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Shimamori

11-25-2020, 09:37 PM


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All Honshu Network:
News and Entertainment from the Eastern Jewel of Kusari



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Konnichiwa! This is Ito Fumihiro and you are watching "Hi no ki” (//Mood of the Day) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond.

As the battle in Tau-44 is raging on, more and more information from the front is coming in. Our correspondent in the Tau Rim, Kubota Kobayashi, ventured in the heart of the battle to witness the situation first-hand. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with a commander of Crayterian warship and perplexing footage of an apparent strife within the Outcasts’ ranks. Kobayashi-san, do you hear us?

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Yes, studio, I hear you well. Right now I am docked aboard SC-“Waseda” on Minato Harbour station in the orbit of Planet Borneo, Tau 44 system. I have just witnessed a large battle between the Crayterian forces and the Maltese invaders. Having numerical superiority, the Crayterians secured the tactical advantage and destroyed the Outcast ships. I am not sure how large was this battlegroup of the outcasts that had been eliminated and presumably I witnessed only the end of the battle. Regardless, an Outcast battlecruiser was disabled alongside with its interceptor escort.

Kobayashi-san, what can you say about the belligerents?

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Apparently, Crayterians and the Independent Miners Guild are using their financial resources with greater benefits, hiring mercenaries and fielding more capital vessels. The Outcasts still have two battle-ready invasion groups approaching Borneo from two flanks. While the skirmishes that I have managed to observed cannot say much about the possible outcome of the battle in general, I believe they indicate that the defenders are not scared of the Outcast forces and are fighting ruthlessly for every iota of space.

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A skirmish between the Crayterian/IMG forces and the Outcasts

In your report you mentioned you took an interview with a Crayterian commander…

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Indeed so. The captain of “Styx” generously agreed to share his thoughts on the situation. The captain prefered to stay anonymous and I respected this will. Now I send you the logs of the interview.

Interview with Crayterian commander

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Kobayashi: greetings! I am a representative of AHN news channel. We are researching the ongoing battle here. If anyone would like to share their opinions - we would be pleased

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Hmm

Kobayashi: whether in the form of interviews, comments, or whatever the esteemed present here feel comfortable

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: What you want to know?

Kobayashi: hailing from Kusari, one of the questions is how the de jure war with Kusari affecting the war efforts here

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: This is Crayter home. As you can see, we are dealing with the Outcasts in this region first. The Kusari advances had destabilize this region and this had pushed the Outcasts to make this move in a time when we were trying to pacify the area.

Kobayashi: well, if that is of any comfort, our patron is pushing for peace between Kusari and the Crayter Republic. But that is quite tough to achieve. I hope my work will contribute to it

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Your patron being?

Kobayashi: my patron is marquess Shimamori from Honshu. Political opposition, so to say. [next question] How would you evaluate the Outcasts advances here?

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: The Tau Defense Group is facing two battlegroups. If we allow for this threat to take over this system or over Tau 23, the borderworlds of Kusari are under threat.

Kobayashi: exactly what I have been told by the marquess

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: We will not stop until we can make sure that law abiding citizens are safe. And I think that when our Republic was direct neighbour to your Empire, there was no such risk of Outcast interfering more.

Kobayashi: that is very commendable. How would you evaluate the Cardamine situation given this invasion?

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Due to our operations to hold this system and also to secure our other holdings, we cannot fully operate within the Tau to interdict the Cardamine transports. The Republic is still facing enemies in the shape of Enclave, which are very near to us , Outcasts and Kusari. We need to make sure that while we are engaging the Outcast forces, we are not letting ourselves to be open to other attack Thus, I think that the Cardamine exports are high and we should see a high influx of new Cardamine addicts within Bretonia, Kusari and Liberty.

Kobayashi: thank you for your dedication to our small interview. Two more questions, if your time allows.

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Yes, of course.

Kobayashi: how long would this invasion last, in your opinion? Will it drag or can Crayterian fleet break it in a decisive battle?

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: The Fleet is giving them as good as we get. Our Forces are pushing them inch by inch. I think that we are pushing them back and the battle should not last that long.

Kobayashi: and the last question, although I presume I know the answer.

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Yes?

Kobayashi: how would you evaluate the decisiveness of the Crayterians to fight? Being alone with only IMG to assist must be tough, especially against the Outcast menace

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: We prove that we are ready to fight against any kind of odds. The Republic and Fleet will fight till the very last drop of blood. We had managed to free Tau 44 from the Gauls before. And we broke the back of the Gallic Fleets, which led to their defeats in New London and other fronts. We will fight until we win and secure this system once more or we are all dead. The souls of our soldiers are demanding we stand to their side, even if they are dead. For those we left Behind!

Kobayashi: personally, you have my sympathies and best wishes. Your stand here is important for all of us. I wish more people in Kusari understood that. Hopefully, a peace solution can be found. I humbly thank you for your time and answers. I will make sure this material as well as the images of Outcasts' ships in flames get to the screen of as many people as possible

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: Even with the state of conflict between the Empire of Kusari and Crayter Republic, the civilians of Kusari are not to fear our actions. I still hope that the Empire sees the consequences of forcing the Republic to move out of the Tau's.

Kobayashi: that is reassuring to hear. Last moment - would you like to remain anonymous, or would you like people to hear your name?

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: I prefer to be anonymous, please.

Kobayashi: your will shall be respected, worry not. Your name will not be disclosed. Now, if you excuse us, commander, we proceed to working on the story. Good luck in the battles to come. Our sympathies are on your side. Sayounara

=CR=FV-Styx|109: XO: You are welcome any time within the borders of the Republic. May the gods watch over you and be safe. “Styx” out.

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As you can see, the Crayterian spirits are high and are corroborated by successful skirmishes with the Outcasts. The situation, nonetheless, is still grim but such small victories and stalwart defenders instill hope that the Taus are not completely lost to lawlessness. Needless to say, the Empire’s actions certainly do not contribute to defenders’ efforts. Luckily, the uchuu-gun (//space forces) has been pretty passive on this front and is not interfering with the battle.

Thank you, Kobayashi-san. Otssukare-sama deshita! (//good work!) ki-wo-tsukete kudasai in that system, it is still a battlefield. Your work is commendable yet we would prefer you safe and sound to sensational material.

Kobayashi-san’s footage indicate that not only Crayterians and the IMG are hindering the offensive efforts of the Outcasts. Surprisingly, the other Maltese are waging war on their kin in the system of Tau-44. While it is yet unknown if such demarche of certain Maltese forces is systematic, a war vessel clearly of Maltese design disabled another Maltese capital vessel in a spectacular duel of David versus Goliath.

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Fight between the outcasts with a subsequent destruction of one of them

Many would rejoice at the Outcasts shooting the Outcasts, yet we do not have the data to conclude if this was a lucky exception or if there are some sinister forces at work as our pilots claim they have heard “voices” in their heads during the incident similar to the ones described during the Nomad War. Can it be that some Maltese are alien puppets forced to shoot their brethren, or it is simple internal strife? From the short logs collected, it appears that the vessel in question was representing some republican faction of Malta that went as far as armed confrontation with their opponents. These deliberations remain speculational, however, and should be taken with criticism until we have more data to clarify this incident.

[+]Logs of the incident (outcasts shooting outcasts)

Both sides grow anxious in anticipation of the grand battle to come. This growing anxiety unravels the worst parts of human nature. The tensions between the combatants are high and amplify already present hatred for each other. Sometimes this hatred leads to despicable moves, or even war crimes. Today, SC-”Waseda” was stopped by a Crayterian vessel for a regular check expected for the ships moving through the warzone. The captain asked Kobayashi-san, the pilot of “Waseda” to transfer to them an Outcast survivor previously picked up after the battle. To shock of the crew of “Waseda”, the poor soul was thrown out into space without equipment. While such a move could have been expected of the Outcasts known for long for their ferocity akin to their even less civilised brethren of Crete, such a deed is not something expected of a Crayterian officer. Now we provide the logs, please take away sensitive people, children, and pregnant women from the screen.

[+]Logs of outcast execution

This is but another indicator that this battle will be a challenge not only to Crayterian military strengths, but also to their ideals. Will the price of victory be devaluation of the human rights praised by the Crayterians, or will they find strength to show respect to their adversary and the prisoners of war? Time will tell. Availing the opportunity, AHN warns the citizens of Kusari to refrain from venturing into the Tau Rim due to the ongoing hostilities. Stay safe and take care.

This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank you for watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Shimamori

12-04-2020, 01:06 PM


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All Honshu Network:
News and Entertainment from the Eastern Jewel of Kusari



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Konnichiwa! Ishikawa Ayumi desu. You are watching "Ikiru michi" (//"Way of life") on All Honshu Network. Today in our programme we will embark to one of the most popular yet most obscure at the same time shrines on all of Honshu. How is it possible? Let us find out together!

Located on a small island of Heiwajima 1 hour of flight away from Minamimito and 2 hours flight from Shimada, the shrine of Yamanaka-kitsune-Inari is not a popular tourist destination nowadays. A small island where it is located has almost no infrastructure and no permanent settlements to attract visitors for staying, while harsh weather of constant rains in summer and snow in winter can drive away used to convenience inhabitants of large Kusarian metropolices. However, it is not the natural conditions and the lack of comfortable hotels that keeps this place largely unknown to the general public but the history of this place.

