"Yes, I agree. We should wait and choose carefully who we deem "incompetent." As Old Laowai as shown, not all Indies are as slow as they seem."
Juan then looked up at the other Elder on the viewscreen above them all. Montoya had been gone for several days, and Lucendez and other Elders had to pick up some work that he had left behind. What was he doing there? This question had been cropping up in his head for the last couple of hours as they debated in the Council Chambers. Although Juan had respected Montoya throughout his Eldership as a wise and trusted leader, he couldn't shake the feeling that something incredible was on the horizon, an Elder going on vacation in the middle of wars was not something that happened everyday. Lucendez pushed the question out of his mind, he didn't dare challenge his fellow Elder on vacation spots.
"The secondary question of the AW is upon us, and I'd like to share my reactions with the Council."
Getting a nod from his fellows, he moved and activated a screen in front of everyone at the Council, detailing his latest chat with the leader of the Asgard Warriors.
"The AW are lead by a woman named Aurelia Silvan. She seems to be living in the past, attempting to rally the heavily fragmented Asgard Warriors and lead them on some insane Brotherhood hunt. As you all know, ever since the fighting between the AW and the TBH ended some time ago, the AW of Theta have atrophied into something barely resembling an organization. Since they can not patrol their area of space, the cease-fire had been revoked and nullified. "
"Recently, as many of you have picked up, they are attempting to reinforce the dominance they once had, by taking the few people that are still loyal and manning some sort of Battleship to go and prey on smaller Corsair ships, primarily Tinky. The correct course, however, has not shown itself to me, and I must admit I'm confused as to Ms. Silvan's response to my message. Her anger and fear were very apparent, but I had assumed that up until the peace accord, the AW were winning the war and peace was forced upon her."
"The reasoning behind her malevolence is allusive. Personally, I share both Laowai's reaction to Ms. Silvan and Carlos'. If the AW want to be "hostile," then we will come with halos of fire. Ha! Friendliness with Outcasts will not be tolerated, those who take the side of the demons will be dealt with, harshly."
"Don't you agree, Montoya?"
Lucendez turned around and posed the question at the viewscreen.
"The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had not left a trace. The foundations of the Mansion House hotel stuck up above the ground. The stone was chipped and split by the fire. It was all that was left of the town of Seney. Even the surface had been burned off the ground.
Nick looked at the burned-over stretch of hillside, where he had expected to find the scattered houses of the town and then walked down the railroad track to the bridge over the river. The river was there."
"Of course I do, hermano. The AW and their leadership are living in the past as you say, and their faith in the Outcast scum is misplaced. The time is approaching where our true power in Omicron Theta will be recognised for everyone to see. But I am unsure as to the precise timing of our unstoppable advance. Too early and we will be facing, perhaps, the combined Zoner fleet. Too late, and the AW may have rebuilt, or regained the Council of Zoner's endorsement.
Timing is of great importance, but I suggest that the move be made sooner than later. Our warriors are in their element on the battlefield. Even if the Zoners fielded a large force, they would be crushed. The potential gain, even if the Zoners do choose to fight rather than welcome us with open arms, is very great.
And I do apologise for my continued absence from the council chambers, but it is neccessary that I be here as long as possible.
Gentlemen, the decision is not mine alone for this, and the timing is crucial. The initiative has been passed to us, and we must act decisively on it."
Gentle halted his progress. Things had taken a decidedly swift change and aroused the interest of the old pirate. "Hmm I'd better sit down again then" Genlte resumed his seat at the table and set about bandaging the deep gash in his hand. It always amused him that a man that had been literally blown apart, shot and at one time hung by the neck managed to wince at little cuts on well used extremeties. "If i didnt know better id say im going soft" Gentle laughed to himself.
"No actually I dont need my seat to discuss this. I ave ne point of view on the AW. I tried in the past to heal wounds with them and they had no interest. Their interest was in crushing the OPG with their ....might." A derisory snort issued from the mouth of the semi drunk pirate.
"Kell haul the lot of those bastards as far as im concerned amigos. The OPG has grown significantly ill ensure our forces are fully prepared for war in the next couple of days. We have mobilised a fleet worthy of the chronicles of crete to remember us. Shoudl you decide to move against the AW I will pledge the whole OPG fleet to their demise. Unlike the wound in my hand which will be gone in a few weeks the AW wont allow us to live as we require to do so. So be it say I. Let them hold to their faith in the outcasts who pour cardamine into them to enslave their minds like zombies. Kill the whole goddam rat infested asgard scum and leave their corpses floating in the void. OPG will support any actions of war."
