I was asked to meet with members of the Commonwealth, a group of zoners with origins in or ties to Gallia. I was uncertain of their agenda, and yet, with the proximity of backup from our Outcast allies, I felt quite confident I could manage the situation. Even so, I arrived quite early to our pre-arranged meeting to do some scouting and electronic sweeps. The conversation I had with their representative, heavily edited I might add, as he is rather verbose, follows:
[08.11.2013 21:02:43] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Good day sir.
[08.11.2013 21:03:32] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *jumps* "La, indeed, good day to you too my Libertonian comrade...
[08.11.2013 21:04:21] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Orlov: I believe we have a meeting scheduled for now ?
[08.11.2013 21:04:58] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *grins indulgently* "...And with great puntuality; Sir, if I may be so presuptuous...
[08.11.2013 21:05:28] CW|Achille'sAlpha: "...May you state your current stellar location, for the benifit of me personally, of course."
[08.11.2013 21:05:47] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I am outside Freeport 10 of course.
[08.11.2013 21:06:07] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: This is where you asked to meet, is it not?
[08.11.2013 21:06:26] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *Varifies most recent Proxemic data* "...and so you are. In transit now, ami."
[08.11.2013 21:07:33] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "Pardon the lateness of the host... but the odd fashionable delay is very becoming, is it not?
[08.11.2013 21:07:55] CW|Achille'sAlpha: "...Adds a particular 'gravitas' to an entrance, as our hispanic bedfellows may utter.
[08.11.2013 21:08:25] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: It has given me ample time to scout the area for traps and espionage devices.
[08.11.2013 21:09:23] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *with a certain Irony* "...Sir you are so close to '10, that a man with a telescope standing in a biodome could...
[08.11.2013 21:09:37] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...conduct comfortable espionage. *grins wirily*
[08.11.2013 21:09:58] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Indeed. *smiles*
[08.11.2013 21:10:48] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "But be at ease ami, our meeting is solitary, any information recieved (or exchanged) here will travel through me...
[08.11.2013 21:11:10] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ..before being conducted to the Commonwealthian primary body. A human filter if you will. [08.11.2013 21:11:17] Death: Anne.Marin was killed by LH~Dr.JuliusNo (Gun)
[08.11.2013 21:11:17] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: We are ever glad to do business with the Zoners. So Mr. Nadeau, lets get to business. [08.11.2013 21:30:19] Death: helper was killed by LH~Jimmy.Bond (Gun)
After quite some time I was finally able to get him to tell me what they were after.
[08.11.2013 21:38:18] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *smiles amiably* "...Orlov indeed; what would the Lane Hacker's intrest be in, say, de-encrypting classified Liberty..
[08.11.2013 21:38:33] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ..Navy data, data they may not wish the public disclosure of?
It was at this precise moment that I caught a Liberty Navy IFF on my scanners. Though I will admit, something was not quite right about the long range scan I got, however, I did not wish to venture closer to a warship, as I was only in a transport vessel myself. As you will note, I imediately engaged my cruise engines and made haste for the nearest Outcast base in the next system, where we continued our discussion via a long distance comm link.
[08.11.2013 21:38:38] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *starts*
[08.11.2013 21:39:02] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Is this some sort of trap?
[08.11.2013 21:39:10] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...Speak of the devil and it magically appears... The Liberty Secondary Fleet, here? Putain de la Fu<expletive>ck
[08.11.2013 21:39:51] LNS-Tundra: Daniel: And guests rush away to depart as quickly as possible...
[08.11.2013 21:39:55] CW|Achille'sAlpha: *looks positively alarmed* "...Ah, Sir Orlov, I did not anticipate... A trap it is not."
[08.11.2013 21:40:11] CW|Achille'sAlpha: "...A surprise, a startlement, possibly."
[08.11.2013 21:40:13] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I think I may retire to the security of the Outcasts hospitality.
[08.11.2013 21:41:02] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *With the most self-vanglorious voice musterable* "...Libertonian Siege Cruiser LNS Tundra, you appear to...
[08.11.2013 21:42:01] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...The vessel didn't follow you here, did it man?
[08.11.2013 21:42:12] Traffic control alert: LH~Cochrane.Repossessor has requested to dock
[08.11.2013 21:43:02] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: If you think for one second the Lane Hackers wish to cavort with Liberty Navy lickspittles, you are sadly mistaken.
[08.11.2013 21:44:15] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: And of course I was not followed, I have been enjoying the hospitality of the Freeport all day. *smirks*
[08.11.2013 21:44:30] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: A relief indeed... but you misunderstand my offer.
[08.11.2013 21:44:59] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Perhaps you can enlighten me then?
[08.11.2013 21:45:16] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...My appreciation was as follows: any individual capable of creating such a masterful codelock, could, hypothetically...
[08.11.2013 21:45:31] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...access the Libertine naval archives with relative ease, oui?
