**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: The office of King Charles XI, New Paris
CC: Isle de France Shipping, EFL Oil & Machinery, Gallic Metal Service, Colonial Republic
Subject: Tau situation
Encryption: Open Transmission (// Read access to anyone)
To whom this may concern,
For some months, we have welcomed the arrival of our Gallic neighbours at our stations. Ever since the breach in the Orkney minefield, the vanguard of Gallic explorers entering Sirius has met the Guild's stations as their first friendly ports of trade. Over time we've come to welcome the trade this brings. We've even modified a docking berth at Java, with the assistance of EFL, to allow your ships to refuel for the long journeys deeper into Sirius. We've provided your traders with charts and directions. We've traded various raw materials with IDF and even shown your GMS miners where to find mineral deposits they would be interested in.
In short, we've tried to be kind, and accomodating to our new neighbours.
It has long been our policy to not get involved in the internal affairs of the various Houses. This includes staying out of what we can only see as a civil war within Gallic space. But now, your ruler seeks to subvert us and our Colonial neighbours. Threatening to invade the Taus with military force to impose his rule. Calling those systems we have made our home, a "woe begotten waste". It is not the first time something akin to this has happened, and will not likely be the last. The Independent Miners Guild does not wish for conflict. We seek to be workers and miners - plying our trade in peace, and free of the restrictions and control the various houses seek to impose. Trading our wares with those who would come to us, fairly, and without bias to political allegiance.
The Independent Miners Guild does not wish for conflict. But we will not shy away from it if we are so forced. If Gallia comes to the Taus in anger, then we -will- respond in kind. If Gallia comes to conquer, then your welcome on our stations has expired. Therefor I must inform you of the following:
Until the Kingdom of Gallia rescinds it's agressive stance towards the Colonial Republic, and ourselves, we can no longer welcome elements of the Crown on our stations. This includes the Crown's civilian corporations, such as Isle de France, EFL, and the Gallic Metal Service. The Independent Miners Guild will not engage in open hostilities against civilians unless fired upon first, but docking rights are hereby revoked, and the EFL refueling post on Java will be closed.
It is our hope this measure is temporary, and that your King will show both wisdom and benevolance. The Guild prefers cooperation and trade with it's neighbours if possible. But we will remain, as our name signifies: Independent.
On behalf of the Independent Miners Guild,
- Guildmaster Johnathan Sanders
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
-[UPLOADING TRANSMISSION FILE]-
-[Message for sender only]-
-[NEW PARIS, ROYAL PRIVY COUNCIL - CONSIEL DU ROI]-
-[AIDE TO THE KING]-
Charles de France XI, King of Gallia, has decreed the following:
Perhaps you misinterpret everything that you have read. I want you to look over that message very carefully. The one where I offered the Colonials and their Remnant to conduct trade. In all my benevolence and acts of friendship, my face was spat upon by a rather rude cyclops who claimed that I was a tyrant and a fiend. Insulting my Kingdom, my ruling, and myself are things I just do not tolerate. And nor should I.
Think carefully about the cliff you are about to take a dive off of, Monsieur Sanders. Think on the future that you condemn your people to upon insulting me and the might of my Kingdom. And for what will you inflict such suffering on your people? For what is it that will so strongly encourage you to challenge a might such as mine? A bipolar ruler of a nation as small as they get.
I showed no hostility. I never said such rude and brutish things to a man who offered the olive branch of peace. If this is the naive resistance that stands in the way of my cleansing of the Council, then I fear Sirius is on a path to its own destruction.
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: New Paris, Royal Privy Council
Subject: Decree reply from the Independent Miners Guild
Encryption: Light/Standard Gallic Civilian
To His Royal Highness, King of Gallia, Charles de France XI,
No insult to His Highness was meant in our previous communique, and we apologise if any such insult was unintentionally percieved. Your Highness is correct in His belief, that choosing words carefully is indeed something to be considered. Of equal importance is the actions chosen, and we chose ours carefully.
Your Highness asks of us why we have the will to challenge those who come to us bearing arms. The answer already lays within our previous communique. Our independence is at the very core of what we are, and we shall not part with it at any cost, even our lives. Many of our guildmembers come from situations that bordered slavery, within the corporations of the Sirian houses. The Independent Miners Guild provided a haven for those, who could no longer tolerate their own exploitation, but had not the will to take up arms against their opressors. We've come to grow suspicious of a house bearing down on us with military force.
