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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Preventer Patrol Cruiser E106 Bounty Date 2nd March AC 198 Time: 04:03 [Sanc time 00:48] Duo "My apologies, Captain, but you need to see this." the com officers voice seemed to echo in the small room and Captain Tracey pursed his lips for a moment before touching the com toggle. "On my way. Mr. Maxwell, you are with me, please." Duo was already out of his seat and pushing himself toward the door, the Captain following close on his heels. Remembering his days in the Sweepers and a thing called ships etiquette before he actually exited the room, he stepped to one side and allowed the Captain to exit first. It would not do to forget such fundamental courtesies when he was going to be on this ship for months. He was not a fool to think that he had escaped a deeper questioning over his presence on this ship and what was happening on distant Mars, but he was grateful that he had at least a few minutes reprieve in which to think. He knew that he still had questions to answer, though what he was going to tell the man he had no idea as yet. He did suspect that Lady Une was playing a game however, and that he was now a centre piece in whatever game it was that she entertained herself with. He knew her reputation from before, in the days when he had been a terrorist and she had been a high ranking Oz officer. She had had a reputation for ruthlessness that had frightened even him and in his colourful past he had come across some ruthless characters. There were elements involved in this entire business that he did not know and he had no idea as yet how to go about finding out what game she played. Did he dare trust her? //Do I dare not trust her? She helped me with Aidan. She managed to get me to L2 to see my son and to get Hilde to see me. Since joining the Preventers I have never known her to act against the interests of maintaining the peace, but what if her agenda has changed? Ah, I don't know what to think. I'm months away from Mars and I can't influence anything that happens there, so why am I really on this ship? What game are you playing, Lady?// He really did not know a great deal more than the Captain already knew, but he supposed that he would have to hand over what little information that he could share. Certainly he was not going to be informing the man about those hidden Romefeller files, especially when he still did not understand a quarter of the information locked within them. No, he did not think that he should mention Romefeller at all. He had a lot of reading to do in those files and this flight would give him the necessary time to investigate the information he had with him. It was possible that this sojourn on the Bounty would give him enough time to evaluate the information he had and understand just what it was Romefeller was planning to accomplish with the breeding program for the European nobility. It was likely that he would have much more opportunity than Heero to review those records. On entering the bridge his eyes were drawn immediately to the great screen dominating the room, where a dark-haired man was speaking against a blue back drop depicting a stylised space station and three stars. He noticed that the crew of the bridge were riveted to whatever was being said and he felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. He had seen other similar presentations before, not so long ago in fact. Was this yet another discontent spoiled rich man, a noble from the look of him, with a declaration of war that the Preventers would have to deal with? Another smoking fire of discontent to be extinguished. Could there not truly be peace? "… the cooperation of the Sweepers to act as neutral hosts to our conference and negotiations. They shall provide both a host vessel for the talks and security acceptable to both parties. The Vice Foreign Minister for the Station Alliance and representatives from each of the Stations in the Alliance Trading Delegation will be attending these negotiations. We take it on trust that those who attend the conference will be empowered on behalf of the ESUN to negotiate treaties and trade agreements with this Alliance. We request that the Sweepers be notified of the numbers they will be required to provide services for with all speed." Duo was aware of the unnatural hush on the bridge as the Captain came up beside him and of the sharply indrawn breath of the man at the words that seemed to carry unnatural weight. The bridge was silent, everyone here focused on the speech being given, the only sound the chatter of a computer somewhere in the background. "It has come to our attention that there appears to be an altercation between Raiders and citizens of the ESUN taking place on Mars. The Station Alliance has ships within the vicinity of Mars and which we have instructed to offer assistance to those in need. The closest of our vessels is still some twenty six hours from the planet and they will attempt to locate and assist any survivors. It is with regret that we have no ships closer to Mars to offer more immediate succour to your people. Be assured that your people on Mars …" "What the bloody hell is going on?" the Captain breathed then glanced at his communications officer. "Trace