Corin had a way about him. He schooled his expression, his very demeanor, well. Controlled. Deliberate. Poised. Carmen knew enough about men like him to sense enough of the pretense to know what it was. Yet, there was also sincerity. He had been a pirate a long time, from what little Carmen had heard of him through other Corsairs. Corin played the game they all did. One of the best to have made it to his apparent age. Thus, he knew the Corsairs would not be fooled easily. Not that Carmen, currently, felt he or the other Unioners had reason to try such.
Then, his very words affirmed such. One pirate to another. His bluntness, even if some of it was possibly meant to placate, was appreciated and this shared legacy he spoke of, stoked the fire the convoy had sparked. Turning the burgeoning ember into a flame. If she had not seen the Unioners for herself that day, she might have felt uncertainty about Corin's sincerity. Instead, she wanted to learn more.
Some Corsairs may have balked at the man's next words. Carmen understood such pride. Her people had come a exceedingly long way from nearing extinction to being the Empire of the Edge Worlds. Such pride was justified. As for herself, Carmen took a difference approach. Though she vowed to ensure a bountiful future for her people, that future had room for people like Corin and Kruger.
Thus, Corin's words were met most favorably.
As he continued laying out the very real reality of the Imperio's situation, her eyes were drawn to the mosaic. Finding its craftsmanship impeccable. A thing of beauty. Something she could see placed inside her own home. Despite noticing how out of date the astrographer's 'map' was, it didn't matter. She could still recognize some of the locations and the glistening peridot against the dark meteoric iron was just too attractive.
When he mentioned it was the Unioners who held back the Hessians, Carmen found herself finally feeling her own pride cloud her, otherwise, open mind. The Unioners held back an enemy the Imperio had not yet managed to bring to heel? Carmen found herself skeptical, yet if this was true, she knew she'd be quite impressed. The skepticism did make her desire to be this 'bridge' even stronger, though. She wished to gauge the true measure of these men and women. Now, more than ever.
As Demetrius spoke, Carmen listened quietly to what he laid out. Occasionally, glancing over at Kruger and Corin to see how they reacted. The staged plan was practical, effective, and importantly, worthwhile.
As Costa spoke, Carmen's eyes drifted back down to the mosaic. Her right hand slipped up onto the table and her gloves fingers began to gently play over the peridot. Then her fingers froze. Her gaze took on a distant, thoughtful look. A spark had just lit in her mind. Yes... yes, it was an idea. A good idea. Building upon what Demetrius had already put out there. Building upon, even, her own suggestion.
“The topic of cooperation spreading to the joining of fleets has given me a deeper idea. An addendum to my prior suggestion: if we are to conjoin our fleets, I would encourage an exchange program. Unioner engineers, machinists, technicians, pilots, the like, be given assignments within the Imperio. Of whichever length is agreed upon. The same would be done for Corsairs in turn. It would be a good show of trust, as well as an invaluable learning experience for all involved. Not just on a strategic level, but a tactical, and even more importantly, a personal level.
“Imagine the bonds that could be formed when our two people's have learned to work side by side and fight side by side. In ways not quite achievable through convoys or joint military exercises. This could be a natural progression from my suggestion that I act as a bridge between our two peoples.
“Given, there is likely to be uncertainty and or outright distrust for such an idea, our respective leadership can see how my 'tenure' plays out and decide then if its a worthwhile addition for both sides to pursue.”
Finished, she slowly glanced around the room. Between the men. Curious what they might think to this expanded idea.
"My kin! We are Corsair! We are the 'Horned Ones'! By Crete we have been made strong! There is no foe we cannot defeat! No enemy shall be spared our horns! No friend or ally shall find us wanting! For we are Corsair! By the might of the Imperio we spread out our hands! All we see will be ours one day! I have had a dream. A dream of a green Crete. A paradise! And in that dream, our enemies are not there! Crushed and mangled beneath our horns! Uplift your voices! Shout with me! Corsair! Corsair! Corsair!"
-Carmen Elena 'Silver' Quintana of Clan Quintana of the Corsair Imperio
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