MAE - Common Net

[Monsieur Baguette]

Francois Giroux

---

Mes amies,

Today while doing the regular run to the Hebrides to study the gravitational anomalies for adjusting our ships to jumping through the jumpgates and jumpholes our ship "Sorbonne" was hailed by an unidentified vessel. Allegedly, it was a brigand but initially we did not pay much attention. The pilot was inquiring about who we are and what we do, and later on tried to extort us, claiming that "Brigands now run the Languedoc" while Minarchy is too weak to police anything. We managed to fend off the brigand without sustaining any damage and the Sirian "Corvo"-class vessel that we purchased for marketing research in areas where Gallic ships are prohibited proved itself very well. The brigand later on tried to blackmail us, claiming he has "proofs" that we are working with the Enclave. Which is laughable, of course, as the only thing mentioned in the talks was that the Enclave does not attack us because we are civilian Gallic vessels that the Enclave is not even supposed to attack. The logs of the encounter are attached below.

The situation with the brigands and their claims are disturbing. Their claims and actions are but another proof of Minarchy's inability to control its space or negotiate with the local crime. I bet, Monsieur Montluc will be interested in it for his political campaign.

Availing the opportunity, I cannot but commend "Corvo"-class vessel, although it is Sirian in design, and would request the corporate leadership to consider purchasing more of those vessels from the open market or by the parties that construct those.