this." "… and that our investigators will seek evidence to ascertain the identities of those responsible for the attack on your terra forming base. We assure the government and the people of the ESUN that we shall forward the results of our investigations to the appropriate authorities and if it is in our power we shall hunt down those responsible for the assault on the planet Mars. We shall …" "A trace is underway on the transmission, Captain and we are recording the message. We have an alert coming in over priority channels requesting any information on the call. Specifically Preventer HQ is asking for assistance in tracing the message." "… survival should be made as safe as possible and our Patrol ships will be given instructions to capture any vessel suspected of being a Raider within the borders of the ESUN that adjoin the prescribed borders of our two spheres of influence. I assure you that any ships crew who are proven to be Raiders will see a judicial invitation extended to the ESUN to send representatives for the trial and judgment of these persons. We are interested in forming a strong tie with the Earth Sphere and I assure you of our peaceful intentions." Duo glowered at the screen, studying that handsome face, seeing there a confidence and arrogance he had found before, in the aristocrats who had been in positions of authority for years. Whoever this man was he expected to be taken seriously. //Well, that certainly is one way to attract attention. Who are these people and what have I missed of this message? I need to see a copy of the entire speech. I hope the Captain intends to have that recording replayed because I want to see it in its entirety. He has enlisted the aid of the Sweepers, has he? I might need to employ a few contacts there and see what I can come up with.// "… is Kristian Richard Alexander Edward Kushrenada. I and those …" "Kushrenada?!" Duo stared at the screen in shock, ignoring the looks directed at him from all around the bridge. He felt the Captain's hand rest lightly on his shoulder and he glared even harder at that face staring down at him from the screen. "… gathered with me this day that you see before you, were once citizens of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. For many and varied reasons we have chosen to renounce our ties to the ESUN and have founded the Independent Station Alliance. We whom you see before you are the Council for the Station Alliance and I am the duly elected President of our nation. On behalf of my nation I assure you that we look forward to meeting with the representatives of the ESUN across the negotiating table. It is my understanding that the Sweepers will forward the coordinates of the meeting place to your security office within the next forty eight hour period. I bid you good day and the hope for a prosperous future together." He stood on the bridge, watching in silence as the Captain started issuing instructions to his crew. The communications officer cut off the transmission when it became a field of static on screen and the Captain began detailing a list of tasks he wanted fulfilled. He wanted to return to his cabin where he could entertain his own thoughts on this unexpected announcement, but he needed access to the message in its entirety and he needed the Captain's permission to garner a copy. He desperately wanted to study that speech in fine detail and he needed to immerse himself in the stolen records of Romefeller to see if he could not find some trace of this Kushrenada. If he was a Kushrenada then there was a chance that he might have been included in their breeding records. Was he in truth a Kushrenada? //I can't say that he looked anything like Treize, but then I guess that means nothing. Maybe a distant cousin or something. I would need to study both men closely to see if there is any family resemblance at all, but the best proof of a relationship of some kind between the two would no doubt be included in those files. If Romefeller watched the nobility as well as those files suggest then there has to be a reference to him there. I need a few minutes of the Captains time to request a copy of that speech and … ah. I'm wanted? What did I miss?// "Mr. Maxwell? Are you with us? Good. Mr. Maxwell, my ready room now, please. We have far from finished our discussion. Com, replay the entire message into the Ready Room computer. Maintain the ship on Amber Alert until further notice and Com, relay any messages from Preventer Earth immediately." "Sir." Duo followed the Captain back into the small ready room, resettling himself into the chair he had so recently vacated and the Captain settled into his seat, hitting a toggle that raised a computer screen from the desk. With a deft hand he angled the small screen until it was visible from his seat and from where Duo sat. He settled deeper into his seat, getting himself comfortable as the screen shifted from a static field to the blue field with the stylised logo displayed that Duo had seen behind the man who claimed to be a Kushrenada. The captain reached to lightly touched the hold key, freezing the stylised logo in place. "Do you recognize that, perchance, Mr. Maxwell?" // So, I am to be treated as an agent who may have information. Good. He's going to share what information he has.