[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Primo84 It implies a seriousness that simply isn't there, seeing as we're talking about fictional characters.[/quote] Oh come on dude, it's talking about a character in a book, [i]of course it isn't a legal context[/i]. Nitpicking like that is just silly. [quote]And I think the shared conclusion makes sense, although I think you detractors aren't giving Mal's conclusion enough attention, so I don't think it's as unanimous as you're making it out to be. Given the perspective of each character, their conclusions make sense.[/quote] They may be internally consistant, but so were the ones in Star Wars that presented the Jedi as child stealing evil autocrats. Just because it follows an internally consistant argument doesn't make it a [i]good[/i] or even necessarily [i]correct[/i] argument. I would be more inclined to give Traviss the benifit of the doubt if she genuinely used these things for character development but she doesn't. My main issue is when she uses her books to advance her own political or personal views, and her perchant for rants. Particularly *misaimed* rants, like demonising Halsey and comparing her to mengele. Her rants in SW were all from 'Mando' characters and directed primarily at the jedi. This would be fine if it was part of a bigger plot point, or character development, but it isn't: every other character just nods and goes along with the 'obvious wisdom' of her mouthpiece character. My main problem with her writing is it's very opinionated, and she writes in a way that presumes the reader agrees with her, opposing views are not presented and no one really questions the viewpoint she puts forward, even if it would be in character to do so. The S IIs that were on onyx would have defended Halsey come hell or high water,we know this from previous work, they are all aware of the details of the Spartan programme. Do they? Nah. [quote]And I agree. The point I'm trying to make is that, while worse than Halsey's actions, they don't make hers any better. If you lay a skeleton next to a recently dead body and compare them, in the end, they're both still dead. [/quote] Training children as soldiers to fight, and training a child as a suicide bomber are very different. Yes both are morally 'Wrong' but there are levels within that too. At least the SIIs were valued.