**Guncam of the encounter**

Logs

[30.12.2019 04:31:59] Julien.Vallee: Bonjour.
[30.12.2019 04:32:06] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: Bonjour
[30.12.2019 04:32:41] Julien.Vallee: You have a moment?
[30.12.2019 04:32:56] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: sure, state your matters, messieur
[30.12.2019 04:33:41] Julien.Vallee: Hm, what is someone with a Sirian ship like yours doing in our Gallia? Usually people like you only go here to pay up.
[30.12.2019 04:34:16] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: we are Gauls from Quillan and the use of filthy Sirian ships is, unfortunately, necessary for doing business with them
[30.12.2019 04:34:32] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: as you know, our precious Gallic ships are banned from Bretonia
[30.12.2019 04:34:36] Julien.Vallee: And why? You ran out of oil?
[30.12.2019 04:34:45] Julien.Vallee: Oh, you trade with those tea sippers?
[30.12.2019 04:34:53] MAE|"Sorbonne": Grioux: so whenever we go to do marketing research there - we'd better comply with their laws
[30.12.2019 04:35:05] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: no, we don't. We are above that
[30.12.2019 04:35:06] Julien.Vallee: Disgusting.
[30.12.2019 04:35:21] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: but there are parties in Bretonia that might be interested in trade
[30.12.2019 04:35:25] Julien.Vallee: But... you do "market research" there?
[30.12.2019 04:35:27] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: say, the Mollies
[30.12.2019 04:35:39] Julien.Vallee: Mhm, I see...
[30.12.2019 04:35:48] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: and in your opinion, market pertains only to Bretonians, monsieur?
[30.12.2019 04:35:59] Julien.Vallee: You try to be neutral, since you are too weak to do the dirty work yourself.
[30.12.2019 04:36:15] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: I am a corp-man, I don't do dirty work
[30.12.2019 04:36:17] Julien.Vallee: My opinion does not matter here.
[30.12.2019 04:36:24] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: we have mercs for that
[30.12.2019 04:36:35] Julien.Vallee: Of course.
[30.12.2019 04:36:45] Julien.Vallee: Not like you could do anything anyways.
[30.12.2019 04:36:53] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: and given how many soldiers lost jobs after the war, there is no shortage of of mercs
[30.12.2019 04:37:06] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: yo usay it, monsieur, as if we need to do something about it
[30.12.2019 04:37:20] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: well, the matter is - we don't. We are not military and the war is over
[30.12.2019 04:37:45] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: now the republicans rule the thing. Or at least they think so
[30.12.2019 04:37:47] Julien.Vallee: Well, but you'd need to protect yourself from, let's say the Royalists.
[30.12.2019 04:38:04] Julien.Vallee: They like to trash everyone they see here.
[30.12.2019 04:38:12] Julien.Vallee: Probably gotta compensate for something.
[30.12.2019 04:38:18] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: indeed. But royalists do not attack blindly just peaceful citizens of Gallia
[30.12.2019 04:38:39] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: if they ever want to regain the control over Gallia - they need loyal population
[30.12.2019 04:38:49] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: so we have no issues with the royalists
[30.12.2019 04:39:04] Julien.Vallee: Pah, they've murdered their people when they were in charge, no way they change now.
[30.12.2019 04:39:21] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: same did the Council. Here on Quillan, by the wa
[30.12.2019 04:39:26] MAE|"Sorbonne": //way*
[30.12.2019 04:39:36] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: that is the way of the war
[30.12.2019 04:39:53] Julien.Vallee: Not war, that's the way governments act.
[30.12.2019 04:39:54] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: look the at Maquis - those poor sods now oppose both the royalists and their ex-Council friends
[30.12.2019 04:40:10] Julien.Vallee: They're just idiots, nothing more.
[30.12.2019 04:40:12] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: government makes tough choices. Collateral damage is inevitable
[30.12.2019 04:41:01] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: anyway, good chat but I have the work to do. Good day, monsieur
[30.12.2019 04:41:05] Julien.Vallee: So, but you say you work here? And who gets your money?
[30.12.2019 04:41:25] Julien.Vallee: That sounds very interesting to a businessman like myself.
[30.12.2019 04:41:29] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: I work for Montluc Advanced Engineering. A new corporation from Quillan
[30.12.2019 04:41:42] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: we build ships and stellar installations
[30.12.2019 04:42:00] Julien.Vallee: Very interesting, indeed. Quite embarassing too.
[30.12.2019 04:42:22] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: pardon?
[30.12.2019 04:42:25] Julien.Vallee: Maybe the other fellas were a bit too lazy to let you know, that there is a new tax system in Languedoc.
[30.12.2019 04:42:48] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: the Minarchy has no taxes. We check the legislation rigorously
[30.12.2019 04:43:09] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: at least, not those levied directly in space
[30.12.2019 04:43:10] Julien.Vallee: Since this "Minarchy" people are incompetent nobodies, the Brigands have taken over here.
[30.12.2019 04:43:19] Julien.Vallee: And we do take taxes.
[30.12.2019 04:43:29] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: brigands are no authority to levy taxes, monsiuer
[30.12.2019 04:43:37] Julien.Vallee: Oh aren't we?
[30.12.2019 04:43:48] Julien.Vallee: That is not very nice of you.
[30.12.2019 04:43:58] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: is it extortion, monsieur? If so, that is even less nice of you
[30.12.2019 04:44:14] Julien.Vallee: Negative. You pay your taxes, since that is the law.
[30.12.2019 04:44:22] Julien.Vallee: If you don't, you get arrested.
[30.12.2019 04:44:23] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: we'll see about that
[30.12.2019 04:44:29] Julien.Vallee: Oh yeah?
[30.12.2019 04:44:31] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: time to teach the pirates a lesson
[30.12.2019 04:44:37] Julien.Vallee: Exactly.
[30.12.2019 04:52:59] Julien.Vallee: Enough fun for today.
[30.12.2019 04:53:01] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: so much for the "authorities"
[30.12.2019 04:53:07] Julien.Vallee: Thank you, I got what I wanted.
[30.12.2019 04:53:30] Docking failed because base shield is active
[30.12.2019 04:53:38] Julien.Vallee: The new government will love to know about your dealings with the Royalists.
[30.12.2019 04:53:59] Julien.Vallee: Maybe I could even sell the information to the Outcasts? What do you think?
[30.12.2019 04:54:05] Julien.Vallee: Worth a try.
[30.12.2019 04:54:11] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: laughable statement, as passing their territory without them shooting us is really a proof of "cooperation"
[30.12.2019 04:54:39] Julien.Vallee: You really are a Sirian, aren't you? Read the Gallic news.
[30.12.2019 04:54:43] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: surely this information will be sooooo useful to the Outcasts who are hostile to all of Gallia
[30.12.2019 04:54:59] Julien.Vallee: Whoever pays for it, you know.
[30.12.2019 04:55:24] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: our corporate leadership contacted the MNG to that end. So assume they have it covered
[30.12.2019 04:55:54] Death: Julien.Vallee was put out of action by a hostile vessel.
[30.12.2019 04:56:12] MAE|"Sorbonne": Giroux: and if vous can't discent pure Gallic speech to confuse me with Sirian, mon amie, then you are no Gaul at all