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True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Pinko - 03-25-2016
![[Image: UnionerLogo.png]](http://discoverygc.com/wiki/images/e/e0/UnionerLogo.png)
"Remember the Alster!"
Faction name: True Alster Union
Tag: TAU|
ID/IFF: Unioner
Primary Objective: Undermining Republican Shipping
Second Objective: Removal of the Xenos within the Border Worlds
Tertiary Objective: Expansion of influence through the black markets of Sirius
ZoI: As defined by the Unioner ID
Tech: As defined by the Unioner ID
PROLOGUE
Ancient Unioners are today known as an old outlaw group composed of dispossessed Rheinland shipyard workers who engaged in brutal reprisals, chiefly against Republican Shipping. According to the researches conducted for the modern history of Rheinland, expansion into the Independent Worlds changed the agenda of most Unioners from terrorism to piracy and dismantled the already feeble chain of organization with every individual spreading around the universe in quest of his personal passion.
Depressed with the disappointing results of their former alliance with the Corsairs and trying to maintain neutral relations with the entire outlaw organizations of Rheinland, the Unioners are one of the few pirate factions, which refused to pick a side in the Hispanic conflict taking place between the Outcasts and Corsairs.
Born over 120 years ago in the Hamburg system, subsequent to the Eighty Years War, the Unioner movement was created from dispossessed Alster shipyard workers, formerly members of the infamous Alster Union, formed in 521 A.S due to a catastrophic accident aboard the aforesaid shipyard that cost the lives of several hundred shipyard workers. Imperial Shipping, Republican Shipping's direct ancestor and the shipyard's owner, concerned itself little with such trifling details as worker health and safety, rationalizing that the occasional life pension or widow's compensation was nothing compared to the sum to be made from constant productivity.
The Alster Union was formed to improve working conditions for the Hamburgers aboard Alster and later on neighboring station Altona. The skills required to work aboard either station were highly specialized and quite esoteric at the time, and so the Union rapidly established dominance over its employers with benefits and bonuses pouring in, while Hamburg's industry began to change.
The Union, over the centuries, attained so many government subsidies and concessions from Imperial Shipping that labor and production aboard the Hamburg shipyard and aboard Altona were no longer viable - Imperial could no longer compete with the Kusari shipbuilding giants of Samura and Kishiro, and plummeted into financial deficits. Though the Eighty Years War's onset led to a dramatic increase in spacecraft demand, its conclusion, not to mention the Rheinwehr's shattering defeat at the Battle of the Yanagi Cloud, meant that Imperial (rechristened Republican after the Rheinland government was vanquished) was paying for a colossal worker horde without producing anything at marketable prices.
Republican no longer needed its workers - their highly specialized skills had initially led to the Alster Union's great strength - and so it callously disposed of them. Thousands of laborers were cast out to starve to death, any and all concessions to employees were immediately repealed, and the dockworkers of Hamburg were sold into slavery by the corporation they had once had by the throat, in similar, if not worse, conditions as two hundred years previously.
A more radically-minded contingent of the unemployed shipyard workers - at the turn of the century, Hamburg's unemployment rate had topped 30%, a ridiculous figure even by the standards of the corrupted Rheinland government - resolved that, if the soulless Republican suits had left them to die, and if the impotent Rheinland cabinet would let the corporation do as it pleased, they'd simply alter their fates themselves. Thus were the Unioners created.
DIVISION ERA
Though initially a comparatively small organization, similar to the beginnings of the LWB thirty years later, Unioner membership skyrocketed after the Popular Revolt of 703 A.S., during which Rheinland's industrial heart finally stopped its beat after years of weakening. Many more downtrodden throughout Rheinland realized their government's incompetence and incapability and their employers' Orwellian dictatorships - all for the sake of profit - and cast off their shackles to fight for independence. Yet again, ex-Republican employees, particularly Alster and Altona shipyard workers, formed the majority of the new Unioner recruits. Many Daumann and Kruger miners, for example, left to form the Hessians, while students at the New Berlin university created the Bundschuh. Every industrial or economic sector in Rheinland had its revolters - the ranks of the populists swelled, and the Unioners grew mightier.
