To: Unioners of Pacifica

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Catching up

Freibeuter Kruger.

I should make it to Pacifica in the evening hours of tomorrow. Say, 21:00 ST?

Do keep in mind I'll be without the big girl. I'll send word for them to depart once we have an agreement.

Regards,
Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral

[Deity]

✶✶✶ UNIONER INDUSTRIAL NETWORK TERMINAL ✶✶✶

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Encrypted Uplink – Rheinland Worker’s Front Secure Transmission

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-- FACILITY ACCESS PROTOCOL --

• Identifkation .............. Friedrich Kruger
• Location Sector ........... Pacifica Base / Bering System
• Facility Class ............ Diplomatic & Engineering Operations
• Encryption Level .......... INTERNAL
• Transmission Status ....... STABLE
• Authorized Personnel ....... Unioner Diplomatic Corps

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▌ LOG ▐

Flora. 21:00 ST works perfectly. I’ll make sure the conference deck on Pacifica is cleared and that your berth is kept quiet and off the record.
Don’t worry about coming without the ship better we talk first, set things straight, and move forward once everything’s agreed upon.

I’ll be waiting by Dock 2C when you arrive. You’ll find it easy to spot Unioner colors, and a guard who’ll know your name.
We’ll share a drink, talk business, and make sure both our people walk away satisfied.

Safe travels through Liberty, Flora. Bering can be unpredictable after dark send me a ping once you’re close, and I’ll have an escort waiting just in case.

Mit Gruß,
Friedrich Kruger
Unioner Diplomatic Corps
Pacifica Base – Bering System

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Verbindung Stabil – Dock 2C prepared for arrival.
Awaiting confirmation from inbound vessel.

✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶

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THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)

Information | Recruitment | Message Dump |
Feedback | Diplomatic channel

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Departure

Hello.

The Midsummer en route to Pacifica. You can expect its arrival through the Hudson corridor within the next two days.

Regards,
Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Middlemen

Hello.

There's one mister Vascoguoncellos showing up in my inbox.

Why?

Regards,
Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral

[Enkidu]

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Entschlüsseln von Paketen

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✶✶✶ UNIONER ENCRYPTED UPLINK – UN-VF81 "ARBEITER" VERY HEAVY FIGHTER ✶✶✶

CALLSIGN: HELLION

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--- DATEN ERHALTEN ---

Uplink initialisiert...

Signalverbindung wird hergestellt... Bitte warten...

>>> VERBINDUNG HERGESTELLT <<<

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GAMMA-ONE-THREE-PHI-'HELLION'

TO: Flora
FROM: A wizened, snaggle-toothed pit-dog.
SUBJECT: Field Transmission

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UN-VF81 'ARBEITER'

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
│ DESIGNATION: UN-VF81 'ARBEITER' │
│ CLASS: UNIONER VERY HEAVY FIGHTER │
│ HULL INTEGRITY: ██████████ 100% │
│ SHIELDS: ██████████ 90% │
│ POWER CORE: THORIUM MOX REACTOR │
│ ARMAMENT: 7/1x Hardpoints // 2x Missile Mount // 1x CD/T Countermeasure │
│ CREW: 1 PILOT // AUTOMATED SYSTEMS: ACTIVE │
│ CURRENT LOCATION: REDACTED │
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝



TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

The Arbeiter is a highly modular very heavy fighter platform built entirely with domestic Rheinland technology.
Publicly, it stands as the cornerstone of the Union’s drive for independence from foreign spacecraft suppliers.

Implicitly, the Arbeiter represents a bold attempt to leapfrog both Hessian and Gas Miners Guild fighter programs.
Drawing from decades of accumulated shipbuilding talent and mechanical improvisation, the Unioners have produced a space superiority platform that reflects their unrelenting pragmatism — combining performance, molecularity, and survivability under hostile conditions.

---

Flora,

Discretion's going to get you all that you're looking for.



Transmission body


We're at the last step; sourcing the parts.

Bulwarks are marginal in Sirius, and most of that margin end up in the far reaches of the Omicron systems, in the hands of wealthy, enigmatic, zoner groups - the kinds who don't part with their spare parts.

