*The chair groaned a little under Costa when he sat down, and for a moment he just let the room settle. Metal walls, recycled air, the deep hum of Pacifica’s heart under the deck. All of it felt strange and familiar at the same time like a cousin of the worlds he knew.
Corin's people watched them, the way workers watch a reactor, they don’t fully trust. Not hostile. Just… measuring. Fair enough. he’d seen the same look back home.
While Dimitrious opened the talk and Carmen handled the formalities, Costa stayed quiet. That’s usually the best way to read a room mouth shut, eyes open. The Unioners had put effort into this space, even if it was rough around the edges. Old welds. Reinforcements that weren’t part of the original frame. Things kept alive because people had fought to keep them alive.
That part made him feel almost at home.
When Krüger asked what the Conclave wanted, the eyes in the room slid back toward the delegation. Not accusing, expectant. As if everyone was waiting to see how far they would go.
Costa leaned forward a little, resting his arms on the cold steel.
"Technology," *he said, the word coming out heavier than he meant it. “That’s always the dangerous part, señor.
*The air tasted like metal and smoke when he drew in a breath.*
“We don’t hand out relic secrets. Not because we don’t trust you but because the Elders don’t trust anyone . Not even us, sometimes.”
*he gave a small shrug, as if to soften the weight of it.*
"But what we can do is practical. Real. The kind of things that keep both our people alive."
*He tapped a finger against the tabletop, following a pattern in the weld lines.*
“Armor plating mixes. Heat-sink cycles. Reinforced subframes. Stuff that helps you build ships that don’t turn into funerals when a Hessian gets lucky.”
*Costa could almost feel Carmen’s eyes flick toward him, but he didn’t look her way.*
“And in return,”*he continued,* we get access to what you’re best at efficiency, production lines, salvage tech, and logistical routes we can’t open on our own.”
*For a moment, Costa’s fingers grazed the rim of his artificial eye. a small, habitual gesture, before continuing.*
*he let his gaze drift across the room, the crates stacked in corners, the patched deck, the lights buzzing faintly overhead.*
"Look around,” *He said quietly.*“You folks make things work even when they shouldn’t. That’s something the Omicrons could use.”
*His Voice dropped lower.*
"But for any of this to matter, we need something clear. Public support when the Hessians come sniffing. Ports that stay open when the heat rises. Not whispers. Not favors under the table. Something real.””
*A small, humorless smile pulled at the corner of my mouth.*
“I’m not a diplomat. I don’t care about speeches or signatures. I care about the men and women on our decks making it home in one piece.””*He leaned back, crossing his arms loosely.* ““If this partnership helps with that? Then I’ll fly every convoy from Crete to Pacifica myself."
*For a moment, He just listened again to the hum of the Station, to the breathing of the people in the room, to the quiet weight of decisions taking shape.
Corin had a way about him. He schooled his expression, his very demeanor, well. Controlled. Deliberate. Poised. Carmen knew enough about men like him to sense enough of the pretense to know what it was. Yet, there was also sincerity. He had been a pirate a long time, from what little Carmen had heard of him through other Corsairs. Corin played the game they all did. One of the best to have made it to his apparent age. Thus, he knew the Corsairs would not be fooled easily. Not that Carmen, currently, felt he or the other Unioners had reason to try such.
Then, his very words affirmed such. One pirate to another. His bluntness, even if some of it was possibly meant to placate, was appreciated and this shared legacy he spoke of, stoked the fire the convoy had sparked. Turning the burgeoning ember into a flame. If she had not seen the Unioners for herself that day, she might have felt uncertainty about Corin's sincerity. Instead, she wanted to learn more.
Some Corsairs may have balked at the man's next words. Carmen understood such pride. Her people had come a exceedingly long way from nearing extinction to being the Empire of the Edge Worlds. Such pride was justified. As for herself, Carmen took a difference approach. Though she vowed to ensure a bountiful future for her people, that future had room for people like Corin and Kruger.