A NEW HOME
When the first cell of Unioners rebelled and left Hamburg with a fiery farewell (in the form of a series of gravometric mines planted in the Alster docking bays), they needed a semi-permanent base of operations to launch their (remarkably brutal) reprisals against Republican and others. Freeport 2 in Bering tempted them (Freeport 2 had originally been a Republican supply depot, a fact many Unioners found amusing), and there they went. After twenty years of residence there, Freeport 2's Zoner owners had had enough and they issued the Unioners an ultimatum to get off their base.
The Unioners, having grown comfortable in Bering, decided to leave the base, but not the system so they carved their own base, Pacifica, out of a sizeable asteroid in the western Tanner Field. Pacifica counts as one of Sirius' most well-hidden pirate bases; though located in a comparatively small system, it's out-of-the-way enough to remain completely invisible at long range, and is concealed among hundreds and hundreds of similar asteroids, as the Tanner Field covers all of Bering. The system's moody lighting, due to its yellow sun, lends Pacifica a tranquil, untroubled setting - quite at odds with its murderous inhabitants.
STRIFE FOR DOMINANCE
The Unioners have been vicious and unprincipled, as they relentlessly launch terrorist strikes of unparalleled brutality, even by Rheinland pirates' generous standards, against targets of opportunity throughout Rheinland - their arch-nemesis Republican Shipping and their points of origin, Alster Shipyard and Altona Station in Hamburg, are known as their favorite victims.
The Unioners finance themselves, outside of the aggressive piracy and theft they are notorious for, by dominating Liberty-Rheinland Diamond smuggling - they run said Diamonds from Kreuzberg to Dawson, occasionally even further. The Xenos have been trying to encroach on Unioner routes for years and years, without any success to speak of. The Unioners have come into frequent conflicts with the Red Hessians over Diamond supremacy throughout the years - their relation have always been a precarious one at best, and Unioner incursions into Dresden to pilfer Diamonds off the books have been met by savage Hessian attacks.
Though the Unioners succeed to remain dominant in the Independent Worlds smuggling trade, they have nearly always been forced off Hessian turf, and the Hessians retain control of Diamond sources outside of Junker bases. Unioner provisions are primarily pilfered off of trade convoys (as always, preferably those of Republican) throughout their zone of influence, although Kreuzberg in New Berlin supplies them with H-Fuel and Side Arms.
The Unioners also put their hereditary ship-building skills to work for them, producing Basic Alloys.
THE TRIBULATION
The seventeen years that passed since the Nomad War have marked a time of tribulation and change for the Unioner movement. Though originally idealists and terrorists, many a Unioner degenerated into nothing more than a pirate, hijacking shipments in the Independent Worlds and throughout Rheinland indiscriminately. Membership haven't been on the rise since the years after the Popular Revolt; Rheinland's government, though still corrupt, have stabilized somewhat and began to crack down on its pirate problems. Republican and similar corporations also began to flourish again, with the exception of Kruger Minerals, which was slowly being pushed out by Daumann.
Events came to a head after the Nomad War - though this time of confusion presented a golden opportunity for recruitment, chaos and incompetent leadership within the faction, as well as the average Unioner losing sight of the organization's initial goal (however destructively implemented), led to the Unioners’ failure in taking advantage of Rheinland's dire situation and to its subsequent weakening. This also caused a vicious shattering among the ranks of the Workers Front which was formed and organized by an old BDM operative, Bernd Schuster - It is rumoured that Schuster lost his most trusted wingmen against a GMG battle group during a covert operation he was assigned to and accused some of the BDM operatives due to lack of precise intel, which resulted in his instant banishment from the organization - shortly after the infestation of Dresden with the emergence of Das Wilde.
NEUTRALITY
The notorious Outcast and Corsair Alliances throughout Sirius also dealt the Front a severe blow - initially betraying all its fellow Rheinland pirate factions, excepting the LWB, who distanced themselves from the conflict, by joining the Corsairs, the Unioners were consistently beaten back by its fellow unlawfuls with hardly any allied intervention. Unhappy with these results, the Unioners and remaining operatives of the Front aborted the alliance, thus alienating their erstwhile compatriots, and retreated from the war, attempting to maintain a position of distinct neutrality. This diplomatic bungling is also to be attributed, primarily, to lack of solid leadership.