History of Heiwajima

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Heiwajima in summer
The island of Heiwajima was scouted in the first years of the colonisation of Honshu similarly to most of the landmass on the planet but was not settled due to its insignificance and distance from the primary landfall. It did not even have a name at the time and went under a code-toponym S-149 until the first inhabitants arrived in 589 A.S. with a line of expansion in the area of neighbouring Haneda island. Due to the lack of useful mineable resources and distance to the nearest supply base nobody objected when the island was given over to biologists from Haneda Gakuin University to study and cultivate wildlife. Unknowingly, this decision that was to foster primarily science would eventually boost tourism on the island considerably.

Hewajima’s climatic conditions were very suitable for creating and studying an ecosystem of moderately-cold areas with smaller mammals as the primary species. Populations of mice, rabbits, and seabirds were introduced to the island after the initial coverage with cold-resistant vegetation. To control the population of the rodents and to study the ecosystems with predators, foxes were settled on the island following the growth of the rodents’ population. Not familiar with poachers and exposed to constant peaceful observation and sporadic care from humans, the local foxes grew to be quite friendly with humans and would gladly go for contact to get treats or be petted by anyone. Soon enough the visiting relatives of the scientists dwelling on the island made the foxes viral and the tourist industry followed the booming interest in a local kawaii phenomenon. A few hotels were built on Heiwajima to accommodate the influx of people, and multiple mini contact zoos were created for everyone to enjoy the local cute wildlife. However, such interest came at a cost: more and more people would go as far as stealing foxes from the island to avoid tedious bureaucratic process of buying one, poachers came as the fishing industry on Honshu was getting even more exhausted as it had been, and the impact of humanity’s presence on the island became as noticeable as it was harmful.

The local authorities stood idle, trying to balance between preservation of the attraction and reaping the benefits of taxes that were contributing greatly while the fisheries were over-scrutinised with regulations aimed at preservation of salmon on Honshu. The media worked with the companies benefiting from the tourism and thus the population was in general oblivious to how Heiwajima’s fragile ecological balance was disrupted at an alarming pace. Amid this crisis, however, rose a prominent protector and apologist for preservation of natural beauty and scientific value of the island - Yamanaka Saika. Her contribution to the resolution of the ecological crisis on the island would be so significant that the shrine we are originally discussing today was dedicated to her, symbolically making her the “kami” (//goddess) of Heiwajima. Therefore, to continue our venture on the island it would be improper to omit the story of life and deeds of Yamanaka Saika.

The life of Yamanaka Saika

Yamanaka Saika was born in 556 A.S. on Kyushu in a family of farmers. Since childhood she was fond of nature and loved spending time with animals of the farm. It was not surprise to her parents when despite their pleas to stay and continue the family's business ventured to New Tokyo to get education in Shin Todai University. Coming from a poor family, young Saika could not hope to get the money for the best University in all of Kusari from her parents, and so she started doing menial baitos (//part-time jobs) to feed herself while collecting money, and spending all of her free time to study hard for the exams that were no easier to pass than collect the enormous sum of money for tuition. In three years, in 541 she passed the exams and enrolled on the faculty of biology. Her 3-years savings were enough only to pay for the first semester of the University and only by taking an additional student loan. Her intelligence and diligence, however, allowed her to receive three scholarships simultaneously, allowing her finally to quit part-time jobs and delve into studying completely. In three years she would finish her bachelor’s programme early, in two more get a Master’s degree, and in three more obtain Ph.D.’s diploma with specialty in ecological revitalisation. A young brilliant scientist soon went to imperial Haneda Gakuin university, where she was offered a tenure and a position of assistant professor. In Minamimito where the university was located she met Hanzo Yoshimura, a mid-rank police officer and in two years they would get married.

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Heiwajima Foxes
The life was going well for her: her student’s loan was covered by the University support policy, she got promoted to being a professor, her husband became the chief of Minamimito’s police, and they got two children who seemed to be as smart as their mother. As a professor with speciality in ecological revitalisation Saika Yoshikawa (who during marriage wore the surname of her husband) was invited to take part in revitalisation of Heiwajima. She was among the first scientists who arrived on the island to establish the colonies of plants and rodents in 589. By 593 when the first foxes were introduced she was already second scientist in charge on the island after Professor Satou Shun, and in 595 when the first records of the foxes started to go viral professor Satou retired, leaving Saika, then 39, in charge of the research project. Initially, she cooperated with the tourism industry with enthusiasm, believing it can attract more funds, attention, and interest to the issues of ecology on Honshu. However, by 597 she started to go into direct conflict with the local tourism companies over their patronisation of fox sales. The things escalated on 23rd February, 598 when Yoshikawa Saika leading a militia team of local scientists captured a group of poachers from the neighbouring island of Haneda. The issue would have been easily solved and trespassers arrested if one of them was not a son to the governor Tanaka of Haneda and others were his friends. Tanaka’s son denied all allegations and claimed it was actually Yoshikawa Saika who “inspired by Gaian eco-terrorists decided to take justice in her hands and assault anyone visiting the island” and that “she took them into custody illegally while they were just peacefully chilling on the beach”. Tanaka hired the best lawyers and filed a lawsuit against Saika on the grounds of assault. The legal process was marked by disgraceful methods on the side of Tanaka. The fact that it was February and that a few dead foxes were found with Tanaka were dismissed as “any citizen of Kusari is free and can enjoy natural scenery anytime and anywhere unless it is restricted by law” while dead foxes magically disappeared from the evidence storage. The process was also accompanied by smear campaigns from the media, bribed by the local tourist agencies and Tanaka himself. In wake of the hearings, the husband of Saika requested a divorce to avoid reputational losses being a police chief in Minamimito. Whether under pressure from governor Tanaka or out of his own motives, Yoshikawa Hanzo requested custody over their two children and denied her the rights to their apartment in Minamimito under the argument that she spent most of her time on Heiwajima and did not take care of the children and did not need apartment anyway.

Verdict and Legacy

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Yamanaka Saika in 599
Betrayed by everyone, Saika Yamanaka still stood firmly during the hearings and took her loss in the case as an expected outcome. In her speech to the court she used her wits and academic argumentation skills to the maximum, pointing out quite evident inconsistencies in the accuser's points. What she did not know was that one of the researchers who was in the militia with her during the civilian arrest of Tanaka, Uehara Satomi, agreed to collaborate with the prosecutor and confirmed the words of Tanaka regarding Saika’s inspiration with the Gaians. Despite her eloquence, Yamanaka Saika was found guilty as charged and sentenced to prison for 25 years in 600 A.S. Her imprisonment, however, drew attention to the case from many locals who knew her personally as a “Guardian of Heiwajima”, and marked her being peaceful and indifferent to anything going with ecology in Bretonia being too occupied with local matters. When Tanaka paid trolls to tackle the neural net vigilantes and drown them in trolling posts for everyone to forget about the case, it sparked a tide of resentment that drew even more people to the case and in support of Yamanaka. Kusari neural net segment went crazy about the case originally on Honshu, and soon all over the Empire as the story resonated with many who had to deal with corrupt politicians and their relatives in the past. In early 602 A.S. a member of the Hogosha, Fujiwaru Tomoya, using his skills obtained from the Lane Hackers found the footage showing the fact of poaching by governor Tanaka’s son, and the whole incident with the civilian arrest that turned out to be perfectly within law. When this footage was sent to the KSP and to all central media of Kusari, it was obvious that Tanaka played a dirty game. Tanaka resigned five days after the footage became public, and his son fled their house in an unknown direction. Three days later Yamanaka Saika was released from prison. The KSP launched a lengthy investigation of the whole case that exposed the ties of the tourism companies to Tanaka. The companies exposed quickly lost their clientele and suffered substantial financial and reputational losses. Yamanaka’s ex-husband managed to preserve his position but kindly accepted the transfer to Kyushu system, likely to avoid negative publicity. Having learnt of their father’s betrayal, Saika’s two children returned to live with their mother, her daughter taking her surname while her son, Yoshimizu, would later on become a police chief himself to remedy the mistakes of his father and clean his family name of disgrace.

Yamanaka’s never-ending enthusiasm and decisiveness while in prison managed to preserve her case in the tops that eventually allowed kind strangers to find the footage and later on bear the expenses for court motion to force Tanaka to compensate Yamanaka’s moral suffering for having been wrongly sentenced and all the time in prison. After the release Yamanaka continued her research on the island and fostered the balance between the people and the nature on the island. She was given the exclusive right by the local authorities to govern the island as the scientific community thereof saw fit, allowing Yamanaka finally to ban the hotels off the island and prohibit tourism companies from organising tours to Heiwajima. However, she still welcomed individual tourists who could come on their own from Shimada or Haneda and contribute directly to the budget of the island and not some company. Yamanaka became a popular local figurehead in the matter of popularisation of science and responsible treatment of nature in the following years, and also was a beloved professor at Haneda Gakuin University that restored her in position soon after her release.

Unfortunately, in 609 A.S. Yamanaka Saika was tragically murdered in her own house at the hands of Haneda ex-governor’s son who disappeared after his father’s resignation and whose name is intentionally not mentioned throughout this programme for the disgrace of his actions. The motive of the murder was most like revenge as the blood-stained letter found on her said “for my ruined life”. Governor Tanaka’s son again managed to escape justice but later on was found dead on Freeport 10, killed by the Blood Dragons who knew of his disgrace and took his volunteering into their service as offence against their honour.

