"Sigma-15, the newest addition to the Federal Republic of Rheinland, with a budding Colony and several assets of the Republic in the system there is no question by those living within Rheinland that the system is a part of the Federal Republic. However there are reports by our sources that suggest the Gas Miner's Guild is completely ignoring the ownership of the Federal Republic and seek to seize Sigma-15 for themselves in an effort to ensure their own weak claim upon the system of Sigma-21 is secure.
Naturally the Federal Republic is ignoring the Guild's claims to Sigma-15 and Sigma-21, however the GMG will undoubtedly attempt to push to make their claim a reality by all means possible. While the Imperator does not believe outright warfare is in our future it is likely the Guild will fund local terrorist organizations in an effort to destabilize the Republic's grasp upon the Sigma-15 system, likely either the Red Hessians whom they have threatened to sponsor before [See our earlier broadcast: Gas Miner's Guild: Terrorist Sponsors? ] or even the Bundschuh whose raiders have been frequently spotted by Military patrols as of late.
Meanwhile the diplomatic conflict between the Guild and the Federal Republic remains un-resolved due to the Guild's unwillingness to sever any and all ties to terrorist organizations such as those described above and the Guild's suspicious activities as of late with their lack of conflict with the Sirius Coalition. The claims upon Rheinland Territories along with the troubles in Sigma-13 will likely continue to be barriers to a diplomatic solution until a resolution is found. "
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
"We have recently received word from our reporters in the field that the organizations known as the Red Hessian Army and the Sirius Coalition have launched an unprovoked attack upon a civilian facility within the Munich System. From what we have determined multiple workers onboard the facility were killed in the assault. In addition the organization claims that the Imperial Party was involved with the criminal organization known as The Unioners.
We reached out to the Imperial Party of Rheinland for a statement on both the Hessian attack and the terrorist's claims and promptly got a response from the leader of the party himself, Joachim Friedmann. "
Code:
"It is a tragedy whenever lives are lost, our hearts go out to the brave men and women who perished in the attack and refused to yield to fear. The Red Hessians claim to be 'fighting for the people', a rather ironic statement as the Red Hessians have been known to attack civilian traffic frequently and extort citizens of Rheinland for 'donations', murdering anyone who refuses to comply with their demands.
These are not the actions of a liberation movement, these are the actions of cowards who prey upon the weak, claiming that their intentions are noble as they plunge a dagger into the heart of the House they claim to be 'saving'. The men and women who died today are the true heroes of Rheinland, they refused to yield to fear and tyranny when it came to their doorstep and paid the price to ensure that the Hessian's Agenda of Terror is seen for what it truly is in the eyes of the people.
As for their claims of the Imperial Party linking up with the Unioners: I found that amusing personally as it seems to me like the desperation of a woman seeking to cast the gaze of the people on something other than their acts of homicide and destruction. Nevertheless rest assured the Party does not condone criminal acts and would not debase itself by aligning itself with such, that is the purview of criminals and murderers such as the Red Hessians and the mentally ill Anna Heinrich who will be brought to justice by the brave men and women of the Federal Police and Military to face the consequences of their actions.
Long live the House of Rheinland, and remember the brave men and women of Regensburg Depot, heroes of the Republic and freedom!"
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
"It appears according to CNS sources GMG strike vessels have launched an unprovoked attack at the Federal Police operated facility of Fulda Border Station in the Frankfurt System. The attack utilized what appeared to be a NEMP device by GMG Paramilitary vessels, having utilized their neutral state to bypass local patrols the ships managed to get close enough to Fulda Station to disable both the station and caused massive damage to the Jump Gate.
Emergency response units from both the Rheinland Military and Federal Police not caught up in the blast have been mobilized and are attempting to secure the area from further Paramilitary terrorism, thus far there is no response from the Bundestag on the Republic's response to this act of aggression, however the Imperial Party's leader, Joachim Friedmann, which has long advocated a strong stance on the Gas Miners Guild, has petitioned the Bundestag to immediately respond to the Gas Miners Guild's actions, secure the territories of Frankfurt and Sigma-15 from further GMG operations to ensure the safety of civilian lives in addition to enforcing the Republic's claim upon Sigma-21 in response to the GMG's hostile acts.
It is unclear if they will respond to the IPR's request for action on this matter anytime soon as repair and rescue crews begin to sift through the wreckage of both Fulda and the Sigma-13 Jump Gate, however we will monitor the situation as it unfolds."
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
"It has been several hours since the Fulda attack and the Federal Republic is still in the process of preparing clean-up crews and are currently pulling survivors out of the wreckage. So far the stories collected from survivors has been the same. That GMG vessels openly attacked Fulda Border Station unprovoked. The Imperial Party of Rheinland has stated that it's request to the Bundestag as of yet is unanswered, citing the Bundestag is in talks amongst itself on how to deal with this new crisis in Frankfurt.
