Originally posted by daryen:
I had tried to be clear, but apparently failed. I am making the base assumption that the ihatei were merely hangers-on. It is actual Aslan clan elements (and major elements at that) that are pursuing the invasion. It is full power Aslan naval fleets clashing with Imperial fleets. Ihatei would be carved up like a side of beef.
And I've also tried to be clear, but failed. I agree that a few dozen full Aslan clan fleets would make things really interesting for the Domain (though not permenently so; see below). But I don't believe they'll be there.
Let me try to put it another way. I believe that your average Aslan clan lord's priorities are as follows:
1) Get more land
close to his own holdings. There are three reasons for that: a) It is cheaper and faster to ferry
ihatei to worlds close by than to worlds dozens of parsecs away; b) Once the new lands are under control, they furnish the clan lord with more taxes which translates into more power and greater defensive ability; and c) If he is attacked by surprise while he is trying to conquer a world close by, he can get his forces back in time to do some good. Hopefully.
2) Get more land within practical trading distance of his chief holdings. It becomes slower and more expensive to ferry
ihatei there, but it'll still be far quicker and cheaper than sending them a across the Great Rift and into the Imperium. Any forces stationed there are unable to support the forces stationed at home, but at least he'll still get some revenue from the colony. And while there's always the risk that his vassal there will rebel against him, at least his own forces are close enough to provide some deterrence.
3) Equip a bunch of
ihatei with ships and send them off into the wild blue yonder where any colony they establish will be too far away to provide any real benefits for him.
And so far down the list that it's an imaginary number) Send the ships he need to defend his holdings so far away that they can't be recalled in time to defend him against an attack by a neighbor (who will have the same priorities as himself, i.e. prefer to conquer land close to his own holdings).
Without full Aslan clan fleets involved, all that would happen is a few dozen lopop worlds would suddenly find themselves with Aslan squatters.
And canon says that the invasion is done by
ihatei. If you're reduced to changing canon anyway, why not change it to something a bit more plausible?
Well, obviously all Aslan forces are spread really thin since not a single UWP was changed as a result of the Aslan "invasion". No Aslan governments, no population increases, no nothing.
Nothing except the alignment change. Frankly, I think the simplest fix is to undo that.
And the DoD is in disarray. Everything ever written on it, says so. 
If by being in disarray you mean being invaded by Aslans and Vargr to the point where Norris has lost a substantial number of the high-population, high-tech worlds that he relies on to provide him with the means to stave off the upcoming Zhodani invasion, then you're right. But nowhere is it explained why he would sit still for that, year in and year out, twiddling his thumbs in Vilis subsector while his domain is quietly whittled down.
What I mean by not being in disarray is being under the firm control of a ruler who has proven himself in the past to be a good naval strategist and no mean politician.
Plus, you have to remember that the local Admiral was a moron. Yeah, I know, I don't really buy it myself, but there it is. Besides, I have read about stuff even more stupid than all that done in the real world.
I know enough about history not to object to idiots in high places to explain remarkably stupid acts. But I also know enough about history to know that you don't get infinite strings of idiots. Sheer attrition means that the idiots eventually gets replaced by competent people. Study any British war fought after a couple of decades of peace and you'll see what I mean.
So, Saint Norris wasn't infalible. He screwed up, worried about a nonexistant threat and ignored the real threat. It's not like that hasn't happened before. So Norris did it too; oh well.
Two things: The real threat is also part of the imaginary threat. Losing any world that makes a contribution to the war effort is Bad. And Norris isn't the only one involved. Even if none of the local dukes and admirals will contrive to keep some forces back, the planetay defenses of worlds such as Tobia, Glisten, and Aki will still remain in place.
No, three things: I don't believe it is logistically possible for Norris to keep all the forces of the Domain along the Zhodani border.
No, four things: I do not think that Norris, as described in previously published material, is fool enough to do as MT sources claim he does. That is, the description of Norris' actions IMO constitutes a canon conflict in itself.
The Beyond sector is full of populated worlds and interstellar governments. It has parts of nine(!) interstellar polities, plus the Aslan. It will take lots of effort to take them all out, too.
Further spinward than that. And BTW, the Floriani League is a tough nut to crack in itself, yet we're told that the Aslans did that too, in addition to invading the Domain.
See above on Norris. So he screwed up. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't be the last. Plus, no matter how stupid it is, we are stuck with it.
You must have read some stories about Norris that I haven't.
The real trick is to see if you can make a story hang with the given information, and make it at least close to reasonable.
I'm all for that and, believe me, I've tried.
And, if we are willing to assume a full Aslan invasion (i.e. not just ihatei) and assume that some worlds (Tobia) had a negotiated settlement, then we can have a story that works.
I'm not willing to assume a full Aslan invasion. And, as I said, if we have to change canon anyway, why not change it to something that hangs together?
Hans
