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-[Independent Worlds, Bering System, Pacifica Base | 16:26, 8-12-829A.S.

Dross walks through the Pacifica on his way to the meeting with the Direktorat. He notices how much has changed since his last visit. Busy Unioners walk through the Station left and right, some notice him and nod their heads.
"Busy as bees."
Dross mumbles while continuing his way through the Station towards the Inner Core.

On the other end of the station, down the dark hallways, Hollywood was sitting at the end of a long stone table with his legs up. He lit a cigar in the conference room and looked at the words engraved with gold above the entrance:
“Ad victoriam, per machina, Non sibi sed patria.”
He mumbled something to himself as he puffed out a cloud of smoke.

The gate-like doors to the conference room slowly open up and Dross walks inside. Wearing a black coat, his face covered by a hood. He bows and while his normal eye focuses on the man sitting opposite of him, his other eye routinely switches between thermal, infrared, and other setups and inspects autonomously the whole room. He takes a seat when he sees his eye didn't find anything.
"I acknowledge the formality and feel honored to sit here. You made quite some improvements to this place." His voice was rough deep and mechanical.

The direktor looks closely at the visitor until he finally recognized the man. As soon as Dross took a sit the direktor approached him and extended his hand forward, revealing a worked-up hand full of scars and bruises. He was waiting for a handshake.
"Welcome back."
"We found these changes fitting to the new aesthetic of the Union." He said while puffing out cigar smoke. After he finished the sentence he turned off the cigar by pressing it against the table and put it in his pocket, with his hand still extended.

Dross stood up again, and like a snake one mechanical arm came into view from under his coat and shook the hand. "I wish the circumstances would be better, but at least the Union prevails. The question might be upsetting, but what happened to Frau Riehl?"

The feel of the cold metal in the Director's hand was certainly pleasant, a refreshment similar to seeing a familiar face. "It has been a fuckin' ride and a half. Yes," Upon hearing the name mentioned by Dross he grunted a little but followed up with a cold voice.

"Her? She's gone. M-I-A. The same went for you until recently. However she, unlike you, is no longer welcome here. We aren't too friendly with traitors."
"Please, do take a sit, be my guest. What can I offer you? A drink? A cigar? Anything to eat?" As soon as he finished the sentence he glanced toward the blue button on the table right next to his spot.
"We have room service." He said jokingly, with a slight smile, trying to switch the subject.

"I would love to take a cigar and a drink, but my ..."
Dross pauses, sits down, and takes his hood off
"... condition makes such things meaningless." The reaction Dross mostly got when revealing his face was disgust and fear. Half his face was covered by a mask, providing him with stimulants, drugs, and breathable air no matter the environment. What wasn't covered were the scars, where at least some skin was left, metal plates and tubes on his, at some places bare, skull.

"Well I wasn't missing action, but anyways. I am glad that my distress call reached you." He pointed to the wall "I hope you can repair the little bit of what is left of my beauty, do not worry about the costs as long as you do it right I pay any amount."

For a brief second Hollywood saw an old comrade in the features of his face, reminding him of the great horrors that they experienced during the wars. He didn't appear shocked on the inside, instead, he looked sorry for his brother-in-arms.
"Don't worry about that. We'll have it fixed in a few days, the engineers are already examining the damage." He set down.
"And don't worry about money, consider it as compensation for the trouble you went through, back in the day." "Now. I believe we have some catching up to do."

"Please, I insist. Examine the damage, list it and tell me the number of Credits you need. I have to remind you, that ship has some expensive components. And it's far different from the Ships you normally smash together." He laughs but his laugh is emotionless. "And now my ears, or what's left, are yours."

"Ehm...So be it. If you really insist. I will have a report ready by tomorrow." He leans back in his chair "Well it isn't that much of a story really. I just had enough of our surrender to the government. And it seems like, so did the remaining arbeiters."

"Seems reasonable, but what is the current status of the Unioners? Much has changed since I left. So please don't spare me details, I have all the time in the galaxy."

