Aboard the Luxury Liner FMG-Thanaticthus, in the far orbit of Manhattan, there is a small tea room, known only to a select few. Though in principle anyone could drop in, it is a gentlemen's club, and as such both proper manners and attire are required of visitors. If we take it's location into account, it's no wonder that the place is somewhat desolate.
There are a few comfortable armchairs with small tables and stacks of pillows placed nearby, and a spacious bookcase. One wall is completely covered with a drapery, and when a momentary gust of wind moves it around, what appears to be a tank of water can be seen behind it. There are no windows, and another drapery covers the entrance.
A lone, nameless waiter strolls through every now and then - if you've been here before, he'll arrange for the finest tea and crumpets in all of Sirius, but otherwise he'll wait until a Guild Member specifically instructs him to do so - and there is always one around, for this is their headquarters, and a place to rest after a weary day of plotting and planning for the Ultimate Extraction.
A peculiar, dusty music fills the room with a sleepy fog, detaching the place from the outside world even further - making it a seemingly timeless and placid place amidst the swirling seas of Sirius, a Sargasso Sea in which one could be perfectly at peace in the calm and not count the hours pass.
The Fish Miners' Guild
(Unofficial Player Faction) We must Reconcile all the Fish to the Guild.
The esteemed Fish Miners Guild Chairman, Maskage enters the fine establishment, and sits in one of the comfortable looking chairs. He is followed by a man in a white lab coat, and two lane hackers, who sit around the same table.
Maskage: Waiter, the usual please. And bring some for our guests here too.
The waiter brings Maskage and his guests a plate of crumpets and each a cup of steaming hot tea.
Maskage: So, gentlemen, how is business today with the Lane Hackers?
Hacker 1: Its a tough job but it pays.
Maskage: Good to hear, but you really should try your hand at fish mining, it can be far more lucrative.
A rustling noise is heard coming from behind some of the drapings... Maskage sets down his tea gently and stands up
Maskage: If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I have business to attend to. It should only take a moment and I shall return momentarily.
Maskage walks back behind the drapings, and faint muffled voices are heard...
Cant have you disrupting our tea party now can we?
What do you want from me? You expect me to talk!?
Why no, Mr. Unioner, I expect you to die!
The tea cups in the Whist begin to shake as if there was a tremor, and the faint sound of hydraulics can be
heard... Followed by blood curdling screams.
Maskage walks back into the tea room and sits down, then continues his friendly chat with his guests.
Dr. Sprolf: Nothing serious I hope? *sips tea*
Maskage: Not at all, I simply had to feed my pets.
Preceded by faint, hushed, and sparse words, Thralios the Councillor and Vice Chairman Silurius emerged from behind the great drapery. They exchanged knowing, greeting nods with Chairman Maskage, and occupied a pair of nearby armchairs, with a convenient table in-between. The chairs looked scattered, but as they both knew, those were set at a precise angle - allowing interlocutors to glance at one another, but never quite forcing them to do so. What conversation they were having ceased as soon as the waiter drifted by, setting an abundance of crumpets on the table. Two cups of tea and a deck of cards were soon to follow. Silurius shuffled the cards wordlessly as Thralios reverently submerged his biscuit in the tea.
"Best out of five, then?", Thralios asked.
"Indubitably!", Silurius responded. He dealt the cards with precise, unhurried moves.
The Fish Miners' Guild
(Unofficial Player Faction) We must Reconcile all the Fish to the Guild.
"In lieu of our mentions of fishing, I should feel it necessary to remark," Silurius began as he slid the cards across the table with his robotic arm, "that the fish in Liberty are quite few these days. The greatest amount lie in the good system of, Colorado but I must say that they are not to be got, as I learned some short while ago. I'm saddened to note that their guardians are zealous and powerful - neither of which are saddening, of course, but they are rather irrational and impossible to communicate with on any level save that of gunpoint."
Silurius placed the remainder of the cards on the side of the table, between their mugs of tea.
"And you know how much I abhor having to resort to weapons."He sat up straighter in his chair and adjusted his collar, done leaning over and ready to play the cards. "I would find it better if we engaged in forays to the more distant worlds to fish, rather than to bother the Xenos, as the Colorado Fish-Protectors are called. There are fish to be had, but... I think now would not be a wise time to go after them."
