>Organizations
>like Big Fire understand this; you will note that Big Fire is itself
>organized on the "elite team of superlative individuals" model, what
>with the Magnificent Ten and all. Geoff Depew himself seems like an
>outgrowth of that philosophy; for the cost of making one of HIM, Big
>Fire probably could have bought a whole 'nother fleet. Which would you
>rather have, that fleet or one(1) Geoff Depew?

Big Fire also has as its core philosophy the idea that paranormals/nonstandard psi talents are inherently superior and, therefore, deserve to rule; the galaxy just doesn't accept it rule. (Note one of their mottos: "Utopia through Tyranny".) They also have the funding to toss thirty or so cyber-ninjas at a million credits a piece at people if they feel the need (as seen in Blades).

There's a branch of Big Fire whose entire raison d'etre is to find a way to make their own paranormals - my avatar is a, er, graduate not quite the word but close, of that division's experiments.

But if you can take over a planet - either through conquest, or infiltration, or election - and be the legitimate government in the eyes of the galaxy, be you the Federation or Earthdome or even Big Fire or the Nazis - it's a lot harder to get you out once you have that legitimacy.

Big fleet actions are and still will be important. The political game will be extremely important. But the covert actions can be game-changers without anyone really knowing until it's too late. I give you the fact that there was a cloaked ship in-system that presented an excellent precis of what was actually in-system, giving the relief fleet information on ships, commanders, and their location within the system, which meant that Task Force TRIDENT could drop out of hyperspace with a full assault plan already underway - hell, with the Interdictors, they just plan for THOSE to pull them out.

The Earthforce group failed at intelligence - really, they should have a covert station on B6 just to keep an eye on things, and transmit the information... and if they did, you might want to think about why that task force lacked that information.

This has gotten far afield from my original point, but still, the great game is still running - fleets, politics, covert operations and operatives, all of them have their place, and no one of them automatically trumps any other one of them. Don't rule anything out.

--
Geoff Depew - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.
"And Remember! Google is your Friend!!"