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A-Sektor-4893 Planet Holstein, Frankfurt
3/31/826 AS, 20:28

Oh boy was she in for a surprise. Not just the I.M.G, but the ALG and Hessians as well. We a door at the end of a single hallway connecting a series of blocks. It was the observatory, which at this point was my quarters since no one else made use of it and I was here most often anyways. No one filed a complaint so I just stuck to it. I pressed my thumb against the print scan and let the retinal scan do its job. As the door opened I looked back at eliza and tilted my head slightly to let her in first.

This never got old.

The observatory was amazing, half the room was covered in a clear plasteel substance that allowed for the room to be what it was named after, the other half was like a hybrid lounge/bedroom/research setting. There were desks to work at, a place to sleep and a place to relax, this was definitely my favorite part of the job. I sound lazy, but really the work down here has the impact necessary for this to be relevant, the amount of minerals and strange life-qualities down here gives way to improving every ounce of hardware we make use of up in space. Strange animal traits have always been a resource for the medical field and biological experimentation divisions. Anyways.

The ALG, Hessians, and IMG were all seen fighting the Bretonians side by side. Shortly after the Rheinland government imposed sanctions on the ALG which are still in effect. The actions of these three may be frowned upon by you, and the Bretonians. But among the common citizens here in Rheinland, their actions are being near-worshiped. I walked over towards my little "stay-in" near one of the counters. "Rum, I know I had some recently..."

You can sit down by the way if you'd like, it's getting late. Soon you'll be able to see the ghost-lindworms. Ok that really did sound weird to anyone who hadn't heard of them before. But I didn't know how else to entertain her. Never-mind, I found the rum.

Aaaaand here we are. DEFINETLY don't tell people I have this right now or I'll be slandered by my colleagues for weeks. I put the bottle down on one of the smaller tables near the couches, I couldn't tell if she was intrigued by what I was telling her about Omega-3, or about what I had just mentioned with the observatory.

You might hate them, Eliza. But their struggle for survival everywhere speaks volumes to the people here. Rheinland is industrious as a house can be, the common citizen is the backbone for the house. But now, right now, there are people who sit above them looking to take their earnings and voices and throw them away...

I'm going to try and break this down as best I can, but you CANNOT go spreading rumors to media sources or anyone you don't trust for that matter. I would particularly prefer if anyone in the Bretonian military, media, or in that general area didn't catch wind of this. I don't want to see my home ripped to shreds.

Eliza knew that ALG would readily side with IMG against the Maltese, but she never expected them to assist the Miner's Guild against one of the four lawful houses of Sirius, especially one that Rheinland is in good relations with. This wasn't good news, not for Malta at least. This was indeed more worrisome than the EFL.

Once Valdez entered the observatory though, her grim train of thoughts regarding future diplomacy quickly vanished, pushed away by the awe of the view. The deep ocean, illuminated by the facility's lights was wonder to behold, perhaps only seconded by the majesty of the Razgriz Abyss in Phi or the phenomenon she had dubbed "burning eye" in Omicron Sigma.

"Amazing..."

The Maltese whispered under her breath. For a moment she could feel free from the worries of what the future held for her or for her nation. This distraction though was cut by Kat's voice as the agent continued sharing further information about what transpired in Omega-3.

In truth, Eliza didn't care much for the Guild's assets in the Omegas. All this mess was just a convenient excuse to permit hostilities against the IMG in Newcastle for her. Without tarnishing diplomatic standing with Bretonia more importantly. The IMG had played the martyr card before in Tau-23. They kept their exclusive rights to the Niobium fields and pretended to be oppressed by the Gallic Crown when in fact they welcomed their new "conquerors" with open arms as that meant the competition from BMM was virtually eliminated. At least that's how Eliza saw things as a Maltese.

The Maltese girl took a seat on one of the couches and crossed her legs. Perhaps this could rival the expensive penthouses on planet Curacao, that paradise world generously provided for the rich class that could afford Orbital Spa and Cruise's billing. The view though, her eyes trailed back to the transparent portion of the room, was perhaps even better than what the rich class was used to enjoying. Kommissar Laurenz was an interesting bird, Eliza originally imagined her to be much more dull and uninteresting. This was a pleasant surprise to say the least. And so was the bottle of Omicron spiced rum that was most likely the bounty from a Corsair wreck or purchased by one of the Zoner merchants.

