"Well John, you got away, and alive. Thats the most important thing.
But I will wait for thge others to speak first, and then add my thoughts and observations."
Sitting back he waited for the rest of the Tinkers to speak.
Respecting Fynn's wishes, she opted for a wine glass of sparkling water. Lighting the room with a smile, she stood up to address her co-workers.
"Gentlemen," she said casually, "A lot of what I'm hearing, a lot of what's been going on has been more on the diplomatic front which is definately not my arena unless you count our medical services as diplomacy. I share my protoge's creed in that I will treat whoever needs it based on need." She paused a moment, put down her glass and folded her arms before she continued.
"Trade has made what was labeled a Junker operation friendly with Kusarians, perhaps medical help would do the same for people who would see us as enemies. Maybe not buddies but at least in good standing. I mean, Xenos are scourges but in the broad spectrum of things, they are but a small problem. Gallia is more of a pressing concern to me.
She turned to them all, looking to each, "All I can offer the Hackers, a group I know only from tale and slander, is a bed for the wounded and medicine for the sick if needed. That's worth more than any amount of credits, especially when I'm not charging for my work."
She sat down, crossed her legs and sipped her water, feeling that she made a good point.
"Well I for one, hadn't any bad experiences with any of the Hackers so far" replied Sturm.
"I mean, yeah I get stopped too but all of their demands have been reasonable to me, nothing outrageous."
Sturm nodded to Fynn and stood up and looked around to his fellow tinkers and continued.
"I'm gonna cast my vote as an 'Aye' to their proposal"
He sat down and waited for others to vote.
So we already have two in favour.
And frankly, Doreen : If the medical staff feels like that Im relieved.
After all, passing on information could hurt somebody, and will never be popular.
But except for that one , infamous incident I did not get the impression that the Lane Hackers tend to opt for unnecessary violence.
They are fabled assasins, jes. But no crazy stargazed murderers.
If the medical staff will just stay calm and silent while the traders and scrappers sometimes deal in shadows that will enable us to keep up contacts that might save lives while blokade running or evading gallic forces. Or even strengthen Council or bretonnian efforts if we pass something on discreetely.
My point is that Tinkers are Tinkers, regardless of wich badge they carry. If they work in scrapping crews or with the mechanics, if they carry the emblem of the Memorial Clinic or if they trade. And so we all have a say in matters like this one.
Fynn grins broadly again, looking around at his friends.
And while we are no wolf in a sheeps fleece, we should never forget that we are are living on the border of things. Flying past zones others only talk about, and getting those unfortunates out of there that are havarized there. We are no doo-good fluffy nice guys.
We all are professionaly, opting to honour the meaning and reasons for rules more than the letters of the laws, and able to slip past the loopholes. Not for own profit alone, but for a better life.
I know that many of our crews worked as corporate members before joining us, and know what I am talking about. We will try to do the right things, not only the profitable ones.
Even if that means that we will have to be very discreet from time to time.
To explain the proposal we have recieved and the decision we face you all have to understand that there are essentially two views about our group, tending to lead to different decisions.
And this is a focal point for us all.
We all live to better life for us and our families, to enable us to live a free but not carefree life without constantly having to bow down to some greater force. We try to achieve this through peaceful means if possible but will not hesitate to defend us and our loved ones if necessary. And we take a clear stance against slavery of any sort, be it the drug induced posession by Cardamine or the more direct possession through a Nomad infestation. And wartime opression or economic slavery is none the better for being indirect.
That is the real reason for us not trading with cardamine or Artefacts, and also the reason we do not deal with most contraband. Smuggling black market munitions or slaves is a type of profiteering we do not wish to support, either indirectly nor directly.
Instead we look for loopholes, for the soft spots in the armour of corporate greed and military or politcal power structures, and slip past the guardians of the laws using the one main weapon we can freely use and must never loose :
A good reputation and clean criminal record.
We follow tzhe reasons for rules, not the wording. We help where we can, never loosing our Ideals even if we know we will always have to accept compromizes to survive.
A harsh but rewarding life. And a life most of us have sought for a long time.
Now for this new buisness partner :
The Lane Hackers are no Robin Hood types, helping the poor and opressed against corporate greed, and they do not even try to bluff into that role. They are professionals.
Brutal, effective, smart.
But we do not fit their target sheme. We do not miisuse corporate might, we do not ally with Ageira even if we allow Ageira ships to dock at Tinkers Haven and trade with them.
At the same time they get most of their funds through the trade with cardamine or through piracy. No easy neibours, but not our enemies.
They helped us before, and sometimes taxed us. They hunted and shot the Xeno raiders who attacked us in Kepler, too.
And now they offer us a buisness partnership :
We are to be spared from any taxing or pirating from their side while they want 2 deals from us : cargo ,lifting if they rob and plunder a corporate transport with valuable argo like ores, and Intel pass on to pinpoibt their targets.
