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Sindobook:
When Cat A took over the gang, most of Cat P's former minions switched sides just like that.

Perhaps it was Cat A's notoriety among small animals that caused other cats to follow her lead without a thought.  Or perhaps it was her allure, among the toms[1], she had a lot of support.  Cat T (T.l), who rarely showed interest in other cats, seemed to take a special liking to her, catering to her every whim.  Cat A quickly earned the title of 'queen', and while she flaunted this title, she rarely did much or otherwise exercised her power.

Surprisingly there were no purges under Cat A's reign, with many tacitly acknowledging that she was high on catnip for most of the time.  Ironically, the normally backstabbing, manipulative, and ruthless cat that had led the effort to purge many from the gang also had one of the most uneventful reigns, short as it was.

[1] male cats.

---

This is misreading, the term "escort" is only used in the purely operational sense.  It has none of that meaning when used by small animals.

And the operation was completed some months ago, without incident.  Probably largely due to a diversionary raid led by Samantha.

"We didn't know it at the time, but Cat A was running the gang at that time.  That would explain the very slow response of those cats in phase 3.  We expected heavy resistance in phase 5, but actually managed to slip through their security line on the northern border undetected.  And by the time those hapless cats realized we were long gone, it was too late. 

---

Not true, he has plenty of social skills, he just chooses not to use them most of the time.

---

With Cat A in power, the gang's command structure simply evaporated.  The winter time has historically been slow for the gang, as the winners of the election seek to consolidate their power and secure allies in secret for the big push during the spring and summer seasons.  However, with Cat A in charge, absolutely nothing happened as she and a large portion of the cats in the gang were either high on catnip or simply swooning over her and trying to attract her attention.

On the outside, these were dark times for the gang.  Garrisons and Patrols within their territory all but ceased, since they had neither supplies nor the will to conduct them.  All around, their borders were collapsing, at least in three of the four directions.  To the west, Cat P had made peace with their rivals when he was in charge, so this border remained stable. 

Unable to defend their territory, enclaves of small animals, stray dogs, and others started to appear within internal areas they still claimed as theirs, but were unable to control.  They could not send out patrols or parties to counter them.  What limited stores they had left were raided, leaving cats that had once grown fat off wild food forced to depend on their owners supply of second-rate, dry cat food. 

This state motivated the gang's rivals to take advantage of the situation and they started to develop their own plans for long-term expansion, primarily at the expense of the gang.  Most of these rivals were on good terms with each other, so they simply divided sections of the gangs territory among themselves.  Even today, these plans are in motion and the result is sporadic fighting. 

---

Yes, intelligence reported this yesterday.

The bunny brigade and the other individual security forces are aware.  But they honestly can't do much until something actually happens.  They're definitely watching for it, though.

Honestly, a lot of the forces are not even going to be there.  With only a skeleton crew, resources are pretty limited; they can't really afford to get involved in every potential or 'virtual' problem out there.

Most likely, it will be suppressed before it even starts.  Bunny brigade has shown ability to adapt and act quickly in the past, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. 

---

It was just discovered today.

After disposing of Cat A and taking back control of the gang, Cat P attempted several attacks on his enemies to the south.  However all of them were beaten back, and after repeated losses morale was too poor to carry out any more attacks.

---

It's actually a bit more complicated than that, you have to admit that [deleted] bunny has never been any good when it comes to diplomacy.  She tends to make any situation worse through her abrasive nature.

---

I don't think so.  While it is certainly in decline, the gang has also proved itself resilient over the years.  Many believed it was dead about one (cat) generation ago, but it managed to bounce back.   But everyone knows that things will never be the same for them, their glory days are long past.  It used to be their leader held real power, in that he could give an order and cats would follow.  Today, in the last 6 (cat) years, they have not won a single battle with any of their foes, and the infighting gets worse and worse.

From Samantha:  "Defectors from the gang have been expecting that the purging this year will be worse than any other year to date.  But nobody fears the gang's leadership anymore.  Being removed from something that is ineffective to begin with, what is there to fear about that?"

---

Cat A's reign would end only a couple of [cat] years after it began.  Cat A reportedly passed out due to overdosing on a "bad batch" of catnip.  There was a fight for her position, but most of the contenders appeared spaced out or otherwise incapacitated, probably due to the same thing.

Cat P showed up late in the battle and declared himself victorious at a time when most cats were either unable or unwilling to fight.  Many suspected him for poisoning the catnip in the first place, but there was no clear evidence how this took place, so most of the cats just kept their mouth shut.

Some general order was restored to the gang, patrols could function once again, and cats were no longer relegated to having to eat dry food or whatever little subsistence their their owners would provide them with.  Cat P had been restored to his position, but his actual power was very questionable, and the gang had lost a lot of territory to its rivals and had rebellions pop up within its own boundaries that had grown too large to suppress with any quick action. 

---

Yes this is true.  Before losing power, around 3-4 [cat] years ago, Cat P tried to negotiate with a number of groups to stabilize the gang on several fronts, but ultimately failed.  He did however manage to negotiate an understanding with a smaller gang to the west, but even that agreement is now called into question due to several factors.

