The Salvation War: Pantheocide. Part Eighty One Up

[Saint_007]

Wait, Raphael is dead? I though "Raffie" was one of Mike's posse. If you mean Salapheal or one of the other angels with a similar name, then yeah, Mike's conspiracy kinda covered all bases.

EDIT: Unless you mean "bought it" as in "bought into the lie, hook, line, and sinker". In which case, my bad.

It's funny. Heaven and everyone in it is (according to its citizens) supposed to be an open book for Yahweh, yet Michael played everyone like a fiddle. Probably because he was very much aware of Yahweh's true power, having worked in it and studied it for years millennia. His concentration camp gambit would probably be a tightly kept secret between himself, a couple of his closest confidants (who are as dirty as he is, so have everything to lose by squealing on him), and the rest are very, very dead or in no condition to inform on him (Belial, for instance, is now in very, very deep shit with angels and humans, and is too stubborn to plea-bargain with the humans he considers cattle).

[CaptainChewbacca]

Agreed. When the HEA storms in and sees not only Yah Yah's great general having struck him down, but also sees a charismatic political leader, their first thought would be to use him as another Abigor. However, it might get kinda messy once Michael's plan comes out in full.

Michael doesn't seem to have a plan beyond 'Keep the fighting out of the City' and 'Keep me in charge'. He knows he's never going to be ruler of three dimensional realms, or even all of heaven. Also, as has been said, there's really only one way for the plan to 'come out', and that's Lem. He's the wild-card here.

Wait, Raphael is dead? I though "Raffie" was one of Mike's posse. If you mean Salapheal or one of the other angels with a similar name, then yeah, Mike's conspiracy kinda covered all bases.

EDIT: Unless you mean "bought it" as in "bought into the lie, hook, line, and sinker". In which case, my bad.

I was referring to the angel who organized the avalanche assault on New York. I was thinking it was Raf, but I'm not sure. Whoever he was, he's dead.

[SCRawl]

Michael doesn't seem to have a plan beyond 'Keep the fighting out of the City' and 'Keep me in charge'. He knows he's never going to be ruler of three dimensional realms, or even all of heaven.

On the other hand, while he may not have a specific plan, he is immortal, while his future human masters are not. Perhaps he's planning (or hoping) that an opportunity will present itself in the distant future, and if not, well, it's better to rule as a puppet dictator in Heaven than to serve in the smoking, irradiated ruin of what used to be Heaven.

[Erra]

I was referring to the angel who organized the avalanche assault on New York. I was thinking it was Raf, but I'm not sure. Whoever he was, he's dead.

You're thinking of Azrael. Raphael is part of Mike's nakama

[Night_stalker]

I'm assuming he would be the de-facto political leader of all the angels, though probably not any of the human servants in heaven.

I agree, seeing how after Yaw-Yaw's death, he'll be the most powerful Angel in heaven but when the HEA shows up, I highly doubt they'll tolerate humans being treated as slaves by the Angels. I suspect there will be a long transition period where the Angels start learning how humanity is... displeased with the supposed rewards awaiting them in Heaven, and that they really, really, REALLY don't like it when you think you're better than us just because you're a Angel.

[Stuart]

Headquarters, Human Expeditionary Army, Heaven.

"Two kilometers?" General Asanee spoke carefully. She'd measured the pictures taken by the Global Hawks for herself and come to the same conclusion as the analysts. The main streets carving The Eternal City into sections were that wide.

"Two kilometers wide and dead straight. Three run north and south, three run east and west. They join the gates, or rather the flanking ones do. The one down the middle is blocked by Yahweh's palace here in the middle. They cut the city into sixteen blocks with the palace area forming the seventeenth." The analyst sounded displeased; he didn’t like having his work checked so carefully. The great model of The Eternal City was largely his work. He had a feeling it was the supreme achievement of his lifetime. After all, where could he go from making this?

"So each block is 375 kilometers on a side? And these are 20 kilometers wide?" General Petraeus tapped the corner redoubts on the outer walls of the city.

"That's right, Sir. The gatehouses are twenty kilometers wide as well. Each flanking tower is nine kilometers across. How they swing a gate a kilometer wide open and closed is beyond me. No matter how carefully counterbalanced they are, the inertia must be enormous."

"They probably don’t open the whole gate. I bet you'll find there are small doors set in the face of the giant ones." Asanee smiled. "That's how we did it in our walled cities."

