Freeport XV: ORI meeting the TAZ, the OSI, and the Omicroners

[Doc Holliday]

Doc showed no emotion. He just sat with his hands in his lap, his fingers still interwove, his datapad still recording. Then, during Ferguson's speech, he received a message from Shasta. It was from ORI Adria. He sat up a bit and read it on his datapad: http://discoverygc.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92097
Doc excused himself as not to be rude and replied to it and then again before finally settling back, continuing to listen.

He then sat and listened to Ambassador Valek again. As he listened, he grew impatient but suppressed the feeling, still sitting back in his chair, his fingers interwove. Once Gabriel finished, Doc decided it was time to speak. His long time friends were visibly upset. He remembered how ugly things got when the Omicroners stood alone during the Corsair conflict. With ORI ships heading to Baffin, it was time for him to speak. He stood up and paced a bit as he spoke, his slight, old Earth southern drawl coming out.

"I find it disturbing," he began, his left hand just beneath his chin with that fore finger scratching at his lower lip, "that a Zoner ship would so much as attempt to fire upon the ship of an ally, namely, the Order. I also find it disturbing that the ORI seems to have little regard for the Zoner way."

He then made a brief motion to Gabriel and continued, "I know what your motives are. Perhaps my colleagues here would be interested to know of the conversation you and I had a few days back in front of Gran Canaria. I know that Mr. Caudill would. Do you remember, Mr. Valek, the request you made of me? You asked my support for an offensive in Liberty....to reclaim Planet Erie and the Pennsylvania system. I said that I wouldn't support such an action. You then asked me if that meant that you would stand alone...."
Doc then paused and looked around the room, looking briefly at Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Caudill. He then nodded, "for such an action, I think you do."

"You fly your Jinkusus," he continued, "a ship built as a colony exploration vessel, or, in the case of my own Med.Force.One, a hospital ship. In either case, they were built as measures of peace. Can they defend themselves?" He then looked at Ambassador Valek, "you bet your ass they can but we don't use them as offensive weapons of war nor do we use them to destroy other Zoner ships."

Doc then turned and continued his slow walk as he continued, "You want to base ships in Baffin at Sedona Station. I will allow you to keep the ships you have requested there but you can bet that my people will be watching as will the ships of the Sentient Machine Alliance which we seldom ever hear from they are such good neighbors. Sedona is a farm station with a total staff of 12 people who have just enough quarter and provision provided for them. Scrubbies require a lot of attention but also require quiet. They will get that quiet.

He then stood in front of his chair, first he looked at Feguson, to whom he gently nodded, and then looked to Valek, "I stand in agreement with Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Caudill. Until you can prove to us that you can live the Zoner way, put away your Jinkusus. That would be a beginning to earning our trust."

Doc then took his seat, re-weaving his fingers together before returning his hands to his lap, awaiting the next speaker.

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[MFE]Med Force One | Tales of Recovery|Med Force Enterprises