| Bielefeld Base | |
| Owner | |
| Bundschuh | |
| Location | |
| G-5/6, Sigma-15 |
CLASS: Von Claussen
GRAVITY: Complete
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: Unknown
The Bundschuh are believed to have been the first to discover Sigma-15, after stumbling into the system through the Frankfurt Jump Hole in the early 810s. The following decade saw the arrival of Rheinland surveyors, prompting the Bundschuh to abandon their temporary camps on Hammersee after they attracted corporate attention. Bielefeld was originally a Kruger gas miner, intended to harvest the Nordsee Cloud’s valuable gasses during the Saigon War. The unprofitable miner was abandoned on the war’s end, with the Bundschuh occupying it as a supply depot in early 827 AS.
Bielefeld’s transports currently source fuel and materiel from Freeport 8, Newport Station and even sympathetic sources within Kusari and the GMG -- Bundschuh agents hailing from the station also often use the nearby Luxury Liner Hawaii to discreetly meet potential financiers and influential supporters. As the movement’s requirements expand, the Bundschuh have attempted to initiate gas mining of their own, however a lack of experience and industrial machinery have significantly impaired operations.
In recent years, Bielefeld has become increasingly important as a front line against the Corsairs. This came to a head in 832 AS, as the Corsair Northern Fleet poured into the system to muster for an invasion of Rheinland. Despite urgent warnings issued by the Bundschuh, the Hessians were unable to respond, being fully occupied with the Rheinland Military’s offensive in Dresden. While Bundschuh fighters have neither the strength or numbers to face the Corsairs directly, they have wrecked a devastating toll on the invasion force’s supply lines, preventing them from bringing their full strength to bear on Frankfurt and Dresden.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
| Missions |
Commodities
| Exports | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dromedary | Freighter | 24,266$ |
| Border Worlds Transport | Transport | 416,006$ |
| Rheinland Blackmarket Frigate | Frigate | 1,337,466$ |
News
| [835 AS] Corsairs repulsed from northern Rheinland |
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BIELFELD -- 835 -- Over recent years, the Bundschuh have been instrumental in cutting Corsair supply lines in Sigma-15 and Frankfurt, relieving pressure on the Red Hessians of Dresden. Our agents on Bielfeld reported a large force departing Petra Base in Sigma-15 in an attempt to rescue the Battlecruiser Penitence in Frankfurt. Our hunch that this was the base garrison paid off, as our raiding force and GMG reinforcements found the outpost effectively deserted. Our torpedoes detonated their fuel stores, avenging Zwickau and slamming the door on Corsair ambitions in northern Rheinland. |
| [834 AS] Hamburg Blast charges dismissed |
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HAMBURG -- 834 -- The trial against Matthias Schnider and Wolfgang Kohler has dramatically collapsed. MND investigators blindsided prosecutors with a report that discredited a key Bundschuh dossier as “forgeries and fabrications”, instead accusing Unioner bomb-maker Sabrina Herz. Protests erupted across Planet Hamburg in the aftermath, accusing the MND of a “whitewash” that denied justice to the thousands of victims. Baron Schnider has formally resigned his Hamburg University tenure, to avoid “generating distracting controversy”. |
| [834 AS] New brigades take the fight to the Corsairs |
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VOGTLAND -- 834 -- The Corsair attack in Dresden has been blunted and now the tide appears to be turning. They scurry and hide in the Schwefelnebel, only launching sorties to attack soft targets. They’re on the back foot, and the Zuschen’s raid on Corsair rear lines has successfully drawn off their reinforcements. It’s time we put these invaders to the sword: two Brigade groups are enveloping the Penitence’s suspected location. The newly reconstituted Fichtel Brigade will advance from the Bautzen direction using up-armored miners as a battering ram, while the Steiner Brigade enters the Schwefelnebel from the north. The Corsairs will be forced to flee before the Frankfurt Jump Hole is cut off, or commit to a decisive battle on our terms. |
| [834 AS] Seeds of discontent sprouting in Stuttgart? |
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STUTTGART -- 834 -- The LWB collapsed a decade ago, only knitting itself back together with support from Kusari's Farmer’s Alliance. While the LWB were initially grateful for these foreign patrons, discontent appears to be growing. The FA imposed its own officers on the LWB, and has been calling the shots since. One anonymous LWB pilot bitterly complained that the FA “only care about stopping Synth exports to Kusari”, with Rheinland farmers a distant afterthought. This tension has come to the forefront after Kusari commanders prohibited the LWB from targeting Gallic food imports. While the competition has damaged Synth Foods, it has also driven Stuttgart’s remaining independent farmers to breaking point. |