// "No. No, Captain I regret that I have not seen it before, and no, before you ask, I have received no intelligence on any group calling themselves the Independent Station Alliance. I am afraid that I am as much in the dark as you are, Captain." "I sincerely doubt that, Mr. Maxwell. No, I am not calling you a liar, Sir. I am merely acknowledging that you are an elite agent who has access to sources that are not available to me. No doubt if I give you some time even from the Bounty you will learn more than I can. However, to business. I think it reasonably safe to say that this Kristian Kushrenada is a little more informed of the political situation than we are. He would appear to be aware of a great deal of information we thought was classified when you consider the implications of that speech. I am of the mind to believe that there may be some … upset … politicians in the Earth Sphere just now, if I read that speech correctly. So then, Mr. Maxwell, shall we listen to this speech in its entirety and then, you and I shall compare our impressions. Then we are going to talk about Mars and one Milliardo Peacecraft, current citizen of said Mars. I find that I have the disturbing notion that he is somehow wrapped up in this whole mess that is developing out there." //You and me both.// "I have to doubt that any involvement he has in this is intentional on his part, Captain Tracey. It would appear that he seems to attract trouble, however, and it is my assignment to do what I can." //Well enough to say that, but the truth is that I never really had a chance to get him off of Mars, did I? I'm just too far away and it is all happening now. Lady Une knows full well that I don't stand a chance of affecting what is going on out there. For the love of God, I am three months away and this is all going to be over within a few hours or a few days at the longest. No, I am out here for something else, but what? What is it she is not telling me? What is the Lady cooking up?// "Now your presence on my ship is one thing that I admit that I do not understand, Mr. Maxwell. We are three months away from Mars and incapable of effecting the outcome of whatever happens there. I have to ask myself why would you be assigned to effect events that will be long over before we reach our final burn to put us on our initial course for the first leg of our flight to reach our destination? It could already be all over on Mars." Duo considered the man for a long moment, considering his reply carefully. Thus far the man had treated him as a professional and as an equal not as a teenager who dabbled in events best left to his elders. He had come across that attitude often enough in the older members of Preventers to appreciate not being considered a liability in this situation. He liked Tracey. "I have learned that Preventer Earth has a devious mind, Sir and that it does not do to underestimate her. It usually takes a great deal of effort to see through to her true intentions. I have no more idea than you why she has assigned me to this ship, but I must trust that she knows what she is doing. She usually does." "Oh, I don't know about that, Reaper. One thing about your being here that is abundantly clear to me is that by sending you to Mars on this assignment she has effectively removed you from the control of the ESUN. Your watch dogs are not on this ship nor are they in space. She now has an ex-Gundam Pilot on a fully armed cruiser capable of deep space flight and free from direct ESUN control and observation. Before I left Earth on this tour of duty I was given instructions from Preventer Earth, in person, Mr. Maxwell, not via radio, but in person out of the HQ, that when we were in transit on this tour we are to take orders only from Preventer Earth herself. Her instructions to me were that we should pass on any communications we received from the ESUN Security Agency to her before acting upon them." he considered Duo with a grave expression on his features. "Now I have found you to be a bright young man. What does that suggest to you?" //Shit. Oh, shit. What are you involving me in? What it suggests to me is that Lady Une is playing a game of her own, as I suspected, but most likely far more that what I suspected is involved and do I trust her?// "It suggests to me that Preventer Earth may have more information than you do, Captain and more information than I possess as well. I received my instruction from her in person to go to Mars and contact Preventer Wind and if it was possible I am to get him off of Mars. Later my instructions were modified in that I was also to investigate the problem of the Raiders in the Asteroid Belt and now there is this message to be considered. I feel that it may impact directly on that investigation. An Allied Independent Space Station or stations, also in the Asteroid Belt. That is a rather large coincidence." "Yes, it is." Tracey rubbed at the stubble on his chin, no doubt wishing he could get some down time. "It is too large a coincidence to be believable. We can not sit here all night and consider the motivations behind Lady Une's actions, much as that could lead to interesting directions being taken. I find her to be a quite remarkable woman. She has an uncommon intuition in choosing her people and in managing them. For the moment, let us view this