' Wrote:I'm just a private citizen who decided it was time for a little community service.
I take out the trash so other people don't have to get their hands dirty.
Gee, that's nice of me.
"These new are quite perplexing. Much as I loathe guns, there are times when I am vexed enough to wish I took some basic training concerning spaceship fights, and this is such a time. Then again, I abominate a fair fight with a non-gentleman even more, and in an unfair fight the skills aren't really important, while a fight between gentlemen would rarely if ever be settled using spaceships."
Thralios sipped some of his tea, and took a number of cards from the deck.
"The Ultimate Extraction will have this Xeno Problem solved, obviously. As far as our immediate actions are concerned, I do find your reasoning flawless indeed, my dear friend. Colorado made unavailable, what of the Omega quadrant, then? Heading for The Staff, we can reach it quite quickly, and although The Fish there aren't as numerous as they used to be, there should still be plenty present. What say you?"
He paused for a while. "And, last but not least, who was the dealer, again?"
The Fish Miners' Guild
(Unofficial Player Faction) We must Reconcile all the Fish to the Guild.
"I hear tell that there is a simple jump-hole route from Magellan to Dublin, with just Leeds in between. I do think that that would be the most expedient way to travel to your proposed area, although some donations to more abhorred denizens of that particular area most far from our goal would prove useful to the safe transport of goods. There is a certain nexus of unagreeables in New London that I believe we should consider visiting - 'tis called Trafalgar. The Junkers there should prove useful in influencing the nonviolence of those around them to better ease our extraction of Rainbow Trout. The Corsairs are a particular problem in the Omega Area, in addition to the Red Hessians, so called. They are also enemies, which would mean we would have to insure neutrality to some extent. Treading a path between the two should be only somewhat challenging, as they have a common enemy or two...." Silurius lapsed into thoughtfulness for a moment, and the raised a finger in the air. "Ah. But I neglect the game we have before us. I was indeed the one who dealed."
' Wrote:I'm just a private citizen who decided it was time for a little community service.
I take out the trash so other people don't have to get their hands dirty.
Gee, that's nice of me.
Thralios placed three cards down announcing, simply, "Three."
Waiting for more cards to be dealt, he resumed the conversation. "Concerning the Omega Area - as long as the mentioned route is confirmed not to be mere hearsay, it should be a good idea to send out an exploration team there. I have no experience in these matters, but I trust these warring hotheads can be reasoned with, or paid off at worst?"
He sipped some more of his tea. "Do tell me more about Trafalgar, though - I must confess I haven't yet had a chance to visit it, and it sounds quite relevant to our interests. Or how about visiting it after the games?"
The Fish Miners' Guild
(Unofficial Player Faction) We must Reconcile all the Fish to the Guild.
Silurius thought a moment, and then picked two cards from his hand - a Jack and a Nine - and announced "Bagel" quite simply.
"Trafalgar," he continued, "is the Bretonian residence of our friends the Junkers. As such, many persons from many differing paths cross through it, giving us a chance to meet representatives of many different groups and influence them in ways so that they might appreciate our mission more and be generally disposed in a kind manner towards us." He took a sip of tea. "I would note that the group of mobsmen known as 'Corsairs' would be one to maintain general neutrality with, as their power in the reaches of southern Sirius is rather unmatched. Similarly, we do not want to give note of any predisposition for them, in the case we should travel to northern Sirius, where their enemies, the Outcasts, make their home. 'Tis a delicate path, to be sure."
' Wrote:I'm just a private citizen who decided it was time for a little community service.
I take out the trash so other people don't have to get their hands dirty.
Gee, that's nice of me.
Maskage enters The Whist and briefly inspects the furnishings, then grins with satisfaction.
"Excellent, dare I say not one molecule is out of place after the renovation?"
The Thanaticthus was recently refitted and upgraded to hold a larger crew compliment in addition to other facilities and accommodations, much to the Chairman's delight The Whist has not changed at all.
Maskage tips his top hat to the waiter, and goes to sit in the private booth which is separated from the other tables by a waste-high wall with a brass lattice going to the roof.
"Set out refreshments for three, waiter. Silurius and Thralios should arrive shortly."
Maskage begins writing on a piece of notepaper with a feather-pen.
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