"Each of the city blocks duplicates the structure of the city as a whole. Cut into 16 sections, each a little under 95 kilometers square, by roads about a kilometer wide. Then each sub-block divided into 16 sub-sub-blocks by roads 500 meters wide. Each sub-sub-block is around 20 kilometers on each side. Populations seem to vary. Some just have four palaces, others have dozens. There are what appear to be temples all over the city. That's hardly surprising of course. We've done a rough estimate of the city population. We think there's around 200 million angels living in the City itself."

"Two hundred million." Petraeus seemed haunted by the number. "This has all the makings of a nightmare."

"We can chop the City up into isolated blocks using the roads and then take down each sub-sub block individually. It'll be one hell of a street fight though." Asanee was measuring the likely cost of doing so while she spoke. The answer wasn't one she liked.

"We're better equipped for fighting Angels and Daemons than we were at Hit. We've got rifles that can actually hurt them now." Jackson looked depressed, he was calculating losses as well. His answer varied from Asanee's, reflecting the difference in their characters. "And Angels don’t have the bloody-minded guts of the daemons."

"We don't know that Michael." Asanee had a warning note in her voice. "That's true in the fighting so far but it all took place away from their city. This time, it'll be on their home ground, in their sacred city. We can't be sure they'll fold. Where have they got to run to?"

"That's a good point Asanee." Petraeus looked at the great model again. "They've nowhere left to go. We can't assume they'll fold. Anyway, another point we have to think about. Yahweh's palace, here in the center of the city. Right in the middle. It's in what amounts to a park, 200 kilometers square with that lake beside it. We have to advance through 650 kilometers of urbanized terrain before getting there. That's more than the operating range of our tanks. We'll need every heavy truck we can get to keep the front line forces fighting. We can open portals of course, move the stuff directly in from Earth but it's still going to be a massive effort just to keep the troops supplied.

"Anyway, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you." Petraeus pressed the keypad on his desk and the electronic displays that dominated the wall behind his desk flickered into life. The map showed the square of The Eternal City with great blue arrows beginning to coil around it. "We've got all three Army Groups moving into place now. Combined with air operations, we're methodically cutting supplies into the City. So far, we haven't actually moved into sight of the city. Not officially anyway. Unofficially, we're picking up communications that suggest a number of countries have moved covert forces into observation points around the city."

At that point Petraeus became aware that Jackson and Asanee were both looking shifty. In fact, they looked downright evasive. "Let me guess, you two as well?"

"We have a couple of reconnaissance units near the city walls." Asanee sounded apologetic. "My government insisted we move them up to check on the data we were getting."

"I can honestly say that Her Majesty's Armed Forces have no covert operations groups stationed outside The Eternal City." Sir Michael Jackson sounded positively righteous. Asanee's head snapped around to look at him and one of her eyebrows was raised.

Petraeus smiled. "I see the SAS are living up to their reputations then. I suppose it was to be expected. A coalition this big doesn't exist without this kind of thing going on. Just make sure that these groups don’t start stepping on each others' feet. Asanee, Michael, I don’t care how you do it but set up some sort of system so we don’t get mutual interference between these groups. By the way, somebody better talk to our friend Gaius Julius about that as well. He's hired enough deceased special forces people to have something going. And he's not the kind of leader who'll miss a trick."

The Ultimate Temple, Heaven

A single phrase hammered through Michael-Lan's mind. The Issue Is In Doubt.. Who actually doubted it was a good question. The clouds of static lightning that filled the Throne Room had stabilized, more or less, but there was no clear advantage to either side. Sweat was running down Michael's face, not just from the intense effort that he and his allies were making but from the rising temperature within the room. That was inevitable with the sheer amount of energy that was being discharged. Even with the immensely thick marble walls acting as a heat sink, that energy had to go somewhere. He and his circle were getting nowhere fast and it was questionable how long they could hold out.

On the other hand, it was also questionable how long Yahweh could hold out. What was happening was unprecedented. Yahweh had been fought to a standstill and his own resources, once capable of overwhelming even the most determined opposition, were now depleted. Michael consoled himself with the thought that his day was done. Even if Yahweh survived this battle, there were those who had watched and learned from Michael's mistakes. Yahweh would go down eventually. The problem was that if Michael won, the same assault could be used against him. Whatever happened, today's battle marked the end of the old ways in Heaven.