Thus, Corin's words were met most favorably.
As he continued laying out the very real reality of the Imperio's situation, her eyes were drawn to the mosaic. Finding its craftsmanship impeccable. A thing of beauty. Something she could see placed inside her own home. Despite noticing how out of date the astrographer's 'map' was, it didn't matter. She could still recognize some of the locations and the glistening peridot against the dark meteoric iron was just too attractive.
When he mentioned it was the Unioners who held back the Hessians, Carmen found herself finally feeling her own pride cloud her, otherwise, open mind. The Unioners held back an enemy the Imperio had not yet managed to bring to heel? Carmen found herself skeptical, yet if this was true, she knew she'd be quite impressed. The skepticism did make her desire to be this 'bridge' even stronger, though. She wished to gauge the true measure of these men and women. Now, more than ever.
As Demetrius spoke, Carmen listened quietly to what he laid out. Occasionally, glancing over at Kruger and Corin to see how they reacted. The staged plan was practical, effective, and importantly, worthwhile.
As Costa spoke, Carmen's eyes drifted back down to the mosaic. Her right hand slipped up onto the table and her gloves fingers began to gently play over the peridot. Then her fingers froze. Her gaze took on a distant, thoughtful look. A spark had just lit in her mind. Yes... yes, it was an idea. A good idea. Building upon what Demetrius had already put out there. Building upon, even, her own suggestion.
“The topic of cooperation spreading to the joining of fleets has given me a deeper idea. An addendum to my prior suggestion: if we are to conjoin our fleets, I would encourage an exchange program. Unioner engineers, machinists, technicians, pilots, the like, be given assignments within the Imperio. Of whichever length is agreed upon. The same would be done for Corsairs in turn. It would be a good show of trust, as well as an invaluable learning experience for all involved. Not just on a strategic level, but a tactical, and even more importantly, a personal level.
“Imagine the bonds that could be formed when our two people's have learned to work side by side and fight side by side. In ways not quite achievable through convoys or joint military exercises. This could be a natural progression from my suggestion that I act as a bridge between our two peoples.
“Given, there is likely to be uncertainty and or outright distrust for such an idea, our respective leadership can see how my 'tenure' plays out and decide then if its a worthwhile addition for both sides to pursue.”
Finished, she slowly glanced around the room. Between the men. Curious what they might think to this expanded idea.
"My kin! We are Corsair! We are the 'Horned Ones'! By Crete we have been made strong! There is no foe we cannot defeat! No enemy shall be spared our horns! No friend or ally shall find us wanting! For we are Corsair! By the might of the Imperio we spread out our hands! All we see will be ours one day! I have had a dream. A dream of a green Crete. A paradise! And in that dream, our enemies are not there! Crushed and mangled beneath our horns! Uplift your voices! Shout with me! Corsair! Corsair! Corsair!"
-Carmen Elena 'Silver' Quintana of Clan Quintana of the Corsair Imperio
Kruger listened to Costa and Carmen without interrupting, letting their words settle into the steel and silence of the room. The hum of Pacifica vibrated faintly under the soles of his boots; the station was old, stubborn, and alive — much like the people gathered around this table. When they finished, he nodded once, slow and deliberate, as a man who had already made up his mind.
All right. Then let me address the heart of it and set things straight before we put ink to metal.
He exhaled, not frustrated, just thoughtful. His gaze moved from Costa to Carmen, then to Dimitrious — reading them like the workers he’d negotiated with all his life.
The word ‘technology’… it spooks people. Especially Councils, Conclaves, Elders whatever shape the top of the pyramid takes.
So we won’t use it.
His hand opened, palm up, as if clearing the table.
We’re not asking for secrets. Not your relics. Not your classified research.
What we want and what we’re offering is hardware.
Guns. Frames. Brackets. Plating. Components.
Things with serial numbers, weld lines, and grease under the fingernails.
Not knowledge equipment.
The distinction eased, rather than sharpened, the air in the room.
