To: Provocateur Yoshida | From: Ezrael Vertiga

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ID: Ezrael Vertiga
Location: Omega-49
Subject: Information request
ENCRYPTION:

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Provocateur. Fitting title. I guess it's better to continue this on a private frequency for now.

Mr. Yoshida, I'm both impressed and disappointed, to be honest. That's what you want, right? Honesty. After all, believe it or not, I was being honest with you, with everything I let you know so far. You asked what I do for money. I told you. My business with the Apahanta in the core worlds was never questioned. Why didn't you ask for that directly?

Provocateur, you and I know our positions. You're in a way, way better one than me. Do you really expect me to tell you things that could make my position even worse? Even I have inferiors to protect, just like you. In fact, that's why I need the information about Cordelia Lyell. She knows the Apahanta is out there, and it was just a question of time for the Core to find out, with the limited ressources I can use. Like you, she is in an untouchable position. I offered her a deal. The few things I can offer in trade for the Core not hunting me. No bounty, no hostility. With Nodtviet gone, that should be possible, as Cordelia Lyell seems to be a person with different interests than the former Guildmaster. However, she was not interested in money, claiming she had enough to buy Curacao. So I wonder, is there something I could actually offer her? To me, this is a big deal, Mr. Yoshida. There are only few places the Apahanta is welcome, and my work would be easier with Omicron Delta and Minor being accessable without being harmed by the Core, or worse, being hunted by the Bounty Hunters Guild.

While I'm impressed how precise your knowledge about my movements is, I'm disappointed how inaccurate your knowledge about my work is, and that you blindly trust your Auxesian allies that formerly were your enemies. I remember the words of my meeting with the Lane Hackers at Poena in Kepler. I guess things have changed. However, whatever this evidence is, they must be faked, or they are way less undeniable than you claimed. I'm certain of it, because I don't really feel infected, and being shot at by nomads tells me I'm not friends with them. I could provide an unlimited amount of counter-evidence, if you wish. For example, my blood? Miss Lyell requested a sample of it to find out whether I'm infected or not. To her surprise, I'm not, which is why she is still in contact with me. We will have a meeting on Wednesday. I prefer to have more information on her before that meeting, to somewhat enhance my position when talking to her. It's as easy as that.

Also, I'm about to have a meeting with Auxesia as well. I requested it some days before I got aware of the so-called undeniable evidence. We will talk about the situation we had in Cortez, with a nomad called Ish'tar close to Curacao. I'm sure you heard of it, and I have the feeling my reactions during that event are what causes all the suspicion. It's the only situation I can think of where my methods and Auxesia's methods were two extremes. You think I'm a supporter of the nomads? I am not. What I actually am is a person that tries to find options. I am interested in learning more about the nomads, since I believe destroying each other is not the only way to deal with the situation. From what I know, the Lane Hackers should know best, as it's no secret you have some connection to the Maltese to get your cardamine. In that case, I'm sure you know the connection of the Maltese to the nomads. They call them spirits, they talk to them and they coexist with each other, as there are stories about nomads seen in the sky of Malta, not fighting them. I guess that's all I can say to my defense, as you put me in a position where I am spoken guilty unless proven innocent, while it should be the reverse case. There is only so much I can do to prove I'm not. At least, the easy man I am can't think of it. All I can say is: My blood tells I'm not infected. I'm dealt with the same hostility the nomads show to anyone else. However, there are individuals within the nomads that are not out there to kill or infect humans. I look for these ones. That's what I do. Ish'tar is said to be one of those, and I think talking to it is worth a try, as evaporating it can be done after the talk. The Apahanta actually has some experience on that. For example, the situation in Cortez surely had been solved without endangering Curacao. Ish'tar was close enough to the planet, you were able to see it from the surface. In fact, that's what I did when I was there, and Ish'tar caused panic on the surface. Yet it didn't attack anything. It was just there. Then, Auxesia and Bretonia came along, and the Bretonian Admiral tried to fine the Ish'tar, as if it had a bank account. They threatened it, putting my homeworld into danger. It's true, Ish'tar opened the fire first, when Admiral Hall attempted to move into weapon range. You surely know Ish'tar has an effective weapon range of 8.0k. Of course it didn't wait for the Sovereign to be in the better position. Auxesia intervened, and in the end, Curacao got lucky to not be bombarded by blind shots and debris. That could have been very different.

So, Mr. Yoshida. I shared my facts with you. A meeting is still offered. You can decide the place and the time, however, I demand that you treat me as a human being until you have real evidence on my guilt. I'm sure you'll never get it, for obvious reasons.

Ezrael Vertiga

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