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A few days later, Duke Essex arrives to survey the area. We can’t let the Combine just attack us, but the Combine has really counter-punched hard against anyone who punched back. They absorbed the 8 systems of the Lyons Thumb and then counter-attacked the Draconis March and more.
He meets with the CO of Legion of the Rising Sun, Co. Jurgen Petersen, to get his take. Petersen, a guy who really understands the Combine, talks about the reason for the counter punch.
There is a concept of a honorable retribution that is rife in Combine society. We are attacked by a rogue element in our border. If we were to use that as an excuse to invade 4 planets, that would be excessive and unhonorable.
If Duke Sandoval had just raided the worlds in the Combine, as a punishment for the attacks against his people by the Black Dragon Society, and then left, there would likely have been no Combine reprisal, because that would have been viewed as fair.
On the other hand, if we do nothing at all, we could be seen as weak and tempting targets. He recommends a hard raid. And we have a good target, one jump away.
Quentin.
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