Speculation Saturday #4: The City (Destiny)

by Durandal, Sunday, September 15, 2013, 10:00 (4085 days ago) @ Ragashingo

The city might prefer small strike teams due to the lack of information. A large army would be very noticeable, and a clear threat to any equivalent force. Nor is a large force highly mobile, at least in today's conception. Even the USA's quick reaction forces are limited in the tonnage they can move on short notice.

By sending out small teams of Guardians, the City's forces keep a small foot print and potentially avoid stirring up a hornet's nest of enemies, any more then they already have if they have been under constant ground attack for centuries.

The city itself may be the remnant of a golden age capitol. Clearly, any location the Traveler chose to park during the golden age would become wealthy and important, if only due to the proximity of the Traveler and access to it's power. Alternatively, the Traveler could have chosen the location for its last stand to be one of the last military strongholds of humanity. Puerto Princessa seems an unlikely choice for a military location, other then as a naval base given its isolation in the South China Sea, but I could easily see it become a secondary redoubt. Escaping the enemies first strikes on the continents, then being a hard location to reach without air transport may have saved it from the worst assaults.

This however puts the FOTC in a bind. They needed raw materials and food after emerging from the bunkers and foxholes. Food may be fairly plentiful near the sea, and some initial resources would be obtainable from scrap around the city, but long term they would need elements that just are not available on that island. That implies that the City has mining/scavenging operations ongoing around the world. It also means Wildcatters, small mining operations run off the books by a handful of prospectors. These groups would live in constant fear of claims jumpers and aliens, but if they can pull it off they can probably pay for significant luxury back home.

Just as an aside, Athens at one time had extensive fortifications that surrounded the city and lead to the sea. When they warred with Sparta, the Spartan army would come up, burn Athens crops, and march around the city, but lacked the siege craft to enter. Unable to perpetually campaign, the Spartans would have to leave after a few weeks. The Athenians would then emerge, replant their farms and continue on.

I imagine the FTOC have suffered like this for the last few centuries. An alien force comes along, destroys everything outside the walls but cannot overcome the ground defenders and cannot risk bringing in heavy ships due to the Traveler, so they eventually leave. It helps that Bungie is well aware of the Spartan campaigns for obvious reasons...