Christian crossed his arms on the chest, remaining calm, he glanced at Gabrielle “Of course, I understand your concerns and they do have the ground. But, we will ensure the safety of yours. Party that plays dirty will be targeted by us, so you can count on the backup, in case it’ll be sabotaged.” he gestured his hands and a hologram appeared above the desk “This is Phoenix flagship, Hyperion. Built in the mind of being a true warship, I think Core would be interested in such a vessel." He shook his hand and the hologram disappeared “If someone would break the agreement before reaching the destination and we would not provide the support - you have the keys of that ship. How does it sound to you? That should be enough evidence that we are playing clean here.”
He turned to Chenzo and gestured into agreement “You are quite correct. While we are not enforcing No Fire Zones that over time have been shown as counterproductive and anarchic methods, Freeports never been designed as foothold for the attacks on neighboring groups.”
Gabrielle was actually intrigued, for the first time since she arrived here..
"You're right about one thing and it's what I've been saying. Zoners running their Freeports is much better than the Corsairs at the helm. Business is business and you, or me, can't do business with Corsairs."
She took a deep breath, leaned back and continued:
" Thing is, what you are proposing is... quite hard to achieve. While I appreciate the Freeports for what they are, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to dispatch battlegroups to defend a Freeport if my own installations are under imminent threat. Furthermore, my authority is not infinite. Neither are my supply lines. There's quite a few Freeports that we simply don't have the resources to reach. Sure, we can help if the people threatening the Freeports in say Delta, Theta and the Omegas, are enemies of the Core. That's beneficial for both the Zoners and us, but more than that, nuh-uh. No can do. "
Gabrille wasn't done, though.
"In any case, I'm still on board with the whole "Freeport Liberation" thing and I will also take a look at the agreement you speak of, when it's done. Whether I sign it or not, is whole another story. "
Chenzo's interest is peaked as Burton mentions a warship and technologies he's not had chance to study. A truly new venture, however this was not the focus at at hand.
He quickly re-focussed, and spoke.
Chenzo: "Well, to restore order with the freeports outside of our reach would be a stupid and costly venture. I was purely on about those you mentioned within our immediate vicinity. The rest, I'm sure will follow in time.
Let's not forget who the Corsairs are. They're good at surviving, however they're awful at many things we're extremely good at. They swell in numbers but not ability. Allowing them to extend to a size they have now, to expand as far as they have?
This is like lamb to the slaughter. They cannot hope to sustain themselves and at arm's length if a few of their supply lines are disrupted.
Harebero, as much as I, you do not like the words I speak, but surly you cannot but agree with my method of suggested action?"
He reaches inside his jacket. pulls a cigarette from a case and takes an appreciative toke
Chenzo: "A blind angry man pannic's and flails. We have the tools at our disposal, it won't take too much to pull this off. Or, shoot me down, come up with soemthing better using the same tools at our disposal?"
He sits back and relaxes awaiting Harabero's calculated thoughts to be vocalised.
Harabero was starting to grow frustrated. They needed a conversation in the now. It was nice to talk theoretical, but they were just wasting time. He turned turned to the Core and Zoner representatives.
If you want to truly strike the blow at the Corsairs you'll need more than a few "measly little fighter squadrons and half baked plans". I want commitment, or the coordination for those craft more trouble than it's worth. Right now, we are doing the heavy lifting, and you're in this up to your knees just as much as us.
That was easier said than done, of course. Inside, he recoiled for the outburst. The Don's scheming mind would always come up with some contingency plans, however. Something to turn that "advantageous", whatever that meant in this situation.
I don't need the Mars. However, before we go on to the future, we need a solid, laid in stone plan for how we are going to even begin toward taking the cursed Freeport, and even more so a commitment between all who can to do so. I came to hear organization, numbers, and coordination. Before we go rambling off on what to do afterwards, we need the foundations.
Gabrielle put out her cigarette and looked Harabero in the eye.
"I concur. We need a solid plan and people who're willing and able to play along with it. No place for amateurs. "
She continued, without blinking.
"If this op is to succeed, we need to strike fast and strike true. If we hesitate even the slightest, the consequences are going to be...catastrophic. Let's hear your plan, Don. I'm hoping it begins with severing supply routes and therefore, cutting the Corsairs of Theta from their homeworld."
Chenzo was almost in pain as if Harabero was suggesting this meeting was half baked in some way. Attempting to inspire additional input, he re-focus’s as Daniels speaks.
Chenzo: “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s but two ways in or out of Gamma?
There’s but two ways from the Corsairs side into Theta?
We very much can plug the entrances to holes so that that no reinforcements can’t arrive from Gamma, of course this means additional risk your side Daniels, we’ll have to re-enforce you in Zeta.
We can surly rely on the Coalition to do the same on their side. It sickens me to say, but we’d also have to re-enforce them as the Corsairs return troops from wars they are currently trying to wage on Bretonia.
