26-05-YC121

Frustratingly, I was unable to take part in the anti-heretic Operation.  Sasha informed me that one of our guests in Nafrivik was willing to divulge some important information.  In the end, I am not entirely sure how useful the information was, and I do not think it was worth my time at all.  Regardless that the Operation apparently netted few material rewards, it was, overall, a success, and I would have preferred to have been there.  I was of a mind to take out my frustration on the idiot who wasted my time - it would probably have soften the girl up quickly too - but in the end Constantin distracted me with more enjoyable and wholesome pursuit, although I still worked out some of my frustrations.  I am sure the scratches will heal up quickly, and it is not as if anyone else should be seeing his back anyway.


It appears that the station in Tanoo has attracted a market commodity LUMEN would prefer to avoid, though the customers are of particular interest.  One of Nauplius' stooges put some slaves up for offer, who were promptly purchased by that shining beacon of humanitarian work, the Tribal Elsebeth Rhainnon.  Undoubtedly she will claim she is buying them simply to free them from the clutches of the wicked Empire, but at the very least, to my mind, she comes off as a hypocrite.  Providing a market for the very thing she professes to seek to bring an end to!  As if Nauplius or any other fleshmonger cares in the slightest who buys them or where they go! Indeed, if she sends them off to take their chances in the slums of the Republic - apparently a better lot in life than a guaranteed roof over their heads and regular meals - then they simply once again become fair game for the illegal slave-hunters.  At least if they are bought by Holders they cannot then be recaptured.  Some humanitarian! Either she is woefully, or wilfully, ignorant, or she simply does not care.

There is, of course, one other possibility that comes to mind.  Highly unlikely, I suspect, but in these times very little surprises me when it comes to the depths to which humans can sink - what if she is making profit from all of this?  It would be no difficult task, striking a deal with slavers whereby she prearranges to buy and free their merchandise, possibly at a prearranged price.  After all, she appears, from what I have heard, to have moved very quickly on this transaction.  Then it is just a matter of freeing them in a prearranged place, so that they can be taken again, restarting the cycle.  Who would question her, with her oh-so-perfect credentials amongst Electus Matari and the other Tribal terrorists?  Obviously there would have to be a profit worked into it somewhere along the line, that is how corruption works.  I cannot quite fathom where the potential to make the ill-gotten gains may lie, but I am sure it will come to me.

It is, I admit, an astronomically unlikely scenario, but terribly damaging to her reputation were the rumour to start spreading.