"I am also fine with senor de Silva's proposition. If the document clearly states which systems Her Majesty is the empress off, then I see no problem with her title."
"I shall not waste your time any longer, Senoritas. I shall leave you discussing your private matters. Besides, my presence is required elsewhere. I bid you good day".
Making a polite farewell gesture, he put the bottle with whiskey back on the table and quietly left the room.
Elizabeth spoke to Valdez after Don Hernan had left, her gloved hand subconsciously writing elaborate tugras in the air.
"My family used to own a small space mining company in Tau-23 before the war with Kusari. It destroyed all our assets and forced my father into military service, and he was killed in action in the recent Gallic push. My only source of income currently is my MP wage and whatever the Steiners, my benefactors, decide to give me, respectable but nowhere near what I would need to retake what is rightfully mine. I am asking you, if you would be so kind, to give me an asteroid miner after the war, preferably a Hegemon, so I can restart my family's business. In return, what do you think I could, as an influential person in Bretonia, do for you?"
Valdez raised an eyebrow in surprise of the request. She leaned forward on the table and took a few more moments of silence to formulate her response.
"Retake what is rightfully yours, miss Hall? Interesting that your own government is not willing to reinstate your family's losses. Perhaps you can have our favor, but in return Malta would need your favor in the Bretonian government regarding issues that concern us Maltese. I'm sure there are plenty of those in your Kingdom that consider us as nothing more than criminals, due to outside influences from Liberty and the like. If you want me to help you with your request, I'll need to have your promise that you'll help protect the friendship of our two nations against those."
The Maltese woman finished her reply with a smile.
It took a day for the Bretonian government to review the treaty. Elizabeth convened the two Maltese tomorrow at the same time, and presented them with the following:
Quote:
Treaty of Basilica
This Treaty is concluded between the Kingdom of Bretonia and Nation of Malta in the spirit of mutual respect and aspirations for lasting peace between the states, as well as bringing the end to Gallic imperialism in the sector.
1. The Kingdom of Bretonia recognizes the Nation of Malta as a sovereign state and the legitimate successor of House Hispania.
2. The Nation of Malta recognizes the Bretonian monarch as the Empress/Emperor of Tau.
2.1. The title "Empress/Emperor of Tau" shall henceforth be construed as the Bretonian monarch with sovereign rule over Tau-31, and Tau-23 south of the A34-CD34-CD56-H56 line.
3. The Kingdom of Bretonia recognises Tau-37 and the space of Tau-23 north of the A34-CD34-CD56-H56 line as legitimate Maltese territory.
4. The Kingdom of Bretonia recognises the Maltese claims over Tau-44 and all Gallic assets in Tau-53 as legitimate.
5. The Kingdom of Bretonia will not lay claim to the Tau-29 System.
6. The Nation of Malta recognizes the Tau-31, Orkney, and Roussillon systems as the sovereign territories belonging to the Kingdom of Bretonia.
7. The mining zone in the C2 sector of Tau-23 is recognised by the Kingdom of Bretonia as belonging to the Nation of Malta.
7.1. All Bretonian crown corporations, as well as Gateway and Planetform, have free and unrestricted access to the mining zone, the right to mine its resources without tax and the right to be protected by the Maltese law enforcement.
8. The Nation of Malta has the right to transport supplies to the Cape Wrath Base in the Newcastle System, including cardamine, but not including any other contraband unless specially licensed, as well as to garrison the base with a flotilla sized force of snubcraft, gunboats and commercial vessels. The Maltese garrison has the right to ask the local Bretonian law enforcement for help if unable to fend off the would be assailants by themselves.
9. All Bretonian law enforcement ships have unrestricted access to the entire Tau-23 System, including capital ships.
10. All Maltese law enforcement ships have unrestricted access to the entire Tau-23 System, including capital ships.
11. The law enforcement of either sides to the Treaty may pursue criminals or enemies from their own zone, but can otherwise only fire in self-defense or in defense of another Bretonian or Maltese vessel while in the other's zone.
12. No modular bases built in one zone of the Tau-23 System may deploy weapon platforms in the other.
13. The Tau-23 star belongs to both the Kingdom of Bretonia and the Nation of Malta, and may not be subject to action of either without the other's approval.
14. The Kingdom of Bretonia obliges to provide aid to the Nation of Malta against the Crayter Republic, should the Crayter Republic endanger the stability of this treaty, if possible overtly and aggressively, and if not, covertly, after the Kingdom of Gallia has been defeated.
15. The Nation of Malta obliges to provide aid to the Kingdom of Bretonia against the Crayter Republic, should the Crayter Republic endanger the stability of this treaty, if possible overtly and aggressively, and if not, covertly, after the Kingdom of Gallia has been defeated.
16. The Kingdom of Bretonia recognizes that all Independent Miners' Guild assets in the Taus, including those in the Coronado System as well, but excluding those in Tau-31 and Orkney, rightfully belong to the Nation of Malta.
17. The Nation of Malta recognizes that all Independent Miners' Guild assets in Tau-31, Orkney, Newcastle and Dublin rightfully belong to the Kingdom of Bretonia.
18. This treaty is valid indefinitely, but it will be open for re-negotiation should the participants request.
Valdez carefully read the document's first ten clauses, which were the more controversial point of discussion in this conference. She raised her head with a smile.
"It looks good to me, miss Hall. If senor de Silva sees no issue in the document as well, I see no reason not to sign it."