I am Jack Henderson. Forget for a moment that I am doing IMG Operations.
I am Jack and I have a beautiful fiancee who carries my child. I only can see her under extreme danger because our child can only survive on Planet Malta due to its mother's exposure to Cardamine during captivity. My child will likely never be able to live outside of an artificial atmosphere or outside of Malta. My soon-to-be wife will never get out of her addiction now that the exposure has become constant.
Slavery and Cardamine ruined my family.
I would like you to comment on this intel and tell me what I should think of it.
****Incoming Transmission****
****Comm ID: Arbiter Jack Crow****
****location: Classified****
I am Jack as well. Forget for a moment that I have researchers in Puerto Rico close to a cure for Cardamine addiction. What exactly do you want me to do about this?
What can you do about the 30.000 lives that were thrown onto Malta to perish in slavery while they produce the drug that will kill even more?
What can you do about those who come into contact with the Cardamine that was loaded onto your Barge and sold somewhere?
Nothing can be done about the past any more. The damage is done.
Hundreds of thousands of tragedies were caused by this one act alone.
How big is your family?
How many families has your Alpha operation ruined?
Tell me, what can be done in the future, Mr. Crow.
Tell me what the Junker Congress will do to set itself aside from those unscrupulous slavers and despicable cardamine smugglers that we hate passionately and hunt down mercilessly.
****Incoming Transmission****
****Comm ID: Arbiter Jack Crow****
****location: Classified****
Well I guess in that sense nothing can really be done. Don’t lose too much sleep over it. Have you ever looked into the hidden activities of the LSF? Oh never mind, I probably shouldn’t be talking about that. At any rate I’ll tell you what I am going to do about it. I’m going to launch someone out an airlock for losing his head and ignoring one of my oldest standing orders. I doubt you’ll be seeing this again.
It will not happen again. That's a word that I want to trust in.
I'll be direct:
I am sure you understand that the Guild's eyes will be wide open now and that we will check Junker Congress ships that cross the Taus. We will be intercepting ships that might be headed towards Alpha (e.g. in T37) and we will reroute them if we think that they might support our enemy. In addition, I will make sure that there are eyes in places that IMG Defense pilots cannot watch themselves.
I think it is fair to play with open cards in this matter, as I have no intention of wrecking the standing between the Guild and the Congress.
And as long as something like this doesn't happen again, and as you promised internal consequences, I think everything reasonable has been done.
Good luck, Mr. Crow. I hope the next communications between us have a nicer content than this one.
****Incoming Transmission****
****Comm ID: Arbiter Jack Crow****
****location: Classified****
So, you don’t want to destroy the standing between the Guild and the Congress? I’d like to believe that. Somehow this information of yours has found its way to Planet Crete. You tell me about these connections you have on Planet Malta and how important this is to you and all the while you are dealing behind everyone’s back with the Corsairs. I told you that this should not have happened and I told you I would take care of this. You know full well from the past that when I say that I mean it. Still, it appears to me that you are trying to ignite all of the Taus, Omegas, and other places into a great fireball. Just what are you trying to accomplish with all of this?
Please calm down. You have the wrong man in your crosshairs.
I have nothing to do with what you mentioned, nor has the Guild. The Outcast and the Corsairs are bitter enemies of the Guild and of me and I would never hand intel over to my enemy. If I wanted to harm the relations with the Congress, there would have been easier ways.
A more logical explanation is: I was offered the intel from the sources took the pictures in Alpha. You could likely identify them from the pictures that I showed you. They are not IMG personell but freelancers and mercenaries, acting outside of my and the Guild's influence. I would assume, they sold it not only to me but to others as well. It would not be surprising, given the nature of freelancers and mercenaries.
Please check whether it makes sense for the IMG or me to send data to the Corsairs in order to harm the Congress. It makes no sense and it did not happen that way.
I regret that you seem to get into more trouble with this, at a moment when I thought the matter was dealt with. I promise on the life of my family that neither the Guild not I have anything to do with the distribution of intel you mentioned. I am simply a buyer who contacted you after he looked at what he bought.
****Incoming Transmission****
****Comm ID: Arbiter Jack Crow****
****location: Classified****
No, it really doesn’t make sense at all that the IMG would send this data to the Corsairs. That is why I am so puzzled by the whole affair. This all seems crazy to me and it is going to upset a lot of people and likely result in many deaths. Yes, I can see from the pictures you sent how they were taken. I realize that you bought them from a mercenary, probably one that was in your employ to begin with. Interesting that you would send mercenaries into that system given your personal interest there, but that is another story. Here’s my problem with your story. You are telling me that this “mercenary” sold the pictures to you and then turned around and sold the pictures to someone else……someone who happens to be your enemy. Basically you are telling me this mercenary has betrayed your trust. Even the most vile of mercenaries must live by a code of honor. If they were to put themselves in a position where their clients could not trust their discretion then they would be out of business. Now if a mercenary really did do this, they have not only betrayed you but set in motion events that will have negative repercussions for a great deal of their client base in the future. Is that really what you want me to believe happened?
I can only guess what those did who channeled the intel to me and who seem to have channeled it also to the Corsairs.
But let me specify: The mercs were not in Alpha on IMG's nor on my command. The IMG Bounty Board does not legitimize Alpha operations. We pay mercs to defend our Zone of Influence, and that is not Alpha.
I thought how I can convince you that neither I, nor the Guild are behind this. Perhaps it helps, if I open reading access to the communication channel that the mercs used to contact me. I hope you can believe me then, that they are contacting parties that a) they know and b) they think that they might be interested in the material and c) willing to pay.
Read-only access to channel messages 1, 2 and 3 has been granted: << Encrypted Link >>
You are right that it sounds weird that mercenaries that shoot Corsairs sold it to the Corsairs. But, hmm... to be honest: I don't have the luxury of asking those who help our Paramilitary in the Taus to keep the Outcast hordes at bay about their loyalty. I know some hate the Outcast, and I know that some are simply loyal to money.
I cannot think of anything else how I can convince you that this is not my move. You are looking for another enemy, I fear. Someone who seems to have a real reason to get at you.
Good luck in your efforts. I personally hate damage control operations and I know what you must be feeling.
****Incoming Transmission****
****Comm ID: Arbiter Jack Crow****
****location: Classified****
Yes, you are quite right about damage control operations. I think you fail to see who is in damage control mode here. Let’s look at the facts. The data YOU SENT shows that you bought this information from a mercenary. As I already stated, we both knew that. What I cannot believe is that a mercenary would sell this data to you and then turn around and sell it to someone else. To do so would completely destroy the mercenary’s credibility. The data was turned over to you for a price. That leaves you as the one in control of this information. You claim that you did not play this hand and yet you are the one holding all the cards.
Am I in damage control mode? Not really. As we speak, I am removing our interests from the Omegas where they will be placed in danger by your actions. Might I remind you these are the same interests that have been protecting your interests in that region. There is going to be a firestorm over this. Have you taken the time to think about that? We are quite used to storms such as this. We will survive. What are you going to do? Think of how many different groups have interests in the Omegas and will be affected by what you have done. How are you going to explain this to them? Damage control indeed.