Greetings Mr. Anderson.

I'm the leader of the New Covenant Church, a religious congregation that has resided in Pygar since 826 AS. We currently have a fairly large settlement on the planet, called Faith Haven, with a current population of over 13k inhabitants, located at coordinates 41º 54' 10'' and 12º 27' 20''. Anyway, if you have taken over the Administration of the planet I've no doubt you will have all this details about us available in your database, along with many others.

You and I haven't had the opportunity to speak in the past, although I'm aware that you've at least had some contact with the NCC. I remember well that a little over a year ago we asked to Livadia Shipyard to hurriedly buy a Nephilim-class colony ship, and it was you who assisted us, offering the reconditioning of an old ship. On that occasion you spoke to one of my subordinates, Monsignor William Patel, who later spoke to me favorably about the treatment received from you. I also know that during the Freeport 9 crisis, when we believed that the Corsairs could invade Pygar and we still didn't have our colony ship operational to evacuate our civilian population, you offered us one of your Nephilims, the Theia, to do it. Monsignor Patel conveyed our gratitude to you then, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank personally for everything you did.

Regarding the recent change in the Administration, I don't know the details of what happened and I understand that these are internal matters for the Phoenix, but I must say that I was very disappointed and upset by Administrator Voncloud's dismissal. The only thing I've heard, and which you've just confirmed, is that he has lost the confidence within the organization, which baffles me a lot. The NCC has a good and long-standing working relationship with him, and he's not someone I would consider untrustworthy, rather the opposite.

Jerard Voncloud has been the only leader in charge of the planetary Administration that we've known since we arrived here years ago, and during all this time he has earned our admiration and respect through his management. He has been a dedicated person, who has prioritized the lives of the inhabitants of Pygar above all else, including his own personal pride. Taking into account all the efficient work he has done since the colonization of Pygar began, I cannot help but consider it very unfair that he has been removed from his position.

You may be surprised by so much compliments for Administrator Voncloud but someone who acts in such an impeccable manner from a position of command as he did, inevitably ends up gaining the favor of those over whom he has influence. It's just my personal opinion, of course, but I know it's equally shared by many of the colonists on this planet, so I wouldn't feel like I was being honest with you if I didn't tell you how things feel around here. However, as I said before, I know this is an internal Phoenix matter, which I hope you can solve in the most beneficial way for Pygar.

So, leaving this aside and given the current situation, now I would be particularly interested in knowing what the current Administration's policy will be regarding the maintenance of the Theta Treaty. The NCC, as a signatory to that Treaty, believe that the collaboration arising from that agreement has been very positive for the maintenance of peace and for alleviate the food crisis resulting from the Freeport 9 biodomes destruction. Furthermore, thanks to the Treaty all parties involved are participating, to the extent that we can, in the reconstruction of these biodomes.

I hope you understand that continuing this successful joint effort is vital to the survival of the people of Pygar. In the case of the NCC, it's true that we don't have a compromised situation. Almost since our arrival we built a very large surface biodome in Faith Haven dedicated exclusively to growing vegetables, which makes our community practically self-sufficient in that aspect. Nevertheless, the vast majority of settlements on the planet don't have that luxury. After Freeport 9 crisis, the NCC offered half of its food production to Pygar Administration, and we put our colony on strict rationing, but as you might expect that was only a pretty insufficient band-aid. The reality is that the planet survives thanks to food shipments from the outside, and due to the Treaty these shipments are now regular.

For the moment, Mr. Anderson, I can only hope that the Administration of the planet and the NCC can maintain the excellent collaboration that we've had until now, and that the current Administration stay focused on what is most important: the lives of the people who inhabit Pygar.

I remain at your disposal for any questions you may need to resolve regarding us.

Deux be with you.

Good day Mr. Anderson.

As I told you before, I've great respect for you as a person. The Church hasn't forgotten the dedicated care you gave us in a time of need when we were complete strangers to you, and we will always be very grateful to you. And precisely because of this respect I've for you, I believe I can do no less than offer my complete honesty about what I think.

The Theta Treaty came at a time when our backs were against the wall, it's true. The Zoner allied forces were fighting the Corsairs for their takeover of Freeport 9, and we put up quite a fight. We gave it our all. The entire system had become a slaughterhouse and both sides inflicted heavy casualties on each other. However, their numbers and firepower were overwhelmingly superior to ours. We weren't going to win that war, Mr. Anderson. It was literally impossible. I understand that you think that we could have organized some kind of guerrilla maneuvers and resisted for a few years in a perpetual state of war, making life very uncomfortable for them. The problem is that this would also certainly have made life much more uncomfortable for us.

The Corsairs offered us a ceasefire and a parley, and believe me, I was the first to think it was a joke in bad taste. On my conscience weighed the names of all the members of my Pontifical Guard who died in the fighting, trying to defend the independence of Freeport and the entire system, and the injustice committed against the Zoner community burned in my veins. I admit that I came to harbor hatred against the Corsairs, and I wished the death of each and every one of them. And believe me, for a man of faith like me, that means admitting a very great sin. However, we agreed to meet with them and talk things over because we had no alternative. A refusal would have meant continuing the war, which would have led to even more deaths, and ultimately perhaps a definitive defeat. In the end we had to decide thinking about the well-being of those who were under our responsibility, the defenseless civilians of Pygar.