Death of Yamanaka was a tragedy to the local peaceful community and was mourned by the neighbouring islands of Haneda and Shimada. Many citizens would come to the island and launch a paper lantern with the picture of a fox on it into the night sky to commemorate Yamanaka, “the Guardian of Heiwajima”. Many would donate money to the fund of protection of Heiwajima’s foxes and to the scientists working there. Yamanaka’s children also received significant donations to help them with their adulthood. Haneda Gakuin Imperial University would rename its biology campus after Saika Yamanaka to commemorate her optimist despite all odds and academic dedication to nature.

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Yamanaka-Inari Shrine in winter

Saika Yamanaka was cremated on 15.10.609 A.S. on Heiwajima under the wishes of her children. Yamanaka’s parents, despite being of old age, came to Honshu to mourn their daughter and to take their grandchildren to Kyushu. In a funeral speech, Saika’s daughter Yamanaka Fumiko said:

“My mother was dedicated to guarding this island not to protect it from humans, but to share its riches and wisdom with them. And seeing how many people came here today to commemorate her efforts in spirit of peace and respect for nature, I can say with confidence that she succeeded. She has been a true Guardian: she fought in spite of all odds throughout her life and achieved everything by herself because of her abilities and hard working. And she did not stood idle when the fruits of her works were cruelly misused for fun and amusement by the spoiled people consumed with power and sense of impunity. Even when betrayed by everyone, me includingly to my sorrow, she remained civil and optimistic and continued her fight for what is right and true. She has been a good mother, scientists, and a loyal servant of the Emperor. I firmly believe that if she could, she would bear the duty of the Guardian of what is right and this island even in death and thus I suggest we erect a shrine, commemorating her and putting her spirit to rest here while giving her opportunity to inspire and support those women finding themselves at a difficult point in life. May her spirit find peace at this island of peace (//Heiwajima - "island of peace").

The idea was noticed by the local authorities who, using the donations of the citizens and income from the tourism to the island, erected Yamanaka Kitsune-Inari shrine.

The fate of Shrine and Heiwajima Nowadays

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Inari, fox-patrons of the shrine
Dedicated to kitsune (//foxes) who traditionally associated with success, prosperity, and virility in Kusarian culture, and to a strong and respected woman, the shrine quickly became a destination especially popular among young women who had anxiety about their life of any sorts: career, becoming a mother, finding a husband, or seeking for greater calling in life. The shrine was believed to be an afterlife home to the spirit of Yamanaka Saika as her daughter wanted, and in light of the life path of Yamanaka, the shrine had a booth with free legal consultation and shelter for those seeking justice or trying to escape abusive relationship. The shrine also offered shelter to local foxes where they were fed by the tourists and protected by the priesthood from any attempts of poachery.

The shrine was a very popular destination due to its significance to the local history and unique opportunity to interact with foxes freely on the premises of the research post or the shrine. However, one of the most popular shrines in this area of Honshu fell into oblivion after 648 A.S. when Matsuda attempted an assassination of the governor of Kyushu .Yamanaka-Kitsune-Inari Jinja being dedicated to a strong woman who suffered at the hands of a powerful and corrupt politician drew some associations in people’s minds and the local authorities in attempt to prevent any possible incidents relocated the researchers and all of the foxes to a different island in an opposite hemisphere under the auspices of development of new territories, and the shrine was made free of priesthood due to logistical difficulties. Despite the opposition from Yamanaka’s relatives, almost 40 years after her death the public was less sensitive about the issue and technically the shrine was still open to visitors without any restrictions, but on their own as companies were secretly discouraged by the governments to provide transportation to Heiwajima. The fears proved to be ill-grounded as no incidents related to radical feminists occured on the island and the unspoken restrictions were lifted in early 8th century A.S. However, the island since then became a desolate place of land with no attractions except for the shrine. The latter, however, was kept in good condition by the visiting priests, Yamanaka’s relatives, and the students and staff of the biology faculty of Haneda Gakuin University. Modern urban legend says that the spirit of Yamanaka became lonely after the relocation of all the foxes and so some spirits of the foxes returned from the land of the dead to stay at the shrine with the Guardian who took care of them in life to take care of her in death.

Despite the lack of infrastructure and difficulties in transportation, Yamanaka-Kitsune-Inari Shrine can still be a worthwhile trip destination. THe snowy forests of Heiwajima and clear night sky not polluted by the light from big cities can offer a unique experience of becoming one with nature. And if you are a woman seeking advice or inspiration - you certainly should pay a visit to Yamanaka-Kitsune-Inari Shrine as many women do every year despite the hardships of travelling. Whether you travel openly or in secret (perhaps you do not want to be misjudged as a supporter of Golden Chrysanthemums), feel free to seek the advice of the locals - they will never judge and still hold respect for Yamanaka Saika. Just don’t forget warm clothes, mobile shelter, and emergency contact device to call for help in case of harsh weather, especially during summer storms. Feel free to turn to Minamimito Tourist Information centre for guidance - the local staff are always willing to help the travellers and having many women in their staff will not judge whether you prefer anonymity during your travel to Yamanaka-Kitsune-Inari.

This concludes our programme for today. We hope this feature will spark interest to the life of Yamanaka Saika’s life and the shrine dedicated to her, unluckily forgotten, among the young Kusarians. We wish you good travels wherever they might lead you. Keep safe and enjoy your life while travelling! This was Ishikawa Ayumi for AHN.

This programme was sponsored by Haneda Department of Tourism of Honshu and Clan Shimamori. Brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Lord Helmchen

12-04-2020, 04:49 PM

COMMENT
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Name: - Caitlyn Cross
Location: - Samson Resort Curacao
Reaction: - Inspiring and heartwarming!

I Love You Chanell it is always a Source of Inspiration and Joy to me. and I wanted to Thank you for it, it gave me the Perfect Place to make the Proposal for my Future Wife. It was your First Episode that gave me the Perfect Place and I made my Proposal on the Akamatsubashi Bridge. so Maybe we will Visit this Wonderfull Place in our Honeymoon and Pay our Respect to Miss Yamanaka who did so Much to Preserve this Precious Island. Keep up the Good Work.

Caitlyn Cross
Subdirector Orbital Spa and Cruise.

以上

Shimamori

01-27-2021, 06:56 AM


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All Honshu Network:
News and Entertainment from the Eastern Jewel of Kusari

Treaty of Rishiri Concludes Kusari-Gallia War. The Aftermath

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Konnichiwa! This is Ito Fumihiro and you are watching "Hi no ki” (//Mood of the Day) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond.

The war is over! A few weeks have passed since the cessation of hostilities between the Reformed Empire of Kusari and the newly established Gallic Union. The short albeit bloody conflict is over and people in both Houses can again look into their future with a semblance of hope.

The war finished at the end of 827 A.S., its outcomes formalised in the Treaty of Rishiri. An 8-article document outlines the post-war relationship and new status quo between the Reformed Empire of Kusari and the Gallic Union. The main “gains” of Kusari in this offensive war secured in the Treaty are the systems of Rishiri (Tau 53) and Tau 23 which until the conflict were border systems in mutual use of both Houses, as well as extended exclusive rights in Tau 31 system, that de facto secures Saga (Tau 29) under control of the Reformed Empire of Kusari. Were these gains worth the sacrifices and the war? Today, we will try to answer this question. Koshaku Shimamori Masahito of Haneda and Professor Onoda Ryouma of Shintodai will be helping us in the analysis of the outcomes of this conflict.

Onoda-sensei, welcome to our studio. Professor Onoda is a post-doc fellow at Kokusai Kankei Gakubu (//Department of International Relations) at Shin Tokyo Daigaku (//New Tokyo University). Before proceeding to the evaluation of the outcomes of the war, would you please share your thoughts on how the diplomatic part of the conflict’s end was handled?

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The pleasure of being today in the studio is mine. Your question is quite important as the diplomatic manoeuvres after any conflict can allow an observer to eye the tensions or lack thereof between the parties. Usually, dragging negotiations indicate that parties are not seeing eye to eye and are relentless in giving the ground, thus likely sparking the conflict once again. In our case, Gallia and Kusari managed to lay down the framework for negotiations and a draft for the document rather quickly. Surely, we cannot know all the under-the-table diplomatic moves employed by the both sides but the regulating Treaty appeared soon after the last shots were fired. In my opinion, it indicated the weariness of both the Gauls and Kusarians of the war and willingness to put an end to the war as fast as possible under mostly neutral conditions which we later on saw in the document.

So in your opinion, diplomatically the treaty was “neutral” and did not favour any of the sides?

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Despite me saying so, it is evident that the Treaty favours Kusari. The empire gained exclusive exploration and exploitation rights in Tau 23 and Tau 31, as well as secured the system of Rishiri. Moreover, Kusarian diplomats have demonstrated a good level of understanding the post-war threats and played well the cunning game of gently imposing the points that would safeguard Kusari in the nearest future from the possible power-play of Gallia. Namely, our diplomats have included in the Treaty passages regarding the mutual condemnation of unlawful forces in the Houses of Kusari and Gallia, effectively making it less convenient to use them as proxies for asserting one’s dominance over certain areas. In particular, it would prevent the Gauls, say, from using the Blood Dragons as an intermediary of sowing dissent and chaos in Kusari without actually involving any Gallic forces. The Gauls can still undertake such operations, but having subscribed to official condemnation of all Kusarian criminals it would require them to be much more discreet and any incident revealing their involvement would discredit the Gallic diplomatic reputation. Given their history with the rest of Sirius, this is something they would rather not do as their diplomatic reputation is already not the best. Surprisingly, Gallia refrained from employing the Kusarian outlaws to their aid during the conflict whether it was a matter of honour, lack of agreeability of the latter, strategic oversight, or a simple coincidence. Still, binding the parties by the Treaty to condemn each other’s criminal organisations can safeguard the Empire from, say, the Blood Dragons suddenly receiving Gallic weaponry or being financed with Gallic Francs. There are already too many rumours about the Dragons being financed by the GMG. *chuckles*

Professor Onoda, how would you evaluate the other parts of the Treaty?

