――――――――――――――――――――――― 〘Set Subject: Next Shipment〙
⫸ Loot received, boss. And thank you for the little cherry on top. The next shipment should contain a generous amount of basic repair materials. Spare parts for those of us who use ships from the CTE-line. Every now and then they run into skirmishes which would be entirely avoidable, if people actually listen when they're told to either surrender or go away for their own good.
I got a short debrief from Six and Nineteen involving a Detterence 'Corvo'-class Exploration vessel, by the way. Normally this isn't my field, but One has left for a few hours now and hasn't returned. Our pilots claim the ship was stolen from you, so we did the kind service of shattering the hull and towing what salvageable scrap there was back in Freeport 11's vicinity. I wish I could also share the flight logs with you, but that would lead nowhere. The Corsairs in question were clearly too drunk to make any sense at the time. Right - and they were in Omicron Delta. The Corvo's main body should still be in the Tokelau Ice Cloud, unless someone came to their rescue and towed the ship back to friendly territory. Anything goes nowadays.
Here is the list of goods I that I expect to be delivered next week.
Daniel reported that the transfer was completed with minimal interference. I must also apologize for the lack of apparent markings on the vessel; we had to temporarily remove it from our database due to security concerns and to minimize the risk of unwanted attention.
Given its status as an antiquity, it shouldn't raise any significant concerns.
Regarding the topic of high-end equipment, I will just say this: as Zoners, we are adept at sourcing goods for our clients, provided the price is right. That said, the rarer and more expensive the item, the longer it may take to procure. Typically, such efforts are reserved for our most valued clients. Continue your work, and we will be happy to make the necessary arrangements.
As for the Corvo vessel, after reviewing all available reports, none of our ships are missing. While we originally built these vessels exclusively for ourselves, they are now available on the open market. It appears they have legally acquired one and are falsely presenting it as Phoenix to provoke us—a display of their characteristic bravado.
Deterrence is a shadow of what the Corsair Empire once was if they must resort to such tasteless psychological tactics. If you can provide scans or images of the ship in question, I would be keen to review them and trace its origin.
Now, regarding our current deals: I understand you require higher-end commodities this time. I should be able to arrange that. The munitions may pose a challenge, but we will manage nonetheless.
I must warn you about the munitions. Since you requested them from the black market, we cannot guarantee their quality or reliability.
We inspected part of the batch, but I recommend conducting your own thorough checks to be safe.
On another note, the recent hostilities between us and the Deterrence may cause future shipments to be delayed. Daniel, in particular, will be reassigned to another operation by the higher-ups.
I hope your efforts against the Deterrence are going well.
――――――――――――――――――――――― 〘Set Subject: Next Shipment〙
⫸ Shipment received, John. It couldn't have happened at a better time, but I'm sure you already know that - since you've been there and all. I think. I do have to ask, though. Do you really allow Deterrence ships to use Freeport 11 as a staging ground against you? One of them launched right off the station to attack as I had my hands full with a Gunboat, then managed to dock right back on the station after they saw their kind under fire.
Not that I want to start making demands here, boss, but that takes a huge piss on what Group-58 has been doing for the last few weeks. You won't consider us worthy enough to place high-end equipment orders despite our efforts and you allow your own enemies to sucker-punch you like that. Thank god One isn't here, otherwise he'd throw a massive tantrum. Fortunately for all of our sakes, he's still absent. That means we can get our stories straight.
Help me out here, boss. Give me something to work with.
Ah, what a fascinating topic—or should I say, circus—this whole business of Zoner internal diplomacy has become. From an outsider’s perspective, we Zoners might look like a ragtag bunch—some even call us “space hobo traders”—and honestly, that suits us just fine. It keeps our true capabilities hidden. While we do hold a majority in managing Freeport 11, we’re hardly alone: OSI, MFE, SLRC, and NCC all have their own voices, and rightly so.
Of course, not every Zoner has the backbone to stand up against oppression. Sometimes it’s more than just cowardice; it’s practically cognitive dissonance. Take MFE, for example: they’re good people, but they’re hardly fighters—apart from Doc, that is, who once went so far as to nuke his own mansion just to keep a Bretonian governor out. Yet when Corsairs seized Freeport 9 and killed fellow Zoners, he still found a way to forgive them and play nice. We all know how that’s likely to end.