The most significant of the two gangs, referred to hereafter as 'B' and 'C', refused to negotiate with Cat P directly due to his reputation among most cats.  They did offer to negotiate with some former members of the gang that Cat P had purged over a [cat] decade ago, but despite his begging, Cat P couldn't get those guys to help him.  So the alliance was pretty much off.

During the [cat] years when Cat A was in control, the gang lost vast swathes of territory, much of which could have probably been abated by reaching an understanding with their rivals.  Another thing that became obvious was that Cat P had earned such a negative reputation among other cats that few would even spend time to listen to what he had to say.  When Cat P took back control of the gang from Cat A, the position he got back was largely symbolic, he quickly found he holds little actual power and the gang itself functioned more like a chaotic mob rather than any kind of force.

---

All I can say at this point is we have no substantive idea of his status.
Heard a few things but haven't been able to confirm anything.

From Mikey:  "Everything we've heard isn't good, in his respect, that is.  A lot of people have been saying the cat went 'off the rails' or 'full tilt.'  But we're trying to get confirmation.  Every single source gives a different story.  These [rats] aren't the most reliable sources, and there's really not a lot of small animals who could get close or cats that were close enough and talking."

From Samantha:  "Rob said that he had gone into full paranoia mode, blaming a newly created gang of about 25(?) animals to the south for everything.  Apparently a master hacker was able to take down their network for several hours, Cat T.a made the claim, probably to cover his own incompetence but Cat P latched onto it.  Once the network was back alive, Cat P claimed that the supply routing had been infiltrated by the enemy and bogged down, in reality it is simply suspected that the supply vehicle was [stuck in traffic].  Another rat close to Cat P said he was also going [full paranoid delusional] but could not comment any farther on how or what his [delusions] were targeting."

From Albert:  "His next action could trigger a full revolt.  One thing we know is that Cat P is planning a substantial purge in the near future, which might be a poor [tactical] decision considering the state that the gang is in."

---

While the neighborhood cat gang is experiencing several uprisings within its own territory, probably the most significant at this time is one slightly to the south, within striking range of their main base.

From Mikey:  "Their ranks grow every day, currently almost a thousand small animals in all; even though it is little more than a disorganized mob, there is much gnashing of teeth and with every attack by the neighborhood cat gang, they have gained ground and grown in number.  Nearby cats within the area of this uprising seem to have a policy of ignoring the uprising and even attacking cats from the gang when they dare to venture nearby, so it's likely the two groups at least working in common interest."

From Samantha:  "It's said that several prominent bunnies are assisting them, but how much and in what capacity is anyone's guess."

---

In their defense, their supply lines were hideously long[1].

Even loyal troops who could have possibly made a difference could not get to where they needed to be in time.  Instead they had to rely on mercenaries and not exactly top dollar mercenaries at that. 

[1] Around 5 miles long, and the only vehicle they had to service them was a mini countryman.

---

The Vanguard is weak, they have poor combat ability and readiness.  Only one cat that is still capable of managing anything.

Cat P recognizes the sorry state of his organization, but does very little to fix anything (not that he could even if he tried).  The gang has serious problems with territorial integrity right now, morale is poor and finance is only barely in the black. 

Any extra money is spent on mercenaries, because right now the gang does not have any kind of fighting force worth mentioning.  All their rivals recognize their territory is up for grabs. 

---

This is still fresh, it just happened today (as far as I know).

Since several cat years ago, Cat P had negotiated an non-aggression pact with his western neighbor, a small but relatively tight gang of local cats.

At a time when the gang was losing territory, this helped the gang's forces since they did not have to defend their western border against their rival.

But in Cat P's absence, the gang as run by Cat A lost track of what was happening in the background.

While they sat idle, their territory collapsing on all other sides, their western rival also plotted and acted behind their back.

In one major operation, it served as an insertion point for known enemies of the gang[1].

When Cat P returned, the pact still stood, however he became incredibly suspicious due somewhat to recent events, but mostly due to his paranoia.

Still he could not afford to station combat units on the western border.  What limited forces he had were needed for internal security matters.   And the gang was already bankrolling as many mercenaries as it could afford.

And then today, the opening shot.  The gang to the west all but revealed that their cats were also actively supporting a gang to the south that was in active contention with the neighborhood cat gang over territory.

From Mikey - "It started as a proxy war.  Roughly one [cat] decade ago, a gang to the south allied themselves with the neighborhood cat gang.  But the tides quickly shifted, and things turned sour.  Most of the cats rebelled, rallying behind their own leader and fighting began in earnest roughly 4 [cat] years ago."

"Now it was probably happening all along, but it turns out that the tripartite coalition consists of the rebellion group to the south, another uprising of now more than a thousand small animals in the heart of neighborhood cat gang territory, and the group to the west that the neighborhood cat gang had made a non-aggression pact with.  All have been working in concert, and it's likely been that way for several years."

[1] The operation led by Bunny A, described a few posts prior.

Sindobook:
This is still a recent happening, and [intelligence gathering] activities are ongoing.

According to Samantha, the [intelligence gathering] arm of the Bunny Brigade has been sifting through all the information and issued the following report.

"After an apparent snake attack, Bunny E was placed under the care of Long Shan, a Panda.  Her survival was questionable at first, but due to the expertise of Long Shan, she should be okay."

