☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
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Sender:Adjutant O. Bancroft Recipient:Utsunomiya Commonwealth Subject:Welcome and Hello
To whom it may concern,
My name is Adjutant Oscar Bancroft, writing on behalf of the Xeno Alliance. I'll keep this brief, as I imagine you have no shortage of pressing matters to attend to at present.
Word of your Commonwealth's formation has reached us here in Ontario. It would be remiss not to acknowledge what that represents. Breaking from the Technocratic Zeitgeist is not a small thing, and doing so to establish something of your own on Gran Canaria is the kind of development that warrants attention and, where appropriate, respect. Both the Liberty Free Republic and the Xeno Alliance extend their congratulations accordingly.
Our interest, I should be transparent, is not merely ceremonial. We are a young state ourselves, and we understand the value of measured, reliable relationships with neighbors, be it near or far, who have demonstrated they are capable of charting their own course. We see potential for cooperation and trade between our peoples, and we would not wish that potential to go unexamined simply for want of an introduction.
That said, we are not in the habit of presuming. Before any of these points can be addressed in substance, first contact seems the appropriate and necessary first step. To that end, I am personally willing to make a state visit to Gran Canaria at a time and under terms agreeable to your government, subject to approval from the Commonwealth's relevant authorities.
I await your response at your convenience.
"There is hope under the White Star."
- Adjutant Oscar "Knight of Cups" Bancroft
団結すれば我々は立ち上がる。分裂すれば我々は倒れる。 United we Stand, Divided we Fall.
Greetings, Adjutant Bancroft.
I am Setsuna Kobayashi, Ambassador-at-large for the Utsunomiya Commonwealth.
Our people have come across yours in the past, either as part of the present UMC Navy, or prior as the Ouroboros paramilitary. Whilst the rumors of our distancing to a degree with the Auxesians is true - especially per intelligence we acquired from multiple sources in recent years pertaining to the nature of being compromised to some degree by the nomads - as well as a clear sign of the waning humanity - as in transhumanist, in their ranks.. this recent approach leaves something to be desired from the Liberty Free Republic.
I by no means wish to imply offense or malice with that statement, but historically, the Xeno movement, of which the LFR was birthed from to our understanding, has had a history of being bipolar, even sometimes malevolent in nature and, as the colloquialism for your causes writ large leaves one to think, Xenophobic. What is more, even in the face of a shift amongst the Prometheans, a faction we are amicable if not friendly with - away from Auxesia (likely for the same reasons we have), your nation-state continues to aggress upon them when as far as I can see, at least in Erie and Liberty, you share similar goals. You both seek to either break away from, or overthrow the Republic of Liberty as you both rightfully see it as a fascist state that oppresses its' people - and one such sub-goal of that is one we all share - the liberation of Pennsylvania. We are aware of a limited state of detente between the LFR and Task Force Prometheus, at least insofar as the Pennsylvania system and objectives relating to it, and we, just as the PLF, New Dawn and other collectives either native to, or operating in the region likely do, appreciate not having components of our joint forces gnawing at each other's necks when Liberty is staring us dead in the eye, but I digress.
Whilst our nation is de facto and de jure (as part of our constitution) a collective that is part of greater Zoner Society, one could say we are probably one of the few who stray farthest away from the idea of neutrality - especially for reasons I am certain you and your superior, Mr. Damien Moretti are more than aware of. Zoner society at large for the past several years has been pushed around by the houses and even major players in the sector like the Corsairs and the Core and Order.
Our nation aims to be one of the major players in Zoner Society that whilst not as extreme on libertarian and anarcho-communist/collectivist philosophy as many of our neighbors on Gran Canaria, or even in the sector at large would like us to be regarding being a state and not some sort of commune, we aim to maintain a progressive, transparent and direct democratic state that seeks to try to be a beacon on a hill for all of Sirius, endeavoring to both give the people the freedom they yearn for, but ensure that they are protected if they fall with our means to protect them. Welfare programs, universal healthcare and education, a semi-nationalized economy to promote both innovation and ensure domestic economic security and workers' rights, and as our economy builds, a universal basic income program.
The UMC is also willing to point the cannons at the houses to preserve our shared way of life. We don't ask for much - simply to live our lives in peace and not be treated as scapegoats like Liberty and Rheinland have with Erie and Freeport 1, or with Bretonia trying to usurp Gran Canaria from those who colonized her before us, that we stand beside today - all in the name of trying to keep their faltering house alive in the face of Gallic Oppression - or threats of, or employment of nuclear weapons against Freeport 11 by half the groups in the Omicrons.