Not every skipper will feel comfortable with that, and no member will be forced to do so. But we will need to keep it silent, and will need to trust and rely on each other.
It is only fair that we all decide on this, as we are percieved as a group, we live as a group. According to our own code we should decide as a group.
*A rather loud scoff could be heard from the side of the table, Samwell sitting there, arms crossed, staring at the datapad in his broad hands, being but moderately large and not overly muscular the man does not make a greatly intimidating first impression but his grim and most of the time grumpy face makes up for that, those eyes seem to spark with a conviction that was stubborn as rock*
"Hauling what they leave behind after they destroyed some transports and likely killed the pilots, as if we were birds of prey, telling them what targets could be worth it, basically pinning a target range aim on their backs?
Basically still paying them and just letting others suffer for it?"
*He snarls as he takes another gulp from his juice, tapping the Datapad impatiently on the edge of the table, the cloth of his frock coat rustling*
Also, about not having any trouble with them, since they are no....crazed murderers, tell that to the two hackers that I've blown up between the gate and Houston after they tried to destroy my ship without reason or even more words than the announcement that I will die now, *He gives a quick glare at Fynn* the ship wasn't tagged during that time of course."
Sure, and you told me about the incident. Well, I have been attacked by libertonian military before and dont go shooting at any officer I see, and I have seen star-crazed pilots of all groups before.
Sighing Fynn looks over to Samwell, carefully focusing on the valued escurity officer.
Sam, nobody supposed you would be happy with the idea, and nobody expects you to go and party with them. But the fact is that they will continue to attack trade flights by the Big Three wether we are around to pick up the cargo or not. And if we do pick it up we are at least around to pick up the pilots.
Now he lookes around at all skippers wearing trade fleet and service fleet badges.
And get me right : I expect every pilot to be picked up , brought to the Haven or some other port for medical care and then set free without any harassment. I will not let one pilot to be left lost in space for a ton of Ore if I can do anything about it. And I do not care if he then goes complaining to his boss that his cargo went straight into your hold together with his pod. Salvaging rights are for those who pick the stuff, and we will see to it that saving the life of the pilot comes first.
Grinning again, Fynn opened his hands in a little conciliating gesture :
I would only hope you finish the coms and transfer the split value with the Hackers before you free the pilot from his evac pod, ok ?
We want to keep it discreet, but if anybody notices and complains ... we are only utilising space salvaging rights. And if we dont attack Hachers ... we are neither a police force, nor military, nor any bounty hunters guild.
*Samwell folds his arms and furrows his brows while looking at the datapad again before sighing heavily*
"I'd rather shove up an ion cannon up their arses and pull the trigger, but I see ye point, nevertheless I am against helping those people in any way, I'd prefer going in cloaked, drawing in pilot and ore and then get the hells out of there, leaving the bloody hacker to wonder what just happened, and be happy with money while having saved some guy.... but I never used a cloak so far and have no idea if that works.
I'm a soldier and you know that, and that won't change so quickly, if it were after my own opinion I would join some military and wipe them off the face of the sector, rather hurting them than helping...but I see your bloody point and I wish I didn't, to be honest, if I were to give on the info about a transport, it'd be damn hard for me not to alert the authorities at the same time, hoping THEY would kick the Hackers arse."
*Against sighing he drops the datapad on the table, looking at the others with a stern expression*
Fynn nodded again, clearly showing that he respected Samwell´s position.
I would not expect you to pass anything on against your will. Be polite if you can, and we will weather the strom if you can not. Still... be the last one to fire, not the first, ok ?
As for passing information on to both sides : Nope, I am very much opposed to that.
We may profit from wartime, but we do not seek to incite or prolong war.
Fynn looked around again, waiting for anybody else to speak up...
Doreen stood up, her hands together in front of her with a pleasing smile. She addressed Samwell before giving her vote.
"Sir, I am but a young Rheinland girl, doctor and single mother of one and not much for diplomacy and I respect your opinion. I know of someone that you would have a great conversation with in the Taus, a warrior such as yourself but that's not for now."
She took a breath and continued, "I was left drifting in a pod and 8 months pregnant in the radiation fields of Omega 41 not so long ago, left there as a result of a skirmish between Hessians and Corsairs. I was betrayed by Unioners before that. A long story but my story isn't the point."
She approached his shoulder, placing a gentle hand on it like only a doctor could and smiled, "Sir, give this a chance. Fynn gave me one. I have earned the respect of many of those before mentioned people just by honoring my oath as a medical professional."
She then produced a picture on her datapad of her son and showed it to him. "That is Benjen, my son. He is six and full of life. He attends school on planet Houston, a Rheinlander amongst Libetonians and he is loved like one of there own." She put the picture away and smiled again, "That young man is why I choose to do my part to make a better universe for us all. Give T&T a chance. Give the Hackers a chance. Let us try."
She returned to her seat and stood before it, "Fellow Tinkers, I vote in favor." She then sat down and sipped her sparkling water.