INCOMING TRANSMISSION... Comm ID:Karin Walker, callsign 'Dice' Encryption:Enabled Message Type:Text only Location:Freeport 10, Tau 37 Dear Elena,
I can't remember how long it has been since we last talked. It probably was when we last went Omicron Lost, and it has been at least a month ago. I don't know if you know that I know about what happened to Kiara's ship in Tau-37. Well, now you know it anyway. Mason told me what happened, and I'm surprised that you didn't.
But I digress. Once I found out, I headed for Tau-37 myself to try and find some clues. Since you probably have way more information than me (considering that you're having Kiara's ship examined, as far as I know), I thought I'd just share my findings.
Truth to be told, there isn't much so far. I couldn't find out what happened to Kiara (apart from learning from Mason that she wasn't aboard her freighter). However, I found some people willing to help. A certain Jose Nivalgo from Unione Corse, to be precise. He seemed to be willing to ask around and get his organization involved in exchange for information.
I didn't exactly make any deals though: he just said he'd let me know if he ran across anything, and told I'd be glad to share some info of my own, should they need any. Since you're doing most of the investigation, I thought it'd be best to have you contact him.
I don't blame you for not telling me about Kiara, I imagine that was as much of a stress for you as it was for me. We can't lose hope, Elena. We'll find her.
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»»» Location: :::Encrypted:::
»»» Sender ID: Elena Voigt
»»» Recipient ID: Karin Walker
Hello Karin,
It indeed feels like an eternity to me since we have last talked to each other, but the more I am glad to hear from you again now. The reason for not contactin you about Kiara's whereabouts however has a far simpler reason than you might think, and one that won't surprise you much. I was actually about to inform you about it personally when I was told by Mason that he had already done so, and thus deemed it unnecessary to message you as well about the same topic. However, you are right to some degree, it quite stresses me out, and isn't good for my health either I feel. Sleepness nights, discomfort, irritability ... Jesus, believe me, my nerves are frayed.
I indeed have far more information than you might think, and to be completely honest, I have a vague idea of where she is located currently. Yes, she is not dead. But yes, she might soon be, in case I fu.ck up. Currently, she is being held hostage by a slaver as far as we know. He's already sent us a ransom demand, as well, one that is however absolutely unacceptable.
I can guess what you will tell me, that I should not play with other's lifes. Trust me, it's the least I want to, and I'm hating it guts, but we have to find another way to free Kiara than paying that exorbitant ransom. The less we deal with criminals on such a level, the better. We must not confirm them in their ways, under no circumstances.
With some portion of luck, we will soon be able to pull off the plan we have devised to free her out of her current captivity. If we succeed, we will both have her and the man who did this. And believe me, this man will not be shown any mercy.
I will contact the person you have told me about and see if he got anything new to add to the whole matter, but I doubt it. We've got what we need, now we just have to hope I manage to succeed in playing for time until our plan is fully fleshed out and ready.
Don't worry, everything will be alright. At least that's what I'm telling myself the whole time. Maybe it at least works for you.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION... Comm ID:Karin Walker, callsign 'Dice' Encryption:Enabled Message Type:Text only Location:Freeport 10, Tau 37 Dear Elena,
Ever since I heard "Tau-37", "damaged ship", and "Kiara wasn't there" in one sentence, I started thinking Outcasts. Guess I wasn't far from truth. If it's an Outcast who abducted Kiara, we should hurry, because I doubt they'd give her a supply of Cardamine-free oxygen. I have doubts about complying with their demands as well. I mean, what's to stop them from just taking the money and vanishing, or asking for more? I see your point there.
I'm glad to hear that you're on top of it, as much as it can apply to the situation. If anyone has the chance to pull something off like that, it'd be House forces... Or a group of mercenaries like you. Once you do get to the point of tearing that guy a new one, please send an antimatter charge his way on my behalf. That is, assuming you don't need any of my help. Because if you do, I'll be there for you, just tell me what to do.
Either way, we'll do what we can and hope for the best. That's got to count for something, right?
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»»» Location: :::Encrypted:::
»»» Sender ID: Elena Voigt
»»» Recipient ID: Karin Walker
Hello Karin,
An antimatter charge would be too easy, don't you think? From what he told us so far, he must have commited quite a few acts of violence against her already, some I really don't want to imagine. I can only guess in which kind of state Kiara currently is, but I doubt it is a good one. All the more reason for us to hurry, though we can't allow ourselves to rush the gun. As soon as she is safe however, I will insist on personally taking care of this slaver. I am not sure if it is going to be fun or not, though.
The influence of Cardamine is however the least thing we have to worry about, as her slaver is luckily not an Outcast as far as we know. We should rather hurry to get her back in one piece, as the man holding her captive seems to be a big number in illegal organ trade.
I hope we will have a final result at some point during the next week. Just stay optimistic until then, and don't think too much of it.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION... Comm ID:Karin Walker, callsign 'Dice' Encryption:Enabled Message Type:Text only Location:Freeport 10, Tau 37 I didn't know things were that bad. I'm glad that you're on it though, I'm not sure if I have it in me to actually do what that guy deserves. It all depends on what he's done, I guess. Either way, please let me know as soon as you have any news, whatever news it is. And if the worst comes to pass... I want to be there when it's time for that scum to pay.