Your Highness is right in stating that the Taus are inhospitable. They are also our home. We know them well. If it is Your Majesty His intent to merely root out those who acted against His rule within His Kingdom, those known to us as the Council, then we will not stand in the way. If however, His Majesty His intent is to subjugate ourselves, then His Majesty seeks to destroy that which we are. And as such, we will have no other choice but to resist. The will to freedom, that is what drives us.
We again extend the offer to coexist, but we must insist on retaining our own freedom, as well as that of our allies, the Colonial Republic. In return, we can offer His Majesty the opportunity for trade, as well as an eye in the Taus, and His citizens a few havens there. It is not in our nature to seek conflict if it can be avoided. But it is also not in our nature to deny ourselves that which we are.
Respectfully, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild,
- Guildmaster Johnathan Sanders
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
Greetings to you, Independent Miners Guild and Colonial Remnants.
I'll be much more direct than my father, as I have spent time in Sirius, I have a good idea of how it works here.
You've got to understand things are different in Gallia. Different manners, different meanings, different culture... Lots of differences.
We don't plan to enslave the IMG. We don't plan to kill you or whatever either. These are self-made ideas or misunderstandings. I've seen enough reports from EFL and IDF to know that you are reliable. The -only- thing we have asked you to pledge to us is your loyalty. Loyalty in gallic terms does not mean work as slaves, it means to never backstab us and assist us when necessary just like any Gallic would do for you.
Loyalty is an extremely important concept in Gallia and the foundations of our society. Maybe you consider it not democratic, but I can assure you in Gallia, things are extremely different than what you might have from archives or heard from the council. Sure, the people doesn't voice their opinions in the same way it does in your society, but we have a register where they can fill their complaints or requests and since this was put in place 368 years ago, not a single complaint has been overlooked. A lot of these complaints are ridiculous matters that could be solved between the involved citizens themselves, but then you have the valid complaints that we take care of. I myself regulary pay visits to citizens that filled complaints to assist them in resolving their issues.
To sum up, don't judge what you don't know, and I'm serious about it. -Every- single Gallic citizen has a job, a home, can eat and drink and still has personal free time everyday to spend as he wish. We have eradicated poverty which used to be the cancer of Earth, which Sirian house can claim to have been able to come close to this level ?
Don't mistake us, we are not the tyrants the Council claims we are. Our society is likely much more stricter than yours, and it happens we have to take decisions that we wished to never have had to, but it's for the good of the people of Gallia.
You have seen us fight yesterday, just as we have seen you fight. We have no reasons to be enemies. To conclude about the last issue left, when my father asked the Colonials about Vassalty, it was about including Colonial controlled space into Gallic space. It doesn't mean in -any- way that you will suddently have no authority or anything like that, your systems will stay as your systems, but it simply means we can consider this territory as friendly for our citizens, corporations and fleet movements. We're not taking control of your systems. There will for sure be movements of the Gallic Royal Navy, but they are not directed to you. We're here to deal with the Outcasts for now.
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: New Paris, Royal Privy Council, per attention of princess Alicia DeFrance
Subject: Decree reply from the Independent Miners Guild
CC: Colonial Republic, Foreign Affairs
Encryption: Light
Princess DeFrance,
Am I then to understand, that by "pledging loyalty", only the wish for unrestricted passage through Tau space was requested? If that is the case I'd say more then a cultural difference exists, but a language barrier as well. Pledging loyalty tends to have a different meaning within Sirian culture. It signifies you're to become part of a society. A nation. And that is exactly what the Independent Miners Guild sought to get away from in the Tau region.
As for our Colonial friends. They are a sovereign nation within Tau 44 which we recognize and respect. Since their arrival in Tau space once the Bretonians cast them out, they have flourished in this inhospitable region, despite the best efforts of the Outcasts to make them fail in this. If they have a wish to deny you access, until they come to trust you more, then respecting that wish would go a long way towards making it happen.