Sure, Bulwarks are assembled at Alster, but a Bulwark drive module's a lengthy bit of kit. It'd take an entire armored transport, plus tugs, to nab one from Wet Dock Five. Now, Alster's trade lane slot is in the tightest of rent-a-gauntlets in Solar Orbit - The Imps devote entire gunboat hunter-killer packs - usually a pair of 'em - Corporate, Police, and Military, in interleaved flights - to deter Unioners from running off with ships, tooling, and gear. That's saying nothing of the on-station security. Of course, we're Unioners - we still make off with a hale percentage of their inventory - we've been doing this for centuries - but success is a function of scale. Theft is easy; but getting away isn't. Anyone can pocket a loose paving slab without anyone noticing. But you can't dig up and relocate a mountain without locals taking a look at the skyline, can ya'?

Or, if you wanna' choose an analogy closer to home - poachers might be able to make off with the odd critter, but you'd be sure to give them hell if they stripped n' burned an ecosystem with a drive torch. A la, the Enclave.

The trouble's cost-benefit analysis - we could pilfer the frickin' prop'block from under Imperial's snouts, but that'd set their gundogs on us. We'd lose lives and equipment in the doing, and, frankly, while we like you, Flora, we can't justify an outright assault on a fortified position, on our own mission-statement - and on our own people to fix up one ship. There just isn't enough in it for us to make the - frankly, probable - loss of Unioner lives mean somethin'.

That says nothing of the loss of face a dirty 'op would bring to the Union. One lil' chemical transport went blammo nigh near twenty years ago, and CNS still won't shut up about it. Do you know how much dirt-slinging the Alster Incident cost us? You'd think we'd (allegedly) gassed a nunnery, rather than some unsecured transport taking a leak in the portside ventral loading dock. Insurgency for idiots, 101: terrify your enemies, not your support-base.

So, there's only one place we can source a pre-assembled Bulwark engine module - Bristol Bay.

That means cutting a deal with Bristol. Sure, they're a corp', but they're a -highly- Unionized corp', which gives the Unioners chips to cash. The take we're jockying for - those damned stakes - outweigh any prospects we might be debatin' today, tomorrow, and so it goes. It's not about ships, it's about macro-bloody-economics.

Vascoguoncellos's talking big; his terms are that you should go to the -entire- Gaian movement and talk 'em out of whacking Bristol's operations.

Getting the inclination that you're unwilling to accommodate those terms.

Look, at the end of it, we wanna' get paid, and we want you to get your ship.

But, see, Bristol's workers - if not their exec's - are inundated with sympathizers, and susceptible to further positive influence, so we'd rather that you get what you want without pissing on our long game. Bristol's role on Alster Shipyard matters far more to us than anything involving the Bulwark line's production cycle. It's alike your people and the Green Front, 'cept in the workforce, rather than Academia.

See, Bristol's got a role to play in crow-barring up workers rights. We've got a leg in with them, and we're opposed to unnecessary amputations. Don't make us cut our leg off to give you a ship.

Lie to 'em if you need to. That'd be my advice. Just make sure the blowback lands squarely on you, not on us.

For now, placate 'em, till you've got what you need, and the Union isn't at the end of suspicion.

If need be, Once you've got your 'Wark, we'll make it look good, dress this whole affair up to make it look as if you've gone and betrayed the terms of the deal. We'll even shoot at you a smidge.

...Are ya' following me? Point being, Flo', if you want that ship, you're going to need to hold your nose -until- we've mounted up the drive. After that, you're free.

---

...Übertragung endet...

VERBINDUNG UNTERBROCHEN

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Transmitting Officer: Gunda Riehl
Rank / Position: Arbeiter
Sector: Tanner Expanse

✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶

---

THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)

Information | Recruitment | Message Dump |
Feedback | Diplomatic channel

(Links pending redevelopment).

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Middlemen

No, I'm not following you.

You told me you can fix the ship. You told me you have the leverage to get the parts. You told me you can do it clandestine.

