[Comm-ID]: Colonel Maria Cortez - Maltese Armed Forces
[Receiver-ID]: Commonwealth of House Liberty Foreign Communications Office
[Location]: Heaven's Summit, Aragon system, Hispania Space
[Subject]: Lord Commander Locklear
[Priority]: High
[Encryption]: Strong
Hola y buen día.
Normally, Secretary Iltzmann would be talking care of this, but seeing as how she's out and this is a military affair, I'm overseeing this on behalf of the Republic.
Approximately ten months ago, the Legion warship Invictus opened fire on one of the Republic's many civilian vessels. The instigator of this attack, your own Lord Commander Samuel Locklear, was held to trial and pleaded guilty to the charges. Seeing as the Republic eyes life with specialty, the decision was made to not only spare him from the death that he put so many of ours to, but to release him back to your care and to continue his operations within the Hellfire Legion.
However, because of this, the Fleet Admiral and her mistress the President have convened to decide settlement requested for returning him to his home. The last piece lies with the decision of the Commonwealth.
Until then, I bit you vale and continued success in your future endeavors.
Regards,
Maria Cortez
Task Force Pacientia
Republic of Malta
Before we can agree to any settling agreement I have to ask for the terms you imagine.
Of course you will also need provide us evidence that Locklear is alive and well and if possible a summary of the methods of interrogation used on him.
You have to understand that I am sceptical yet. Why does this offer come so late after his trial? Why weren't we able to have contact with Locklear if there is nothing we should not know about? How can we know you do not plan to use him against us?
Yet, do not mistake my suspiciousnes for hostility. If you can provide answers to the most urgent questions we will be listening to your terms.
[Comm-ID]: Colonel Maria Cortez - Maltese Armed Forces
[Receiver-ID]: Fleet Admiral Derek Smith - Hellfire Legion
[Location]: Heaven's Summit, Aragon system, Hispania Space
[Subject]: Lord Commander Locklear
[Priority]: High
[Encryption]: Strong
Hola, Senor Smith.
It is good to hear from the Legion, especially after the length of time it's been. I can assure you Senor Locklear is doing well and that fortunately our 'methods' have only caused, from what I can tell, a load of fatigue and mild uncleanliness. We did do our most to try and make his experience a somewhat tolerable one, though I did wish for us to get this done with far sooner than now.
I cannot say why it took so long, for I truthfully do not know any better answer than to simply say that military board punishment and trial are separate and thorough in our Armed Forces. Numerous reschedulings of the posted trial date, peers and witnesses, decisions by the Admiralty Board and Her Mistress, and even the dates of Locklear's 'interrogations' interrupted the process. I won't speak wonders about our efficiency, but I'm personally thankful it's finally over with.
I'll forward a message to the Admiral on getting Locklear a connection to this network. I apologize that we couldn't do it sooner, but security and the aforementioned reschedulings did have an impact on the whole process.
If it's no issue, I'd like to withhold the terms until after Senor Locklear has had the opportunity to relay his words through this channel. I fear I'm taking Senorita Iltzmann's technique here, but I tend to be rather cautious in delicate situations, such as this.
I bid you vale, Senor Smith, and good luck in your endeavors.
Regards,
Maria Cortez
Task Force Pacientia
Republic of Malta
[Addendum: I am unsure of the complete list of 'methods' that were used on Senor Locklear, but from my understanding of the course the Lieutenant in charge restricted the majority to simple bouts of sleep deprivation and mild psychological tricks. I never tracked any accounts of actual physical harm to the Lord Commander. Should Senor Locklear proclaim otherwise, I will know who to go to, and it will likely not be pretty.]
[Comm-ID]: Lord Commander Samuel Locklear - Hellfire Legion
[Receiver-ID]: Fleet Admiral Derek Smith - Hellfire Legion | ERR: UNAUTHORIZED CONNECTION DETECTED
[Location]: Heaven's Summit, Aragon system, Hispania Space
[Subject]: Evidence
[Priority]: High
[Encryption]: Strong
I'm alive if not well, Smith, the 72nd have treated me well. What the hell are you doing answering this comm? The 72nd addressed it to the bureaucrats - what's going on back home, did something happen?