[Image: 0l6Ch7T.png]
Well, there are a few other good points for Kusari. The paragraph about dropping all the “hostile laws” is also good - there have been rumours about the Gauls treating us with cold shower from now on. I can’t blame them, they were the defenders this time. However, they agreed to this paragraph which gives Kusari a leverage in a matter of trade between the houses. In line with this paragraph, Kusari can interpret any laws supporting protectionism and reluctance to trade with Kusari as violation of the point in question. Still, as there is no supra-national organisation to oversee the norms of trade the Gauls can technically violate this paragraph arbitrary without fearing any repercussions - nobody can enforce them to trade with us after the war. Surely, they agreed to this paragraph so violating it will damage their diplomatic reputation. Unlike the case with the criminals, however, this is much less serious and there might be a lot of loopholes, like presenting the lack of desire to trade as a purely private initiative of the Gallic corporations.

No reparations on both sides is also beneficial under current circumstances. Perhaps, this point made it possible for the parties to agree upon the Treaty so fast. Surely, Kusari will need to take the burden of repairing its fleet and paying for the war. Offensive wars usually cost more than defensive. Given how the last stages of war were developing, I can say that Kusari needed to end the conflict fast to avoid possible counter-offensive by slowly re-organising into a united front Gauls. Now that we already know of the Gallic re-unification, that was a good call and a prompt move. Knowing when to stop dreaming of blitzkrieg and admit limited gains is what I can commend our diplomats for. Compared to how the war was started, such an end with grace is worth praising.

Thank you, Professor Onoda for your evaluation of the diplomacy finalising the war. Let us now get to koushaku Shimamori. Thank you for agreeing to come to us today, Shimamori-san. Onoda-sensei has analysed the diplomatic aspect of the end of the war. How would you evaluate the end of war in general?

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Thank you for inviting me to the studio, … . As most of the viewers probably know by now, I was one of the vocal critics of the war in the first place. So while I acknowledge the good aspects of handling diplomatic issues at the end of war, there are no excuses for starting this war in the first place. Let us look comparatively at the losses and gains from this war.

According to the Treaty of Rishiri that concluded the war Kusari secures the system of Tau 53, or otherwise known as Rishiri, Tau 23, and part of Tau 31. Tau 53 and Tau 23 were already being used jointly with the Gauls. Tau 23 is a lawless mess. If two houses and the IMG in a joint effort could not stop the Outcasts from going through the system as their backyard spreading their orange plague and raiding our vessels, I doubt Kusari forces will be able to secure the system for either Samura or Kishiro to exploit the natural resources of the system unhindered. Given the losses in the war, the keiretsu should worry lest they assets within Kusari are safe. Overextension of their resources to a barely tamed system can cost them a fortune and not look good in the eyes of the investors and shareholders. In other words, Kusari simply can’t make use of Tau 23 for the time being, and the cold treatment we are going to get from the Gauls makes the cooperation with the Gallic law enforcement in this matter nigh impossible. Tau 31 gains is another example of advancing where do not really need to. Did the Crayterians really bother us? We pushed them out only to have a huge flotilla of the Outcasts advance on Tau 44. Besides, Tau 31 is full of crystalised water. Not like we are in desperate need of water with four aquatic worlds in our core systems. Surely, it will be a proxy space for Saga, but at what cost? Finally, Tau 53 or Rishiri is indeed a valuable system. Yet again, was this whole fuss and losses worthy of a one system rich with gas that we are buying at a favourable price from the GMG? Besides, we had joint ventures with the Gauls there. You know, the Gauls whose engines run on Promethene are not in that dire need of H-Fuel. With smart and competent financial policy Samura could have simply bought out the Gallic assets in the system or reach a deal on monopolising the gas sources which are not so important for the Gauls without the bloodshed. So all in all we have two and a half of systems that cannot be exploited due to the weariness of the two ex-belligerents and ensued activity of unlawful elements in the region.

Certainly, in the long run the systems can benefit the Empire. Mind, however, that both Tau 23 and Tau 53 are bordering on Gallia and with our deteriorated relations further cooperation would be unlikely and controlling the systems alone even in the long run would be difficult. The space gained as the result of the Treaty of Rishiri was also not the claim of the war and/or part of the casus belli, making it more difficult to diplomatically explain the annexation. While I doubt it would be an issue in the short run as both Liberty and Bretonia do not look favourably on Gallia, especially united, and will not impede any diplomatic moves detrimental to Gallia. In the long run, however, should Kusari face any diplomatic fallout with other Houses, these claims can be remembered.

And one of the most important outcomes of the war - the losses. The official data is not released by the navy but by juxtaposing the information from the open sources of the both sides, stories by the military staff returned, I can assume that up to a half of the whole fleet of Kusari was lost in the fight. I am most certain they gave a good fight and inflicted heavy casualties on the Gauls. Mind, however, that the latter have just united and installed a military government. Having been an industrial powerhouse before, I assume they would be able to rebuild their fleet rather fast. Given how Kusari unexpectedly declared the war on the Gauls without regard to previous agreements, I fear the Gauls might attempt a similar pre-emptive strike once they recovered and the Empire is still weak without regard to the Treaty of Rishiri. I hope this does not happen but we created a dangerous precedent here. Needless to say, rebuilding our fleet and training new crews will take time and a lot of already strained financial resources. And most importantly - so many lives were lost for the benefits of the few. Samura is an important keiretsu for Kusari for sure, but do its business interest outweigh the lives of our soldiers? As I said before, Samura is prosperous enough to have tried non-violent takeover methods on corporate level without involving the state. So all in all, in my opinion, the war achieved little and could have been avoided. Moreover, it engendered a more dangerous neighbour than before who is definitely not friendly to us and will not be in the nearest future. Little gains with liabilities and increased risks are not what is expected of a “calculated” war.

From your perspective, Shimamori-san, it looks really gruesome. There are still many people, however, who welcomed this war and now welcome the victory.

[Image: MT8Fj4M.png]
And I do understand their feelings. The pride of our House was lost during the first war with Gallia. The Emperor was exiled, and a civil war ensued. Victory over arguably the strongest Navy in the sector is something that can give people the sense of pride for Kusari. Let them be proud then, there is nothing wrong with that. I just urge them to remember that this proud victory was a Pyrrhic one and came at a cost. My opinion is simply that this cost was too high for Kusari to pay and the whole deal was not worth it.

What do you think happens now, Shimamori-san? How would you comment on future of Kusari?

[Image: MT8Fj4M.png]
That is a tough question, … Our economy is strained by the recovery after the war, severed trade routes, and remaining after the civil war and Gallic occupation challenges. The unlawful activity is record high, and it unlikely to be reduced with less resources at the disposal of the Navy and the Police. Yet I look into the optimistically: our people have always been diligent and hard-working and this cannot be changed. Like before, we will endure. Nevertheless, I hope our leaders have learnt a lesson from this war and will refrain from aggressive diplomacy in the future. We gained little and lost much.

I hope that the attention of the government now after the war will be directed at domestic issues. Dealing with the rising criminal activity and fostering economic growth should be two priorities. I doubt that we will have important diplomatic activities. Perhaps, time to conclude peace with the Crayterians - certainly we don’t need another hostile entity in already barely controlled Tau Rim. I would also like to see more political will to reform - the current political system is cumbersome. The administrative and legislative apparatuses. May the recent incident with a colony of cats occupying the Kokkai (//Parliament) is a symbolic impetus to driving the change for higher efficiency. For example, as I said before, the position of a Shogun is an atavism, one can even consider the legacy of Hideyoshi. I bet a regular high command composed of the admiralty can take of the military affairs. We should not multiply entities beyond need, simplicity is surprisingly effective. If the post of a Shogun is to be preserved then it is to be endowed with powers different from regular military headquarters.

In time of peace and unburdened by urgent military commissions, I expect the keiretsu to play a more prominent role in Kusari’s domestic affairs and economic revitalisation. It would be great to see the keiretsu step in where the government cannot venture right now, such as development of Tottori. However, I would be very careful with starting business operations in Rishiri and Tau 23 - I already mentioned the reasons why it might be a financial liability. Strengthening domestic positions before having enough venture capital to invest into the Taus might be necessary. I personally will continue to work in Honshu and hope to contribute to Empire’s safety and prosperity in the system, and encourage all the viewers to support their home worlds by doing well their job, staying away from criminal activities and drugs, and staying optimistic.

Shimamori-san, bunseki to iken de arigatou gozaimasu (//Thank you for your analysis and opinion). We at AHN hope that peaceful time lasts for Kusari and brings stability and prosperity to the Empire. Stay safe and take care of your beloved ones. This will conclude today’s programme. How do you feel about the end of the war? Do you share the optimistic feeling about the future? Share your thoughts with us! This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank your watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Shimamori

02-12-2021, 09:19 AM


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Outcast Incursion: Battle of Tottori

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Konnichiwa! This is Ito Fumihiro and you are watching "Hi no ki” (//Mood of the Day) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond.