"A well-known snake was captured in the area and interrogated.  At this time it's not known if he was responsible for attacking her, or just contributed to her attack in some other way."

From Mikey -- "During Interrogation, his story didn't make too much sense.  That snake is hiding something, but it's hard to know what at this point."

I can't say this with any certainty, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me if this snake had some relationship with the neighborhood cat gang or it's ilk.  Everyone knows the gang is flailing right now and Cat P desperately needs some kind of 'win' try to stop the downfall or [negative momentum] that the gang has suffered from lately.

---

Because this is likely not the whole story, there is probably more here than just that. 

From Mikey -- "We don't know.  Not at this time."

---

While the vanguard is much weakened as far as  fighting force, recently they started to assert themselves in terms of political power.  Cat P's absence until recent times contributed to this, right now the vanguard has its own agenda and was even able to cajole Cat P into putting his ego aside and pawing out a letter outlining his commitments and micromanagement strategies to get the gang back on solid ground.  This started its own murmuring and growling throughout the gang, it's expected to bring back the loyalist - rebel infighting at a time when the gang is already falling apart in a number of ways.

From Mikey -- "Ironic that just three or four [cat] years ago their numbers were higher than ever.  Still this is a matter of quality over quantity.  It does not matter how many cats they can call their own when all the cats turn tail and run at the first sign of fighting.  It does not matter how many cats claim to be in the gang when they don't actually support the gang, they are just claiming membership at the time because it offered more advantages than not."

It seems like the vanguard could be setting up Cat P to take a fall, if they have not already made him into a scapegoat to to blame the problems the gang is having on.  What we are seeing, however, makes it obvious that the gang has become so large that it is collapsing from within. 

---

I can't say I know the answer to that.  Seriously it's a difficult question to answer.

The best way for me to say it is that sometimes things are done just because they should be done.  Not necessarily to reach some virtuous end, though that never hurts either.

How do you know what should be done?  Sometimes you just know.  Having the audacity to follow that, even when the end could be nothing to gain or end badly, is sometimes what people need to do.  Admirable.

---

This is the story with the 3-series.  After the initial run, another run known as the "3-series enhanced" was produced.  This was probably the most advanced set that I am aware of.  Used a modular type of design with lots of redundancy and distributed systems scattered all throughout the body.  The only major flaw with this design was the power generation; with power supplies distributed all over the body, disabling a few could cause systems to start failing.  If power was limited, systems were supposed to shut down in order of their importance, but this was not always the case.

---

Things are actually pretty quiet.  Maybe the cats are realizing it doesn't matter at this point -- saving their energy for the next kitty caucus (it always happens around September).  I except it will be another bloody one. 

---

To tell the truth, I am not even sure what is being talked about.

I think it may be just so that small animals are so accustomed to certain types of tactics that it is second nature to them.  So even if something like this were happening, they would be unaffected and quite possibly even unaware of it.

---

I think it's overkill.  Unnecessary actions should be avoided.  There isn't any objective there. 

Thoughts can be posted, but I won't respond to things I know nothing about. 

---

He tried, but ultimately failed.  Despite offering [the equivalent of] 80,000 carrots, he was unable to find a lackey who would assist him.  Being far too noticeable to do it himself, he gave up and saved his energy for the next opportunity.

About all he is doing these days is biding his time for the upcoming caucus.  If it means anything, this year the roster of the neighborhood cat gang was beyond 2000.  But only about 1200 were active during the summer, and when called up, only 700 appeared.  These numbers are far worse than prior years.  If the gang headquarters is attacked in earnest from the west or the immediate south, it is likely to fall.

However more than likely, their rivals just want territory. 

---

I don't get it, but okay.

I only know those guys, I don't know what goes into their decision-making. 

IMO they're about to find out the limits of that bunny's popularity.  I don't really know how far that goes.

---

It is a simple answer -- if you look at the bunny brigade, it is a lightfighter type unit.
They may not be the best equipped, because they sacrifice equipment for mobility.
They may not have vehicles, because vehicles can't go everywhere.
They may not be the most skilled or the best fighters, but you can be guaranteed they'll be the first on the scene anywhere where there's trouble.
They are at a disadvantage when fighting cats one-on-one, but they even the odds in numbers, tactics, morale -- fighting as a unit rather than just a single bunny. 

The cats of the neighborhood cat gang fear even single bunnies in part because of the psychological tactics -- if you ever see a single bunny, it is just a scout or a lookout.  More are sure to follow.

---

It is very confusing?  I don't think it's confusing at all.  Unless this concept is not understood.

A wise panda once said, "Once you recognize nature, there is no sense in denying it.  Accept it, embrace it, and use it for good."

---

I don't know the incident in particular but records show the bunny brigade was called and responded.

The pig is still alive and constantly goes on a soapbox about how mean and bad of a bunny she is, etc.  But everyone else just finds him odd. 

---

I honestly don't know all of the details, but this is the after action report.

The uprising peaked at a little over 3000 small animals, along with a smattering of other allied forces, mostly cats who wanted to fight the neighborhood cat gang.  There was no clear leader, in fact the one who was apparently in charge was largely ineffective; most of what happened was due to his second bunny in command as well as other supporters who had some pull among the small animals who were supporting the uprising.

