Obsidian Table | Trilateral Military Command Session

[Charos]

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Brass did not answer immediately. He let the silence sit long enough for the hologram to complete another rotation, before stepping closer to the table. “You’re right,” he said evenly. “Pirates do not fight with doctrine. They fight with appetite. That truth is the foundation of this proposal, not its flaw.” He gestured toward the hovering cruiser. “The Agitator is not designed to create loyalists. It is designed to create dependence, every hull built is deliberately with inefficient reactors tuned close to tolerance, subsystems overstressed, maintenance cycles shortened. It performs best only so long as it is fed.”

Brass’s gaze shifted briefly to the Coalition delegation, making sure the point landed. “Feed comes from us. Parts, expertise, ammunition compatibility, that's not available easily in our region if you're enemies with the Hessians. Without that pipeline, the Agitator degrades rapidly from threat to liability. A pirate captain can turn the ship against a House convoy today, but without continued access, that same hull becomes unserviceable within months.” He paused, then continued. “This is not arming predators and letting them roam free. This is leasing pressure, pressure that expires.”

Brass folded his hands behind his back. “As for blowback, any group reckless enough to turn an Agitator against our supply lines exposes itself immediately. These ships are loud, distinctive, and poorly suited for sustained engagements. They cannot hide for long. They are skirmish tools, not territorial assets.” A slight nod toward Frei. “And if a captain grows ambitious, we already know every weakness built into the frame, because we put them there.” He let that settle. “The Agitator doesn’t create a new player in the game, Colonel. It accelerates the ones already bleeding the Houses. We don’t own the chaos but we time it, starve it, and end it when required.” Brass straightened. “That is the leash.”

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