It has been a long time since a meeting of this importance was organized in the Guild, let alone held at Java. The attendees have all been instructed to head toward the meeting chamber, a former warehouse converted to serve in a new capacity. Those entering it are met with an amphitheater-like setup. The speaker rises from the half-moon seating and heads toward the middle, where a large display screen has been set up.
The speaker is a short man with a stout build, fiddling with a PDA. Many would recognize this man as Albert Schulze, the current Head Guildmaster. Once most members decide to sit, he begins.
"Good day to all of the representatives that made it to Java on this day. My name is Albert Schulze, and I will be speaking as the Guildmaster of the IMG. As many of you know, the Guild has had better days; between the destruction of the Hood and the depletion of the beryllium field in Omega-48, not to mention the failed attack on the Spire. I have called all of you here so that we may discuss our future action. But before we begin, a summary of our current situation."
Albert steps over to the display, activating it.
Java Station, Tau-23.
"First off, we begin with Java. It is running with no issues. The refinery we bought from Kishiro years ago has long since returned its buying price; the only improvement that could be made is the construction of an additional refinery in the system. Which has been completed by the Kongsi Syndicate the Riau star city. The star city's importance is beyond the additional refinery serving as a home for there members.
Holman outpost, Tau-31.
Workers on Holman Outpost continue their diligent work refining water and oxygen ice. The tension on the outpost has lessened since the Crayter Republic dismantled their annoying spy station that was breathing down our necks there. Overall, Holman is doing well, and continues to supply most of our bases in the Taus.
Freistadt, Omega-7.
Falster, Omega-7.
Freistadt, unfortunately, still has eyes on it in the form of the Elbe Border Fortress. Fortunately for us, Rheinland has been unable to properly staff it, so it is essentially a minor inconvenience for us. As for the status of Freistadt Base itself, it has been performing optimally ever since Falster was relocated and started its operations in the system. Our sales of silver have gone through the roof, and considering our size, we're far and away beating the competition in efficiency, and quite possibly even in total sale volume.
South Shields Refinery, Newcastle.
South Shields Refinery's products have fully returned to us after the Gallic war ended, providing us with an ample, or rather, a small but useful amount of H-Fuel. Some of the guildmembers on the station are chatting about supporting the Molly movement with the resources that they produce at South Shields, as our refinery is able to produce materials required by the Mollys to sustain themselves.
Singapore Shipyard, Tau-23.
Singapore Shipyard, our pride, joy, and largest source of vessels, serves the Guild well, but some issues have arisen around our more defense-oriented ships, primarily the fact they are rapidly becoming outdated compared to comparable warships used by our foes. The Sagamartha has fallen behind in terms of its class; this has been demonstrated in Omega-3, when we faced the Corsair menace. The Sagarmatha requires modernization to effectively stand against our enemies. Another addition to our roster may also be needed.
Madeira, Omega-48.
Now we head to the less positive situations. Starting off with Madeira, it was hit hard by the depletion of beryllium, and even lowered its crew count. I personally believe that we should expand its shipyard's capacity to improve our presence in the Omegas, as currently, most of our ships are being sent through Bretonia, adding more unnecessary time dealing with the Crownies.
Dounby, Orkney .
Now onto Dounby and its predicament. Being that the alien fleet destroyed the rest of Orkney and annihilated the system's infrastructure, supplying Dounby has become a nightmare, both figuratively and literally. Most of the system still has rich resources, especially planet Eday, so I would propose additional equipment and manpower to be sent there.
Planet Pecos Camp Lister, Coronado .
Moving the conversation towards Planet Pecos, it has a large deposit of copper and deuterium. The only issue with this is the Crayter Republic's settlement on that planet. I believe it should be returned to us, as they have now long since settled planet Yuma. We should use the infrastructure left by them to improve the quality of life for our people there, and if I may be so bold, we might possibly even construct a small city for those of our members who prefer to live with solid ground beneath their feet.
Now... I would ask for a minute of silence for those lost at the destruction of the Hood."
Wreck of the Hood, Dublin.
Albert pauses with his presentation, his expression turning more grim. After a moment, he continues.