Instead, first thing you did was go blabbering about the job to the one party I asked you to keep it away from, you have jack shit for leverage and apparently you don't even have the expertise to get the repair work done yourselves.

Gunda, with all due respect. What the fuck am I supposed to make of this?

Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral

[Enkidu]

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Entschlüsseln von Paketen

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✶✶✶ UNIONER ENCRYPTED UPLINK – UN-VF81 "ARBEITER" VERY HEAVY FIGHTER ✶✶✶

CALLSIGN: HELLION

---

--- DATEN ERHALTEN ---

Uplink initialisiert...

Signalverbindung wird hergestellt... Bitte warten...

>>> VERBINDUNG HERGESTELLT <<<

---

GAMMA-ONE-THREE-PHI-'HELLION'

TO: Flora
FROM: A wizened, snaggle-toothed pit-dog.
SUBJECT: Field Transmission

---

UN-VF81 'ARBEITER'

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
│ DESIGNATION: UN-VF81 'ARBEITER' │
│ CLASS: UNIONER VERY HEAVY FIGHTER │
│ HULL INTEGRITY: ██████████ 100% │
│ SHIELDS: ██████████ 90% │
│ POWER CORE: THORIUM MOX REACTOR │
│ ARMAMENT: 7/1x Hardpoints // 2x Missile Mount // 1x CD/T Countermeasure │
│ CREW: 1 PILOT // AUTOMATED SYSTEMS: ACTIVE │
│ CURRENT LOCATION: REDACTED │
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝



TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

The Arbeiter is a highly modular very heavy fighter platform built entirely with domestic Rheinland technology.
Publicly, it stands as the cornerstone of the Union’s drive for independence from foreign spacecraft suppliers.

Implicitly, the Arbeiter represents a bold attempt to leapfrog both Hessian and Gas Miners Guild fighter programs.
Drawing from decades of accumulated shipbuilding talent and mechanical improvisation, the Unioners have produced a space superiority platform that reflects their unrelenting pragmatism — combining performance, molecularity, and survivability under hostile conditions.

---

Flora,

Calm it.




We've got an alternative source, one that doesn't involve the Company. I'm not going to make promises until it's in our net.

Stand by.

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...Übertragung endet...

VERBINDUNG UNTERBROCHEN

---

Transmitting Officer: Gunda Riehl
Rank / Position: Arbeiter
Sector: Tanner Expanse

✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶

---

THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)

Information | Recruitment | Message Dump |
Feedback | Diplomatic channel

(Links pending redevelopment).

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Middlemen

Calm it?

You broke the deal. You didn't even try to stick with it. If you can't even do as much as keeping my name out of it, why should we trust you with the guts of our ship?

I don't care for Bristol. I went to them first thing, we're only talking because they told me to pound sand. What I care about is the fact I clearly can't trust you with a bloody thing.

What is the other source?

Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral

[Enkidu]

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Entschlüsseln von Paketen

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✶✶✶ UNIONER ENCRYPTED UPLINK – UN-VF81 "ARBEITER" VERY HEAVY FIGHTER ✶✶✶

CALLSIGN: HELLION

---

--- DATEN ERHALTEN ---

Uplink initialisiert...

Signalverbindung wird hergestellt... Bitte warten...

>>> VERBINDUNG HERGESTELLT <<<

---

GAMMA-ONE-THREE-PHI-'HELLION'

TO: Flora
FROM: A wizened, snaggle-toothed pit-dog.
SUBJECT: Field Transmission

---

UN-VF81 'ARBEITER'

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
│ DESIGNATION: UN-VF81 'ARBEITER' │
│ CLASS: UNIONER VERY HEAVY FIGHTER │
│ HULL INTEGRITY: ██████████ 100% │
│ SHIELDS: ██████████ 90% │
│ POWER CORE: THORIUM MOX REACTOR │
│ ARMAMENT: 7/1x Hardpoints // 2x Missile Mount // 1x CD/T Countermeasure │
│ CREW: 1 PILOT // AUTOMATED SYSTEMS: ACTIVE │
│ CURRENT LOCATION: REDACTED │
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝



TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

The Arbeiter is a highly modular very heavy fighter platform built entirely with domestic Rheinland technology.
Publicly, it stands as the cornerstone of the Union’s drive for independence from foreign spacecraft suppliers.