It was getting harder to hear the music being transmitted from the Montmartre Club. The energy battle that was being waged interfered with the broadcast. The constant crackle and hiss of static drowned out parts of the program and that was a problem Michael hadn't anticipated. His whole plan depended on the musical broadcast keeping his allies minds in synchronization with his own. That meant their mental energy was transferred at maximum efficiency. As the music was lost in the interference, that synchronization would be lost and with it much of his edge over Yahweh.

Through the crackle, Michael heard the music had changed again. It took him a few bars to recognize it but when he did, it was with the pleasure of meeting an old friend. It was the theme tune from the film Zulu. One of his favorites, Zulu was a regular feature in the cinema attached to the Montmartre Club. Michael's mind went to the end of the film, when the British redcoats were making their last stand and pouring fire from their rifles into the mass of maddened Zulu warriors before them. He could hear the Sergeants giving the orders. 'Front rank fire. Middle rank fire. Rear rank fire.'

That's what humans would do in a situation like this. The realization dawned on Michael-Lan in a flash of understanding. He had the answer he was looking for.

"People, get ready to push together. Every bit of energy we have. But don’t hold it. We'll just push as hard as we can and then relax a little. Then push again. In time with the music." So far they had been maintaining a long, steady, maintained pressure. But if they started pulsing the pressure, if they used their energy in bursts instead of a continuous effort, it might work. "Get ready and . . . . heave."

Michael-Lan threw every bit of energy he had into the pulse. He felt his allies doing the same and the sudden effort forced the flickering wall between them and Yahweh back. Not far, a foot or more at most, but a definite push. There was a curious strip on the wall where bleached white stone and blackened jewels met that showed the result. His team relaxed and Yahweh started to regain the strip but the music struck another chord and his team threw another pulse. This one worked as well and the bleached and blackened strip of wall grew wider.

"Come on friends, it's working." Michael was caught up in the battle, orchestrating the pulses of energy with the rhythm of the music, emitting the massive pulses that were slowly but surely having their effect. Each one gained just a little more ground, each respite between them lost just a little less. "Heave!"

The strip down the wall was wider by far and Michael's team stepped forward, feeling the heat of the stone under their feet. The jade floor was hot enough to be uncomfortable even through their sandals but that was of little importance. Michael knew, every member of his team knew, that they had Yahweh on the run. The battle was slowly swinging in their favor.

The change, when it came was sudden. The defensive wall of energy that Yahweh had maintained between him and his enemy collapsed. Where once there had been a solid barrier that kept Michael's allies away from the Peerless Throne, now there was a bubble of energy around it. That was not a final loss. At the start of the fight, it was Michael who had been trapped within an energy bubble but he had fought his way out of it. With the help of his friends, who had cast their lot in with him beyond any means of withdrawal. In a part of his mind that was not involved in this battle, Michael still wondered at that. They could have stayed clear and had a chance of survival if things had gone badly. But they had given it up to stand beside him. That thought gave him much to think about but one thing stirred uneasily in his mind. I don’t deserve friends like these.

The energy pulses from Michael and his team struck at the sphere of energy protecting Yahweh from all directions. He could see the colors rippling in it, saw the surface of the sphere rippling under the impacts. Above all, the sphere was shrinking. Each successive onslaught left it smaller and weaker, its colors dimmer and more familiar. His team were losing energy also, but slowly, they were gaining dominance over the defense in front of them. Their pulses were still multi-colored even though the spectrum was one familiar to those watching. In contrast, Yahweh's screen showed glowing areas of white.

Over the crackling roar of the energy discharges, Michael-Lan heard a groan, then an increasing wail of pain. Yahweh was in the center of an energy discharge and that discharge was being crushed inwards. He was being crushed with it. The ball was almost completely white now yet still being assailed by waves of energy in all seven colors of the visible spectrum. The wail turned into an agonized howl as the pressure continued to crush inwards. It grew louder and more unstable, the voice from within the sphere wavering and breaking under the terrible pressure. Despite his size and unimaginable power, Yahweh was dying.

When it burst, Yahweh's defense bubble just vanished. Swamped and overwhelmed by the energy thrown at it, it was scattered and absorbed. Yahweh was consumed by the sheets of lightning that enveloped him. They crushed him, drowned him, they cast him down. By the time they were finished, the vast figure that had once dominated the Throne Room was crushed to a size no greater than the greatest of his Angels. It was slumped on the throne itself and was still.