On this planet, Mr. Anderson, live mainly simple people. They aren't soldiers, but rather merchants and even some farmers who try to get this hostile rock to produce something they can eat. Who are we to decide for them a future of war and death that would have led nowhere? Do you really think we could have successfully retaken Freeport? We already openly engaged the Corsair forces and fought fiercely, sought allies, even attempted a military landing on the station. If all that was of no use, I don't know what else we could have done that would have brought us victory. I, and other Zoner leaders, decided it was time to stop the violence and talk, rather than condemn our people further to inexorable death.

We went there expecting a demand for unconditional surrender, but we were quite surprised that instead the Corsairs offered us a plan to, all together, rebuild what had been destroyed and alleviate the famine that was looming over Pygar and Corfu. They offered us a Treaty whereby they wouldn't only stop the violence, but would help us turn Theta into a place where the Zoner civilian population could live better. They offered us a joint Zoner-Corsair administration of Freeport 9, and put their naval fleet at the service of the defense of the system and its inhabitants.

Of course, we didn't believe that all this would really happen. We thought that the Corsairs simply wanted to sweeten our surrender, but we signed anyway because we had no other options. I remember my envoy to the Summit in the MFE Academy later telling me how Administrator Voncloud had exploded in anger at the Corsair delegation, practically spitting in their faces, but he swallowed his pride and agreed, because he wisely knew that this was the best thing for the civilians living on Pygar and Corfu, or if you want to put it that way, the least bad.

However, more than a year has passed since we signed that Treaty, and I can tell you that the Corsairs have impeccably complied with each and every one of the agreed clauses. Not only do they allow food convoys to reach Pygar and Corfu, they even protect them. In collaboration with some Zoner groups, they are rebuilding the destroyed biodomes of Freeport 9, and they respect the joint Administration of the station. They have not set foot on Pygar, nor on Corfu, nor have they tried to place any delegation there, nor control them, and the Zoner groups operating on Theta can continue to have their own armed forces without any restrictions. Furthermore, the Corsair fleet has jointly protected the system with various Zoner forces during the recent raids by Nomad hordes several months ago, as provided for in the Treaty. Those disgusting alien aberrations cursed by Deux came at us with everything they had, and I can assure you that without the Corsairs' help, we would never have been able to repel them. In return for this protection, they haven't asked us for reciprocity, and in no case have they expected us to support their military campaigns.

What I'm trying to tell you, Mr. Anderson, is that after more than a year of the Treaty, honored by the Corsairs as well as the other signatories, I've no reason to believe that the Cretans are contemplating any operation that would go against the interests of the Zoner inhabitants of this system. Theta is relatively calm at the moment, food is flowing to Pygar and Corfu, and there is a collaboration and cordiality between the signatories of the Treaty that has so far been very beneficial to all. I don't agree with you about the hypothetical "slavery" of the current situation, and I don't understand what could be a good reason to stir things up now, to feel the guillotine of uncertainty hanging over our heads again.

When we signed this Treaty, we all thought that the Corsairs would sooner or later begin to bend the terms, if not break them outright. After all, what could we've done to avoid it? But that has not happened, and I now have real reasons to believe that the Cretans may actually have a genuine interest in keeping things as they are. That, frankly, is in the interest of my people, and in my opinion is a good thing for all the settlers of Pygar, and the inhabitants of Corfu. So, my decision, as far as the community that I lead is concerned, is that we've no intention of abandoning or breaking the Treaty.

Believe me, I haven't forgotten what happened during the taking of Freeport or afterwards, and the dead weigh heavily on my soul. Don't believe that I'm so naive as to think that the Corsair are respecting the Treaty out of mere good will, or out of pure kindness. It's obvious that they're very interested and that benefits them, because otherwise they wouldn't have offered it to us. Nevertheless, and does that matter? As a leader of my community I must put what is good for my people above all else, and if we all get something, what's the problem?It's better for everyone. Besides, if the Cretans have been able to keep their word about the Treaty, I cannot break mine. I don't have the habit of breaking the promises I make, and that, Mr. Anderson, is a virtue of which I'm proud.

I thank you for letting us know your willingness to respect our decision about the Treaty. This will make our relations much easier, and even if we don't agree in this regard, you should know I understand your position, much I may think it's misguided. Of course, the planet Administration will have our complete collaboration for the benefit of Pygar as we've provided it so far, as long as this doesn't force us to fail to comply with any of the obligations that we've as signatories of the Treaty. We will continue to actively participate in the defense of the planet and Corfu Base, and you can count on the support of our small military fleet to protect the well-being and lives of its inhabitants.

I greatly appreciate that you have interest in protecting Theta from the growing Nomad presence, that's something that the Church also takes extremely seriously. These unholy monsters are without a doubt the greatest threat facing Humanity, and we humans must stand united in a common front if we're to have a chance of successfully confronting them. I also share your approach to everything that has to do with the Nomads or their demonic creators, only fire can purify such a quantity of pure Evil. This is one of the main reasons why I believe that the Treaty is also essential for this matter, because it adds the Corsairs as our allies against the aliens. When the Nomads decide to return, and they will do it, we're going to need all available cannons firing from the same side.

Mr. Anderson, I believe we're in a very delicate moment at this time, both on Pygar and throughout Theta. My humble suggestion to you as the new Administrator of the planet is to put politics aside and focus on the needs of the inhabitants under your responsibility. These people have been through some very bad times, and now they need to feel that their lives are not going to be blown up again. I know that many settlers around here are deeply worried that can no longer count on Jerard Voncloud, and I personally share all of their feelings. Voncloud set the bar high. As far as my Church is concerned, the Administration he headed came to have a very close understanding and trust with us that I will miss. Honestly I hope that we can achieve something similar with the one you now lead, and I will try to do my best to achieve that.

I wish you luck, and Deux be with you.