There were reports that cats from the neighborhood cat gang were going to try to infiltrate and/or interdict, but there was no such action. 

It took about a day to raise up all the forces, and they then stood in formation and started the march on the neighborhood cat gang's main base.  However there were problems from the beginning.  The organization was poor at best, line commanders that were supposed to hold the formation together failed to do their job and it just became an angry mob.  The mob rushed in the general direction of the neighborhood cat gang's base, but due to a miscalculation or just the general chaos, they missed it by about a mile.  Some of the commanders tried to restore order, but their attempts only divided the rebels and even caused some of the rebels to turn on their commanders, who quickly perished.

Now the mob tried to correct course and charge in the direction of the enemy base, but most of the small animals were hungry for supplies which put a halt to the advance.  There were pigs, bunnies, hamsters, and the like running in every which direction, by then some started to abandon the rebellion and their numbers started to drop off significantly.  In the meantime, the neighborhood cat gang called off any active patrols and cats took up defensive positions all around their base.

Parts of the mob would reach the base, and when they regrouped one last time they had around 500 in total to attack with.  Seeing that things were hopeless, they called off the attack and the remaining small animals returned to base where most now had mixed feelings about the rebellion.

Sindobook:
I don't know a whole lot about the indecent in question so I can't really comment. 

For the record all my bunnies and pigs were long gone by this time. 
From Bunny L -- "(rolls eyes) It's rather underwhelming".

Q&A

"How did the bunnies get through the lock?  I thought it was supposed to be secure?"

The lock was secure, but the door was not.  From what I can gather, infiltrators from the Black Bunny Squad chewed up the area around the lock of the door, separating the lock from the door. 

"What equipment was damaged?"

While the after-action report is still not finished, reports indicate that some precision equipment of value in excess of 20,000 carrots was likely damaged.

"What post-incident indications existed after the event?"

There wasn't anything that stood out.

I overheard some conversations to the extent of "If something even goes wrong with even one bunny, we'll hear about it."  But it seemed like just random talk at the time.  Bunny S did seem a bit stressed, but really there wasn't anything definitive post-incident.

"Is the Black Bunny Squad part of the Bunny Brigade?"

No, in fact, the Brigade makes special effort to ensure that it's members aren't affiliated with that group.  They don't want bunnies with questionable loyalties. 

"So why do bunnies tolerate the Black Bunny Squad?"

Despite it's dark nature, the Black Bunny Squad is accepted by most bunnies because of their past exploits, mainly in operations against the neighborhood cat gang.  While it is true that the Bunny Brigade and the Black Bunny Squad have cooperated in operations in the past, the two have always been separate entities and should not be confused.

"Is it true the large black pig (the first pig's 'friend') was a member of the Black Bunny Squad?"

No. 

"What happened once they realized what was going on?"

The bunnies, led by Bunny Y, launched their own attack to purge the infiltrators.

While the Black Bunny Squad is respected as a formidable fighting force, their fighters (numbering roughly 20) were drunk and also taken by surprise.  From Bunny S -- "Quite simply, overwhelmed.  None of them stood even half a chance."

There were no escapees.  It should be noted that 3 allied bunnies also perished in the battle.

"Does Cat R have anything to do with this?"

I have no reason to believe he does.  There was at least one Cat R sighting that was verified.  But nothing to indicate foul play at this time.  No reason to believe the neighborhood cat gang, or any of its minions, were involved.

---

Even if I did know, I wouldn't be talking about it here.
It's big, though.  There have probably been minor clues leaking out but nothing that is definitive.
She can't keep a secret, it always gets out in due time.

I do believe that a very intelligent animal could put enough pieces together to get almost all the way there.  But that would require a lot of persistence, patience, and it would still miss one last critical piece of information.  And I don't know if there are animals out there that are that intelligent and also have a reason to do that.  If there are, they certainly aren't in the neighborhood cat gang.

---

For the record, I do believe all the necessary clues are out there now, but again, there's probably no animal that is intelligent enough to put all the pieces together and make all the connections.  So I think the danger level is low regardless, not to mention the many traps, security, and bunnies that they'd have to get through even once...

---

I don't get it either.  Cowards, each and every one of them. 

The risks are ever-present for bunnies and other small animals, despite being weakened, the neighborhood cat gang and others like it still pose a threat.  It is a fact that bunnies and other small animals continue to perish every day at the hands of organized (or disorganized) gangs like this, but you don't see bunnies saying they will do things and then bugging out at the last minute (unless that itself is a ruse).  When I see people doing those types of things, then it is natural that they fail.  Just as humility is important, so is the audacity to act in the face of danger.  For danger is ever present.

---

A very questionable person to begin with.  But, for someone who is used to the periphery, it is also regrettable.
I don't know what the significance is, in fact I doubt there is any.  But it was starting to get big, in some cases as many as 1000.  And the establishment faction of the gang will sometimes tolerate dissent if it is just one person of a small group over a limited time.  But if that dissent grows beyond a small group, or lasts a long time, they will attack it with everything they have.  The internal struggle that follows is often quick and brutal, much more so than the external conflicts from the gang.