A practical exchange keeps the Elders comfortable.
And it keeps both our peoples alive.
He rested both hands on the table now, weight shifting forward slightly not aggressive, but fully engaged, invested.
As for your terms yes.
We agree to them.
His tone softened a hair, not warmer.
Bretonia, Kusari, Rheinland.
Mixed escorts. No capital ships unless sanctioned.Profit-sharing as you described.
Stage One can begin on the 22nd, no objections.
Then he tapped the table once the sound sharp and clean against the carved mosaic.
And since you show trust by laying out your stages we will show ours first.
Kruger reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and placed a compact datacore onto the table. Its casing was matte black, marked by Unioner insignia and a registration number that had been stamped by hand, not machine.
This contains the schematics for the Organizer-pattern Battleship Secondary Battery.
It’s fully compatible with your warships.
And it outperforms the current Corsair secondary cannon by a comfortable margin.
He let that hang for a moment, but he made no move toward them; the gift wasn’t offered lightly, and not without an understanding of its weight.
You said you wanted proof of sincerity.
Here’s ours.
His eyes sharpened, but remained steady honest in a way pirates rarely allow themselves to be.
If you choose, we can begin outfitting select Corsair warships with Organizer batteries immediately.
You pick the hulls, we’ll provide the hardware and the crews to install them.
Then he turned to Carmen, giving her the respect of direct attention.
And about your idea the exchange program.
You may be surprised to hear this, but for us… that’s not a radical suggestion.
Kruger nodded once, slowly, as though confirming something long-debated in his own mind.
Unioners are engineers before anything else.
Workers. Builders. Fixers.
If you give us a machine and say ‘don’t touch it,’ we’ll have it disassembled out of sheer curiosity.
Your Imperio is full of ships we’ve never had the chance to crawl inside of.
So yes.
We will send Unioner shipwrights, machinists, and technicians to your facilities.
Tripoli could become to us what Alster once was a place where our people learn, work, and build things bigger than either of our groups could alone.
He placed one hand over the Organizer datacore for a moment, then slid it across the table toward the Corsairs.
We honor your Elders by offering hardware first not by asking for it.
If they accept this gesture… then Stage Two and Stage Three will build themselves.
Kruger leaned back at last, not in withdrawal, but in finality signaling the Unioners had spoken clearly and made their move.
The next step is yours.
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
"If you are so eager for this technology Mister Kruger, then you can have it. See that I will not hold you back from getting some of the components we're making."
*Dimitrious ponders for a second, glancing up before his eyes go back on the conference table*
"I can see how this can happen: Once the second stage of the partnership begins, we will make this exchange program that dear Carmen proposed. Your engineers will teach ours on Tripoli on how to integrate this Organizer battery into our warships. We will send our engineers with some components to Pacifica. With their help you will be able to learn some of our design philosophy, draw inspiration to put on your vessels or even build something of your own with their supervision."
"These components we send are made for corsairs, by corsairs. Without our engineers, the sub-assemblies of these parts could be very difficult to work with, our tech is very reserved. The ships you see us fly aren't just tools with serial numbers on them. They are generational relics, family heirlooms, always slightly unique from one another. Some of these ships are from the time of Jim Brown, the first ever artifact smuggler who hailed from Liberty. Master artisans, engineers and designers all meld their ideas and pour out their lives work just for making a handful of the ships."
*He pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts on the history of Corsair ships*
"We will not be making mastercrafts, however. Tripoli is more than capable of producing its own ships and the needs of the Corsairs cannot be satisfied with just fighter ships. I see this as a small challenge for the Unioners industry. Impressing the Corsair Elders in this stage will allow the Deterrence to proceed and build bigger ships together with the Unioners. Proper warships, far more useful and that can be fielded by both Unioners and Corsairs against our enemies."
