From: Flora, Gaians To: Unioners of Pacifica Encryption: Yes Subject: Catching up
Hello.
I'm Flora. Of the Guard, once upon a time, now more freelance. It's been a while since we last spoke. Or, well, since Major Blake did, specifically, I haven't had the pleasure yet. While he and the gang are no longer with us, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know your handiwork is serving us well to this day. Matter of fact, I have a great view of the Whirlwind as we speak.
✶✶✶ 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,
Four years since we last saw each other, and you haven't so much as wrinkled. You, and the cruiser you're riding in, are decay-free. If the rest of the Gaians are as thriving at scale, then consider us impressed.
Transmission body
Sure as <expletive> gives me faith that the Gaians are the first and last advocates for interstellar Animalia. You'd better be staying Freelance, Flo', for now you've gone and found the cure to eternal permanence, you'd better be keeping that to yourself. Lest some enterprising Cryer quack grind you up for a moisturizer.
I'm glad you're alive. Hey, if the Whirlwind's kept you intact all this time, I might make that a point of pride. Unioner shipwrights - there's no-one to match 'em if you're looking for robust.
I can't but hand it to you, you've picked your moment to reach out. Either you've got informants in our organization, or we're leaking intel like a Xeno's canopy, but you're here at the right time, for the right reason.
There's an avalanche I wanna' say, and little time to say it in. Me and much of the Syndicliga - we Unioners of the Alster Liga - well, we've been out of circulation since the Rhineland Civil fracas petered out. We took ourselves out of circulation. See, instigating paramilitaries are disposable. We were the next targets in the eye of the state we helped build. The functional death of our leaders - faked or actual - was the only way to keep the Union from disintegrating. I'll tell you the 'whys' and 'hows' in person.
Yeah, our exile's over. We're back. The disparate cells that divided us have been pasted back together; and we're here. En-force. Call it the rise of the artifact trade, call it us cashing our chips through the Gallic underworld, call it the peace dividend - there's a legion of factors and they're all beating at the Hesse's gates. We're here, we're back, and there are more of us than there ever were.
LIsten, there's only so much I can say from the cockpit. I'll be out of range of the relay all too soon. So instead, I'll be bouncing your transmission over to one of my fellow Arbeiters. One Fredrich Kruger, of variable relation to the kleptocorporate enterprise. He's one of our newer freebooters; one of the best.
He'll accommodate you from here.
I promise you this; I'll be in touch, soon, Flora. The seeds are germinating, if you get my drift.
To: Flora From: Friedrich Kruger Subject: Re: Whirlwind
Heh, fair enough, Flora. You’ve got me thereno self-respecting Unioner would waste their time digging through junk piles. We build, we fly, and when we tear something apart, it’s for parts that still *matter.*
As for the Whirlwind… *ja,* I still remember the first time I laid eyes on her. Fasziniert that’s the right word. There’s something about the way she dances in the storm, all that raw power wrapped in grace. Reminds me why I ever took to the stars in the first place.
Business? Steady enough. Convoys still need protection, and certain “interests” in Hamburg keep the credits *credits, not Rheinland ones, danke schön* flowing for the right jobs. You know how it goes: same game, different captains.
But tell me, *Fräulein Flora*, what brings you out here again? Nostalgia? Or did fate toss our paths together for another bit of trouble?
Mit Respekt, Friedrich Kruger
Unioner Freibeuter, Alster Division
Transmission Ended
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
Word travels through old relays slower than light, but a lot safer. We have not forgotten you : the Gaians quiet allies in a universe that's too loud and filled with greed. You guard what breathes; we guard what builds. Both under the same boot.
Good to hear the Whirlwind still holds. She was never made for peace that MOX core sings like a slightly humming Solarpanel, and her hull wears every story she’s earned. Built honest, and that’s more than you can say for most ships in Sirius.
Out here, survival’s the only constant. The Tanner Belt feeds us rust, the Corsairs feed us artifacts, and every torch we light cuts another link from Rheinland’s chains.
If you ever need hullwork, clean plates, or a quiet cargo refit, Pacifica’s doors stay open just don’t track soil into the airlocks; our Kolleg/innen already choke on the fumes.
Stay sharp among the green, Flora. Die Leere may be cold, but it doesn’t lie.
Beste Grüße,
Amtierender Schiffswerftmeister auf Pacifica
Otto Krämer
Uplink Signal: STABLE
Datenübertragung beendet...
Facility Commander: Otto Krämer Station Designation: Pacifica Base / Riss-Class Encryption Level: External– Sigma-4
From: Flora, Gaians To: Unioners of Pacifica Encryption: Yes Subject: Catching up
Arbeiter Riehl.
I'm glad to hear I am yet to become too wrinkly to talk to. And I'm sorry if my communication gave off the wrong impression, but I am not quite that freelance. The Guard is no more, sadly, but I have the Eye and the Shield on my uniform all the same. Guard or no, the Gaians at large are thriving, that I can tell you. Edinburgh is free of the Gallic curse, the Insurgency is dead and buried and our ranks have swelled like never before. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, of course, but we can hardly complain.
That being said, I do find it prudent to mention that Pacifica and Skye have hardly become any closer. In the physical dimension, I mean. While we'd be glad to help the Unioners out in light of our past work together, our options are a little limited in this regard.
Still, let me know what you need, and we might be able to arrange something. It's only fair, given I'm reaching out for a favour myself. But I'll leave that with your man.
Freibeuter Kruger, Schiffswerftmeister Krämer.
I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm glad to hear the Unioners are doing well. It seems to be all the same across the sector, in way. We get to breathe, in peace, now that all the wars are finally over. But I digress.