You speak of loyalty being an important aspect in your culture. I can recognize and respect that. I hope that you too, can recognize and respect that in turn, we will show loyalty to those who have defended us on so many occasions that I have lost count. Gallia is a new neighbour, one we are still getting to know, whereas the Colonial Republic's forces defend our mining operations on a daily basis. How can you be loyal to that which is unknown? Especially when that unknown comes into your backyard wielding weapons of war, with the intent of beating up your friend?
If it is a matter of passage, then I think that can be arranged without weapons, at least between Gallia, and the Guild. I can see about using what influence I have with the Colonial Republic to see if their mind can be swayed, but I can't make guarantees there. Our interests are mainly the safety, freedom, and continued employ of our members. If Gallia is no threat to this, then you have nothing to fear of the Guild.
I do have another question. When you say, loyalty means to never backstab you and assist you as needed. The former needs no explanation, but what kind of assistance are you referring to?
Finally, when communicating with the Guild, I would recommend avoiding such terms such as "vassalty". Within the Guild, to be addressed as such would be considered a grave insult. Among our members, we consider eachother equal, assigning positions based on skill and necessity. Even my own position is elected - I am a spokesman for the individuals that make up our organization, not a commander or leader in the classical sense. Mutual insults were percieved in our earlier communications - I was not expecting my initial message to be handled by the King himself or I would have worded it differently. Even this message is with an uneasy hand, and I hope you will forgive any improper form. It is hard to be diplomatic to a nation you know very little about. We are left to react to what we see happening - which at the very least, is a military invasion into Orkney and the Tau systems.
Respectfully, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild,
- Guildmaster Johnathan Sanders
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
I am not easily offended, and you can speak freely with me. What I see is that for some reason, you are thinking we are coming here to claim your lands. This is not the case, we have plenty of systems in Gallia, even lowly populated ones that still have room for billions of people. Your lands are yours, they do not interest us.
You've got to understand that we didn't wish to leave Gallia, nor open it. Don't assume that we didn't know what was behind the minefield, we did. We knew about the outcasts and the disease they are to mankind. Very few people, even among our citizens know about the expeditionary wings that were sent in Sirius in 407 A.G.S. This is one of Gallia's most guarded secrets, and I am telling it to you as a proof of trust. As long as our people were safe inside the minefield, we never had to worry about cardamine infections or incursions of the Maltese Navy, and now we are starting to have reports of Cardamine infected citizens on Nevers. The Council decided to condemn millions of citizens to be exposed to this substance by opening the minefield. It was obvious the Outcasts would try to expand their market to Gallia and I'm pretty sure the +LE+ has something to do with this expansion.
What I'm trying to explain to you, is that we are now facing issues that we never asked for and worked to prevent. We are all in the same bucket in a way. I'm not looking for us to become best friends all of a suddent, we both know it won't be the case. But we both have no reasons that prevent us from working to establish relations betweeen the Gallic Kingdom and you, including the Colonials.
There will be a GRN presence in the Taus, that's already a fact that each of us know. But it's not here against you, nor the Colonials. I don't see why we couldn't work with the Colonials, or provide assistance for the protection of IMG operations. The more we are against the Outcasts and their friends, the stronger we will all be.
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: New Paris, Royal Privy Council, per attention of princess Alicia DeFrance
Subject: Decree reply from the Independent Miners Guild
CC: Colonial Republic, Foreign Affairs
Encryption: Light
Princess DeFrance,
It is good to be able to speak freely. Naturally, I would welcome you to do the same, and extend the same offer on answering questions. If your last expedition dated over 400 years ago, that information is likely outdated. However, I must admit, "A.G.S." is not a timescale I am familiar with. The other four Sirian houses have adopted the "A.S." timescale, counting in old Earth annual increments from the arrival of the Liberty, which was the first to make landfall in Sirius, as history has taught us. By our scale, the year is 818. Are our timescales different?
You are most likely right that the Brigands are involved in the Cardamine problem cropping up within your home. We know them to strike in tandem with the Outcasts from time to time, as well as withdraw to the same general vicinity, which suggests some form of cooperation between the two. Their name and behaviour suggests they are little more then common criminals. Cardamine trade is something that unscrupulous folk make a lot of credits from.