However Joachim Friedmann, the leader of the Imperial Party, on the steps on the Bundestag was reported to have given a speech in-front of an eager crowd with Police units on site to ensure that it remains peaceful. "
Code:
"My fellow people. Today we are a House under attack, elements from the Gas Miners Guild has openly fired upon Rheinland installations with no care for the lives they endangered in their reckless pursuit of securing their weak claim over Sigma-21 and non-existent claims over Sigma-15. Before this they had been cavorting with known enemies of the State and inter-house terrorists such as the Sirius Coalition. My friends, the time has come for us to stand up and say 'No More!'.
The Bundschuh would have you believe that the Guild had nothing to do with this attack, claiming that those such as the Buro would attack their own people. Such claims sound very weak to my ears coming from a criminal organization dedicated to the downfall of civil society and seek to institute their own brand of anarchy upon the House of Rheinland. I dare say that these criminals are traitors to their own people and are seeking to have us under the yoke of the GMG.
I call upon all citizens to contact their representatives in the Bundestag, ask them 'what the Republic's response will be to this act of aggression towards our people? '. The time for talking with these criminals from the Sigmas is over, they do not understand nor desire peace between us, the only language they truly understand is conflict and blood. Furthermore, I speak to those who lost friends, colleagues and family on-board Fulda and those caught in the blast radius of the NEMP device and did not survive, the brave souls of Fulda will not be forgotten, justice will be served and those who ordered this cowardly attack will be called to account!
I have nothing more to say at this time on this matter, however I urge each citizen of Rheinland to be wary of entering the Sigma Region, for you may become the Guild's next victim."
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
Gas Miners Guild: Gas Miners Claim Responsibility! The Core Declares War!
By Ludwig Mannstein
"Days after the Gas Miners Guild attack on Fulda Border Station a broadcast went out from the Guild claiming responsibility as a response to 'Rheinland Expansionism' into the Sigma Regions. We have attached a copy of the transmission below.
In this transmission The Core made a surprising announcement in response to the Guild's acts of aggression with the declaration of war between the Gas Miners Guild and The Core. Tensions have apparently reached their breaking point and with the Bundestag seemingly unwilling to call the Guild to answer for these actions against the Rheinland State citizens are getting concerned that the Federal Government is seeking to sweep the whole incident under the rug.
We hope to see an official statement from the Federal Government on this matter soon, however even now anti-GMG sentiment is on the rise across the House of Rheinland and shows no sign of dying out any time soon."
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
Gas Miners Guild: Bundestag Speaks! Measures not enough?
By Ludwig Mannstein
"It appears the Bundestag has finally delivered a statement after a lengthly debate, the topic? The Gas Miner's Guild and Rheinland's reaction to the bombing as a nation.
While some citizens have shown approval of the measures there is a number who feel that the measures taken, namely merely banning GMG vessels from Rheinland Space for the duration of the investigation, is not going far enough. The Imperial Party of Rheinland has said they will support the Bundestag's decision for the sake of unity however does not believe that the measures are strong enough to deter further GMG aggression. This act may leave Sigma-21 open for a full GMG claim according to the Party and leave Sigma-15 in constant danger due to a massive GMG presence in the nearby Sigma-21.
Still, agree or not citizens are closely watching the events in Frankfurt unfold, while a war has not broken out one can feel tensions have not faded in the slightest."
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
Gas Miners Guild: Defiles Wargrave! Threatens Territory of Sigma-15!
By Ludwig Mannstein
"It appears the Gas Miners Guild continues it's mission of aggression against the Federal Republic and it's citizens, recently the Guild has moved a Imperial-Age Rheinland Battleship (See Brandt-Class) into the territory of Sigma-15, which has been recognized by the Houses and several organizations as territory of the Federal Republic of Rheinland.
The Guild has further threatened to bombard Hammersee's civilian settlements and other installations in the area should the Republic not agree with their demands to vacate the entirety of the Sigma-Region to the Guild. With the Rheinland Government's earlier statement on investigation rather than destroying the threat the Miners now pose to Sector Peace protests on Planet Hamburg and New Berlin have started to form."
WAR! Gas Miners Guild Declared Enemies of the State!
By Ludwig Mannstein
"According to our sources at the Bundestag, after Chancellor Neumann gave a passionate speech to the representatives within the Bundestag, including members of the Imperial Party of Rheinland, a vote was carried out with a singular purpose in mind. Should the State go to war with the Gas Miners Guild. The vote was carried out with a staggering 83 Percent agreeing with the necessity of such a declaration making a majority vote within the Bundestag.
Joachim Friedmann of the Imperial Party of Rheinland managed to spare a brief few minutes to give his statement on the declaration and what it would mean for the House of Rheinland."
Code:
"My colleagues and fellow party members are sad that it has come to this, however we cannot permit the Guild to operate with such blatant aggression any longer. The crimes stacked against them are many, with aligning with Terrorist Movements such as the Red Hessians in addition to terrorism themselves with the bombing of Fulda Border Station and it's associated gate into Sigma-13 being amongst those crimes. Crimes that can not be ignored any longer, the people of Rheinland have spoken, they demand action taken to ensure that they are safe and protected from further actions from the Guild.