Tau Rim has always posed a problem for the law enforcement of all neighbouring Houses. Following the conclusion the Treaty of Rishiri ending Kusari-Gallia war both Houses that had been involved in the conflict are restoring their forces and cannot ensure safety of the region even on pre-war level. However, the House of Kusari and honourable soldiers of the Imperial Army are staying vigilant to prevent the growing bold unlawful elements of the Taus from trespassing the space of the Empire and disturbing peace and business of the subjects.

Two days ago, a sizeable raid of the Outcasts using the less guarded Kyushu-Tottori corridor breached into the system of Tottori, their plans remaining unknown. KNF vessels were raised following the distress call and ventured to face the criminals. The battle which ensued was a complete triumph of the Imperial Forces: all hostile presence was eliminated with no losses among the defenders. Our correspondent, Shimada Miyuki, from the place of events.

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Konnichiwa, Ito-san. I got the notification from the local distress station that the lawful forces were about to engage boogies in Tottori and followed the assembling battlegroup. Following the war, the Empire, apparently, is taking security very seriously and threw quite a sizeable "fleet" I should say at the trespassers. I managed to witness a few battlecruisers, battleships, and fighters support to deal with at that time unknown type of hostile vessels. It turned out that the trespassers' forces were comprised mostly of gunships and raider-fighters. There might have been a larger ship supporting the raiding squadrons but I personally have not witnessed it. Needless to say that superior Imperial Navy proved victorious once again, especially the conditions being in their favour. Following the initial clash, the Navy hunted down the scattered and retreating from the system remaining outcasts and their accomplices in the face of Golden Chrysanthemums who showed up a bit later during the fight.

What was also interesting that the KNF forces were aided by Hogosha (which is usual) but also by a Bounty Hunter gunboat. Usually, the BHG is not allowed to operate within Kusari space save for Shikoku. Apparently, increased activity of the unlawfuls in the Taus and lack of personnel following the war makes the stance of the authorities on mercenaries mor flexible.

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LSF Battlecruiser aiding KNF in Tottori

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Superior Imperial Forces suppressing with fire an escaping Outcast

Shimada-san, have you figured out what was the reason behind the Outcasts raiding Tottori? Was a regular raid or some other foul reasons are involved?

[Image: hnXmelZ.png]
And this is the interesting part. Apparently they chased a group of two Liberty Security Force battlecruisers from the Taus into Tottori. I personally witnessed the Libertonians in Tau 23 system when doing my research on the aftermath of the war. The LSF forces engaged an Outcast gunship and, apparently, invoked the retaliation of the Outcast who alerted their local forces and gave the Libertonians a punitive chase. One of the Libertonias was seen in the battle in Tottori aiding the KNF.

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LSF battlecruisers destroying an Outcast gunship in Tau 23

An interesting development. But what were the Libertonians doing in the Taus in the first place? According to the Treaty of Rishiri, Tau 23 is a sphere of influence of the Reformed Empire of Kusari, effectively rendering the presence of Libertonian capital vessels in the system unsanctioned and an unfriendly move towards the Empire.

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Upon encountering the vessels I tried to inquire what our guests were doing in Tau 23 and in capital vessels. The Libertonians were not inclined to share this information with a civilian as expected. More concerning, however, is that entered the space of the Empire in warships. If they were not trying to carry out a brave manoeuvre of retreat to save themselves from the Outcasts, I assume that might have caused a diplomatic incident. They supported the Imperial Forces in Tottori thereafter, so I assume there was an understanding reached with the representatives of the KNF who confirmed that Libertonian guests were escorted out of Kusari space peacefully.

[+]Log of conversation with LSF in Tau 23

It appears that Liberty might be having an increased interest in the affairs of now the Gallic Union. Perhaps, even in the growing influence of Kusari in the Taus as well. I only hope that the presence of Libertonian forces has not gone unnoticed by the KNF command and situation will be a stimulus for better communication and cooperation between the Houses. Perhaps, there has been an agreement between the Houses, permitting Libertonian presence in the sphere of influence of Kusari. Otherwise, such a move is disrespect to our laws. Our task is to inform, and whether to act is up to our military and diplomats. One remains certain - the Tau Rim is a no-mans land for now and the Empire will need to strengthen its hold over the region to gain use of it and not to have such unexpected guests. But while the Imperial Forces stay as vigilant as they have been and shown in the battle of Tottori - I have no doubts the Empire will succeed. And to end our programme for today we give you the comments of the KNF forces after the fight.

[10.02.2021 18:50:03] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Would anyone be willing to make a comment for the news?

[Image: 7EPeEw7.png]
[10.02.2021 18:50:12] <|>Nenshou.Ame-Nk: Very cool, yes.

[10.02.2021 18:50:15] [KNF]IKN-Ise: Junzo: Don't do drugs, kids.

[10.02.2021 18:50:20] [KNF]IKN-Takatenjin: Sana: Remove every hostile you can find. BANZAI!

[10.02.2021 18:50:41] [KNF]Ii.Umakai.Miwa: There's no greater fools than the slaves of Malta.

AHN suggests you to refrain from visiting the Tau Rim in the meantime due to increased activity of the unlawful forces. In case of a problem, please contact the nearest distress beacon to alert Kusari law enforcement. This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank you for watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Shimamori

02-18-2021, 11:49 AM


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New System Chartered: Planetform Boosts Activity

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Konnichiwa! This is Ito Fumihiro and you are watching "Hi no ki” (//Mood of the Day) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond.

Despite unlawful activity in the Tau Rim, this barely scouted region is still luring explorators and businessmen from neigbouring systems. New discoveries open opportunities for hefty profits and advantage over one's competitors. Planetform Inc. recently reported in its public advertisement of a discovered wormhole leading to a previously unchartered system and called upon freelancers and other corporate miners for cooperation in extraction of valuable resources. Our correspondent, Shimada Miyuki, ventured to the frontier for the story. Shimada-san, konnichiwa. What is this new system and what can it offer to a traveller or miner?

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Konnichiwa, Ito-san. I heard of the system from the news and went to the Taus looking for a way to get there. The traffic in Suga (//Tau-29) was busier than usual and some traders shared the information of a pioneer station of Planetform in Baffin system. Aroung G5 quadrant a field base was deployed around a jumphole to the new system. The Planetform employees ensured me that the rift was stable and ships were clear to jump. It took some time and seeing multiple freighters going in to overcome my initial hesitation.

The system itself is seemingly old with an asteroid field taking up most of space around the sole star, a white dwarf. It is early to say with certainty how the system came to be: the local Planetform scientists casually mentioned that a white dwarf is one of the final stages in the life of a star and that the asteroid field and dust around are what could have become planets should the stellar evolution went differently. This is even more surprising because the major source of activity and mining operations in the area, the so called "syringe", is clearly of organic origin.

[+]MEDIA: Planetform Operation Site in Baffin
[+]MEDIA: Planetform Advertisement

Why is the organic origin of this "syringe" is a problem? There a multiple sources of vacuum-friendly bacteria all around the sector which are successfully used in industry?

[Image: hnXmelZ.png]
Well, most of those bacteria dwell nearby a planet, possibly linking them to evolutionary processes in its upper atmospheric levels. Without any planetoids nearby where they could have naturally evolved and them casually existing in cold vacuum of space leads to certain conclusions, some of which are disturbing. Either there is some incredible natural evolution to be studied, or they have been brought here by someone else, the latter unlikely being a human being. If so, the extraction and subsequent use of this bacteria for commercial or industrial purposes can be questionable and could possibly infringe the reputation of Planetform. However, it is not the reputation of a company but the humanity we should be concerned. Can these simple bacteria living so comfortably in the depth of space be linked to the organic ships of non-human origin that were seen 28 years ago at the time of major political upheaval? A mere speculation, yet not without ground. On the other hand, they might have been brought by meteors and comets. Still, it would be suspicious that simple prokaryotes would adapt so fast from living in a comet to living in open space. This is, however, for the specialists to investigate.

This is concerning. If such rumours are in the air, what is luring the freelancers and independent freighters to join Planetform in their mining operations? And why are these bacteria are so important, anyway?

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The syringae, apparently, are curious to Planetform exactly for their capacity to live in open space under extremely hard conditions. The open sources of the company state that these bacteria can "revolutionise terraforming process" which is the bread and butter of Planetform. More information on the matter is not revealed and likely is a commercial secret. It is a matter of time until the scouts from all over Sirius, including Kusari corporations, obtain samples to invoke their own theories. But for now, given how many cubic metres of these bacteria Planetform has amassed, it seems only Bretonians have figured out how to use these tiny creatures in practice for commercial purpose. I only hope it will not cause another disaster for Bretonia or any of Planetform's contractors should the fears of links of these bacteria to organic ships from the Edge Worlds be corroborated. Besides, I even noticed a Gallic Royal expeditionary vessel in the system. It was not clear if the remains of the Royal Fleet are interested in the syringe for their experiments, or in crippling Bretonian corporation, or both - but given that Gallic Royal ships are rarely to be seen following the dismantling of the Enclave, this is another concerning piece to the puzzle of this new system.

As to why the people are coming to work for Planetform in this corner of space? Well, it is old good money. I managed to ask a few travellers coming in and out of the system and here is what they had to say. Apparently, Planetform is paying well while the unlawful elements for now stay out of the system for whatever reason.