recording and see just what it is that we missed by coming in on the speech late. Feel free to stop the recording should something in particular strike you, Mr. Maxwell." Duo settled back in his seat, only too aware of the way the Captain was watching him. No doubt the man was wondering just how far he could trust a former Gundam Pilot in light of the new circumstances. It made Duo extremely conscious of the fact that there were many people on this ship who had no cause at all to trust him. In point of fact they had good cause to hate him. They were from Oz, the Treize Faction, White Fang and the Alliance forces, all of whom had at one time or another been used as target practice by the Gundam Pilots. He and his fellow Gundam Pilots had been allied to no one, not even to a single colony, perhaps with the possible exception of Chang Wu Fei who had piloted the Shenlong Gundam with the active backing of his clan. Indeed he had personally been approached by representatives of the White Fang when they discovered who he was, before they had taken over the Libra and he had refused them, thinking them too disorganized and prone to mistakes for his liking. He was going to need to be very careful while he was onboard this ship. At any time one or more of them may begin remembering the past and decide to do something about the terrorist who had killed so many. Sometimes people had very long memories and extreme isolation could bring out the worst in them. "People of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, we of the Independent Station Alliance greet you. We are an Alliance of Space Stations independent of the ESUN and resident within the Asteroid Belt who offer to you our hand in friendship." The Captain reached to paused the replay, glaring at the man now portrayed on the screen and sighed softly. "There was no clue given in that opening address as to how many stations are in this alliance, but there is definitely the implication of there being more than the one. Perhaps the star field on the banner is the answer to that question. Three." //He wants a full breakdown of the speech. Damn. I'll have the chance to learn more than I thought. He's no fool, this one and his insights will be of use.// "It is possible that that is what the three stars represent. Also, if you take note of the positioning of the nine people in that arc and what they are wearing there is another indication. Four to the left of the President and five to the right side of Kushrenada. There is a small division in the placement of chairs three and four, and then a wider space between chair five and Kushrenada and again that wider space between chair six and Kushrenada and then chair six and seven. Three separate groups designated by the shades of blue that they wear and the placement of the chairs, and then you have their 'President' in a position slightly to the fore of the other nine and in a different shade of blue. It has to signify something. The most likely possibility is their rank structure or their positions on three separate stations." "Yes, there is definitely careful placement involved in the entire presentation of this broadcast. You will also note that the faces of each person are very obviously on display. That initial sweep of the camera across the Council was quite deliberate, allowing for easy identification to be made, at least visually, of each individual. It should not take too long to identify every member of the council. I noticed that you reacted rather strongly to the name Kushrenada." "I would imagine that I was not the only one to react to it." "Yes, no doubt that was the intention. That name being used more than anything surprises me. It will be simple enough to confirm if he is a Kushrenada, but why claim to be if he is not? It is a name that will not fail to incite some type of reaction in everyone who hears it." the Captain flicked the switch again, settling back in his seat. "This day we invite your leaders to attend a conference in mutually neutral territory on the 15th day of July of this year, After Colony 198." Flick. Captain Tracey considered Duo for a long moment. "Did you notice that that was not a request?" "Yes. Yes, I did notice it was not a request. There was no 'please let us arrange a meeting so that we can discuss the matter of our independence with you and what we would want out of it.' He carried it off beautifully too. An assured arrogance, I think is what it is called." "Yes, he is not asking the ESUN for permission to branch out and form colonies and be permitted to call them independent. He is asserting his authority to claim that the Station Alliance is already an existing and independent body and does not need the consent of the ESUN. He is bold, this one. I could well believe him to be a Kushrenada." "As you say, why would he claim to be a Kushrenada if he was not one? It would be too easy to disprove his claim, but it will be tried, though. It has to be." "Undoubtedly. The only true way to settle the issue would be for a genetic scan to be performed. That alone could prove beyond doubt any claims of blood ties to that name, and I do not doubt that there will be demands for just that to be done. There are still factions out there who want Mariemaia Kushrenada proclaimed as the heir to the ESUN. Before he