Leilah-Lan left the group standing at the foot of the throne, the heels of her boots clicking on the jade. Her whip lashed out, just as it had once before, but this time the lash curled around Yahweh's foot. She started to pull, intending to drag his body off the throne but she lacked the strength. Others came to help her and between them, they managed to shift the still, gray form off the pedestal and drag it to the floor below.

Michael-Lan stood, looking down at the dead body with something very close to disbelief in his heart. It seemed impossible that, after all the planning and manipulation, the battle really was over. For a brief second he couldn't help but wonder what he would do next. After centuries spent plotting Yahweh's downfall, the completion of the task was almost an anti-climax. The thought didn’t last long. The humans are still out there and I have to stop them blasting their way into the City. Then he looked around and watched the other Angels slowly gathering around Yahweh's body. They looked down, bewildered and lost.

"Oh Great And Incomparable Father Of Us All." Michael turned towards the speaker. It was Raguel, an obsequious expression on his face. Typical of him. Trying to curry favor once the fighting was done. Yahweh's most loyal supporter and the first to change sides when he was cast down. Michael crushed the thought down.

"My name is Michael, remember? We went though all this so that kind of ridiculous posturing would be forgotten." He paused and then put all the emphasis he could into the next four words. "My name is Michael."

He looked around him, trying to gauge the mood of the crowd. There was something he had to do right now, so that at least one of his team would be properly rewarded. "Leilah-Lan. You are the only Erelim in my inner circle. Yet you came here first and were the first to strike a blow at Yahweh. I raise you to Chayot Ha Kadesh, the highest of all ranks of Archangel." He reached out and laid his hand upon her head. To his surprise he felt power running through his hands and he saw Leilah standing tall. Was she raised in more than just name? Michael honestly did not know.

"There is much to be done if we are to survive. First, we must clear this place up." He looked down at the body on the floor. "Somebody throw that in the lake. Where's the Master Mason? Zacharael-Lan, take that throne down, break it up, chop it up, whatever. I don't care. Just get rid of it and throw the bits in the lake as well. Use them to weigh Yahweh's body down. Then, up on the dais where it used to be, I want a table and a set of chairs. Normal sized ones for us. Heaven will be ruled in future by discussion and agreement between free people. Not by the whims of a single dictator. We'll hold the meetings up there and they will be free for all to watch."

Michael paused and looked around again. "Raphael, when you have recovered, I have a special task for you. I want you to fly to the commander of the human army and tell him we surrender. Tell him that I am declaring The Eternal City to be an open city. It will not be defended and we will throw the gates of the city open to his army as soon as we find out how they work. If we can't we will ask his assistance in blowing them open. When you go, make sure you have the biggest white flag you can find and wave it as energetically as you can. Otherwise they are quite likely to blow you out of the sky."

"We surrender One Ab . . . . . . Michael?" Raguel sounded confused and slightly belligerent.

"Of course we do. We make peace with the humans as fast as we can, before they start shooting. Remember what they did to the Incomparable Legion Of Light? They blew it up, so decisively that the smoke from its destruction darkens our skies and chills our air. They did that with one of their bombs and that one far from their most powerful. Do you want to see their most powerful ones hitting this city? They will, you know. They will study this city and decide that taking it by storm will be far more trouble than it is worth. So they will blow it up and all of us with it. That's why we have done what we have done. If Yahweh had remained in charge here, he would have killed us all."

There was a plan to fulfil still and Michael knew it had to go on, even with the lethargy of exhaustion clouding his mind. "Gabriel, spread the word of what has happened here. Tell everybody that Yahweh has gone, there will be no more purges or mass arrests, that the prisoners taken by Yahweh will be released. Tell them of the concentration camp Yahweh had built and what was done there. Also, make sure everybody knows what happened to the Incomparable Legion of Light as a result of Yahweh starting this futile war. Above all, make sure everybody knows that the humans are coming and that Yahweh's elimination means we can save the city from their attack. Rest before you go though."

Raphael-Lan and Gabriel-Lan waved in acknowledgement to him. Michael-Lan paced across the shattered floor and stared at the choirs and the strange creatures that had once decorated the room. The sight made him realize he had another job for the master mason. "Oh, Zacharael-Lan. We need more light in here. Could you make some holes in the walls please? When you get a chance."

"What of us?" The soft, sibilant voice from the leader of the choir grabbed at Michael's attention. "What do we do?"

