I'd like to say a few more things, some in reply to previous things said to me:
First off, I don't want to "punish" people, and I don't think that sentiment is in play for most of us here. That's not what this is about, I don't think that Mantic or Kay have acted in bad faith. Poor judgement, but not bad faith. At this point, it's not about punishment. It's about the fact that IC, people were attacked, and now those people (Danger and a large angry mob happy to rally around her) are planning a response, IC. I get that Gen went off the reservation, but pretending it didn't happen isn't a solution. Working in a way that incorporates the affected parties, on the other hand? That's a neat solution. That's how we turn giant poodoo-filled clusterfeths like this into truly neat opportunities. And I'm doing that as we speak. Hell, I'm making a new character based on Garter's ideas about clones and loyalty chips and Gen's coup ad a few other things. When it's said and done, I'll have a new character with a full backstory written in collaboration with several other plotters on this site, including a trade magnate, a Republic admiral, and former mastermind behind the Omega Protectorate.
Secondly, and this is a hard bit, I think on some level we're repeating Gen's big OOC mistake here. We're not talking to each other. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe there's a chain of PMs and Skype logs I'mi missing out on where the corporations are getting to talk with Republic leadership. Maybe Republic leadership is asking its memberships about how they feel about all of this. I can't say. But right now, it feels like some folks are making unilateral decisions about what did or didn't happen and expecting to dictate those terms accordingly. The problem is that as much as this site is about writing stories, it's just as much an exercise in collaboration. We have to work together, OOC, to build IC solutions that allow participation. This plot grew a life of it's own, like it or not. At this point, yes, the fast posters and the slow ones will have to collaborate and converse with each other. And yeah, stuff that was submitted first will likely take precedence over other stuff. Early bird gets the narrative worm.
So, now what? We've established that there's a plot, and that it's got it's own life, and that we can't cancel internally within the Republic to the exclusion of other parties without a serious sense of feeling robbed. Frankly, I think the story is going in a neat direction. After Genevieve's attempted take over, a hastily made alliance of corporate leaders has banded together to help the senators in exile take back their sovereign liberty. At what cost? Well, that's an unresolved thread that will be interesting.
Honestly, I like what's happened here on both sides. Heroism, bloodshed, revolution, a new face to the republic, all interesting hooks--and hooks we should be selling to new members (which, given a certain film's success, is going to be a thing in the next couple of months, so yay to that) so that they have an exciting, engaging series of encounters within the Republic plot.
Even more importantly, letting Genevieve's army have survivors and stragglers after the fact creates a nice recurring baddie. The Bando Gora, the roaming slavers, the Hutts--it's honestly easier to plan dominions and events when you have a lasting bogeyman to fight for them. Rebuilding the Republic and fighting the Usurpers is one amazing Reason D'etre for the Republic forces, and the affiliated Jedi, to fight for a future.
I know, the plan went sour when Gen ignored all wisdom and targeted multiple targets several cooler heads advised against attacking. But if we can't erase the vile plot, then we should adapt to it. Seems to be doing wonders for me, given that I haven't been decently active until this week. My activity was dying in November/December, just ask the multiple threads I have neglected.
So, my advice remains. Talk to the various major players affected, and see what you can do to push this plot forward to a satisfying, and brilliant conclusion. Don't be saddened by what went haywire, use that voltage to drum up some energy elsewhere. After all, the worst case scenario is that a few planets get burned.
Sincerely, your favorite ginger in a clown suit,
Theo