Eliza's eyes sailed back to Kat. It turned out it wasn't just a Maltese custom to have internal conflicts. Rheinland had it's own fair share of those if what Katharina was sharing was as grave as she made it out to be. The lack of internal unity was bad for an ally but it was good when found in an enemy. Problem was that Eliza did not know which of the two the Bundesrepublik was going to be. She gave a small nod of acknowledgement before speaking her thoughts.

"Hate's a strong word, Kat, I'm merely concerned with Malta's well-being. My only interest in hostilities against the miners is pushing them out of our Taus so that they cease being a threat to our convoys. Malta is a single world, import and export is crucial for us and having the Miner's Guild around threatens that. The only benefit from this conflict in the Omegas for us was being given the carte blanche to begin hostilities against them in Newcastle with the hope of drawing their attention and some of their forces from the Tau systems."

Eliza paused for a moment. She wasn't sure if she was sharing too much information herself. Perhaps it was for the better, after all mutual trust was needed if the two of them were to plot their plans for mutually beneficial domination of all of Sirius. This silly thought amused the Maltese into a smirk that she tried to hide by continuing.

"I hope this confidentiality will be mutual, señora. There are certain plans and scenarios that I've ran through my head regarding the uncertain future that would be just as dangerous for me, the legion and Malta if they reach the wrong ears before their potential execution."

The Maltese smiled, the night was off to an interesting start.

A-Sektor-4893 Planet Holstein, Frankfurt
3/31/826 AS, 20:32

I guess there was no other way besides being blunt. There won't be Maltese relations with Rheinland if this develops, Eliza. The military is acting on their own accord with the sponsorship of Daumann and Kruger Minerals. More than half our fleets are up north roaming the sigma systens and eastern Kusari. There are millions who have protested this war right now, and with tensions brewing between the Rheinland government and the ALG, people are starting to sign blank checks like another war is about to errupt.

I was a bit shakey saying it out loud, I didn't like promoting speculation or rumors, but this was a matter of partnership on behalf of the Buro. It had to be worthwhile.

With the ALG protesting the war effort and these sanctions, as well as the expansion being met with conflict from entities in Rheinland... Well it's just a rumor... Well I couldn't leave her hanging now.

There's only one military power in Rheinland capable of making these people's dreams become a reality, and if they begin to receive endorsements from our own entities. Rheinland would be torn Eliza, the Military isn't on a conquest for Saigon alone at this point. It feels more like revenge. Like... fulfilling an ego or something. To them, and to the ALG, Malta is just in the way. Alright hopefully she could put 2 and 2 together.

She looked like she was processing the whole thing, maybe she didn't care but there was no way she could dodge my case about the Sigma conquest. Maybe...

Oh! One of the massive lindworms came roaming up, immediately catching Eliza's attention and my own. I lived for moments like this, these creatures were enormous, nearly 70 meters in length. I turned back again towards Eliza, who looked like she was ready to run out the door.

Don't worry they're completely harmless. Unless you provoke them... but we can't really provoke them as we are now. It was alone, some times a few curious ones would swim up this far. I'd go ahead and recite the rant about how amazing they are, but now wouldn't be the time... unless Eliza asked.

Eliza doubted that things were as bad as agent Laurenz made them out to be. The truce between the Rheinwehr and the Maltese pilots was indeed rather fresh, but from what she observed the assistance was well appreciated throughout the ranks that were present in Sigma-21 on the Rheinland Military's side. Malta was more than willing to cooperate and there were plenty of enemies on the list before the Maltese were the last ones standing in the Sigmas. It was inevitable that Rheinland would break the truce should they defeat the Kusari Navy, the Gas Miners Guild and the Corsairs, but come on, how likely was that really? Maybe this was an exaggeration to instill a sense of urgency in Eliza and force her into cooperation. Kat did sound genuinely worried so Valdez had no way to know for sure.