"I'll be more exact then." He said. Leaning forward again.
"After the civil war ended in our victory we or ex-director Hopf should I say, signed a peace treaty with the Rheinland government. We were 'reintegrated' into society and were given some benefits by the emperor. The fucking paper that we signed. It was a wolf in sheep's clothing. It was not long after that the first abuses were again reported and with the Liga disbanding we had no one to stand for us. Sure there were offices where we could report work abuse but they treated us as criminals and didn't take us seriously. Well, that was fixed quickly when I decided to reform the Unioners under one name again. Completely separate from the Ligas. We realized that it was all happening again. That Rheinland cannot live without us working overtime with no pay, that Republican shipping; our nemesis, never disappeared. The same people pull the string, only under a different name. 'Republikanische Großspedition'. Same shit."
Noticeably angered by his own words he took some deep breaths and continued. "So on the seventh of January, we staged an attack on their offices. On all of those who mistreated us, and used us like we were brainless machines. Then the military got the message across. They were powerless after all."
He leaned back again waiting for Dross's reply.

After a brief stop, Dross spoke again. "So back to the start I guess, that's fine better than having nothing to do. But this Liga? Never heard of it..." He scratched his forehead.
"When I disappeared, the Union was still known as Reichsarbeitergesellschaft der Alster Union, so what was this league all about?"

"Eh, the Ligas. Or as you would call it:"
he butchered the following words.
"Die Rheinland Arbeiterbewegung Von den internationalen Syndikatligen der unabhängigen Welten und der Landwirttrechtbewegung"

"Anyways it was basically the LWB and Unioners under one roof. It doesn't matter, they betrayed us. Considered their purpose ' fulfilled' or some shit. They deserved the bitter end they got."
"What followed was a fuck ton of paperwork and rechanneling for me. We had to change the entire structure, replace the people in power, and secure all the communication connections again. Recode all of our messages and credit chips. It took a lot of time and patience."
He shrugged and pointed at his own beard jokingly. "Hence the gray beard."

"Well, that was a shit ton of work. And what is your plan now? I mean I got some free time and nothing to do." Dross was quite impressed, by the work Hollywood had done. But as much as he tried to show it, his voice remained ice cold.

"You have to know. The real thanks go to our loyal arbeiters. And I'm bein' honest here. What I did was nothing but paperwork. They worked on this place. Upgraded our homes, built additional drydocks so our industry and thrive." He smiled for a second.
"And what we did in Zurich is no little thing either."
"Well, I have something big planned for the future. Only have the drafts for it at the moment but it will be huge. If you really want in on the action I can show them to you." He said eagerly awaiting a reply.

"Zürich? I remember the sneaky passage between Rheinland and Gallia, that both sides tried to make a secret out of. Well if you remember my specialty and passion and if you can make use of it, here I am. But I can't commit fully to the Union, you know a Zoner needs to stay neutral to everyone. Even as a declared and hunted Terrorist." He laughs again.

Hollywood felt relieved by the laughter of his former brother. "Zurich yes. The passageway from Gallia to Rheinland. Our base there was upgraded, and the management team now has some new members. It is a place of unison for Unioners, Corsairs, and the Corse. Anyways, work is in abundance, there is a big plan I'm putting in motion. I'm sure you will be able to find some work that suits you."

Dross leaned back. "I hope so. What big plan is that ?"

Hollywood put his hand into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a tablet. He then typed in a few letters and put the device on the table. A hologram displayed an image.

"I call it The Saxon ring... It's a zone of interest points that would circle Rheinland. Serving as a border of sorts. Increasing our presence in these systems could be highly beneficial for us. Without passing through one of these systems you can't enter Rheinland. This would give us total control over the markets of Rheinland."

"The project is still in the early phases..."

Dross looked interested in the Hologram, but he noticed something.
"Reasonable but not seems a bit odd to spread forces out this far. If you combine the Forces from the Sigmas and Munich in Frankfurt you would achieve the same. After all, it's a huge space to cover. But I bet you have your reasons."
Without Hollywood's notice, his eye scanned the Hologram and saved the data. Dross leaned forward. "What happened to the Ghosts of the Union?"