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»»» Location: :::Encrypted:::
»»» Sender ID: Elena Voigt
»»» Recipient ID: Karin Walker
Hello Karin,
Haven't seen or spoken to each other for quite a while, I guess. How are you holding up, by the way? Especially with the mess in the Sigmas these days.
Anyways, I'm messaging you because I guess you want to know a bit more about what happened with Kiara. Apologies that this was quite long in the coming, but I had a bit of stuff to deal with. To relieve you, I can tell you that Kiara is more or less safe and sound, unless she got stuck in the shits again in the meantime. Well, perhaps only safe. She wasn't in a good state when we found her. Tortured, apparently brainwashed. She believed she was the bloody wife of this Gaulic slavedriver, and nearly couldn't remember us when we boxed her out.
Since she needed some time for herself, we let her go afterwards when we had finished our job. No use in holding her back and keeping her as a prisoner, as much as I would have liked to change that and help her. Kind of seemed like I was more of a ... well, burden to her than any real help.
So yeah, unless she ran right into the next turd, she should be fine for now. Or at least she is alive. That's seriously already more than we could have hoped off, I guess.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION... Comm ID:Karin Walker, callsign 'Dice' Encryption:Enabled Message Type:Text only Location:Freeport 9, Omicron Theta
Hello, Elena,
Indeed, it's been way too long. I was starting to worry that things didn't work out, but I'm glad to hear that you managed to pull it off.
Sad to hear about Kiara, although the news wasn't quite unexpected. I mean, slavers are a disgusting lot, but being brainwashed into believing you're someone else, a wife of all things? That's just perverted. I can't even imagine what Kiara had to go through. Probably it's for the best that I can't. What's worse, I don't know what to think of the whole situation now. I've had some time to think it over, and... Please don't judge me, but only a part of me feels sorry for Kiara; the other part tells me to slap her and say that it was all her own fault.
I still remember chasing her ship while she was flying drunk across the Sigmas. Remember asking her afterwards to be more careful and not to do anything stupid, because there were people who cared for her. But did she listen? From what Mason told me about what you found on her ship, she didn't. That, and even before her disappearance she started acting in a self-centered and irritated manner, blaming everyone but herself for things that happened around her. So I guess there's more to that than just what she's been through.
As for me, I'm still on Freeport 9, learning the news from the safety of an Omicron-that-feels-like-a-Sigma. I still don't know if I should try and do anything about that whole thing... I mean, my brain just tells me to stay out of conflict, but my heart tells me that the Guild have always been protecting civilian traffic from the dangers of the Sigmas. And now a House just moves in for a takeover. I'm torn here, just like with the whole Kiara situation.
Anyway, I'm really glad to hear from you. Maybe we should catch up some day, if the blasted war hasn't cut off the paths from the Sigmas to the Houses yet. And as for Kiara... don't put too much pressure on yourself. I'm sure you've done way more for her than she'd give you credit for.
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»»» Location: :::Encrypted:::
»»» Sender ID: Elena Voigt
»»» Recipient ID: Karin Walker
Karin,
I am not around the Sigmas a lot these days, so I am pretty sure I miss a whole lot of the various local media reports. If you already keep your eyes and ears open for yourself, maybe you could do the same for me as well? It's a war, after all. One that does not only concern your, but also my home to some extent. I am no nationalist, though (you should know that). Would just like to know the latest information.
Be careful, though. Don't trust anything, and I do mean anything you read, but examine it in detail first before you accept anything as true.
Anyways, there is the big white elephant in the room. As much as I would love the facts to be different, the following is: Love it or hate it, you are prevaricating when it comes to Kiara. Fact is, this happened: I made her upset. Not like, made a bad joke or rolled a dice a bit too often. Bit more serious. God knows what she thought of me from that point on, but it was apparently enough to turn her into an alcoholic in a matter of weeks. It's right what Mason told you about what was in the ship, at least I guess from your words.
So here we go: If I had not been such an idiot and had made her run off, she wouldn't have started with the binge-drinking, wouldn't have ended up in the Taus, wouldn't have been caught by this bastard, wouldn't have been tortured and brainwashed, and would have been spared her a set of horrible experiences. God, I have seen pictures of her torture, Karin. You don't easily forget those.
I just wished I could turn back the clock, really.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION... Comm ID:Karin Walker, callsign 'Dice' Encryption:Enabled Message Type:Text only Location:Freeport 9, Omicron Theta
Elena,
Kiara did mention that her stunts were related to something that happened between you and her. No details though, and we all agreed it was better that way (at least I think so). But I really can't imagine what you must have done to Kiara to affect her that much. It probably doesn't matter either, because whatever it was, it doesn't absolve Kiara from what she did. She knew there were people worried about her, and she didn't heed our warnings.
It seemed as if she did what she did out of spite, with little concern for me, you, or anyone else who tried to help her. That's something that's entirely on Kiara, not you. Frankly, when she insisted on getting drunk and pulling another stunt when we last talked, I felt as if I were stopping to care.
I would have loved to alter a few things in my past as well, but that's not the option. I know that my words won't change what you feel, but please, try not to dwell on it. It was all an unlucky coincidence, and nobody could've predicted that Gallic weirdo anyway. Just don't get stuck in yesterday; learn from it, sure, but live today. As for your request, I'll see if I run across any interesting info. But I might end up just waiting it over somewhere in the Omicrons or wherever I end up. And speaking of truth, it's always a matter of angle anyway.
Looking forward to either catching up, or some more messages. Stay strong,