Sanada-san, its been too long since our last talk. Unfortunately without a charismatic, blustering, embodiment of masculinity at the helm the Legion seems to fade into obscurity for awhile. This has happened a number of times and few things disgust me more than the need for grand speeches, brute force, and esprit de corps for Liberty's other half to function properly. It would've been shorter if I just said "men."
One of those has appeared with Locklear in custody, finally. A Christopher Dalgaard. Reminds me a bit of Locklear. Quieter and colder though, came from the Edge Worlds. The Commonwealth appointed him interrim Lord Commander and that transition has been a lot less tumultuous than Locklear's own appointment. That at least means the gap between the Legion and Commonwealth is shrinking, albeit slowly. Of course his misplaced sense of honor prevents him from taking the title for himself, so he has taken the Executive Commander's seat.
The point is, the wheel is turning once again and I require someone who can gather information and be discrete about it. No flaming skulls or propaganda. Just shadowing some ships and gathering some scans. The pay will be adequate and you may even happen across some of our technology if you so desire when your work is said and done. Sound good? Of course it does.
I - The Crayter Republic
DSM has contracted the Crayterians haul goods to and from their Elysium Base in Vespucci. The details of this contract are rather vague, though it appears that the Crayterians are supplying the base in return for rights to haul ore mined from Commonwealth space. While the details of the contract are a minor concern, they're secondary to the main one. The Crayterians have a habit of sticking their noses where they don't belong, even having the audacity to drive a Thanatos up to Monterrey once. The Legion cannot afford another war right now, but we also cannot afford to let entities with whom we have a lukewarm relationship at best gather intelligence on our capabilities.
I want you to shadow their shipping transports - provide escort if necessary, if you can make cash on the side all the better - and report any unusual activity to our internal communications channel. You've been granted access equivalent to that of an Initiate, for this purpose as well as those outlined below.
II - The Unioners
It's no secret who these people are or what they do. For reasons I cannot disclose however, I need you to acquire intelligence on their operations in the Bering, Hudson, and Texas systems. I want you to dig up every last piece of dirt that you can on them from terrorism and piracy to simple propaganda and harassment, specifically regarding Liberty and Libertonian citizens. This shouldn't be too hard to do as long as you don't tip them off that you're working with us.
III - The Lane Hackers
Same as above, anything you can gather on them to help put them in the ground. This is likely to be a much more difficult task, as the Hackers' M.O. is much more subtle than that of your average Rheinland fascist. As such, you'll receive a greater reward for any intel you can provide here.
I hope that you'll take the job, and that time hasn't soured our relationship too much. If there's anything I can do to sweeten the deal or help accommodate your tasks, please let me know.
I was very surprised when I noticed who actually sent this transmission.
Believe it or not, I have been looking for you.
[HF]-Gleam!: Derek Smith is the name. I remember yours though. I've taken over the communication with you after Sahega disappeared
J.S.: Smith-san, indeed. My apologies, I have been unavailable for quite some time.
[HF]-Gleam!: Along with many others. We had to comprehend the loss of Sahega and the disappearance of the Lord Commander in the meanwhile
J.S.: Really? What happened to them. That Sahega looked like a skilled pilot.
[HF]-Gleam!: The Lord Commander faced a trial for war-crimes in the 72nd Fleet. He just disappeared at some point though and Sahega never returned from an assault on Texas
J.S.: Any lead about her location or.. Fate?
[HF]-Gleam!: Nothing sadly. None of the men and women she accompanied returned. We assume she is KIA
J.S.: What was this operation about? A raid against Navy assets?
[HF]-Gleam!: Yes, a rather normal assault wing operation. Maybe they ran into an unexpected Navy force or got surprised by a battle-group.
J.S.: Odd. From what I saw, Sahega-san seemed to know how to get away from most critical situations. I will see if I can gather some Intel about it. Who knows... But if your men couldn't get anything, I suppose there is little hope.
[HF]-Gleam!: I'd appreciate any word of her fate. If she got captured it might cause serious problems. She knew about nearly everything.
J.S.: Concerning indeed.
[HF]-Gleam!: Even more concerned I am about the 72nd though. Locklear disappeared out of their custody
J.S.: If she got captured, it is unlikely she is spending time on Sugarland or any low security prison.
[HF]-Gleam!: Seems those Outcasts didn't change their ways after all
J.S.: How is that even possible? Wasn't he locked tight?
[HF]-Gleam!: He was facing a trial for the death of 1200 men and women, so I assume they didn't let him out of his cell. Unless of course, their trial was a bullet
J.S.: From what he told me however, it sounded like his custody was not really hardly enforced. Do you think he would be the kind of person to run away? Sounds odd, as he claimed to be the one willing to be put in custody.
[HF]-Gleam!: Yes, he went into custody out of his free will. I am much more inclined to believe the Outcasts killed him. I doubt he fled
J.S.: Hmm. Wouldn't they have told you about it? What is the point for them to hide it?
[HF]-Gleam!: The 72nd tries to hold up a legal front, at the moment they are not considered enemies of the Commonwealth. I have my doubts about the honesty of Outcasts though, even if Locklear trusted them.
J.S.: I do not trust Outcasts either. They are just criminals to me.
[HF]-Gleam!: Exactly. They are no better than the scum that roams the lanes in Liberty and robs or enslaves whoever they can get hold of.
J.S.: Perhaps threatening them of hostility could get you some truth. I do not know what is the balance of power between Hellfire and them though... And how badly they need your neutrality.
[HF]-Gleam!: I thought about that, but for now we need to regain our former strength. With all those disappearances morale is low and we need to reorganize. Laying low seems to be the best bet for the moment.
J.S.: Probably. Experienced personnel is hard to get by.