The direktor laughed slightly.
"The irony of that question."
"The GEIST is being rebuilt as we speak. It's a struggle putting something like that together in a workers Union however it'll soon be done. They would be sent into the sigmas to both, spread our influence and gather potential allies and information while providing border control for the Saxon ring. Thus the diversity. "

He continued to explain the situation further. "You see with the reappearance of the artifact trade and it becoming a huge bump in income, for us, it would be more than helpful if we could make the corridor from Gamma to Bering safer by any means."

Dross raised an eyebrow.

"Hm rebuilding GEIST, quite the money sink. Do you have fitting personnel for something like that? I bet the current Head Operator isn't half as charismatic and lovely as Mary was."
Dross paused for a moment "But get a good picture where my abilities are needed the most. I always liked the Sigmas."
He held out his hand. "Can I borrow your Data Pad for a moment?"

He handed the data pad to Dross "There you go."
"GEIST was always a necessity for us. There is no head operator at the moment. And the Sigmas. They offer a lot of resources and power that we could get our hands on. However, this conversation should remain secret. Yes?"

Dross began to type something on the Data-Pad while still looking at Hollywood. "My whole presence is a secret. But yes." After a few seconds, he handed the Data Pad back.
"I established an archive, everything I see will be, if important, instantly uploaded and usable by you and only you. Also, I made sure my old Ships are still in there." Somewhere on Pacifica a sealed hangar has opened containing a small fleet of Bombers. "The Hydras at your service. I have a few more questions for you. What about the rest like Kruger, Gaians, Lane Hacker, Harmony, LWB, Bundschuh, and all the others?" He paused and waited for Hollywood's reaction.

The director's watch started glowing from all the pages he got from the hangar re-opening.
"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect that at all. Welcome back Dross. However, you'll still have to take an oath to the Union."

"Kruger... Well they seem to be doing well for themselves, I visited them a while ago however I fear that the details of the meeting are classified. Lane Hackers are nowhere to be seen and so are Gaians. Harmony is no more. They turned into the Insurgency with the Legion. Bering is free from their control apart from Bristol constructions still flying around the system."
"What else did you say? LWB?"

"Landwirtschafts Bund, yes. The Union took some of them refuge. Any new groups? Do you want to establish contact again with the Gaians or Kruger? What oath? And what loyalty do mere words provide you instead of actions?” Dross leaned back.

The direktor answered Dross calmly.
"We haven't seen any LWB around for a long time, I wonder what happened to them after the war. They could be useful allies. While we worked with Gaians when the Liga was still functioning, we haven't heard from them in a while. Kruger on the other hand was very open to cooperation, which I can't yet discuss."

As he finished the sentence he pointed to the words written above the entrance in italic.

"That oath. People tend to follow the things they say more than the things that the direktorat says. It ain't that important anyway, since you've proven your loyalty to the Union before. Now tell me; Where have you been? What happened?"

"Well that is a long story... ."
He paused.
"You remember what happened when my daughter, split away from the Unioners and switched sites? It was quite a mess and during that Incident, I was pretty much left with no choice other than to disappear. We lost good people that day." He sighed.
"My disappearance wasn't easy with all my assets and before moving further I had to stop somewhere. That is where I started to work for the Gaian Guard. Not for a long time, but I helped to ship some Convoys to Pacifica. But due to problems within the Gaians I had to leave sooner than I liked. After that, I kept a low profile. Before taking a contract as a fake Freelancer to work for the Outcasts, the Istituto di Ricerca Militare Maltese to be specific. Working for them made me meet some dark individuals. One of these meetings led to me acquiring something, dangerous. That danger led to me breaking the contract and disappearing to the edge of the Sirius Sector."
he paused again "And then it happened. The Arcadia, while trying to jump back to the Sirius Sector, managed to get too close to a black hole. What nearly destroyed me and the Ship."