| [834 AS] Imperial Shipping culpable for Hamburg Blast |
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TENNSTEDT BASE -- 834 -- Bundschuh agents have obtained caches of academic correspondence, research notes and cargo invoices dating back to at least 824 AS. Imperial Shipping funded Scientists to carry out illegal research into Artifacts and Xeno Relics, in a foolish attempt to reverse-engineer technologies that could upend the balance of power in Sirius. This blind pursuit of profit has backfired with fatal consequences for the people of Hamburg. What remains unclear is how the Blast is linked to the simultaneous explosion of the Battleship Kolleda, and the weapon the MND had been meddling with. We will continue to investigate alongside our partners in The Order. |
| [832 AS] Bundschuh avenge Bautzen murders |
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NEW BERLIN -- 832 -- After the brutality of the Civil War, we embraced peace and -- despite severe misgivings -- the chance to steer the new state through political discourse. Despite this, promised democratic reforms failed to arrive, while officials turned a blind eye to violence inflicted on our candidates. The final straw came with the invasion of Dresden and the cold blooded murder of Bautzen Station’s crew by the Strausberg fleet. We have now ended the life of the treacherous Admiral Schmid, however it is clear that this state cannot be reasoned with in good faith. The Federal Empire combines the worst impulses of the Republic with the incestuous corruption of the Old Empire. One solution remains: wipe it away and start anew. |
| [832 AS] Rheinland axes Rho project |
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ALABAMA -- 832 -- Rheinland has formally cut its losses and axed the ongoing Jump Gate construction between Sigma-15 and Omicron Rho. EFL Oil & Machinery has repeatedly hiked costs and pushed back completion estimates since 828 AS, blaming sabotage and rampant piracy. The Gallic corporation has steadfastly maintained that the dark matter cloud transiting between Sigma-15 and Rho poses no risk to the project, but Rheinland experts have now conclusively proved the jump connection would be obstructed. Unwilling to risk a Dallas-style disaster, Rheinland has terminated the contract on safety grounds -- to The Core’s dismay. |
| [831 AS] Jump Hole Upheaval Causes Chaos |
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HEISENBERG -- 831 AS -- Jump holes across Sirius have become increasingly volatile and chaotic over the last year, with Professor Sophia Nagel from the Heisenberg Research Station linking the unusual phenomena to the Pulse. The Pulse was an unprecedented blast of hyperspace energy that was detected immediately prior to last year's Jump Gate Blackout. Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off. While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes. |
| [828 AS] Holstein Accords reunite Rheinland |
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HOLSTEIN -- 828 AS -- Imperialist and Federalist leaders have been locked in fierce negotiations in the weeks since the Thuringian Mutiny. A joint decree has now been issued by the “Consensus Government of the Rheinland Federal Empire”, ending the Civil War. This establishes a power sharing protocol, forcing future governments to include representatives from both ideological blocs. The autonomy of system governments has also been restored, along with a slate of constitutional revisions and the re-institution of the Reichstag. The Federalists have conceded the argument over the office of the Emperor, who will soon be formally nominated for life by the Imperial Convention of elector-princes. |
| [828 AS] Thuringian Mutiny - an end to war? |
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THURINGIA -- 828 -- A mass mutiny has paralyzed the front in Thuringia, provoked by the enormous casualties suffered by each side. The Imperialists had consolidated their remaining forces in Hamburg, using Unioner guides for a final push on Thuringia. The “final battle” was inconclusive, making a prolonged bloodbath inevitable. The two fleets then separated, as forward elements powered down their weapons. The mutiny spread, with political officers being arrested by their own crews in some instances. This uneasy impasse has now persisted for a number of days -- it seems leaders may be forced to the table to negotiate a solution. |
| [827 AS] The devil you know |
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BRUCHSAL -- 827 -- A coup has toppled the Federal government in an attempt to restore the wretched Empire our ancestors fought to remove. The Federal Republic was a corrupt perversion of the ideals of the Popular Revolution. Unfortunately, this new Empire already promises to be far worse, by crushing democratic institutions, conducting murderous orbital strikes on New Berlin, and eliminating the devolved governance of the Systems. We have agreed a truce with Federal forces to focus on this greater threat. Despite this, we must remember the betrayal after the Popular Revolution: we temporarily share an enemy, however the Federalists must not be allowed to learn of our bases or networks of agents. |
