[Hierarchy] Reactions to Cabal Poison Weapons

Reactions to Cabal Poison Weapons

via Adrien Celix, Hierarchy Citizen's Press

Cipritine, PALAVEN – Controversy is erupting from wide swaths of turian society after an investigative report by HCP yesterday revealed that Cabal units called to serve the Cause during the Reaper War made use of an effective but unpopular historical weapon — poison blades.

During the Unification War, Cabal units served primarily in an espionage-based role: infiltration, manipulation, and assassination, only breaking their cover and using biotics when backed into corners. Poisoned blades were one of the most feared weapons of Cabal members. Although data on the mechanics of the poisoned blades are still highly classified, it is rumored that the weapons were used as a morale-breaking tool: a slow, agonizing, painful death whose shock-and-awe effects mirrored pre-Reaper War Hierarchy bombardment doctrine.

Although outlawed in the wake of the Unification War, the blades have been making a comeback. Documents obtained by the HCP show that blade training is now required as part of basic training for all Cabal members, and some eyewitnesses report that blade training is also taking place in pre-boot academies geared specifically for biotic children.

“I don't understand why Cabals are returning to such primitive weapons,” commented Li Naelus, a parent of two whose children are being raised in a Nurturing Center less than a mile from a Cabal training ground. “Practical considerations like efficacy aside, teaching potentially dangerous individuals how to use weapons of terror is not a way to encourage citizens that they are safe and supported.” Other responses are even more condemning—on the extranet, some are speculating that the Cabals may be planning a Unification War-style coup due to broad disaffection with the Hierarchy.

HCP attempted to reach out to the Minister of Biotic Affairs and several key Cabal officers; many expressly denied any knowledge of a mutiny, but all refused to comment on whether the deadly weapons were once again in Cabal hands.

Rumors from unshared sources published by a journalist with a blatant anti-cabalist slant.

You are far to gullible, child.

skhash think she was being sardonic with that last part.

There's a fairly big difference between self-defense training and hunt-and-kill training, even when you've got the same weapons. If we went in there, what would we see?

And for the love of the gods, of course the practice weapons aren't poisoned. I really hope you were kidding with that one.

darn

The details of course are classified but I can say the bulk of it is drill work. At that age the most important thing is to get your body used to holding the weapons - they need to be handled differently than your standard knives. Teach them safe handling habits, proper stances, the correct way to defend oneself, etc. And yes, we do teach them simple attacks because otherwise they're going to make up their own because they're pre-boot kids and get into bad habits by the time they undergo proper Cabal training. But if you're asking me if we have ten-year-olds getting in knife fights that's simply not the case.

...Yeah. I may take the hard line on the freedom-of-information VS, but of all things that should not be classified, the curriculum for pre-boot, citizen children is pretty close to the top. If it's classified to that extent, we're talking military combat training, bite me.

I am asking if the hierarchy is explicitly teaching minor children in the techniques and weapons (not your standard knives) of assassination because, well, biotics are so damn useful you already know exactly what you're going to use them for.

That's not dramatic enough for our resident conspiracy nut Jo. You bastards lace training blades with cyanide and raw sewage. Admit it! Everyone loves a good training scandal! By which of course we mean; Capice loves a good training scandal. Or any scandal.

So...you're basically hysterically overreacting to everything and interpreting it in your own, entirely insane manner because you've already drawn your conclusions.

Got it.

Giggling over here. Thanks for the laugh/sanity break you two. 3:)

Capice the details are classified because the weapon designs, and by extension the techniques required to employ them, are classified. Read the article again. If you want to know the basic outline of the blade training curriculum you can find it on the extranet along with everything else we teach. That ought to be more than enough information for you.

Jo, the correct answer was "It's classified because it's classified. Now shut your mouth, or we'll shut it for you."

I'm not a salarian.

So this poison-deploying knife is military hardware to the point where it's totally classified. It's an assassination weapon, not a self-defence weapon, with a ton of cultural baggage. Minor children are being instructed in the use of this weapon-but only children from a group that is traditionally isolated and oh so militarily useful.

Honestly, sometime I feel like I live in a separate galaxy from other people. At least people agree with me on that! Yay!

com-paaaaaaaaaaact

...oh my fucking Spirits. Really?

Historically, the Cabalites acted as spies. Why would you use a slow-acting poison when it would give your victim any chance of blowing your cover? The historical poisons were a three-pronged attack: a rapid-onset sedative and paralytic to prevent the victim from spilling who stuck them if they saw their face, and an antidote-resistant neurotoxin as an insurance policy if they managed to wipe the paralytic before it did the job on its own. One of Id's co-workers did research on this shit, you can read the dissertation here.

I assume they might have changed the recipe for the Reapers, but as far as deaths go, I can think of much worse than being sedated and never waking up. Like, gee, I dunno, maybe having half your organs dislocated by shotgun or assault rifle fire?

Or having your throat slit?

I routinely complain about the compact. You didn't think that comparison to the Primacy was supposed to be complimentary, did you?

Oh look, [video] of some brown spotty drell bitching about the recruitment of underage soldiers. Observe, the tiny little crowd.