LIBERTY-RHEINLAND EMBARGO ERA
Recent events that affected the Unioners aside from these include, most prominently, the Rheinland-Liberty trade embargo. This proved to be a double-edged sword - though trade throughout Bering is throttled, thereby necessitating the faction to move into Rheinland proper for piracy, so is the lawful presence, and the Unioners have proven to be capable of moving Dresden and Omega-11 Diamonds with unparalleled speed and precision. The organization of the Xenos under the Xeno Alliance, however, has lately begun to make the Xenos less gnats to be swatted and more of an actual contender.
Modern Unioners have quite lost sight of their ancestral objectives, aside from a desire to wreak havoc upon Rheinland's corporations for personal gain. Piracy and theft became primary goals, although the workers' rights problem remains in the consciousness of most faction members. Unioners are to be spotted much more frequently throughout Rheinland proper than they were two decades ago, and they started to intercept various life-giving House trade routes, prominently including the Diamond/Niobium run between The Ring and Planet New Tokyo.
Although the Unioners seemed to be receding more and more into the annals of Sirian history during the past decade, due to the Liberty-Rheinland trade embargo, diplomatic crises, and internal chaos and disorganization, recent developments indicated an upheaval within their ranks.
THE FIRST ALSTER UNION
After two decades of villainous deterioration among the Unioners of the Independent Worlds and Rheinland, a young Rheinwehr corporal stepped forth to alter this forsaken fate, which was destined to behold a corrupted phase of chaos.
This man, known only as Klar, after being released from custody on 811 A.S, began committing various acts of deeds including terrorism and piracy, as well as attempting to corrupt the governmental structure in a way that few could know. Despite the relentless efforts the Federal Police put forward to locate him, he managed to remain secret, labored for a new cause and constituted an opposition diplomatic movement against the fascist regime led by the chancellor of Rheinland.
Prior to the undergone embargo between the Rheinland and Liberty houses, he had an adequate amount of loyal partisans under the shelter of the Bundschuh. While the reason for this aid is still being disputed, some researchers claim that the Bundschuh agreed to provide arms for a new movement of Unioners after receiving an oath of protection and support for their diplomatic efforts.
Although Klar’s popularity was growing stronger among the new generation of Unioners, there was still an obstacle on his path before declaring total independence. The pirates of Pacifica were a hindrance for his plans, which made him decide to take over Alster by launching a surprise incursion from Bruchsal with a crowded group of his fanatics on 816 A.S.
Shaken by this unexpected bane of Alster, the military of Rheinland instantly dispatched half of their active battle groups from New Berlin to Hamburg in order to reclaim Alster. Until they reached there, Klar and his companions slew every reluctant person of Alster who declined to join their cause and retrieved anything valuable along with the Republican staff who obeyed them instead of being murdered. Klar succeeded in three important things with this movement. The military lost its reliability for a considerable period, Klar and his followers captured some vital information, stockpiles, and additional crewmen while the pirates of Pacifica were taunted in a way that they almost lost the last bits of hope to rebel against this new threat.
The military found nothing but a ruin and a resentful derelict of brutal carnage once they reached Alster. Klar pulled his blockade back to Bering as he knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the superior military but pushed forward to claim Pacifica and rid the remaining defiant pirates, some of whom fled before the followers came while a few called for emergency aid from the Zoners, but were shot instead because they had infiltrated the Freeport territory without authorization.
Pacifica, and shortly after the whole Tanner Belt, were claimed by Klar after seven hours of struggle, with history marking this triumphant generation as the Alster Union - this latest evolution commandeered from the corner stone of Unioners' roots. Despite the glory, Klar went missing after presumably leaving the management to one his most trusted subordinates.
The Union is still famed with its struggle to capture Alster back in Hamburg. There are also several rumours claiming that the Union are laboring for additional bases within the depths of Rheinland while the struggle for Alster is just a distraction to keep the military at bay as they complete their secret installations and settle there once and for all.
CONSOLIDATION - ARBEITERGEWERKSCHAFT
Among the various Rheinland revolutary movements, oft times called the RRA, the LWB and Unioners share a common arm. While the Bundschuh are the intellectuals and politicians and the Red Hessians have taken such politics and put them into deadly action, the latter two represent the common workers of Rheinland.