I however wonder about one thing. If you seek to isolate yourself, why then not simply banish the Council and it's sympathisers to Sirius, and then restore the minefields? If you simply wish to be rid of them... Sirius is vast. And once the minefields would be restored, the Cardamine problem should readily solve itself, as the substance cannot be synthesized, and those who are addicted will perish without, in a matter of weeks at most. Cruel as it may sound, there is no cure to Cardamine addiction. We consider those affected to be dead already.
It is true that Sirius now knows of your existance, but that does not mean they will be likely to force the issue of contact like the Council did. Kusari and Bretonia are locked in a fierce war with eachother. As are Rheinland and Liberty. There are few other forces in Sirius capable of challenging a spaceborne military force.
A final suggestion, in regards to your personal presence in the Tau world. Given the current state of the Taus, I cannot guarantee your safety therein. Between Outcast raiding parties, Bretonian and Kusari patrols vying for dominance around the jumpgate, and the usual variety of smugglers with an escort that shoots first and asks questions later, you would take considerable risk a personal appearance. And those are just the Sirian variety.
Respectfully, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild,
- Guildmaster Johnathan Sanders
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
I have asked Solar Engineering to make some research about our timescales. We have compared the current year you have given to us and your reference point of the arrival of the Liberty sleepership. We both have kept the same annual increment it seems so it makes things easier.
We have concluded the difference between A.S and A.G.S is of 84 years. Our timescale started with the arrival of our sleepership on New Paris, which after analysis, happened 84 years after the Liberty one.
Now, to the second point you raised about restoring the minefield. I'll just say : What's the point ? It will be a matter of time, should it be years or decades, but someone -will- want to get through and with enough patience they will do it. Plus now we have additional reasons to not cut the contact with Sirius. You know, during the expeditions of 407 A.G.S, the only thing we happened to stumble upon were the outcasts. At that point we were pretty much convinced something happened or they were natives from this sector. Therefore we concluded nothing except barbarians were out there.
But now we simply can't close it. We have found people we have the possibilities to help and establish relations with, and that's, atleast for me, a good reason to keep the minefield open.
And about your last point, my place is with my soldiers, on the battlefield, not hidden behind the sealed gates twiddling my thumbs. The Outcasts attacked my people with their drug. I am responsible of my people, and it is my duty to defend them.
You are victims of the Outcasts as well, and therefore the Royal Navy shall defend you when it's possible, alone, or with the Colonials.
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: New Paris, Royal Privy Council, per attention of princess Alicia DeFrance
Subject: Decree reply from the Independent Miners Guild
Encryption: Light
Princess DeFrance,
84 years past the Liberty... The Gallic sleepership must have sustained damage after launch, then, much like the Bretonia. I'm surprised Kusari and Bretonian scouts did not, in all time, managed to make contact with your nation, although it's barely within Sirius itself. You settled a remote area, I assume this was by choice. I'll make a note in the Guild archives to expect any Gallic dates to be offset by this fixed amount in respect to our own. It however still means, your last information is at least three and a half centuries old, from a time that the houses were still building up. The Independent Miners Guild did not even exist in that time.
I would welcome to learn more of your past. While the four houses in the past learned to cooperate, and through trade make up for eachother's shortcomings, you did not have that luxury in isolation. It makes me wonder how you managed to survive, and thrive.
I suppose eventually, the expeditionary missions of our own organization would have circumvented the minefields. It's presence surprised us - when we arrived in Orkney and initially located the field, we assumed it a sealed way into Maltese space, and as such left it be. Orkney is just outside the outer range of conventional drive travel to the Languedoc star, and with the current level of technological progress, it won't stay that way much longer. I suppose the actions of the Council only accellerated the inevitable. Restoring the minefield would limit the amount of access, but yes, now that you're known to Sirius, curious souls would still come.
The Guild will welcome your assistance against the Outcast forces, although many of our members are still nervous due to the sheer size of the vessels you are sending. The last time such ships appeared around our holdings, they came with the intent to conquer. But we also know to recognize someone through their actions, and to my best knowledge, the only reports I've had thus far were of some overzealous comments by some of your soldiers. But if you've been taught that Sirius consists of nothing but barbarians for three centuries, I imagine that too, will take some disproving through action.
Respectfully, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild,
- Guildmaster Johnathan Sanders
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.