Max sat in the command chair on his Mako, looking at the screen. It was an odd sight, to say the least. His flagship, the Mako BHG|Core-Athena, with the escorting Bullhead Cruiser - being escorted themselves to Freeport 11 by four Corsair fighters.
"Freeport 11 docking control, requesting permission to dock."
"Roger, Hunters. Erm, keep our No Fire Zone in mind here, considering who your companions are."
Max laughed. ""Not a problem, docking control. Please notify the Outer Worlds restaurant that we need private accomidations for ... 20 people, in a conference type setting." That was probably more than actually would be there, but would also give them even more privacy.
The restaurant manager received the call from docking control and went into overdrive. This request from the Guild would require his largest room - space here on the fringes of humanities exploration was at a premium. Quickly he had several tables arranged in a circle, with an opening so his servers could get in the middle as needed, along with a central holo-presentation table.
However, seeing just WHO came to the entrance of his restaurant gave him pause. The Core Guildmaster he recognized - as he also recognized the head of the Benitez family - and they were standing together. "This way, gentlemen."
The meeting and dinner lasted another three hours. At the end of it - in spite of the obvious hostility from Carson Hawking - Max was satisfied. ""Very well, gentlemen. I think we have an agreement that both of our respective groups can live with, even if some of us are unhappy."
Hawking looked rather dyspeptic and almost said something - but at the last moment and after sharp glances from both Montoya and Benitez, kept his peace.
""From this day forth, in the Omicrons and Omega-41, members of both the BHG| and the BHG|Core will not engage any Corsairs. Members of the Benitez, Sails, and The Brotherhood will not engage any Bounty Hunters in those systems. Certain unaffiliated bounty hunters or Corsairs may not consider themselves bound by this agreement, and their actions will not affect this agreement. The BHG| and BHG|Core shall not trespass into Omicron-Gamma or any of the Corsair home systems in the Omicrons. Certain mining operations of the BHG| and BHG|Core shall be allowed in Omicron Gamma, near the Omicron Kappa Jump Hole only, with specific permissions for entry being given prior to entry."
Hawking looked like he was going to be nauseated at the last comment.
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
Carlos could sense the rising fury of his counterparts, and slowly looked up from the papers in front of him, as his eyes glared across the table and met DeViro's opposite.
"That's not what we agreed."
Carlos snapped. It seemed that now they were sat round a meeting table, the hunters thought an agreement was already established, and felt at liberty to slip in clauses in which most certainly had not been discussed, while covertly diluting their previous promises. Perhaps he should have heeded Hawking's warnings, that the Hunters weren't to be trusted. Nevertheless, he owed it to the people of Crete to try and make this work.
"Any Bounty Hunter can consider themselves as self-employed and therefore free of any directives set forth in this agreement. To allow them to do so is unacceptable."
Carlos was expecting an immediate response, but instead, DeVirgo maintained eye-contact with him, and remained silent, as if daring Carlos to continue.
"All Corsair pilots will be expected to follow this agreement, and if they fail to do so, you are welcome to defend yourselves. In exchange we expect the same from the Bounty Hunters guild. The actions of rogue indipendants will not void this agreement, but they should be expected to abide by it or face the consequences of their actions alone."
Carlos paused again, but DeVirgo said nothing, and maintained a blank expression, neither giving anything away, nor, it seemed, willing to reply to Carlos' statements.
"As for any mention of mining in Omicron Gamma, that was NEVER discussed"Carlos barked, almost raising his voice"and is totally unacceptable. At no point did we agree to allowing such activities, and if the Guild expect such a large concession, they'll have to cough up something decent in return."
DeVirgo sat back in his chair, his eyes twinkling, a slight smile on his face. He maintained that expression and pose for almost a full minute. Hawking started to turn an interesting shade of color as the tension in the room reached nearly the breaking point.
The single sharp laugh that came from DeVirgo startled Carlos. "HA! Well, it appears that I am owed a beer. Since you were so eager for this meeting - you, after all, are the ones who proposed it - Miller thought we could simply put this in and you wouldn't mind."
Sitting forward, the tone of his voice sharpened. "Make no mistake, Carlos Benitez. We of the Guild know that you and the Order have been less than companionly lately, and we know that you're simply seeking something from us in exchange for something that you have already decided to do. Our agreement to this is simply because it fits in with our own objectives." Raising one eyebrow, DeVirgo smirked, "Never mistake our strength. Or our resolve." He sat back again.
Carlos sat back. Glancing over at Carson, he realized that his opponent in these negotiations was not the mild mannered person he'd intended to steamroller over. "Perhaps, senor, your ... proposal is not totally without merit. You are apparently not the complete fool that you appear."
Carlos looked down at the table in front of him, realizing that he had actually met his equal in this combat of words. "Senor DeVirgo, we would not be opposed to allowing this mining, but we would require something else from you..."