*Dimitrious leans back on his chair, fixing his clothes and putting his hands on his waist*
"Yes, I think i'm satisfied with this. We will allow you to use and build with our components, while being taught and supervised by our engineers. You will help us make use of this Organizer battery that you are willing to give us. We implement all this into stage 2 of the operation and once we're done, we can strike a deal for another project to build warships for our factions."
"I don't have any other objections, Mister Frei and Mister Kruger. Im ready to sign it here if we're all in agreement."
Krüger listened closely as Dimitrious laid out the framework the give, the take, the boundaries that kept dignity intact on both sides. He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t posture. When the Corsair finished, Krüger nodded once, firm, deliberate like a man setting a rivet with one clean strike.
Then we understand each other, Señor Dimitrious.
His fingers drummed once on the steel table not impatiently, but as if sealing a conclusion in his own mind.
We never intended to reshape your relics, nor pry into the soul of your craft. We know what Corsair ships are lineage. Heritage. Steel shaped by memory and tradition. That is something no outsider can imitate… nor should.
Your components will be handled with the respect they deserve.
Your engineers will be the ones guiding ours, not the other way around.
And the Organizer platform will be integrated under your supervision, to your specifications.
He leaned back slightly, but his gaze held steady not challenging, simply honest.
You’ll find Unioner workers are quick studies. We build with our hands as much as our minds. Your people will teach us to handle Corsair sub-assemblies; ours will show yours how to mount and maintain the Organizer battery. That exchange real work, real sweat will make Stage Two the backbone of everything that comes after.
A slight breath, almost a chuckle the kind that comes from genuine appreciation rather than amusement.
And impressing your Elders? We intend to.
He placed a hand briefly against the datacore he'd offered earlier, then withdrew it, leaving it on the table between them like a marker of mutual risk.
You say you’re ready to sign. Then the Unioners are ready to seal this as well.
Krüger lowered his voice just enough for the weight of the moment to settle.
One step at a time. One ship at a time.
And when Stage Two is complete… then yes we build something bigger.
Something with your legacy and our industry woven into the same hull.
He nodded, slow but resolute.
Bring the document. we will sign.
He watched when the secretary brought the documents.
Here are documents now with witnesses here, we will sign.
[b]PARTIES:[/b]
• The Alster Union (“Unioners”)
• The Deterrence Conclave of the Corsair Empire (“Deterrence”)
[b]PURPOSE:[/b]
To formalize cooperative industrial, logistical, and defensive efforts between the Unioners and Deterrence, beginning with shared hardware implementation and culminating in joint shipbuilding projects.
[hr]
[align=center][b]SECTION I — GENERAL PRINCIPLES[/b][/align]
1. Both parties agree that this cooperation concerns [b]hardware exchange[/b], not transfer of sensitive technologies, relics, or classified methods.
2. Both parties respect each other's engineering heritage, cultural practices, and industrial sovereignty.
3. All joint projects will be conducted transparently, with designated liaisons appointed by both sides.
[hr]
[align=center][b]SECTION II — STAGED COOPERATION PLAN[/b][/align]
[b]Stage One: Logistical & Convoy Alignment[/b]
• Mixed escort operations permitted (excluding capital vessels unless jointly sanctioned).
• Profit distribution follows mutually agreed ratios per convoy.
• No interference with each other's supply lines or smuggling routes.
[b]Stage Two: Hardware Exchange & Integration Program[/b]
1. The Unioners provide Deterrence with the [b]Organizer-Class Battleship Secondary Battery schematics[/b] and installation crews.
2. Deterrence provides the Unioners with selected [b]Corsair-designed sub-assemblies and structural components[/b].
3. A supervised engineering exchange is established:
• Unioner engineers will work at Tripoli Shipyard under Corsair oversight.
• Corsair engineers will operate on Pacifica Station to instruct Unioners in handling Corsair components.
4. All Corsair hardware remains the property of Deterrence and cannot be reverse-engineered without explicit permission.
[b]Stage Three: Joint Production Negotiation[/b]
• Upon successful completion of Stage Two, both parties may open discussions for [b]cooperative warship construction projects[/b].
