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-- Log: Private Conversation
-- Channel ID: -44733975
-- Participants: Yakiya Verin Hakatain, Pieter Tuulinen
-- Transcript begins [YC115.05.11 23:29:45EST]
Verin Hakatain > Don't you feel like
antagonising the Matari might be a little counter-productive?
Pieter Tuulinen > I'm not antagonising them,
Verin. I'm providing intel.
Verin Hakatain > We've all got our duty to
do, but I don't see what Helgatild has to do with the defence of the
State
Pieter Tuulinen > I hope you don't think I
make deployment decisions for Pyre Falcon, Verin.
Verin Hakatain > I would have hoped you at
least had a say.
Pieter Tuulinen > No. Executive authority is
limited to the Command Cadre and our shareholders. I have made my own
feelings on the deployment plain - but whilst Command listened it has
been made plain that the deployment will not change.
Verin Hakatain > Well, I won't argue with
following orders. Winds know, I've done
plenty of that myself.
Pieter Tuulinen > Believe me, I've raised my
concerns - but it comes down to, will I support my Kirjuun or will I
aid the tribes of Matari.
Verin Hakatain > the two are not - usually -
incompatible. And in this case, the only
reason they are is because your Kirjuun took action to make it so
Pieter Tuulinen > I believe command sees
this solely as a punitive anti-materiel campaign aimed at the TLF for
their role in the debacle in Black Rise... If I might make a
suggestion, I believe that Desiderya is online at present. If you
have questions regarding the deployment, you've more chance of
getting a fair hearing from her than Veikitamo. I could bring her here, if
you'd like?
Verin Hakatain > Nothing ventured
nothing gained
Pieter Tuulinen > I believe your standing
within the State warrants answers.
-- Channel: UserAdd Desiderya, [YC115.05.11 23:36:03EST]
Verin Hakatain > Desiderya.
Pieter Tuulinen > Commander, Hakatain-haan
has questions regarding our current deployment.
Desiderya > Hakatain-haan.
Verin Hakatain > Saisieni... This Helgatild action. I'm
not clear on what exactly it accomplishes in the State's defence.
Desiderya > Preying on targets. It's a
war, after all. Or are you referring to something more than single
takedowns?"
Verin Hakatain > well, my point is that I'm
not sure how helping the Amarr take Helgatild aids the strategic
defence of the State. In my experience, getting into a cycle of
vengeance and counter-attacks with the Matari doesn't end well. It certainly undermines the
diplomatic effort.
Desiderya > You mean Heth's diplomatic
effort.
Verin Hakatain > I mean mine, actually
Desiderya > And how so?
Verin Hakatain > You've not heard of the
Interlink project? I'm attempting to gather support for a
Caldari-Matari capsuleer R&D venture in the form of an alliance
of corporations. The idea being to promote
more positive relations between the Tribes and the State and maybe
ultimately get a cease-fire signed, disentangle us from the mess in
the south and leave us to just worry about the Federation. That's going to be a rather
harder idea to sell if we've got a prominent STPRO corp helping the
Amarr take Matari systems.
Desiderya > Incorrect. We're not pushing territory.
Verin Hakatain > So, what did happen in
Helgatild?
Desiderya > The neighbouring system of Brin
turned out to be a good frontline resupply base. It's simple, really.
Verin Hakatain > So we've got a prominent
STPRO corporation helping to clear out a frontline resupply base. The
Minmatar are likely to view that as an.... academic distinction
Desiderya > We cross the border from The
Forge for combat patrols with search and destroy or disruption as the
goals. Helgatild saw some activity, so naturally we visited it more
often, alongside the aforementioned strategic benefit Brin supplies.
Verin Hakatain > May I ask why you're
crossing the border at all?
Desiderya > Because waiting gets so
tiresome.
Verin Hakatain > ...I understand that Pyre can't
base their policies and flight plans on my pet project, nor on my
philosophy, but surely there's plenty of action in Black Rise and
Placid?
