To: Nick Stenn, Forlorn Hope

[Kazinsal]

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Identification: Minister Harold Kane
Affiliation: Natio Octavarium, Fourth Fleet

To: Nick Stenn, Forlorn Hope

Subject: A Delicate Situation
Encryption: Revolutionary
Location: OCS Repentance, Tau-44

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Greetings, Knight Commander.

I am Harold Kane, Minister of Relations and head of military affairs for the nation-state of Natio Octavarium. A few mutual friends have recommended that I reach out to you for... assistance with the delicate situation we find ourselves in. We are currently a member of the Crayter Federal Republic, an entity which has given us a chance to rebuild and shelter our civilians and a place to begin construction of a trade and habitation facility in secure space.

In the recent weeks however there has been... concern among our government as to the future of our people with Crayter. We have longstanding personal and political ties to Malta, which is a source of strife, but while those are primarily historical in nature, the actions the Republic have taken against Maltese civilians recently are at best questionable and, if the rumours we are hearing are confirmed by the sources we have reached out to, literal crimes against humanity that we would not support even against Gallia were they battering down our door with a fleet of Valors.

Due to your apparent relations with the Crayter Republic it was suggested to us that we reach out to you for advice and to open relations. We have thirty thousand civilians who have endured ostracism, siege, and exile for the majority of their lives, sadly including during the last few years in which I had promised them security from further transgressions. I fear I have failed, and in supporting an alliance with Crayter, I have furthered that failure.

In short, Knight Commander: Given the current and developing situation in the Crayter Republic's sphere of influence, do you know a way to keep our innocents out of the line of fire?

Warmest regards,
Harold Kane
Minister of Relations, Natio Octavarium

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[The Sovereign]

INCOMING TRANSMISSION

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ENCRYPTION LEVEL: High

:::ACCESS GRANTED:::
FINALIZING IDENTIFICATION PROCESS ... PLEASE WAIT ...

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• »»» Location: Freeport 10 Administrators office
  
• »»» Sender ID: Nick Stenn
  
• »»» Recipient ID: Minister Harold Kane
  
• »»» Subject: Options
  

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Minister,

Thirty thousand civilians is a lot of people. And you say they are thirty thousand maltese civilians?

This is a bit of a tight spot. On one hand, we'd be more than willing to assist and help out, but on the other, we are enemies of the Outcasts last I checked. However, I'll be damned if we're about to leave so many people in a desperate place. As such we have a few options that we can perhaps pursue to assist in getting you back onto your feet.

Regardless of which you choose, I'm nearly certain that you'll need our resources to move that many people. First, we can arrange for integration into normal society in almost all of the major houses, except for Gallia and Rheinland. This isn't an ideal option, nor one that will be quick to carry out however.

Second we have the option of hosting you in our space around Glendalough. It'll be cramped, and our own facilities are tailored to our specific needs and won't suit the mass of civilians you have, but it will give you the benefit of our laws and protection.

Third, we could attempt to reach out to some of our friends in Auxesia and see if they have any extra space in Inverness. Failing that, we could contact the Hellfire Legion about temporary tenancy in one of the systems they are dominant in.

Finally, there is the possibility of reaching out to the Zoners on Gran Canaria and getting them to assist with this matter.
I know it feels little, but it's a foundation to use to survive.

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Attachments:
-none-

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Knight Commander Stenn
Forlorn Hope Command

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CLOSING TRANSMISSION

[Kazinsal]

[ Incoming Transmission ]

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Identification: Minister Harold Kane
Affiliation: Natio Octavarium, Fourth Fleet

To: Nick Stenn, Forlorn Hope

Subject: A Delicate Situation
Encryption: Revolutionary
Location: OCS Repentance, Tau-44

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Knight Commander Stenn,

Thank you for your offer. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Our civilians are only a few percent Maltese -- most are of Libertonian, Bretonian, or independent worlds origin, with a handful from the other houses. We've heard of your situation with the Maltese, and we would not want to abrase that.

I will be honest with you, sir. We have a starbase under construction in the Tau-44 system but the instability of frankly anything regarding the Crayter Republic and their... relationships may be potentially a threat to our people living on the frontier. In the event of war breaking out on our doorstep, we would be grateful for any assistance you can render in keeping our innocents safe.

Glendalough is an interesting possibility. We're hoping that, in the event that we need to stash our people somewhere, that will be sufficiently out of the way. If we need to, though, things will be in an incredibly dangerous situation in the Taus and I'm sure you'll have heard about it. The political climate in Crayterian space has been different than what we were lead to believe it was, and much different than we anticipated in ways that in the coming months could put the citizens of the Natio in the middle of a war zone. I cannot say much more about this at the moment but I will inform you as soon as I know more myself.

There are several potential avenues out but I don't know which ones are safest for my people, and they are more than anything else my top priority. I will be sure to put you at the top of my list of people to call if things escalate. Thank you.

Regards,
Harold Kane
Minister of Relations, Natio Octavarium

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