for the now ex lord general...
So Adventus is a pretender, since the position was never vacated. The Cassian should be arresting him; however, if he offers any resistance she might decide he isn't worth the effort. :-D
Malati: ++Hey, princeps lady, what would you say if I reported that Adventus Albinus accepted his demotion, surrendered his insignia of rank and is requesting new orders?++
Noctis: ++I would tell you to avoid idle chatter on the network, Malati.++
Malati: ++Fine... in that case, I must report that Adventus Albinus ordered his squad to shoot the messenger - me - and had to be further demoted to tiny chunks and reassigned to wall-covering duties. Additionally, Noctis is- ++
Noctis: ++ -Advising you not to finish that sentence, Malati. Attend to your next objective. Noctis out.++
Malati: (mugs sarcastically) "Advising you not to finish that sentence, Malati!!" Why couldn't she have got a sense of humour installed?! Anyway, next objective, having dealt with Assbendus Asinine: make contact with senior officer in command post... *glances over dead men, tallies her way down chain of command* Hey, girl, d'you think you can handle a field promotion?
Runner: *rabbit-in-headlights stare*
Malati: *sigh* I'll take that as a "no". But you'll join my social media group, right? *produces pen, writes URL on runner's arm* We've gotta push them to get the gladiatorial bouts going again as soon as this is over. Now, get yourself somewhere safe, and stay there! Nice outfit, by the way! *exits*
>:=)>
Sorry but you mean deer, rabbits are smart enough to get the f' outta the way.
*sigh*
I do miss Malati though, she had such lovely quirky humor.
So have you.