A soft chuckle passes her lips as Melissa listens. As Doc finishes speaking she gently takes a sip of her coffee and sighs.
"I think people get slightly confused between warmongering and sticking up for your people. That moral compass I mentioned... This is something I have to learn to let go of at times but even now, it's not something that I see happening. Warmongering is not on the agenda, never has it, nor will it ever be. I can hazard a few guesses on the sort of people that would be saying this. Even then, their petty wish to watch us fall will only be their own time wasted. I guess the people who spoke to you about our 'warmongering' failed to mention that two Freeports were threatened along with countless lives would have been at stake for sake of an ego. I spoke out against it, and here we are."
She chuckles, shaking her head, realising that maybe Doc and Melissa are a bit more similar than she first thought.
"It's funny. Even now, I hold no ill will to the Outcasts and their allies. But what I won't tolerate or stand for, is someone threatening another person and their people and expect to get away with it. I guess the people who also called me a warmonger failed to mention the cause for me taking a stand, was a simple violation of a No Fire Zone here in the Delta system."
Melissa smiles in a friendly manner, as she carries on in a bit more of a bold but still friendly tone.
"I guess this is why, although Velvet is a Zoner organisation, I do not follow Zoner ideals as strictly as some. I would rather call out injustices when and were they happen. Guess that was one thing the LSF instilled in me that I'll never drop. As far as I see it, Doc... There should be no reason to stop you from choosing to operate under our banner, but our reputation is not one of strict neutrality, as we have tensions with other factions. Another thing that I would want you to be aware of, since IRG's disbandment, Velvet's recent look into R&D may also be of some use for you in your own research as well."
