Quote
Originally posted by Captain Carnotaur:
**
<Message to Thunder>
<Thunder, we are both neutral against each other. I suggest we open up trade relations. This agreement could benefit both of us, and my government needs the income that trade brings. We ask nothing of you, except for the Silver Fleet or maybe at least a part of the Silver Fleet. We know Daedalus left them to you, and my government is interested in them. We already have a few silver plated ships. What do you say?>
<End Message>
**
MESSAGE TO CAPTAIN CARNOTAUR<<<
Encryption code 302-10-Sigma confirmed
I agree that a trade agreement would be beneficial to both of us, and that we should work to open up trade between our governments. Since we are the only two governments to share the South Tip, it seems a logical step. We would be glad to share a portion of the Silver Fleet with your government, but we do ask that you provide something in return; I'm open to suggestion as to what. We can't just give the ships away free. Also, since we share the same region of space, I suggest we consider military cooperation, perhaps even an alliance, but at least a pact of non-agression. Together we will be able to ensure the safety and peace of the South Tip.
END MESSAGE<<<
Continuation:
Thunder was confused by recent events as he piloted the Storm into a docking bay of Freeport Station. He had recently recieved word from the Zacha, Kayan allies, that they had sustained attacks from the North Tip Renegades, who the Kayan government was also on good terms with. Because of this, Thunder and the Kayans found themselves paralyzed, unable to join either side without risking trade agreements and alliances. But despite all this, it was not Thunder's top priority at the moment. He had come to Freeport for a different reason.
It is a well known fact that Freeport was the single place in the galaxy where pilots can obtain space mines, salvaged from minefields left over from the Human-Voinian war by those traders brave (and perhaps desperate) enough to risk their lives in the highly profitable endeavor of retreiving undetonated space mines and returning them to Freeport for sale. As a result of this, the technicians aboard Freeport were perhaps the galaxy's leading experts on space mines and the technology that made them work.
Three of these technicians were assembled in a room when Thunder walked in, data-pad in hand, ready to explain his latest research project. Once all of the technicians were seated, he began. "As you all know, the Space Mine is the most powerful weapon in all of the known galaxy." The technicians nodded in agreement. "But, since they were banned after the conclusion of the Human-Voinian war, the only way they could be obtained was to retrieve undetonated mines from systems along the former UE-Voinian border. The plans for the space mine were highly classified by both the Voinians and the UE, and were destroyed following the treaty that banned space mines, and nobody has ever been able to reverse-engineer them, because scanners didn't give a clear enough picture to build a working model, and anyone who tried to actually look inside always ended up vaporized."
Here, Thunder paused for a moment, then continued undeterred. "As you also know, the defense pod is standard on all Kayan ships, and is a key element of our defensive strategy. The defense pods are attuned to the shield frequency of the ships of the government that deployed them, so that their detonation doesn't damage the ships that fire them. This makes them useful not only as weapons, but for creating blockades as well."
"What are you getting at?" one of the technicians interrupted.
"What I'm getting at," Thunder answered, "is that I'm asking you and the other technicians here to reverse engineer the space-mine and incorporate the technology and hardware that attune defense pods to the shields of the ships that fire them. As you know, with the Kayan sensor upgrade, scanners are made significantly more powerful. This boost should allow you to get a sufficient picture of the inside workings of a space mine to reverse-engineer one. As for how to incorporate the defense pod technology, I'll leave that up to you guys. What I will do, though, is provide you with a high grade scanner upgraded with Kayan sensor technology and 1 million credits in funding."
"Well..." the lead technician answered, "it'll be a challenging project, but one we'd be proud to accomplish. We'll do it."
------------------
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair,
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires...