For the blockades to work we’d need a number of EMP emitters to prevent enemy cruise flight, amongst unwavering cooperation from the Coalition.
That’s just for starters.”
He thought this would surly be the foundations of the plan in which to inspire additional input.
"Somewhat of a good plan, but we'll be stretched over a huge area. What I was suggesting were pre-emptive strikes on their supply lines. Trying to cut Gamma off from the rest of Sirius is nigh-impossible. Not with their numbers."
She lit a third cigarette and continued.
"We pester them for some time with minimal numbers and then boom. We descend upon Theta from all sides. You - from Alpha, Us from Delta and Zoners from the Omegas, or wherever their fleet is stationed.
Also, it would be beneficial if our Zoner friends would convince people on the Freeport to rebel at the right time. Sabotage from the inside. It's going to be quite easier to approach the station if it's defenses are down. I'm sure Mr. Burton here has at least a few loyal men left on that base. "
Christian seems to be consistent with the points of the interlocutors, although he barely was able to imagine a true blockade for Omicron Gamma, it would be a true meat grinder. "Zoners fleet are gathering on the dark side of Pygar’s orbit. Quite a safe spot to gather a strike force without being unnoticed. So it would be perfect for us to establish blockade from the Omicron Theta,"
He glimpsed at Gabrielle "Indeed, most of Zoner population on the Freeport 9 is loyal to us.” He took a deep breath and his face was palled “ But we are unable to investigate whether they were killed or not. But without doubt if they are alive they would start the rebellion if they see our flagship incoming."
Christian attuned to rest of interlocutors "But I cannot guarantee the same loyalty of the Freeport 5. This place was sort of a transshipment point between the rest of the world and Gamma and it never was under our administration or even recent sights. A nice portion of them are of Corsair origin, it's very hard to predict what side they will pick on, but we can spare this frontier for the Coalition. I can contact them on this matter."
Pleased to see the conversation returning to more tangible subjects, and that he got the point across without hopefully too many wrong ideas taken, he relaxed and leaned back in his seat. Harabero breathed an inner sigh of relief.
Underlying, however, he started to notice and gain further distaste as the Coalition was mentioned again and again. After so much, he really could not bring himself to trust them. Even the Core, heck even the Rogues and Junkers were not "trustworthy" and the Don would rather to keep his distance as much as possible from any non-Maltese he could. It was in the very nature of an Outcast.
Maybe the other representatives would agree with him. In any case, he would wait for later to bring that up again. His plans - and by extension those of the Starfleet - would not rely on the Coalition. Nevertheless...
There is no possible chance we could "contain" the Corsairs. Not now. There are just too many of them. I would agree with... Daniels... that the best course of action is to focus on their supplies.
Scouts have reported that Skiros has been abandoned and left to dust. That leaves their main source of food in Freeport nine. Once we seize that back, it will be a major blow to them. The battleship Delos is currently the leader of the largest force, with the cruiser forces Minorca and Majorca as it's forward escorts. Given enough troops, we could overwhelm them. However, that would require major commitments of troops, resources, and manpower I believe we all agree is needed elsewhere as well. The Phoenix can rally reinforcements from the Zoners to assist us, however. Although I would not recommend relying on the ones from Freeport 5 - they are probably weeded with Corsairs - Or...
He looked at the leader of the Phoenix
The Coalition for that matter. We can assume they will take the opportunity if we can strike back, but we cannot count on them. I would agree that it would be best to pester them before we strike, but their patrols are getting restless. Soon there will be action, and it would be best we are the initiators.
Due to their tight grip on the station, it might be difficult to get more assistance in to the station. I believe the best course of action would be the destruction of the forward twin cruiser task forces Minorca and Majorca, to loosen the grip on the station. From there, we can lure the Delos in, for the killing blow by the Augusta, and Core and Zoner forces, with uprisings and fire spread across the system. If at all the plan goes wrong, the biodomes go kablooey. No debate. It is too large an advantage to give up, to remove one of their most needed assets.
The Don took a breath and looked at each member of the room.
There are some plans I have in action to accomplish this and to start it, and this is just a very brief, simplified overview of what would happen. Needless to say, this is going to need all of our involvement, and unwavering between us. Is this acceptable?
"Yes, all valids points. I couldn't agree more on the Coalition part. I'm not going to trust them. True, the Outcasts and the Core had their fair share of engagements in the past and the only thing that is keeping this at bay is the Corsair threat. But I cannot see the same happening with the Coalition. They have their own twisted agenda and I'm absolutely not their fan. Not one bit."
Gabrielle was as honest and straightforward as possible.
"As for your plan, Harabero, I like it. We'll crush them, methodically and with surgical precision.
I'll commit a few battlegroups to this cause. You can expect to see the Athena, our flagship, spearheading the attack."
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