I suppose the point of all this Adjutant, is that whilst we are not against making amicable relations with the Liberty Free Republic at least in regards to trade at this point, we find you reaching out to us, outside of matters relating to operations in Pennsylvania and Greater Liberty - to be surprising and that past encounters with your paramilitary, and at the surface, your values, leave us.. for lack of a better word, in the dark as to what we would really have in common to help foster this relationship.
This by no means is a shutting of the doors to any sort of diplomatic channels, ties or other such affairs at this moment, but some assuaging of our concerns and the sort is in order before a state visit to New Minowa would be up for discussion.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant O. Bancroft Recipient:Ambassador Setsuna Kobayashi, Utsunomiya Commonwealth Subject:Re: First Contact and State Visit
Ambassador Kobayashi. Thank you for your response, and for its honesty. I'll try to match it.
On the xenophobia question. I understand why it gets applied to us, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you the history doesn't warrant some scrutiny. What I will push back on is the underlying assumption, because there is a difference between opposing foreign presence and opposing predatory foreign influence. That distinction matters to us. What the Xeno Alliance has consistently resisted is the pattern of outside interests arriving in Liberty under the banner of commerce or cooperation, and leaving having taken something that was never theirs. The ALG is a useful illustration. Their arrangement with the LPI in Texas, running prison vessels, using inmates as labor, that is the kind of entanglement we were founded to stand against. That isn't prejudice. That's a rational response to a very specific and repeated kind of exploitation.
And for what it's worth, the Zoners are a good example of why that distinction holds. They aren't from Liberty. They don't share our politics or our history in any direct sense. And yet they've consistently commanded genuine respect from within the Xeno Alliance, in some cases outright admiration. Because they've never come to us with an angle. Origin has never been the issue. Intent and conduct have always been the measure.
As for the Prometheans, I'll be straightforward. I find the situation regrettable. They aren't our natural enemies and I don't think anyone on our side particularly enjoys the dynamic. But they are still operating under the influence of a construct that Auxesia built to keep them in line. It isn't a council of their founders. It's a simulation of dead men, designed to make sure that movement never fully escapes the Technocratic agenda out of Inverness. Until they cut that connection, we have no way of treating them as a genuinely independent actor. That's the honest position.
What I hope for, and I mean this, is that the people within that movement who want something real eventually win that argument internally. They have a complicated history in Vespucci to answer for, and the best way to do that is to actually secure Erie's freedom on their own terms, without someone else's hand on the wheel.
The broader picture you described, of Zoner society being squeezed by House interests, of your people being used as a pressure valve whenever the houses need a scapegoat, we recognize that. The specifics differ from our own situation but the experience of being "the little guy" - that larger powers would prefer didn't exist, that we understand.
So. I'm not asking you to take any of this at face value. What I'd like, if you're open to it, is to keep this channel going. If there are things about how we operate, our policies, anything, that you want addressed directly, I'm willing to do that. One conversation at a time seems more honest than skipping ahead to formalities.
"There is hope under the White Star."
- Adjutant Oscar "Knight of Cups" Bancroft
団結すれば我々は立ち上がる。分裂すれば我々は倒れる。 United we Stand, Divided we Fall.
Adjutant Bancroft,
Your words have done a lot to help assuage reservations, and I thank you for your humble approach to our inquiries.
On the topic of the Xenophobia, you are entirely right in the matter of exploitation by foreign actors. The UMC has no colonialist or imperialist aims or aspirations, outside of potentially in the distant future, finding a habitable planet to reside upon once Gran Canaria enters her Ice Age in the next 300 or so years - and even then we would opt to co-exist or claim that which is uninhabited already, before ever considering to just take what is not ours. Our territory on Gran Canaria was bought from assets we sold from our time under the Ouroboros banner, as well as territories not already claimed by other collectives, or by say, OSI or the Phoenix.
We chose this territory because a close friend of our head of state, already had land in this region, and she felt its' alpine majesty fitting for us to call home. That being said, We entirely understand the desire to not be taken advantage of - the only people who enjoy that are masochists, or have some sort of perverse incentive for doing so. That said, rest assured we have no incentive or desire to exploit the people of the LFR, just as you wish not to exploit our people.
