Chenzo had returned from what must have been over a decade away. So, so much had changed.
A tour of his known maps of Sirius found old friends and foes, some new one's too. All in all, the Outcast empire he knew was considerably smaller than what he knew it to be.
Venturing further into the omicrons for the first time in... forever, things were different. Something wasn't quite right. The enemy felt closer than ever.
He made for the freeport, only to find it wasn't a freeport anymore. At some point, somehow, the Corsairs had over run Freeport Nine. It was apparent they were dug in well. Chenzo respected Zoners more than most, but this stain had to go.
His blood boiling, he reached out to an old zoner friend to ask for information. He'd asked the Zoner for certain wares to be made for a rather large project back home. He was the perfect person to ask.
Comercio Fantasma was nearing the final stages of construction. It was started not long after his arrival. Each floor under specific design of Vin Chenzo himself, each to serve a purpose not met anywhere else. The station wasn't officially open yet, here in a time of need it became the focal point of precision planning to push the corsair's back.
A meeting had been arranged, the head of the Zoners group Pheonix was due in just a few hours to arrive within Omicron Alpha via Jump Drive. Chenzo had sought clearance from the leader of the largest group of Outcasts which existed today, Senor Alejandro Harabero, leader of the Hyperspace Star Fleet. Chenzo was never used to asking anyone for anything, but times had changed. It was clear teamwork was required now more than ever.
Chenzo had been very brief in what the call of the urgent meeting was about, but he hoped Harabero would show, hopefully with other figure heads of warring capability.
All the hallways were covered in plastic as fresh surfaces had not yet been unveiled. A clear pathway through the corridors which were well lit lead those from entry mooring points and hangers directly into a large meeting room. Comfortable chairs placed in a circle around a large marble table.
Harabero had been invited along with anyone else he may see fit to join.
The sound deadening properties of the station would have made Harabero's approach a surprise had the on board electronic registry not updated Chenzo to his presence. The station was far from finished, however it was already serving what could be a vital role in Maltese defence.
As Harabero enters what is to be the meeting room, his greeting is accepted with a smile from Chenzo.
Chenzo: "
You'll have to forgive me senor, our talk in Ibiza was at the forefront of my priority list until I realised just how close the Corsairs had got. We'd have not spoke at all about any of that if I was aware."
As per usual, he pulls a cigarette out and continues talking
"I'll admit I'm not fond of drastic measures like calling those filthy bounty hunters here, especially for assistance. Alas, we've spoken on the battlefield and if they have your trust, they have mine. We'll keep this meeting as short and sweet as possible. Did a representative of the Core agree to come?"
No sooner had the words left his lips....
Gabrielle Daniels entered the room abruptly. She was closely followed by two bodyguards. Male and female, both augmented heavily with cybernetics.
She halted to a stop, as sharply as she had made her entrance, looked around and nodded her head towards her security. They turned around and left the room.
The Guildmistress, following in her father's footsteps was dressed for the occasion. Knee length black dress, high heels and iridium earrings, as well as a bracelet and a necklace made from the same precious metal. She made no efforts to hide her subtle scars, an result of her own cybernetic augmentations. Somewhat of a tradition in the Core, no real member of the group would was left without cybernetics. Gabrielle, however, was a step above the others. Even her eyes were fully synthetic, which their unnaturally white color gave away.
She looked around the room slowly, making eye contact with every single person that was present while nodding and greeting them. She did this, of course, because she was a businesswoman at heart. She had a specific goal in mind. Gabrielle was sure not a single person in this room liked her. In fact, she was certain, at the very least, half of them barely kept their guns in their holsters when they saw her. The Core has no love for the Outcasts and vice versa. Much like there is no former addict, there is also no such thing as former enemies turned friends. But the circumstances demanded cooperation. Daniels was presented with the opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Corsair empire and that's not something that happens every day. Sure, she had some resemblance of respect towards a select few outcasts, but in general, she had no fond feelings for rest and they didn't have any either.
She walked towards one of the chairs, took a seat and crossed her legs.
"Cozy place. Perfect for planning our enemies' demise."
