Reaching Across the Aisle

Dear Mr. Verone,

I hope this letter finds you well and that none of your loved ones have fallen victim to Nation raids throughout the cluster.  These raids are precisely the reason that I am writing to you, though I worry that perhaps I am not the appropriate person to address this concern with you, given our very brief history of cordiality that extends little beyond social pleasantry.  Nevertheless, after being present at several of these incursions, I find that I have little recourse but to appeal to the decency of my acquaintances as possible allies in the defense of humanity.

Your petition regarding the Nation infiltration of CONCORD caught my attention from the start, and if you will indulge me in a bit of inquiry as to your intent, I would be much obliged to better understand your motives.  I'm not so blind as to play ignorant of your chosen profession or standing with the law, yet my sense of pragmatism largely dictates that our ethical differences should not be the centerpiece of our social relationship, for I most certainly recognize that in my world the laws of society prevail, while in the less secure areas of space, the law of the gun prevails; each of us has our own code of propriety.  I should ask, however, if your petition against CONCORD's leadership is born of political opportunism to strike at an organization that clearly limits the field of operations for your business or whether you are genuinely concerned about the monstrosity that is Sansha's Nation.  I pray that the latter is your more pressing interest.

With this concern in mind, I should share with you my experience at Ostingele.  Upon receiving word that the system was under attack, I fetched a Navy-issue Comet-class frigate and immediately proceeded to the system, despite warnings of possible pirate activity.  To be fair, this was a reckless endeavor on my part, as I am not quite wealthy enough to lose the particular body in which I was traveling, and much to my discredit, my aforementioned sense of pragmatism deterred me from engaging upon arrival.  One of your own pilots, Ms. Hikari "DeadRow" Sato, caught my eye first.  Aside from her corporate tag, which was enough to rattle my nerves, she has pledged allegiance to Kuvakei.  I realized at Ostingele that we cannot hope to save the lives of colonists in low security space in the face of both Nation and pirate capsuleers, particularly if those pirates are explicitly pledged to Sansha Kuvakei.

From what I have gathered in perusing your public communications from time to time, you seem to be a man with a firm commitment against slavery.  If you will pardon me for being so bold:  In light of demanding that CONCORD clean its house, will you clean your own?  In demanding that CONCORD respond appropriately, will you also take up the fight against Sansha's Nation?  In these desperate times, I see no recourse but to reach across the aisle of the law for the sake of our common humanity.  While my failure at Ostingele haunts me, I am encouraged by my belief that there are pilots living in low security space with the resources, connections, and tenacity to ensure that Nation forces face the fiercest of challenges wherever they choose to strike.

Humanity cannot fight a two-front war against itself and Sansha's Nation.  While some may be too arrogant to admit such, we need your help.  The free souls of millions--their hopes, dreams, and aspirations--depend upon our ability to willingly stand united.  As we both value our freedom, whether in the comfortable context of governmental structure or in the rugged frontier of dangerous space, I hope you will join us.  If the need arises, I would be honored to fly with you against this menace to all we hold dear.

Sincerely,
Norrin Ellis