That being said, with all of this answered, I can safely say that a state visit may be in order sometime in the future - but until such time we will keep this channel open to discuss matters.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
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Sender:Adjutant O. Bancroft Recipient:Ambassador Setsuna Kobayashi, Utsunomiya Commonwealth Subject:Re: First Contact and State Visit
Ambassador, I appreciate the response, and I'm glad we've found some common ground.
Your clarification on the UMC's territorial position is noted and reassuring. The distinction between a state that acquires what it needs through legitimate means and one that simply takes it is not a subtle one, and it matters. The fact that your foothold on Gran Canaria was purchased rather than seized, and that your longer term thinking runs toward coexistence or unclaimed territory rather than displacement, tells us something useful about how your government operates. It's a fact with ideological significance to a movement like ours, historically displaced by the elites during the industrial collapse of 600 A.S.
On the matter of a state visit, I'm content to leave it where you've placed it. Whenever the time feels right to your government, the offer remains open. This channel in the meantime is exactly what it needs to be, and I'm glad it exists. One more stick added to the bundle that the Houses will find considerably harder to break.
"There is hope under the White Star."
- Adjutant Oscar "Knight of Cups" Bancroft
団結すれば我々は立ち上がる。分裂すれば我々は倒れる。 United we Stand, Divided we Fall.
Adjutant Bancroft,
Whilst a formal state visit proper is still under debate within the Directorate of the Interior, I can express that the Head of State has cordially invited the Liberty Free Republic to partake in, and if resources allow, contribute to the 1st Annual Utsunomiya Grand Sirius Cultural Festival.
So far we have quite a few participants from across the sector, who have guaranteed a display of their cultures and cuisine for enjoyment. The festival grounds are being treated temporarily as a neutral zone that is enforced by Riposte Defense, a Zoner Concern out of Verdez, one of the settlements under the Yulia Collective, a neighbor to our south that we have been able to maintain friendly relations with - so rest assured we are prioritizing the safety of all attendees at this event, which celebrates our heritage, culture and history as a species.
We would appreciate it if you and/or an envoy from the LFR could attend.
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant O. Bancroft Recipient:Ambassador Setsuna Kobayashi, Utsunomiya Commonwealth Subject:Re: 1st Annual Utsunomiya Grand Sirius Cultural Festival
Ambassador Kobayashi. Please extend my sincere thanks to the Head of State for the invitation. It was not expected, and that makes it all the more welcome.
In fact, I think a cultural festival is, in some ways, a better first step than a formal state visit. There's less ceremony to navigate and more room for the kind of conversation that actually tells you something about the people you're dealing with. The Commander and I both think so.
The LFR will attend, and we intend to contribute. What we'd like to bring, if you'll permit us the latitude, is something that reflects the actual breadth of what the Xeno Alliance represents, because it tends to surprise people. The movement is considerably more diverse than the name suggests. Each settlement, each base, each community within Liberty and beyond has developed its own distinct character over time, some of those cultures spanning centuries in their own right, shaped by entirely different circumstances, histories and people. They don't look much alike when you put them side by side. We'll do our best to bring a slice of that, something representative from each, so that what people see isn't a single flag but the full range of what's living underneath it. The specifics we can coordinate through this channel as the date approaches.
The arrangement with Riposte Defense is also noted and appreciated. Whoever your Head of State had the foresight to bring in a neutral security concern rather than leave the matter to any one faction's discretion, that was the right call.
We'll be there!
"There is hope under the White Star."
Adjutant Oscar "Knight of Cups" Bancroft
☠ Incoming transmission.
☠ Signal source: Free Republic relay, Liberty
☠ Opening video feed...
Sender:Adjutant O. Bancroft Recipient:Ambassador Setsuna Kobayashi, Utsunomiya Commonwealth Subject:Re: 1st Annual Utsunomiya Grand Sirius Cultural Festival
Ambassador Kobayashi.
We've arrived aboard the Retribution, a Defiant class gunboat out of the Alliance fleet. Somewhat ahead of schedule, I'll admit, but there's good reason for it. The orchestra we're bringing requires time to settle in and begin rehearsals before the festival opens, and anyone who has ever moved musical equipment across the black will tell you that something always goes wrong in transit. Better to have the time to deal with it than to be scrambling the night before.
We're grateful for the invitation. That hasn't changed.
"There is hope under the White Star."
- Adjutant Oscar "Knight of Cups" Bancroft
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