Silence filled the hall as the transmission broke through the firewalls and spoke, in an eerie robotic monotone.
After a while of quiet murmuring, Montoya beckoned silence. He coughed loudly, and began to speak.
"Well, that certainly complicates things. I will send a transmission at once to these so-called harvesters, to ... inform... them of what we do not wish. The last thing I want is Zoner blood on our hands. As the AW themselves do not fall under that bracket, their death is welcomed.
Outcast targets I can endorse, but I will stress that true Zoner vessels should not be harmed when under the protection or durestiction of the Corsairs. They are still, whether we like it or not, useful to us."
With that, Juan's head turned aside from the viewscreen, and he started to type. Whilst those present in the Elder chambers were still discussing, Juan turned back to the screen, and spoke again.
"I have finished the transmission, and will upload it to the council chambers for you to view. Please, state any amendments you wish quickly."
---Uploading draft...
Source: Corsair council chambers
Destination: Planet Gammu
Intended recipients: The "Harvesters"
Gentlemen, or whomever you may be, we applaud your support of our cause, however, we must insist that you not attack the true Zoner vehicles or personel in our presence. It is imperative to our cause that you comply to this request.
Outcasts and AW are all yours for the harvest, if you so wish, but we require that true Zoner vessels be left unharmed due to the precariousness of the situation. Any move against them that is reported to have been executed by your units will not be looked upon kindly at this time, and may even cause hostilities between our people, as we strive to secure our right flank from the Outcasts and their apparently "Zoner" AW lackies.
We would reccomend that you stayed out of this conflict completely, however. This would simplify both our goals, without adding extra political pressure to the mix.
Thankyou for your time.
End Transmission.
"Please, look upon this carefully hermanos, and suggest any changes before the sending of this transmission."
"The harvesters, like most alien scum, don't look at our current situation with our point of view."
The murmuring stopped, as the Council's eyes closed in on the one who spoke. Lucendez was gripping his chair tightly, but relaxed when the others started to observe him more carefully.
"If the Nomads and Cylon threat is any indication, I predict these Harvesters aren't going to receive our message kindly. Most collectivist aliens can't see how humans are split into factions, and will not be able to see the intricate political machinations behind this. I've dealt with both the Nomads and the Cylons, and they initially couldn't see why attacking one group of people would make another friendly or hostile. However, their fight with the Zoners may have taught them something about this region of space, I say don't even trust the aliens. They've hacked our comms and may have comprised our relationship with the Zoners as a people. They are too dangerous."
"But, I will be silent on this subject. As long as a Harvester doesn't get in my way, or attack anyone I care about, I don't care what they do. Although I would probably consider the attack on Gran Canaria to be a very hostile maneuver."
"Now, I have just received a private message confirming that I may speak before the Council of Zoners. Do I have everyone's confidence? If not, do not be afraid to object. We have received codes for one Elder only, so we need to make this count."
Lucendez picked up a pen and flipped it through his fingers, silently.
"The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had not left a trace. The foundations of the Mansion House hotel stuck up above the ground. The stone was chipped and split by the fire. It was all that was left of the town of Seney. Even the surface had been burned off the ground.
Nick looked at the burned-over stretch of hillside, where he had expected to find the scattered houses of the town and then walked down the railroad track to the bridge over the river. The river was there."
***** TRANSMISSION UPLOADED*****
*****TRACKING SOURCE*****
*****FIRST THOUGHT GIVER OF WILL*****
*****OMICRON KAPPA GAMMU TOWER F495*****
*****TRACKING DESTINATION*****
*****SENTIENT ENCYPTION TRANSLATOR KAPPA*****
*****SECURITY UPGRADE DETECTED*****
*****SENTIENT ENCYPTION TRANSLATOR LAMBDA*****
*****SECURITY OVER RIDE SUCCESSFUL*****
*****CORSAIR ENTITIES*****
*****BEGIN UPLOAD*****
TRANSMISSION RECIEVED.
CORSAIR DESIGNATE, IS NON TARGET ENTITY.
OUTCAST DESIGNATES, CONTAIN CONTAMINATES AND ARE SCHEDULED FOR EXTERMINATION, PENDING RETRIEVAL OF THE ALPHA CODE. ZONER, AW, JG DESIGNATES ARE TO BE HARVESTED ON SIGHT TO ACQUIRE THE ALPHA CODE AND WEAKEN DESIGNATES COMBAT PARTS.
CORSAIRS WILL BE ASSISTED AGAINST DESIGNATED TARGETS UPON LOCALE COMBAT HARVESTER UNIT RECIEVEING TRANSMISSION.