Chenzo looked toward the woman who had entered. He was sure this wasn't his Zoner contact. Much more surprised was he to see the level of cyborg modifications she had. He thought that without such levels of surgery she may have been much more attractive. Not that it mattered, maybe they were required due to birth defects? He quickly re-focused and began to speak.
Chenzo: "
Senorita, you must be the representative of the Core, Si? We await one more person to join us, a representative of the Zoner group, I do hope this meeting is fruitful to the cause of which you were presence was requested"
He sits back and continues to smoke
She nodded towards the man politely. Her eyes subtly flashed for a second, as she scanned his face and pulled all available information on him.
"Gabrielle Daniels, Guildmistress of the Core, at your services, Mr. Chenzo. Quite the legend around here, are you?"
Taken a back that she knew who he was, as he had no idea who she was prior to now. Perhaps just a coincidence given the only other person in the room was Harabero.
Chenzo: "
I won't go that far, legends aren't alive after all, si? Then again, I am the last genuine Ghost of the 101st and that alone is quite something I guess. We're here to see how we can work together to begin the process of stuffing the corsairs back into the small box of which they were before my departure. I guess I can call you friend over foe if you're to assist with that in any way.
He looks her directly in her prosthetics
The Maltese are bound by honour, we keep to our word and any who fall short die in the process. What we agree to work on together here today is to be met with the exact intentions and actions that we speak. Back-stabbery of any kind will be met with a death most cruel. Harabero trusts you, so that means I do too."
Gabrielle smiled. She found it amusing how the man first tried to be modest and then proceeded to dish out death threats. She wasn't intimidated one bit. In fact, she was happy about this outcome. It meant the people in this room were dead serious about their intentions and her time won't be wasted.
"Mr. Chezno, while we're not bound by such honor as you are, we are excellent businessmen. When we make a deal, we see it through. Especially when there is profit to be made. And in this case, the less Corsairs crawling around, like the cockroaches they are, the better it is for our business endeavours in the sector.
You can rest easy, we aren't going to frak you over and piss on your lifeless body.
And uh, let's be honest, whether we like eachother or not is besides the point. What matters is bringing fiery death to our favorite cretins. No pun intended."
Chenzo had made a total miss-judge of character. The woman before him was nothing of what he expected. Much more indeed. Despite his irrefutable direction of the old ways in which he knew, there was something to like about this woman. Quite what there was to like he was unsure of, only time would tell.
Chenzo: "
If your warships hold as strong in battle as your words directly to my face then this war is already won"
He glances back toward Harabero with a smile on this face before turning back to face the guild mistress
Chenzo: "
I like this one, she has something about her."
He gets up and walks over to a cabinet, picks up a device then tosses it to Daniels
Chenzo: "
All Maltese stations have Cardamine systematically pumped through the vents, I don't expect you to appreciate the orange dream, this mask will filter it from the air you breathe whilst allowing you to speak normally and be heard. Then again, Cardamine may just be the best modification to your body, but that's your choice, of course. There's another here for our next guest when he arrives, I'll let you do the honour of throwing him one unless he already has one.
There's some mild refreshments and nobody can hear anything that happens within this room from outside. You and Harabero are the first 'outsiders' to those I employ past the hanger airlock since this installation was built"
The woman caught the mask and carefully examined it. She looked at Chenzo and smiled, once again.
"Nice legacy tech, I like it. But as you can imagine, cybernetic lungs are a must for someone like me. After all, my father was hooked on cardamine. Quite the shocker, I know. Nevertheless, he made sure I wouldn't share his faith. No offense meant, of course. Cardamine is a tradition of yours that I respect. After all, the pros of usage outweigh the cons."
She put the mask on the table and leaned back again.
"As for our warships, let's just say that what we lack in numbers, we more than make up in quality. It's not an easy job to survive in the middle of buttfrak nowhere, but so far, we've managed to do so just fine. Much like your cardamine situation, this comes at a price. We abandon our humanity in favor of cybernetics, much like we abandon morally correct decisions in the name of progress. You and me, we aren't so different. We do what we must and we regret nothing. "
Gabrielle took out a cigarette from the pack in her purse and lit it up with an old fashioned lighter made of iridium. The woman took a few quick puffs and reached for the ashtray.
"Now then, are we waiting for someone else or...?"
Just as she said that, the door made an audible sound as it opened and...