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
"As I said, DeVirgo...something decent in return."
Carlos knew he was walking on thin ice now. He could sense Carson's fury that such a thing was even being discussed, and knew that even Montoya, who'd been silent through much of the negotiations, was ill-at-ease.
"Supposing, for the sake of argument, that you are successful in your campaign against the Order, which would be far more likely if this agreement was signed..."He was delving into a matter he knew neither the Hunters nor his colleagues had paid much thought to."What is to happen to Order territory?"
It was a question that DeVirgo had not expected. With the Order's huge fleet and with Omecron-Minor increasingly seeming like a fortress, he did not expect the Corsairs to entertain the notion that the hunters would prevail. Yet, with the barbarians out of the way, the prospect of wiping out the Order wasn't so far-fetched.
"We'd keep watch over the space. No doubt the Zoners would lend a hand holding back the nomads. Anything of the Order's not destroyed will likely be salvaged. What did you have in mind?"
It was a feeble response, DeVirgo knew, but the Core had not laid out plans for the aftermath of the war, particularly as never before had victory been so close to their grasp.
"We tell our children tales of another world, where water is plentiful and the air is fresh and cool, and free of volcanic dust. Where there's wildlife, and rich seams of ore just below the surface. A brighter future beyond our dying rock." DeVirgo had never heared a Corsair be poetic, and cut him short. "What exactly do you want?"DeVirgo interrupted. "Toledo"
"You go TOO far now, Carlos!" shouted Hawking. His hand began to move downward, almost of its own volition, towards the pistol at his belt. Montoya saw that, and quickly stepped in front of him, facing Hawking.
"No, Carson. Carlos doesn't go too far. You are simply not allowing yourself to think things through." Montoya had a sad smile on his face. "A great leader of men in combat you are. But a true visionary is something you have never been."
"Now you insult me as well? "
"Not hardly. Or have you, as usual, paid absolutely no attention to the reports from our scientists? "
"Pagh! What do they know, about honor, pride, and dignity? Are we to abase ourselves at the feet of such as these? "
"These what, Carson? These people who, if they assist us, may help insure the long term survival and growth of the Corsair Nation? Or should we simply let our children continue to starve, suffering from malnutrition, our population now shrinking instead of growing? Think with the brain in your head for once! " Montoya roared.
The next words spoken by Carson were forced out. "Disculpa. Tiene razon. "
DeVirgo simply sat and watched the drama in front of him. Without missing a beat, he then said, "We also have our honor. This is non-negotiable. Artifacts and discoveries there belong to US. Our blood will be shed to get this new home for your people. We have our reasons for doing what we do. It is just. It is our CAUSE! It is RIGHT! "
He made a motion with his hands that none of the Corsairs had ever seen before, but that was immediately copied by the other members of the Core in the room.
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
The Corsair representatives looked at eachother. Carlos nodded. He turned to the Hunters, muttered "Excuse us" and they left the room. They returned afew minutes later.
"It is intriguing that your men are willing to put their lives on the line to secure a new world for our empire" taunted Carlos, looking DeVirgo in the eye. "...but that won't be necessary."
DeVirgo, and his fellow representatives looked taken aback, to see the Corsair refusing an agreement he himself had suggested.
"If you seriously believed that we were naive enough to trust the Bounty Hunters Guild on a matter as important as the territorial rights to Toledo, you were gravely mistaken."
Carlos was enjoying himself. It felt good to have the negotiations, once again firmly in his control.
"The very fact that you would entertain the idea of turning Planet Toledo over to us, after conquering it at your own forces expense is proof enough that your greed for artefacts such as the ones on Toledo, or the thousands of tonnes of them within our empire, borders on desperation."
In the corner of his eye, Carlos saw Carson crack a wry smile.
"Mining rights in Omicron-Gamma were never on the table. Rest assured that every artefact in that cloud will remain our property, to do with as WE please."
DeVirgo's expression gave nothing away, though Carlos sensed disappointment.
"Now, forgetting such nonsense, these talks were concerning a cessation of hostilities, and nothing more. If we can return to that matter, where precisely did you say this non-aggression policy would apply?
"Can't blame a guy for trying, though, can you?" DeVirgo laughed. "Realize this, though. When ... not IF ... we defeat the Order, I'll be so looking forward to re-entering negotiations with you at that time. And we'll control the orbitals there then..."
Carlos looked perturbed at that thought. Kinetic energy weapons were still possible - and Toledo sat in the midst of an field filled with asteroids. One good rock and his people wouldn't have a home available to them.
"Regardless, Carlos, you and your friends have been entertaining dinner companions, and I'm certain that having such pleasant company as you have had," DeVirgo said, glancing at Abigail Hearns, "made you forget some of the specifics our conversation earlier, in space."