Desiderya > Not
in the same manner as here. Unless you want to deploy into deep
Placid. And then there's a lot of serene
quietness and the comforting feeling of playing directly into Heth's
coffers, provided you can get systems back. I need an environment for our pilots to grow in. After Enaluri fell - and I might add that the TLF has had a massive impact on that venture, much bigger than Soter's self aggrandization - we found ourselves facing new challenges. Operation Cascade Flame is not
about punishing the Republic, assisting the Amarr or personal
vendettas. It is entirely focused around growing the company. Deploying into an unknown - to our pilots - area, establishing a base of operations and moving out into hostile territories hunting for targets. The targets are necessary, how else can you get skilled pilots? Besides rumour was that the Minmatar knew how to fight.
Verin Hakatain > And to some degree it's a
poke in the Executor's eye?
Pieter Tuulinen > If ever an eye needed
poking...
Desiderya > I don't want to enable that man any further at
this point.
Verin Hakatain > I can sympathize on all
points, I suppose. But there's a growing swell of anti-Gallente
sentiment in the Tribes that I'm eager to leverage. I think the State
could really benefit. It's... awkward, to have an
extra weight on the scales at this delicate moment.
Desiderya > I can understand. But at the
same time I'm not going to pack up shop over inconveniencing nascent
plans for your project, nor especially over Minmatar gnawing my
diplomat's ears off over that perceived slight. If they'd have put that energy
into fighting the Amarrians they wouldn't have to evacuate.
Verin Hakatain > Nor would I ask you to. I
just felt you should be made aware of the project.
Desiderya > There's nothing wrong with it.
This deployment is centered around very mercenary type goals. You've
got to understand that the company comes first, and I think you do.
I'm sorry if this makes State-Republic relations more difficult, but
so did the sacking of Enaluri.
Verin Hakatain > Mmm. But as I said, entering
into a cycle of vengeance and counter-attacks with the Minmatar
rarely ends well. They have a habit of taking
things personally. Just look at Ava Starfire.
Pieter Tuulinen > I've been known to be
grumpy in the morning too, Verin. I still have to be an
adult. You know my feelings
regarding Ava. I admire her greatly. But for her to respond to
limited anti-shipping raids as if we were lifting slaves off planets
by the freighter hold and selling them... That's unreasonable.
Desiderya > Yes, they have that habit. This makes us having to appease them? Certainly not.
Verin Hakatain > Appease? No. But it's
hardly a good idea to throw rocks at a hornet's nest. Unless you have to, of
course.
Pieter Tuulinen > I
wouldn't mind - but mostly we've been prosecuting pirates, not TLF
fleets."
Verin Hakatain > Did you tell her that?
Desiderya > Of course it is unreasonable
Verin Hakatain > They have a different
definition of "reasonable". Not that I'm suggesting we
should operate by their definition, but it's worth remembering.
Pieter Tuulinen > Verin, I've told her that
we're not pushing territory. I've told her that we're not bashing
IHUBs. I've told her that we aren't coordinating with Amarrian
Militia. I've told her that we hand
over Matari POWs to Matari authorities and NEVER to Amarrian
authorities.
Desiderya > They see what they want to see
and, when in doubt, there's always the ultimate argument of slavery.
I'm under the impression that the vast majority of exchanges between
the empires are formalized under the CEMWPA mandate, which, as I
might add, has been signed by both parties.
Apparently it was deemed acceptible.
Verin Hakatain > Sure. none of those are the
issue for her at all. The issue is that you're there at all.
Pieter Tuulinen > A push back was always
going to happen, Verin. The Amarrian militia has been more supine
than a hangar full of whores. We are a VERY minor force in the grandscheme of that push back.
Verin Hakatain > I know that, and I
understand it
Desiderya > Frankly, do I look like someone who gives a fuck about
Starfire's hurt feelings?
Pieter Tuulinen > Any consideration
for Ava's feelings is personal to myself and not corporate, Verin.
Verin Hakatain > She's an illustrative
example. As a commander, your job is to be aware of as many relevant
facts as possible. One such relevant fact is that the Minmatar have
a seven hundred year old persecution complex, and not unjustifiably.
Desiderya > Don't try to be that apologetic
for them. They're being unreasonable, and while it's heartwarming to
get all that credit for work we haven't even done, it's above all
over the top.
Verin Hakatain > Ava is... as much as I like
her, she's a useful barometer for the general thrust of Matari
opinion on this sort of issue. You can extrapolate her reaction up to
the general reaction, is my point.
Desiderya > Oh, she sure is. You just have
to shoot her Wolf down once and we've got tribals storming our
office.