died her father was the acknowledged Sovereign of the Earth Sphere. He replaced Relena Peacecraft in the sight of the entire world and it has not been forgotten." "There is currently a fight in the courts over just what Mariemaia is to inherit from her father's estate. Certain members of the family took exception to losing a great deal of their inheritances should she be deemed his legal heir, since it is known that he was not married to Leia Barton. Nor is it just the Kushrenada's fighting over the girl and her inheritance. The Barton Family are scrambling for all they are worth to limit her inheritance from Dekim and from the Kushrenada legacy." Captain Tracey arched an eyebrow. "You seem to be very well informed, on the affairs of Miss Kushrenada, Mr. Maxwell." "Lady Une has been granted temporary legal custody of Mariemaia and is her Guardian while the lawyers wage their war in the courts. I know the family, Captain. I have been body guard for Marie on a number of occasions and I am a firm believer in knowing what is going on around me when at some point in time I may end up being dragged into it. Violently." "I see." the Captain reached for the control again. "To service these negotiations I have garnered the cooperation of the Sweepers to act as neutral hosts to our conference and negotiations. They shall provide both a host vessel for the talks and security acceptable to both parties. The Vice Foreign Minister for the Station Alliance and representatives from each of the Stations in the Alliance Trading Delegation will be attending these negotiations. We take it on trust that those who attend the conference will be empowered on behalf of the ESUN to negotiate treaties and trade agreements with this Alliance. We request that the Sweepers be notified of the numbers they will be required to provide services for with all speed." Click. The Captain sighed. "Again he is making demands, not requests. Quite a display of dignified arrogance. Masterfully done so that it offers no insult to get the backs up publicly of the politicians he is aiming his speech at. In that he informs the ESUN that arrangements are already made with the Sweepers, he sets them on the back foot. A place and time has been made without their consultation and they can not ignore either, as the entire population of the ESUN who had a transmitter operating at the time knows that the Alliance exists. For the politicians to ignore this opportunity would be tantamount to political suicide. Now why would he choose the Sweepers? A host vessel and security arrangements acceptable to both parties involved in the negotiations. Haggling over acceptable levels of security could take years on its own but he gives them little more than three months to be at the negotiations." Duo offered a grin. "The man quite obviously does not want it to take years, and the Sweepers are about the closest thing the Earth Sphere has to a neutral nation. He wants the negotiations to take place in space, not on the Earth and not on a colony. In what is called by the Sweepers 'Free Space'. Yes, the Sweepers are part of the Earth Sphere, but they have never considered themselves to be from either the Colonies or from the Earth. They are Gypsies, going where they will, doing what they will away from the restricting laws that govern most colonies. The Sweepers are like an independent nation of Scavengers." "To my knowledge no one knows how many Sweepers there actually are, but I would think that they would be a small group. Space is not an easy place to live in and I have seen no ship registered to them that would be larger than this cruiser, still that would be large enough for a conference to be held on, but where would it be? What would you consider as mutually acceptable neutral territory?" Captain Tracey looked up to catch Duo's eye. "Possibly somewhere in space, somewhere roughly half way between the Earth and the Asteroid Belt would seem the most probable location. He has not allowed much time either for the ESUN to react to his speech. If the conference is to be held in space, and since the Sweepers are involved in the conference then it has to be a fore gone conclusion, then travel times and trajectories will further narrow down how long the ESUN has to discuss the matter. They have a definite deadline to make. Most people, even the people from the Colonies, do not really understand the concept of long distance space flight. They think it a long flight to go from L2 to the Earth. The idea of travelling for months and being nowhere is foreign to them. It really is only those who associate with long range space flight who appreciate the distances involved. The freighter crews and their families who travel the space lanes between the Asteroid Belt mining operations and the colonies-they understand. Not too many more would." "That is true. I find that too many people do not understand that it takes this ship a year and more to make a round trip when on patrol. What I find interesting Mr. Maxwell, leaving the distance involved for the moment, is that he made a point of mentioning their Vice Foreign Minister in the speech. That was a very specific naming of an official." "Meaning that the ESUN are obligated to send the equivalent dignitary from their side, and that means they need to send Relena