[ DETERRENCE SANCTUM, OMICRON GAMMA to LUXURY LINER HAWAII, SIGMA-19 SYSTEM 14.08.829 A.S]
With the first summit of the Senatus de Imperio Corsario concluded on Sanctum, an inconspicuous looking freighter named Lacrimosa left the docking bays of the station. Despite its rugged exterior, the ship was comfortable, its luxury interior denoting the status of the passengers inside. Much was discussed in the past few days and from the looks of it, the trend was about to continue.
The ship waited patiently as three additional fighters undocked and synched with the freighter. They departed quickly and silently without any further comms or logs left. If their luck was holding true, the way forward should be bereft of anything eventful. Assuming that intelligence had done their job properly, there was no reason to suspect any threats along the way or that information was leaked to one of Deterrence's many enemies.
Omicron Gamma was as beautiful as ever. The Walker Nebula and its orange-yellow hue gave a certain sense of tranquility to the region. Full of sulfur asteroids and all kinds of dangers lurking about, the peace was only an illusion. Enemy sightings were frequent and quickly dispelled any ideas for serenity, urging any seasoned pilot around these parts to be always on guard. The four ships proceeded on their journey uninterrupted, cruising forward without any contacts in range.
The Omicron Theta system offered a similar level of solitude to the crew. With arguably, one of the most remote settlements existing in the colonies, for many this was a desired circumstance. Deterrence had many friends among the Zoners, however the pilots opted for discretion. The group avoided Freeport 9 and the regular route and continued on its uneventful and quiet journey.
Before they knew it, the squadron arrived at Luxury Liner Hawaii. Ravenna had traveled these routes more than once yet still found the view impressive. The remarkable vistas of the Sigma-19 system were truly a sight to behold. It wasn’t as good as home, she ascertained, but it offered a different kind of beauty. The AS Orbital Spa and Cruise Lines and its state-of-the-art Luxury Liner now in full view in front of her, awakened the pirate in her. What a perfect target to raid. She enjoyed the thought for a moment then put a check on her natural impulses and concentrated on the task at hand. The forbidden fruit will have to be tasted at a later time, if at all.
The ships docked at its predetermined allocated spaces. A group of five made their way towards the central decontamination room. First was Praetor Carlos "Aurelius" Morales. In his late thirties, the man already had gray hair and streaks of silver in his beard. Despite his elegant clothing, he surveyed the room for potential ambushes, threats, or anything amiss. His lean build conveyed a sense of speed without a compromise on physical strength. Praetor Massimo Insigne joined him. His fine features added a sense of handsomeness to his face. The scars and his alert eyes dispelled any illusion of potential inexperience or complacency. Checking his equipment quickly, he looked for the rest of his group. Next were Praetor Lucah 'Nox' Samaras and Praetor Sandra Sanchez who were engulfed in a conversation among themselves - a dance of logic and passion, those two were always debating on how to improve things, at any moment. Dressed for combat, they were a handful, each in a different way. And finally, Executor Ravenna Nagash herself joined the group. Her rifle resting comfortably on her back. Her black mask hiding half of her face, red hair collected in a pony-tail. She instinctively checked her concealed pistol and knife, then stretched her hands and legs. The body suit was fitting comfortably underneath her combat jacket, cargo pants, and black boots.
The group approached their Hogosha hosts, who quickly led them to the meeting room. The Kusari man beckoned them to take their seats. Ravenna’s green eyes quickly surveyed the room taking in the situation. She took her face plate off, then let her hair loose.
"Looks like we'll be here for a while." -
she thought to herself.
Her lips formed into a shark-looking smile and with a firm but pleasant tone greeted the representatives.
"Buen dia compañeras delegadas y delegados. Nǐ hǎo, xièxiè nǐ de kuǎndài. Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Executor Ravenna Nagash of the Deterrence. With me are Praetors Samaras, Morales, Insigne, and Sanchez. They represent Deterrence's finest.’’ -
she gestured approvingly at each of the faces next to her.
