I must say I am kind of surprised to see Custodii supporting Gallic Royal Navy in Cortez defending Betheny and her battlegroup. I say surprised because I have not seen the brotherhood do the same and It pleases me to see I am not the only Corsair seeking a positive relationship the Gallic Crown. With respect I would like to ask what you gain from this and why does the brotherhood not join in?
Honor, Loyalty, Strength
Fatima Guevara
Captain of La Santa Maria
My name is Petros Vasilakis, Archon of the Custodi.
You are right. The Corsairs, but especially the Custodi support the Gallic forces in New London for quite some time now. We believe that the Kingdom is one of our most important allies when it comes to combat, trading of goods such as our artifacts, and even the exchange of Civilian ships with the Custodi. Strengthening our relations with them even further is the reason for the defense of the Betheny.
We believe that assisting them in trying to defend a vital asset of their war-machinery will result in a stronger bond and thus resulting in more opportunities to change the situation of the Corsairs around Sirius.
As for the Brotherhood.. that is certainly difficult to explain. The Brotherhood is very traditionalist, they believe that standing by the side of one of their oldest allies - the Gaians - is what should be done. And while I do not agree with that being the better choice, we have decided that it is best to leave each other with their allies at the given time.
In short, they will not help the Royalist forces, but they will only very rarely seek open conflict with them. And as such, the Gallic relations are pretty much handled by the Custodi at the current time.
Your answers certainly clears things up for me and I will take note of the Brotherhoods position and try to stay out of their way. I to have been seeking a more positive relationship with the Gallic Crown and it seems I have. The Admirals of the Royale Navy tell me it is a great honor that is being bestowed upon me and my crew for my actions in Cortez. I am glad to share the same beliefs as the Custodi, The Gallic Crown is a powerful ally. I sure hope the Brotherhood will see it, I would hate to see a conflict between our own people. I would like to inquire more about the Custodi, what else do you believe in and what are your goals?
Honor, Loyalty, Strength
Fatima Guevara
Captain of La Santa Maria
Miss Guevara, allow me to substitute for the time being. As the Custodi ambassador and advisor, I believe I can properly assist you with my time as opposed to our ever busy General Vasilakis. The Custodi, as I am no doubt you are aware, having an origin on Crete yourself, are found on the Attican plains, and govern that region of the planet. The Council of Elders has long recognized us as an independent council of Corsairs, and recently our bonds have grown stronger, to the extent that I am often in direct communication with them.
As a nation the Custodi are responsible for the majority of food on Crete, supplying the planets population from our fertile lands. In space we have furthered the future of the Corsair people as a whole by opening trade and diplomatic agreements with various parties, including the Gallic Crown. There are no enigmatic goals or ideals to be found within us. We simply wish to attain a better future for those we claim to speak for.
If you do have any other questions or requests, please do not hesitate to directly contact me.
I appreciate you stepping in for the General as you mentioned he is a busy man and we have many enemies to be wary of and allies to keep safe. I did hear of a rumor about another council rising in power but honestly I choose not to believe it as I like to verify and not act on baseless rumors. I am glad to hear the Council of Elders are working with you and I am happy to hear your lands are able to feed the population, without food what good is a home right?
I suppose this next question might need the General to answer this however, in terms of the Gallic assault on Bretonia is there a limit or cap on how much aid Custodi has been offering to the Gallic Crown? If so what reason would there be to not fully commit and is there anything I need to be aware of when aiding the Gallic Crown? So far aside from the small insults here and there for being a Corsair seems normal at first and when you prove yourself in combat the Gallics are more receptive and show their respect when seeing it first hand. What is your experience with the Gallic Crown and the people who serve within it?
Honor, Loyalty, Strength
Fatima Guevara
Captain of La Santa Maria
Considering that the Custodi have a permanent embassy on Ile-de-France and have moved the Athos fleet into a position to support the Gallic Navy, I'd say we get on pretty well. The reason our support is limited to a single battlegroup is due to distance, homeland security and proportional size. Without revealing classified military knowledge, I can reveal there is a reason for the status quo to be maintained as it is.
As for information you need to be aware of, it can be summed up quite simply, treat the Gauls with the respect you would afford any other commander of the Corsair fleet, and you'll be fine. Follow their laws in their space and they'll be more than happy to have you there.
I thank you for your swift reply as I am sure you are a busy man and know that your responses are not falling on deaf ears. I have a question that has is semi important, eventually La Santa Maria will return to Crete to allow my crew the time off it deserves, get a proper re fit and service at our shipyard and so on. As the General said The Brotherhood and the Council of Elders are a very traditionalist and I am concerned the Gallic weaponry that has been gifted to us might cause some friction with them as they do not support Gallia, Do you have any advice that could be beneficial for me?
Honor, Loyalty, Strength
Fatima Guevara
Captain of La Santa Maria
There are no extra measures you need to undertake in such an event. Be advised that while no ruling body of the Corsairs will object to seeing Gallic technology on your ship, any cretan technology shared with the Gauls must first be approved by us.
Once again your response is satisfying and I feel much more comfortable returning home, We will consult with Custodi should any such exchange arise. Custodi has proven to be for the people and its stance towards Gallia is extremely welcomed by me and my crew, you have my Loyalty and I should hope to have earned yours or be on the path to earning it.
Honor, Loyalty, Strength
Fatima Guevara
Captain of La Santa Maria