---

Yes, it is; but no, it's nothing special to me.
Just normal, normal action.  It's not unusual.

---

To me, it is pointless.  It is pointless to fight a wave when all you need to do is ride the wave.  What is mean is, there are good things in the world and there are bad things in the world.  Why do bad things exist?  Perhaps providence[1] allows it, or ignores it, or has no control, or perhaps they are not really bad, or perhaps they are artifacts of man, or something else.  I do not know, other than it is the world we live in.

But if one can see or recognize the changes that heaven exerts upon the world over time, and that this change is too what one desires, than one simply needs to ride the wave of heaven's influence rather than trying to run ahead of the wave or even fight the wave. 

That is why I have said from the beginning, it is not worth the effort.  It is not worth the effort to fight a battle that is already won (in time), one that can be won without expending effort. 

Some may say "but you are fighting it", and if it seems that way, it is not something I think about or plan.  It is just riding the wave.

[1] 天

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What I mean is that, a hikikomori will have different types of nightmares, for instance a common person will have nightmares about public exposure or falling or carnal threats (animal, threatening person, etc.); a hikikomori will have nightmares about threats that could actually happen to them in their lifestyle, like being trapped and burning to death in a house fire, being denied internet, or being forced out and left homeless. 

---

I'm sorry but this is the type of message/idea that takes people who are meaningless, and programs or media that are the same, assumes they are meaningful, and tries to draw conclusions from that.  True power is wielded from the shadows, the truly powerful appear out of nowhere, do what they do, and then disappear back into the nothingness.  Anyone with true power understands this, for instance 司马懿 concealed himself for in the shadows for 10 years, only revealing his presence at the opportune moment.  And then he chose to stay out of the spotlight, kept his goals secret, and acted directly only when he had to in order to achieve his goals.  Extremely telling is the fact that the message gives very little actual evidence or anything of substance to support its assertions, it just says it outright and then leaves it at that. 

---

It is odd, slightly unnerving, but I will not make it a formal prediction yet.  My problem is, the exact meaning is often unclear.  Or more, the meaning is clear, but the timing is not.  Is it based on something that already happened, or based on something that is yet to happen?  In this case, it could be either, and there is no way at this time to tell which it is. 

---

This is intended.  Irl I can't stand it when people do that, and it's something I always do my best to avoid myself. 

And I don't deal with organizations, only people.  It just doesn't offer any benefit.

Already, ninety percent of the time, I can do what I want, and I can get what I want.

So why would it benefit me to be part of an organization?  The only way that makes sense is if they can provide me with a unit, or if they can provide intelligence or situational awareness. 

Without that, what is the point?

---

It matters, but nowhere near as much as some people believe it does.

That's about all I can say.  A factor, but not an overpowering or important one.

---

It has to do with a particular advanced 3-series that was passed around and sometimes misused for the last 20-or-so years.

To small animals, something like this isn't considered 'odd', 'unusual', or anything like that.  It's rather normal, or more, small animals have a different sense of what 'normal' is.

I know the quality of the video was pretty poor, but hopefully, this at least demonstrates why the small animals fell intent on defending the HVA and today have even attracted a few of the rebel cats to their side. 

---

I'm not aware that they have ever done that.
The force complement has always been this way, at least, as long as small animals have been keeping track --
roughly 1:10 regular vs. irregular. 
Around 4000 irregular small animals.
Around 400 regulars, mostly small animals, but also a few rebel cats, and one bear.
Around 150 non-categorized, primarily specialists, mostly small animals.
In terms of parity, this is nearly 40-50% current parity with the neighborhood cat gang (standing forces numbering around 900 cats).

---

I can't say anything b'cos, I just don't have enough information to draw any kind of conclusions.
Heaven decides success or failure, the organization exists only to catch those in case they fall down.
And for basic purposes like guard duty.   

Words like right, wrong, good, evil, etc. don't mean anything to small animals.  Only survival does, this is why a HVA is classified as such.  And that is why, they will fight to the death to protect a HVA.

---

I don't approve of it.
I may seem amoral, but in truth I just don't care what people say or what they believe.  Action is the only thing I care about.
So when they attack her b'cos she expressed a belief, that's when they lose me. 

---

Nothing of that sort.
Look at the fundamentals, despite the glamorization, it's a job where even those at the top work for 16 hours a day, and might end up making 240,000 carrots per annum, and survivability is (on average) [6 months, in human terms] [1].  I'm sure he just realized that, he was starting to peak despite working very hard, and thinking of where he'd be in a year or two. 

[1] The top tier might be able to survive longer, ie. 2 years, but this is rare.  You have better chances if you worked for the neighborhood cat gang.

---

Yes, I will be there, and prepared...

---

I don't think it was presented as an honest conspiracy theory, more just a joke since he'd have no reason to do that irl.

Conspiracy theories aren't popular with small animals at all.  I mean, for small animals, death is ever present, and life always hangs by a narrow thread. 

---

As for Cat R, yes he is back.  He appeared one day, and Cat P had no choice but to 'accept his help'.  He needs all the cats he can muster for defense alone. 