Implicitly, the Arbeiter represents a bold attempt to leapfrog both Hessian and Gas Miners Guild fighter programs.
Drawing from decades of accumulated shipbuilding talent and mechanical improvisation, the Unioners have produced a space superiority platform that reflects their unrelenting pragmatism — combining performance, molecularity, and survivability under hostile conditions.

---

Flora,

Look, cut it. You know you can trust us with it. There's nobody else in the underworld you -can- trust with it.




I hate to call a friend out when they're blowing a gasket, but this is Pacifica, and we've got a reputation to preserve.

Skip this part, yeah? We did not break ya' deal - you - didn't tell us what your -specific- limits are with Bristol.

You've gotta' to be specific when you're giving us bloody gordian knots to unpick. This is the underworld. Don't be cryptic. Next time, tell us up front what your limits are, and where your red lines lie. Lay them out. We've had to trial-and-error our way through this. You better believe we're finishing the job for you, because, temporary mutual pissed attitude aside, we're your allies.

You've handed us one of the most overbuilt, eye-strainingly over-complicated byzantine bulk exploratory vessels assembled in all of human history. We're the best shipwrights on this side of the law, but we're not bloody wizards. Bullwarks are logistical bullshit. We've fixed warships that are less complex than this vessel. Up to and including the battleship Harmony.

You're going to have to deal with the fact that it's a complicated fix. Besides, your privacy hasn't been breached. Bristol already knew you had a 'Wark in your possession that you wanted to fix up. You've lost nothing. Your privacy's intact, and we are not in violation of contract.

So, let's set that aside, yeah? We're 2/3rds of the way there, don't quit on us now.

...Okay, so, the untraceable option is that we shoot some unlucky bastard's bulwark to pieces, and we rip the engine off, then cannibalize it into your busted drive unit. We won't have all the parts, but that's why you came to the Unioners. We can make up the missing pieces.

We know this is doable, because we've tracked down a number of 'Warks passing through Rheinland. About half of them are off-limits, because they're affiliated with the Phoenix Zoners, and we're not inclined to shoot at them.

Once we track down a non-Phoenix 'Wark, we'll descend upon it, rip your drive off, and mount it up.

Failing that, we'll hit a supply depot near Alster, but that's going to involve, again, Unioners putting their lives in harms' way. We'll do that for you, Flora, but that's option three. I'd rather go with option two.

We'll start on the preparatory work in the next twenty four hours. We can get most of the work done while we wait for your engine components.

You won't need to do a thing. This will be fast. We'll be running a supply shipment tomorrow (+3 Hamburg Standard Time) to recover all the last industrial materials we'll need to complete the fabrication work, building out a new drive housing for the fresh propulsion block. The only limiting time factor left is how long it'll take to find a 'Wark to ambush. Trust me on that.

Failing this, there's always the nano-robotics option. You did turn that down, though.

I'm not being a bitch here, you do need to work with us. There's hard technical constraints we've gotta' work around.

---

...Übertragung endet...

VERBINDUNG UNTERBROCHEN

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Transmitting Officer: Gunda Riehl
Rank / Position: Arbeiter
Sector: Tanner Expanse

✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶

---

THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)

Information | Recruitment | Message Dump |
Feedback | Diplomatic channel

(Links pending redevelopment).

[TheSauron]

Incoming Transmission

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From: Flora, Gaians
To: Unioners of Pacifica
Encryption: Yes
Subject: Middlemen

Gunda.

If you don't want me to quit on you, cut the bullshit. If there's one thing I have less patience for than being lied to, it's being gaslit immediately afterwards. And do us both a favour and spare me the dramatic declarations. It's a damned repair job. No assaults. Find the parts then let me know.

Before you try welding them onto our ship.

Flora

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Transmission Over

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One MD Admiral