The small transport shuttle moored with the station hidden amongst the gas cloud and the mines slowly - the Conference-class gunboat from which it had originated was too large to moor with the station, and would have blocked the ever-increasing traffic to and from Corfu.
As the mooring procedures completed, Doctor Wilhelm von Schnee adjusted his small, delicately-balanced glasses carefully. Exiting the shuttle, he flashed his various security cards at the appropriate times, quickly making his way to the meeting room. He opened the door and stepped inside the room.
The room, if it could be called one, was very small, little bigger than the coffee table which it held inside it. The atmosphere was very stuffy, and the low drone of the ventilation system somehow seemed to overpower even the thoughts within one's head. Not the best of places to hold a discussion which could potentially alter the future of one of the largest factions in Sirius, but it would do for now.
Schnee coughed into his elbow and stood in the corner, waiting for Captain Bernard to enter, along with any... "guests" that he may choose to bring along. Hopefully the good captain could find the proper room amongst the twisting, narrow corridors of the small asteroid base.
For the last days Sparta was maybe the most militarized place ever; hidden inside a huge minefield, surrounded by heavy weapons; with patrols all around it was safe. Today it was even a bit crowded: many people in armored suits and uniform were walking along the desks, ships were arriving and leaving. Exploration vessel "Samothraki" that had exchanged it's original duties to security purposes in Theta and Seventy Four for the last time, came to anchor at the mooring point yesterday.
Bernard Finch has left the ship and walked on the third desk looking around. Meeting room was just in a minute from lift - not so comfortable, but a safe and secured place with walls capable of surving a small nuclear bomb explosion. Security, security, security. And security. Bernard opened the door.
- Good day, Doctor von Schnee, I'm sorry if you had to wait. Do you enjoy the place?
Schnee coughed lightly, before smiling weakly at Finch.
"Greetings, Herr Finch. Yes, Sparta is a... cozy station, one way to describe it... I trust you found this room with little trouble. Shall we sit and discuss matters, then?"
He pulled out one of the many chairs along the side of the table as far as it would go, which was only about a foot, before it reached the wall. He sat down, slightly uncomfortably, and waited for Finch to speak.
- Well, this is the reason of our meeting. To be honest, Doctor, I somehow took part in all of the last days of Zoner Alliance and Zoner Defence Force and one of the few who still flies under ZDF flag.
Bernard turns to a coffee machine and turns it on, then picked up a couple of paper cups and asked:
- Would you enjoy a cup of coffee?
Without waiting for an answer he filled both cups, put them on the table and leaned on a chair.
- Let's say, that with the end of Zoner Alliance, the end have come to many of our dreams and good intentions. I personally know many people that fight nowadays in Omicrons on one side or another. I bet that you know Commander Hellfari. He told me once: "Freedom is not so free. Together we're strong and divided we're weak" - he was a great man; it was a honor to stay together with him and the others and then... I met him in Omicron Theta. He and his people were delivering food to Corsair Empire. You know, it was somehow a moment when the last rabbit in my hat dissapeared.
Bernard drained his cup in one gulp and put it into machine for a second helping. He got an insomnia in the last days and now keeps himself online with an enormous amount of coffee and tobacco. He aslo noticed that the shadows under the eyes maked him look a bit romantic in his role.
- But, Doctor, we're not giving up. Me, my men, my Exploration Command pilots, we will not give up.
"This is a good thing to hear, my friend," he says, taking the cup of coffee and consuming it with almost as much enthusiasm as his companion did.
"However, simply 'not giving up' is not good enough, as unfortunate as that is. The Corsairs are slowly coming closer and closer to the heart of Zoner territory, Omicron-74, and, much as we'd like to, we can't beat them back with our current forces. We need a plan of action.
"Fortunately, however, I have a plan," as he finishes his cup of coffee, he leans over the small table and fills it up again before returning to his seat.
- A plan?
Bernard's face brightened.
- With the number of people who decided to leave the Sector or run and hide... Well, I had some ideas, but it had to be more about miracles. Tell me what do you have in mind.
