We understand your need for the artifact trade and we want to respect that. We will do our best to make sure that no one hinders your traders in our systems. I thank you for your concern in this matter Mr. Montoya. Please send Mr. Laowai my regards. I hope this matter can be settled for now.
---Commence Transmission---
To: Corsair Elders
From: Captain Eric McCormick of the Order, Order Diplomacy
Location: Planet Toledo, Omicron Minor System
Subject: Re: Artifact Smuggling Agreement
We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused you. We only wanted to clear something up, not cause harm to your great empire. From now on, all Artifact and Synthetic Marijuana shipments will be left alone, since it appears that you and the traders you deal with know what you are doing. I have underestimated you, and I apologize.
Sincerely,
Captain Eric McCormick of the Order
Order Diplomacy
---Transmission Completed---
Carlos Rivera: Corsair Brotherhood Pirate - Retired, shifted to Tripoli Shipyard's Research and Development engineering teams Anthony Cameron: Guild Core Bounty Hunter - Killed in Action, committed suicide after being trapped in Omicron Minor following its destruction Juan Ruiz: Outcast Ghost of Razgriz Pirate - Killed in Action, killed by the Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army during Bretonian piracy raid Michael Winchester: Liberty Security Force Agent - Missing in Action, likely killed during Rheinland espionage mission or trapped in Rheinland Space Eric McCormick: Order Pilot - Retired, shifted to planetside training of new recruits
...Incoming Transmission...
Source: Aki Kimura, Order High Command
-Begin Transmission-
"I dont much appreciate Captains undermining the orders and decisions of the Admiralty, McCormick. Our stance will remain, any non corsairs transporting illicit goods will have these goods confiscated. I fail to see the issue here, as the Corsairs selling these artifacts to independent traders have already gotten their money, what happens to the cargo after it leaves the ports of Crete should not be their concern."
"If the Corsair leadership wishes to exempt specific traders from our scans, that can be arranged, but we will not risk valuable alien technology falling into the hands of our enemies, and so every ship will be scanned and any cargo deemed dangerous or valuable will be confiscated by Order personnel and returned to Lisbon for study."
The Brotherhood reminds you that traders shipping artifacts once will likely do so again if they reach their destination safely and make it back to Crete unharmed. If agents of the Order stop this and deprive those captains of their vessels, then they will choose a different commodity to haul. This is unacceptable and as was stated earlier, makes it harder for us to feed our children and clothe our familes.
I again point you to the solution of dropping off some specialists and scientists on Crete to increase the frequency of checks on the Artifacts before loading on to transport vessels. It's quite simple really.
If your decision and that of your admiralty does not change however, then the Brotherhood will be forced to keep a closer eye on the Order. None of us like this course of action, since it will detract from the numbers we can deploy against our real enemies on the front lines. However, we will redeploy a sizable fleet to Yaren Depot if you force our hand. Defense of our income and our economy comes before expanding our territory.
The Brotherhood will not allow you to harm the Corsairs indirectly or otherwise. Be advised that if you open fire on an artifact transport, this will be considered as a hostile act and our forces will act accordingly to neutralise the threat.
Quote:We are a militant group of radical Corsairs who prefer to achieve their goals by force than by using diplomatic ways as the diplomacy has repeatedly proved to be useless and leads to corruption rather than to its intended goals.
Diplomacy is not our strong suit, so we will solve this with our skills in combat if neccessary.
Personally, I would suggest that you take heed of your captain and your diplomatic envoy's views, and not dismiss them as you seem to have done. It looks as if you have a tendancy to look down upon those below you, when you should really be listening to their concerns and respecting their views. Your current attitude is causing a friction between the Order and the Corsairs that neither of us need.
---Commence Transmission---
To: Aki Kimura, Order High Command
From: Captain Eric McCormick of the Order, Order Diplomacy
Location: Planet Toledo, Omicron Minor System
Subject: Re: Artifact Smuggling Agreement
Undermining the orders of the Admirality? For your information, every message I have left here has been pre-approved by Admiral Sius Malacos. If you have a problem, take it up with him. The last I heard, he said we are to leave Corsair commodities alone. I have heard the Corsairs' argument and brought it up with Admiral Malacos. We sympathize with the Corsairs and believe that we should leave Corsair commodities alone for the time being. If the Corsairs trust independent traders well enough to handle Artifacts, then I think we should too. What's an alliance without trust?