Peacecraft on this mission. Not very subtle, was it?" The Captain grinned. "About as subtle as a brick through a plate glass window. Now I have to ask myself why would he specifically want her out in space?" without waiting for Duo to respond to that question he tapped the control again. "It has come to our attention that there appears to be an altercation between Raiders and citizens of the ESUN taking place on Mars. The Station Alliance has ships within the vicinity of Mars and which we have instructed to offer assistance to those in need. The closest of our vessels is still some twenty six hours from the planet and they will attempt to locate and assist any survivors. It is with regret that we have no ships closer to Mars to offer more immediate succour to your people." Click. " 'It has come to our attention.'" the Captain sighed. "It has come to the attention of anyone who had a radio or television on at the time. How could it not come to one's attention? The ESUN was not at all subtle and it is quite obvious that they wanted it known that there was trouble on Mars, but I think that they may just regret that. He used the exact same saturation method to get his point across to the entire Earth Sphere. A subtle message in itself." "Yes, he has made it plain that he intends to investigate what is going on at Mars. Twenty Six hours. He has ships that are quite close. The Wellington can not make it in that time, can it?" "No. No, our current projection for the course of the Wellington places her arriving in Mars orbit some hours after the suggested time frame needed for the Station Alliance ships to reach Mars. We have scanned all telemetry on registered shipping in the vicinity of Mars and our registry of ships in the area places none in that time sphere that could reach the planet in the allotted time." // The pertinent word there is 'registered'. Not all ships are registered and not all of them that carry registration bother to use the automated beacon. // "He's very bold if his ships are Raiders." Duo mused. Captain Tracey snorted softly, a hint of a smile curving his lips. "This is a very elaborate hoax if he is a Raider, Mr. Maxwell." Duo blushed and flashed a smile. "Just thinking aloud, Captain. Sorry about that." Tracey shook his head and the hint of a smile widened. "Oh, don't be. I find it an interesting suggestion considering all that is happening. Would it not be interesting, not to say disturbing, for a group of Raiders to be blamed for an atrocity taking place at a remote colony and to have those same Raiders arrive to rescue said stricken colony? I find it a most interesting possibility. One to be more deeply considered at a later time as it opens up so many possibilities. It would raise some quite disturbing questions as to what has exactly been going on in the Asteroid Belt and for how long." "Indeed." Duo reached out and activated the message. "Be assured that your people on Mars will be offered every assistance possible and that our investigators will seek evidence to ascertain the identities of those responsible for the attack on your terra forming base. We assure the government and the people of the ESUN that we shall forward the results of our investigations to the appropriate authorities and if it is in our power we shall hunt down those responsible for the assault on the planet Mars. We shall continue the hunt for as long as necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice, where ever they should be hiding." The captain flicked the pause and glanced up to exchanged a wolfish grin with Duo, but it was Duo who actually chuckled and commented. "Now that says to me 'I know what is really happening on Mars and I will offer sanctuary to any survivors that I find there. I intend to investigate what really went on and I will pass on the information I learn to those who will benefit from having something to hold over your heads.' I think I could like this man." "Don't forget the last part, Mr. Maxwell. The 'I don't care how long it takes me, I will hunt you down,' part." Tracey reached to activate the replay once again settling back in his seat with a wide grin. "We believe that it is imperative that the space lanes common to our survival should be made as safe as possible and our Patrol ships will be given instructions to capture any vessel suspected of being a Raider within the borders of the ESUN that adjoin the prescribed borders of our two spheres of influence. I assure you that any ships crew who are proven to be Raiders will see a judicial invitation extended to the ESUN to send representatives for the trial and judgment of these persons. We are interested in forming a strong tie with the Earth Sphere and I assure you of our peaceful intentions." Click. Duo considered the passage for a moment and shrugged, offering his own interpretation of the speech. "In plain speech, 'You are not alone in space and I can thumb my nose at you because I know where you are and you don't know where I am. I have unmarked ships out there who will pounce on you when you least expect it and any ship that I suspect of taking part in this raid on Mars will be captured and held for trial away from your influence. We will make it public to keep it fair and to let everyone know the dirt we have on you.'" "A fair representation