EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Aleister Corke of The Core - REEL TALK with Ralf Warren

[Canaria News Network]

Canaria News Network presents

directly from the Omega-49 system

REEL TALK with Ralf Warren

Announcer: Good night, ladies and gentlemen! Directly from the CNN Studios in Lanzarote Space Station, in orbit of Planet Fuerteventura, Omega 49 system, starts now...

'REEL TALK with Ralf Warren'!

On today's show: an exclusive interview with the newly appointed leader of the Bounty Hunters Guild Core... Guildmaster Aleister Corke!

Announcer: We have a great talk for tonight, ladies and gentlemen! A special guest for a special first show...

And now... all welcome our host... Ralf Warren!

** The small crowd in the studio applaudes and cheers while Warren enters. **

Ralf Warren: Yay!! Hello Sirius! Welcome to our first show! Reel Talk! Yeah! None of that House press corporation talking points bull! No! Here I ask what I want! Of course, we will always have a nice and fun talk, no fights... I hope... but we got to ask what needs to be asked, no matter what! Hopefully with a little humor touch, ahn?

Well, folks... Today we have a very special guest on the show... I don't know if someone from his organization ever gave a statement to the press, much less an exclusive interview like today. Please welcome the recently appointed Guildmaster of the Bounty Hunters Guild Core, Mr. Aleister Corke!

** As the crowd applauded, Corke stood up from his seat in the auditorium, and slowly walked for the chair designated to him. A faint smile pierced his face as he was eyeing the cameras and public respectively. As he drenched his feet forward, he executed a faint gesture with his hand, waving towards the crowd he was eyeing only to occupy the comfy seat right afterwards. **

Warren: Well, first let me say, Mr. Corke, that it's an honor to have you here on our show. Welcome to our new studios...

Corke: The pleasure is mine, and mine entirely, Warren. I am eager to provide an interview towards such peculiar and proactive individuals such as the zoners.

Warren: So, Mr. Corke, that brings up the subject on how this meeting came to be... Actualy it was you that contacted CNN and suggested we did an interview. You obviously want to say something... So I thought of starting asking you about that. What would it be that made you want to have this chat with me right now?

[Canaria News Network]

[// FYI: This whole interview was writen by Ed and me via skype.]

Corke: Well, I reckoned I would present you with a gift, an opportunity to raise your audience radically by having this one-in-a-lifetime chance to get under the skin of a Guildmaster. Indeed… As a matter of fact, I may have understood that past Guildmasters and even a lot of other organizations were not… or still are not… empathic towards zoners, is that so? This is a stereotype I would like to break. I believe we could both exercise some understanding towards each other and when I believe something, that always turns out to be true.

Warren: Ha! I see we will not have a problem with false modesty today. Good! But, Mr. Corke, you talk about stereotypes. Its a well known stereotype that the Core does not look kindly to the Zoners due to another stereotype, that we somehow colaborate with groups seen by most as criminals. But that concept is very fluid here in the edge worlds. So, how do you intent on breaking those stereotypes?

Corke: Please, please, mister Warren, let’s not discuss about your friendships today but mine, shall we now? Heh heh. Anyway, what could I say, Omicrons are merciless and I guess the saying “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do” is one of the survival rules here. I think diplomations in the Omicrons can be summed up to doing what you must to live up the other day while also not getting on the wrong side of your neighbours.... if you grasp my allusion. But I think you’re talking with the wrong man here when you’re mentioning criminals. You see, Warren, I am the Guildmaster of the Core, not the Hunters Guild. We have standards and we do not deal with petty criminals, those are far below our level… and concern. There are far more higher priorities that require our attention… such as making sure the nomads won’t enslave Sirius.

Warren: Yes, yes. That is another common stereotype. Can you explain it better for us what differs the Core from the common bunter? What other priorities are those? You talk about nomads...

Corke: I consider it obvious that our first priority is to combat the nomad menace. Other differences… Like I said, we have more standards, and merely petty criminals and just a handful of credits are of no interest to us. Back to the nomads however… They are our first and foremost priority and we will do almost whatever it takes to complete that priority. I say “almost” because there is but a little barrier between losing your “humanity” along the way and becoming the monster you wish to destroy. A lot of… certain peculiar individuals who have blindly taken this idea of a crusade against the nomads on their hands have fallen in this extremity.

Warren: Hmm... Mr. Corke... when you say that certain 'peculiar individuals' are becoming what they seek to destroy... Are you talking abou the Order?

Corke: The Order? Hmmm… Of course, not. I was not alluding towards them. Why, may I ask? You wouldn’t have been asking me this question if you didn’t have associated what I said with the Order, hehe.
But no, I was not talking about the Order, I am talking about people with no training, individuals who are part of no specialized organization who have nothing but an egotistic thought which tells them that they have some sort of high, divine purpose which would justify their existence when instead, they are nothing but deluded rabble.
Anyway, I know it is your job to ask me the questions tonight, Warren, but I shall pose you with this: Would you think that the Order would fit into this category? You were a tad quick to associate them with my previous words, admittedly.
I personally have a… respect for them, yes, even if the relationship between them and the Core are… colourful, to say the least. That doesn’t stop me from respecting them, is that so? Even mortal enemies and rivals, even the nomads deserve respect and recognition. Although… I sometimes can’t help but address myself some certain questions and curiosities…

Warren: Yes... I associated what you said with the Order due to your 'colorful' relationship. And they are very... focused. But I never imagined that a member of the Core would pay respect to the Order. I suspect that the opposite might not be true. Anyway, Mr. Corke, what kinds of questions and curiosities, as you say, trouble your mind?