Sincerely,
Captain Eric McCormick
Order Diplomacy
---Transmission Completed---
Carlos Rivera: Corsair Brotherhood Pirate - Retired, shifted to Tripoli Shipyard's Research and Development engineering teams Anthony Cameron: Guild Core Bounty Hunter - Killed in Action, committed suicide after being trapped in Omicron Minor following its destruction Juan Ruiz: Outcast Ghost of Razgriz Pirate - Killed in Action, killed by the Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army during Bretonian piracy raid Michael Winchester: Liberty Security Force Agent - Missing in Action, likely killed during Rheinland espionage mission or trapped in Rheinland Space Eric McCormick: Order Pilot - Retired, shifted to planetside training of new recruits
Something we've come up with is providing the Corsairs with a code that will change either bi-weekly or perhaps monthly. This code would be given by Order inspectors which we would send to Crete, as you have so graciously offered, and any ship transmitting the code will be free to pass. This way, we know shipments are safe and all those who do not have the code either fail to meet safety requirements or are not working for you, which in turn could be violence on both our sides.
Please consider this plan as it may ease our conflicts here.
This plan sounds like a good compromise, Admiral. Bi-weekly may be too frequent to ensure that all of the relevant captains recieve the code before a rotation, but a month sounds like a good plan. I will consult with the Elders of the Brotherhood. If they find it acceptable, we will also consult the Benitez and Omega Pirates Guild, provided that they have not already been listening in on this channel. Since it is for the good of both the Corsair nation and humanity as a whole that this deal is made, it makes sense that the Benitez and the Omega Pirates would have equal input to us in this matter. It just so happens that the Brotherhood took more interest in proceedings this time.
An answer should be reached, at the latest, by the end of the weekend.
Comm ID: Elder Juan Lucendez
To: Order High Command Diplomatic Channel
ID Trace: Omega 47, enroute to Mindelo base
Displaying...
My dear fellows from the Order, this initiative has good intentions, I will admit. But I can not support a venture that would isolate some potential buyers from our prime export, as well as add a new layer of bureaucratic red tape.
There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any of the inert trinkets that we sell would cause any harm. Order and Corsair scientists continuously scan and check every single artifact that makes it's way to a transport's cargo bay, regardless of affiliation. Personally, the bigger threat should be the independent miners that mine the trinkets from clouds in our space and sell it directly to a buyer, without any oversight by Order scientists.
Regardless, there are better routes one can take to ensure our export is sold at a handsome price. The route that brings these things by Minor takes an excess of either bravery or foolishness. So, my vote is "eh," and my advice is that you should reign in your trigger-happy admirals before relations start to deteriorate.If the Order scientists leave Crete because of hostilities, we will have no choice but to sell Artifacts that have not been tested properly. This is no threat, but an observation of a potential problem.
//End Transmission.
"The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had not left a trace. The foundations of the Mansion House hotel stuck up above the ground. The stone was chipped and split by the fire. It was all that was left of the town of Seney. Even the surface had been burned off the ground.
Nick looked at the burned-over stretch of hillside, where he had expected to find the scattered houses of the town and then walked down the railroad track to the bridge over the river. The river was there."
--------Incoming Transmission-------------------------
Comm ID: Corsair Elder, Commandante Don Carlos Benitez
To: Order High Command
CC: Elders of the Corsairs
Re: Restriction of trade through Order territory
The Benitez familia and it's associated smugglers have no interest in Artefact trafficking through Order territory. The route concerned is not considered viable due to high risk of attack by Bounty Hunters, Nomads and Libertonians.
However, the freedom of individuals to take their lives into their own hands on this frankly insane route is important to us.
The Order should be made aware that Artefacts are carefully screened before being sold on to smugglers. The cargos dispatched from our bases and from Crete are made up solely of inactive artefacts that have only ornamental, artistic or archaeological significance.
