Greetings! Earlier today I was spending some time with a group of Brigands by the title of "Confrerie du Renard"- the Fellowship of the Fox, that is- and their leader (a nice man who goes by "Asterix") mentioned that they were in negotiations with Council to acquire an "Obstinate" cruiser for a mobile base. Negotiations that had apparently broken down. I have since spent a good deal of time with this particular group of Brigands, and they have treated me most kindly- helping me with a few errands which enabled me to grab some more powerful weaponry, for one. To the point, though, I'd like to request that you open talks with them on the purchasing of such a cruiser- as I understand, there are a few spares in the Champagne system that could be spared in the interests of cooperation between the enemies of the Crown. Of course, mere currency may not be the only thing you want in exchange, but on behalf of my friends in the {CdR}, I ask you to open negotiations. This channel should serve well enough.
If there is anything you require of us, we can throw that into the pot as well. You need only ask, and we'll put it on the agenda.
Now if you'll excuse me, 'Asterix' is about to buy me another drink. Finally, a decent bar...
The Council is not a ship manufacturing company. We do not sell ships to others. We grant the Maquis the use of our ships as they used to be part of our organization and hold some of the same goals as us closest to their hearts. We do not sell capital class ships to lawless mercenary/pirates.
Sincerely,
Xavier Richelieu
...additional data found in message ...scanning data format....... encrypted message found.. **DECRYPTING**
Monsieur Asterix,
I hope you understand that the previous part of the message was necessary in case of interception. As I made clear to your former commander, we can not be seen openly supporting the Brigands. When I speak of lawless mercenary pirates, I speak of the reputation of the Brigands in general, of course, and not necessarily your group.
That being said I have to say I believe the Council High Command would be very reluctant to hand over a cruiser to you. These warships are very much needed by us to help stave off royal incursions into Languedoc as well as to maintain the defense of Champagne. Although I have never myself dealt directly with anyone from your group, a commander I know, by the name of Jean Lecuyer, tells me he had to stop one of your ships from pirating a Sirrian civilian who had done nothing more than trade consumer goods with Gallic civilians. This does not exactly inspire confidence in the purity of your actions.
Of course I understand the need for discretion. Think nothing of it.
I understand that your supply of ships is limited, however, if the Council is not a shipbuilding company, neither is it a salvage operation. The hulk of the Democratie in Languedoc is ample proof of that. I recently came across another such burned out wreck in the Lorraine system. If we were to restore that ship, rather than taking one off your assembly line, would that ease your objections?
As for the Sirians... *sighs* I think when it comes to their transports, we're going to have to agree to disagree sir. I object on general principle to anyone trading with the Royals with impunity, since commodities bought means more funds for the Royals. However, I have reversed a few of my former commander's policies. To wit: All non-Transport class Sirian vessels are to be assisted. All Civillian escape pods are priority items, to be picked up before any loot is obtained, and the pilots dropped off at a Council or Junker base in a timely manner. Most importantly, any invasion of Champagne or Languedoc by the GRN is a priority emergency for all CdR pilots. After all, we have bases there too...
I hope I have set your mind at ease m'sieur, but I do not expect it. Please send your reply via the young boy waiting outside, properly encrypted of course.
Yours, Asterix
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Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
J.M. Barrie
A woman in her thirties looked around the bleak surface of Marne. Even here, in the cities controlled by Council, it felt lifeless and devoid of energy. And full of debris, a small piece of which she was holding. She produced a piece of paper from her pocket and crumpled it around the rock, then took another look around.
In a Council office, business as usual was interrupted by a loud crash. A rock rolled off a wrinkled piece of paper, away from the newly broken window. After a few seconds of shock, one of the officers leaned down and grabbed the paper. The others returned to their work. It was fancy-looking paper even after all it had suffered, and there was a message on it written in very delicate and precise handwriting with some expensive-looking ink.
"Sorry for sending this message in such a way, but you're a bit uptight on security. Even against your dear friends the Maquis (such as myself). The guards wouldn't even let me in, something about the 'fist-related drowsiness' one of the bartenders got after messing up my drink. Anyway, I'm not one to let a debt go unpaid, and I was wondering how deliberations with the Fellowship of the Fox were going? I've sent a few friends of mine along to help secure the "Obstinate"-class cruiser wreck they found in Lorraine, and to keep it clear of any meddling Junker dirtbags. I'd also once again like to offer the Maquis' help in any errands or favors Council needs doing above and beyond our constant efforts against the Royalists (no matter how much you may object to them). We like to keep all the allies we can get against the Royalists, and a mobile base for this particularly responsible and understanding group of Brigands serves all of our interests. If there's anything you need, I'll probably be on Marne for another few days, then it's back to battle.
Yours truly,
Colette Austin
P.S. I left money for the window with the guards, along with contact information for a repair guy I know. We're all on the same side, after all."