Latest blog post: Update on the comic (2026-05-28)

Author's comment:

I think they'll be fine. They're so far away, after all...



Add Comment

* Required information
30000
Powered by Commentics

Comments (6)

Avatar
Passerby

When a target has a large rotating drum to provide an open-air pseudogravity environment, and an attacking bogey has a light-speed beam weapon that they can aim and fire in less than a handful of heartbeats, I am pessimistic about evasive maneuvers. The captain's warning will arrive after the damage.

Even if evasive maneuvers are technically possible, it would mean applying enough drive force for Dawn to structurally destroy its own habitat with enormous loss of life.

It is possible that the bogey is firing to disable, and Dawn will be left immobile but mostly unhurt. It is also possible that Dawn is about to be destroyed with the loss of all crew aboard. Either way Earth would have Raharran refugees to shelter in addition to the Raharran exile already stranded there.

Any speculation about the bogey? Do they have a motive to disable rather than destroy? They clearly did not want to be found. Having been found do they want to run away, or eliminate the witnesses? And if they want to eliminate the witnesses, does that include Earth?

Avatar
Senior

I'm guessing the Dawn isn't the target, but rather it's military escorts. They are far more likely to be able to pose a threat to the Azinarsi than the Dawn itself.

Avatar
Senior

With bit of luck, that´s a communication laser pulse and just by "happenstance"

is aimed past Earth and apparently close to the vicinity of Dawn.

Well, we can always hope.

Avatar
Senior

Oh shit!

If the previous page was shit hit the fan, we straigh up go to a sewer discharge into a turbine here.

Chirst. Surely that the Dawn can do some evasive maneuver, but dear that it poorly desidned for: the drum will be a total mess and dang! Also a thought for everyone in EVA suit, like Hekaht, who arent in a very good position to withstand sudden acceleration like that.

btw, the Moon is a 1 l/s of Earth, is very short for maneuver of any kind. And even if the beam is slower than ligh, it seem uncomfortably fast.

Else, no matter who are this Azinarsi, their are pretty upset to be discovered.

(Edited)
Avatar
Senior

Something tells me Gharr & friends are about o have quite a few more roommates...

I really like the "crater" dents in the Azinarsi ship.

And boy, are those grills full of lunar regolith, this thing hasn't had a good cleaning in a long time.

Avatar
Senior

So "Camp Raharr" is going to be....."Refugee Camp Raharr" and span 1/4 of a continent? Lets hope not but this is certainly a clear declaration of War if I have ever seen one.

Avatar
Passerby

Oh Voy, I don't see this ending well if that strike hits. Very typical elder race reactive stupidity of course to strike first at any hint of a "threat" even if it is not a threat.

Avatar
Passerby

Holly Terra! I wasn't expecting that!






Share this comic



The author is against any kind of application of AI to his artwork.

TRIVIA
The Alliance space stretches for an impressive 16 thousand light-years along the longest axis and contains approximately 12 billion star systems.
Despite that, 99.99% of those star systems haven't been explored even by an automatic mapping drone yet, and the borders of the Alliance space are defined mostly by the reach of spaceships from the nearest colony or space station, and in general are purely informative.