Aside from this, the vast majority of artefacts transported from our space to the Houses do so vire routes that do not involve your territory. For this reason, if you perceive all Alien Artefacts in the trade as dangerous, restricting their flow only through your own space will have next to no effect on the volume of alien artefacts reaching House-capitals such as New York every week.
I am deeply concerned with the attitude of the Order leadership that has prevailed over the past few months. Whilst I speak in general terms, I do have one particular commander in mind. It seems the Order are intent on souring this relationship at every turn, attempting to encroach upon the freedoms of brave Corsairs whilst employing a hard-line and frankly disrespectful attitude towards the people that, in the past, you have depended upon for your very survival.
Since the creation of this alliance in 796 A.S I believe, the Order have enjoyed use of superior Corsair weapons technology, use of our ship-building facilities, use of the expertise of our craftsmen, and have had the full Corsair force at their disposal for defence of their territory against Bounty Hunters and Nomads. In return, the Corsairs received technology for powering Cruiser and Battleship class vessels, and the blueprints for a battleship hull resembling your own. 11 years later the Corsairs have received nothing more from you, and the Order have always maintained that they are unable to reciprocate our military assistance by aiding us against our enemies.
Given how little the Order seems able to offer our nation in exchange for our continued support, you would think that they would be wise enough to, at the very least, offer some good faith. Currently, even this is not the case.
Both of the Corsair nation and the Order organisation have few allies, so any outside observer would suggest that we should stick together. However, it seems that at least one member of your leadership is intent on enlarging the already growing rift between our peoples. On my part, I hold this individual personally responsible for the rift that, if allowed to grow further, will damage your organisation and inconvenience our empire.
The Corsair Elders seem decidedly reluctant to do away with this alliance; they have faith in the Order to realise it's importance and work to save it. However, if the Order treats the Corsairs as enemies, that is what we will become.
Finally, I'd like to make an appeal to my fellow Corsairs. Unilateral action is not sufficient for matters such as this. I request a meeting of the Council of High Elders be called, and that all High Elders consider attending.
Carlos out.
---Commence Transmission---
To: Corsair Elders
From: Captain Eric McCormick of the Order, Order Diplomacy
Location: Planet Toledo, Omicron Minor System
Subject: Re: Artifact Smuggling Agreement
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy with the tone Elder Benitez! This is not and was never meant to be an act of hostily to the Corsair Empire. We merely wanted to clear up this issue because some of our newer members have been confused on whether or not to allow Artifact smugglers to pass through. We have cleared things up with them and now we're trying to clear things up with you. For now, all Artifact and Synthetic Marijuana shipments have been left untouched by us.
Our admiral, Admiral Sius Malacos, has presented a good compromise between the Order and the Corsair Empire. His last message was:
' Wrote:
Something we've come up with is providing the Corsairs with a code that will change either bi-weekly or perhaps monthly. This code would be given by Order inspectors which we would send to Crete, as you have so graciously offered, and any ship transmitting the code will be free to pass. This way, we know shipments are safe and all those who do not have the code either fail to meet safety requirements or are not working for you, which in turn could be violence on both our sides.
Please consider this plan as it may ease our conflicts here.
-Grand Admiral Malacos
Now, I know that some of the other Elders have taken a liking to this idea. If it can be implemented, it will hopefully clear up any further confusions between us. I would like to ask whether or not you and the rest of the Elders have decided on implementing this idea. We will wait patiently until you have decided on a final answer. Once you have decided, please respond.
Sincerely,
Captain Eric McCormick
Order Diplomacy
---Transmission Completed---
Carlos Rivera: Corsair Brotherhood Pirate - Retired, shifted to Tripoli Shipyard's Research and Development engineering teams Anthony Cameron: Guild Core Bounty Hunter - Killed in Action, committed suicide after being trapped in Omicron Minor following its destruction Juan Ruiz: Outcast Ghost of Razgriz Pirate - Killed in Action, killed by the Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army during Bretonian piracy raid Michael Winchester: Liberty Security Force Agent - Missing in Action, likely killed during Rheinland espionage mission or trapped in Rheinland Space Eric McCormick: Order Pilot - Retired, shifted to planetside training of new recruits