This alliance was not foreseen by many, even among those forward thinkers on Bruchsal. Years ago, in the early days of the LWB, the Red Hessians and the Unioners were closer to business rivals than allies. This stance has softened over time - at least among many members - running parallel to the LWB's rise from poorly equipped, untrained farmers to poorly equipped ex-farmers with minimal training. The two groups, Unioners and LWB, have understandably moved closer together in recent years, leading directly to an alliance in late 816.
In early 818, the undercurrent of unhappiness in the LWB, caused by a combination of their lack of true success (Synth Foods has continued to expand) as well as their maturing (from 25 years old in 800 to 42 in 817), finally broke the surface in the wake of the murder of influential leader Jens Wagner. Many - although certainly not all - in the movement demanded change to address their lack of success. Their voices were heard by the combination of Karl Furgen, who became famous after bombing his ranch after it was taken by Synth Foods in 800, and Erik von Heilbronn. In the aftermath of the Wagner murder, Furgen managed to get himself selected as his replacement and immediately began to make moves to both placate the membership at large as well as increase ties to fellow groups in Rheinland.
Shockingly to many, Furgen made an offer to a portion of the Alster Union. Many in the LWB, such as transport captain Karl Kuerbis, questioned his move, citing both the penchant for violence the Unioners were known for as well as Furgen's violent past, but he still continued to have enough support to move forward. Subsequently, most of the opposition have said they would support the move - for the moment - but would specifically *not change their stance on things*. The LWB leadership accepted this stance, even while hoping to encourage them further.
As to the Unioners, many of their people were also surprised by the offer and even more were suspicious. Afraid that they would change their ways, which they refused to do even in the face of the crisis that led to the building of Pacifica, there was significant opposition at first. Several high profile Unioners, however, thought this as an opportunity. Karen Blume, for instance, suggested such moves as a way to help regain support for the Unioners which was lost in their short lived flirtations with the Corsairs in years past. It would also give some of the more ardent members a chance to strike their hated enemy in the flourishing economic area connecting the Omegas. Still, even many of those supporting the agreement vowed to keep things as they were while giving this alliance a try.
This nascent group struggled against opposition but continues its strange experiment as it stumbles forward. Their strikes against their enemies have been sporadic, but they do appear to follow certain patterns. Synth Foods and Republican Shipping are obvious targets and the Unioners are said to be much more aggressive in their acts, but there have been less obvious targets - of a peaceful nature. Indeed, many have reported, though not conclusively, that many forcefully acquired goods have appeared shortly thereafter in the possession of supporters of the WVS and the smaller shipbuilders of Rheinland, leading many to say that it is, indeed, a force for helping the common workers of Rheinland (though many aggressively acquired goods are also not seen again, raising further questions).
Though ultimately proved short lived, this movement still shaped part of the political landscape of Rheinland.
CHAOS
Ever since the demise of the AGS, the Unioners have found themselves to be in an odd position. Lacking solid alliances, the Bundschuh having turned their back on them and further degradation of their relationships with the Hessians, they were also isolated within their own realm after the destruction of the Hamburg gate as a defensive act by the Rheinwehr. This urged the Unioners to act more and more southwards in Rheinland, which put the Unioners once more in contact with some of their old allies, the Corsairs.
Though relationships are uneasy at best, the two organisations seem to often find each others to be natural allies in the Hessian conflict, with only the Unioners' trade of blood diamonds being considered a major obstacle to something more official. Though several leaders have attempted to rise from the ashes, none of them proved to ultimately be able to fully reshape the Unioners. Unless more reforms or changes were brought to the organisation, it would seem that their decade long resurgence was doomed to end.
The True Alster Union is one such movements that rose in the dwindling of the Unioners, a group that, while claiming it would return to its roots, proved to only be able to further the legacy of the Unioners; plundering and pillaging Rheinland unceremoniously. The loose association is willing to play fast with alliances for the sake of short term benefits, though it is rumored that the leaders of it have a grand plan for greater things. Modern objectives include removing Hessian influence from Kreuzberg, the removal of the Xenos within the Border worlds and the expansion of the movement in an effort to gain more influence.
