Stormclouds Gather

[Jayce]

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That was it? Yolande had expected a greater degree of esotericism in the demands, something beyond mere commodities. Sale points, fences, and names of those that owed favors rushed into her mind, compiling a detailed plan of action. The matriarch cocked her head in the opposite direction, attempting to match the man tone-for-tone.

"Why would it be?" The woman held her icy gaze, letting the moment simmer, then cool as she returned to a more relaxed posture. "Another joke, Packleader. To be truthful, such a volume of Petrochemicals may raise a red flag with the Gendarmerie. Maquis terrorists often create destructive devices with such things, with disastrous effects. It would be no real bother to avoid their scrutiny, however, I may have a substitution, if you are interested." Squeezing the cyborg's hand once more, the matriarch continued. "You're familiar with the Kemwer firm, correct? I must admit, I was only dimly aware of the name, until a shipment of their devices was intercepted in Minarchy space. Said devices were 'liberated' from the smuggler tasked with transporting them after his capture, as is our duty to the law."

"After further investigation, it was discovered that this individual was bound for Caussaude Depot, a Maquis base of operations. Evidently, the group had encountered previous issues acquiring their preferred destructive materials, and elected to 'outsource', without our knowledge. A mistake, but understandable." It had taken little time to break the smuggler, though covering up the capture of a Maquis supplier took significantly more effort. It would not benefit l'Union to lose a client over such a small thing. The Gendarmerie was responsible, obviously, and Yolande had proven such to the local resistance leaders. Nothing more came of the interaction, and nothing more would, so long as her storehouses remained secure. Still, it would behoove her to be rid of the illicit goods.

"Rather than the complete amount of Petrochemicals, I'd like to offer you those Munitions. Trente-huit individual pallets, each containing a pair of breaching and siege charges designed to be affixed to the hull of a starship. While the precise explosive yield of each is unknown, I expect it to be quite large. The finer details of their little 'operation' are beyond me, though I am aware of the Maquis' end goal: the complete and utter destruction of the Battleship Eiffel, currently undergoing repairs at Rambouillet."
Offering a gentle smile, Yolande placed one hand atop Hemlocke's, and another below, simply holding the limb steady. "Will such a substitution suffice for your needs?"

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