| [827 AS] Rheinland government flees military putsch |
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PLANET NEW BERLIN -- 827 AS -- Rheinland’s government has been spirited away by loyalist troops aboard the newly launched Carrier Saar, narrowly avoiding an attempted Imperialist coup d'etat. The Reichstag has been occupied by masked soldiers, and Progressive Members arrested -- Frederick von Albrecht has declared himself Emperor and announced the body’s dissolution. Chaos has spread across New Berlin as citizens take to the streets to either support or oppose the Imperialist power grab, forming improvised militia battalions. Bloody fighting has broken out across Planets New Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart. |
| [827 AS] Imperialist rioters attempt coup? |
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PLANET HAMBURG -- 827 AS -- Disorder in Bahrenfeld City has continued to spread. Federal Police have declared a state of emergency as Imperial militias begin to direct mobs against planetary authorities. Attacks have been launched against Federal buildings, with the mayor of Rotherbaum taken hostage. Authorities have requested immediate Military assistance to arrest local Imperialist ringleaders. The Carrier Soltau has arrived in Hamburg orbit and ordered RFP ships to stand down with immediate effect. Unconfirmed reports allege troops from the Soltau have arrested the planetary governor for “crimes against the Rheinland people”. |
| [827 AS] Attempted assassination sparks crisis |
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PLANET HAMBURG -- 827 AS -- Fredrick von Albrecht has been central to the recent turmoil in Rheinland. The socialite is the last remaining heir to the defunct Rheinland throne, and has acted as a lightning rod for the increasingly revanchist rhetoric of Imperialist parties. Albrect broadcast his own inflammatory speech after the Bundschuh legalization motion, calling for the dissolution of the Reichstag. Seemingly in response, Albrecht’s Hamburg residence was set alight. He has since called his supporters to protect him from state assassination attempts. Federal Police have opened an investigation into Albrecht for fraud and inciting violence. |
| [827 AS] Reichstag chaos over Bundschuh legalization |
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NEW BERLIN -- 827 -- Chancellor Neumann has introduced legislation to the Reichstag on the legalization of the Bundschuh, one of the concessions made to Progressive parties for their support. The motion sparked pandemonium after Representative Biermann of Hamburg crossed party divisions to attack Representative Riese of New Berlin. After the session was adjourned, Biermann took to the neural net to broadcast an inflammatory speech claiming Neumann was a “traitor who should be shot”. Progressives denounced the entire Imperialist bloc as anti-democratic terrorists; the RFP have opened an investigation into the matter. |
| [827 AS] Collision halts traffic in Sigma-15 |
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SIGMA-15 - 827 - Traffic was temporarily halted after a collision between a Republican Shipping transport and Core freighter. The Republican vessel had attempted to dock with the wrong side of the Trade Lane near the Frankfurt Jump Gate, when it was struck by the Core convoy. The RFP have confirmed that several individuals were taken to medical facilities on Planet Holstein with severe but non-life threatening injuries. EFL Oil & Machinery offered no specific comment on the incident, other than to reiterate that the right-side entry to the Trade Lane system was clearly signposted and should be safely accessed through the automated docking computer. |
| [826 AS] Reichstag divided in elections |
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NEW BERLIN -- 826 -- Public disillusionment over the Hudson and Saigon Wars have devastated Rheinland’s traditional parties, losing seats to more radical, upstart groupings in recent elections. The biggest winners have been “imperialist” parties espousing nostalgia for the old Rheinland Empire, and progressive parties calling for a radical expansion of the Workers Rights Convention and the curtailing of corporate freedoms. Chancellor Neumann narrowly retained minority control of the Reichstag by offering several embarrassing concessions to a coalition of larger, Progressive parties who would not support each other’s candidates. |
| [825 AS] Hammersee faces uncertain future |
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HAMERSEE -- 825 -- Administrators of Sigma-15's Hammersee colony have announced that the project faces insolvency within a matter of months unless the government urgently intervenes to provide a bailout. Daumann blames repeated attacks by the Gas Miner's Guild and Kusari Office of Intelligence for the troubles, which include mounting debts, cargo losses, and a plummeting workforce retention rate. Thousands moved to Hammersee after being evacuated from Planet Nuremberg in Munich, however many of these emigrants have since departed after facing unexpectedly harsh conditions. The safe harbor of Freeport 8 has attracted many of these people, due its neutrality in the ongoing war with Kusari. |
