Extranet transmission to Rear Admiral Victoria Knight, Bering Locus.

[Enkidu]

Incoming Transmission

To: RADM Victoria Knight
From: Armin Jansen, der Alster Union.
Subject: Supply, Demand, Outreach.

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You’re not thinking like a Unioner here, Admiral.

We are masters of acquisition and demand - we built a near millennium of continuous sustenance upon that predicate, both above and below the law. Our “reward” is your survival.

It is customary for us to act through intermediary agents to attain objectives that we ourselves would not otherwise be able to achieve. Despite what the more zealous of our pilots would have you believe, we are not opposed to the state of Liberty, nor any nation of man. We are opposed to systems of exploitation, of scarcity, of forcing one man to be the dependent of a stranger. Liberty has systematically rendered the government of the Rhein into indentured servitude over the centuries through economic and socio-political strangulation - but Liberty itself is not to blame; rather, the tawdry legislature implemented by members within Liberty’s government.

We cannot combat the system, Harmony - we have no intention to become a component of a war that extends beyond our insight, nor do we have the moral capacity - let alone physical. We can combat the cancer from the receiving end - yet would it be just for a patient to conduct his own surgery? Of course not.

The Nomad infection is a wider symptom of destruction. We, ourselves, have Rheinland’s interests at heart, even if our government does not. Obviously, the most culturally, geopolitically and economically influential house in Sirius becoming a marionette string in the K’hara’s galactic reproduction of Kasperle and Grete. Rheinland itself has already suffered immensely at the whims of the incubi. It is an existential challenge of immeasurable scope - a feud compatible with our own objectives to free Rheinland from anarchic influences. Self-evidently, the Nomads are the ultimate opponent of that which we crave, yet seem antithetical to; peace.

Besides, there are pragmatic interests. If your vessels are able to hold the line within Bering, we can pull more of the Unioner home defence forces down to the Koeln and Frankfurt systems to confront our own flashpoint against the Hesse and SCRA. Any aid we provide you forms a feedback loop, Admiral. We are the beneficiaries of your survival.

A structural assessment of the Baltimore should not take long, however, if its injury is as extensive as you claim, then we will prioritise our efforts on the Chicago first, for the sake of having the most guns in action simultaneously. The Union remains fascinated by the technical schematics of the Archer coaxial cannon would request access to the vessel’s internals to investigate the design - our own gunboats are due for a technical refresh concerning their own forward ordinance, and comparative exercise would be assistive in ascertaining points of technical commonality.


We still recall the loss of the Discovery, Admiral Knight, and how tenaciously close the dreadnaught was to survival, despite her battle damage. We could not condone Harmony the loss of any more assets of tactical significance.

Once the Cruisers have arrived, I will appoint Operative Zelinksy to provide adequate assessment. She is unusually technically proficient, even amongst Unioners, and should prove to be the most adequate appointee to run the repair team.


Flight reports show that joint operations between the Unioners and Harmony have proceeded comparatively well - indeed, better than projections would imply. You do yourselves credit.


Perhaps the experiment may bloom fruit.

Regards,
Armin Jansen.
First contact representative and Diplomat-in-Chief of der Alster Union, Pacifica Base, Bering.

Transmission Ended