Now, he's trying to get his old team back together.  But, that cat is old, not in the shape he used to be in, and his (bad) reputation preceeds him.  We'll see how this goes over, b'cos all the gang can do now is defend what is left. 

Sindobook:
Yes, I would say high probability.

From Mikey, "All indications and intelligence points to yes."

A rescue squad, and a secondary reinforcement or support team, is being formed.  They will be ready in a few weeks.  Hopefully neither of them will actually need to be used.

I don't know about the rest, Samantha is in charge of the rescue squad, and I don't know who is in charge of the reinforcement team.  But, I'm sure it will come together.  In all likelihood, this will begin around March.

Around the same time, Mikey expects to carry out another operation to relocate the HVA to a more advantageous position.

"Neighborhood cat gang territory has been collapsing.  This next stage goes beyond an escort, it's ..."

---

The reason is that roughly a week or two ago, the critical computer was destroyed by rats.  I'm told that there were no data backups and that with budget constraints, the neighborhood cats can't afford to purchase another computer to replace the one that was lost.  So, they're kinda stuck right now. 

No group has actually claimed responsibility for the rat attack, but Mikey said it's likely it was a special attack team sent by one of their enemies.  "Without control over their territory, rats can simply scurry right up to their base.  All they need to do is find a way in, and then use a diversion to draw the cats away from the intended target.  Whatever animal sent these rats, they set the gang's propaganda back at least a few years, among other things." - from Mikey

---

I will say that it is simply an effort to take advantage of a weakening enemy.

"Everything is up for grabs.  In the next year, we'll see how the gang holds up against not one, but two prominent commanders." - from Mikey

As I've already outlined, the gang has no resources to control it's own territory.  They can only operate within their own base.  Their answer to their current troubles has been to pull back and stay within their fortifications for their own safety.

This has a number of negative consequences.

With no hunting grounds, they are forced to rely on their owners for food.

Without territory, their protection income has fallen to nothing. 

They can't leave their base, hence it is difficult to increase their numbers or recruit anyone of note.

From within their base, Cat P recognizes that the loyalty and competence of those who belong to the gang is very poor, and constantly tries to improve this.  But there is little he can do since the income the gang receives is very little at this point. 

---

1) Yes, this was a thing.  But they didn't know about it at the time.  Though they were fooled, their fate was already sealed by the finances.  I don't know whether they learned of it before the collapse, or not.  But I'm sure they know now.

No loss, it was run by people who were involved in a lot of dark things to begin with.  You got to know what side you are on, and most small animals are on the side of [that person].

For the record, no one has any idea of the Chinchilla's name.

2) This generally doesn't happen, I mean, they are generally just chased away.  Or, they might even be kept around, if they provide some advantage.  Some animals can be quite noisy[1], so having a past history like that can be useful.

[1] as in, they "love to run their mouth" or just "babble on" about this or that. 

---

I don't know what happened, and I honestly don't care what happened.

From Mikey, "That apple has already fallen off the tree [1]."

Which I agree with.  That said, try to keep a low profile / blend in, don't stick around to one place, keep moving.  As always, keep an eye out for cats.

Just b'cos neighborhood cat gang territory has receded, doesn't mean there won't be any cats.  There are still locals, and something might have them on the edge.  You never know with those guys. 

[1] Figurative:  Plans of that magnitude, once set in motion, one becomes powerless to be stop.  Similar in concept to the human expression "That ship has already sailed" or "The train has already left the station."

---

Have to learn how to take it with a grain of salt.  Outside of the gang, rumors of discord are frequently manufactured, but they rarely live up to reality.  The reverse is true within the gang, rumors are relative harmony are often put to rest by glimpses from the inside.  But that is well documented.

That is not to say that rivalries or discord exists between the forces that fall under these commanders.  But, it's mostly just the drones that feel that way, not the ones who can think for themselves.  Though, thinking for yourself is not exactly a prized ability in the followers.

---

It's best described as a logistical problem, they've made some efforts to get the system back up and running again, without any success.  And even if they did manage to do that, they'd still need to find a cat they could trust to do their bidding.  And trust is at an all-time low among the cats in the gang right now.

---

I don't know what the next step is.  I don't know how much sense this makes irl, but in the dream I had, they chose not one, but two of them.  So if I had to make a prediction, that would be it. 

---

This is simply the first of the spoils of the collapsing territory of the neighborhood cat gang.  As is said, "take the opportunity to pilfer a goat".  Plenty more is coming as the small animals advance into what was once the territory of the gang.

I don't know how much, b'cos I don't handle those types of things.  But even if it's just symbolic (I think it's more significant than that), it's a start and showing that they can hold territory that once belonged to the gang.

---

The answer is already out there.  I only know as much as everyone else knows.

From Mikey, "A little mouse told me that this[1] was the plan all along."

From Samantha, "They probably figured, if you're going to eat that many carrots, you better get something for it."

[1] "We'll find out who's casted as what after lunch."  Though somewhat ambiguous, that at least somewhat hints at the outcome. 

Think about it.  It's possible the small animals are wrong on this one, but I think there's more chance they're right than wrong.