Verin Hakatain > I mean that
it's entirely possible that the TLF will view the Amarrian
involvement as expected, and the Caldari involvement as a much bigger
deal than it really is.
Pieter Tuulinen > The recent TLF involvement
in the Black Rise theater of operations is a complicating factor,
Verin. It makes it look as if the TLF are quite happy when the boot
is being applied by them, but squealing now they're feeling it on
their own backside.
Verin Hakatain > Complicating, yes.
Responding in kind complicates it further still. I agree, by Caldari
standards they're often very unreasonable indeed, which is why I'm so
concerned about this.
Desiderya > You can argue from a strategical
position that weakening the Minmatar control in their warzone gives
breathing space for the forces at home.
Verin Hakatain > I'd argue that weakening
their control in their home warzone gives them less incentive to stay
there and more incentive to raid.
Desiderya > And
you'd be wrong. Knocking down system control levels makes it more important - and worthwhile - to defend owned systems. With the Amarrians pushing systems back they also gained more territory to attack at their doorsteps. No need to venture into Black Rise for that.
Verin Hakatain > As you say. In any case, I
wouldn't presume to ask you to change your policies for the sake of
my pet project. It was never going to be an easy venture in the first
place, I can handle a bit more difficulty. I was just after a more
complete understanding of what was going on. I now have it, and I'm
grateful
Desiderya > You should tell me more about
that project of yours. And also, we're not going to grow roots here.
But for the time being it's unlikely to change. After all, logistics
are in place and it was costly just to move everything. Not going to
toss that down the drain over hurt tribal
feelings.
Pieter Tuulinen > There was talk of
extending an offer to Gradient for us to relocate if they covered our
costs, but I shot that down as being likely to cause further bad
feeling, Verin. Was that accurate?
Verin Hakatain > Oh, absolutely accurate. They'd be very insulted. And I'm still in the middle of
writing up the alliance charter: this is as far as I've got in the
rough draft. [ATTACHMENT 13Si8M]
Desiderya > You can't move without insulting
them, apparently. Ah, the charter. Let me see.
Pieter Tuulinen > I must
admit that I don't know Matari culture very well. Working as a
diplomat in this area is very challenging.
Verin Hakatain > There's a reason I'm ReAw's
chief diplomatic officer
Pieter Tuulinen > There's a reason why I
defer to your greater experience, generally. Sadly, I have to make do
with the tools I have come by honestly.
Desiderya > You're not doing a bad job... Either of you. So, trade, R&D. I
assume we're sitting right in your targeted regions for growing such
a project, then.
Verin Hakatain > you wouldn't be inaccurate
in that assumption. The idea is to demonstrate
that serious trading, R&D and manufacturing initiatives between
our nations can be as if not more profitable than the ones we
currently have with the Khanid and the Empire. Sebiestor starship
engineers especially represent a group I'm very interested in letting
loose in a lab full of Caldari starship tech.
Desiderya > Definitely, there's potential.
Verin Hakatain > I don't need to tell you
that cross-factional starship technologies such as those developed by
the Angels and Guristas are highly valuable. If we can generate
similar success with Caldari/Minmatar technology? ...Well. I'm pretty sure the
megas have limped along on less revenue from time to time
Desiderya > Kaalakiota owns a lot of
stations in this area, you're likely not the first to think that the
Republic would be a worthwhile investment. It sounds better than selling
TCMCs with a smile, no?
Verin Hakatain > It does. The tricky part is riding
the impartial line between two nations that are, technically,
enemies. Accusations of favouritism and espionage will be a daily
occurance, I'm sure.
Desiderya > I am pretty sure that it will be
a tough ride.
Verin Hakatain > So am I. Still,
'the mountains most worth climbing' and all that.
Desiderya > We all do what we can to move
our vision forward, no? Well, you have my best wishes for your
project. Maybe the recent squabbles between the Republic and the Federation will make them more likely to look into the direction of
the State in regards of trading partners.
Verin Hakatain > My thanks. Anyway, I'll not take up
any more of your schedule. Thanks, commander.
Desiderya > I hope I was able to alleviate
some of your concerns.
Verin Hakatain > Not exactly, but you did
alleviate my ignorance.
Desiderya > Honest
answer, I like that.
Verin Hakatain > Anvatkaa
-- Transcript ends, [YC115.05.12 00:47:17EST]