Ahwalia was a carnist reactionary, and Kansal was/is an IMMORTAL!! Between that and hearing about how Jayasankar slaughtered Solistice's Imperial governor makes me reflect: Unjust Depths is "MORE 👏 FEMALE 👏 WAR 👏 CRIMINALS 👏" but unironically. Sheesh =)

In other news this Interlude features a lot of internal politicking which is deeply fascinating to my still-green liberal brain.

I wonder if it is sorta bad that I agree with Jayasankar kinda? I mean, I guess the text wants us to agree with her... I don't think there's nothing in compromising between parties with similar visions sometimes, but clearly Kansal was a bit too lenient with that silly utopian socialism guy. If you can trust that the dictatorship is of the proletariat and benefits them(us), then what's even the need for a "marketplace of ideas"? It could be considered pompous to basically take a stance of "we have arrived at the best system for everyone", and I think some people will always chafe at being dictated, but... Jayansakar is right, right?? I guess her seemingly independent movement above any dictatorship of the proles is what bugs me slightly? And yet, her plays benefit the people.

I cannot fault the results; the based Jayansakar tells off the Bosporan anarchists about their Khaybar campaign, no the commies will NOT participate in settler colonialism! Again, when all of the anarchists in your setting are cringe buttmad racist no-bedtime anarkiddies.

Also I sense that there is a lot of gay flirting in the Union's diplomatic affairs, going by both Ulyana and Bhavani Jayansakar's demeanours. Lol. "Aggressive" and "receptive" is definitely a choice set of terms, madame Veka... do you I guess. It must be my rotted brain that makes this type of shit feel weird, I'm certain of it. However the premier calling her a "raunchy bird" had me rollin'.

II.2:

Seeing an "outsider" perspective on the Union, where the POV lady has sort of cultural differences with it, is incredibly fascinating, very cool. That Maya thinks Union people don't appreciate the luxury of meal options enough, like huh, yeah. I think it's also the first time we see any sort of minority-demographic perspective in UD? given that trans people don't seem to be a minority in the Union, nor do POC. Getting an "outsider" perspective on the Union is super cool. I find Maya charming, "No, ma'am, thank you for your service" is great. Her meetcute with Maya is fun!

I did end up wondering, though: is it kinda bad and smelly that Parvati and Jayansakar are basically using Maya for propaganda ends? It's in service of a good cause because y'know, Ahwalian thought is cringe, clearly this was all the right move, but... Idk? It feels weird that she's only getting her due because it suits the current rulership's political ends, I guess that's just the way things be...

"Fair currents" is an awesome greeting, very cute! And frankly Deshnov deserves this physical abuse from Hanko, uncritical support, yes I am still fuming about that one flashback chapter. Between that little bullshit stunt and addressing Hanko as "Katarran", my sympathy has run out and Deshnov is now in Racist Transphobic Grampa Jail, by my estimate. It's whatever that he hates the Ashura, but this whole arrest thing might not have gone down so badly if he weren't such a clown. Enjoy deep sea labour re-education, gramps, that you are a stank-ass misogynist does not shock me.

His buddy Yerdlov is such a silly hypocrite too, like he goes on and on about Democracy and Process being their own ideology, and then his inquiry into the arrest of Deshnov requires formal debate because it's totally without precedent and outside of process. "Obstructionism"? You fucking CLOWN, guy who says he is a process fetishist then gets mad when Jayansakarists do a process about his inquiry.

Getting inside looks at the gears and levers of the Union is awesome though, look at all the Thoughts in my funny brain! I missed Semi-Automated Luxury Transbian Underwater Communism, truly.

II.3: Oh this one has a CW for queerphobia & transphobia, a bit :> as well as a mention of suicide, but of a fascist.

Whenever I'm in the weeds of these Interludes I tend to think they're a pacing bump, sometimes they slow my reading to a crawl. This one is shorter than the first though, and a nice check-in with things outside the Brigand, but Idk. Idk! At least this one tells a single continuous narrative through different characters, perspectives and locations. It is within its bounds well paced, much better organised than the unmitigated hot mess of Interlude I.

That was the beauty that Communism held for Maya, when she was going through her readings years ago. The Union was something all of them could join hands to fight for- something that was worth fighting for.

It gave her unnatural birth a shred of meaning.

GOD I WISH THAT WERE ME Depths is pretty good agitprop I think.

The Volksdorks talking about occupying Serrano station makes me curious to see the Union forces in a liberatory position, Murati will be very pleased. Watching the fash walk like idiots into a snare while ignoring multiple command fuckups and poor odds is instructive, holy shit these clowns suck at fighting. Zero discipline, real dipshit move getting pulled out that far; if they'd held formation and commanded their fucking ships, they wouldn't have been ventilated in new and inventive ways from the upper scattering layer. Common fash L!!! Maya is like "All missiles, saturation fire on the Volkische right wing!" and I'm like Sheesh, save some for the social democrats in the fleet :^)

Here's the bit the cw is for:

The Volkische had characterised the Union as a state of ethnic inferiors with a pretend navy composed of lesbians and effeminate men in women's uniforms. Their government that could barely feed them kept them docile wirh handouts and propaganda. The masculine and martial Volkisch state, which was already on its way to defeating the Royal Alliance, should have been able to easily cast aside the communists.

Classic move, common all-politics-is-sexual-projection-L, how can fash constantly cope with getting their white asses handed to them by 'inferiors' of various types literally everywhere all the time?

It was not a fear of facing Lehner nor history itself that led Bloch to his decision, however.

It was more sudden than that. It was rawer, more emotional.

Chiefly, he was tormented by the idea of surrendering to a band of untermensch homosexuals and being subjected to whatever d*generate torments and humiliations they had in store for him as a prisoner of war. A devoted and loyal fascist, Bloch obsessee with this lurid fantasy by himself for over thirty minutes, supported by everything that made sense to him and the brutal shock of his vast, and total defeat. He would not let the communist lowlives make a fool of him and debase him - he would die with honour.

Fuckin losers, die salty & mad at the bottom of the sea.

*to be continued*