[font=Fixedsys]Source:[color=#CC99CC]Prison Liner Stellar Ranger, New York, Detroit Debris Field
[font=Fixedsys]Sender:Natalie Callahan Recipient(s):Elder Espi and Elder Montoya only. Subject:Junk in one's backyard.
[font=Palatino Linotype]The videofeed starts up and reveals this one lady Callahan, clad in one of her stylish, black business-suits, sitting on the edge of a large-ass mahogany table with a cigar between her fingers and an almost innocent smile on her face.
[color=#CC99CC]Morning, Elder Espi.
And morning to you too, Elder Montoya.
Dear Espi [color=#CC99CC]already knows me from past dealings, you however don't, but I'm sure he'll gladly tell you everything there is to know.
I just heard somewhere that you're quite an important persona in the Empire, and so I figured I'd talk to you both.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]She pauses for a little moment, smoking her cigar with pleasure and then blowing some magnificent smoke-rings into the air before continuing.
[color=#CC99CC]Question of course is, what do I want to talk to you about, hm?
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And there she stops for a second to flash a seductive smile at the camera.
[color=#CC99CC]The Corsair Empire happens to be the manufacturer of some quite wonderful pieces of technology.
One of those is the M-10 "Titan" Very Heavy Fighter, of which I happen to possess one.
And honestly speaking, I love it. It's less of a ship but more of a piece of art, really.
But to top it off, it got me more interested into those nice and shiny ships coming out of your corner in Sirius.
There's a particular model that caught my interested, the M-42 "Imperator".
And I'd like to have some of those at my disposal.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]She hops onto the table, sitting down on it cross-legged and smiling a little more for the camera.
[color=#CC99CC]Here's the thing.
I know you have a technology-requisitioning channel around, but I'd prefer to make a more shady deal.
While I'm really interested in acquiring some of those ships, I do understand that the Empire needs them for its military.
So instead of three fully-functional 'Imps' straight off the factory lines, I'd rather prefer to get my hands on some nearly totally-wrecked ones.
Barely in flying condition and in need of extensive repairs and the like, if you catch my drift.
Hell, if they don't fly and need to be towed, that would be fine too as long as the core of the hull's stable.
Reason I'm asking for ships in that state, aside from not pestering your factory lines, is that the way I see it, well.
This way no one can trace the Empire's connection to those ships, nor my connection to the Empire.
A Titan might not be a big deal, but three 'Imps' are a different matter, si?
So in the end, I get some trashed Gunboats, or rather the coordinates to three drifting in space, all of which woulda' need extensive repairs.
That wouldn't be a problem on my side.
It does leave one question open, though.
What do you get?
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And there she hops off the table with a smirk and starts walking around it slowly.
[color=#CC99CC]As many strings I can pull and as many things I can do, I don't happen to be able to deliver you large quantities of resources.
Nor do I often end up going shooty-shooty on the Empire's enemies just 'cause I don't encounter 'em often, and much less do I myself fly around in your corner of space.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]A moment later she sits down in that overly-comfortable and throne-like chair, taking a moment to keep smoking her cigar.
[color=#CC99CC]But I happen to be filthy frakkin' rich.
So how about I accidentally divert some of that money your way afterward?
A donation for the children of Crete?
One for the Empire's bounty board?
Hell, I don't know.
I'd just like to make a nice little deal, off the charts and under the table.
And if, say, two-hundred Million Credits would do, why not.
Sounds like a nice sum for three near-wrecked 'Imps', don' it?
And no one but us three woulda' know.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And with another innocent smile of hers the screen fades to black.
First of all, I have no idea who you are. However, that changed after I did a little digging and found out that you have in your possession one of our Titan superiority fighters. At this point, I'd be more than a little concerned, but it seems that Miguel Sephardi gave you his blessing. As a man I'd trust with my life, this means a lot to me.
To paraphrase what you've said, you're willing to seperate from yourself a substancial amount of credits in exchange for merely the locations of three Imperator husks floating in deep space. I know a good deal when I see one, but I also know that everything comes with a catch. There's no such thing as a free lunch, especially on Crete.
I don't actually know who you are, except that you have... blue hair.
He recoils slightly, shrugging and raising his eyebrow simultaneously
This leads me on to 'why' I should trust you. So, why should I? Trust isn't bought with credits of course, but proved with deeds. And the longevity of technology seems to be pretty large these days. Of course, we don't ever want to see them used against us. Vilkas' stunt, while you may not have heard of him, sent shockwaves through our civilization. The chance of a repeat of that, especially with far more firepower, is completely unacceptable, no matter how small.