---

Quite simply, their (nonexistent) territory doesn't cover that anymore.  They have no leverage to force those cats to do things their way.  Cats are selfish, they're going to do what they can get away with, and then some. 

The situation on the ground has changed, the days when the gang could enforce it's own protection agreements are long over.  Cat P loves to make threats, but at the end of the day, they are empty, impotent threats. 

---

This is desperation, you can bet he'll try again in a few days.  And I can already say that it won't be successful.

---

If we have to go back that far, the turning point was around 30(?) cat years ago with the first big revolt.

That was the first big hit, and after that, it's been a slow and steady decline since then. 

---

The reason I was laughing was b'cos, while I meant it at a joke, a lot of people took it quite seriously.
I mean, that kind of stuff can only hurt you if you believe it can. 

---

Soon, but there are certain "logistical concerns" that must be figured out before it can begin.
So, please wait for a short while.

---

Don't ignore the most obvious explanation:  "That there is none.  Simple as that."

If they had something to talk about, they would have already.  But the gang has been collapsing from the inside just as their territory collapses from the outside.

---

What is happening is combined maneuvering.  The grass and other vegetation in the areas to the west of the gang has become all but depleted, so two main groups of small animals, even some rebel cats, are circling the gang's base to the south till they reach the eastern front.  In the meantime, an allied group of small animals to the south is directly advancing toward the gang's base.  Once everyone is in place, all three groups will be well supplied, and within striking distance of the gang's base. 

---

I knew it.  Don't ask me how I knew.  I just kinda figured it out beforehand.  It was basic intuition.  I wasn't the only one.

Bunny R was injured hopping around some stairs.  He mis-timed a hop and about a third of his body landed on one stair, the other two thirds was out in the open.  He rolled and hit his head and kept rolling.  He suffered a severe concussion and had to withdraw from the bunny brigade.  He moved out of their hutch (#297) and back in with his owner so he could recover.

Over several [cat] years he recovered to most of his ability, though it's unlikely he'll ever be a frontline member of the brigade again.  Hutch #297 used to be little more than a periphery base, but with the maneuvering as of late, it is currently being used as a resupply base and will likely continue to be so for the near future. 

---

It's interesting, kinda, but doesn't really say much.  I guess it explains two recent happenings though.

I don't know what this means for all the (outside) players in the future.  But I do know, those within the bunny brigade will be protected.  For those outsiders, the brigade doesn't really concern itself with such things.

---

I would not assume it is about _that_.  In fact I would guess it is about something else altogether.  Everyone leaps to the conclusion that it was some kind of super dramatic thing involving that bunny (was it, bunny S?) from the old gang, but in truth, once you know, these things are often yawners that leave you with the same feeling you have after staying up late at night to finish a bad movie. 

---

Yes, and it is old news.  Almost 3 (cat) years ago, the cat was captured.  After extensive interrogation, he broke and revealed most of his accomplices.  But, there's a lot of those guys still on the loose, so this is an ongoing matter. 

---

Well, there's been a lot of moving around and shuffling lately.  Right now, the bunny brigade has two independent forward bases, and a skilled commander at each.  They have moved every few months, and additional moves are planned.  Among the bunny brigade's leaders, these are probably the most skilled.  There's other bunny brigade bases to the south of these, but those weren't really participating in this battle.

---

Sometimes when I read that stuff, I can't help but laugh.  It is so wrong.  People don't see the beauty of what he is doing, they are still thinking of him as a warrior rather than a commander.  A warrior thinks only of winning and losing, b'cos winning means survival, even fame and glory; losing means death, dishonor, or wasted effort.  A competent commander tries to position his force such that winning and losing do not matter.  Sure he, like a warrior, would always prefer to win, but with planning, strategy, support, economy, vision, propaganda, etc., he can still achieve the objective even if most/all the battles are lost.  That is how the best commanders think, they do not depend on winning battles especially when their forces are roughly symmetrical.

This is why the bunny brigade is doing what it is doing, people often fail to see the long-term of 3-5 years out.  They use a strategy of encroachment, of slowly inching forward and seizing territory that used to belong to the neighborhood cat gang, when the gang counterattacks or puts on a show of force, they dance, they evade, they maneuver, they pull back in one place while pushing forward in three other places.  They know the gang is desperate, fighting in the corner and with plenty of fresh troops, recruits and volunteers who used to live in territory that was once (and no longer is) neighborhood cat gang territory.  They know that the gang cannot sustain the fight long, their economy is very poor, they cannot extract enough funds to supply a force of that size from what limited territory remains, they have already spent their entire war chest on mercenaries and fortifications. 

---

Silence does not mean nothing is happening, I will say this since it is already public knowledge.  Things come in waves, and the first wave isn't even expected to succeed.  It's merely testing the boundaries, finding where the cats put up resistance and backing off before they can launch a counterattack.  The first wave is composed mostly of the expendable types, mercenaries, rabble, and others who are expected to run rather than to join in battle against the cats.  It's the second and third wave where the best, most capable animals are, these are the ones who expect to meet and fight against the cats in what is left of gang territory. 

