To: Independent Miners Guild - From: Commander Randall Santiago

[Jack_Henderson]

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¤ LOCATION: Deep Taus

¤ COMM-ID: Jack Henderson

¤ TARGET-ID: Randall Marcato Santiago

¤ SUBJECT: Maltese 72nd Fleet

¤ ENCRYPTION: IMG M.E.T.A.N.O.L. Code

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Honourable Mr. Randall Marcato Santiago,

I have to admit that this message surprised me greatly because - as you already mentioned - our interactions often tend to look differently and end in violence.

However, you made if quite clear that you do not see this path for the 72nd Fleet, and this makes me interested in what you have in mind. You stress that you strive to follow a different course than other families on Malta, which I find an interesting choice. The Guild and the Outcast have not had diplomatic meetings with a real chance of discussion in what feels like centuries.

The offer of a ceasefire is most welcome in the eyes of the Guild. As you likely realized, the Guild is a lot less aggressive these days and Outcast raids have slowed down, so that it does not happen often that Guild vessels go on the offensive against Outcast vessels.

However, there is one aspect in which I have to contradict you, Mr. Santiago: the Guild cannot ignore slavery. We have been in a struggle for our right of existence and sheer survival against the Outcast for a long time and we have defended one thing with our lives: freedom. The system of Malta's economy based on slave labour is something that the Guild has vowed to combat, as we extend teh struggle for our freedom and our way of life to those that the Outcast want to see perishing slowly while producing Cardamine, which enslaves the mind and takes away the freedom in a different way.

Reading over this, it sounds harsh - which it is not meant to be. It is meant to portray the reality which is: we will always intercept Cardamine smugglers and we will actively and mercilessly hunt slavers.

I think the Guildmasters would not have a problem with a ceasfire between 72nd and Guild ships, and we would take a neutral-defensive stance only, however we would not be able to allow a slave transport with thousands of poor souls passage because the ship belongs to your group.

I would like to thank you for getting into contact with the Guild, and if this last aspect does not kill off any room for negotiations, I am looking forward to your answer.

Yours sincerely,

Jack Henderson
Operations Coordinations

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