[+]MEDIA: Planetform field base in the unchartered system
[+]MEDIA: Enclave expeditionary vessel

(Interviewee Decided to Stay Anonymous)
[12.02.2021 18:04:22] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: If I may, what drives people like you into the unknown? profits or something else?
[12.02.2021 18:04:34] LV-E******: RO: Mainly profits, aye.
[12.02.2021 18:04:57] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Have you encountered any hostilities here or related to this business?
[12.02.2021 18:05:27] LV-E******: RO: Negative. At least not yet.
[12.02.2021 18:05:46] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: I am surprised it is so, given the profits
[12.02.2021 18:06:09] LV-E******: RO: Indeed. We expected criminal activity to rise.

(Interviewee Decided to Stay Anonymous)
[12.02.2021 17:43:20] D****.R***: The corporates at planetform won't let me dock, but I have a sizable amount of microbes for them.
[12.02.2021 17:43:32] D****.R***: Fair enough, safe travels.
[12.02.2021 17:43:51] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: I doubt I would be able to do it with my light fighter anyway.
[12.02.2021 17:44:15] D****.R***: True true, I though you were one of those courriers they've hired.
[12.02.2021 17:44:39] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: I am but a humble journalist. Looking for a story. Seems like there is some anomaly
[12.02.2021 17:45:13] D****.R***: Some new microbe that ices itself or something. I'm mostly here for the hefty courrier fee.
[12.02.2021 17:45:35] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Seems like a good story to me. Where is it obtained?
[12.02.2021 17:45:57] D****.R***: Some area my navicomputer had no idea existed!
[12.02.2021 17:46:19] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Could you be more specific with coordinates, please?
[12.02.2021 17:46:23] D****.R***: Through a Baffin hole. A bit of a death trap though.
[12.02.2021 17:46:52] D****.R***: Baffin G5 is the anomaly.
[12.02.2021 17:47:04] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Much obliged, will head there right away
[12.02.2021 17:47:16] D****.R***: Usually it's not the kind of info I give out for free, but you seem like a good chap.
[12.02.2021 17:47:26] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Would you like to be mentioned in the news report or stay anonymous?
[12.02.2021 17:47:35] D****.R***: I may charge to beam you the way out if you need it.
[12.02.2021 17:47:52] D****.R***: I'd rather not. Attention is bad for business
[12.02.2021 17:48:11] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Your wish shall be respected.
[12.02.2021 17:49:08] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Doumo arigotu for the information. If you need payment, please contact AHN

[12.02.2021 17:52:30] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: And so we meet. Interesting. Is this access point restricted only to Planetform?
[12.02.2021 17:52:48] D****.R*** Something like that. In any case, they won't let me in
[12.02.2021 17:52:54] D****.R***: With a full shipment of microbes no less!
[12.02.2021 17:53:22] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: Seems like some corporate policy to me
[12.02.2021 17:53:29] D****.R***: I'll hail the next ship I see
[12.02.2021 17:56:14] AHN-Shimada.Miyuki: i assume it might be related to the size of your ship. Doesn't look they have a fixture to accommodate ship of your size
[12.02.2021 17:56:23] D****.R***: Indeed

Thank you for your bravery and commitment, Shimada-san, in making this story. Seems like environmental hazards are seen as a lesser threat by the pilots, appealing to many of independent contractors who are not certain in their combat skills yet are more convinced in their capability to survive radiation, asteroid showers, and what not. What can be said: civilian navigation appears to be on high level around Sirius and this is certainly a good news. Interestingly, it also appears that Planetform, either because of fear of competition or risks related to the stability of the gravitational anomaly or for other reason, is frowning upon larger ships dealing with the syringae and sticks to freighters and smaller mining vessels. Do not forget about it should you decide to go and test your luck yourself earning some credits with Planetform.

Would you venture into deep unknown space if the venture promissed good profit? Is it to dangerous? Are you a season space traveller and can offer a piece of advice, or even your services? Share your opinion with us! Your comments are valuable to us and to our viewers! For additional information on signing a contract with Planetform inc. and travelling to Baffin, please contact Planetform directly and Kusari Space Navigation Agency respectively. This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank you for watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Shimamori

04-01-2021, 08:31 AM


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Konnichiwa! Ishikawa Ayumi desu. You are watching "Ikiru michi" (//"Way of life") on All Honshu Network. Today we offer our viewers to embark on an extravagant journey to an “alien” island, where humans are no masters and the felines rule. Welcome to Nekojima - a tiny kingdom of cats on Honshu!

Overview

Nekojima, as its name suggests, is a cat island. There are no permanent human-dwellers on it, although there are always countless tourists visiting the island. Despite this, the felines still outnumber humans 7 to 1 with a healthy population of approximately 50.000. Located 30 minutes from the coast of the island of Shimada, Nekojima is a popular tourist destination on Honshu and in all of Kusari. Originally created as a copy of the famous Fujiwara cat island on Kyushu, Nekojima grew into a unique and famous attraction in its own right. Today, we will investigate its history and what it offers now.

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Nekojima's shore

History

Nekojima did not exist until 413 A.S. as an island. Until then, it had been a relatively shallow part of the sea known as Shimada Spit. It all changed when an extravagant tycoon from Shimada, Uehara Mana, decided to manifest her love for cats in creating her own island with cats. Her idea to create a cat island is traced back to the first famous cat island in Kusari - Fujiwara cat resort.

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Manegineko
From manegineko, a paw-shaking cat dolls welcoming money and prosperity, to cat cafes and popularity in the media - cats have always been an important part of Kusarian culture. In 160 A.S. during the settlement of smaller islands adjacent to the primary planetfall location on Kyushu, one of the explorers as a joke left a group of cats on a small island of Fujiwara as a part of the local ecosystem. The island was of no industrial or agricultural significance due to its rocky surface and lack of mineable resources. When in 164 A.S. a group of ecologists set foot on the island again they found a small sprawling colony of cats who, apparently, became the apex predators on an island populated mostly by small rodents and reptiles. The first generation of cats still familiar with humans showed amiability to humans and readily came to the researchers in search of food, gently purring and allowing to scratch themselves. The researchers decided to monitor the island for felines’ population dynamics for research purposes. When just two years later their research paper on the cats was released, the island attracted the attention of the local media who were searching for a story. The images of friendly purring cats taught to eat from hands by the researchers immediately became a local tourist sensation. The true tourism boom occured, however, much later - in early 300s when the more developed space infrastructure allowed numerous tourists from New Tokyo to arrive. Familiar with farming and domestic animals on day-to-day basis Kyushuans showed more restraint regarding the cats. To Tokyotes, however, a small peaceful island filled with cats was in drastic contrast to densely populated and filled with skyscrapers New Tokyo. Recognising the potential harm resulting from uncontrolled tourist flow, the local administration decided to turn Fujiwara cat island into a resort with no permanent human presence, thus banning hotels. Visitors were still free to visit the island but only during the designated hours to preserve the ecosystem and regulate humans’ impact on it. Despite stricter regulations, Fujiwara cat resort remained a very popular one of a kind destination within Kusari. While there were numerous cat parks, cat cafes, cat centres, there surprisingly was only one cat island.

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Cat island as seen from space (magnification)
In 413 A.S. the exclusivity of Fujiwara cat island ended. Uehara Mana, a food industry tycoon from Honshu, literally created an island in the shape of a cat's head and populated it with cats. Being one of the richest women in the history of Kusari, she had all the resources and capabilities to carry out such an unusual project. Uehara was known as a cat lady for the majority of her life since her husband died when she was 42. After visiting Fujiwara cat resort in 408 A.S., Uehara became obsessed with creating something similar closer to her home on the island of Shimada on Honshu. Just finding an island to inhabit it with cats was not enough for Uehara’s need for extravagance, and thus she hired terraformers to literally create a whole new island in the shape of a cat's head. Seen as a quirk or madness by many, the local authorities welcomed the project in hopes of possible benefits resulting from tourism in the future. Besides, they did not need to spend a yen - all they needed to do was to give permission. A suitable spot was found not far away from the island of Shimada in the relatively shallow waters of Shimada Spit.

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The elusive dune cat
The island “construction” began in 409 and was finished in 411. During the next two years, fertile soil was imported to support local flora and the island was introduced to various biomes from arid deserts to lush jungles, which were placed in different parts of the cat's “face”, and buildings for the staff taking care of the island. Finally, in 413 Uehara moved her summer residence to the island together with her countless cats in addition to many other cats imported from everywhere. Even the rare dune cats and jungle ocelots were introduced to the island. Unlike Fujiwara resort, Nekojima was never meant to be a sustainable biome on its own - the local feline population would live relying on humans in support of the ecological balance, maintenance of the infrastructure such as cat houses, etc. Most of the food the cats would receive from the humans, too, in realisation of Uehara’s image of benevolent care about her beloved pets. This allowed to keep the felines friendly and approachable, something that would define the island’s future.

In 423 Uehara died of old age. Despite protests and pleas of her heirs, over 30% of her wealth was given to a fund that would support the island after her death. One of her relatives, Mariguchi Tomoko, still managed to get a piece of this inheritance by convincing her aunt to appoint her, then 25 years old graduate of the Finance Department of New Tokyo University, the chair of the fund in question. Young Tomoko who used to often spend free time with her elderly aunt and her cats was seen as a “relative soul” by Uehara and was an agreeable candidate for such an appointment. Whether Mariguchi’s care for cats was a calculated play or a genuine attitude remains a mystery, but it certainly was her financial counselling that led Nekojima to what it is today.