Bear in mind that if you'd applied on the channel designed for these things, you would've almost certainly been denied. This is because you appear short on deeds, yet long on credits. As it stands however, this is a private transmission from you to myself and Espi.
To be honest, the credits you offer would turn lesser men to your cause. Swords can easily be bought for gold coin, but the Corsairs aren't like that. You'll have to do something for me if you want what you seek, regardless of who you are or how much you're trusted. My price isn't measured solely in credits.
You'll also need to tell me who'll be flying these things, and what they'll be used for. I know women are better multitaskers than men, but three gunboats on your own is a bit of an ask, even for the most talented individuals.
Source:[color=#CC99CC]Prison Liner Stellar Ranger, New York, Detroit Debris Field
[font=Fixedsys]Sender:Natalie Callahan Recipient(s):Elder Montoya Subject:Cold, hard facts.
[font=Palatino Linotype]The videofeed starts up again and reveals Blue just as before, sitting straight up on that throne-esque chair with a serious look on her face.
[color=#CC99CC]Hello, Elder Montoya.
Before I get to the point, I'm afraid you're mistaken when it comes to some particular details.
It wasn't just Miguel Sephardi who gave me his blessing, it was none other than Elder Espi himself who did the very same.
I didn't mean to mention it, but he went was far as to, well, award me the title of 'Amiga of the Empire' after I sent some rather shiny information about Omega-56 his way.
I don't mean to offend you or any Corsair, nor to abuse that title, but I'm very interested in acquiring the aforementioned ships for many reasons, but before I get to those, I want you to understand something here.
Regardless of who I am and where I operate, I myself am not an enemy of the Empire, nor any Corsair, lest it be one were to attack me first and I'd have to act in self-defense.
As for my business and my area of, well, operation so to say, that would be Liberty.
That's where my focus lies, and nowhere else, really.
And it isn't entirely where the Corsairs operate, but suffice to say that I've done my part ever since in kindly leading your kind out hostile waters to safety.
As rarely as that happened, that's how I got my hands on that particular "Titan" I happen to use my personal ship.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]She fishes a cigarette out of her suit's pocket and quickly lights it before going on.
[color=#CC99CC]I don't plan to change that, nor do I plan to just waltz into the Omegas one day and start shooting your kin with your own gear.
Though, I did that with the Outcasts and their stray capital ships wandering into Liberty when I had the chance.
Flying one of their own ships nonetheless, but that's a story for another day.
You see, Elder, I'm not exactly a big friend of your arch-enemies over in Malta.
I myself am a former Fleet Captain of the Legion, if that means anything, and I do not endorse nor support the slavery and Cardamine-trade, nor any Outcast military presence in Liberty.
I plain and simply don't, because, due to some of my past dealings, I've seen first-hand what the substance does to people, and I've seen the slaves working the orange fields of Malta.
Being former military I dislike like it as much as you do.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]She takes a moment to keep smoking her cigarette and then leans a little forward, still completely serious.
[color=#CC99CC]While around here in Liberty plenty of groups make a living with the Cardamine-trade, they don't particularly all happen to be fans of the Outcasts, just like I ain't one.
And much less do all the more 'shady' elements in Liberty who ain't related to that trade do so.
The whole situation here's starting to change rapidly, and what I'm looking at in the future is turf wars going in this house's every darker nook and cranny.
I'm talking about people getting pissed-off at other people's presence or influence here, and by other people I mean no one else but the Outcasts around.
This means plenty in terms of hostilities, and I find myself in the need of some more reliable and heavy firepower in order to protect my own interests around here.
And by coincidence that means that said firepower I'm in need of could very-well be used against your 'hermanos' from Malta who travel around here, sweetheart.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Putting the cigarette out quickly first, she then stands up and walks around that impressive mahogany table in front of her, leaning against it a moment after and focusing back on the camera.
[color=#CC99CC]Ain't much I can really do until the situation changes in the near future as I've described, however.
I don't have some big and fancy military force behind me like the Empire does, I'm just one woman with one big ship, a fair amount of friends and associates along with a crew to take care of.
And, 'course, a business to run, though what that exactly is aside from piracy, extortion, shady dealings and acquisition of information doesn't entirely matter here.
What matters is that I want something you have, and regardless of whether you admit it or not, you and I both know that no one else is going to offer you two...
Well, let's say three-hundred Million Credits for three wrecked 'Imps', husks as you say.
I don't intend to use the ships in question against the Empire, I intend to use them in order to ensure that my business here stays safe, and that the competition plain and simply dies out.
