[Galaxy] 15 Sep,Post-War log, General Casey

[Robert]

[ United Earth Military Command Headquarters - Brussels, Belgum ]

"General Casey," called the major.  As the UEMilitary commander turned 
from his brisk pace, the major caught up.

"What is it, Sam?" Casey asked.  The major was his liaison to the 
intelligence community, which, until the war started included some 
access to the Coalition allies.  Now, though, the major was little more 
than a middle-man between Casey and Admiral Palmer of Starfleet 
Intelligence Service.  Still, if the UEMilitary ever got the go-ahead 
for form their /own/ intelligence command, Major Samuel Harrison would 
be Casey's choice to get it going.

"I've spoken with Commander Gallagher and we've discussed the emerging 
cold war status," Harrison replied as he stood before the general.  "Due 
to the Naussicaans failing to capture Forrest Outpost and our ability to 
cut them off from the battle at the Jupiter's Ghost nebula, it's 
reported that the Romulans are discontinuing Naussicaan employment."

"Makes sense," Casey shrugged.  "Naussicaans being poor performers is 
one thing, but for the Romulans to maintain supplemental combat units 
during a cold war scenario is just a waste of resources.  We'll wait 
until it looks like we may flare up again and see if the Rommies have 
really given up on them."

"What if we hire them first?"

Casey chuckled, but quieted when he saw that Harrison wasn't joining in. 
  "Are you serious, Major?"

"Well, General," Harrison began, "we have to remember that it's not 
/all/ Naussicaans that are being paid by the Romulans.  In several 
engagements, including the Battle of Galad and the Delta Group 
interception at the Jupiter's Ghost battle, and even as far back as the 
loss of the Eagle near New Darwin, markings on the raiders and command 
ships indicate only one clan's involvement; the /Mag'him/.  Starfleet 
Intel has determined that the Mag'him were so quick to jump and take 
Romulan orders because they were making a play for territory from other 
Naussicaan clans.  The tech garnered from the Romulans, along with the 
additional resources as part of payment, helped establish the Mag'him 
Clanlord as a central ruling body among an otherwise highly 
factionalized people."

"A warlord," Casey replied.

Harrison nodded, "Yessir.  But now that the resources to maintain the 
'kingdom' have been cut off, the Mag'him won't be able to hold onto 
their new empire."

"So you're suggesting we hire the Mag'him since they'd be more than 
willing to jump into bed with us to secure their power."

"No Sir," Harrison said plainly.  "To do that would strengthen a pirate 
dictatorship that would only cause us more problems after this is all 
over than they did before it all started.  We need to keep the clans 
factionalized, and if we can get them to fight each other instead of 
harrassing our boomers, all the better."

"Sounds shady."  Casey crossed his arms and put on his 'thinking frown'.

Harrison shrugged.  "The Naussicaans have been fighting each other so 
long it's an accepted part of their culture.  Clan feuds and grudges 
last decades, usually until one clan is decimated and the victor turns 
its eye to someone else.  The only real reason they turned to piracy is 
to supplement the spoils from the last raid to fund the next, or make up 
for the resources lost during a defeat.  If we can /give/ them the 
resources necessary to strike the Mag'him, the conflict will perpetuate 
/itself/ and remove them from the possibility of further Romulan 
employment."

Casey shook his head.  "Now it /really/ sounds shady.  We'd be starting 
a civil war just to keep them out of our hair."

"The Naussicaans live in a state of /perpetual/ civil war, General," 
Harrison explained further.  "It's just that the balance of power has 
shifted and calmed, and we have the opportunity to center the scales and 
make sure the Romulans can't use it to affect /us/ again.

Casey was quiet a long moment.  "And I suppose you already know which 
clan to throw in with?"

"Yessir.  The Kursken Clan.  Longtime rivals of the Mag'him, and 
currently hunted within their own territories.  Their backed into a 
corner, and would probably even be favorable to working with us in /our/ 
fight in return for just enough to put them back in /theirs/."

"So since the Romulans threw away /their/ Naussicaans, we buy our own."

Harrison nodded.  "There's historical precedent, Sir,"

"Explain."

"The use of foreign nationals and civilians as military contractors was 
a practice formalized in the 17th century, and commercialized in the 
21st.  And in the late 18th century, English pirates were given Letters 
of Marque that pardoned them for past transgressions and employed them 
in hunting down their own, turning a blind eye to continued piracy 
against the Spanish."

Casey sighed.  "As nice as it would be to have an ally again, seeing a 
Naussicaan ambassador at the next military ball isn't exactly a 
comforting thought."

"I don't think they /have/ ambassadors, General."

"A small consolation," Casey frowned.  He stood with his arms cross a 
moment longer, 'thinking frown' creasing deeper into his hardened face. 
  Another sigh and he unfolded his arms.  "Alright, Sam," he said 
finally.  "I'll bring it up with the Security Council.  Give me a report 
-- a /detailed/ report -- and I'll present it and see how far we can 
push this."

"Yessir," Harrison said and saluted.

"Dismissed, Major."