Belligerance
29 Nov 2020Eris
Pilot's Log: CMDR Eris, aboard the Persephone.29 Nov 3306 - 23:50
Evening.
Packie hired me to help haul some cargo to the capital ship construction effort in Mandh via his fleet carrier, so I brought out the Hephaestus and helped him haul roughly 10,000 tonnes of materials to Miyasaka Orbital. I mean, it paid well, so I'm not really too bothered, but it's not my usual job. After I finished hauling cargo for Packie we met up at the bar, and he asked me what I was going to do now. I told him that I may as well head back to Ugrivirii, get in the Persephone and hop back here to get payed extra for killing some Pirates. The discounts on weapons they're offering if the 'community' missions go well might be nice for refitting the Artemis too. Packie asked if he could join me and Aylin in the Persephone and I thought why not? I have spare fighters, and he could use the practice flying, so I told him I'd pick him up at Miyasaka, in the Persephone, then we'd get to hunting pirates.
The hunting went well, and we collected about 3.5 million in bounties, killed 47 pirates... or was it 37? Well, it doesn't matter, we killed a lot and got paid well, and I'll be doing more tomorrow while I'm here. Aylin is happy that she's actually got work to do after spending two weeks sat back here in Ugrivirii while I explore deep space. She's a great pilot, and a great friend, so I don't really mind if she absorbs 12% of my income - I mean, she's certainly lasted far longer than anyone else I hired, she doesn't mind doing off the books work, and I actually enjoy talking to her, so I'd say the price is worth it.
... Honestly, I hope there isn't a war. It'll likely get President Hudson his popularity back, and maybe distract from the Spaceship One trial, and probably line his pockets too. Similar thing for Senator Patreus. Meanwhile all the regular folk will suffer. Honestly, and this is from someone who has been involved in plenty of questionable activities, the NMLA's sudden appearance a few months ago and their starport attacks, especially the recent one at Kepler Orbital, is extremely suspicious.
The timing and precision was just too convenient. Hudson had lost most of his popular support, and Winters was overtaking him in polls, and she had just convinced the Federation that they should welcome the Marlinist Refugees with open arms, since they held similar values to the Feds. Then all of a sudden 9 of those refugees turn out to be terrorists almost immediately after Hudson said "those refugees will be terrorists". But it was under control, and they were arrested, so it was fine. Then the NMLA blows up the station they're held in with a Thargoid Enzyme bomb and conveniently managed to completely obliterate the exact building in the station where the 9 terrorists were held, destroying all evidence of who these 9 terrorists even were before they were interrogated. So someone wanted to keep them quiet, and I don't think it was just the NMLA, I reckon they're working with someone.
This has all played out too conveniently for President Hudson, way too conveniently. I reckon the Federation, at least those loyal to him, have been backing the NMLA. It would certainly explain how a small and irrelevant wannabe terrorist group that no one had heard of a few months ago managed to get access to such a high quantity of Thargoid Enzymes. It would definitely explain the perfect timing of the Kepler Orbital fiasco. And it seems to have provided the Empire with a casus belli to attack the Federation, and leading a defensive war would make President Hudson look like a war hero regardless of whether he wins or loses.
I guess we'll see how this plays out.