• Designs will incorporate Corsair philosophy and Unioner industrial methodology.
• Output may be fielded by both factions against mutual enemies.
[hr]
[align=center][b]SECTION III — SECURITY & DEFENSIVE PROVISIONS[/b][/align]
1. Both parties will maintain open harbor access except during high-alert wartime conditions.
2. Neither party will share the other’s hardware, designs, or operational data with third parties.
3. Any threats posed by Hessian or Outcast forces will be treated as shared security concerns.
[hr]
[align=center][b]SECTION IV — RATIFICATION[/b][/align]
This agreement enters into effect upon signature by the representatives of both parties.
[table]
[tr][td][b]For the Alster Union:[/b][/td][td][b]For Deterrence:[/b][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]
Name: Friedrich Krüger
Rank/Role: Unioner Representative
Signature: ______________________
[/td]
PARTIES:
• The Alster Union (“Unioners”)
• The Deterrence Conclave of the Corsair Empire (“Deterrence”)
PURPOSE:
To formalize cooperative industrial, logistical, and defensive efforts between the Unioners and Deterrence, beginning with shared hardware implementation and culminating in joint shipbuilding projects.
SECTION I — GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. Both parties agree that this cooperation concerns hardware exchange, not transfer of sensitive technologies, relics, or classified methods.
2. Both parties respect each other's engineering heritage, cultural practices, and industrial sovereignty.
3. All joint projects will be conducted transparently, with designated liaisons appointed by both sides.
SECTION II — STAGED COOPERATION PLAN
Stage One: Logistical & Convoy Alignment
• Mixed escort operations permitted (excluding capital vessels unless jointly sanctioned).
• Profit distribution follows mutually agreed ratios per convoy.
• No interference with each other's supply lines or smuggling routes.
Stage Two: Hardware Exchange & Integration Program
1. The Unioners provide Deterrence with the Organizer-Class Battleship Secondary Battery schematics and installation crews.
2. Deterrence provides the Unioners with selected Corsair-designed sub-assemblies and structural components.
3. A supervised engineering exchange is established:
• Unioner engineers will work at Tripoli Shipyard under Corsair oversight.
• Corsair engineers will operate on Pacifica Station to instruct Unioners in handling Corsair components.
4. All Corsair hardware remains the property of Deterrence and cannot be reverse-engineered without explicit permission.
Stage Three: Joint Production Negotiation
• Upon successful completion of Stage Two, both parties may open discussions for cooperative warship construction projects.
• Designs will incorporate Corsair philosophy and Unioner industrial methodology.
• Output may be fielded by both factions against mutual enemies.
SECTION III — SECURITY & DEFENSIVE PROVISIONS
1. Both parties will maintain open harbor access except during high-alert wartime conditions.
2. Neither party will share the other’s hardware, designs, or operational data with third parties.
3. Any threats posed by Hessian or Outcast forces will be treated as shared security concerns.
SECTION IV — RATIFICATION
This agreement enters into effect upon signature by the representatives of both parties.
For the Alster Union:
For Deterrence:
Name: Friedrich Krüger
Rank/Role: Unioner Representative
Signature: ______________________
PARTIES:
• The Alster Union (“Unioners”)
• The Deterrence Conclave of the Corsair Empire (“Deterrence”)
PURPOSE:
To formalize cooperative industrial, logistical, and defensive efforts between the Unioners and Deterrence, beginning with shared hardware implementation and culminating in joint shipbuilding projects.
SECTION I — GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. Both parties agree that this cooperation concerns hardware exchange, not transfer of sensitive technologies, relics, or classified methods.
2. Both parties respect each other's engineering heritage, cultural practices, and industrial sovereignty.
3. All joint projects will be conducted transparently, with designated liaisons appointed by both sides.
SECTION II — STAGED COOPERATION PLAN
Stage One: Logistical & Convoy Alignment
• Mixed escort operations permitted (excluding capital vessels unless jointly sanctioned).
