TUCWS exclusive: "Omega Squad: Targets": info and art

First off, I'd like to start by saying that I read and bought "Hard contact". I just love the book to bits. Thank you for writing such an incredible book, Ms. Traviss!

Second off, I'm STILL looking for insider #81. Can't seem to find it, but when I do I'll reply with my opinion about "Targets". I'm very excited to "Meet" the famed Kal Skirata.

 

TheDave posted on 4/25/05 9:15pm

---

Second off, I'm STILL looking for insider #81. Can't seem to find it, but when I do I'll reply with my opinion about "Targets". I'm very excited to "Meet" the famed Kal Skirata.
[hr][/blockquote]
I am myself thrown in the quest of that #81 issue.

Living in Europe sucks at times :p

 

Well, I'm back from Celebration III. And Brett Rector, the editor, ahowed me #81. And...the story is going to be in the UK edition.

My first publication ever in the UK! Ironic, really.

 

So, finally I got to read Targets, and it's very good (applause to Karen^^)
Nice connection to SWAT teams (mostely free-hostage-missions^^), even if they obviously can't handle such a situation in 20secs .Kal's just very cool old guy
The kama thing between Ordo and Fi is also cool...

I've a question: when does this story play ('scuse me if this question was here before). How many months after the beginn of the Clone Wars?

 

I love my SWAT boys, but they have more incident paperwork to fill out than Omega, so it takes them longer to clear a room...

The story is set a few weeks after Omega return from Qiilura. Atin's been in the Bacta tank and the kit has been modded after "helpful feedback" about its shortcomings on the last mission. So that makes it about four months after Geonosis.

 

Finally got to read it as well!

Nice work; I loved Fi, he seemed like the kinda guy I'd act like in those situations.

The Skirata/Ordo relationship seemed quite foggy to me though. Maybe I should've read this entire thread or something...

 

Ah, that's because it wasn't fully explained in the story for reasons I won't go into... oh, okay, I will. If I ever do more RC fiction, that might be a backstory to pick up. And it's too much to cover in an 8K word short. So it's a little mystery.

Basically, all you get to see in #81 is that Skirata and Ordo obviously know each other, but Omega don't know the detail and they don't ask. Nor do we find out why Ordo has that N designation...

 

ohmygodohmygodohmygod!!!!11!!1111

 

KarenTraviss posted on 4/27/05 8:49am

---

Nor do we find out why Ordo has that N designation...
[hr][/blockquote]

*g* what's the difference between A and N-desig?

And thx for the other answers, btw^^

[blockquote][link=http://boards.theforce.net/user.asp?usr=KarenTraviss][b][color=red] KarenTraviss[/color][/b][/link] [b]posted on 4/27/05 8:04am[/b][hr] I love my SWAT boys, but they have more incident paperwork to fill out than Omega, so it takes them longer to clear a room... [face_grin]
[hr][/blockquote]

Yeah, SWATs are just cops and have not such freedom as RCs have :D

 

<< *g* what's the difference between A and N-desig? >>

Special duties...

<< Yeah, SWATs are just cops and have not such freedom as RCs have. >>

Being an RC means never having to say you're sorry...or face a Police Authority investigation.

 

<< Yeah, SWATs are just cops and have not such freedom as RCs have. >>

Being an RC means never having to say you're sorry...or face a Police Authority investigation.

Hence the paperwork. That's what kept me from ever signing in for the defense service here.

I think that difference makes RC's so much cooler
Not having any excuses to make because they're perfectly trained? or because nobody dares asking afterwards?

In "Targets" Fi doesn't make any mistake, so to speak, but still... he feels something's wrong in what he did.
Good problematic, it made me ponder about for a moment.

 

kann posted on 4/27/05 9:25am

---

<< Yeah, SWATs are just cops and have not such freedom as RCs have. >>

I think that difference makes RC's so much cooler [face_happy]
Not having any excuses to make because they're perfectly trained? or because nobody dares asking afterwards? [face_wink]
[hr][/blockquote]

Ya, that's just like Delta Force or SAS (with SAS I'm not that sure, but DF can make what they want and don't have to give any "statement", can not be punished for their actions.) And there we have the National Security Agency (NSA) of US, I recall they are also "out of law"...

The stuff 'bout Fi: he feels so 'wrong' 'cause he has to exectute orders, he my not query, just like all commandos must. And that's the 'problem' about those clones, wo have much of their suspenser's genes...
You see, in RC Delta Squad has huge problems to leave their pod brother left behind...
And that's a point, many elite-commando-units (talkin 'bout Navy Seals, DF, SAS, and so on) have: "We leave no one behind." -[b] vode an, brothers all[/b]

 

They're forced to obey some orders that would break their code. Paradoxal. If you find a solution to this problem, you've found the meaning of life.

 

The SAS is subject to the rule of law like all UK forces and has to account for its actions in non-warfare situations like sieges and so on. And in war too, come to that.

Doesn't stop them doing the job, of course.

A good example is this case.

 

kann posted on 4/27/05 11:42am

---

They're forced to obey some orders that would break their code. Paradoxal. If you find a solution to this problem, you've found the meaning of life.
[hr][/blockquote]

That's the point, but clones are not "there to" find the meanig of live, and that's their problem. Elite clones tend rather to moral conflicts than usual infantry, what's not quite good for fighting moral...

@Karen
So I guessed wrong...
Seems like the States' unites have the privilegue for ops not "ruled by law"...
And that's just (imo) the point what makes the DF "better" than all other speical-unites...

 

<< Seems like the States' unites have the privilegue for ops not "ruled by law"... And that's just (imo) the point what makes the DF "better" >>

This will outrage my liberal chums, but I tend to agree with you. I don't see how troops can do some of the necessary dirty work that these lads have to do with one arm tied behind their backs through laws made by civvies in nice safe offices a long way from the front line.

But I won't froth on about soldiers being made into scapegoats, because I get really unreasonable on that topic. And then everyone knows I'm channelling Kal Skirata.

 

I have this great idea.

We get all the lawyers, hand-wringers, Guardianistas and other well-meaning lovers of humanity, stick them in a uniform, hand them an SA80 and send them to the front line.

Then we have an interesting chat with them if and when they return.

Anyone up for that?

 

Ya, guess they had not the bit of a chance...
Politicians order soldiers to fight battles, politicians don't understand...
They can't enable in the the role of soldiers, and they make laws, orders, they can't know how to handle...

 

Apropos of nothing, I can't believe I spent the whole of the last year without an icon. So I'm going for the lovely Bodie Taylor.

(Okay, if you didn't read my CIII blog diary, you won't get it.... )

 

I just realized:
Uhh, Karen has an icon - what happend
Just got time, Karen

 

I had a Bodie Taylor moment at CIII.

I'm still all fangirly about it. (Which is not a pretty sight in my case.)

 

I just read it in your blog...
Very interesting, to meet his own "chars", to meet a "real clone"
Must've been a very exciting moment, to see a million-in-one face