To: Alejandro Harabero

[John'DTR'Grey]

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Sender ID

Executor Francisco Javier de Creta

Location

Planet Crete

Recipient

Alejandro Harabero

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Señor Alejandro buenos días,

Do not be surprised by I have a direct contact of yours, one of your amigos did told us after some days without cardmine.

You will probably be wondering by now how... It is quite simple Alejandro, after the Theta conflict and many outcast ships got damaged, as well as corsarios. We did manage to rescue many of them, those missing units from Malta, are in a specific cell block. Before you think twice, don't worry, they are alive, they are well feed and with enough cardmine to don't die. Would be a shame to lose them, of course. We managed to rescue 500 of them.

I am contacting you, in order to know your opinion señor Alejandro, what should we do with your hermanos from Malta, who fought for Malta, and now are missing their madres and familias. I am a man of family, you know? Not a monster of course! Some Bretonnians portrait me as one, probably they were in the wrong side of the blade.

I will wait for your reply, hasta pronto.

Part of the cell block

<Virtus unita fortior, Deterrence>
Francisco Javier de Creta

[BobMacaroni]

Malta Hyperspace Starfleet
Incoming Transmission

From:Your Friendly Hispanian Neighbors
To: The Brutes of Crete
Subject:Captives
Classification:Highly Confidential

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Are you merely here to taunt me?

Any captives exiled to your dungeons are regrettable, but it's been well accepted as the price to pay to curb your barbarism for decades now.

Or is there some other sort of arrangement you are seeking?

You should know that you are not the only one with a chip to bargain. Our campaign against your miserable forces in Theta has left us overflowing with Cretan scum in our plantations. Perhaps you might want some of them back before we find a... better use for them. I'm curious as to how far we can... genetically modify some of your warship commanders before they die.

Give it to me straight, "Executor". Did you come to bargain?



Alejandro Harabero - Explorador Alfa

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[John'DTR'Grey]

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Sender ID

Executor Francisco Javier de Creta

Location

Planet Crete

Recipient

Alejandro Harabero

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Señor Harabero, there is no taunting but an obvious chance of negotiations as you can see amigo, we are both clever politicians. The price for Malta isn't as big as the price for Crete, tell me how many sons can your womans have... Exactly.

I want to harm for some, who I consider no enemigos but rivals, we both come from the Hispania, and made our nation's great, we both serve our nation's in, different ways. Would be good to have those poor Corsarios back to Crete, of course it would, I am sure their familias would love to see an already a man left for dead returning home, but for Crete, they are already heroes, and like all heroes, they are dead, not like the Malteses we have. Do outcasts still believe in slaves? how unintelligent, you people should try casts, is more, sutile.

Anyway, we can discuss those politics with a nice cup of coffee. What I want to negotiate with you, señor Harabero is something that the people of Malta might even find interesting, a truce. You did read well, I want to negotiate with you a truce in Omicron Theta, that system is suffered enough already, and I am sure that now that Malta got what it wanted from the scientifics of Sigma 17, they would probably love to have some peace in that system too, to move around. How many did you kill? Poor folks! They just wanted to create cardmine 2, I am right?

A truce for the outcasts in Theta, and 500 happy prisoners, returning to Malta, to see its orange pastures again, isn't that a beautiful negotiation señor Harabero?

I expect your reply soon.

Saludos.

<Virtus unita fortior, Deterrence>
Francisco Javier de Creta

[BobMacaroni]

Malta Hyperspace Starfleet
Incoming Transmission

From:Your Friendly Hispanian Neighbors
To: The Brutes of Crete
Subject:Negotiations
Classification:Highly Confidential

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You propose an interesting prospect, "Executor".

One that I believe betrays your outwardly calm demeanor.

I cannot accept any cessation of hostilities while your warships pollute Omicron Theta, and the Freeport remains oppressed under your thumb. Say what you will about "working out a negotiation with the Zoners", I know personally several Zoner cells which are violently proceeding against your forces, because of what you've done.

Yet given that you were the first to reach out for a parley, it would seem that perhaps this ambition of your wretched "Imperio" did not turn out as well as you imagined it would. After all, it leaves you over-extended, bleeding precious warships away from more important fronts which could desperately use them.