[08.11.2013 21:46:05] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Of course, hacking the Navy is a daily trifle of ours.
[08.11.2013 21:46:19] CW|Achille'sAlpha: *Grins vulpinely* "...I am so glad."
[08.11.2013 21:48:39] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: What information are you looking for exactly?
[08.11.2013 21:49:22] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: ...Uncharacteristically bluntly: technical schematics.
[08.11.2013 21:50:03] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: For what, Sugaraland prison?
[08.11.2013 21:51:23] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I assure you, you will need much more than schematics to free someone from a Libertonian prison. *smiles*
[08.11.2013 21:51:28] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *laughs*
[08.11.2013 21:51:46] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "Oh no Sir, my intrest runs much farther than a mere cube..."
[08.11.2013 21:52:01] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I figured as much.
[08.11.2013 21:52:51] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: ...Let the query be self-evident; what is the present product of Baltimore, Washington, and the rumoured Juneau, hmm?
[08.11.2013 21:53:59] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Well, my verbose companion, you could be speaking of either the famed Liberty Dreadnought, or the Liberty Carrier.
[08.11.2013 21:54:13] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "Or quite probably both."
[08.11.2013 21:55:13] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: It is indeed quite possible to gather these schematics. However, it is not cheap. *grins malevelently*
[08.11.2013 21:55:34] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "...Oh credits are paltry, but we Sir, are information traders."
[08.11.2013 21:56:10] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "Besides, is not the satisfaction of knowing untold millions others will posess the secrets of Liberty's Capital...
[08.11.2013 21:56:27] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...construction after our extraction sufficient credit enough?
[08.11.2013 21:57:20] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: There is little information we dont have, that we cannot get ourselves.
[08.11.2013 21:57:43] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *raises a well-sculpted brow* ...Really now?"
[08.11.2013 21:58:00] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: So what you offer would need to be of a suitably good quality to catch our interest.
[08.11.2013 21:58:04] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...Then perhaps you underestimate the value of having a possible listening post in the Zoner community?
[08.11.2013 21:58:49] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Eyes and ears are always a welcome commodity.
[08.11.2013 21:59:34] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: *Winces at the allusion* "...Careful Sir, a certain HMS Thunderer removed one of my own."
[08.11.2013 22:01:50] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "You see ami, we posess a certain... intrest in persevering what the crown calls the Liberation war for as long as...
[08.11.2013 22:01:56] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...concievably possible."
[08.11.2013 22:02:30] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I see.
[08.11.2013 22:02:36] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: "...We are, in essence, Zoners, and the large houses are the greatest threat to the Independent worlds...
[08.11.2013 22:02:53] CW|Achille'sAlpha: " ..presently existant".
[08.11.2013 22:03:05] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...The only more significant threat, is of course, other Zoners.
[08.11.2013 22:03:29] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I will take what you want into consideration, and will confer with my fellow Hackers and get back to you on a suitable...
[08.11.2013 22:03:37] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: "price"
[08.11.2013 22:03:46] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...Hold on Sir, I am not complete with my offer.
[08.11.2013 22:04:11] CW|Achille'sAlpha: We, I, hold the opinion that Gallia will destroy itself if the invasion is successful.
[08.11.2013 22:04:27] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: The mother kingdom cannot merely bear the weight of such a loadstone.
[08.11.2013 22:05:16] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: Additionally, Liberty, the enslavers of the Penslyvanian Zoners...
[08.11.2013 22:05:31] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...Have barstardised themselves further with their occupation of freeport four.
[08.11.2013 22:05:49] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: A matter that is most disappointing to us as well.
[08.11.2013 22:05:52] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...We cannot trust liberty any more than you yourselves can.
[08.11.2013 22:06:04] CW|Achille'sAlpha: ...ah, you also regret the loss?
[08.11.2013 22:06:23] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: It is inconvenient yes. [08.11.2013 22:06:56] Death: Leght3n_miner-2 was killed by LH~Lee.Fu-Chu (Gun) [08.11.2013 22:07:55] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: I have another pressing appointment. Perhaps we can continue our discussion...
[08.11.2013 22:08:14] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: But of course, via the neuralnet or personally?
[08.11.2013 22:08:25] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: either over the neuralnet, or on another occasion.
[08.11.2013 22:08:38] CW|Achille'sAlpha: Achille: I'd rather our Regional Nemesis, the TAZ, hear as little of this as possible, if you understand. *grins&
[08.11.2013 22:09:46] LH~Cochrane.Repossessor: Set up the rendezvous over the neauralnet if you will.
Mission was accomplished, but I must admit the arrival of the LNS vessel raises some red flags for me. I would advise we test these Commonwealth folk out some to see where their true loyalties lie, before we continue business with them.
On a side note, I recieved some hostile target destroyed confirmations from our latest recruits while I was conversing with Mr.Nadeau. I hope they will bring a smile to you as they did to me.