"In 832 A.S, the Corsair Battlecruiser Santander and its escorts breached the Dublin system; our defense force reacted and attacked, assisting the Mollys in the fight at Arranmore. Unfortunately, the Bretonian regulations put a limit on our defense force, which allowed the Corsairs to brush them off, ultimately ending with the destruction of the Hood. We managed to evacuate a mere one-third of its inhabitants. Most of our members have left Dublin; some that stayed are under the Mollys' hospitality, cooperating with them. To add insult to injury, the damned Kingdom instituted a blockade of the system, making it harder for us to acquire gold.
The last thing I would mention are our operations in Magellan. During the Gallic war, Liberty took Freeport 4, and as all of us by now know, it got thrashed by the Royal navy. Then, after the war, when it came to rebuilding the system, only the house corporations got to bid, leaving us with a Universal Shipping installation there now. We have mostly traded the water mined there with the locals, on significantly unfavorable terms compared to when we had a direct stake of our own within the Independent Worlds.
That should be the current summary of the situation."
The Kongsi Syndicate's sole representative, Alex Lynch, had arrived at the meeting barely on time. Alex certainly was a strange character for such a meeting, leaning back in his chair with his right leg crossed the lap of his other leg, indicating an air of absentmindedness or perhaps straight-up disinterest in the topics soon to be discussed. Leaving one to wonder why he had been nominated for a meeting of such importance.
Alex's appearance and how he dressed might leave the sharp eye trying to find any answers to that question puzzled. The traditional coat of an IMG member bore a black patch with a red stylised representation of a banyan tree, the emblem of the Kongsi Syndicate on the right arm. Worn underneath the jacket was a grey scarf and a plain grey tee. His clean black pants appeared to be those that one might expect to be seen worn by a soldier, the type that came with integrated kneepads and extra pockets, paired with a worn and unpolished pair of black tactical boots stained with what appeared to be flecks of blood that dried years ago, but there was no sign of mud or dirt that might have indicated time spent in any muddy environment.
Paired with messy black-blonde hair, unshaved stubble, and cold blue eyes darted around the rest of the room as if surveying the other participants rather than the display itself. However, the mention of Riau Star City and the syndicate prompted his gaze to settle back on the Guildmaster. He offered an almost cheeky, prideful grin before his gaze settled back on the rest of the room occupants.
Clearly, the Kongsi representative was more than capable of listening while he analysed the room, clearing up some confusion about how and why Alex was elected for this role.
Alex remained silent as Albert continued on, his grin faded at the mention of the battles against the Corsairs in Omega-Three, a battle he himself had been present for, a solemn nod afforded to the point regarding the Sagarmatha classes. His gaze locked on Albert when the topic of Dounby itself was raised, and a slight curl began to form in the corner of the mouth at the mention of sending additional equipment and manpower to it. It's no small secret that a considerable chunk of the Kongsi Syndicate's membership resided there, so one might be left to wonder what exactly seemed to cause displeasure to the representative of the anarchist syndicate.
However, despite the unhidden displeasure, Alex remained silent regarding the topic of Pecos and followed suit with the moment of silence for the Hood and its lost people. Despite his appearance, it appeared as if Alex seemed to respect the dead at the very least.
Once Albert had finished, Alex rotated his chair slightly to face the Guildmaster better before raising and crossing his legs across one another on the table before him. Remaining leaned back, Alex interlocked his hands and fingers and rested them against his chest before speaking. The harsh accent of a man born and raised in the lower class of Leeds came. He spoke fast, but his words ran smoothly, and subtle confidence rested below the surface as he spoke.
"Well, mate, thrilling display and all, but I'm gonna backtrack for a minute."
"You know that sending more equipment and manpower to Dounby for any purpose other than evacuation wastes perfectly good ships, materials and, most importantly, guildmembers, right?"
Albert slowly looked towards the sudden interjection made by the Kongsi Syndicate representative his face remaining composed. He nods towards Alex and responds
"I would disagree, not sending more material and manpower would lead to more preventable deaths of guild members. The sale of silver and niobium has brought more funds to the Guild and they will be spent on improving the condition of our members. Currently Dounby is first on the list. It's genius system of avoiding the asteroids needs an additional backup in case it fails, perhaps even an additional shield generator?