The second part did worry her more genuinely though. The Maltese girl was aware of the Hessian movement. She did attempt negotiations with them an year and something back to gain access to Rheinland and was met with a fair amount of distrust. The Hessians were ready to work with Maltese pilots against the Corsair Empire, but they were wary of the dangers of the orange grass and as such opposed entry of cardamine convoys or any serious Maltese raiding parties into their territory. They, much like the Rheinland Military, found use in cooperation with Malta, but only because in their current state they were not capable of defeating their enemies decisively. But if their revolution in Rheinland succeeded? There was no telling how their diplomacy would change. And even if it did not, this sudden shift could likely cause such an economic crisis and power gap that perhaps the Corsairs would take the crumbling house by surprise. So many scenarios and Eliza did not like either of them. Status quo was the best solution, she needed all the major players in a stalemate, because a stalemate was good for Malta's safety while the planet was far enough to be out of sight and out of mind.

All this was a big bite to chew through and Eliza sank into her own thoughts, oblivious to her hostess and the surroundings. Well - oblivious until a huge blue glowing serpent made it's appearance in Eliza's peripheral vision. In the redhead's line of work big blue glowing things were more often than not quite hostile and held the firm intention of ending her. This sort of consistency quickly forced her subconsciousness to instinctively kick any other thoughts out and put all the focus on the serpent heading straight for them. Her heartbeat nearly doubled and she could feel the goose bumps crawling down her spine. Katharina assurance that they were in fact safe was thankfully just on time to prevent the Maltese for make a run for her own life. Scratch that, the sea life here was definitely more frightening than the space squids. With a still pale face she turned to the Bureau agent, but not without keeping the lindworm in her peripheral vision, just to be safe.

"I didn't expect such, such a close encounter! Those things are bigger than I imagined they would be... It's actually rather majestic now that I know it won't try and eat me."

Eliza ended her recovery attempt with a short and slightly anxious chuckle. It was funny how the imminent could throw all future worries away in a mere blink of an eye. All that was left was the sole hope that this display of cowardice did not ruin her fearless reputation in the eyes of her blonde hostess. Nevertheless she had to attempt to salvage the situation as best as she could.

"I understand we're just useful at the moment, but would the Military really consider breaking the truce before they've dealt with the Corsair Empire? To my humble understanding the Corsairs were the original reason negotiations began, not the Sigma war. A revolution back home sounds like a more imminent concern, if Rheinland collapses there's no telling how the powers surrounding it will shift and expand to fill the gap. Is the Rheinwehr really that oblivious to what lies waiting in the Omegas?"

A-Sektor-4893 Planet Holstein, Frankfurt
3/31/826 AS, 20:37

Taking in the beauty in front of me for some time, I kept to the idea of just making "direct" responses. There was really no point in brushing around the edges at this point, and if she knew the Corsair's situation maybe she would understand -what could very well become her situation- a bit better. The Corsairs aren't making the Government nervous. This Imperialist movement, if anything, aligns within the scope of the Corsair Empire. Realistically speaking even they're engaged with the Hessians in the deep Omegas after the events of Aland. They couldn't commit to Rheinland now even if they wanted to, they're not numerous enough.

Hopefully that would carry over the message a bit more, the Hessians and Corsairs at each other's throats wasn't out of the Ordinary. But it only paved way for whatever agenda the Military had in mind.

Eliza they're going to keep expanding, and while it might not be the main issue for both of us immediately, the Gallics will lobby for action against you and other elements in Rheinland that get in the way of their agenda. Especially once they've purchased everything, which at this rate - they most certainly will. So, one way or another, whether it be the Imperialist agenda, the Hessians overthrowing the regime, the Gallics... Maltese diplomacy may be in turmoil for the majority of the Goverment. Ok that pretty much covered it.

But that doesn't have to apply to me, or the Buro of course. Want any other drinks?

After the sight of the serpent and Kat's gloomy statements Eliza felt that she needed a drink to numb the stress so she generously poured herself a glass full of rum. She eyed the brownish liquid for a few moments before taking a taste of it. The bitterness of the alcohol could not match the bitterness of the news she was receiving.