He put a touchpad with Sirius maps and the recent reports of Corsair fleet movements on the table. It was the basis he was spending the last nights on trying to fix something or find out the possibe solution. Well, this man is not a natural born warrior from what he seen for the last minutes, but noone of us is natural born and Bernard remembered it.
Schnee grinned, and, removing a holopad from his pocket, placed it on the table and activated it. It reveals a large, semi-spherical map of Sirius, however, the Omicrons and the Omegas seem more in-focus than the rest of the map's area. As well, the paths between systems are displayed as well. Schnee pulled out a device resembling a laser pointer, and shone it at the dot which, presumably, represented Omicron-74. Schnee confirms this.
"Zis dot is Omicron-74. Most of the Zoner forces are currently located in zis system, and Omicron Delta," he says as he moves the beam from Omicron-74 to the dot representing Delta. He's obviously very excited, as his Rheinland accent is starting to enter into his voice again, which does not happen often. "ja? Well, over here-" noting once again at the appropriate place, "is Omega-49. In zis system, is ze planet Gran Canaria. It ist ze only planet nearly fully controlled by ze Zoners, ja? Vell, what I propose, is a rallying of all forces willing to participate in ze plan here in Omicron-74, at Livadia Shipyard, und then move them to Gran Canaria. First, we vould send out small convoys, and gradually increase ze size, until we begin sending Juggernauts with zehm. Then, once we send out at least three Jinkusus, we will move all of ze civilian, industrial, und a large chunk of ze military forces all at once to Gran Canaria.
"We zehn move the remaining forces slowly-" he emphasized this point, "to Omega-49.
"Zese forces shall cover our tracks, as it were, making sure zat we are not followed by any Corsairs. We could request aid from ze Order if necessary. Once in Omega-49, we base ourselves off of Gran Canaria und start producing ships for defense. Individual Zoner factions und individuals are free to do as zey wish once we get there, of course, if they even choose to come... however, it seems simple common sense for all of us to organize ourselves from one common point, und call a vote amongst influential members of ze Zoner community as to vat ve shall do next."
Schnee seemed to calm down slightly at this point, and seemed quite proud of himself.
"Well, herr Finch, what do you think? Do we have a chance of success with this plan?"
- Community. You know, Wilhelm, that's the main problem I ran into recently. There is no community now. We had a good old Alliane that helped people to find a compromise and act together. Now we're all just the small groups with our own interests. Temporary Autonomous Zoners left to avoid taking the collective responsibility and it was the trigger for a domino principle that divided us.
Bernard clicks on a touchscreen and opens a round-up from Gran Canaria.
- Gran Canaria, a place that was concieved as a safe haven and a planet to people from all over the Sirius live peacefully without the influence of corrupted governments, now turned into a serie of localized conflicts between refugees from Corsair Empire and Zoner Colonies. Common sense changes its vector from prosper to survival.
Bernard takes place on the chair on the opposite side from von Schnee and starts to rock on it.
- With all the development of that political collapse, I'm searching for the new allies and the old good ones. I'm going to contact Tomoe to get all the classified information about the expeditions sent to distant space. I know that I'm trying to do the impossible and send a distress call to the people who left Sirius many years ago, but, maybe, that's the time when we have a small chance. And, I would like to invite you to a meeting with a very special man half a hour later. It's less about a future of the Zoners at all, but about the future of a few men that trust me that much.
"Well, herr Bernard, I would be most happy to attend. Where is zis meeting located, may I ask?"
Schnee seems slightly disappointed that his elaborate plan was rejected, but, of course, he maintains his composure as usual.
- I understand what you think of my words, Doctor, but the last weeks for me also were the time of dissapointment. And now the only think I can believe in is the people who decided to join me, to stay with me and to work together with me in the hard times.
Bernard stands up and stretches his hands, then set his jacket straight.
- So, tell me, can I count on you in even harder times? I mean, will you help me to work on all the things before we really can perform a strike back of some sort? I was a bit rude when I said that your idea can't be performed. You said the right word - individuals. We don't have a community of the sort we have before, but we have individuals that can do the things.
He thinks a second and adds.
- And our friend is waifing for us on the nexe level. We have a little time, so we can take a walk without hurry.