Pleasure.

Just see it like this:

a good story basis inspires thought.
So you can actually thank yourself....

(G.P. grins)

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Here are some possiblities for what happens next:

1. Mordillo and the mayor agree that there is no reasonable possibility of active resistance, the system having no ships of the line to field against the battleship. Rigel has ordered a blockade of the planet until it pays taxes, on the theory that if one system successfully resists, others will follow suit and the Rigelian Empire will fall in short order. A shortage of some vital supply, perhaps precipitated by a "warning" bombardment from the battleship, makes the breaking of the blockade crucial. Therefore, it is concluded that Mordillo will attempt to get help from somewhere outsystem. (This string would take awhile to resolve, since a blockade is, in effect, an act of war.) It would be very exciting if you could work in a Q-ship (military ship disguised as a merchant ship or some such), though illusory Carriers or BCs could also be interesting... I guess it depends upon the method which Mordillo uses to obtain them. Mordillo's forming a mercenary navy is also a tempting prospect, though he'd have to do it mostly on reputation and charisma.

2. Mordillo (and perhaps Lars) work politically to put pressure on Rigel (perhaps through the Democrats and the Magellan Empire) to end the blockade, all the while making supply runs... This sounds less interesting.

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