Since Mariguchi Tomoko de facto took over the island, it has been turned into a profitable business. In 425 A.S., the island became open to the public. The fund’s financial resources allowed for unlimited scale of development for such a small place, and when the interest of the public soared, it was a matter of a few months before a sprawling infrastructure of hotels, onsen (//hot springs), restaurants, and entertainment venues was constructed. While not being the primary source of income for the Fund which could operate on its interest alone, the additional profits from tourism kept the Mariguchis dedicated to and invested into the island for the generations to come and up to the present day.

Current State

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Azure beaches of Nekojima
Nowadays the small island is still of great interest for all cat lovers of Kusari. Interestingly, Nekojima and Fujiwara Cat Resort do not compete as they offer different types of leisure. People go to Fujiwara to observe cats in nature and mostly come for cats alone while Nekojima welcomes people to stay at the local hotels as much as their finances allow and caters for all tourists regardless whether they come for cats or other recreational services. The two islands even cooperate in making “Cat tours” which include visiting both islands in addition to other cat-related attractions all across Kusari.

Nekojima is home to over 50,000 cats of all breeds making it possible for even the pickiest cat lovers to find their feline soulmate. Luckily for them, due to the growing cat population the island regularly hosts sales and auctions for both regular and rare kitties. Don’t know which of them wants to become your Mr. Whiskers? Feel free to explore the island by yourself or as a part of a feline soulbonding excursion led by the local staff. The cats are everywhere - in the shops, in restaurants, in hotels, and obviously outside. Embark on your quest for finding a cute feline friend to take home or simply to enjoy their company while on the island.

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The many cats of Nekojima
Looking for something else? Treat yourself (and the cat-guests, if you so desire) at the local restaurants, bask in the sun on azure beaches, meticulously created by the terraformers, enjoy the moment while sitting in a hot spring, or go shopping for souvenirs and locally-flavoured garbs to show off in front of your friends . Surely, there are more to Nekojima than simply cats.

If you get overwhelmed by the cats - do not worry. The island has cat-free zones where humans can verify they are still homo sapiens and are not in some virtual simulation created by an advanced space-faring feline civilisation.

Regardless of whether you are an avid cat-fan or despise the naughty (yet still cute) creatures, it is worth visiting nekojima at least once in a lifetime to experience a big profitable business that was born out of someone’s great love for cats. So great, that it was made sure a cat’s face could be seen from space. Who knows, maybe after the visit your image of cats will change?

If you decide to visit the island, please check the digital resources of Kusari Tourism Service which will allow a traveller to plan in advance their trip and automatically find the transportation and hotel within designated price range. If you have more questions, feel free to consult with the Kusari Tourism Service, its local department on Honshu, or at the Shimada Department of Tourism.

This concludes our programme for today. We hope that you have learnt something new today from our programme, and wish you the best trip whether to Nekojima or other destination. Good luck, stay safe, and be seeing you on Nekojima! This was Ishikawa Ayumi for AHN.

This programme was sponsored by Shimada Department of Tourism of Honshu . Brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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EisenSeele

04-01-2021, 09:07 AM
COMMENT
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Name: - Keitaro Seiguri
Location: - Sigma 13
Reaction: - (heartwarming!)

User has made a donation of 314 million credits to the Nekojima Conservation Society

以上

Shimamori

05-19-2021, 03:54 PM


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All Honshu Network:
News and Entertainment from the Eastern Jewel of Kusari

Artefact Trade in Kusari. Legalise Cannot Forbid

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Konnichiwa! This is Ito Fumihiro and you are watching "Hi no ki” (//Mood of the Day) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond. Today in the spotlight of our programme is the artefact trade in Kusari.

Recent weeks have seen the increase of the volume of artefact trade throughout Kusari. The police records indicate that the trade flow directed both inwards and outside Kusari with transit throughout it has almost doubled as compared to the statistics of the previous year. Official position on the artefact trade remains ambiguous with Kusari corporations and the Hogosha formally having the right to transport the artefacts while foreign entities with the artefacts aboard are treated as contrabandists with respective entailing legal repercussions. Is this official stance adequate, what does it mean for Kusari, and should it change? Today we will be investigating the matter with our guest, his grace Marquess Shimamori of Haneda, planet Honshu.

Greetings, Shimamori-dono. Welcome to our studio and thank you for joining us. As you are from Honshu, you must be close to the trade routes of the artefacts. Have you seen the increase of the artefact trade personally?

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Greetings, Ito-san and thank you for having me in your studio. I think, I am becoming a frequent guest here *chuckles*. So regarding your question: indeed, I have seen an increase in artefact trade. I must give credit to the Hogosha: one can rarely see their vessels and they try to haul their cargo discreetly. It can be attributed to their shady manner of doing business, of course, but in this case they are not violating the law and could be delivering the artefacts openly. Yet they prefer not to raise awareness of the artefact trade and in doing so benefit Kusari. The increase of trade that I witnessed was primarily in Sigma 19. The corsairs were seen delivering large loads of the artefacts to “Hawaii” where the Hogosha would buy the trinkets to haul it further in Kusari. It appeared the Orbital Spa & Cruise were if not indifferent but supportive of such business.

You said that the Hogosha doing the business discreetly helps the Empire of Kusari. What did you mean by that?

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Well, you see, generally when the Hogosha are taking care of something in a discreet manner one can assume they are up to something and that something is questionable and can be if not persecuted than investigated by the law enforcement. The Hogosha have an ambivalent reputation: on the one hand, one can see them as an amalgamation of small and medium enterprises contributing to the welfare of Kusari by paying taxes and creating jobs. On the other hand, the nature of their business endeavours is quite often questionable, such as gambling or kyabakura (//brothels). Not all of those are legal but to persecute them one must first prove that those businesses have an affiliation with Hogosha, that those are illegal in the first place, etc. The authorities appear to ignore their minor transgressions because of the benefits of the Hogosha in war against the clearly illegal entities such as the Golden Chrysanthemum and the Blood Dragons. One can also argue Hogosha’s links to Samura are also a factor.

Nevertheless, in case of artefact trade the Hogosha are indeed showing commitment to the benefit of the Empire: they keep their Cretan business partners away from Kusari, and they keep it down. As you know, the artefact trade is prohibited in the other Houses, except for Gallia. The reasoning for such a ban is pretty solid: the Nomad War of 800-801 and fears that these alien trinkets can lead to more cases of infestation or however you call it with drastic consequences that we saw 27 years ago. Seeing Kusari corporations openly engaging in artefact trade can sour their and Empire’s reputation on the whole with those Houses who remain our important partners on many levels. The artefacts are in huge demand and the business must be very lucrative, so I can’t blame the Hogosha for engaging in it, especially since it is not technically forbidden within Kusari. By trading the artefacts discreetly the Hogosha are doing the Empire a favour by sparing the headache of international miscommunication while also contributing to the treasury coffers.

How about Samura and Kishiro? Have you seen their vessels engaged in the trade?

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No, not that I have heard of. I doubt Kishiro would be able to engage in this business. Samura will not let the Hogosha trade with Kishiro, and the Hogosha will not tolerate the Corsairs deal with Kishiro. As for Samura… I believe Samura can benefit from the trade indirectly, being the partner of the Hogosha. Still, even they can be prone to reputational losses, so using the Hogosha as a proxy, if they do so, is wiser in my opinion.

Speaking of reputational losses, do you think the authorities should continue to allow the artefact trade?

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A tricky question, that is. I do understand the concerns of the other Houses. I bet, most of the people in Kusari do - we had a Rheinland fleet knocking on New Tokyo’s door in 801 A.S. Still, the artefact trade in Kusari has persisted for decades and nothing extraordinary has come of it save for profit and academic interest in the trinkets. However, there is more to the artefact trade than simple profit and alleged alien threat.

The trade presumes dealing with the Corsairs, who have a dubious, to say the least, reputation in Houses’ space. Even our populace has suffered Corsairs’ raids over the centuries. Still, the recent developments allowed to broker a sort of a ceasefire with the Corsairs. This was possible mostly because of the artefact trade, I think. This kind of “normalisation” with the Cretans can be beneficial to the security of our civilian population, especially in Honshu, but can also sour our relations with the GMG. If we seize the opportunity and strike, say, a peace agreement with the Corsairs - it can infringe our relations with Bretonia and Rheinland, both had previously suffered Corsair raids. However, in the case of Rheinland which recently showed us its predatory grin during the invasion into our space. I do not wish any harm to the people of Rheinland, but given House’s previous external policy I would sleep better knowing that the Rheinland fleet has to go through the fierce Corsairs before attempting any hostile moves against Kusari.
The artefact trade also keeps the Hogosha afloat, whether for better or worse. Despite their already mentioned previously questionable business practices, one cannot deny their contribution to the safety of Kusari space. Besides, the artefacts fuel our xenoarchaeology and xeno-sciences overall, which is always a good comparative advantage for the Empire.

In the end, it all comes down to weighing all the pros and cons to such a permission. My personal opinion is that so far the negative effects of the artefact trade have been minimal. The benefits were not that striking either, so treating the artefacts as a simple commodity with licences to deal with the commodity due to its sensitive nature to certain stakeholders is a way I see it should be handled. As for reputational losses in particular - we have not yet received any notes of protest from the Houses of which I know. Besides, if the trade is directed mostly at Kusari, then we are talking about the internal matters of the House and the principle of non-interference stands. Even the Blood Dragons can exploit the legal status of the artefact trade to blame the government in an attempt to undermine its reputation, although I doubt anyone would listen to them, especially given their connections to the drug-dealing Chrysanthemums. Still, it is also a reputational liability to keep in mind. This said, the decision-makers should still consider that even though we have not received any protests from the other Houses in the past, we will not receive them in the future. That is my opinion only, however, and I suppose the authorities would need to investigate the opinion of the general population as well as of key stakeholders in space trade for a balanced decision.

