Intermission

[Red]

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Mdina could feel the weight of Harabero's "Cardamine question" bear down on his shoulders, after all it was the job of the Alpha Director to ensure a reliant flow of cardamine from Malta, being newly appointed was no excuse. He clasps his hands right underneath his mask and locks eyes with the Don, a deep resonating voice follows.

If I may signor ...

Harabero was right, the unpredictable chain of events over the last few years have taken a heavy toll on the distribution network, coupled with a surge in demand for precious metals and alien artefacts have shifted the away interest of many independent contractors.

The constant setbacks suffered along the orange road should be well known to everyone here, but I dare say this poor state of affairs will not last for long. Let me explain.

His eyes shift towards his fellow collegue, signore Bianchi.

We have to admit it, the current predicament of the network is mainly due to our negligence. In our arrogance we have relied too heavily on the "human" component of cardamine production and in turn have paid an unimaginable price. Forgive my words per favore.

The full scale recall of our assets back to Alpha and then to Theta have left the orange road's security in tatters, we cant expect our "allies" to haul such precious cargo through an undefended route where our sworn enemies prowl incessantly. So, my first proposal for a return to the network status quo is to redeploy assets along the hauling routes. To this end, the Starfleet has already begun running several armed convoys of our own to prove to our "associates" they have nothing to fear and should resume their line of work

Mdina shifts his attention towards Don Chenzo.

Next, my reports show that most of our independent contractors have shifted practices, security concerns aside, they have begun hauling more profitable commodities such as irridium, gold and even alien artifacts. This wouldn't concern our people too much unless those same individuals are shamelessly using their credentials to haul these materials through our very home-system.

The security mechanisms around Omicron Alpha need to be reinvigorated. To underline, just today my men have intercepted a lone corsair transport passing by Malta. This is outrageous, nobody should get this close to our home without thinking dearly about their very lives first. So, here is my second proposal: we shall reinstate fear into the hearts of trespassers through ruthless but fair judgement. Any and all non maltese ships are to be obliterated on sight if they do not pass security checks or haul undesirable cargo.

I believe this measure coupled with the inevitable surge in cardamine prices across the board as soon as cryer's poison stocks run dry will shift many contractors' attention back to the orange road paved with credits for them.

Lastly ...

Mdina slowly turns his head and nods at the lively woman in the room.

I believe there is great potential for the distribution network's expansion, but I trust signora DeMarco has already something in store for this meeting.

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