I believe, quite fair. I think I could like this man." Tracey considered his hands for a long moment before he looked up, meeting Duo's gaze. "Are we reading too much into this, Mr. Maxwell? Are we seeing ghosts in this speech?" "Probably, but I find it fun to speculate and there is a ring of conspiracy in all of this business. Someone in the ESUN council is no doubt very unhappy about this challenge that has been thrown at their feet." "It is a challenge, yes, that is how I see it too. He is challenging the ESUN to force them out of what ever bolt hole they have prepared. We are here and you will acknowledge our independence or we will tell everyone it was you who attacked Mars. Why the ESUN would attack its own people on Mars is another matter I will not go into just now, but I strongly suspect it has to do with a certain Preventer agent currently known to be there. Which leads to the question of whether or not these people know that he is there and if so, why should they care? I wonder just what sort of stations these people claim to have? It is probably some old derelict supply stations that are no longer in use, long abandoned by the exploration companies and taken over by these people. He may be hoping to bluff the ESUN into allowing this Station Alliance to become a reality. I can not say that I have heard of anything out in the Asteroid Belt that could be mistaken for a Space Station, which basically is a new Colony. No, it must be some old derelict mining colony or colonies. A hollowed out resource satellite even." Duo shrugged, not so certain of what to make of this claim of an independent colony or colonies. An Alliance of Space Stations could mean anything, as Tracey had speculated. With a tired sigh he leaned forward to hit the control again, wondering if even a Kushrenada would be so bold as to gamble against the ESUN if all they had to back them up was a few decrepit mining stations. "My name is Kristian Richard Alexander Edward Kushrenada. I and those gathered with me this day that you see before you, were once citizens of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. For many and varied reasons we have chosen to renounce our ties to the ESUN and have founded the Independent Station Alliance. We whom you see before you are the Council for the Station Alliance and I am the duly elected President of our nation. On behalf of my nation I assure you that we look forward to meeting with the representatives of the ESUN across the negotiating table. It is my understanding that the Sweepers will forward the coordinates of the meeting place to your security office within the next forty eight hour period. I bid you good day and the hope for a prosperous future together." Click. "He went to great pains to state his full name." Duo mused. "He took particular care, actually, to not have himself confused with anyone else in the Kushrenada family, other than who he claims to be. Now who is he putting on notice with that and why?" "It is unusual, yes, I agree with you. That man has multiple agendas and he has a reason for clearly identifying himself, yet that identity can not be positively confirmed without genetic proof. The other members of the Council have not been named to aid in identifying them, but their faces were clearly shown. I have no doubt that within the hour there will be names to go with those faces and histories for each and every one of them, but he was very careful to name himself. Why and who was it really aimed at? It was almost a warning." "It could be taken as a warning, I suppose. As to who, well, someone in the Council of Representatives in the ESUN he has a need to confront?" //Or maybe … Romefeller? No, surely not. Still, it is a possibility I suppose. Unless I can find some record of him in those files there is nothing to tie him to Romefeller. I need time.// "Well, I foresee a change in our orders, Mr. Maxwell. We are heading out toward the vicinity of Mars and a presence will be required in the area of these negotiations, most likely both a Preventer and ESUN Security Agency presence. It is possible that when the details for the negotiations are known we will receive new instructions placing us in that area. An advance presence." "Yes, Captain, I believe we may be required to become a part of the security contingent, unless Preventer Earth still intends that we patrol and investigate the Asteroid Belt and the Raiders there." Duo stared at the small screen and the face of the man frozen there who seemed to challenge them all with his arrogance. "After all, someone is going to have to locate this Station Alliance to determine its strength." "Point, Mr. Maxwell. Good point. Now there is the question of Mars and this Alliance and whether or not they know that one Milliardo Peacecraft is a resident there. If so, what do they want with him? However, I am tired, you look dead on your feet and there is another burn scheduled soon. Go back to bed, Mr. Maxwell. I will see you in my quarters after your appointment with the ships medic and we can further discuss this business at that time. Should our instructions change I will inform you though I do not expect them to be altered until the location of the negotiations is known, but you never know." t.b.c.
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