[HF]-Gleam!: Indeed. That a Fleet Admiral had to take over as Lord Commander says all you need to know about the situation.
J.S.: Hmm.
[HF]-Gleam!: However, I got to take care of some things. If you get any word of what happened to Sahega Id love to hear about it. I suppose you still have the channel password of the last time.
J.S.: Hai. I will see what I can do. Sayonara, Smith-san.
That was several months ago. Spent some time roaming Texas, Bering and even sneaked into Virginia system to find a lead about what happened to your wing. No dice. It is a pleasant surprise to hear you're alive and still kicking.
It is reassuring as well to see Hellfire is on its way to reorganize successfully. I can relate with that frustration of yours regarding males. I have more than my share of stories revolving around this subject from my years in Kusari Naval Forces. "Never send a boy to a woman's job" is the old saying, hm?
That said, your job offer has been received and accepted. One observation, though :
Points one and two seem pretty straight forward. Point three may be quite problematic, however. Indeed, from my past experience, Lane Hackers are extremely cautious, secretive by nature, and proficient in information warfare. These traits makes it very difficult to outsmart or cross them. Consequently, I wouldn't keep my hopes up about the completion of this task.
I appreciate the trust you put in me by granting me access to your internal communication grid. I will put that in good use.
Don't forget you can also ask if you need a wing-mate for a risky operation.
Derek Smith's words are very amusing, but that means I did my job right. The trial is likely to last longer than expected, but the Commonwealth is soft. So long as they knew Locklear was alive and kicking they would've never appointed an interim leader. Smith is a good soldier with a fine mind. He's also an old man with little to no charisma, and remember what I said about the Legion running on that garbage.
I disappeared for awhile to ensure Locklear wouldn't be contacting the Legion. He's safe within the 72nd's custody and by my estimation the trial should be over some time before the end of the year. That means he'll either be dead, or be back at the helm again. It'll be interesting to see what happens if he returns. If Dalgaard is a man of ambition he may do more than just keep his seat warm, and another civil war would destroy the Legion. Meaning I'll have to put a bullet in somebody's skull if it comes to that.
I'm glad you've accepted my offer, Junko. And by no means do I expect any information on point three. I did say you'd be graciously rewarded for a reason...
I'm also rather surprised to hear you're glad I'm alive. Given my position, it would be more convenient for almost everybody else if I were to drop dead tomorrow. I suppose a certain degree of separation helps with that, but it's still a little alien to my spec ops ears.
I see. You did what was required for Hellfire to gain back strong leadership... Despite express orders from your superiors, perhaps?
That gives me the feeling you are not telling me everything.
Are you in conflict with your hierarchy right now or planning to be in a very close future? Is Smith-san aware of your status and your whereabouts?
Your words almost made me think you were preparing to fight another faction within Hellfire Legion. I have to reckon I know very little about the influential groups composing your organization.
But all this is probably none of my business. I'd just like to inquire, though :
Should I refrain from telling Smith you're alive and what you were up to, then?
It shouldn't be that surprising to find people not willing to kill you, Sahega. I personally have no reason to whatsoever. We fought together once, after all. And you seemed like a decent person to me.
Refraining from telling him where I've been is probably the smart thing to do. If he hasn't figured out I'm alive yet though he's blind. I've returned and been on active duty for the past week now. It makes no difference who breaks the news.
Preparing to fight another faction within the Legion? Far from it. The Legion's very nature makes it an entity prone to infiltration, subterfuge, and fracture in general. This has happened many times in the past, and every time it has left the Legion worse for wear regardless of how the victors try to justify it. With my background and my position I could run it if I wanted to, but I don't. Competence - unfortunately or not - does not preclude loyalty. My only goal is to ensure that yet another insurgent faction within the Legion doesn't arise to begin with. Nothing more, nothing less. If Locklear and I agreed on nothing else, its that the people down on Guadalajara deserve better than a ragtag band of rebels.
Decency. It's been awhile since I've even had to think about the concept.
Very well. I will keep the bearded man out of the loop. Not that I had much contact with him lately. The last time we talked was months ago, in the conversation I linked in a previous transmission.
I can understand better what your intentions are. Thank you for those explanations. I'm still quite ignorant of Hellfire Legion structure and institutions.
Hopefully you won't be disappointed by this new male in charge you mentioned. The quieter, colder and edge world traits have a Core vibe which may be.. Trouble, if you ask me. Time will tell.
I will keep you posted on my progress regarding the tasks you mentioned.
Thank you, Junko. I took quite the risk reaching out to you. I'm glad to see that it wasn't a mistake.
As an aside.. could we set a time to meet? Some things are best not discussed over the neural net. I'm flexible, the time and place can be of your choosing.
Apologies for the delay. The latest ion storm did a number on our communications network. If you're still on Bethlehem, I'd be able to meet at approximately 1800 hours Standard Sirian Time.
Please accept my sincere apologies for my disappearance. I was sadly cornered and shot down by hostiles in the Omegas. Ship and freedom lost in the process. It's only recently a combination of factors that would be quite boring to relate here allowed me to thank warmly my guests for their hospitality and get back to business.
Someone took a nice picture for me, though.
Now, I'm afraid I didn't advance in the slightest regarding the task you gave me because of those unforeseen events. There is just a civilian ship that should be still waiting for me in Beaumont's docks... Unless the Junkers decided to scrap it already.
We planned to meet. I'm looking forward to it, as soon as I will return to House Liberty. I'm actually in House Rheinland. I wanted to check those rumors about some terrorist attack occurring in Frankfurt system.
What is happening there might actually interest you and your organization. I will be more specific as soon as I can gather relevant data.
P.S : It's been several months. Do you know if you know who's trial is settled?