Do not think that we have not watched closely as Corsair battlecruisers came limping from their frontiers to reinforce the cursed system. We are both aware that our resources are better spent elsewhere. What happened since the Freeport was seized was a purposeless waste of life.

A truce is not mine to grant - only an agreement from the Council of Dons can arrange that - but I do hold significant sway and am your best option if you want to see your desire actualized.

No warships are to be positioned in Theta and are only to enter for passage, and the Freeport is to be given back to an accord of various Zoners - including the Phoenix - to act as a neutral buffer once again. In short, the old status quo is to return. We both know how wasteful the conflict turned once it was broken.

Those are my terms.



Alejandro Harabero - Explorador Alfa

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[John'DTR'Grey]

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Sender ID

Executor Francisco Javier de Creta

Location

Planet Crete

Recipient

Alejandro Harabero

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Señor Harabero,

The imperial flotillas will not leave Theta, it is part of the imperio like other systems and sectors that, of course, you know. Your message made me smile in a way no others do, a don caring about life that ain't Maltese? Oppression of who? And I've got you for a señor and a man of reason, seems I was quite wrong.

You don't have to explain any military tactic to me, the Imperio is booming and the elders grace leads us all, the people of Crete to a glorious victory, explain me what was your last conquest, exactly. I am not here for philosophy but business, and my offering for you, Alejandro, is a small gentle truce so we ignore each other in Omicron Theta, an imperial protectorate to the Sigmas. In exchange, of course, we will not execute those prisoners but leave them in your doorstep with a beacon, so a patrol can locate them.

That is, if you really care about those lives, if not, would be a pleasure to watch them struggle, die in terrible suffering and agony, myself of course, I am not new to watch the agony of life being released from those who disrespect the Imperio.

And since you're well connected to the council of dons, maybe they will recognise, that a Maltese life of course matters a lot, and that having a chance to not lose more to the hands of the Imperio is a good notice, I am merciful Alejandro, quite reasonable in fact from a Corsair of my status.

Think twice before your last reply, many lives depend on those words from you, may Malta get stained again because its dons who speak more than walk, waste more Maltese lives into a meat grinder, or may you raise up and stop an, of course, totally avoidable bloodbath.

Saludos.

<Virtus unita fortior, Deterrence>
Francisco Javier de Creta

[BobMacaroni]

Malta Hyperspace Starfleet
Incoming Transmission

From:Your Friendly Hispanian Neighbors
To: The Brutes of Crete
Subject:Negotiations
Classification:Highly Confidential

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Malta is not accountable for the lives you brutes put to death. To sentence the rest of Malta to be held under your miserable whim using their lives as a ransom is a worse fate than anything you can give to them.

They were aware of the price they might have to pay.

We both know you're lying about the state of Crete. Believe what you want - the staggering catastrophe of your last campaign speaks for itself. I am sure we both vividly remember the slaughter as the Fes and then the Kelafonia met their untimely demise, all for the sake of a useless installation. The cards are not in your hands, "Executor", nor will it work to pretend that they are. We won't let you draw your battle line so boldly and foolishly close to our land. Unless the system is fully, truly set as a neutral barrier with no encampments provoking the other side, a "simple truce" is worthless.

And unless you're willing to make some changes to make it happen, I have no business speaking to you.

Until then, we'll enjoy bleeding your forces dry.

Hasta la vista.



Alejandro Harabero - Explorador Alfa

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[John'DTR'Grey]

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Sender ID

Executor Francisco Javier de Creta

Location

Planet Crete

Recipient

Alejandro Harabero

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Señor Harabero,

Well, seems you sentence those brave Malteses to a terrible and agonising death sentence, I hope the rest of Malta does not hear of this, would be a shame.

I had enough of your senile bluffing, staggering catastrophe? the fes? kelafonia? those did what they had to. You outcasts will never learn...

Anyway, let's see what the future prepares for us, I have some execution documents to sign,

Adios.

<Virtus unita fortior, Deterrence>
Francisco Javier de Creta