The group of pirate lords gathered in a dimly lit room, surrounded by the hum of machinery and the scent of oil. They had been at it for hours, discussing the latest news from the fringe. The Ankerton Treaty Navy had been expanding their reach, and it was making their work increasingly difficult. The pirates were worried that more systems would join the Ankerton Treaty System and gain ATN protection. They needed a plan, and they needed it fast.
“It’s getting harder and harder to operate out here,” one of the pirates said, his voice gruff with frustration. “The ATN is getting too powerful.”
“Tell me about it,” another pirate chimed in. “It used to be that we could take whatever we wanted from these systems, but now we have to be careful not to draw their attention.”
“We could try to lay low for a while,” a third pirate suggested. “Maybe wait until the ATN’s focus shifts elsewhere.”
“But that’s just kicking the can down the road,” a fourth pirate objected. “Eventually, the ATN is going to come after us. We need a real solution.”
“What if we tried to negotiate with the ATN?” a fifth pirate offered. “Maybe we could come to some kind of arrangement that would allow us to keep operating in the fringe systems.”
The idea was met with mixed reactions. Some of the pirates thought it was a good idea, while others were skeptical.
“Negotiate with the ATN?” a sixth pirate scoffed. “They’re not going to give us anything. They see us as nothing more than criminals.”
“But we can’t just keep operating like this,” the fifth pirate countered. “We need to find a way to coexist with the ATN, or at least find a way to operate without getting caught.”
“What if we sow dissent within the ATS member systems?” a seventh pirate spoke up. “If we can cause enough infighting, they won’t be able to devote as much attention to us.”
“That’s a good point,” a few of the pirates murmured in agreement.
“But how do we go about that?” a fourth pirate asked.
“We could try to find some sympathetic individuals within the ATS systems and give them some incentive to turn against their leadership,” the seventh pirate suggested.
“But we need to be careful,” the second pirate warned. “If the ATN catches wind of what we’re doing, they’ll come down on us even harder.”
The discussion continued, with the pirates weighing the pros and cons of each option. Some thought that sowing dissent within the ATS member systems was the way to go, while others thought that negotiating with the ATN was the best option. The debate went back and forth, with no clear consensus in sight.
As the meeting dragged on, the pirates grew more and more frustrated. They knew they needed to come up with a plan, but they couldn’t seem to agree on what that plan should be.
Finally, one of the pirates stood up and slammed their hand on the table. “Enough!” they exclaimed. “We need to take a break and think about this. We’re not going to come up with a solution by arguing like this.”
The rest of the pirates murmured their agreement, and the meeting was adjourned. They knew they needed to keep discussing their options and find a way to work together if they were going to survive in the fringe systems.
As they made their way back to their ships, the idea of sowing dissent within the ATS member systems lingered in their minds. It was a risky move, but it could also be their only chance at continuing their operations. They would need to tread carefully and be strategic in their approach, but it was worth considering.
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