"Anything you like." He looked at the members of the choir with sympathy. They were the last survivors of their kind, an ancient race that had been first seduced and then enslaved by Yahweh. When he had tired of them and found others to take their place, they had been cast down. Some might survive in the very depths of Hell. If so, the humans would find them and look after them.

"We know of nothing to do. Except to sing praises."

Michael-Lan shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll find an honorable place for you." Then, a thought occurred to him. "Charmeine-Lan, go to the Montmartre and tell the guys there that they can stop playing now. Thank them from me for everything they've done. We've won. All of us."

[Bayonet]

Absolute Bravo Effing Zulu, sir!

It looks like Michael-Lan may pull it off, and it's starting to look like he ought to.

[Jusu]

Ding dong the wicked...um...yeah.

I liked the Zulu reference, and it made sense now that i think of it. Let's just hope they can surrender before shit start flying. The problem now would be Yah-yah's hardline followers. Maybe. And Belial...or how you spell his name. I'm not entirely sure atm.

Great start to my morning, thanks Stuart!

[Night_stalker]

HE'S DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Break out the champagne and cigars lads, HE'S DEAD!!!

[PaperJack]

Bravo!
*clap clap clap*

[ZGundam]

Excellent battle!! *cheers*

[impatrick4life]

I just don't get where people get off saying Michael has crossed a Moral Event Horizon. Everything he's done in Heaven has been necessary to prevent a human-induced Mass Extinction Event in Heaven.

The situation, as best as I can sum it up: Yahweh is ruling Heaven a bit like Iosif Stalin, but with the genocidal tendencies apparently directed at the humans instead of his own people. He's dooming the angels to destruction, though, by simply being stupid and power-drunk, and refusing to accept the realities of the new situation. At least Stalin had the intelligence to stand aside when his generals asked him to let *them* run the war. Making things worse for Heaven, the humans have every intention of utterly sacking Heaven - they deceived the humans for thousands of years and then condemned them to Hell. If something's not done, vast numbers of angels will be sent to their deaths, and, with the slow reproduction rate, that could kill them off for good. A *perfect* way to do it would be to frame one figure (just like how Belial ended up being the only demon to really earn the humans' eternal rage) - in this case, Yahweh. Better still that he actually is largely responsible anyway.

The club and its various entrapments - Michael couldn't take Yahweh alone. No way in Heaven or Hell he was going to solo Yahweh; Yahweh is just too powerful. He needed a power base, a set of allies, however you want to describe it. So he established a system in which everyone who walked into that club would end up being an ally, wittingly or unwittingly.

The camp - The only way to get the humans to direct all their rage at Yahweh was to have proof that Yahweh was ordering some sort of atrocity. That camp also did the double duty of connecting Yahweh to Belial, which was essentially the same as connecting Osama bin Laden to a foreign leader, but worse. It made Yahweh into such a tempting scapegoat (which is ironic - the term originates from ancient Judaic times, with the sacrificial lamb on the Day of Atonement and such).

The bombs - How else was Michael gonna take Yahweh? The Yahweh Loyalists, had any been left alive, would have overwhelmed Michael. Yahweh had to die, and therefore so did the loyalists, or else the rest of the plan would have been useless and in vain.

Michael did nothing that I would not have done myself. IMO, everything he did was necessary.

[Akalabeth]

He looked around him, trying to gauge the mood of the crowd. There was something he had to do right now, so that at least one of his team would be properly rewarded. "Leilah-Lan. You are the only Erelim in my inner circle. Yet you came here first and were the first to strike a blow at Yahweh. I raise you to Chayot Ha Kadesh, the highest of all ranks of Archangel." He reached out and laid his hand upon her head. To his surprise he felt power running through his hands and he saw Leilah standing tall. Was she raised in more than just name? Michael honestly did not know.

Does anybody remember the ordering of the angelic ranks? Or what the ranks of the rest of is inner circle was for that matter?

[Werrf]

I just don't get where people get off saying Michael has crossed a Moral Event Horizon. Everything he's done in Heaven has been necessary to prevent a human-induced Mass Extinction Event in Heaven.

I would have to question whether it was truly necessary, the only possible way he could ever have achieved that goal. There are other ways he could have acted. Had he gone to the HEA from the start and formed an alliance with them, it could be argued that things could have been a LOT cleaner. Of course, that is only speculation, and only Stuart can truly say whether it would be or not, but for example, with warnings about the bowls of wrath, the humans could have subtly prepared for them, making their impact less than it was. There would have been no need for the camp, or Meion's or Lemuel's addictions - the angelic race would have been represented sympathetically to the humans by Michael directly. With forewarning of Uriel's targets and timing, he could have been eliminated a lot faster.

