To: Kanzler´s office, Bundestag, BDM| -|- Subject: IMG and Red Hessians relations

[Laura C.]

PRIORITY: High
ENCRYPTION: High
IDENTIFICATION: Polizeidirektor Laura Carsten
SOURCE: planet New Berlin
SUBJECT: Investigation of reported IMG ship docking on Hessian base and relations of these organizations

Guten Tag, Sehr geehrte representatives of Büro der Marineintelligenz, Bundestag and Kanzler´s office. My name is Laura Carsten and I´m recently appointed temporary polizeidirektor of the Rheinland Federal Polizei.

Purpose of this message is to inform you about recent investigation about activities of Independent Miners Guild. Polizei received report from Kruger Mineralien where were some photos of IMG ship docking on Red Hessian base in one of Omega systems, precisely Omega-5. I took charge of investigation about this matter and questioned representative of IMG, Herr Jack Henderson.

To sum it up shortly, he confirmed that incident happened. But even more, he also confirmed that IMG has docking access to Hessian bases and they use them to buy basic supplies for some Zoner station in Omega-9 system and thus they indirectly support enemies of Rheinland with money which they pay for them. On the other hand he claimed that IMG ships don´t dock on any Hessian base within Rheinland space, and also that Hessians are not allowed to dock on their bases even in Bretonia space so they can´t buy supplies there.

Because reported incident happened outside of Rheinland space, formally no law has been violated. However it is matter for consideration of Bundestag and Kanzler if provided indirect support of Hessians deserves any diplomatic or economy action, restriction or even direct punishment. With this conlusion I think polizei investigation can be closed. Any further moves are on you. Copy of communication with Herr Henderson which includes also photos of IMG ship at Hessian base is in data attachment of this message.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen, polizeidirektor Carsten out.

LOADING DATA ATTACHMENT

Interrogation of IMG representative Henderson about ship docking on Hessian base

PRIORITY: High
ENCRYPTION: Medium
IDENTIFICATION: RFP Polizeidirektor Laura Carsten
SOURCE: Nibelung Polizei Plaza, planet New Berlin

Herr Henderson! It is exactly how you said. I´m not making the judgments but I have to respect them. Anyway, if it will help you, I´m sending you list of UEC ships which were so far reported to Rheinland Federal Polizei.

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List of UEC ships report to Rheinland Federal Polizei

UEC|Akio.Matsumoto
UEC|Ayatsu,Izumi
UEC|Ernst.Springer
UEC|Iris
UEC|Matsuda.Watanabe
UEC|SV-Nabigeta
UEC|SV-Naginata
UEC|SV-Doubtful
UEC|SV-Alebarda
UEC|Yuriko.Hiruyama

But this matter is actually unimportant at the moment! Time to bring completely different one. Very, very serious matter! Polizei recently received very disturbing pictures. Look yourself...

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I await explanation, Herr Henderson. Why is IMG| ship docking on Red Hessian base? What dealings IMG has with these enemies of Rheinland? Why your ship is not target of robbery or even shooting, but instead is allowed to dock there?

I hope you realize this may have very, very serious consequencies for Independent Miners Guild. Polizeidirektor Carsten out.

END OF THE MESSAGE

**** SENDER: Jack Henderson, IMG Operations ****

**** TO: RFP Polizeidirektor Laura Carsten ****

Dear Polizeidirektor Carsten,

I was curious about how fast you would get back to me, and for sure you proved that you take your job seriously.

These pictures show an IMG transport picking up Food to take it to Cameron Solar Port, an independent base in Omega 9 that was in need of these supplies. Please check the time signatures of the attached images to verify that this is the same flight.

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Technically, a neutral party in a conflict has docking access to both sides of the conflict. Out of respect for Rheinland laws and to keep its neutral status, the Guild does not use Hessian installations inside Rheinland's jurisdiction.

To conclude, these pictures were taken by a highly dubious ship, in a zone far outside of Rheinland's jurisdiction or interest. They show a harmless supply operation of a Zoner installation located outside of Rheinland's influence. This operation has no influence on Rheinland's inter-House conflict and therefore in no way conflicts with the IMG's neutrality stance.

The dubious, seemingly invisible ship could be identified by the crew as the Kruger|KMS-Erwitte because it appeared on scanners for a short moment before getting out of range. Knowing Kruger's troubled past, its involvement in covert and open hostility, and given the corporation's obvious push for conflict in the Sigmas and Omegas, I strongly suspect that this whole affair is a conscious attempt to destabilize the fragile peace and the mutually beneficial cooperation that has been established between the Guild and Rheinland.

As far as the Guild is concerned, such attempts to escalate the tensions must be countered. Sustaining peace and stability in the Omegas must be the common goal towards which we work.

Hochachtungsvoll

Jack Henderson
IMG Operations

PRIORITY: High
ENCRYPTION: Medium
IDENTIFICATION: RFP Polizeidirektor Laura Carsten
SOURCE: Nibelung Polizei Plaza, planet New Berlin

Herr Henderson, I must say...I´m actually not sure what to say exactly after I saw your message. I probably need more clarification from you because more and more questions come to my mind.

