First off, I've got to beg your pardon for this horrendous delay I had to impose on you, but believe me, it actually isn't even my fault. Apparently the communication network the Rogues are using in this rathole is pretty outmoded and could use a refit, because when I looked at the date you allegedly sent this communique, I realized there had been a delay of three days unti the message got actually delivered to my room. Now, it would have obviously been easier iff you had just come over to my room and told me the details of your plan personally, but I guess I can understand that you wanted them to be noted down somewhere. I'm afraid though that the same delay will happen just the other way around, which means another three days of waiting until you get this reply, approximately. I'll tell them to fix that crap ASAP though, maybe they will even manage to do something about it - or it just gets even worse, these Rogues don't seem to be the most talented technicians. The network would probably be completely dead afterwards when I think about it, so maybe I should just let it be.

Anyhow, let's get to your plan. Gotta admit I still don't really understand why you actually ask me whether I'm interested, it doesn't make sense to me. You do hopefully realize I would probably be the millstone round your neck, do you not? It's not like I got much of my share to contribute, since my share itself is barely existent currently. On the other hand of course, the best ideas usually come into being from the ugliest of all desperate situations. Otherwise, this actually sounds like quite a gap in the market you found there. Or, to word it differently, you found a way to stabilize the market and, as you call it, "harmonize" it again.

I take it we should prepare for a lot of work though that will need to be done until we reach that point of ultimate control of the Cardamine market, right? It doesn't sound like the easiest thing to do, I mean, you and me are simple people, right? And we would have to synchronize multiple large organizations with possibly stubborn leaders that need persuasion and all.

Anyhow, this definitely sounds like an idea that is by far the most lucrative idea since many, many months. Count me in.

Si, I guess the drinks are by now long overdue, don't you think? I had the pleasure of attending one of their parties they threw not long ago by the way. Let's express it this way: It is an interesting culture they got there.

You know, just out of fun and a sudden increase in inexplicable boredom, I decided to quickly double-check your comment, it were roughly fifty percent I spent with talking about the delays and searching for an excuse, alright? Not like the exact percentage would actually matter at all, I know right, I just felt the urge to give you this, and it gave me a little giggle. Thus it's definitely been worth it.

I've got my own concerns whether the Council will actually be willing to hand over the market to a more or less independent organization, from what I have heard about them they are used to keeping maximum control over literally everything - whether they succeed in this is definitely a whole other story, taking the variety of Maltese splinter groups into consideration which have been emerging every now and then. Yet I naturally can't contradict your statement, we will definitely need them to give us their blessings if we want to succeed and pull this whole thing off in a promising way. As they are neither used to talking to simple insects, though, I believe the first step we need to take is get our idea out there, and first and foremost actually get known among the underworld's various creatures. But most importantly, we need to show some brains, signaling that we're not just the everyday drug dealing dummie people have in front of them.

Special snowflakes or no special snowflakes, even if we just look like the most random dealers and pirates you could think of, I'm sure we'll be able to change that in the near future.

Well, culture possibly was an overstatement, it's just a ridiculous mess of binge-drinking and chain-smoking from what I've found in their local bars. I guess I should acquire your mindest of just staying there for the nights as well anytime soon, anything else but my own room just stinks and delivers an urge to vomit just from looking at it. The people are alright though. I mean, I don't like these sort of people, but I've been in an ongoing process of getting used to them for the past three years, so it's nothing new for me, kind of.

Anyhow, the drinks they've got on offer are actually not bad at all, I'm going to try another one out just now, join me if you want, it would surely be more interesting with company than without.

It's been some time since we've met each other. Tell me, how have you been holding up during the last weeks? I remember the last time we spoke you've been talking about some investment into a transport to move more Orange more effectively, have you managed to purchase one already? Really would interest me so that we can get the business running, you know?

However, what I actually wanted to tell you was something else. You see, today I've met quite an interesting person, Kyou Haruko this woman is called. Together with a few pesky Navy patrols who were audacious enough to chase me down, right into the Badlands towards Rochester. In the end I escaped, hopefully these idiotas got surprise-attacked by some Rogue Gunboat patrols. Anyhow, this woman seemed pretty curious, even stayed at Buffalo while the Navy cleared out and apparently waited for me to undock again to have a chit-chat with me. Turned out she's a smuggler, moving black market arms to Malta and Cardamine back to Liberty. I couldn't help but get reminded of our own little idea, so I decided to stay with her a little, escorting her on one of her runs and collecting some cash through it all while checking her personality out.

As it turned out, she's quite a decent one if you ask me. I couldn't help but think that maybe we could do a number on her and work a bit together with her? From what I could see, she seems to work on her own so far, but I believe it's safe to say she would be a charming addition to our smuggling network. As long as we don't have the necessary transports to ship Cardamine ourselves, we could act as escort pilots for other smugglers - getting ourselves known inside the branche.

What do you think about that, Kieran?

Now, that at least explains why I haven't met you much lately... that, however, makes me a little curious. What kind of drinking games are we talking about? I mean, I didn't expect you to party around that much on Alcatraz with those silly Rogues. Not like that they aren't good company, no I'm not saying that, their parties with all the drinking, smoking, vomiting and having sex are just a little excessive all in all if you ask me. Literally, if you aren't careful the people next to you get rid of their pants without a forewarning and get to work. It's all a bit try-hard, forced, not really real, if you understand what I'm talking about.

Anyhow, yes I will relay her comm details to you as soon as I can, because truth be told, I completely forgot asking her about that. I am sure though that I will see her again in the next few days, that is when I am on the look-out for her, but that shouldn't be a major problem. I could almost bet if I just stayed at Rochester the whole day long, eventually I'd get to meet her again. However, si, I had the same suspicions at first, after all a Freelancer choosing to hang around in the Badlands, in front of Buffalo, willingly, to catch an Outcast in privacy, that's all a little weird and crazy and as you said, suspicious. However if she had been a snitch for the Navy or Police, she would have had more than enough opportunities to make me atone for the amount of trust I was showing. However, she didn't, so I am convinced she really actually just is a simple smuggler in search for security. Which is something we can offer, si? The days of me having problems to even control my craft are numbered!

Talking about idiotas, by the way, today when I was near Rochester I've met a similarly weird person, a Xeno who apparently had some serious complexes. He believed to be a freaking bomb, if that's not reason enough to put him into psychiatry, I am at my wits' end. It was a little bit of a hassle in the end, I mean, I made it out of there, but with more than just a few scratches, I tell you.

And yes, I will take that statement you've made about women as an insult.

Not really, though. Maybe a little bit.

Get well soon though, I hope it's not something serious? After all, I want my bud at my side again!

Just as I told, I stumbled upon Miss Haruko again today, accompanied her during another smuggling run of hers. And this time, I finally did ask her for her comm ID details, which she wasn't reluctant to give away at all. You'll find them attached to this message. Have a nice natter.

I'll keep earning some money as long as you can't, maybe it will soon be enough to invest in a transport finally, who knows? Would be a relief. I believe as soon as we got one, it will go uphill finally. Nothing against pirating and robbing, but from what I've seen smuggling is a far more effective variant of getting the cash.

See you soon.