[b][i]William Windsor and his Crew - Flashback[/i][/b]

As he finished reading the journal his contacts had acquired, one of many from those who were under Kherol's command, William's first thoughts were that he must be inexperienced in the ways of the world, if he hadn't grasped that atrocities like the ones in Ponin could be fed by feelings of [i]love[/i], love for someone who had done everything to earn his men's trust, love for someone who was [i]doing his job[/i] and genuinely believed in his nation. Can he spark such feelings in those who followed him? Did he [i]want[/i] to be so loved that his men and women would go on an orgy of bloodshed if he were ever in Kherol's situation? Not that he himself had his own choice - He needed to be loved enough that his folk would risk going up against Kherol at all.

Before despite his doubts, he had believed that his men and women would follow him to war, that grievances against the Ascendancy as well as a belief that [i]everyone[/i] deserved better no matter their outward differences, would be enough to push them to conflict with the central authorities. But now, two factors had shown themselves - One, that love and ideological commitment should not be taken for granted, and Two, that [i]steps must be taken[/i] to nurture love and ideological commitment, that people needed to be convinced that people must be treated according to the content of one's character and not one's race, class, or species. But how? What should he do? Write a tract? Start a media campaign? No, no, those were too impersonal!

He needed to inspire love, as well as to conduct audacious but not stupid gestures. And as an idea came to him, Windsor put down the journal and walked out of his personal chambers, not bothering to change from his 'home outfit', a woolen sweater-vest over a cotton shirt plus soft trousers and rubber slippers - Okay, scratch that, he did change to socks and leather shoes as he took a mag-lev pod to the Queen Elizabeth's hangar. He had with him his Omni-tool and cred-sticks, and his attentive mother had sent several bodyguards, Tayanen in metal shells, on the way once it was clear that Windsor had an idea and was so inflamed by it that he was forsaking obvious safety measures. Gesturing for the bodyguards to follow him at a discreet distance, William Windsor entered the hangar bay, a vast artificial cavern where dozens of smaller craft were docked.

Approaching a freighter at random, bringing up data on its crew with his Omni-tool, William walked over to just outside its bow, where its Captain, a young woman named Aisha bin Ibrahim, was supervising refits to turn the freighter into a warship. Surprised by the CEO's arrival in such an... informal manner, she turned around and gave a deep bow before saying, "Mr. Windsor! What are you doing here?"

Windsor was tempted to gulp in nervousness, and not just because of what he was about to propose - The woman had a perfectly-shaped nose and lips, after all. But he managed to clear his throat to cover up any sign of indecision to say, "Captain Aisha Ibrahim, of the 'freighter Eon Hawk, now being refitted to a Corvette-equivalent as armor and weapons go. I have an extra job for you - It's going to pay well."

The woman's eyes turned charmingly sharp in their skepticism, before she said, "Uh-huh. What is it, and it'd better pay well as it seems you're going behind your mother and the Board of Directors' backs?"

Now was the moment of truth, "We're going on a mercy mission. To Ponin."