Carlos stood. He had some limited knowledge of robotics, and had a rough idea of how they could be dealt with.
"I believe, that like all other mechanical life, the brains of these Harvesters are little more than difference engines. Their motivation appears to be the aquisition of raw material to replicate themselves with. If this is so, I am worried about why they have taken a liking to the Corsairs.
If heir brains are little more than difference engines, an offer of significant raw material may be enough to buy their co-operation"
Benito Huarez sat on his desk in the family's business rooms, always good informed about the ongoings in the councils chamber.
He was shaking his head. Fortunately the council had not enforced the security protocol so it was easy for him to hack in and send a message to the council.
While in discussion the holographic projector in the council chamber awoke and was showing a young man, but his face was signed by the hard life of a Corsair. He was looking serious with a fuse of anger in his eyes.
The discussion immediately stopped, when he began to speak
"Dear Council
My name is Benito Huarez. Many of you know me as a proud and honourable Corsair. My family is small and has no seat within the council, but i cannot stay beside silently any longer. My concerns are only about the future of the Corsair nation, not TBH or Benitez.
The business of my family is not piracy. Our business is the transportation of Artifacts to other colonies and on our way back we always bring essential goods to crete. Goods our nation is in need to survive. Well, the main route is leading to the Sigmas, using Theta for transit. With all the scum out there it is dangerous enough. So i was released to have save havens within Theta and its ceasefire status.
I'm not a friend of AW's political attitude and i'm not pleased with the amount of enemy warships, passing through Theta, but nevertheless AW provided a ceasefire, i trusted in always.
Now it seems TBH, Benitez and other Corsairs are not interested in this ceasefire, not thinking about the long term consequences for other Corsair families like mine.
I do remind the Council and its decisions of being responsible for all Corsairs and not only itself. Honestly, recently provocations of AW by TBH members (not speaking about honourable crew of GB Tinky) let me think some members of TBH are sniffing Cardamine secretly, forcing Corsairs into another war with AW, only BHG scum and Outcasts could be interested in.
For our nation and the safety of Artifact transportation routes i'm highly interested in to keep up the ceasefire in Theta. Therefore my recently reconvalescenzed father has taken the command of the Cruiser "INDEPENDENCIA". He has taken position on FP 9 to remind all Corsairs to keep their hands away from weapon triggers. The only exception is selfdefense. My father may have lost his legs, but i guarantee you, his willpower is unbroken and he is not as diplomatic as I am. Hopefully Corsairs do listen to another Corsair, if they do not want listen to AW.
Every short term advantage you may gain from the current situation will be turned into a long term disadvantage. This has been prooved in the past.
Same goes for these suspect robots, called Harvester. The cynical name is speaking for itself. They are an enemy, who is a threat to the group, which has prooven itself the most valuable ally, Corsairs ever had and will have. Our interest must be to support Zoners in their struggles aggainst them and to destroy the Harvester wherever they'll be found.
Learn from the past. Instead fighting the AW and supporting the Harvester, Corsairs should go the counter direction. If Harvester will ever have destroyed the Zoners, you do not know, whom against they will move next. They have no emotions. They are dirceted by cold mathematics and programms.
All is said, think about.
Huarez out"
He closed the comm channel and leaned backward.
"What do you expect?" he could hear a familiar voice behind him. "Council never heared to anyone else than the Council. An Elder is not becomming an Elder for being social and taking care about others."
"It is not too late. I do really hope, they will see the fatal mistake, they are moving in. Shall i stay behind and watch Corsairs suffer under a wrong decision?" Benito countered.
"It will not be the first one and we still have survived everyone."
"Mi hermanos, I must leave you for a brief time. The hour is getting late and I must send a starting message to the Council of Zoners."
"But, before I go, the annoying breaches of security for our comm systems are rather interesting. A Corsair accusing another of taking the Demon's drug is paramount to treason. The alien machines have made it clear that they will take us off their 'HoS' list. These things need to be discussed, but I'm afraid that the Zoners should be contacted immediately."
"Besides, I think we could all use a short recess."
"The thirteen saloons that had lined the one street of Seney had not left a trace. The foundations of the Mansion House hotel stuck up above the ground. The stone was chipped and split by the fire. It was all that was left of the town of Seney. Even the surface had been burned off the ground.
Nick looked at the burned-over stretch of hillside, where he had expected to find the scattered houses of the town and then walked down the railroad track to the bridge over the river. The river was there."
![[Image: Harvester00acopy.jpg]](http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/jc_lehner/Photoshop%20requests/Harvester00acopy.jpg)
![[Image: H1mZW7e.md.png]](https://iili.io/H1mZW7e.md.png)