Corke: Political, insightful questions pertaining to the future, if you may. I sometimes ask myself… what would happen if the Order wins the war against the nomads. Considering all the nomad technology they keep for themselves, and you don’t need to be a military genius to know what bonuses superior technology gives you. What purpose will Order have after their mortal enemy is banished, exterminated? Will they crawl back under a snake hole or who knows…?
I certainly vouch on the fact that they will act as the good guys they act now and will turn into hiding, non-existence. I, for one, cannot see them to use all that tech they kept for themselves to turn against humanity and proclaim some sort of dictatorship. Do you, Warren? Seems almost like a strange nightmare.
Anyway, you say that you won’t think the Order could respect a fellow Core agent? Well, it’s sad to see that feelings and emotions are not mutual. I would have certainly expected otherwise from the gentlemen they purport to be. So much more could be achieved if both the Core and the Order would focus on the true enemy, wouldn’t you think? Believe it or not, I, along many others, have no quarrel or angst against them. It’s when they decide to turn into a pestering obstacle that they become cumbersome.
I think they fear that we may get our hands on the nomad technology while we are out there fighting the nomads… like they already do. I sometimes ask myself why they have such fears. Maybe out of… caution, fear of competition? But we all know what will happen with the Core when all of this ends: Some of us would retire, others will become the normal hunters you see in the Houses. Plus, we are no obstacle to their plans, they only want to have the nomads killed, like we do, right? And after that is over, I think we can both sleep well at night, knowing that they will turn into hiding, cautious at whatever next alien threat may come.

Warren: And what would you say about the rumors that the Core is, in fact, working with the nomads, and not against them?

Corke: They are true, Warren, we are working with them. We have a weird relationship though… Something that shortens out to the "We shoot them, they die" work ethic.

Warren: Hehe, I always appreciate sense of humor... But I am the one that is supposed to do the jokes, ok? Hehe, no, just kidding... But, really, isn't that what the Order do? What makes you different from them in that respect?

Corke: Reputation is the first difference. A lot of Houses regard them as terrorists from their past actions against humanity when it happened to be between them and the nomads. Now I am not sure how true or false is that - and I am not even going to comment on that, no one deserves a bad reputation do they now? Unless it's rightfully won, of course. But at least, the Core is welcomed in every House with open hands.
And… other than that, honestly… I do not see what’s so different about us. We should actually fight together against the same enemy, but the Order has different ideas. I guess our past is also a key difference here, and our foundation. The Core is made from house hunters and some certain, honest folk from Bretonia while the Order… would you believe me when I say I do not know for sure? A secret organization in Liberty? Mutineers from Liberty? Ex-Naval Admirals? Something is certain, however, the Core, while under my watch, will never commit acts of terrorism.
Regardless, I’d rather we not dabble into questions and answers that everyone would expect. I mean, who wouldn’t expect a Core agent to be asked what he thinks of the Order or vice versa? Anyway, since we’re here, must I ask, what would you personally think of the Core, and the Order, Warren?

Warren: Well, I think that both groups are a ... 'necessary evil', so to say. We need protection against nomads, even if sometimes the 'Omicron Police' routine can be annoying. But, Mr. Corke, forgive me if I avoyd your question, because then I might extend myself talking about trigger happy individuals in both sides, but... are you alluding to the attack on the Order home planet, when you talk about terrorist acts? That is not a well known fact, even amongst Zoners...

Corke: No, I was alluding towards any random terrorism act that happened, happens and will happen in the Houses. Terrorism is an intricate subject, the ones who do it are not always rebels believing in deluded causes, sometimes they are more… eccentric organizations with higher goals, and other times they are mercenaries employed by corporations and who knows what else. That is what I meant.
Toledo was a legitimate military tactic. It was supposed to be a legitimate military tactic, to be precise, but it went all wrong the moment the nomads came. You see, destroying or damaging the planet in any way was not our goal, neither harming any civilians. It was merely a small scale surgical strike against the Order’s military assets. Size is relative, however, as before Toledo, both the Order and Core had different perspectives of “small” and “big”. What was “small” back then is “big” now, you see? But this has changed back for the better, for the Core at least.
Hmm… I often think of it, recall that event. Were you there, Warren, or anywhere near at that time? I was there, right in the middle of all that chaos, leading a small squadron of… talented individuals, to say the least. The Warhound Brigade, it was called. Back when it… was in its full glory. It’s not a sight I wish upon you. I was forced to see hundreds of my colleagues, especially the entire squadron I led, die before me. Sometimes I think that surviving that hell was worse than dying in it. “Only the dead have seen the end to war“ as some say. Those who live are bound to be haunted by its horrors.
Anyway, like I said, we didn’t want to harm neither the planet, nor civilians in any way. It was a skirmish between the military forces. But then the Nomads came and, as you can see, they butchered everyone. I still wonder who taught them the quote “Divide et Impera” but that is no matter anymore. The dice are cast already. I believe it proves what happens when two organizations with the same goals are at the opposing ends of their sword tips, right? This is, however, a sad scenario the Core would like to see changed.
It is dreadful to know that such a beautiful planet, and so many people died at the hands of the nomads.

Warren: Luckly I was living peacefully in Gran Canaria at the time, was never aware of what happened until several months after that... So, Mr. Corke, by what you are telling us here today, you are trying to make us see the Core under a new perspective. How do you expect to change this 'antagonism' between the Order and your organization, as you claim you want to? ** Warren moves his right hand up to his ear, and back down ** But, wait a moment, Mr. Corke... Lets leave that question in the open for a while. You will answer it right after our commercial brake, ok? Or do you think this beautiful studio was cheap? I still didn't finish paying for it! ** Smiles ** We will be right back, folks!

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