"And what of Omicron Xi? I know the Rheinland Military withdrew from there and they have regained their control of the system. Corsairs coming into Rheinland from Munich is not a concern it seems?"

The Maltese looked back into her glass and steered it a bit, watching the liquid inside spiral around the glass edge. The way the Bureau agent had put things it sounded much like an invitation for the Maltese to betray Rheinland first. If there was no point to further conduct diplomacy in regards to their two nations, why were the two of them even here to begin with? Eliza's attention turned back to her blonde companion.

"No need, the rum's fine."

Valdez took another sip before putting her glass back on the table. The agent obviously wanted something and there was no point to further beat around the bush, considering the direct and dire answers that Eliza was getting to her queries regarding Rheinland. She was anxious to hear how exactly she fit into the agency's plans and so she quickly transferred the ball back into agent Laurenz's court.

"So, Kat, if collapse of the diplomatic relations between our two Houses is imminent, what do you and the Bureau offer? I doubt you're here to convince me to start shooting Rheinlanders in the Sigmas. You obviously called me here for a reason."

A-Sektor-4893 Planet Holstein, Frankfurt
3/31/826 AS, 20:40

Munich will be nothing more than a wasteland in a matter of months, unless they surge through with everything they have I doubt they'll get far enough for the government to even consider pulling back fleet assets.

"I doubt you're here to convince me to start shooting Rheinlanders in the Sigmas." Well... I mean that wasn't entirely off what I had in mind, granted, there were some other things too. But if the government outlawed the Buro completely there would be need for something along those lines. The legion wasn't recognized with official capacity within the Government anyways - they'd be prime assassins.

If things get that bad we were hoping you might, among that weapon deal. There are a lot of things we can provide in return that the Bundestag soon wont be able to. But I guess that depends on your decision. I can't really get into specifics until you do, part of my job.

Eliza did not expect to be proven wrong on her previous statement. Her azure eyes glued themselves on Kat, carefully scanning each contour of the Rheinlander's visage. What was the Bureau's game in provoking hostilities between Malta and their own nation? Was this even the Bureau's plan or just a personal machination of Laurenz? But what did she planned to gain from all this? Instead of providing answers this meeting had only produced more questions for Eliza. She reached for her rum again, her eyes barely breaking contact with Kat's.

The two of them met entirely on the Kommissar's terms. This was blonde's home turf and there was no telling what the consequences were going to be if Eliza declined. Then again there was no telling what agreeing to any of this would lead to either. Valdez's glass of rum slowly made its way to her lips. Washing down the severity of her situation with alcohol was likely a bad decision but she went with it anyways. The liquid went down her throat but the burning sensation wasn't enough to eliminate her troubles, not even for that mere moment.

Eliza adjusted herself in her seat anxiously. She always preferred direct and open approaches to her own problems. Subterfuge and political backstabbing were not something she felt all too comfortable with. In fact such plots were much more fitting for that other blonde woman that Valdez once held very dear. Was Kat like Loyola? The Maltese had no way to know what true intentions stood behind those hazel eyes, the agent's mind was an enigma for her. What worried Valdez the most was the fact she felt drawn to that, as if it was a puzzle or riddle that she just had to solve.

Her concerned expression suddenly turned into a smirk, she let her head back and closed her eyes in self amusement. She fell for it again - clearly she never learned her lesson that she should stay away from mysterious blondes. Last time it almost costed Eliza her life and given the severity of the situation she doubted this time it could be much different. Valdez exhaled before turning back her attention to the Kommissar.

"You remind me of another blonde who was close to me, Kat, you really do. You played me just as well as she did. If I decline this proposition I doubt it would be much trouble for you to pull the correct strings and put Rheinland back into hostilities with the Legión and Malta as a whole as this conversation here between you and me has never happened in the first place."

Eliza paused for a moment as she leaned her posture forward towards the Bureau agent in front. The self amusement was just as prevalent on her expression as before.

"And if I accept I will be a tool in whatever enigmatic plans you might hold behind those mysterious eyes of yours. You've already won this either way so I can't help but ask - what would I get if I go down this road willingly?"

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