I have faith that the Military along with their associated organizations shall bring this matter to a swift conclusion, however we must remember the lessons taught to us by the bitter 80-Years War that brought us low oh so many years past. My prayers go with the brave men and women who even now protect the people of Rheinland from the actions of terrorists and pirates from the Sigma Regions."
"With the War with the corporate Gas Miners Guild having begun some thoughts turn to our people here at home. Planet Nuremberg, a world that is facing constant threat due to the fall-out of the disaster that struck the system, causing the destruction of Augsburg Station and tainting several prominent locations due to the Dark Matter that was a major part of the disaster. For a time the planet due to fear-mongering from organizations such as the Bundschuh who even now reap gains from the terror and disorder caused by their propaganda. It is suspected by many that the Bundschuh themselves may have caused the event through the development and detonation of Dark-Matter weaponry, however it is unclear if this is merely hearsay and the Bundschuh are merely seeking to plant the seeds of chaos and murder amongst the remaining population or it is infact what happened.
Many citizens have already been re-located to Planet Hammersee and other worlds within the Republic by the Federal Government, however there have been reports of mass kidnappings by the Bundschuh organization, particularly in sections of the planet that have fallen to chaos due to Bundschuh propagandists. There have been no ransom demands sent to families reported however which leads many to believe they have been sent to organizations such as The Order for Human Experimentation.
Military and Police Units continue to pacify many of the Urban centers of Nuremberg and it is expected that a return to law and order will happen within the year. Meanwhile many Federal Republic evacuation sites continue to transport citizens off-world while also ensuring humanitarian aid gets to those still suffering planet-side despite attempts by the Bundschuh to intercept and destroy vital supplies for the evacuation zones. "
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
Commemorating one year after the retirement of Ludwig Mannstein from the chairmanship of the Rheinland Imperial Party, following the declaration of war between Rheinland and the Gas Miner's guild, the Imperial party has seen significant growth within the hearts and minds of the Rheinland body politic. In the face of continued economic growth, despite analysts projections due to the growth of recent infrastructure investment by the Bundestag, the Imperial Party seems to be one of the few minority parties within Rheinland that seem capable of matching words with deeds.
Shadow speaker of the outer chamber, Lorelei Cramer, stopped to speak to RI telejournalists on her party's considerable successes, outside the gates of the Bundestag yesterday, despite heavy rainfall. Asked if the party of Rheinland's past can truly lead the reforms of the future, Cramer gave the following response: "As we enter the twenty sixth year since Rheinland's darkest years under the Neimann administration, it is important for us to remember that a new generation populates our cities, industries, and uniforms. The old ballances no longer apply - Rheinland taxpayers have been told for centuries that we cannot have a wealthfare state and a strong economy, that we must make sacrifices for our own security; but here we are - growing in a time of war as our military holds strong against Kusarian and GMG aggression. "
"We've been told for centuries that Rheinland can't expand, or explore anymore. Our ancestors were the greatest explorers Sirius has ever known - from Von Rohe to Schulmann. Our forefathers built the ring, mined the omegas and the tanner belt, all without persecution. Yes, our leaders will tell you that this was a time of strength - but why can we not be strong now? Are we, as Rheinlanders, any less strong than we were three hundred years ago? We used to build the wonders that still fill our skies - from the Ring, to the Imperial palaces. Now, our government moves between fixing disasters. I, and the Imperial Party, believe that we must fund infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and job creation, not insurer's wallets or big multinationals like Synth or Agiera. It is for this reason that the Party grants our fellow coalition members within the Bundestag our full support on the gate development program in Frankfurt and the near Sigmas - so long as the jobs created by the site are staffed by Rheinlanders, under ethical employment conditions. We need to elect politicians who lead with a steady hand, who don't bend to big corruption, lobbyists, or free air time. Politicians who stick to their decisions and don't just sway with the polls. That's the strong, principled leadership, that, I've been hearing, Rheinlanders like yourselves have been searching for." - Lorelei Cramer, SSOC.
Skeptics and opposition figures have repeatedly raised the arguments that have challenged the party from reaching high office - that the pro-imperial sentiments of the Empire's Policies come from a time of largesse and corruption within Rheinland's history. However, the party itself asserts that such opinions are mostly the result of dated misinformation campaigns, often funded by pro-Liberty business sectors tied to the controversial Bonn Stock Exchange lobbyists, and reflect the interests of foreign corporations, not of taxpayers. The party has made significant gains within the working and middle classes, many of whom see the party as a lawful channel for classical liberal and even syndicalist beliefs without attracting police or corporate reprisal. This increasing groundswell of support has not just been reflected within the working classes; many of Rheinland's older imperial families have been known to harbour sympathies to the party. Members of the Koch, Depperschmitt and Albrecht clans could not be reached for comment.
Whatever the repercussions, growing support for the old ways is certainly making waves within the populations of Rheinland's historical core systems, with the Imperial Party's support figures up thirteen percent against the Hamburg Tory Party, down one point-three-percent against the New Federalists, and up two-point-seven percent against the Neo-Mercantilist Party.
We will keep you up to date as the story develops.
-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-
THE SYNDIC LEAGUES
(A co-operative of Rheinland's Shipping Unions, retired from a life of piracy.)