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"Arise, people of Rheinland, and fight for our shared future. The future of the Fatherland.
For too long we have been fractured, divided. Ruled over by a fractured elite that serves nobody's best interest but their own.
The Republic was stagnant and flawed, the so-called Imperialists work our fingers to their bones, only to earn us the reward of bony fingers.
Only through true democracy and freedom can we stand together, lift those who cannot lift themselves, and be all the stronger for it.
Arise, brothers and sisters of Rheinland, and bring us a new tomorrow!"

- Councillor Astri Fahlstrom, speaking to a Bundschuh rally on Bautzen station, Dresden system.

Synopsis

Des Bundschuhs Freigeist is a subfaction of the wider Bundschuh, believing that only through the overthrowing and replacement of the Rheinland Government can the Bundschuh's original goals come to fruition. They idealistically believe themselves to be the last true force for political change in Rheinland, believing the Hessians to have fallen to simple piracy, the Unioners little more than extreme terrorists, and the LWB lost to the larger Farmer's Alliance.

The DBF movement began in earnest in early 830 A.S. aboard Bruchsal station in Frankfurt, founded in the aftermath of a meeting of long-term Bundschuh hardliners and fresh-faced acolytes alike. Many voiced their discomfort with the status quo, many more their frustration with the lack of action. In the end, those that would become the leading council of the Freigeist rallied much of the crowd to a new purpose, that of the violent replacement of the current Rheinland government.

While the Freigeist remain hostile to near every organisation in Rheinland, their distaste does not extend to those originating outside of Rheinland's borders. They do not seek to enforce their will upon the other houses, or their denizens. Oftentimes, should a Freigeist pilot come across a foreign transport vessel, they will solicit financial support for their cause, however leave the ship untouched to go on its way should the crew refuse.

While the Freigeist movement remains small beyond its headquarters of Bruchsal, sympathies for the movement are said to be growing throughout the wider Bundschuh as well as the Rheinland civilian population, as they provide a tantalising hope compared with the ineffective and stagnant government.

Manifesto

Overthrowing the Rheinland Government

[Image: 220px-Flag-rheinland-imperial.png]

The principle stated goal of the Freigeist is the, if necessary, violent overthrowing of the Imperial-slanted Rheinland government, replacing it with a true democratic government in support of a welfare state. These goals put it in direct conflict with the Rheinland government forces, as well as many of Rheinland's corporations, known oppressors and exploiters of the civilian population, with a particular emphasis on Daumann, Kruger and RGS. ALG vessels have been rumoured to slip through DBF lane disruptions at times, out of respect for the ALG's history of support for the Bundschuh.

Expulsion of the Red Hessians and Unioners from Rheinland

A major part of their manifesto setting DBF aside from the regular Bundschuh is their hostility towards the Hessians and Unioners. The Freigeist believe both of these organisations to have fallen from their original ideals; the Hessians no longer standing for the blue-collar worker as they once did, instead favouring simple piracy and profit. The Unioners, to be misguided extremists fighting the wrong fight against Rheinland and its fellow houses alike, to simply revive the old Republic. The DBF see both of these factions as detrimental to Rheinland as a whole, and will more often than not engage in conflict with them.

Cultivating cordial relationships with foreign interests

The Freigeist, while they may carry some sympathy from their homeland, are more than aware that they cannot afford to make enemies where it is not necessary to do so. To this end, they seek little to no conflict with organisations based outside of Rheinland (save Bounty Hunters looking for a payout, for instance) and in the long term, may seek to solicit political or financial support from foreign organisations.

Diplomacy

Allies

Other Bundschuh

Friendly

ALG

Neutral

Foreign House Corporations
Foreign House Militaries
Junkers
Everyone Else

Unfriendly

LWB/Farmer's Alliance
Bounty Hunter's Guild
Rheinland Corporations

Hostile

Rheinland Military
Rheinland Police
Red Hessians
Unioners
Corsairs

Ships & Technology

While the Bundschuh have no home-grown designs of their own, they are renowned for some relatively reliable and effective weapon designs in the "Luger" series, with both the rapid-firing C and heavy-hitting D variants commonly sported on their vessels. Alongside these, common Rheinland civilian weapons such as Flammenwerfers are not an uncommon sight. Some old Rheinland Military surplus, patched together and barely kept operational, has even been known to find its way on to a Freigeist fighter one way or another.

Being a small and somewhat rag-tag movement, the Freigeist are known to field a substantial variety of ships, some of them barely held together with replacement and aftermarket parts. There are, nonetheless, some trends and ships more commonly issued to new pilots lacking a fighter of their own.

RH-GM32 "Odin" Mk. 1 Rheinland Black Market Very Heavy Fighter

Taking advantage of the Hessians' utilitarian design, the now-ubiquitous Mk. 1 Odin makes up the ironic backbone of the Freigeist. A reliable fighter with a remarkable punch for its small profile, the Odin is a dependable workhorse for any Freigeist pilot.

90-ARKM-N9 "Valkyrie" Rheinland Very Heavy Fighter

The Bundschuh have a small inventory of Rheinland's prestigious, though ageing, Valkyrie very heavy fighter, some examples dating all the way back to the Nomad war. The Valkyrie is favoured by some elite pilots for its advantage in agility over the Odin, while maintaining a deadly weapons array and even smaller profile.

CTE-19000 "Roc" Civilian Bomber

While other designs such as the Thor, Sense and Cutlass can be seen within the Freigeist's ranks, by far the most common is the venerable Roc, easy to maintain and more than capable of taking the fight to isolated Rheinland capital vessels.

Structure

The Council

At the centre of the Freigeist are its three councillors, the de facto leaders of the movement. The three share equal responsibility and power with each other, and each are responsible for keeping both each other and the faction in check and progressing towards its ultimate goal of a democratic Rheinland. Should a councillor step down, there will be a vote held by the membership and veterancy to elect a new third councillor.

The Veterancy

DBF veterans are those who are recognised for their contributions to the movement at large be it through long service, shrewd negotiation, or skill-at-arms. Veterans are entrusted to lead operations as well as indoctrinate newer members with the proper ideals and skills to thrive in the DBF.

The Membership

By far the most common rank in the flat organisational structure of the DBF, the Membership contains proven pilots old and new sworn to the cause, all of equal stature and rank, though in combat situations, overall authority is often informally ceded to the most experienced pilot.

The Initiates

A probationary rank within the Freigeist, the initiates are those who have yet to prove themselves as reliable members within the faction at large. A prospective member will never remain an initiate long, as they will either join the Membership or, in some rare cases, be barred from further progression into the faction as a whole.

Identification

ID/IFF: Bundschuh
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