But there's reasons as for why I can't offer you much more than words and a hefty sum of money.
My business is here, in Liberty.
Not in the Omegas, nor in any Omicrons, aside from some 'business-trips' to Minor or Delta once in a while.
Sometimes in Bretonia too, but that's rather rare.
Regardless, point is, since my business is here and the situation is as it is right now, I can't fulfill the usual requirements in order to make a deal, as in ship you a metric frakton of resources to Crete, or slaughter half the Maltese Navy.
I don't possess a fleet of Transports which I could use to ferry you raw resources.
Nor do I possess a whole military armada to wipe out some of Alpha's defenses or whatever.
What I happen to possess once in a while is information as the one I've sent Espi's way last time.
And a fair damn lot of money I ain't afraid to spend.
Like the three-hundred Million I mentioned.
And y'know, there's a reason as for why I'm not approaching the usual channel, aside from knowing my request would get denied, just the same.
This here, this is a secure transmission.
Something only you and I know about right now, and that gives us some free room to negotiate like we couldn't in public.
See, 'course you don't want to see any of your ships fall into the wrong people's hands, nor'd you want 'em to be used 'gainst you, but what we're talking about here's husks.
Leftovers, scraps that hold together just fine but don't do much if anything else.
Things I can send a bunch of fighters after which would tow 'em out with cables and drag 'em all the way here to Liberty.
Small ships I've at my disposal, big ones I don't.
'So while I can't ferry resources to you, for the reason above and just 'cause due to the way this corner of space is run there's no one trustworthy enough I'd know of to deliver shipments from here to your end of Sirius, I can get 'em here for myself just fine.
And if this works out, in the end I'd have some three functional Gunboats at my disposal.
While you'd have lost three husks that would've been to costly in terms of resources to repair, for example.
And while they'd be crewed by my own men, former military personnel like me, even if something, say, 'wrong' happened with the ships, nobody could trace them back to you nor the Empire itself.
In other words, they wouldn't exist on paper, even though they'd be in my hands.
As for what I'd do with them outside of shooting people out of the sky who threaten my business and whatnot, that remains to be seen until the situation in Liberty changes as I mentioned earlier.
If that's good enough for you, shiny.
If it ain't, then it ain't, but regardless of my words I'm still offering you a fortune for near-wreckage, amigo.
And I don't really forget who my friends are either.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]A moment after she slowly starts to walk out of the camera's view, before stopping for a second and looking at the camera again.
[color=#CC99CC]I've attached copies of the past transmission logs 'tween Espi, Sephardi and me, just in case you don't believe my words.
Business is business afterall, ain' it?
Can understand that you're suspicious and cautious.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And as she walks out of view, the screen fades to black.
What really caught my eye in your message was the questionable mention of the Hellfire Legion. The aforementioned often used to join forces with the Asgard Warriors, a group consigned to the history books for now, in attacking our home, Omicron Gamma. However, that you mention it at all shows that it was probably before your time, so I suppose I can let that slide.
As for the reason I mentioned Miguel in particular, that was because I have a personal friendship with him, and trust his judgement on sensitive matters such as this. Elder Espi's grant of your particular title is simply a bonus, though a large one at that.
It seems that you're a neutral party, at least to us. However, between Corsairs and whoever we deal with, it's never "just business". I personally hold a huge amount of animosity over the souring of relations between my people and the Order. No amount of credits can erase the betrayal of the Order, nor can forgive any group however small of doing the same.
From what you say, dropping your neutrality in such a manner would be the end of you, or at least the current way you operate. Usually, I would turn my back on any such deal at this point, but you're in the unique position of, from what I hear, being far more influential than you should be, given the size of your business.
Therefore, I have a suggestion. More than that, it's the only way I'll disclose the locations of the hulls you require.
I need you, Natalie Callahan, to be the voice of the Corsairs in Liberty.
Now, I don't mean you have to talk us up all the time, or be open in your relationship with myself or my people. Far from it, in fact, since I'm sure that would do a lot to hinder both of us. But your voice is influential, nonetheless. Therefore, what I would like you to do is simply, over time, make the place a little more friendly to us and our products, and perhaps less so for our dark cousins, the Outcasts. Hints here and there, tips, maybe getting a few heads turning. That kind of thing. Though I don't know much, its fairly common knowledge that the grip that the Outcasts have on Liberty is firm and unyielding. If things are changing as you say, we'd like you to make sure they change to our advantage.