RELATIONS
Allied
None
Friendly
LWB (wavering)
Corsairs (wavering)
Hessians (wavering)
Junkers
Unfriendly
Bundschuh
Foreign Governments
Foreign Corporations
Outcasts
Hostile
Local Corporations
Rheinlander Government
Bounty Hunters' Guild
Prime Targets
Republican Shipping
Xenos
Allied
None
Friendly
LWB (wavering)
Corsairs (wavering)
Hessians (wavering)
Junkers
Neutral or Irrelevant
Most others
Most others
Unfriendly
Bundschuh
Foreign Governments
Foreign Corporations
Outcasts
Hostile
Local Corporations
Rheinlander Government
Bounty Hunters' Guild
Prime Targets
Republican Shipping
Xenos
STRUCTURE
The loose organisation of the True Alster Union makes it so there is no true hierarchy within itself - they 'pride' themselves on their unionist background, which leads to a form of democracy in which the strongest leads. While on paper, you might find there are various official positions and whatnot, effectively, there only are two ranks: a Rank and File member or the Vertrauensmann, the representative of the Union, who speaks for it during most situations. The current Vertrauensmann is Karen Blume, former leader of the Alster Union. Regardless, any member of the organisation is allowed to fly whatever vessel they get their hands on, though anything larger than a transport requires informing the Vertrauensmann firsthand.
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Pinko - 03-25-2016
Credits go to the old Alster Union leaders as well as Ktayn and myself, as I've got most of the information here (READ: COPYPASTED) through wiki hunting.
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Jansen - 03-25-2016
Finally a cool Unioner faction idea! The writeup is solid.
One thing though, the AGS had pretty good ties with the Rogues, which seem to be missing here. Is that intentional?
Other than that, good luck!
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - sindroms - 03-25-2016
Oh hey, I remember these guys!
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Pinko - 03-25-2016
(03-25-2016, 05:57 PM)Jansen Wrote: Finally a cool Unioner faction idea! The writeup is solid.
One thing though, the AGS had pretty good ties with the Rogues, which seem to be missing here. Is that intentional?
Other than that, good luck!
As I don't want to force or assume relationships, I'm mostly going with the Unioner blank slate which exists right now in-game. Reaching friendly terms with the Liberty Rogues will be one of the short term goals.
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Xenon - 03-25-2016
Amazing story, Amazing Idea , Amazing Diplomacy .... Just honestly, one thing i don't like which is the Name...
Maybe a better name can be more suitable? but other than that, the entire thing is awesome and good luck guys.
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Jansen - 03-25-2016
(03-25-2016, 06:03 PM)Pinko Wrote:(03-25-2016, 05:57 PM)Jansen Wrote: Finally a cool Unioner faction idea! The writeup is solid.
One thing though, the AGS had pretty good ties with the Rogues, which seem to be missing here. Is that intentional?
Other than that, good luck!
As I don't want to force or assume relationships, I'm mostly going with the Unioner blank slate which exists right now in-game. Reaching friendly terms with the Liberty Rogues will be one of the short term goals.
Thats ok too
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Pinko - 03-25-2016
(03-25-2016, 06:08 PM)Mark Hamann Wrote: Amazing story, Amazing Idea , Amazing Diplomacy .... Just honestly, one thing i don't like which is the Name...
Maybe a better name can be more suitable? but other than that, the entire thing is awesome and good luck guys.
What's wrong with the name? It's a throwback to the original Alster Union, which itself is named after the lore entity known as the Alster Union, the roots of what formed the Unioners. If you could perhaps give a guideline as to what would be 'more suitable', I'd be glad to reconsider. Thanks for the feedback!
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Shiki - 03-25-2016
Looking good so far, good luck to you guys.
RE: True Alster Union Information & Feedback - Xenon - 03-25-2016
(03-25-2016, 06:26 PM)Pinko Wrote:(03-25-2016, 06:08 PM)Mark Hamann Wrote: Amazing story, Amazing Idea , Amazing Diplomacy .... Just honestly, one thing i don't like which is the Name...
Maybe a better name can be more suitable? but other than that, the entire thing is awesome and good luck guys.
What's wrong with the name? It's a throwback to the original Alster Union, which itself is named after the lore entity known as the Alster Union, the roots of what formed the Unioners. If you could perhaps give a guideline as to what would be 'more suitable', I'd be glad to reconsider. Thanks for the feedback!
Ruhr Syndicate Or Alster Syndicate
I think "Syndicate" goes more suitable for a group of workers who lost their jobs for some war/political reasons