Until we stop squabbling among ourselves and secure a decisive majority, we’re stuck tolerating Corsairs at Freeport 11—truly infuriating, to say the least. But unless our brethren finally recognize the truth about the Corsairs, we have little choice.
Meanwhile we are not inactive, who’s to say what might happen at Freeport 11? Accidents can happen, and airlock safety might prove a bit too complex for the average Corsair mind…
We’ve also taken certain liberties with Corsair engineering—adding microphones and trackers, for instance—to gather intelligence. Bit by bit, we’re learning and starting some reverse-engineering of our own while their ship are docked at our stations. If they think they can use our base to harass its rightful owners while our hands are tied, they’re sorely mistaken. Docking there still carry price tags and consequences.
But I digress. As I mentioned, I can handle procuring higher-end commodities; indeed, you’ve already received a shipment. However, as Daniel may have told you, he’s been dispatched on a special operation, so expect a few delays in the meantime.
⫸ I understand that during my absence Eleven has been leading the pack at the best of his capabilities. And just when I was ready to commend his deeds, I found out that Freeport 11 has become a cesspool for Corsair activity. Do you understand, Johnathan of Phoenix, the lengths my brothers and sisters have gone through to fight with you against an enemy of this magnitude? I truly hope you do, because we can't be the only ones making sacrifices here.
A long overdue, private, conversation is what we need to have right now. We need to re-negotiate our current deal and see what is there to be done from this point on.
Eleven informed me you wouldn’t be pleased with this—and truth be told, neither are we. We, too, have made sacrifices, having fought back at the cost of several good people.
That said, we can make arrangements to remove them from the station. I’ll reserve a secure room at Freeport 11.
Be advised that security measures there are stringent, as in all Zoner bases throughout the Omicrons.
Your group has earned quite a reputation in this region, so I’ll organize a discreet landing and a safe route to your accommodations.
The security checks should pose no real difficulty—just bring your explosive temper, not an actual explosive.
⫸ I bid you good day, Johnathan of Phoenix. Such a long time has passed since we last talked. Rest assured the silence was not accompanied by a lack of action towards one common goal we share.
This message is not simply an intent to 'touch base' again, as it were. Or to get reacquainted. It does, however, carry the concerns of my kin following recent wounds inflicted upon you by Corsair and Order raiders. Last I checked, these two returned to the old old ways when conflict blossomed. Now I hear that changed. They are not fighting that much anymore.
It appears we have been out of touch for far too long.
We have observed troubling conduct from the 34th, a recent splinter from the Vanguard that interprets Order law with alarming rigidity. “Stubborn and rude” barely begins to describe them. We are still assessing whether Corsair sympathizers—or outright Corsair agents—have infiltrated their ranks.
You may already know that one of our vessels was destroyed by the 34th near Freeport 11, an incident witnessed from the station’s bar. They claimed our pilot fired first while transporting an artifact, leaving us with no conclusive evidence to dispute their story, so the matter was logged as an “accident.”
A second episode was more egregious: they deliberately delayed an engagement, giving the Corsairs time to bring in reinforcements. Although they have not fired on us directly since, their leniency toward the Imperio is impossible to ignore. Whether this attitude reflects the broader Order is unclear, but the 34th’s sympathies certainly lie in the wrong direction.
Finally, allow me to extend a courtesy: here is a bit of free intelligence. I am unsure why you have drawn their suspicion, but it appears you are now firmly on their watchlist.
⫸ Anyone opposing them is a sworn enemy, Johnathan of Phoenix. Except in this case, they were the ones to shoot first when we were but simple scavengers picking through salvage for a fee. As such, continued retaliation should be an expected outcome. While I respect their paranoia filled thoughts when it comes to strangers in the Omicrons, I could not possibly seek to justify the murder of one of our own in their favor based on cheap superstition.
You have my deepest condolences for your loss in the face of such an undecided, morally ambiguous foe. However, I am sure that by now you know there are no accidents when it comes to The Order. They are careful, well disciplined and cunning. To destroy an entire transport over one artifact in front of your very own home, though? In my eyes that is a statement - a threat even. We now know where they stand in your conflict against the Corsairs. These small... 'hiccups' are simply their way of telling you that the safety of your home is not absolute and that they can pick any excuse they want -- the masses will still believe them.
My family will quietly seek revenge in your name. What I ask of you in return is hard proofs of their treatment towards your kind. Will you be able to provide?
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Shipment 2![[Image: RQdLXPn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/RQdLXPn.png)
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