I know this is premature, but I'll forget the idea if I wait for 4.86.

As we all know from Igiss' Tau update, Bretonia and Kusari stop fighting after the Gallic invasion. This leaves POWs from both sides stranded in the other's house. Bretonia needs experienced pilots to fight the GRN, and Kusari needs pilots to recover its losses in terms of manpower from the brief Gallic-Kusari War. Because a new Kusari government is in power, the Kusari government is more open to negotiating with Bretonia. A secret agreement is made; Kusari and Bretonian prison transports meet in remote parts of Tau and swap prisoners.
At first the exchanges go smoothly, then GRN intelligence begins to suspect something.

Here's the set up:

1) Presumably, the GRN don't really want to start a war with two houses at once. This puts them in a odd situation because if they want to stop the convoys they'll need to use force. At the same time, Kusari doesn't want to have to fight a one sided war to retaliate for the convoy attacks. Therefore, the Gallic ships will be disguised a mercenary ships. The KNF know that they are Gallic, but don't make it official to avoid the war. (Similar to how Russians helped the Koreans and Vietnamese, but the U.S. didn't make it official to avoid a potentially nuclear war.)

2) The KNF and BAF will negotiate a meeting place somewhere in Tau. Because the Zoners are involved it could potentially be a Freeport (if Zoners are willing). The GRN won't know where it is but have to ask "bystanders" and use superior numbers to search the area. So the event becomes a race against time.

3) If/When the GRN finds the convoy, a fight ensues. If all the defending escorts are destroyed, the transports drop the prisoners and retreats. (The prisoners are captured by the GRN.) If the GRN lose, the exchange happens normally.

Of course, the event depends on a few things. First, the KNF and BAF inRP must be willing to collaborate. Also, the GRN must not want a war with Kusari. Some faction leader input would be nice.

Discuss!

EDIT: Typos fixed

Any Kusari Samurai would rather die then be captured by the enemy and dishonor his family. I am sure that any that were captured would take the first opportunity to commit ritual suicide. As such, the BAF has no Samurai to return to Kusari.

Cracking idea for a good bit of rp. Im all in for this one, assuming of course no-one drops a big heavy spanner in the works

***Incoming Transmission***

why in the world would Kusari want their pilots Back? i understand why the Brets want their pilots bc they have no Honor. As for the KIF and the men and women we lost in battle well, we lost them they have died in Honor for the Empire. Any prisoners kept by the brets would Rather die in cells then return with dishonor. This is the Kusari way, so i dont know who is in charge now but maybe stick to the Kusari tradition i know we will always and forever.

"die trying or dont try at all"

As commander of KIF we will not support this Event.

***Transmission Out***

There are prisoners sold on Bretonian battleship bases, which seems to suggest there are prisoners from somewhere. (Maybe Gaians/Mollies)

Zelot = Spanner in the works

(changed, as promised)

Zelot is the monkey wrench in the works.

this makes no sence?

The Kusari aren't stupid. They know Gallia will turn its attention to other powers in Tau after they subjugate Bretonia. They need veteran pilots to fight and train new recruits.

Although the Kusari consensus seems to be against the idea of KNF POWs at all.

It's more the way the nation of Japan, which Kusari is based on, has historically treated the issue of POW's.

You're a jerk Zelot. A jerk jerk jerk jerk jerk!

*runs off crying*

*goes to read king rat*

Well if they dont thier pilots back what about all the civvies on Stokes and Glasgow? surely they would want them back. Or should they all fall on thier swords as well!

But, certainly, not every soldier serving Kusari is also a member of it's Samurai caste, right? Officers may or may not surrender, but enlisted grunts tend to have different notions about the concept of a honorable death. Also, mind you that not everybody rendered unable to fight is also killed in action. In WW2, there were quite a few Japanese soldiers who were simply knocked out or heavily wounded by taking a shot in a non-critical location, concussions, etc - the Pacific Theater was brutal (to say the least), but the Allies still took some POWs, some of which even cooperated with their captors later. Now, that's ground and not space combat, but I'm sure not every Kusarian soldier has his escape pod deactivated (and when a Kusarian battleship is going down, not everybody is willing to "sink" with his ship). If you're interested, I'm sure we could work something out that'd leave the honor of the Kusarian Samurais intact.

As for the GRN - I can't speak about the rest of High Command, but I, RPing the chief of it's black ops/intel/secret police branch would very much like participating in this event.