Details of the planed project will be uploaded to your PDA. Feel free to ask any questions or offer suggestions on how to improve the current status of the Guild that also goes for the here present. "
Alex's eyes rolled upward briefly, the detail of evacuation seemingly swimming over Albert's head seemed to disgruntle the radical representative but he remained quiet about it for the moment.
Instead he pursed his lips slightly as Albert spoke, his eyes narrowing as Albert seemed more focused on the mundane concerns that faced the residents of Dounby rather than the actual threat regarding the alien presence in the system.
Alex pulled his PDA from the inside of his coat pocket and pulled up the plans for a moment, giving them a quick analysis in silence, ears open as he waited to see if any of the other representatives wished to chime in.
Uneven footsteps echo in the hallway behind the living room door and stop in front of the door.
When it opens, an old man limps in, the hair of his scruffy and long beard is white as well as the tangle of hair that forms dreadlocks on his head that stands out with his dark complexion full of stains even darker than what could be oil or some other type of waste.
His clothing could be that of any engineering member of an IMG crew and both his left arm and his left leg have been replaced by two crudely manufactured prosthetic implants and his right eye is the white color of those who have lost the ability to see
"I just got back from a Niobium Route to Houston and it seems I'm late"
He growls in a voice more used to barking than talking as he walks over and sits down in an empty seat while his prosthetics creak and squeak as he moves.
"I'm Philip Steiner, the stepfather of Kevin Price"
he says as he takes out a plastic bag full of what looks like chopped tobacco
"And I'm here because this fool has gone on a trip with a girl, what an idiot boy."
Despite the obvious limitations of his bionic arm he takes out tobacco and skillfully rolls it into a piece of paper, after which he puts it in his mouth and lights it.
The smoke has an unusual bluish touch and a spicy smell reminiscent of long nights on an arid planet.
"You don't mind if I smoke, right?"
he says while having a coughing fit and spitting out black phlegm from the remains of what could be soot.
Nice presentation, I see everything the Guild currently owns, but you know what I don't see? Aland, Cardiff... everything we have lost... and you know what I don't see either, plans for revenge, revenge or reconstruction, why not take all that money and rebuild Aland, that will teach our enemies that our resolve has not been extinguished, or is it?
Alex's gaze shifted upwards from his PDA at the sudden late arrival, though the names mentioned only prompted a puzzled raise of his eyebrows as if the Syndic representative didn't recognize the names mentioned but he did give a slight appreciative smirk of the supposed idiot's trip with a girl.
A cheeky grin broke out at the question about smoking and the Syndic representative found himself offering a witty remark to Steiner before he could stop himself.
"Only if you don't mind sharing with the rest of us, mate."
However, the Syndic representative's expression quickly shifted into a more grim one at the mention of revenge, prompting the Syndic to pull his feet off from the table and rotating his seat fully to face the newcomer now. Propping his shoulders up onto the desk and leaning forward in his seat, he'd watch Philip closely as he spoke before finally leaning back into his seat and rotating back to face Albert with the slightest hint of a smirk on his face.
"He has a point there, lad, at least in spirit that is."
A clear tone of amusement was present in Alex's voice as the tone and current course of the meeting had just shifted.
Lena watched the Guildmastes presentation and the following debate quietly.
Dressed in dirty work boots, blue washed out jeans and a simple green t-shirt with IMG stickers all over it.
Only the welding googles on her forehead, reflecting the light of the presentation, betrayed her presence at all.
She leaned back at the wall, sipping her coffee and raised her hand to indicate she wanted to speak.
"Sorry to interupt, Lena Malenko - Capt`n of the Stonewall here" "So bascily everything is as normal as it could be given the circumstances?"
"But there is one thing im really itching our lovely Guildmaster to ask before we start to bicker about what is, and what is not needed right now"
So you want to build Madeira up to a full blown Shipyard, do i understand that correctly ?
Tell me then, how are we suppost to supply it then, ey ?
Do i really need to remind everyone here that the only direct Route to O-48 is through O-5!!
Are we really wanna cross this warzone ?
Turrets, mines not even mention the full blown Corsair Base there !
At this rate we could toss our miners out of the docking bay right here, right now.
Lena calmed herself down a bit and continued her speach.
