Having listened to the slive, Grenville, tacitly surrender the Taus to a force which was not even competing for their dominion, Edward Marlborough snorted, and rose to his feet, jaw clenched, jowels quivering, and addressed the assembly:
Gentlemen. We cannot. We cannot, and we should not even countenance the thought, of surrendering, yes. Surrendering, the bloody taus. Are you out of your minds? We have been engaged in a brutal, bloody war in those same damn taus for the last three years. I will not. Will Not. Allow. This. Treaty. To. Sacrifice. Our. Struggle.
Our position is not weak, gentlemen. We hold many of the hinder worlds around Tau, and maintain our hold on Harris. Strategically, we are in the best position to strike, with the Kusari Fleet drawing its supply lines through our noose.
Three Years, Gentlemen. Three years and this treaty proposes to surrender Tau. Tau is Sovereign Territory of Her Majesty, Carina, The Bloody Queen. The Independent Miners' Guild? Damn them. Damn them, Damn the Kusari, Damn the Franks and the Colonials and anyone who signs this surrender. Not just Tau, but a surrender of the entire bloody war.
This, Gentlemen, is despicable. Tau is Bretonian Territory, and damn you, I will not let you pander it away.