• Profit distribution follows mutually agreed ratios per convoy.
• No interference with each other's supply lines or smuggling routes.
Stage Two: Hardware Exchange & Integration Program
1. The Unioners provide Deterrence with the Organizer-Class Battleship Secondary Battery schematics and installation crews.
2. Deterrence provides the Unioners with selected Corsair-designed sub-assemblies and structural components.
3. A supervised engineering exchange is established:
• Unioner engineers will work at Tripoli Shipyard under Corsair oversight.
• Corsair engineers will operate on Pacifica Station to instruct Unioners in handling Corsair components.
4. All Corsair hardware remains the property of Deterrence and cannot be reverse-engineered without explicit permission.
Stage Three: Joint Production Negotiation
• Upon successful completion of Stage Two, both parties may open discussions for cooperative warship construction projects.
• Designs will incorporate Corsair philosophy and Unioner industrial methodology.
• Output may be fielded by both factions against mutual enemies.
SECTION III — SECURITY & DEFENSIVE PROVISIONS
1. Both parties will maintain open harbor access except during high-alert wartime conditions.
2. Neither party will share the other’s hardware, designs, or operational data with third parties.
3. Any threats posed by Hessian or Outcast forces will be treated as shared security concerns.
SECTION IV — RATIFICATION
This agreement enters into effect upon signature by the representatives of both parties.
For the Alster Union:
For Deterrence:
Name: Friedrich Krüger
Rank/Role: Unioner Representative
Signature: Friedrich Kruger
Corin's mouth had fallen into a list; an irregular slant. To look at him is to see an expression, half measure of wry and a half measure of faith, pulling at either end of his cheekbones.
Unioners and Corsairs were the products of dissimilar philosophies, upheld by dissimilar organizations. The Unioners worked within Sirius's industrial heartland, while the Corsairs chip at the edges. In the eyes of the Corporations, Corsairs and Unionists are incomparable parasites, as dissimilar as viruses and bacteria. Unionists are the rebelling passengers of this infernal engine, while the Corsairs run before the wheels.
Yet despite the differences in their natures, Corin sensed no division. Either side of the chamber shared a common clarity.
“We are of one mind. Fredrich, allow me..."
In kinship, Frei touches his hand to the datapad, taken by Fredrich from the secretarial adjutant'. As his handprint handshakes Corin's biometric record, the seal of the Syndicates - an emerald disc, encapsulated by an iridium Cog.
“We offer an economy of scale - a depth of capacity. We are in a war. Your people are the war-fighters, we are the logisticians. Crete has the reach to span the sector, Pacifica offers a street-level permeation of the Rheinland underworld. Might and precision. "
Frei raises his gaze.
"Jim was the first, he will not be the last. Heritage is a continuous cycle of firsts. Of brave, judicious acts. Enterprise is effort applied, to a functional purpose. Our agreement is in the domain of material commerce, of shared productive effort. To prevent its dilution, in this domain our agreement must remain. I will not offer any amendments..."
Willi, the guard Frei brevetted into a waiter, arrives, carrying five onate glasses atop of what looked to be a soldering pad.
"...But it need not be the limit of our relationship. Dimitrious, if you would allow me to sample your gift with treasured guests.. after all, it is our custom to share such bounties. For I propose a toast, as binding as any agreement we've signed ourselves to - here, or in the future."
From his right breast pocket, Corin pulls out a bottle opener - carved by a hand laser from a chunk of superalloy shrapnel. There was no waste aboard Pacifica base.
"A toast, to allies, to common purpose, and to our continuing willingness to co-operate. As in Rheinland, and so beyond."
"...Will you join me, mis compañeros?"
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
As the talks began to solidify, Carmen's proposal being readily accepted - if not about her specifically - she felt satisfied. Even if she didn't get explicit permission to join as a bridge, she'd see other opportunities in the future. Thus, she fell quiet and just listened as Dimitrius and Kruger did a little further hashing. Eventually settling upon agreeable terms. Terms, Carmen found a solid starting point. It would help build trust and show commitment from both sides. This would be a historic day. Carmen was proud to have been here to witness it and to contribute for the betterment of her people.