Nevermind. Listen, Derek, there's no time. If I know the Commonwealth they're going to triangulate on this position real soon. They want Abaddon and Ravager. Its going to be a split vote, whoever is acting Lord Commander is going to need to be the tiebreaker. Smith, do NOT let Sahega ---
- -- -{Signal Lost - Transmission Terminated }- -- -
To: Maltese 72nd Fleet From: Secretary Elton McKenna, Guadalajara, Vespucci System Subject: Locklear
While I have my doubts about the integrity of our former Lord Commander's statement and nothing concrete upon which to back the claims of his treatment, he is correct, Legionnaire Smith. This is a civic issue, not a military one. You have no jurisdiction here, this falls to President Stone's cabinet and if necessary Lord Commander-Regent Dalgaard. You are out of line, and I suggest you go back to organizing raids against the Republic. Leave the politics in the hands of those qualified to do the job.
Hispanian, Locklear claimed you wanted the Dreadnought Ravager and the Destroyer Abaddon. We'll need you to confirm his statement, along with any additional terms of his release. Please understand that our decision may take quite some time, as the cabinet will need time to discuss this issue thoroughly. Until we have all the information available however, Locklear will need to remain in your custody. I strongly implore you to continue treating him well, Miss Cortez.
[Comm-ID]: Colonel Maria Cortez - Maltese Armed Forces
[Receiver-ID]: Secretary Elton McKenna - Hellfire Legion
[Location]: Heaven's Summit, Aragon system, Hispania Space
[Subject]: Lord Commander Locklear
[Priority]: High
[Encryption]: Strong
Hola, Senor McKenna.
I can confirm to you that Senor Locklear's understanding of our terms are for the most part correct. The Dreadnought Ravager and Destroyer Abaddon are indeed of interest to the Armed Forces, as our recent influx of capable officers and men have allowed for us to man vessels of these calibres. However, as an addition to just Senor Locklear, the Republic would be willing to enter a form of military alliance to combat the forces of Gallia and push them back from the border of Liberty.
Madame de la Zerda has expressed an interest in this exchange, as conflict with the Legion, or any force that opposes Gallia for that matter, was never seen as a profitable case in any venture. Due to the Commonwealth's need to discuss, I'm more than pleased to keep Senor Locklear for the time being, and can assure you that we'll make every effort to keep him well taken care of.
I bid you vale, Senor McKenna. I hope for a swift and mutually beneficial decision on your end.
Regards,
Maria Cortez
Task Force Pacientia
Republic of Malta
To: Maltese 72nd Fleet From: Secretary Elton McKenna, Guadalajara, Vespucci System Subject: Locklear
The cabinet has deliberated on the issue at hand and we are as Locklear correctly presumed, at an impasse. Half of us, myself included, have little desire to throw away our hard assets for tenuous promises and a man who turned himself over to a race whose only noteworthy history in Sirian politics has been sowing destruction, dissent, and misery among the rest of us. President Stone and Secretary Hawthorne saw fit to remind me however that the democracy we are trying to build is one where all votes are weighted equally, even those with sympathy for the Maltese. The final vote falls to Lord Commander Regent Christopher Dalgaard. I have no doubt in my mind that he will do what he believes is right for the Commonwealth.
I can only hope that our children judge us kindly if we make the wrong decision on this day.
Name:Christopher V. Dalgaard Rank:Executive Commander / Acting Lord Commander Subject:Diplomatic Proceeding
Colonel Cortez, Commonwealth Secretaries,
Trust me when I say I didn't take this matter lightly, but neither did I listen to either side of the bickering cabinet when it came to finding a say in the matter. By my power as Lord Commander-Regent of the Commonwealth of House Liberty's-... I hate saying that, we should rechristen ourselves the Commonwealth of Vespucci.. but I digress. I hereby deliver my vote.
It is within both the people's and my best interest to see to the preservation of the integrity of one of our own men, the bond of fraternity between those who take up arms for the same cause isn't to be thrown away, not for anything. Secretary McKenna is disillusioned when he colours this situation as being a loss, as both the Ravager and Abaddon are in no shape for our line of service.
Therefore, I am agreeing to your terms and granting the exchange you proposed, but I do this asking for an additional aspect of cooperation. I want the 72nd Fleet to assist against any incursions into the Sovereign space of Vespucci, this will of course occur only on a request-basis, when we need your hands, we'll call, aside from this we will be open to freely cooperating against the Royalist threat which could very well rip our ambitions away from us. If it's anyone's job to bloody the Republic's nose, it's ours, they need to get in line.
You may retrieve both these vessels from the system of Vespucci, so as to ensure you leave without any threat from sources that may be mutual enemies to us, the Ravager is in no state to be moved and you will either have to repair or tow it away, I would advise the former, but I will order for the Abaddon to be refueled and set aside for you to claim nearly instantaneously.
I'll be holding you to your word and expecting the Lord Commander back as soon as possible and unharmed.