That's why I'm not quite ready to forgive Michael's many sins yet - sure, his intentions were good, but his methods were extremely ruthless, and I'm not yet convinced they were necessary.

[Arachnidus]

Agreed. When the HEA storms in and sees not only Yah Yah's great general having struck him down, but also sees a charismatic political leader, their first thought would be to use him as another Abigor. However, it might get kinda messy once Michael's plan comes out in full.

Michael doesn't seem to have a plan beyond 'Keep the fighting out of the City' and 'Keep me in charge'. He knows he's never going to be ruler of three dimensional realms, or even all of heaven. Also, as has been said, there's really only one way for the plan to 'come out', and that's Lem. He's the wild-card here.

Sorry, I didn't word that properly. Late night posts and all . I meant that, once the HEA full realizes what Michael's preservation plan entailed all along, which they're already on the way to doing so seeing as Lem learned about the addictive properties of human drugs, they may not be so trustworthy of Michael. All good intentions aside.

[justicar5]

Awesome!

Micheal is a ruthless bastard alright, almost a magnificent one, but given who he is and where he is from I think he is doing the best he knows how.

[Alex4273]

That was pure awesome. It's gonna be very interesting to see how the first communication between Michael and the humans goes, and even more interesting to see what'll happen with Lemuel next. That could go a lot of different ways...

[Stuart]

Does anybody remember the ordering of the angelic ranks? Or what the ranks of the rest of is inner circle was for that matter?

1 - Chayot Ha Kodesh
2 - Ophanim
3 - Erelim
4 - Hashmallim
5 - Seraphim
6 - Malakhim
7 - Elohim
8 - Bene Elohim
9 - Cherubim
10 - Ishim

Most of Michael's inner circle were Chayot Ha Kodesh and Ophanim. Leilah-Lan-Charmeine-Lan-Michael was the only Erelim.

[Arachnidus]

...and now that I've read that fantastic chapter, I am at a lack of words for the awesomeness entailed. The only thing that could possibly seem even remotely as awesome is the thought of Enterprise portaling into The Lake. Seriously.

[Erra]

I just don't get where people get off saying Michael has crossed a Moral Event Horizon. Everything he's done in Heaven has been necessary to prevent a human-induced Mass Extinction Event in Heaven.

The situation, as best as I can sum it up: Yahweh is ruling Heaven a bit like Iosif Stalin, but with the genocidal tendencies apparently directed at the humans instead of his own people. He's dooming the angels to destruction, though, by simply being stupid and power-drunk, and refusing to accept the realities of the new situation. At least Stalin had the intelligence to stand aside when his generals asked him to let *them* run the war. Making things worse for Heaven, the humans have every intention of utterly sacking Heaven - they deceived the humans for thousands of years and then condemned them to Hell. If something's not done, vast numbers of angels will be sent to their deaths, and, with the slow reproduction rate, that could kill them off for good. A *perfect* way to do it would be to frame one figure (just like how Belial ended up being the only demon to really earn the humans' eternal rage) - in this case, Yahweh. Better still that he actually is largely responsible anyway.

The club and its various entrapments - Michael couldn't take Yahweh alone. No way in Heaven or Hell he was going to solo Yahweh; Yahweh is just too powerful. He needed a power base, a set of allies, however you want to describe it. So he established a system in which everyone who walked into that club would end up being an ally, wittingly or unwittingly.

The camp - The only way to get the humans to direct all their rage at Yahweh was to have proof that Yahweh was ordering some sort of atrocity. That camp also did the double duty of connecting Yahweh to Belial, which was essentially the same as connecting Osama bin Laden to a foreign leader, but worse. It made Yahweh into such a tempting scapegoat (which is ironic - the term originates from ancient Judaic times, with the sacrificial lamb on the Day of Atonement and such).

The bombs - How else was Michael gonna take Yahweh? The Yahweh Loyalists, had any been left alive, would have overwhelmed Michael. Yahweh had to die, and therefore so did the loyalists, or else the rest of the plan would have been useless and in vain.

Michael did nothing that I would not have done myself. IMO, everything he did was necessary.

