Well, I don't think I was active enough in July to remember your idea, sycho, but I don't doubt that it was there. Doubtless, you can still join in.
Don't worry, only 61 chapters to read.
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Actually, I wonder if you really need to have read the whole story? I guess a new char wouldn't need to "remember" the previous encounters because she wasn't there. All she'd really need would be to be filled in on the current situation, which is basically this:
Rheinland and Liberty have corrupted governments. By what means they have been corrupted, we haven't decided yet. (No one knows)
There are three main experimental weapons going around:
Fireblade is a very rare, but very destructive, weapon. It slags almost any matter it touches, but ineffective against shields. VERY high energy drain. Beam-like.
Stormblade is less rare than fireblade. It obliterates shields and energy systems, but no hull damage. Not as high an energy drain. Also beam-like.
Avarice is an ion cannon. It's more a rapid-fire chaingun style energy weapon. It disables shields and systems.
ALL pirate bases in Liberty and Rheinland have been reduced to molten rock and metal (fireblade), and many of the Independant Worlds, too. (Bering, Kepler, etc...)
Most survivors are on Malaga base, a Lane Hacker base in Sigma-19. I'm going to write in how they'll eventually try to move to Kyoto base, in Chugoku. They'll have to go through Honshu, too.
Er... I hope that covers what goes on in my end. Nickless/Jim/Knight could fill in with the flight of the junker battleship Arizona.