So, if you can answer me, bitte. Do I understand it right that you are regularly docking on Hessian bases outside Rheinland space? That you are buying cargo from them? That you are trading with them? Don´t you think that your money actually indirectly support these criminals and terrorists? And why you think Rheinland should tolerate this?

But apart from these questions, there is something what confuses me completely. I guess you remember this event very well...

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SHOW NEURAL NET LINK

Less than year ago, you reported that Red Hessians attacked your shipyard in Omega-3 using even the heaviest weaponry - Jormugand class battleship. They damaged the base, stole three Shishapangma class transports and also wounded several people, some of them even seriously. What was the total cost of all damages? 250 million? 300 million? Even your spokeperson, fraülein Ryan, called attackers "the Hessian criminals".

Now, ten months later, you are speaking about neutrality and possession of access to Hessian bases where you can dock and buy supplies. What do I miss hier, Herr Henderson? What was the cost of status change from "criminals who attacked our base, stole our ships and wounded our employees" to "neutral entity". And who actually paid it to who, Hessians to IMG, or it was even conversely?

By the way, one more question comes to my mind. If IMG is allowed to dock on Hessian bases and obtain needed supplies there, are Red Hessians in same way allowed to dock on IMG bases and obtain supplies which they need? And I´m not talking about Freistadt, I´m sure you know what this would cause. I´m asking about bases outside Rheinland, for example Aland shipyard or your bases in Cambridge system.

Note at the end. Why you think that it isn´t Rheiland interest to know what is going on in Omega systems right next to our most important mining system? Also, it is very interesting to hear your concerns about peace and stability in Omegas while Hessians are using money from you to buy weapons which they will use for attacks on law enforcers or even civilians.

I´m awaiting your reply and your answers, Herr Henderson. Polizeidirector Carsten out.

END OF THE MESSAGE

**** SENDER: Jack Henderson, IMG Operations ****

**** TO: RFP Polizeidirektor Laura Carsten ****

Dear Polizeidirektor Carsten,

I am surprised that these pictures stir such attention and warrant such an investigation, therefore I will try to answer your questions as well as I can one by one.

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Your question: "Are you docking regularly on Hessian bases outside Rheinland space?"

We are not regularly docking on Hessian bases, and we never dock on Hessian bases inside Rheinland jurisdiction, as we respect House Laws and remain neutral in the internal conflict.

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Your question: "Are you buying cargo from them?"

The few shipments we obtained consist of harmless basic supplies. The only shipments registered are those between Omega 5 and Omega 9 and they consist of Food, Oxygen and Water for the Zoner installation.

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Your question: "Are you trading with them?"

There is hardly trade going on between the Guild and if commanders do this, the Guild does not know about it. There are no trade agreements between the Guild and the Hessians.

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Your question: "Don´t you think that your money actually indirectly support these criminals and terrorists?"

The Guild supports the economy of Rheinland by providing vast shipments of Niobium and Beryllium for the New Berlin and ALG smelters, thus contributing a lot more to the Rheinland economy than marginal payments for a few supply shipments contribute to the Hessian economy.

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Your question: "Should Rheinland tolerate this?"

In every political decision, every party has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. The Guild has been favouring the destinations of New Berlin and Dortmund for raw resource deliveries over more attractive offers so far, thus contributing positively to Rheinland's Gross Domestic Product. On the other hand, the Guild must seem like a source of trouble sometimes. Balancing a decision between political trouble and economic benefit is on the Bundestag to decide.

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In response to the questions concerning the Hessian raid that resulted in the destruction of IMG and Hessian assets and the loss of some transports, I can give the following statement:

Diplomatic stances are in constant flux, and so are conflicts. The conflict that was sparked by the attack was solved by diplomatic means after some more armed clashes. After ceasefire negotiations, it became clear that neither the Red Hessian movement nor the Guild had an appetite for prolonged conflict.

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Your question: "Can Hessian vessels dock at IMG installations?"

Battleship Schwerin has discouraged Hessians from trying it, and I only know of one case* that tried and was arrested after crashdocking and handed over to Rheinland authorities. Freistadt has since had more than 374.000 dockings, none of which were Hessians. I am convinced the RFP can easily crosscheck these records that are doubtlessly also documented on the Schwerin.

Bretonian law forbids the docking of Hessian forces on IMG installations, therefore Hessian ships are not docked on IMG installations inside Bretonia.

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As a concluding remark, I would like to add: Neutrality can be a difficult and tricky concept, and it is hard to uphold. Very seldom all affected parties are happy and the Guild gets their fair share of Hessian aggression, as well as their fair share of Rheinland aggression. For us, it is always the goal to stay out of it as well as we can. Future will tell, I assume.

Jack Henderson
IMG Operations

* //this very odd indie-indie incident was most likely staged and for roleplay sake (as Rheinland will insist it happened once), the pilot was handed over to RFP. Everything else is just indie-lolwuttism and is ignored by me.

END OF THE MESSAGE

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On a ragebreak. Or ragequit. Time will tell.