~From the desk of Adamo Francesca, Public Representative of the Francesca y Columbo Smuggling, Shipping and Security Syndicate, to Police Commissioner Aidan Greene of the BPA and Fleet Admiral Sir Stanley Nelson of the BAF. buon giorno signores. This communique has reached you beacuse your overzealous efforts at preserving the lawof Bretonia have come to interfere with our balance sheets. A sad thing really, beacuse theonly concern of our corporation is the balance sheets.Profit and such. (Now, you could call me a pathetic example of humanity who would do anything for the credits. [color="#ffffff]You, of course, would be right. I once sold a Corsair some Outcast weaponry, stole his ship, sold it an Hessian, and then told the Corsair where to find his ship for ten thousand credits. good times.) Recently your rather pathetic attempts at reining in ourvery lucrativesmuggling business has resulted in losses, delays, and, most unfortunately,deaths on both sides. (I refer of course, to the highly inopprotune incident in which one of your constables tried to enforce the death penalty against a very well armed convoy and paid the ultimate price, but not before taking the lives of several of my men.) Reasoning aside, i have a very singular proposal for the both of you. As you are well aware,(being highly informed men of the Crown,hmm?) the F~C has arms throughout all of Sirius. Most useful to you, as you should see, would be the ones inside the Corsair nation, and inside the criminal elements of your own Bretonia. Thusly, I propose to you this. In exchange for turning a blind eye to my rather harmless smuggling, I will provide you with all of the information I posses on my clients.A good exchange, no? This would include, but not be limited to, pirates who request my services as a cargo ship, smugglers who request escort, or criminals who request some rather odd stuff. Oh, but it gets better.See, since I can get almost anything to anywhere, I have numerous contacts within your most hated enemy. Who?Please. Why, The Corsair Brotherhood, of course! So you see, I know whenever they plan a raid. useful, hm? I would, of course, require posting access to your secure comms as a informant of the Crown. But that's not too much to ask, is it? I sincerely hope we can do business, signores. If not, than I hope you avail yourself of some of the Francesca y Columbo Smuggling, Shipping and Security Syndicate's other services, such as our elite personal bodyguards, ourexquisite term life insurance, or, my personal favorite, our highly trained political assassination squads. ~Adamo Francesca, of the F~C
=END TRANSMISSION=
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
NSY CommChannel Status: OPEN
Encryption: High
Incoming Transmission...
Priority: NORMAL
From: Commander Lucy Silsbury
To: F~C Smuggling
Subject: Turning a blind eye
Firstly, Chief Commissioner Aidan Greene was disposed of quite some time ago.
Secondly, What exactly is it that your company wishes to move through Bretonia Space?
~From the desk of Adamo Francesca, Public Representative of the Francesca y Columbo Smuggling, Shipping and Security Syndicate, to Commander and Fleet Admiral Sir Stanley Nelson of the BAF.
[color="#000000]Why, contraband of course.[/color]
It wouldn't make much sense to try and smuggle scrap metal, now would it?
To be more specific, F~C currently holds several contracts for contraband import/export within Bretonia, including a unlimited contract of Gaian Wildlife to be shipped to several populated Edge World planets for continued terraforming, a unlimited contract for the Sale of Light Arms to the Mollys, the exportation of Plutonium from Belfast, and the standard fare of Artefacts to Trafalagar and such.
But enough about that. Let's talk about you. If such useful information isn't enough to make you decide, how about credits?
I would of course be willing to pay a "excise tax" directly to the BPA Retirement Fund. I'm just such a nice guy.
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
NSY CommChannel Status: OPEN
Encryption: None
CC: The Molly Republic, The Corsair Brotherhood, The NLH and assorted Gaian terrorists.
Incoming Transmission...
Priority: NORMAL
From: Commander Lucy Silsbury
To: F~C Smuggling
Subject: Turning a blind eye
Funny, I dont think that the Gaians would be very happy should they somehow find out that you are stealing vast amounts of the fauna they strive to protect and are then on selling to nefarious persons with no doubt inhumane designs on them.
Im sure the Mollys would be in a contract terminating mood should they discover you were trying to get on the right side of their enemies by selling information off, they are a suspicious bunch and probably wouldnt be very happy about working with a rat.
Now if somehow the Corsairs found out what you were planning they might see fit to clamp down on your artifact run. The Brotherhood are a vindictive group Im sure you know, they hate traitors.
But dont worry! There is no possible way that any of these groups could find out about your plans because I put a high level of encry- oh dear
And it looks like I CCed this to a group of parties who would be rather interested in this information, however could that have happened?
In short Mr. Francesca, we do not make deals with any big time smugglers, you do too much damage to Bretonia for any benefit you could bring us. You will get exactly the same treatment that you have received previously, probably more efficient.
~From the Desk of Brother Ezio Della Francesca, [TBH]
=AUDIO RECORDING= *ominous laughter*Oh, that my friend, is funny. You actually thought Adamo was serious? You didn't expect a trap?
Well, apparently then you spend too much time among honest Bretonians who don't want to vaporize your respective atoms into their component particles. Not much use for subtlety or subterfuge now, as you have rejected my quite generous offer. Yourblockheaded stubbornness about "values" and "the law", the very traits we were hoping to exploit, are apparently a major dealbreaker. Probably should have foreseen that. Ah well.
In any case, we shall simply have to step up security on high-risk investments and put our Point-Of-Sale dealings on a more ....clandestine footing.
As for your pathetic attempts at "exposing' us....well, we already have the full backing of the Brotherhood, and the Molly contract....not very lucrative. And theGaians? hah! That's an organization that hasen't even decided whether it wants to pirate Bretonians or protect Gaia. We take an increasing dim view of any group that cannot resolve its own internal difficulties.
Anyways, to the point.
You, my friend, will shortly be dead. Prepare your will.
~Ezio
=END TRANSMISSION=
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
I have to say it's a bit amusing to see a Corsair, whose planet is dying, threatening a Police Commander. You should think about who you're threatening and whose watching. I don't sit at this bloody desk for no reason, chap.
Amusingly enough, we've already exposed you. It was your mistake on sending this transmission to us. So at the moment your threat means nothing.
~From the Desk of Adamo Francesca, F~C
tsk tsk. foolish Bretonian.
You made three very critical mistakes.
Firstly, you assumed F~C is nothing but Corsairs. Not quite true my friend.
To be completely truthful? there are more of your fellow countrymen under our auspices than those of mine own nation.
quite amusing, no?
And secondly, you assume i have "lost" something by speaking to you.
what, exactly have i lost?
Adamo Francesca and Jonathan Columbo did not spend all those years building up contacts for some ....wishful thinking by a two-bit desk jockey and his fishmonger boss to tear them down.
I apologize for the impertinence of my nephew's responses. He can be....overbearing at times.
Where we lie, dear gentlemen, there are daggers in men's smiles, and even you, yes, even you, are easier to play than a simple pipe.
Ahh, but why give you advice? You'd hardly take it, like as not, and leave me here with empty words upon the air.
If this be your choice, then this be ours, and if there is no explanation for us, let there be none for you.
The status quo remains, and in the end, as always, only the sand beneath our feet changes, and yet remains unchanged.
What has been said has been meant, and what is meant is all that was to be said. We both still hate each other. As far as i am concerned, this conversation is done. ~Jolee
=ENDTRANSMISSION=
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|