When Corin proposed a toast, Carmen took up the offered glass and raised it up to the men in the room. Corsair and Unioner.
"To both our people's. We have our differences. We may yet have our arguments. Yet, there is a shared core of hardship that has built hard men and women. Men and women of capability, lethality, and most importantly what I sense to be integrity." She nodded purposely to Kruger and Corin. "We Corsairs are known for our bluntness, our ruthlessness, but we honor our friends. We fight for what we believe in and we fight for each other. If you are friend, we fight for you as well. I can no more speak on behalf of the Elders, than Dimitrius, but you're willingness to make the first open gesture is meaningful and a good beginning in the eyes of our Elders. I believe they will come to see what we do here, right now. I see great promise in this future with the Unioners."
Carmen smiled proudly of this moment. Holding her glass up, as she waited for the others to say their piece before taking a drink in honor of this foundation.
"My kin! We are Corsair! We are the 'Horned Ones'! By Crete we have been made strong! There is no foe we cannot defeat! No enemy shall be spared our horns! No friend or ally shall find us wanting! For we are Corsair! By the might of the Imperio we spread out our hands! All we see will be ours one day! I have had a dream. A dream of a green Crete. A paradise! And in that dream, our enemies are not there! Crushed and mangled beneath our horns! Uplift your voices! Shout with me! Corsair! Corsair! Corsair!"
-Carmen Elena 'Silver' Quintana of Clan Quintana of the Corsair Imperio
Krüger rose slowly not with theatrics, nor with the grandeur of some military procession but with the deliberate weight of a man who understood what the moment was about to become. His glass caught the light of the chamber’s overhead strips, turning the liquid inside into a warm, amber glow. He looked between Frei, Dimitrious, Carmen, and the gathered attendants, and for once, his usually sharp expression softened not out of sentimentality, but out of recognition.
Corin… Dimitrious… Carmen…
He gave each of their names the respect of a pause.
We stand here as the products of very different roads.
Yours carved through the dust and stone of Crete, ours through the steel and soot of Rheinland’s forgotten factories.
His tone carried the weight of lived experience, not rhetoric.
But hardship real hardship forges the same metal in every corner of Sirius.
It tempers people the same way a furnace tempers steel: brutally… relentlessly… honestly.
He lifted the glass slightly, elbow still bent; the gesture was not yet the toast merely a mark of emphasis.
Your people fight with grit born from survival.
Ours fight with precision carved from labor.
Two worlds different tools, different trades but the same refusal to kneel.
He turned enough to acknowledge Carmen directly.
You speak of integrity.
Let it be known: the Unioners value that more than any contract.
A corporation can buy loyalty… but not honor.
Then his gaze shifted to Dimitrious not adversarial, but with a craftsman’s measured respect.
And you, Señor Dimitrious, speak of heritage of ships made with hands that remember.
We understand that.
Our own tools, our own stations, our own pistons and welds — all built by workers who passed down craft through generations.
Finally, he turned to Frei, whose presence carried a quiet gravity.
Corin… your words always cut through the noise.
You said it right: might and precision. Reach and infiltration.
Where one of us falls short, the other steps forward.
Krüger finally raised his glass fully, his voice gaining a solemn strength not loud, not dramatic, simply steady.
Let this be clear not as a line on a datapad, but as a promise between people who have fought too long to waste chances like this.
To allies.
To shared labor. To building something that will outlive all of us in steel, in struggle, and in victory.
He inclined his head, the gesture carrying an almost old-world sincerity.
As in Rheinland… and so beyond.
He touched his glass gently to Corin’s, then to Dimitrious’s, then Carmen’s no flourish, no bravado, simply a craftsman’s affirmation of a pact well made.
I will drink to that.
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
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