To: Freeport 10 Zoners

[República Liparia]

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Good day,

I hope this finds you well. My name is Alexander William Bayner, and I have the privilege of serving as Foreign Secretary for the Liparian Republic. Since the days of the interregnum, when Lipari was still Maltese, it has been an unspoken rule to leave the Zoner communities of the Taus out of the politics of the nations that operate here, a policy that Lipari intends to continue to operate by. With that said, part of my plans for a safer, more peaceful Tau sector is connecting with the many communities of the Taus to create a foundation for future work to go off of. Given Freeport 10's location at the northern entrance to the sector, it is imperative I believe to the success of this initiative that the concerns and inquiries of the Zoner community be addressed to the extent that the Republic is capable of.

To that end, and in furtherance of my office's Tau Initiative, Lipari would like to offer to the Zoners of Freeport 10 a place within a prospective Tau Sector communal framework. This wider Tau-centric structure I am aiming to establish will serve as a medium to address regional grievances, coordinate trade, and in times of intense strain serve as a network to coordinate security for transiters throughout the Taus. No laws or regulations save for any a group may already enforce, and no requirements aside from the occasional point of contact. I feel it is important to stress that this Initiative is still in its infancy, and even with the idealistic non-committal nature of the framework may still be off-putting to some, especially the Zoners. Regardless, in the interest of seeing a peaceful and prosperous Tau Sector, my office is dedicated to seeing this Initiative flower.

Even still, despite whatever the Zoners of Freeport 10 may feel towards the Tau Initiative's aims, I want to close this transmission with a pledge from Lipari to ensure the continued independence of Freeport 10 from any threat, regardless of intent. After the detestable acts of the Corsairs of Crete against Freeport 9 in Omicron Theta, as well as the unsavory actions of Liberty against the citizens of Planet Erie and Pennsylvania, it has become clear that the lives of Zoners near to the major powers of Sirius have become increasingly sidelined in favor of immediate goals under false pretenses. Many of our own people harbor deep sympathies with those who wished to escape House oversight, and so it is by their desire and that of the Defense Department that should Freeport 10 be threatened, regardless of by who or what, Lipari shall render whatever aid we can.

If there are any points of interest to be raised concerning the Tau Initiative, or if there are general inquiries on other topics, this channel will be open to receive them.

Take care.

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[The_Godslayer]

Incoming Message

From: Max
Source: Freeport 10, Tau-37

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A video feed showing a man with some kind of Hispanian ancestry, dressed in ragged combat armor and a fur poncho of some sort, opens up. He's flipping a green coin, giving an air of lethargy.

"Hi. Name's Max, Not-Admin of Freeport 10. I handle paperwork, peacekeeping, mediation, and management type things. Not an Administrator because I don't really chat with the Freeport Network enough to be recognized as one."

"Anyway, if all there is to this is you stepping in to be the Tau sector's policemen, I suppose go ahead. The refugees would thank you kindly to not disrupt Malta too much, unless you have an absurd source of Stabaline. It took a lot to restore order after the first Cardamine shortage, I'd rather not go through that again."

"And, yes, Zoners have a lot on our hands right now. From where I sit, most of it seems to be the consequences of actions. I've heard Erie militants brag about how many Insurgents they hid under the floorboards, and if you harbor Liberty's terrorists, you're probably going to piss off Liberty. Not to say Erie had it coming, and not to justify Liberty's big ol' human rights violation, but if you poke the bear enough, it's probably going to bite your throat out."

"Same situation with Freeport 9. Everyone sees the Corsair takeover, no one wants to talk about Phoenix, Freeport 11, and Livadia being butt-buddies with the Order and Core because they want to join in the alien hunting games. Corsairs have always been... let's say "incapable of basic social benchmarks", but harboring fleets worth of Corsair's enemies for the purpose of diving into the deep Omicrons because you think your Nephilim is an Osiris is a great way to get a fleets worth of Corsairs up your station while you're away."

"Playing stupid games with people who don't care about human life is a great way to win stupid prizes that disregard human life. I don't really have the intent of doing that, and I've heard plenty about how the Republic and it's constituents like to spat with Malta. If you'll forgive my skepticism, "Tau Initiative" does sound a little bit more like "Anti-Malta Coalition" than it does "Tau Sector Police", but as long as we're not getting slaughtered in the name of the Republic's ideals, go ahead and do whatever you like."

He leans back in his chair to begin putting his feet up on the desk as the video feed closes.

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I'll do something about my superiority complex when I cease to be superior.

"Whatever happened to catchin' a good old-fashioned passionate ass-whoopin and gettin' your shoes, coat, and your hat tooken?"