Sir Neil

This. So much this.

No, he couldn't, and honorary degrees don't count. A four-year degree is, er, a bachelor's degree.

It seems like what you describe is closer to a special forces Alpha team than anything else. About a dozen experienced sergeants lead by an officer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special...ed_States_Army)

I'm curious why you feel the civilian needs a military rank. When I was over there last year we had a number of civilians attached to us. Some were armed, some weren't, but all of them followed our orders in combat, while my men were subordinate to them when they performed their specialties.

Not necessarily. They might be experienced soldiers who have been demoted, or their promotions have been tangled up and lost in the bureaucracy. OTOH, I started boot camp as E-3, and one woman started as E-4 (she had a college degree, I had high school R.O.T.C. experience.)

More or less. Military Police use a different organizational chart. Our smallest element is the team: two privates (E-1 to E-4) lead by a corporal or sergeant. A squad is three or four teams lead by a staff sergeant (who also has two team members of his own plus a medic [E 1 to -4*]). A platoon is three or four squads lead by a sergeant first class (E-7) and a lieutenant (O-1 or -2).

The civilian would not have a rank, but would likely be considered a warrant officer or officer for determining his creature comforts. For instanct, he'd get a private room instead of a dorm, a bed instead of a cot, etc. Much like a senior NCO, he could likely lean on his patron officer if conflicts arose. (If the civilian is working directly for the general, then most people will treat his requests as if they came from the general.)

That's the story I want to play.

I'd be happy to. Will you be on tonight?

Like Cende.

... blow themselves up with their own cannons? Yup, pretty much.

A known lunatic said, "She had to die. It's part of the story!" How else am I supposed to interpret it than the writers having him break the fourth wall because it's "funny" when Deadpool does it? I'd actually like to know, because the first mission really was fun.

Well that culture is ****** up. (Hmm. I thought it would be replaced by cupcaked.)

It doesn't matter what I want. Your stories star leaders of the Star Patrol, so by default you two are writing the Star Patrol Chronicles.

Then my work here is done.

"Positron Gets Some" is a quick mission seemingly set before "The Course of Superhero Romance" and pitting you against Carnies. It's a defeat-all, which is kind of a drag once you hit 50 and don't need XP anymore.

And they're probably, "Biff, Bam, Kapow!"

Heh heh heh. Even if it's just the supers, it would be nice.

I know what that's like. Which is why I won't point out that your story and Samuraiko's provide the only experience most people will ever have with Star Patrol. You have enough on your plate writing a compelling story without thinking about creating Star Patrol mythology. No pressure.

Great. Now I see adorable chibi-Cende and chibi-Endurata shoving each other while peeking over your shoulder as you read the forums. Chibi-Crab is climbing up the refrigerator with his cyber-legs to get to the cookie jar, and chibi-Spyder is in the attic playing dress up with your old clothes. Chibi-Marcus claims to be presiding over a hero meeting, but we both know it's a tea party for his stuffed animals.

I don't think it's odd. Endaruta isn't so bad -- he wants to kill Cende because she's a threat to his power. Nothing personal, just business. I'm not really worked up about him. It's the fiance that gets me chomping at the bit. With only a few sentence fragments overheard by Helen, we already know what a horrible person he is, and how utterly wrong he is for Cende. They don't make enough whips to tame her, and I doubt he'll realize that before she leaves him drowning in his own blood.

Sorry, I misspoke. All those portraits should be posted, so readers can have faces to go with names. Justice server is a big place, afterall.

Which explains why my huntsman had to go with Argent Arachnid.

... I put the kind words first, so you'd know I enjoy your story and appreciate you writing it. However, the story takes a long time to get going, as you acknowledge in your opening post, and her job at Longbow doesn't seem to accomplish anything. I think it would flow better if the first chapter has her getting off the plane with the stated goal of killing Statesman for the valley king, and doling out temple scenes as flashbacks every time one of the characters calls her out on her skimpy history, when the Seeker astrally projects to her apartment, or on each of her visits back home. I don't expect you to change anything, but I thought you might not have looked at it from this angle.