I am Commander Nathaniel Oake of the formerly Insurgent Siege Cruiser Savannah. While for the moment at least we seem to have gained a reliable source of supplies, food, medicine, and other basic essentials, suffice to say I trust nobody at the moment, and I am looking to keep my options open. It would hardly be prudent to put all of my eggs in one basket.
We would not burden our supply situation on you fully, we have heard whispers that you have had quite a burgeoning fleet of late and I'm sure that is entailing a logistical nightmare all of its own, however we would ask if you may be interested in 'contract work' if you will, should you require a warship of our calibre that cannot be spared from your own duties.
If nothing else, it never hurts to have connections.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant J. Royce Recipient:Commander Nathaniel Oake Subject:Re: An offer of cooperation
Commander.
It's not often that I get to handle communications with soldiers from the other side of the fence. Usually this sort of thing would default to our Commander's office and be subject to his discretion. But it was recently decided that in many cases this would lead to unintended exposure and excessive workload. As such, you'll be dealing with me, Adjutant Jeremy Royce.
Any deal you reach with me will be reflected and honoured by the rest of the Alliance. Granted, I can't speak for every Xeno in the wider movement. Nobody can. Since you've broached the subject of connections, we have to wonder who else you're trying to touch bases with.
I'll be frank with you, I want to help you. But you need to give me something to work with. Something that'll ease over the Commander's mistrust and act as a gesture of good will to defeat any potential naysayers. By that I mean telling me who else you're in contact with.
If it will ease your mind, we currently obtain our supplies from the Technocracy of Auxesia. As you can likely imagine, options for former Insurgents are somewhat slim, however to say that I would trust the Technocracy, or quite frankly your own organisation, Adjutant, would be a gross overstatement. As it stands, our relationship with Auxo is transactional in nature, they supply us, we do them the occasional favour while maintaining the majority of our autonomy.
I know not the nature of your relationship with Auxesia. Given I never got much of an answer from their Navarch, I work on the assumption that for the most part you have no particular interest or conflict with each other. There are only so many independent organisations who both have the capability to supply a ship of our size, and wouldn't turn us over to Libertonian authority in a heartbeat. I would hope that this connection would not be a hindrance in any dealings we may have.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant J. Royce Recipient:Commander Nathaniel Oake Subject:Re: An offer of cooperation
Commander.
While your honesty does give me some encouragement to see this through, your answer made the Alliance Commander notably cross. He's no admirer of the Technocracy, and we're currently at a state of war with them over what is ostensibly a struggle for the soul of the independent worlds. Something we'd like to see preserved - by any means necessary.
Despite his colorfully expressed displeasure to hear the truth, our course remains the same. We'll pay a good gesture back with one of our own, and I've been authorized to make you an offer.
For your consideration:
- Ample spare parts.
- Ready mooring access and repair crews capable of maintaining a ship of your tonnage.
- Lodging and amenities for yourself and your crew.
- Support from a cadre of pilots cut from the same cloth as you, and otherwise. But in either case committed to ensuring you make it back to port in one piece.
- The satisfaction that every burned husk left behind serves a cause you can relate with.
You'll be more than sufficiently covered, enough that you wouldn't have to transact with the Technocracy anymore. If that's what you want, that is. The Alliance Commander, or ALLCOM, specifically instructed me to leave this bit up to you. He has a fixation for giving people a free hand and seeing what they do with it.
I will also state that people of your stripe are already among the ranks, and those that weren't interested in fighting for any cause were evacuated to Erie. You don't have to trust us based on word alone, Commander. That's not how we operate anyway.
Your willingness to go above and beyond our original suggestion is noted and appreciated. However, as I said before, I cannot afford to trust any one individual or organisation. I have to look out for my own, Adjutant, I'm sure you understand. As a result, you may consider your offer accepted, however know that we will not cut our so-far-friendly enough ties with the Technocracy. We have no interest nor is it in our benefit to get involved on either side of your conflict. Both sides will benefit from the burning hulks of expeditionary house forces, and therefore I see little conflict of interest with relation to this vessel. My own personal view is that the 'soul' of the independent worlds matters little if it is under a house boot, Liberty or otherwise.
As your Commander has seemingly pointed out, I understand it is difficult to trust simply based upon empty words. Therefore, let our actions speak for us. Should said actions prove treacherous, I'm sure we'll have a set of Nova torpedoes armed and landing upon my bridge courtesy of Xeno bomber squadrons.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant J. Royce Recipient:Commander Nathaniel Oake Subject:Re: An offer of cooperation
Commander.
ALLCOM has certified his own willingness to uphold this agreement or lock in torpedo vectors like you stated. This will remain in place until either you or we cancel the arrangement for whatever reason. But I'd like to encourage you to give the LFR a chance.