Arthur Guin of the VIU has surfaced and responded to Ursula and the others. Seems that the impending civil war I reported on just yesterday is a non-starter.

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From: [CSO Arthur Guin (Varati Independent Union)|Napier Depot|Varati]
CC: [CSO Ursula Le Clarke (Varati Ring)|Lerner Beacon|COL 285 SECTOR IX-T D3-43]
CC: [Secretary of State Simmons Hamilton (Labour of Varati)|Keyes Landing|Varati]
CC: [VP (Operations) Philip Reynolds (Varati Blue Public)|Kagan Vision|COL 285 SECTOR IX-T D3-43]
Subject: Sigh
Ursula: After the resounding support you showed us when we were fighting the Canonn in Varati, you didn't really expect us not to show our gratitude.

I've had better support from my assistant, Gerald, and he's 130 years old... and he's blind in one eye (an unfortunate incident with an irate local and a fish slice).

Anyway - the dogs have been called off - we don't have a base in IX-T D3-43 and you don't have a base here in Varati.  The feeling is that we might as well maintain the status quo of mutual mediocrity for now.

To tell you the truth: I don't have the appetite for it at the moment.  Forsskal was a bloodbath and I only just got out with my arse intact.

Thanks for your collective concern regarding my 'holiday' at Napier Point by the way - the warmth I'm feeling from you all is positively frigid.

I have, in fact, not been 'banished to the cheap seats' as you so colourfully put it, it was prudence on my part: Seems clear to me that D Luffy and De Rosa might be eyeing up Remec Point - so I steered clear of it in the interests of saving my own skin.  The rest of the patrons weren't too happy, thought I should be with them to look after them personally, but I told them: if at any point any of them wanted to step up and take charge of their own security - they were more than welcome to do so.

Unsurprisingly, they were too busy receiving the gratitude of their latest sponsored 'interns' to take me up on my offer.

Philip: I understand your concern about this Penitent lot.  We at the VIU might be a bunch of occasionally backward back-scratchers, but - given what's in that decrypted message to Socha, supposedly from his mother - these guys look like they might have gone for picnic without taking any sandwiches.

I'm also a little concerned that they don't sound like the same people who messaged you, Ursula.  But perhaps I'm wrong.

Spill the beans to the Canonn, though?  Hell no! They've just robbed me of the first decent office I've ever had, and I want it back.

The Varati Blue Public can do as much business with the Canonn as it wants, Philip - I won't hold it against you.  Look at us - a bunch of competitors fighting over the same scraps of arse-end-of-nowhere land who at the same time write each other love letters...

Anyway, must go - need to clean the water filter again as I'm starting to taste in my water what I deposited down the toilet yesterday morning.

Arthur

ps: No Ursula, not heard a bean about Dr Arcanonn being out in NGC-6357, but I suppose anything's possible.  A year ago I wouldn't have said we'd all be without a space station here in Varati - then along he comes and look at us now!
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As always NoSecrets’ ears are always listening!

Keep up the good work on banishing the lockdown, commanders – I’m hearing tales of heroism and valour coming from the resource sites on the outer reaches of Varati

Verity Gavroche