"I would be remiss, if I didn't mention that we are also representing RPPS in these discussions. A pleasure to be your acquaintance." -
adjusting herself comfortably, she leaned into the chair and crossed her legs while looking thoughtfully at each of the representatives.
Ravenna rose steadily from her seat, placing both palms on the table, and looked around the room. She began addressing the group with a cold composure, her clear voice echoing across the room.
Esteemed representatives of Kusari, delegates from the Corsair Imperio - it gives me great honor to start off this meeting. The main theme of this summit – a new chapter between our two great societies. We are living through a period of rapid transition and strife. Diplomacy changes, dynamics shift, and new enemies arise. We must be ever vigilant to any existential threats to the peace, as well as our security.
Today the safety of our borders, peace-keeping, and the building and maintaining of a strong defense and security form part of a wider diplomatic and political exercise. I hope this is the beginning of a new realization for all our people.
To preface our agenda - I, together with my
Conclave members represent the ruling body of the Deterrence. We also represent the
Senatus de Imperio Corsario, of which
RPPS is also a member. Therefore, we’ll be covering both factions’ respective points for the purpose of establishing this treaty.
We would like to thank the Empire of Kusari for involving everyone across the board in this discussion. This meeting could be beneficial for the entirety of the Corsair Imperio and the rest of the people of Crete.
The Senatus agrees on all points of the original proposed treaty, but as Deterrence’s Conclave already mentioned in our initial communications, we would like to discuss the possibility of expanding the terms of this treaty for the benefit of both the Kusari and Corsair empires.
- To begin, reading back on your communications with the Brotherhood, access to the Bounty Board appears to be exclusive to their faction. Given that Deterrence fields the largest standing military of the Imperio, it makes sense that this is extended to us too. There’s also a number of independent Corsairs pilots within our territory who will likely be interested in making some profit. After all, this change would provide an opportunity to mitigate your unlawful population more effectively.
- Another thing to note in the aforementioned communications is that the relations of the Kusari Empire and the Gas Miners Guild have become less-than-friendly. We’d like to understand your current position and long-term policy towards GMG, given the geopolitical conditions. While not the main purpose of this treaty, it's a point worth considering and discussing.
- Further, we'd like to note that Kusari has not explicitly mentioned any goods available on the Shirosato station to bring back home with us. A trade route that goes both ways would be advantageous to either party. Deterrence has a proposal of which we’re confident our fellow Corsair brethren will appreciate - load up some of your renowned, domestically-grown Kyushu Rice and Junyo Fish aboard Shirosato Station, offer it to our citizens for a reasonable price . This should invigorate your domestic food production. We’ve heard rumors that Synth Food continues to be a potential competition and a bone of contention for Kusari. We would like to further improve our supply chains and diversify our ability to reinforce remote locations with vital goods to expand our future operations as well as the general health of our people.
- Your treaty with the Brotherhood has a "No Foreign Capital Ship" clause. We are interested in expanding this particular point and allowing our capital ships to support mutually advantageous operations. Deterrence can be flexible on this item. If you are not interested in granting a complete freedom of movement for vessels of all classes - then let’s discuss a relaxation of this policy. We can negotiate a limitation to pilots who have proven their discipline. Or, alternatively, limit our fleet-movement to designated, agreed-upon areas. I’m open to your suggestions.
Last but not the least, we would like to present a request from a fellow member of our Senatus.
Salazar Caesar from the Roman Praetorian Prefecture has suggested additional points that could potentially benefit both parties:
- Cultural exchange with Kusari.
- License to broadcast Kusari media on Roman aligned stations and ships.
- Kusari to broadcast Roman media on selected channels.
- Exchange of intelligence that concerns the security of each side against common enemies.
And so, that draws my points to a close. Thank you for your attention, I urge you to carefully consider everything I’ve shared.
The opportunities for a new found understanding and cooperation between us are vast.
Standing still for a moment, her eyes scanned the room slowly before she took her seat.