AAG - Chapter 59!
Added 2025-02-05 00:55:00 +0000 UTCI was so busy this month with my new law firm, I really wasn't sure I was going to complete the chapter this month. Thankfully, I got it done, and there are moments in here that I really like. I hope you do too.
As always, let's discuss in the comments and thank you for your continuing support! :-)
Comments
Might be interesting if Gothic used some kind of Mental Reprogramming on V'Ren or wiped her mind and downloaded a Personality Construct into her body or anything really
stephen lyman
2025-03-14 18:19:04 +0000 UTCWith Shakaar as the general in charge of Bajor's army would the episode still happens?
War sage
2025-02-16 21:56:39 +0000 UTCThat was the original plan. Unfortunately, I ran out of time. We'll definitely get to it next chapter.
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:48:06 +0000 UTCPeople are really interested in seeing what happens with her! I wish I knew myself. I'm still debating how to best use her. Thanks for all your support!
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:47:30 +0000 UTCHa! Still debating what to do with V'Ren, but we'll see where the chapter takes me. I often start the chapter with one plan and then it goes out the window. Glad you liked the Matrix references! :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:46:50 +0000 UTCCongrats, David. I hope you get the job that will make you happy and fulfilled. I'm still debating what to do with her. We'll see where the chapter takes me. Thanks for all your support!
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:45:30 +0000 UTCLauren's training and the timing of it was a strategic choice. After the Battle of Earth, Gothic needed to do everything he could to appear less threatening. An inexperienced crew is a great way to be underestimated. I thought about sharing more of those thoughts, but my readers often accuse me of being too much in Gothic's head. This arc is important and I did not want to rush this. This arc is going to be the extent of the highly detailed chapters regarding the defense net. The rest of the story where planets lease the GODS net will happen pretty much in the background and on autopilot. I wish I could do more, but 1 per month is all I can promise. And considering my chapters run about 15k words and an average chapter is about 5k words, this is like 3 chapters in one. Thanks for all your support!
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:42:04 +0000 UTCSorry everybody for the lack of replies and posts. There is something going around and I've been sick as a dog for the last week. Just now getting better.
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:39:20 +0000 UTCYes, the FT fights well above its weight class, though all they know fro this mission is that it has a powerful tractor beam. There was some strategy to having Lauren learn how to pilot the FT now. The FT was already going to show some of its capabilities during this mission, why not also distract everyone with some bad piloting? This muddies the water on the FT's capabilities, while also painting Gothic's crew as less than professional, maybe inexperienced. That actually helps Gothic appear less threatening and hopefully underestimated. I also wanted to again show that Lauren, as a genetically enhanced person, has capabilities beyond the norm. A baseline human could not do what she did. I'm going to play with the idea more and more. Annika as the angel and Lauren as the dirty devil advocating for sin and excess. Pressman is the instigator, but there are others who are curious and happy to go along with Pressman's requests. And then you've got good ol' fashioned prejudice. Yep, that's going to be seen more, especially as Gothic's defense nets get sold and Gothic secure shipping starts taking contracts. Yes, Risa had friends who were lost. Coupled with Gothic's enhanced reputation on that world, I thought it fit to bring them into this. Gothic thinks very long-term. A world leasing his defense net means a long-term relationship with that world. It's going to mean valuable relationships with those worlds' leaders and contacts for his shipping business. Right now, Gothic's largest claim to fame was his role in the Battle of Earth. This will put him on the map with the who's who of the Federation. Add in the Romulan bullshit and there are a lot of eyes on him. Add in his role on Bajor as the wormhole becomes the most important real estate in the galaxy, I don't think he's wrong. Add in the protection that those worlds will enjoy during the Dominion War? That has power. OH, brother, I seriously disagree. Imagine what Bajor's "Navy" was in canon DS9 and look at what it is now. He built it into what it is now. He created a naval academy. He supplied them with modern fighters that led to the capture of modern starships, allowing Bajor to fight well above its weight class, even while they're struggling to rebuild. What was the Bajoran Navy in canon, EVEN during the Dominion War? It was some sublight fighters from the Occupation. He's done a hell of a lot to make the Bajoran military what it is, including supplying them with modern weapons and tactics. Thanks for your support!
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:38:17 +0000 UTCNo, he hasn't. But when that episode comes up he'll probably offer some help.