| [825 AS] Evacuation order issued for Munich |
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MUNICH -- 825 -- A formal evacuation notice has been issued for the entirety of Munich, after researchers confirmed the Dark Matter storm was on a trajectory to consume the entire system. The population of Planet Nuremberg has crashed since the storm's initial arrival in 821 AS, with the planet rapidly becoming the most dangerous and lawless destination in Rheinland. Gangs of looters and slavers have exploited the chaos, despite the best efforts of the Battleship Regensburg to maintain order. The Rheinland government is now offering seats on evacuation transports to Hammersee and Holstein for the remaining residents trapped in the system. |
| [824 AS] Dresden liberated from corporate oppression |
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BAUTZEN -- 824 -- Bundschuh agents have landed on Bautzen Station after Kruger and Rheinland Military vessels withdrew. Owing to continued pressure applied by revolutionary forces, Kruger fled, stripping most of the station's facilities. While our occupation was not directly contested, the station was partially damaged by demolition charges. Thankfully, several of these charges were delayed due to defects, allowing engineers to make them safe. The Bundschuh have begun the process of jointly fortifying the base with the Red Hessians, in preparation for its planned use as a distribution warehouse for Dresden-produced goods. This will to some extent reduce Rheinland revolutionaries' dependence on groups like the Junkers for certain supplies. |
| [821 AS] Zwickau opens new front in Dresden |
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ZWICKAU DEPOT -- 821 -- In partnership with Red Hessian allies, the Bundschuh movement has established Zwickau Depot in Dresden’s Schwefelnebel. It is strategically located to strike Military reinforcements traveling between the New Berlin minefield and Bautzen Station, allowing us to maintain pressure on the Rheinland occupiers. Zwickau is also ideally placed to distribute locally harvested resources to revolutionary causes throughout Rheinland. We also hope to convince the Hessians to allow us to facilitate mineral sales to our contacts in the Sigmas for fundraising purposes. Through the Bundschuh’s efforts, Dresden shall soon be the first truly free system in Rheinland, and the seed from which a new Popular Revolution can bloom. |
| [818 AS] Dresden capture proceeding smoothly |
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VOGTLAND -- 818 -- Years of careful planning and preparation have borne fruit with the conquest of Dresden. A lightning strike on Pirna found the RFP unprepared and quickly eliminated. This cleared the main body of our attack force to isolate and board Leipzig. Daumann appears to have known which way the wind was blowing, as the station had already been stripped of any reasonably portable plant machinery. The corporate lapdogs of the Rheinland Military have dug in around Bautzen Station and laid a defensive minefield around the New Berlin Jump Gate. It is only a matter of time until Kruger’s will breaks and they too abandon Bautzen. Then Rheinland will have nothing to fight for, and will withdraw the Altenburg -- the system and its remaining wealth will be ours. |
| [808 AS] Hamburg University restricts research access |
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ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 808 -- Hamburg University has announced a change to its publication process. Academics from other institutions will now need to subscribe to a ‘commercial affiliates’ program managed by Republican Shipping to gain access to the university’s papers for peer review or research. Objections have been raised by New Berlin and Cambridge Universities, who argue that the move threatens academic freedom and scientific rigor. Hamburg University was bailed out by Republican Shipping three years ago when the institution faced imminent bankruptcy. Republican's Academic Investments Office say the fees schedule will subsidize "innovative research" and "push forward novel paradigms". |
| [806 AS] MND director dismissed |
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NEW BERLIN -- 806 -- Anonymous government sources allege Director Von Claussen of the MND has been dismissed over a "fatal conflict of interest". The decorated war hero was appointed as the fledgling agency's first leader and given a mandate to purge Rheinland of the traitors who facilitated the Colony Wars. It is believed that this work led to a severe breakdown in relations with the Rheinland Military, who bore the brunt of the resulting purges. The Rheinland government have refused to comment on the situation; Director Von Claussen himself was unavailable for comment. |
| [808 AS] Successful strike eliminates Nomad parasite |