Besides where should we get the materials needed for a shipyard ?
Hullplating, engines, guns not to mention the CREW to command the things.
I dont have a foundry in my backpocked to smelt that stuff.
And where should we get the raw materials to fabricate what we need?
Do you wanna dismantle whats left of Aland for scrap?
Sorry Guildmaster but these are questions we really need to talk about.
We cant toss our people in front of our enemy`s in an vain attempt to "figure stuff out as we go".
Lena, her cheeks red from getting angry, continues tp sip her coffee in silence.
Her eye`s meeting the guildmaster ones.
"I`m waiting for your response" they say.
Everyone will tell you small lies, except the people you love, who will tell you large ones.
Winston Insmouth watched the Guild Chief's presentation from one of the seats of that kind of amphitheater. He had arrived early, alone, had settled his corpulent body in one of the empty places he had found, and had waited there in silence, greeting those who were entering with a slight nod until the Guildmaster had come out to speak.
Winston scratched his unkempt two-day beard as he leaned forward in his seat, trying to analyze the situation that Albert Schulze was exposing. At first, it seemed like things were going quite well, the Guild had several bases spread across a lot of systems, from which they extracted valuable resources and provided work for a lot of members. However, his face darkened when Schulze spoke of the problems that existed with some of those facilities.
Insmouth watched as a member of the Kongsi Syndicate intervened mainly to criticize what Schulze had suggested about Dounby. Then an old man limped into the room and spoke of better times, and of using money to rebuild Aland. Finally, a woman wanted to contribute his opinion, also critical, about the Guild Master's project about improving the Madeira shipyard.
Winston didn't know what to think about what was being said there. He had just joined the Guild barely a month ago, and was still trying to understand the complex structure the organization possessed, so had come to the meeting only to catch up. He wanted to start actively participating but it was too early to say anything interesting, and as his mother used to tell him when he was a kid: "Winnie, before you open your big mouth, make sure something useful is going to come out of it."
Therefore, Insmouth chose to continue remaining silent, for the moment, and listen to the members who had more experience than him in order to form an opinion. Since no one seemed bothered that the old man had taken up smoking, Winston pulled out his own pack of cigarettes from a pocket of his old pilot's jacket, lighting one with his gas lighter, and continued watching the meeting unfold in a cloud of grayish smoke.
"Yes, sure, the air scrubbers can take it. Feel free to smoke," Albert answered Philip Steiner's first question, but before he could respond to the second one, Lena Malenko raised her hand, indicating her will to speak, which was quickly acknowledged. Lena's sudden and fiery speech caught Albert by surprise. He didn't respond immediately; instead, he started going over his PDA and activated the projector.
"Yes, we did make a plan on how to supply the necessary materials to Madeira, and you are correct, it will involve scraping what is left of Aland. The rest of the materials will be purchased from our trusted ally, the ALG. The greatest problem you pointed out would be moving the large amount of supplies into Omega 48. The Corsair presence in Omega 3 is a threat, but they do not hold the system uncontested; this applies even more in Omega 48. Red Hessians and the Coalition both have constant conflicts with the Corsairs, who are themselves stretched thin, with the Battlegroup led by the Battlecruiser Santander stuck in Dublin, attritioning itself into non-existence, and the Battleship Athos in Omega 48 at the old Red Hessians Station, pinned there by Coalition carrier Ben Warren and the garrison of Cadiz is on constant lookout for Hessians. This situation favors us greatly, enough to give the Guild multiple options on how to proceed:
Option 1: We continue with our current supply shipments into Madeira, with a large number of escorts, with petitioned assistance from the Coalition and Hessians using the Omega-11 jump hole.
Option 2: We pay the Corsairs to not bother our convoys.
Option 3: We move our convoy at the same time the Corsairs have their convoy from Omega 41. They would prioritize protecting their own from our allies in the system, then assaulting our own.
I personally do not like option number two, but it would guarantee no casualties. Option number three is the best one for us to execute. As for the needed crew, they won't be an issue; there is a significant amount of workforce that wants to be as far away from Liberty as possible. Omega 48 provides that fully.
As for revenge, we will strike where it hurts the most: their pockets. Let's see how our enemies feed their industry without any ore."