From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (urth) Prisoners in Cell 986
Date: Sun, 31 May 98 22:36:00 GMT

Robert,

Pardon the repetition.

The short form: I think that a warship was sent one year ahead of the
semi-military colony ship.  Maybe they were meant to go
together--didn't Mrs. B say her ship was delayed?

I think the war at Sts. Croix/Anne was short and ugly.  The warship
wiped out any orbital/space force and then nuked at least one city.
Which makes for a military victory, but a warship doesn't have the
wherewithal to impose more than a garrison.  To secure the peace you
need a whole bunch of instant loyal citizens to occupy the conquered
territory.

To deal with the twenty or twenty-one year time lag such a thing
would probably have to be done.  Otherwise you win the war but lose
the planet.

I don't think Mrs. B's mom and her friends were exported criminals,
nor were they full soldiers.  They might have been lower class/hill
billy/welfare buyout or other marginalized group(s).

Mrs. B's mom definitely wanted to go--otherwise she could've told 'em
about the baby and gotten the waiver.  But you're right, that collusive
doctor makes it sound more military (if it is possible to transport
the baby then why would they have a rule against it unless the
mission has some initial military angle) and secret agenda at the
same time ("heh-heh, this is supposed to be a ship full of Normans
but we are Bretons!").

Just a thought.

=mantis=

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