The direktor listened intensely as Dross explained the story. "We'll fix your ship don't worry. And the incident... Don't stress about it. It is all forgotten. You've served the Union well before and with the direktorat re-established you're free to join our ranks again. Since the ways of the past leadership were questionable, to say the least." He paused for a moment, reflecting on Dross's words.
"What was it about the Outcasts that was so scary? If you don't mind me asking."

"It wasn't the Outcasts, it was the people I met that time and the things they managed to easily get their hands on." The display on the data pad lit up and showed Hollywood something.
"It is no new technology by any means, but the fact that some people can throw them around like candy, or Bombs. Makes it dangerous."

Hollywood paused for a moment reading the description of the artifact. "What the f**k is that? It sounds useful. How can it be of use exactly? It says here it is a source of energy. How strong is it?"

"Never saw one of these? These Powercells were made by the IRG and some of their Vessels used these things. I tested it, my ship can't handle the power that thing puts out safely, and if my ship can't what ship can?"
"That energy focused on... Let's say a weapon. Also, the shell is made of alloys we, mankind, know. And the power inside is not if you ask me."

The direktor listened to Dross carefully. "So the morality of such great innovation can surely be questionable, I see…"
"Have you managed to obtain one? I'm sure we could find some use for it. If we could sustain it."

"Yes, I did."
Dross paused for a long moment. "But it is bound to be a task, for anyone."

"Well, then explain this task you speak of?"

"It's a straightforward but also a hard task. Use its power peacefully. I like the Unioners and I respect their cause. But if you want it. Use it to prove you are more than what most think you are."

Hollywood stood quietly for a moment then set down on one of the chairs. He raised his eyes towards Dross slowly as he worded his next sentence carefully.
"I can give you a promise, however, such decisions are not always in my power."
He then proceeded to sit in silence for a few moments before continuing.
"I'll tell you what. You used to be a GEIST operative, correct?"
"That's correct." Dross said, leaning forward.

The director dramatically continued explaining his plan.
"So in that case, I'm naming you the head GEIST operative right here, right now. Should you of course agree? The division lacks the discipline that proper leadership would provide. And with that, the power, which you promise that the power cell holds, is in your hands and in your responsibility to be used righteously in the name of the Union."

Dross stood up and walked towards Hollywood to shake his hand.
"I thank you for your trust. And I hope my services will help the Unioners to overcome themselves." He held out one of his hands towards Hollywood. "I am eager to start. As far as I remember the last HQ of GEIST was in Cologne, did that change ?"

The Direktor shook Dross's hand. "Consider it as a way of compensation for what you did back in the day. Apart from Krefeld, there is no station in Cologne that might fit your needs as the GEIST is currently without a proper HQ. If you aren't satisfied with the option you can use Pacifica for the time being until you re-organize. I can also order the move of Cruiser Sachsenwald from Thuringia to a destination of your liking." He then looked around the room as if he was looking for something.
”Are you sure you aren't hungry?" said the Direktor. Somewhat forgetting that he already asked this question.

"Cologne was a nice place for Operations but I think closer to Pacifica would be better. I am quite interested in Thuringia and how to use it better for the Union. I would need all of the information you already gathered about it."

Dross shook his head. "I will spare you the details, but it would negate your appetite if I take off my mask. As for the Sachsenwald, I will tell you where I see it fit best another time. And now I will excuse myself and head to work. I will need to make some changes in GEIST." He put his hood back on. And moved towards the door.

The direktor set back down, relighting a cigar and looking towards the exit as he puffed the smoke. "Very well then. Safe skies operative Dross. You know where to find me." He then pressed a button with his left hand, opening the big stone doors in front of Dross.

Dross turned around and looked at Hollywood. "Just call me Agent, Agent Hydra." Hollywood blinked and before he could say anything else Dross was gone. The big doors shut almost without noise and Hollywood put his legs up on the table once more, while he continued to mumble something to himself.

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UN]- The Unioners