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-15 23:17:55 +0000 UTCAlso I can't remember but did Gothic create any tech to help repair the environment damage the occupation did to Bajor like soil reclaimators we saw in the show
War sage
2025-02-08 00:10:12 +0000 UTCDamnit I wanted big boom, guess I have to wait. While I liked the chapter it did a bit like filler. I can only imagine the reaction of the Enterprise crew to see that hint of the Flighty Temptress capabilities. While I liked Lauren learning how to use the neural link, really feels wrong place wrong time I do the idea of Annika being the angel on his shoulder lol While it's possible Pressman is behind the shipments being stoped and searched, I feel it may not be only Pressman as we know know Picard contacted a few of his friends in the Admiralty about Gothic, so it's not unlike that there would be an admiral or two paying closer attention to actions of Gothic and his companies, you add how like Annika said some are classified as strategic resources may itself have caught some attention, so it could be a bit of Pressman and other Admirals doing there own thing. My question is it the same Starfleet ships doing the inspections or it random vessels, also I would have those transports and the cargo itself for any possible tracking devices or unique radiation traces or some other tracking bs that Starfleet could come up with. I do like seeing a bit of Annika in helping run Gothic's businesses. Considering Gothic's conversation with Lwaxana not surprised Betazid sent an ambassador, though Risa was a surprise. Even if the tests go beyond expectations, Gothic suddenly seeing himself as a major power broker in the Alpha Quadrant just seems extremely arrogant to me with little to actually back up that statement. Like sure he does have a lot of influence and wealth thanks to his companies but he is in no way a power broker, in fact I would argue on the intergalactic scale for the Alpha and Beta Quadrants he is still a minor player, like let's be honest a good chunk of his reach is tied to his deal with Zek, and even with the GOD'S network being picked up, it's only in the Federation so he will have more influence, but only in the Federation space. Soo I'm just gonna bring this up, but when ever Gothic returns to Bajor there needs to be a serious discussion on Gothic being head of Bajor's navy, it feels like the only purpose of Gothic has the position is so he has a shield against certain laws applying to him without him actually doing the job which kinda screws Bajor over a bit. Like I get you don't want to return to Bajor as you would just be following canon and I do like the return of espionage we got in this arc but you kinda need to have stuff like this addressed. Regardless great work on the chapter man.
War sage
2025-02-07 19:34:38 +0000 UTCTrue, though this is more expensive than some who post more frequently.
Durdens Wrath
2025-02-06 15:58:09 +0000 UTCno hate or anything i love your story but this was not my favorite chapter, this chapter felt like filler to me. Lauren's training felt like the wrong time and place considering pressman would happily use any mistake against him and both that and the risa ambassador's part kind of dragged . i was hoping the testing would be done by this chapter. i hope you aren't offended i really do love this story and look forward to it every month i'm just worried it might go down the same path most other harem stories do and focus too much on the harem girls and sex in general rather than moving the story forward. p.s if you wanna update twice a month i would very much approve. : ) keep up the great work.
dreadlord
2025-02-05 22:32:09 +0000 UTCExcellent Chap, Joe. And good new for me, got a couple of interviews for Chef's jobs already - first one is Friday. Anywho, looking forward to the test next chap, and the rest of V'Ren's...interview (wink wink nudge nudge *Wolf whistle* hubba hubba!) (points if you get the reference for that last joke...)
David Maddern
2025-02-05 19:37:55 +0000 UTCWhile I sure we'd all love that, we also have to remember that Joe does have his own work/family/life issues to take care of as well. This arc has gone on for a while, but hey - at least its not Fishman Island or Onimusha from One Piece. We'd still have another year and a half if that was the case, lol. (Nothing against Oda, he's built an incredible universe with his manga...but man can he drag a storyline out...). Excellent chap Joe. Looking forward to the test, and the rest of V'Ren's...interview...
David Maddern
2025-02-05 19:34:45 +0000 UTCCould we perhaps move to biweekly postings?
Durdens Wrath
2025-02-05 16:27:51 +0000 UTCAgreed. With a month in between chapters it's been a third of a year to get to the actual test.
Durdens Wrath
2025-02-05 16:27:22 +0000 UTCLauren getting the Matrix Treatment was funny! Being shown why the real world is still important was funny to see! Wonder how much the clean up required lol! Also, wondering what happened to V'Ren... could you perhaps describe it... in detail... for scientific purposes? Huh, where did that degenerate flag come from and how does that arrow continuously point at me?
James Wise
2025-02-05 13:29:01 +0000 UTCThanks for the New chapter, tought I hoped we would see the test this chapter, will we see a conclusion of what happend to V'Ren in the next chapters?
Shadow6409
2025-02-05 10:30:35 +0000 UTCThanks for another chapter, though I do wish the test had started lol.
maddsloth II
2025-02-05 05:23:53 +0000 UTCIt honestly wouldn't be that bad if I was reading it straight through I think the main issue is the difference between our time in-between each chapter and the actual timeline in story so it makes it feel like it's really dragging out but is actually great and immersive story building if it was to read straight through
DarkestCalling
2025-02-05 04:53:35 +0000 UTCI was originally planning on that, but the chapter got away from me both narratively and time wise. Rest assured the testing will be happening next chapter.
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-05 04:14:31 +0000 UTCWas honestly expecting the test this chapter this segment is really starting to feel dragged out
DarkestCalling
2025-02-05 03:45:23 +0000 UTCCan't wait for the next chapter; the test of the GODS NET is going to be awesome!
BigZ87
2025-02-05 02:56:02 +0000 UTCGo to bed, brother. It'll be there in the morning or when you need a pick me up during the day. :-)
Joseph Orlando
2025-02-05 02:37:03 +0000 UTCnice
Marius Petrauskas
2025-02-05 02:13:52 +0000 UTCas always this was a really great chapter and i loved it and i can't wait to read what happens in the next chapter when it comes out next month :-)
maben00
2025-02-05 01:55:20 +0000 UTCYeah! new Chap. that I will read later, because my Clock says it is 2 in the morning and I should going to bed. Will be a happy surprise for tomorrow-me.
CornFlake
2025-02-05 01:03:12 +0000 UTC