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BRUSCHAL -- 808 -- Our friends in The Order again provided intelligence about a Nomad Infiltrator -- this time Republican Shipping CEO Klaus Schulze. The MND had uncharacteristically taken Schulze alive after raiding his Planet Nuremberg bunker -- something the Nomads would not allow unless it furthered their plans. Our own sources provided the dates and times for the convoy that would ship Schulze to a government facility in Thuringia. Following a surgical strike by Bundschuh squadrons, the Armored Transport and its escorts were destroyed. We have protected the MND from their own worst impulses - the Nomads are an influence they do not understand and cannot be trusted to contain. Leaving Schulze in their custody could only have ended in disaster. |
| [805 AS] Republican bails out Hamburg University |
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ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 805 -- Hamburg University has narrowly avoided bankruptcy after negotiating a financing deal with Republican Shipping. The University's public funding was recently removed as a part of the "difficult decisions” made by the government to stave off financial collapse. Republican is believed to have appointed itself as a “corporate guardian” for the institution, providing funding in exchange for exclusive rights to commercially exploit any resulting intellectual property. Republican representatives have confirmed that the investment forms part of the company’s broader plan to revitalize the Hamburg economy. |
| [803 AS] Driven to desperation |
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NEW BERLIN -- 803 -- As Rheinland falls further into economic crisis, many face financial ruin. Desperation has driven political radicalism and crime. Where tens of thousands of Military personnel were laid off in the aftermath of the Colony Wars, huge numbers of trained pilots have found themselves unemployed. As local corporations stop recruiting, some have turned to the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, however many have resorted to the Bundschuh, Red Hessians and Unioners. The RFP has already noted a sharp increase in criminal activity across Rheinland and the surrounding border worlds. |
| [803 AS] Bundschuh strike the Nomad menace |
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BADEN BADEN -- 803 -- Our forces today struck another blow against the Nomad threat in Rheinland. We had long suspected that their puppets were not limited to senior government and military officials, but extended to corporate facilitators too. Exhaustive investigations traced CEO Wolfgang Daumann to an isolated compound on Baden Baden. Our strike team successfully infiltrated the facility, confirming Daumann's infection. Shortly before the team was wiped out, Commander Dietrich detonated a bomb, destroying all present. These heroes of Rheinland will be forever remembered for their sacrifice. |
| [802 AS] Friends or threats in high places? |
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BRUCHSAL -- 802 -- We have learned that Herr Von Claussen has been appointed as the first director of the newly formed MND. The appointment to this senior Federal office has been met with trepidation by some, given Von Claussen’s close knowledge of Bundschuh operations and bases. Despite this, we would urge calm. Von Claussen is a hero of the Nomad War, and a close friend to the Bundschuh. While our contribution to Rheinland’s survival is unlikely to ever be publicly recognized, Von Claussen witnessed our sacrifice first hand. A Federal director who covertly supports our cause of a just and free Rheinland is an asset indeed. |
| [801 AS] Kusari imposes embargo on Rheinland |
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NEW TOKYO -- 801 -- Shogun Edo has announced that a full economic embargo of Rheinland will be imposed by Kusari due to the outrages of the Colony Wars. Liberty’s President Jacobi has taken a leading role in mediation between Rheinland and the other Houses, with the Provisional Rheinland Government offering a message of condolence to the Kusari people for the actions of the toppled previous regime. Despite this, Kusari has remained resolute that no normalization of relations will be considered until full reparations are made for the devastation in Honshu and New Tokyo, and the many crimes Kusari alleges were perpetrated there. |
| [801 AS] Rheinland ends all hostilities |
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FULDA -- 801 -- With the disappearance of Chancellor Niemann and the installation of the Liberty-backed Provisional Rheinland Government, an immediate cessation of all hostilities has been ordered. Rheinland forces have begun withdrawals on all fronts. Reports from Kusari have confirmed that the Northern Fleet has retreated from New Tokyo and Honshu, however it has not returned to Rheinland or recognized the authority of the PRG. Government sources believe the fleet may have deserted, with Rheinland's remaining loyalist security forces being ordered to high-alert as a precaution against pro-Niemann coup attempts. |