This would be far more useful than the credits you offer. I wont lie, the Corsairs need help to secure a stable source of income from Liberty. Our own negotiations with the Liberty Rogues have been slow simply because of the large distances involved between our homeworld and the borders of that nation. The war has compounded our difficulties in that respect, so we do need assistance. Assistance from someone percieved to be neutral, at least on the unlawful scene. Someone who people listen to, and look for leadership from. Someone like you.
So you need help finding three of our gunboat hulls, we need help gaining the good-will and trust of unlawful elements in Liberty, as well as convincing them that aligning with the Outcasts is a huge mistake on their part. Without our military force, a large part of our traditional negotiating tactics have become irrelevant.
Of course, the credits will help too... as a sort of insurance if you will.
If you agree to help me, and the nation in this respect, as well as confirm your willingness to let go of the established and substancial sum of credits, then I believe we will have reached a deal on this matter.
Source:[color=#CC99CC]Prison Liner Stellar Ranger, New York, Detroit Debris Field
[font=Fixedsys]Sender:Natalie Callahan Recipient(s):Elder Montoya Subject:Le grande deal?
[font=Palatino Linotype]And the videofeed starts again, revealing Blue once more, this time lazily sitting on a leather couch and sipping Brandy, but still with a serious look on her face.
[color=#CC99CC]Hello again Sunshine McSerious.
Your relations with Miguel and Espi're all your business an' so on and so forth so I ain't getting into them.
But you're pretty much right with me being some kind of neutral party around here.
You're also right with me not wanting to compromise that neutrality as it would be rather harmful to my business.
But the interesting part for me isn't that or your idea 'bout me being the 'voice of the Corsairs' in Liberty.
It's the thing about your 'animosity' with the Order that's interesting.
Considering the Order and the Corsairs used to be rather 'buddy-buddy', that's kind of news to me.
But maybe we'll talk about that later and do business first.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]She puts the glass to the side and flashes the camera a little grin.
[color=#CC99CC]You want me to make this place friendlier for your kin, saying I'm influential, someone who people listen to, but you make this seem far easier than it looks.
Liberty's not exactly that friendly to the Corsairs, nor their supporters, as you yourself know.
So as you said, I'd be doing that over time.
And time's what it would plain and simply take, I can hardly pull Coalition-style propaganda 'round every corner without compromising my position, si?
But as long as we're on the same page here, the thing you're asking me for, that I can do.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]A moment later, she raises her right hand, her middle, index and ring fingers stretched out.
[color=#CC99CC]When it comes to the three ships themselves, we better be on the same page too.
Imperator hulks, three in total, wherever they are.
As long as they can be towed in one piece, they'll do.
And I want no connection from them to you or the Empire on the surface.
That Titan I'm flying, that's an old story, and it's just a fighter, but three 'Imps' would get plenty of heads turning.
And they'd get people curious.
So I don't want any of 'em to be able to find anything that could somehow suggest you and I made a deal.
Whether you write the hulks off as stolen, as non-existent, whatever, as long as there's no trace, it should be in both our mutual interest.
An open connection would indeed hinder our respective businesses as you said afterall.
And as for the money...
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Lowering her hand she leans forward to the camera with a devilish smile.
[color=#CC99CC]As soon as you tell me where you'd like them to be sent, they'll be headed your way, like an anonymous and untraceable donation, and we'll have a deal.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]With that smile on her face, the screen fades to black.
The screen flickered to life, showing Juan's eyebrow raised
Sunshine McSerious? I suppose I should call you a mermaid then.
His expression normalised as he continued on
We understand each other. After all, you seem to be repeating what I said, for clarification purposes hopefully.
The husks that you ask for have already been written off. They're still mostly in one piece, certainly not beyond operating again if someone were to plunge more than our shipwrights would like into them. After all, that's why they haven't been towed back to our shipyards, because they cost more than its worth in labour hours, resources and so on. Far less costly to just lay down a new one than salvage something so far away and sometimes in dangerous territory.
I'll disclose the locations you need, and what the records show put them out of action, once I confirm the credits have been recieved. My primary ship, identified as Juan.Montoya[TBH] is where the sum should be sent.
One more thing. I realise you'll be using these against Liberty and her military establishments, as well as civilian shipping when the fancy takes you or your associates. I'd really appreciate it if you fed them information that had nothing to do with us. Of course, it sounds like you'll already do that, but I'm stressing the point to be on the safe side. They don't go out of our way to target us currently, due to our distance and lack of contact, so it would be great if it could stay like that.
Source:[color=#CC99CC]Prison Liner Stellar Ranger, New York, Detroit Debris Field
[font=Fixedsys]Sender:Natalie Callahan Recipient(s):Elder Montoya Subject:Conclusion!?