"Fortunately for you, we have that here in writing, again. The BHG| and BHG|Core will not enter Omicron Gamma, or the systems behind it, Omicrons 91, 93, 94, and 96. We shall have a non-agression pact in Omega 41, Omicrons Theta, Kappa, Delta, and 74." DeVirgo glanced at the paper. "That's what we agreed before."
"I'll even sweeten the pot for you, as a sign to you not of weakness as you perceive it, but of our good faith and our trustworthiness. The BHG| and BHG|Core shall not engage your peoples in ANY of the Omicron systems - even those which are currently controlled by your enemies."
DeVirgo held out the sheets of paper, for Carlos to inspect.
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
Carlos' eyes scanned the document he'd been presented with. The "neutral zone" that had been proposed was broad. Nevertheless, Carlos knew it failed to cover a number of systems where the focus of Corsair ships was critical, and where much of the Empire's immediate future would be decided. He glanced toward DeVirgo, back towards the document, and then nodded his approval. There was a moment of silence, and then Carlos glanced to Montoya, who nodded.
As DeVirgo opened his mouth to speak, a file of documents appeared in Carlos' hand, and he threw it on the table in-front of the BHG delegation. "As of yet we haddn't told you the provocation for this meeting."announced Carlos."Hopefully you'll find the contents of that file enlightening."
DeVirgo's eyes scanned the documents infront of him, occasionally pointing to a page and muttering to his colleagues.
Carlos had presented the Hunter leader with all the evidence the Corsairs had on an Order plot to unite with two of their most dangerous enemies; the Hessians and Coalition. Carlos knew much of it was sketchy, and that DeVirgo would almost certainly question the authenticity of much of the file's contents. Nevertheless, it had been enough evidence to trigger the Corsairs to have called this meeting, which had been unthinkable weeks before. Now, he wondered what his Hunter opposite would make of it.
DeVirgo finished reading the first page of the intelligence summary, and then began passing it around. He heard Abigail muttering under her breath as she read one particular paragraph. He continued reading, and passing pages on as he finished, but taking his time while the Corsairs simply sat, waiting.
Several minutes passed and he could see that Hawking was again beginning to get impatient. Finally, when it was obvious that Hawking was going to blurt something out, DeVirgo said, "Interesting reading."
Carlos wanted to say something but held his tongue. Hawking simply couldn't. "Is that ALL you have to say about this?"
Laughing, DeVirgo said, "Of course it isn't. But one thing you must keep in mind, Carson, is that what you may consider a priority and what I may consider a priority are two different things. In fact, I'm going to give you personally, Carson, some information about yourself that you might find interesting."
"About me?" Hawking looked curious.
"Sure. You're not qualified to be a good bounty hunter because you lack patience."
Carson sat there, not sure whether to be pleased or insulted, and felt his temper starting to rise again.
Carlos snapped, "Carson, be still. You know that he's right. Which has no bearing on what we're talking about, which is getting more systems ..." He quickly shut his mouth, realizing that he'd said too much.
"And that's why I'm the Guildmaster of the Core, because I have the patience to track a target, find out information about him, use traps and deceit if need be, and to use that information to capture him."
DeVirgo again looked at the papers the Corsairs had handed him. "More systems ... which ones?... in exchange for what?"
(11-21-2013, 12:53 PM)Jihadjoe Wrote: Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.
"Oh, no, DeVirgo..." Carlos corrected."You misunderstand me. I'm offering you the opportunity to extend this 'neutral zone' in the interests of your organisation." Montoya nodded."A very generous offer."
DeVirgo looked amused.
"How could that possibly be in our interests? "Perhaps you haven't considered the implications of the intelligence in that report."Carlos replied. "And what implications might that be?" "That three of your most powerful enemies are uniting. That soon, if not already, the Order, Hessians and Coalition will be exchanging technology, resources, maybe even pilots. DeVirgo looked a little unsettled, and that was Caros' plan. "After that, it's only a matter of time before your enemies begin to realise that the Guild Core presence in the Edge Nebula can be eliminated, once and for all, by a quick and and decisive assault on your base here in Delta. An Order assault would almost certainly fail, but with the resources and ships available to the Hessians and Coalition, your organisation wont have a hope." "Supposing any of that is true, what relevance is it?" "The only thing standing between the Order's new allies, and your little force in the Omicrons...is us."
replied Carlos. He knew he'd caught DeVirgo's attention.
"It would seem, DeVirgo, that our campaign against the Red Hessians and their allies, in the systems of Omega-5, Omega-47 and Omega-49 are not only essential for the security of our empire, they are also essential for the survival of your forces here, and that any action taken by BHG forces against our ships in these systems would not only be a hindrance to our efforts against your enemies, but would ultimately undermine your organisation's future."