Aftermath

[Backo]

Eliza Valdez's Series Z Sabre approached Ames from the direction of the Galileo Jump Hole. Eliza didn't care much about displaying might and grandeur as she didn't like to pose as someone in power. Her time with Loyola had taught her that sometimes it is much better to simply steer things in the correct direction from the shadows than to pretend to be the one in charge. Though this meeting didn't strike her as one that needed nudging into the right path, Valdez was here to simply observe and to likely catch up to whatever internal politics of Malta that she had missed. Usually she would attend with some company, likely the old and venerable, but still quite capable, Arturo "Muerte" Sforza. Alas the last time she had talked to him he expressed that he was getting too tired for these things. The man was way past the age of hundred and in all honesty Eliza couldn't blame him for this decision. Ames was much less hospitable to Outcasts than their home planet and last time that they attended a grand meeting similar to this it resulted into two cells of the Golden Chrysanthemums deciding to start a violent conflict in the middle of a strange Kusari festival.

Upon approaching the warships in the research station's vicinity, Eliza issued a local range comm hail. It never hurt to be polite, especially when there were plenty of big guns and equally plenty of people on edge. Ames wasn't the perfect place for a meeting such as this, but perhaps it was the most convenient for all parties involved and also the most neutral. The Zoners would have likely complained if they weren't paid quite handsomely to keep their mouths shut and to be good and gracious hosts to this rather colorful delegation. "Acknowledged, proceed to dock 2." the Ames dock control messaged her on direct channels as the pair of hangar doors began to slowly open and depressurize the outer dock. From there on it was as simple as to let the onboard computer's electronics to handle the docking sequence and gently lay the fighter to rest in the inside of the hangar.

Eliza's choice of attire was her black flight suit. This wasn't a celebration or a victory parade and she didn't expect to do a public speech to warrant looking in any way more distinct than the rest of the security detail from all of the various factions that were present. Though if one would bother to inspect her they would easily enough read the small patch on her shoulder, right under the orange Maltese cross - Legionario Eliza Valdez. Arriving at the landing bay she quickly came to realize that the Outcasts outnumbered the other guests in this meeting. It was likely to be a much bigger insight into Maltese internal politics than to what their allies in the Rogues, Hackers and Chrysanthemums think about the current state of affairs of the Orange Alliance. And that suited her just fine. The hope that the Chrysanthemums don't mess it up prematurely was also there, but the fact that one of the Hispania delegates was already trying to ease the situation was somewhat reassuring and both concerning.

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Republic of the Sword and Sun