Discovery Gaming Community

Gateway Shipping was founded in 791 A.S. by a group of New London investors interested in hauling raw materials across the border and independent worlds for sale to various, smaller Sirius companies. Based at the Kensington Shipping Platform in New London, the firm established a substantial clientele rather quickly. Among the investors involved in the young startup was the Sir Alisdair Buchanan, a businessman and philanthropist, knighted in 784 A.S. for his educational and cultural endeavors.

Following the Nomad War in 800-801, various executives and board members of Gateway were found to have had ongoing dealings with supporters of the nomad-infested Rheinland chancellor. Admiring the supposed strength and dominance of the chancellor, as well as the various attempts by more fascist elements in Rheinland to consolidate power, the Gateway officials began implementing oppressive policies within the company and supporting the same in the Bretonian Parliament and the Royal Court. Sir Alisdair, committed to rooting out corruption in both government and business, gradually and discreetly bought out the other investors in Gateway until 809 A.S., he stood as the lone owner of the firm.

Sir Alisdair became the de facto CEO of Gateway at this point, rooting out many of the top executives who had corrupted the firm. The company was reduced, but those remaining were committed to a revitalized corporate existence. Drawing on the Scottish ancestry his family had nurtured for centuries since the escape from Earth, Sir Alisdair renamed the firm Highland-Gateway, Ltd. (HGL) and declared in the new spirit of the firm We are not simply a company in the corporate sense, but in the sense of a group of travelers, on a journey to improve not just our business, but all of Bretonia.

In 817 A.S, the HGL Board of Directors voted unanimously to change the companys name to Gateway Interstellar. The Board felt this name more accurately reflected the companys scope as well as the identity known to most of Sirius. The royal charter revision was approved on June 8 of that year. In the short-term, Gateway aims to revitalize its trade operations through partially reorganized routes and hopes to develop more dynamic economic interaction with other companies in Sirius, so that in the long-term, economic and cultural relations can continue to flourish.

Organization

Vision

1. Commitment to and constant improvement in RP, both with friends and with adversaries.
2. To create a good life for Gateway employees and their families.
3. To contribute to Bretonian economic, political, and cultural well being.
4. To maintain a revenue base that allows for the maintenance and expansion of goals 1 and 2


Structure

Gateway is led by its Board of Directors, chaired by Sir Alisdair Buchanan. The responsibility of the BoD is to provide strategic vision and macro-level decision-making for the faction, as well as to contribute regular investments to the factions central account. Funds are used for faction-wide expenses, including subsidizing new employees as needed (i.e., when coworker funds are not quite sufficient). Since the employees are required to pay nothing to the company, this is the factions primary source of income. The BoD is open to any employee, or any non-employee with an RP-appropriate rationale for joining and a desire to contribute time, thought, and funds.

The company is divided into two divisions: trade and security. The trade division, led by a Director in cooperation with Sir Buchanan, handles all shipping operations, including the procurement and equipping of trade vessels, as well as the selection of commodities and trade routes. The security division, also led by a Director in cooperation with Sir Buchanan, oversees all escort services of the company including security-for-hire to the general public handling the procurement and equipping of escort vessels and the training of pilots as needed.


Gateway Vessels

Gateway uses primarily Bretonian-made vessels for trade and civilian vessels for escort services:

Trade: (Callsign will depend on ship type; see below)
Clydesdale (pilot name) - Gateway)Firstname.Surname[T] (can also be first initial, if not enough space)
Percheron, Firefly, Large Train - Gateway)Placename

Security: Gateway)Firstname.Surname[S] (can also be first initial, if not enough space)
Tiger Shark LF
Griffin LF
Eagle VHF
Civilian Bomber

*All employees will use the Gateway ID.


Gateway Recruitment

All players interested in joining Gateway can post an application IN CHARACTER at the thread linked here:

Gateway Position Openings

Include your characters (1) trading/security experience and (2) reasons for wanting to join Gateway. If your application looks to be in order, you will be PMd with an interview questionnaire. If that is passed, you will be sent instructions for setup.



Gateway Interstellar maintains a variety of trade routes within Bretonia and between Bretonia, Liberty, Rheinland, and connecting systems. Gateway also handles shipments of more basic commodities to free ports in the border worlds. Gateway takes very seriously its business partnerships as well as the use of trade routes in Liberty and Rheinland space.

Trade, of course, is the primary function of the company, although the security division does offer escort-for-hire services at competitive prices to the general public. In addition, Gateway is committed to the growth of the Bretonian population and the enrichment of its quality of life and culture. To this end, the company has a healthy charitable contributions office and is active in a number of educational, cultural and political causes.

Central Communications System: Gateway members utilize the following message dump thread for trade route information, trade reports, and special company announcements:

Gateway Comm System

This is the factions primary means of communication. All faction members are therefore REQUIRED to check this thread regularly for announcements, and to post trade reports whenever possible.

Employment carries both responsibilities and privileges. Regarding responsibilities, Gateway employees will be expected to do the following:

1. Abide by all Sirius (Admin) rules and expectations.
2. Obey all the laws of Bretonia. Only those items legally allowed to be shipped will be found on our vessels, and our pilots will behave according to the highest standards of professionalism and courtesy.
3. All vessels, irregardless of function or cargo load, will assist any lawful vessel in need, whom they encounter. This includes system-chat requests for assistance by authorities.
4. Cultivate active lives (RP) with assistance, as needed, from Gateway management. We are immersing ourselves into a story here, so thoughtful RP is essential.
5. Familiarize themselves with company policies and regularly read the message dump thread.

NOTE: Traders may keep their profits with no obligation to Gateway other than payment for escorts. However, voluntary donations will be sought from time to time as the company fully subsidizes ship and equipment purchases for new employees. Gateway hopes that new pilots, recognizing their ships and equipment have been voluntarily purchased by their coworkers, will feel the sense of family and community to which Sir Alisdair has committed this company.

Regarding privileges, Gateway employees can expect from company leadership the following:

1. Ample opportunity for the development of piloting skills, knowledge of Sirius star systems and trade routes, and a place to belong in the often intimidating blackness of space.
2. An open-door policy regarding suggestions for company improvement and/or the redress of grievances.
3. Full subsidization for initial vessels and equipment.
4. Mentoring for new employees by more experienced ones, as needed and/or desired.

In addition, the Bretonian public can expect from Gateway the same open-door policy regarding its operations, as can the lawful residents of any system where Gateway vessels travel.



Allies:
Bretonian Police Authority
Bretonian Navy (QCRF/QCO/QCP)
Independent Miners Guild

Friendly (if, in some cases, competitive):
Planetform, Inc.
Cryer Pharmaceuticals
Liberty Police/Armed Forces
Liberty Corporations
Union of Gold/Mollys
Kruger Minerals
ALG

Neutral:
Border Worlds Exports (Bowex)
Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing (BMM)
Rheinland Police/Armed Forces
Rheinland Corporations
Colonial Remnant
All other entities not named elsewhere.

Unfriendly:
Kusari Police/Armed Forces
Kusari Corporations

Hostile:
All Pirates
Nomads
Phantoms
The Wild
The Coalition
Xenos
Harvesters