Mister Kruger, I suppose the answer to your question is a little bit of both. I mentioned the Whirlwind for a good reason. She has served us well in the years since her commissioning, and that she serves us still is a testament to Unioner worksmanship. And it just so happens that Unioner worksmanship is what I am in need of. And maybe a drydock to go with it.
A couple of my friends have come to be in posession of a Bulwark class. Once a smuggler, or so the Junkers told us. Got shot up real good while crossing the Glenridding. The crew managed to limp back to Trafalgar, where they promptly ditched the ship. It is now in our hands. Far as our own technicians can asses, the ship's broadside was chewed up by at least five Witherer salvos, with a nice helping of Nova torpedoes to go with it. We've been able to patch up the hull and the port engine well enough to get the ship mobile again, but that's about it. The reactor had to be ripped out wholesale, we're running it off a spare Percheron core at this point. The ship also needs a structural assessment from someone more familiar with the design than us.
And all of the above is why I am reaching out to you. Far as we are aware, it's your people, on Alster, producing these things for Bristol. We would like to get her flying again, but there is little more we can do. We are not familiar enough with the design to properly assess what needs work, and Torshavn firmly informed me they're out of suitable replacement cores. Normally we'd take this to Bristol directly, but they don't seem too fond of us. I can't imagine why.
Is this something you could help me out with? Not pro bono, of course.
Heh, that’s quite the story, Flora. Sounds like that Bulwark’s been through more hell than most pilots I know. Five Witherers and a few Novas? If she’s still holding together, that says plenty about the frame — and about your people keeping her alive this long. Respect for that.
You’re right, though. That’s our work.
Every weld, every bulkhead line on those ships — built by hands that learned their trade in the shadow of Alster. She’s Unioner steel through and through, even if the paperwork wears a Bristol signature.
If your crew’s managed to keep her mobile, you’ve already done the hardest part. As for the rest — yeah, we can help. I’ve got a few old hands here who know those hulls like the back of their calloused fingers. We can pull her apart, piece by piece, and make her whole again. Won’t be cheap, but it’ll be fair.
Reactor replacement’s a tougher ask, but we’ve got a few compatible Rheinland cores mothballed in storage. Not factory-new, but solid.
If your Percheron unit is still stable, we can use it to power diagnostics while we test-fit the replacement.
If you can get the ship to Pacifica or somewhere nearby, I’ll have a crew ready.
Or, if moving her isn’t safe yet, send us a full damage report and hull scan, and I’ll run an assessment from here before we risk a haul through open space.
Tell your people to hold steady — Unioner engineering doesn’t leave friends stranded.
We’ll see that she flies again.
Mit Gruß, Friedrich Kruger
Unioner Diplomatic Ambassador
Verbindung Stabil – Datenfluss Synchronisiert
Awaiting response from recipient...
✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
From: Flora, Gaians To: Unioners of Pacifica Encryption: Yes Subject: Catching up
Freibeuter Kruger.
The ship can be mobilized for the trip to Pacifica, but it will take us a few days to put her back together. I'll patch the captain in once she's underway.
In the meantime, we could talk rates, if you or Arbeiter Riehl have something in mind already?
Encrypted Uplink – Rheinland Worker’s Front Secure Transmission
-- FACILITY ACCESS PROTOCOL --
• Identifkation .............. Friedrich Kruger
• Location Sector ........... Pacifica Base / Bering
• Facility Class ............ Unioner Engineering Bay
• Encryption Level .......... INTERNAL
• Transmission Status ....... STABLE
• Authorized Personnel ....... Freibeuter Liaison Cell
▌ LOG ▐
Understood, Flora no need to rush her. Getting a ship like that back on her feet deserves proper care, not shortcuts.
About the rates... let’s say this: Unioners don’t work off corporate price lists. We base things on effort, material, and the bonds between those who actually *build* and *fly.*
If your people can supply some of the raw material alloys, power conduits, anything salvageable we can cut down the cost considerably.
For a full rebuild and reactor alignment, we’d normally look at something around the mid five-digit range in standard credits depending on how deep the structural work goes. But I’d rather not pin it down until we inspect the ship together.
How about we meet in person on Davos base in Zurich system?
We’ll sit down over a drink, go through the schematics, and settle the details properly. It’s always better to look someone in the eye when you’re talking about work like this.
Mit Gruß, Friedrich Kruger
Unioner Diplomatic Ambassador
✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
From: Flora, Gaians To: Unioners of Pacifica Encryption: Yes Subject: Catching up
Freibeuter Kruger.
Zurich is... Not ideal. It'd require us to either brave the Omega frontlines or pass through Gallia, neither of which is particularly feasible at the moment.
However, my current duties brought me to the Independent Worlds. If it's acceptable to you, I'd rather make the jaunt through southern Liberty and see you on Pacifica instead.
Encrypted Uplink – Rheinland Worker’s Front Secure Transmission
-- 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 Foreign Affairs Office
▌ LOG ▐
Understood, Flora. Zurich was merely a suggestion I agree, it’s far from ideal considering the current patrol patterns and tensions along the Omega corridors.
Pacifica, on the other hand, sounds far more practical... and safer for both of us.
It’s a neutral enough ground, and I can make sure we have a private berth secured for your arrival away from curious ears and unnecessary attention.
What time frame are you working with?
Once I know when you can make the trip, I will ensure that docking clearance and security arrangements are in place.
I looking forward to meeting you in person and finally discussing the matter face-to-face, rather than through encrypted channels.
Mit Gruß, Friedrich Kruger
Unioner Diplomatic Corps
Pacifica Base – Bering System
✶✶✶ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED ✶✶✶
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's outlawed trade unions, determined to take the underworld for themselves.)
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