Etien looked around the room one more time, ensuring everything was perfect. This was the first meeting between the Legion and any Sirian faction, and he would rather there were no complications.
He had done his best to have the room laid out, to show all the grandeur that the Legion possessed (even though they possessed little grandeur). He had stocked the cupboard with some fine wines, as well as samples of some of the commodities he could offer. This was, after all, a meeting of trade.
Etien took a last glance at the room before he flicked on the computer pad he was holding. He typed in a quick message, aimed at the Consortiums headquarters.
"You are hereby invited to a meeting on board Valence Base, in the Dauphine system, to discuss trade between the Legion des Damnes, and the Zoner Trading Consortium. Make your way to Reunion station, in the Orkney system. An escort will be waiting to take you the rest of the way. I await your arrival."
-Lord Etien Fitzroy
With that, Etien strode out of the room, for a rest. He'd had a long day.
[color=#FFFFFF]Damien Germain, one of the Legion's Wardens, entered the room afterwards. He had many things to think about. He was wondering if the information about the Consortium's existence and their comm frequency was correct. However, the source seemed trustworthy, so the Warden purged the last seeds of doubt.
The meeting time was still to be arranged, but Damien doubted if the Zoners would listen to Etien at all. After all, they knew nothing about the Legion.
[color=#FF9900]"Well, let's hope they will answer at least... Who knows what might happen" - with these thoughts he left the room. He had to get his new Cuirassier ready. If the Zoners agree and both parties choose the time, he'll need his ship working perfectly. After all, he was chosen to escort the guests, if they arrive.
Damien's last doubts vanished as he read the response. [color=#FF6600]"At least they are interested, or so it seems," - he thought. - [color=#FF6600]"Perhaps I should get to Reunion; in case they decide to show up there, we'll be ready. Oui, seems like a plan." With these thoughts he sat in the cockpit of his Cuirassier and left Valence's docking point 3. The long way awaited.
The system of Languedoc, the place where the Council are preparing to make their last stand. As Damien entered the system devastated by the civil war, he got obsessed with some thoughts. "Will the Council manage to hold this place for a long time? Their forces here seem solid, but what forces does the King possess?" Even Damien, a former Royalist, couldn't say that. "But who cares? Even if the Council's efforts fail despite our assistance, the Brigands will live through this. Crime is eternal, after all."
"Crime..." Some time ago he was disgusted by the sound of the word itself. But a lot of things changed since then. The Legion was composed of ex-criminals, but that didn't matter as long as they served the cause. Now it does matter, since the Leggionaires are getting used to their new life easier. Some don't have to do it at all. They are simple Brigands who keep joining the gang.
But this is life, things keep changing. Even the Royalists won't be able to stop all those Sirian blockade-runners. Especially if they get some assistance from the native Gallics like Damien.
With such thoughts he came to the mine-field of Languedoc and entered the passage. "First time in Sirius... Ok, let's do it". The ship was dragged into the jump hole and disappeared.
Orkney. The Warden has heard about the system many times, but he never visited it... until now. The space was different, of course, but that was not all. A strange feeling wouldn't leave Damien as he launched the cruise enginees and headed to Reunion through the passage. "I should ignore the feeling for now. It can harm the business."
One of the docking bay's doors opened and the Warden's ship moved in. He sent a message back to Valence:
"I'm in position, Etien. Perhaps you should send more men, just in case. My ship will be ready, so we'll be able to escort them once the meeting time is set."
Then he disabled the ship's systems and headed for the bar. The waiting could be long, but it was worth it.
Etien was still on Valence, checking weapons supplies, when the message from Damien came through. checking his computer pad, he read the message, then checked on which fighter wings were available. Satisfied, he sent a return comm.
Damien, I will have a fighter wing ready to assist once the delegates arrive. In case I am unavailable, you may also request a gunboat crew to assist, should there be any...complications.
[color=#ffffff]With that, Etien headed to the bar, placing the pad back into his jacket
Richard Maack had arrived in Tau-29 system like five minutes ago. He connected to the Freeport network and launched long-range scanning systems on all the stations. Quiet dissapointed with the results he picked up the comm and sent a short message to the Reunion station:
Esteemed Lord Fitzroy,
Zoner Trading Consortium is concerned about the current situation in the Tau systems.
We apologise for change of plans. Meeting time and coordinates have been sent via more secured channels.
Your sincerly,
Richard Maack
After that he went down to the bar and gave a small memory card to a bartender. He knew, the network between all the barmen in Sirius is the most secured one ever. He knew that the encoded message had already left the system, dissapearing in dozens of parsecs away. A little bit later someone on the Reunion station had been called by a local barmen and informed of the news. Then the message had passes the Gallic border in the hands of Legion pilot and have been lost from sight.
Following the meeting Etien flew to Narbonne base, not trusting Reunion to be free of eavesdroppers. Commandeering a meeting room with little effort, and some credit cards, he settled back in a comfortable chair, before bringing the computer in front of him online. After ensuring it, and the room, were secure, he brought up a list of supplies he could gather easily. He then sorted through that list to find the items the Zoners would actually want, dismissing such unnecesary things as oxygen and water.
Finally, having assembled the list, he sent a saved copy back to his neural net, then sent the other to the Zoner Trade Consortium, on the same frequencies they had been using for the rest of the communication.
[color=#CC6600][Files Recieved]
[Origin - error, unknown region of space]
[Requesting origin from source]
[Origin - Languedoc]
[Encryption - High]
[File Begins]
[Reviewing files]
[Error, new data present]
[Attempting to decrypt]
[Working.]
[Working..]
[Working...]
[Data succesfully decrypted]
[Adding to previous files]
In the matter of what we require, we have a rather great need for Hull Panels. We can, however, make do with any kind of materials capable of being used in the repair of a capitol vessel. Niobium or Iridium would be suitable for our purposes.
We would also like information on the group known as the "Outcasts", as well as some information on the Sirian Houses.
[Extra file ends]
[Closing files]
![[Image: Etiencutout.png]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd123/Sephiroth_Reaper/Etiencutout.png)
![[Image: ValenceMeetingRoom.jpg]](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd123/Sephiroth_Reaper/ValenceMeetingRoom.jpg)
![[Image: 2ldx3y8.jpg]](http://i56.tinypic.com/2ldx3y8.jpg)
![[Image: 1C5RT.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1C5RT.png)