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It was obvious that Doc's mind was anywhere but in diplomacy. Death, destruction and invasion had totally clouded that judgement. Somehow, he dug deeper to concentrate. Shaking his head, he stood back up. Standing sideways to Duncan, he just stood facing a wall.
"That's the problem," he said, "my words weight heavy. When there is a problem with the Zoners, it seems I'm the one they go looking for."
He turned to Duncan, "I'm sure you've seen the transmissions of people looking for a Council of Zoners or whatever."
He gave a quick hmph, "I more or less told the Corsairs and the Coalition to go home, to take their resources with them and leave. Apparently, they didn't hear that, maybe because it wasn't the answer they wanted. Maybe what the Coalition says is true about the Sairs wanting our homeworld." He took out his datapad and sent a link to Duncan, "Please, judge for yourself."
He paused momentarily and repeated a part of the message, "The loss of Artemis is to be blamed on you and the zoners, why the zoners?
Because they did not help when the Artemis was getting shot."
He sat down again. "If we call to arms, if we call for help, if we accept offers of help then it goes against everything we are. To form even a small government here would place the "blood of all Zoners" upon that persons decisions. To be aggressive would ruin our own trade routes, to put the lives of people in every Freeport in jeopardy. I'm not sure I want that job nor do I suspect you would either."
He sat back, "I don't know, Mr. Stow, I just don't know."
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