[font=Palatino Linotype]One more time, the videofeed starts up, showing Blue again just as before, lazily laying on that couch and smiling.
[color=#CC99CC]Well amigo, we do have this deal all set then.
The money's just wandered to your account and I get your point with the last bit, it goes without question.
So now that my part's done, it's your turn while this little mermaid sends a bunch of her minions out to pick up the gifts you left for her, Santa Claus.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And so the screen fades to black another time, with her blowing a kiss to the camera.
Are we taking it in turns to sprinkle each other with fancy names. Either way, Im sure you're far more concerned about the locations of what are now your ships.
The first lies about twenty klicks off of the edge of the navigable region of Omega 5. If you line up Cadiz and the Omega 41 jump hole, you'll be going around about east south east. It'll show up on a decent set of scanners. According to what was recovered from the ship before we took what we could and left, it was hit by a lovely mortar shot from a Coalition destroyer. Went clean through the bridge and took out most of the right pontoon if you can call it that. Can't say more than that, since it was what most would agree was a "clean kill". Not much blood, since the four on the bridge were atomised. The rest were recovered during a quick counterattack, but the wreckage was left there and it's location penned into a little book.
The second is in Omicron Eta. It's a graveyard of ships there, and you'll see many wrecks of whatever you can name. A lot of it is completely blown to bits and unusable, and most of what was usable was towed away to be reused in some way. However, this one is on the wrong side of the minefield. Follow the trail of outcast wreckage past the Omicron Alpha jump hole, and it should lead you right to it. Shouldn't be a problem for you like it would be for us. As for the damage that it's sustained, lots of fighter fire has left its scorchmarks on the hull, but the partypiece is the hole that a supernova blast caused. Took out the reactor without so much as a pop. No idea how there wasn't an explosion, luck I suppose. To be honest with you, I'd have towed it back and melted it down myself if I were them, but that's luck. It should still be there.
The last one is in the lovely system of Dresden, somewhere east of Bautzen Station. You'll appreciate that it's really deep within Hessian territory, as well as very close to Pirna Border Station and Battleship Altenburg. Not somewhere we can get to easily, and just not worth the cost in lives that it would take for a successful extraction. The last that was reported was that convection currents in the nebula near Bautzen were taking it up off of the given plane. Don't ask me how stellar convection works, I really have no idea. But its there, somewhere. It may've even popped out of the top of the nebula by now. As to battle damage, it was disabled by a pair of gunboat razors to the engine block and communication array. Then it was pounded again and again, but apparently survived due to what has turned out to be a well-timed ion storm. Of course, without engines or communications they werent going to be found before their time essentially ran out. As such, you may have to deal with a few bodies of our brothers and sisters. As the probably cause of at least some deaths is asphyxiation and lack of nutrition rather than plasma burns, we would appreciate any body in less than a dozen or so pieces to be discretely returned with your recovery of this particular gunboat.
If you can't find them or they're in a condition that isn't acceptable, buzz me again and I'll pick out a few others on this list of mine. You'd be surprised... or not... at the amount of equipment we've lost to war.
[font=Palatino Linotype]For the presumably last time the videofeed starts again, revealing Blue in the same way as before.
[color=#CC99CC]Taking turns sounds about right, Monty.
I've got people going to pick the hulks up already, though the one in Eta's a bit of a bugger.
Will take some extra time to get that one, if the reactor doesn't suddenly decide to explode on the way, but else it's a go.
First one shouldn't be a major deal, was going to do some extensive customization to the bridge area and all that anyhow.
That one looks like the easiest job to me, so no fuss.
Third one won't be a problem either and I'll see what I can do about the bodies if my guys manage to find any.
All in all it's shiny on my end Monty McSantastein.
If anything shows up, I'll give you a call, but if it doesn't then I'll say it's nice doing business with you.
So vaya con dios and have a nice day.
Though I'm sure you'll have the latter, what with swimming in the new money and all.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]With a grin and a little wink of hers, the screen fades to black. Long, sicknasty, and reaaal hard.
As for swimming in credits... well, its as easy to spend for me as it is for you. However, investments multiply their value, as I'm sure you know. That's what I intend to do, in all sorts of ways. Any criticism I could recieve, given that this is a private transmission, can fairly easily be resolved on my end. I don't think my reasoning is flawed, that's for sure.
Please contact me again when you make tangible progress with Corsair relations with Liberty's criminal scene. I certainly wont hold my breath, but I hope you at least have something small by the end of the year.
Besides, Santa gives presents for free. I'm not so generous, being the greying man I am. Which reminds me, I've not any children to carry my name... but that's another issue.