---

Already described somewhat, but that is a large part of the issue.  He expects his unit to succeed a hundred percent in their attacks against the neighborhood cat gang, and expects to come out ahead when he sacks their base and seizes all their riches.  But the reality is that this statement is false on at least two counts, anyone in the bunny brigade can attest to this.  First, there really is no way the attack can succeed, they have nowhere near the numbers required, and they are already experiencing high levels of infighting with the numbers they have.  Second, the neighborhood cat gang has no significant capital at all, the cats in the gang are living off whatever subsistence their owners provide them with, and little else.  What funds they had were spent on fortifications and mercenaries, there is simply nothing of substance left.

Sindobook:
Yes.  Since May.  He was classified as a Class C back then, now he is a Class B.  For distant threats, it is 'track only', the bunny brigade leaves the handling of snakes like that one to local groups.

---

No idea.  The bunny brigade is efficient by necessity.  Remember, a snake can kill a bunny in a second, while 4 bunnies might be able to kill a snake in 10 seconds, and only if they cooperate well.  Nature is asymetric, so the tactics are, out of necessity if nothing else.

---

By all indications, yes, it was a front for the neighborhood cat gang.  But even the cats involved, they didn't want to be associated with the gang once it was outed.  So they all jumped ship at once, leaving the poor kitty that Cat P had appointed to take a fall. 

"Death came quickly, and the [bamboo tower] came down shortly after.  Nothing remained, and the whole affair was quickly forgotten.  Cat P disavowed the whole thing, a few cats perished, and several others left the gang.  But what's that to them?" - from Ling Ling, a Panda informant, to Chelsea, of the Bunny Brigade.

---

I don't know much, there is plenty of information there, but most of it contradicts itself in one way or another.

My intuition says that their front is messed up, ie. someone took the funds and ran, they know who did it and they are trying to get the funds back.  But there's nothing in the bank now, and nothing is certain.  My rationale is this:  They would have fixed the problem if they could have, the only way the explain this is that they can't fix the problem right now, but believe they will be able to in the future.  But being uncertain of this (being able to fix it), it's 'cover your ass' time and no one wants to seem at fault.  So, no one is talking, b'cos right now, no one would like the answer.  Sounds like cats, but I don't know, the top level was always kinda suspicious.

If you want sinister, perhaps their supporter was a double like snake E.  He planned to use it to bring him more victims, but when his plans fell apart, he pulled his support along with the funds that he had promised.  So, they were left with no way to keep the promises they made. 

---

Good, few problems, pretty much exactly how something of that size should work.  A lot more than I can say for other (similar) things.

While I wasn't able to talk with all those who I wanted to, I talked to a sufficient number of people throughout the day, so I am satisfied with that.

---

Not much new information, honestly, I haven't spent much time on this.  They run a pretty tight ship but it will start to leak sooner or later.  Reports indicate that some have already jumped, and are already talking to others in secret.  Whatever secret they are trying to hide must be pretty big, and it's not like this whole thing is going to go away anytime soon.

---

I talked to Ling Ling today and this is what she said (paraphrased).  The captain (cat Y) abandoned ship several days ago, in the dark of night.  He left his crew behind, and that ship is sinking fast. 

---

Yes, though I do not know the reliability of the source, he likely is who he says he is.  The fact that he removed his message a few hours after posting it probably means he had second thoughts about posting the information; of course by then, it was already too late.

The points he discussed include:
1) By the end, it was obvious the cats owed more funds than they could afford to pay out.
2) They could not afford to pay their own core cats, much less the mercenaries they had retained and the other cats they owed funds too.  They paid out as much as they could, but they ran out of funds.
3) Some of the mercenaries simply started to take funds straight from the core cats.
4) Regardless, the mercenaries are still owed funds equivalent to roughly 200,000 carrots (or more) and they are kinda pissed off about it.

---

The thing is, few cats are left who know much, and those who are left aren't talking.  There are whispers of secret messages from Cat Y, presumably in hiding as he has not been seen since.  Presumably, it is a dire situation, and one that will only get worse.

---

To the person who asked that question, first, I think you're a bit confused.  Any relation to one of our bunnies is purely coincidental.  Overloading or such.

Nor should it be forgotten, that one of the mottoes of the brigade is (translated) "if I should die, let it be decided in battle".  Like many sayings, there is a double meaning here.

Our bunnies would never do that type of thing, at least not while they are part of the brigade, much less a HVA.

As for the topic at hand, no, my guess would be no relation.  Now this has been a while, long ago, around 36 (cat) years ago.  I did jobs with Panda A once or twice, he seemed like a good guy, and he always treated my friends well.  So I'll take his word over the rest of them. 

While information is sketchy, I'd guess that it's not related to that at all.  I was only clued onto this by one off-hand remark that led to my investigation.  Yes, they had a presence with the movement, but that's about it.  That is beside the point.  Despite all that grandstanding, the more obvious reason shouldn't be ignored.

Nor do I take the predominant western view when it comes to that topic.  It can be an escape, or not.  It can be honorable, or not.  Generally we despise it, but, it doesn't have to be that way.  It really depends on the person.  Remember the story of Setsumi.  A sad story, but not b'cos of that.  It is far more likely that this story is similar to that one rather that what those people would make it out to be.  That's really all I can say here.  Beyond that, I would recommend contacting the panda directly, and not the others.

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