AviosAdku

You should have seen the reaction to Kerbfleet: a Jool Odyssey's interlude (the part over Eve just after the crossover).

Understood, thanks for the explanation.

Seconded @Starhawk on all counts, actually (due to the fact that I didn't see the entire page immediately) I first thought Tedus was asking Nimzo if he was nervous on account of his previous experience with nervy co-pilots/passengers (Bob & early Samantha). Oh, that and how his last documented landing went (probably the most famous of the entire series). Aku

Well, I'm not 100% on the article but it describes it as part of a routine shutdown as well (to make absolutely sure it shuts down), I don't have time to do any in depth research though.

My thoughts exactly, I had in mind a bundle of analysis on how this leads to the single agency we think of but after this ... It just didn't suit. A masterpiece, beautifully capturing the mood of the scene.

Yet another great instalment, I particularly liked it with the short burst on the engines to check them, reminded me of a video I once saw taken on a space shuttle mid-deck during a short burn. On a brief nitpick, I'm no expert in this field (and I wouldn't be surprised if there are ones on the forum) but wouldn't the term for the shutdown reactors be "Scrammed"? No offense, if you know more than me I apologise for my ignorance.

Wow! Yet another great instalment First of all, I was enjoying the interaction of Gene & Wherner, it really seems that those two can speak as equals (come to think of it, where was Gene in the early days while Wherner was playing Jeb?). Then came Carlenna ... or whatever that "thing" was, all I can say is that this won't end well. Well, I can say a few more things (I don't think this one is too spoilery), firstly that this chapter really shook up my perceptions on the sides, it looks like it's more complicated than I initially thought, and a lot more unsettling.

At last, the "real" work begins and with all this character work, you haven't lost a bit of your ability to show a mission to us in an engaging way, it's just like the Eve mission operations (the later phases, such as the juggling game getting the M7 ready and the landings on eve and such) in fact, for a moment (just a moment though) I forgot about the Kerbulans.

Well, that happened. One of the first, one of the greatest and ... it was just so sudden, no warning, no foreshadowing, just ... a somewhat routine test and it crashed, not even flying in space. Much like most of NASA's early casualties. A twist and a half I'd say, keen to see how this affects things, I have a feeling it will.

Great to see this one again, absolutely loved it. @Hotaru you're not the only one who noticed the design, in fact my first thought was "starclipper" although it's more of an X-33 come to think of it. Also, congratulations on the SSTO, that can't be that easy without advanced engines.

Point taken

Called it for me (only recently noticed that myself) As for Val Kermulan "cheating", perhaps she could always lean back on the defence that she did fight him using her weapon of choice: Bill. Not in the positon to check how many pages it took but, at last they are here and what an eventful trip it's been. Eagerly awaiting how things progress from here.

I'll say! Well, that explains a bit more, and raises even more questions (not in a bad way). In addition, it finally seems to have provided a hint as to how the Kerbals, about as helpless as a Tribal planet is in Spore (should you chose to take over in Space stage) in regard to the threat they seem to be facing could feasibly stand up to it. Also, it looks like this "chessgame" has entered another stage. First priority for analysing: work out how many sides there actually are. Eagerly awaiting the follow-up

Well, that's my day made, another update and ... almost there. Nice to get another quick "roll call", a good way to introduce the promotion too. As for Jeb, clearly the long wait hasn't changed him one bit since jumping up and down over getting to launch the M7 from Eve.

Well, that's problematic. Can't wait to see how that happened.

Why not all of the above?

Well, from what I remember of the old Kraken drive discussions (and my own experiments), the landing legs were a key component of these mechanisms and Kerbals... well there's a reason they feature so prominently in Danny2462 videos. Not complaining to clarify, just noting the history of these components. Probably something to do with the complex physics involved, I'm no software developer but making anything react in a complex way is a hard job I would guess.

Oh, that explains it (pardon my total ignorance)., come to think of it, I didn't even realise what that was. Looks like I might have a motive to actually get back to my KSP save some day and get it on a footing where asteroids can be found.

Oh yes, that too. I didn't think of it at first but then I was reminded. It's a cool thing and not the first time we've seen that design, back in the "good old days" of this story when it was just an obsessive kerbal and his robot army stalking a new family. Eagerly awaiting what comes next

Wow ... Now it's starting to come out, what was going on behind the scenes, why "the boss" was so interested in the lost material. However, now there is the issue of the nutbar Kerbals littering orbit, you know I didn't see Sieta's sanity loss as going this far, did you plan this kind of twist?

That explains a lot, an awful lot. How he knows all this, why he went after the saucers, etc. I mean

Well, that would have to be one of the longest set up things so far in this story (chapter 1). I would say that that explains a lot, but leaves more unexplained, there's something happening with those rocks. At least it seems that whatever intelligence behind them seems more powerful than the Kraken (they're going to need all the help they can). Also another nod back to chapter 2 with it's Harfield & Jandolin sub plot.

Well, nice job breaking it villains, they were worried about the Intrepid crew visiting so they tailed them to intercept, they wanted to deal with them so they garbled their comms so now they want to go there. I think we have a Self Fulfilling Prophecy of a sort on our hands. As for Kenlie, looks like he's got a long way to go. come to think of it, very far and not just Cheks, in dealing with the Kerbulans. Currently he's gone the typical amateur strategy: take out the opponent's pieces, while this can be a viable strategy, as this incident with Nimzo demonstrated, it isn't the aim, you could wind up "winning the battle but losing the war". I've seen quite a few checkmates with plenty of pieces left on both sides. Likewise with the Kerbulans it seems Kenlie is focussing on dealing with the fleet shadowing them but this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a whole planet of these maniacs and even if he manages to deal with this lot, there's plenty more where that came from and the threat to Kerbin is left unattended to (I know this is from his "story" but there is a strong implication that a certain G. Kermulan is already after their home planet). Also, taking the analogy further; his stalemate with Nimzo left only a few pieces of his standing, if he takes on the Kerbulan fleet, even if he wins, what will the cost be? It probably won't be snack rations I can assure you. Based off this, he does indeed have a way to go if he wants this to end well, he needs to learn to look a the big picture, to look beyond the stalking fleet, they aren't the source of the trouble, they are like the pieces but not the "Kwing", important and not to be ignored but ultimately unimportant in the long run. If he can look to the true threat of Gene Kermulan's Empire itself and focus on that, while avoiding the fleet hunting them (hey, I didn't say it was going to be easy), then maybe he can find a Scholar's Mate solution, the "war" won and everyone lives. Please note, I am not even a good chess player (I'm hopeless at it) and this may have been unintentional but I thought this fits and it's been a while since I was able to meaningfully contribute.

Wow, they're almost there, 9-and-a-bit chapters, 3 Interludes, one crossover and a total of 305 pages (355 counting the crossover on this side & Plan Kappa chapter 30 and 31 but not the "engineering updates") and they're almost at Jool. I can simply say that I'm excited, with all this build up this is going to be good.

Another great chapter and (I'm definitely not the first to say this) quite entertaining seeing Wherner as the "Proto Jeb", also I don't know if anyone else thought of it but did the second creation make anyone think of the story of Wan Hu? Although I might add that he had a much better flight than Buster did. Anyway, intriguing setup and more awaits I'm sure.