The artefact trade is inalienably connected to the Corsairs. Do you see it feasible to reach a lasting peace with the Corsairs?

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The matter of peace with the Corsairs is multifaceted, the artefact trade being only one of the aspects to it. Theory tells us that two entities engaged in a mutually beneficial trade are less likely to engage in hostilities against each other not to lose this beneficial trade, so theoretically speaking the artefact trade can induce the Corsairs to have a softer approach to Kusari. In turn, it can enable our forces not to engage each other and allow us to slowly build mutual trust to prevent bloodshed in the future. Perhaps, accepted by one House and having means of legal trade the Cretans will finally have the opportunity to assume the mantle of Hispania’s successors and normalise the relations with the other Houses. This is a very optimistic view, of course, which some can call naive. Yet I believe that if there is an opportunity for peace - we must try to use it.

As I mentioned, however, there are other facets to the matter of peace with the Corsairs. One of the most important ones is the fractured nature of the Corsairs and the lack of a unitary administration. From what is known to us, there are multiple prominent Corsairs’ groups, each with its own agenda and stance on international relations. While some might be interested and willing to consider and negotiate peace with us, the others are still eager to engage into a fight with Kusari. My recent experience of encountering the Corsairs in Sigma 19 ranged from head-on aggression to a civilised parley. Unless Crete has a unified administration to approach with the negotiations to, our peace-building efforts can be severely hampered.

Another facet is an elephant in the room to be addressed - the GMG. The GMG has recently been pursuing a more independent from New Tokyo line of diplomacy. For example, following the conflict with Rheinland of three years ago, the GMG did not lay down the arms when a diplomatic solution between Rheinland and Kusari was reached. I assume the Guild’s reaction to a deal between Kusari and the Corsairs will be similar. The Corsairs have been a thorn in Guild’s operations in the Sigmas for ages and striking a deal with Crete can be viewed as betrayal of the Guild’s interests by Kusari, aggravating already present tensions. The only way with the GMG which I can see is brokering an agreement between the GMG and the Corsairs with the purpose of joint resistance against the Outcasts who have been another thorn in the side of the GMG in the Sigmas for ages as well. In any case, working tightly with Kishiro, the GMG will shun any deals with the Corsairs who are linked to Samura through Hogosha. If the government of Kusari is up for the task to vouch for the Corsairs and actively play the role of the mediator between the parties, then maybe it can work. It will be a long and complicated process and the chances of success are slim. But again, if there is an opportunity to build peace within Kusari and on its borders in Sigmas, and to foster safer business for the GMG - I believe with should take a leap of faith and try to overcome our bias and at least try to find a peaceful solution for this lasting conflict.

Thank you very much for your comments, Shimamori-dono. ​This will conclude today’s programme. I hope that the topic of the discussion was of interest to our viewers and, as always, we encourage our audience to reflect on the information presented, be critical of it, and make their own conclusions. How do you feel about the artefact trade in Kusari and possibility of normalisation of relations with the Corsairs? Do you think that trade should be legal and that a peace can be reached? Share your thoughts with us! This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank your watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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Shimamori

09-19-2021, 02:48 AM


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All Honshu Network:
News and Entertainment from the Eastern Jewel of Kusari

Luxury Liner Maldives Arrives to Tottori: Interview with OS&C

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Konnichiwa! This is Ishikawa Ayumi and you are watching "Ikiru michi" (//Way of life) on All Honshu Network. We are offering news on the latest developments in Kusari and beyond. Today in the spotlight of the arrival of the new luxury vessel "Maldives" belonging to OS&C to Tottori system.

Following the many wars and internal conflicts, the House of Kusari is on the track of economic recovery and more companies regain their interest in doing business with or in Kusari. Among those is Orbital Spa & Cruise, one of the leading corporations in the recreational and tourism industries. While not a newcomer to Kusarian market, OS&C has run into multiple issues with operations in Kusari, such as piracy and unstable political situation. With the war and domestic turmoil over, the company eyes an expansion into the lucrative and exotic tourism market of Kusari. We contacted the representative of OS&C for an interview and asked about the recent deployment of "Maldives" to Tottori as well as the future plans and concerns of the company. Please, welcome spouses couple Caitlyn and Stephanie Cross.

*Caitlyn entered the Room Followed by a 2 Meter tall Blonde Woman, she smiled Friendly at the Interviewer as she and the Blonde Sit down for the Interview.*

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Greetings, Cross-san. Welcome to our humble studio. We are grateful for your time and hope that your travel here was easy. Our viewers are hungry for questions, so let us being the interview, shall we? So, let's begin with asking about the general state of affairs within the OS&C. What are the current operations of OS&C, and what is the company's view on the current state of the tourism industry in Sirius?

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Regarding your first question, we currently enjoy a time of peace in Sirius and Galia. After the years of the Gallic War and the loss of the "Macinack" OS&C needed some time to recover, but now we are back. As for the Current Status of the industry, I can tell you that people still need holidays and relaxation, and we know the best spots.
*She smiled and took a bottle of rum to fill herself a glass.*

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Many of our viewers and possible investors are wondering, what was the driver for the decision to return to the Kusari market? If there were any problems before on the Kusari market, have they been resolved?

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The main reason for our move to Kusari was that that the Former home system of the Maldives, Omega 48, became too dangerous for the liner to stay. With the growing tensions between Rheinland and Bretonia over the system and the rise of unlawful activity there it was time to move out and find a new home for the "Maldives".
*She smiled and Sips her Rum.*

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What are the current expectations of OS&C from the operation of "Maldives"?

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Well, our expectations for the "Maldives" are quite high, to be honest. With the Suzuka Racetrack nearby we expect many racing fans to use the "Maldives" for a comfy stay. And of course, the beauty of Tottori is also an important factor in our decision. On top of that are the "Maldives" and the luxury she offers. Whatever you search in relaxation you can find it onboard, from bars over exclusive nightclubs, to the rooms themselves.

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Tottori is indeed a beautiful system indeed yet not without troubles. What are the reasons for choosing Tottori as the system for operations? It is a scarcely guarded frontier that is known as a battlefield for various factions and might be dangerous for the tourists. How do you intend on keeping the "Maldives" and its clientele safe?

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*at the next question the blonde woman laid a hand on Caitlyn's knee and the Chairwoman nods.*
I am Stephanie Cross, I know more about security than my wife so I will answer this.
*The blonde woman had the defined Body of an experienced Soldier.*
We learned from the mistakes that were made at the "Makinack" and have stationed multiple "Taurus" heavy fighters onboard the liner "Maldives". The pilots belong to OS&C's Security Division Spa-Sec but you shouldn't underestimate them as they are all experienced ex-soldiers. The liner itself is also not far from the jumpgate to Kyushu where the battleship "Nagasaki" guards the Tsushima Depot. We have a daily risk assessment for the liner made by our Security experts and the Spa-Sec Pilots onboard the "Maldives" and they have an order to leave the system immediately if there is a danger for the ship.

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These measures instill safety, don't they? There are also concerns of integrity, however. It is known that Luxury Liner Hawaii serves as an artefact trade hub for the Hogosha and the Corsairs. The artefacts are legal in Kusari. There are concerns that due to proximity to upper Taus Maldives can similarly become a trade hub for Cardamine, which is illegal in Kusari. Additionally, the Hogosha do not tolerate Cardamine trade and its primary distributor within Kusari - the Golden Chrysanthemums and are likely to sabotage any dealers and operations involving the drug. What is the stance of the company on Cardamine and these concerns?

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*Cait took some more of the rum and puts the glass on the table.*
Cait: as you know OS&C Is a neutral company with property in all the Houses of Sirius and even in Gallia. This neutrality is our biggest treasure and we guard it like one. This means we honor and obey the laws of our partner House to the letter, as we don't want to endanger our neutrality. As for the fear that the "Maldives" could become a Cardamine trade hub I can tell you that we don't have any Intentions of getting involved in such a dirty business. It is also a known fact that both the Outcasts and the Crysantemums arent friends of ours and extorted and pirated our ships multiple times in the past. So we have no intention to do business with them. On the other hand, we can't search the luggage of every guest that comes on board, but our employees have strict orders to report any breach of the Kusari Laws to the Kusari State Police and cooperate with them.
*She smiled and took Stephanies Hand.*

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I am sure the Law Enforcement appreciates such cooperation. Neutrality in such a global business is a treasure to cherish and I totally understand the company's stance on it. Hopefully, all the parties involved think the same. And the last question for today, Cross-san. What are the plans of the OS&C for the future? Are there any other spots in Kusari the corporation is interested in?

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Well, Kusari has a lot of beautiful spots for tourists and with the "Maldives" near a trade lane we have good opportunities for day trips or excursions to other destinations within Kusari. I Know that Honshu haves some beautiful and romantic spots for couples and nature lovers. Of course with the necessary respect for the People and the environment. As someone who asked the love of her Life on Honshu if she wants to marry me, I know first hand how magical these places are.

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Thank you very much for your time and the interview, Cross-san. What a lovely couple you are! I hope that you can have a spare moment from your busy schedule and enjoy Kusarian hospitality with your wife.

This concludes today's interview. Do you have any thoughts or comments on our content? Do you think the "Maldives" in Tottori would be a success? Share your thoughts with us! This was Ishikawa Ayumi for AHN. Thank your for watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by [Image: OIf2qRS.png?1]

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