It's all about perspective. Sure, to us who are reading the story, it seems like Michael did what he had to do to make sure the angelic race survived. There can be lots of arguements made as to wether or not it was right or if it could've been done with less atrocities, but that is not the point.

The point is that from LEMUEL'S perspective, Michael is not painted in a pretty picture. Think of it from his perspective. First, a high ranking angel who calls you his old friend starts leading you down a path of lies and deceit which forces you to imprison and ruthlessly interrogate possibly innocent angels (whos only sin was still believing in Yahweh). Second, you discover that this same friend has been orchestrating terrorist bombings and has set up a CONCENTRATION CAMP to torture and further imprison angels. Third, you realize that your marriage broke up foremost because Michael drugged you and tempted you with things from the human world. Fourth, the woman you have possibly fallen in love with was more or less forced into doing some pretty awful things for drug money (because Michael got her addicted in the first place), including eventually being paired up with you. Finally, this love of yours is taken to that concentration camp and TORTURED until within an inch of her life. You realize that your friend has used you, your lover, your agency, and everything else you've ever cared for and has done so in a very Machiavellian way.

After all that trauma and abuse, you aren't thinking about the greater good and how Michael had to do these things to make sure the angels didn't get wiped out. You're thinking about revenge, about how much you hate him for the things he put you and your lover and many innocent angels through.

I know if I was Lemuel I would be PISSED.

Michael said it best himself. "I don't deserve friends like these"

[SCRawl]

I know if I was Lemuel I would be PISSED.

Michael said it best himself. "I don't deserve friends like these"

Michael has a pretty good response to any accusations leveled against him: "Turn around and look at the Eternal City. If I had sat on my hands and acted like a good soldier, the entire city, and nine out of every ten living things in it, would be ash right now. Including you and your girlfriend. Sometimes the ends justify the means, even if those means suck for a few." It's that old philosophical argument about whether or not it's morally permissible to murder a few to save a vastly greater number, except that for Michael it isn't a philosophical question.

[Arachnidus]

I know if I was Lemuel I would be PISSED.

Michael said it best himself. "I don't deserve friends like these"

Michael has a pretty good response to any accusations leveled against him: "Turn around and look at the Eternal City. If I had sat on my hands and acted like a good soldier, the entire city, and nine out of every ten living things in it, would be ash right now. Including you and your girlfriend. Sometimes the ends justify the means, even if those means suck for a few." It's that old philosophical argument about whether or not it's morally permissible to murder a few to save a vastly greater number, except that for Michael it isn't a philosophical question.

It's undeniable that what he's done has saved many lives, but so did dropping the city buster on Hiroshima. Whatever happens, decades after TSW is finished and the war is over, and parents are telling their kids the story of how they were the generation that killed their own gods, people will debate Michael's actions in the same ways that we debate the merits of nuking a city to save an invasion.

[Nematocyst]

Can we really call Michael 'our bastard' when we had next to no contact with him?
I see him as 'his own bastard we have to trust', which is a short walk to 'we can't trust him'

[Bayonet]

I would have to question whether it was truly necessary, the only possible way he could ever have achieved that goal. There are other ways he could have acted.

That's seldom a luxury you have when the stuff is in the fan. That's the stuff for historians to debate after the smoke has cleared.

Wars and revolutions are full of messy compromises and "perfect solutions" that you regret to the end of your days. Victory often goes to the least screwed up, rather than to the best and brightest. If Michael-Lan survives the initial days, and if Heaven avoids any more instant sunshine, than I think he'll be cut a lot of slack and could achieve "Father of His Country" status, even if his faults are all exposed and debated.

[Gil Hamilton]

It really depends on how quickly it comes out that that was his concentration camp, not Yahweh's. Lemuel must have pieced it together; he's not stupid and the barrier he had to cross, that Michael was capable of such things, has been crossed. Of course Michael should be the tiny splash that follows Yahweh's body into the lake, he absolutely deserves to die for what he's done and all that macho BS about him "doing what he had to do and I'd do the same" is just that.

The thing that may keep him alive is that if the human army kills Michael and gang now, there will be no one to make the rest of the angels surrender without committing further atrocity. I don't think General Patreus' stomache has settled after the last time he used a nuclear weapon, and this time they will be used against a city with 2/3rds the population of the United States. If Michael can make the Angelic Host surrender without it being mass murdered, then that is the reason to keep him alive. Not because of any of his virtues as an orchestrator of torture, rape, and murder.