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For Gott and Empire. [Rheinland Politics] - Tabris - 02-03-2014
Rheinland, New Berlin, Planet New Berlin
The Bavaria District, it was a often snowed-in part of the Capital of Planet New Berlin, home to one of the old Imperial Family's planetside Mansions which was converted into a museum, corporate offices that reached towards the sky in massive spires and the stomping grounds for the Rheinland Aristocracy of both Imperial Rhienland and Federal Republic Rheinland. Joachim Friedmann looked down from his office window at the streets below, grateful that he was not out there, in streets that constantly required snow-removal and 'salting' to prevent ice from forming.
He sighed, turning away from the view of a frozen New Berlin skyline and rubbed his forehead tiredly with his right hand, the other in the pocket of his black business suit to keep it from fidgeting as he took a quick look around his office, looking for something in particular. The office itself was small, the glass door that led to the office floor where various campaigners worked under the Imperial Party of Rheinland's banner allowed him to periodically check on his membership. When he reached his cedar desk, complete with personalized laptop and a picture of his parents beside it, he started to riffle through the drawers all the while mumbling to himself under his breath until he sighed in relief, his hand now pulling out a small black book that contained his appointment schedule for the next few months. The short combed blonde-haired man knew if he lost this then he would be in a world of trouble because he didn't trust his laptop as he didn't know how secure their network was yet. thus he kept his confidential information off the network and close to his person at all times. This has helped him keep ahead of Hessian assassination attempts and from Bundeschuh sympathizers from stealing anything that would damage his image.
As the man straightened himself out and looked into the mirror on the wall behind his desk, ensuring that his clothes were straightened and his hair combed properly before he went out onto the Campaign Floor today. Narrowing his blue eyes carefully at the image before him, scrutinizing every single detail he nodded to himself, taking acouple deep breaths to keep himself calm and left his office.
When he stepped onto the campaign floor he was assaulted with a barrage of sounds, from individual workers talking to co-workers/loved ones or supporters over the Neural Net, the elevators further down the hall opening and closing, the occasional file being dropped noisily upon the carpeted ground. It was the sound in his mind of progress, which brought a small smile to his clean-shaven face as he approached a balding middle-aged man who had obviously started to let himself 'go' is his stomach was any indication, the man looked over from talking with a secretary and waved his hand, beckoning the Prince over.
"Ah Joachim!" he jovially stated, a beefy hand shaking Joachim's own in a rather tight grip, causing Joachim to smile politely as he kept himself from wincing at how hard the man shook his hand. "Listen we've finalized the paperwork for the pencil-pushers in the Bundestag about the Party Applications and managed to get it pushed through today so the Party is now registered as a Legal entity, however until the election we don't have a clue what representation we will have in the Bundestag itself in terms of seats so you'll have to be patient sir." he stated, his smile turning into a frown as he reached the last portion of his sentence, Joachim calmly nodded and gave what he hoped was a reassuring pat/gripping of the shoulder before he replied, his tone upbeat and optimistic "Wilhelm, we all knew going in that this would be a hard battle, Empires are not restored in the course of a single day!" he tried to reassure the man, smiling at the end and pressing on. "The Nationalist Party has been in power for several years now, we knew they'd be entrenched like Gaian Tick Bugs, our campaign goal is to win the hearts and minds of the Rheinland Citizens which have been lulled into complacency for years Wilhelm, all we need is time, our determination to win and our unwillingness to accept defeat so easily, so chin up my friend!"
With that reassuring statement he gave a quick squeeze to the shoulder before he moved on...but he knew that the Campaign would likely be harder than he thinks it is...Still...He'll take it one day at a time. Afterall he's doing this for God and the glory of the Empire that shall be again.
RE: For Gott and Empire. [Rheinland Politics] - Tabris - 02-06-2014
As the day progressed Joachim quickly found himself always moving, there was not a still moment for him as he was carted off by his campaign managers from event to event, gathering supporters and promoting the Party in the eyes of New Berliners and Rheinlanders viewing said events on the Neural Net. He was currently sitting in the back room of one of New Berlin's municipal buildings, trying to keep himself calm as he went over the speech he was going to give in his mind. The room itself was a small reading room, acouple bookshelves lined the walls, several tables and chairs scattered around the place with large windows allowing natural light into the room and provided a view of the street outside.
This Rally was going to be the last one of the day before they returned to the Campaign Offices for the day, they had to prepare for his trip to Hamburg next week to visit their supporters and make the rounds. They would spend a week on Hamburg before moving to Frankfurt for a two day tour of the station's populations and visiting Holstein's terraforming workers before they moved on to Munich. He did not look forward to Munich and having to see the situation there, another scar left in the House he was trying to win over. Hearing the large oak doors open he saw Wilhelm poke his head in and smile.
"Joachim, they're ready for you." he simply stated before closing the door once again, leaving Joachim once again alone with his thoughts. As he got out of the chair he was seated in he took a breath, steeling himself to meet the crowds, he walked to the door and left the reading room behind him, the corridor was mostly empty, various paintings adorned the walls, including a painting of Empress Leicht, the woman who started the downfall of the Empire, his eyes hardened at her painting as he increased his pace down the hall to a pair of large doors, he could hear the crowd of people behind them, a constant barrage of whispers and aloud comments as they waited for the Prince to arrive. With one last breath he entered the room.
The room itself was massive, the polished stone floors allowed for faint reflections to be seen, the room was open, designed to be a meeting hall for local announcements, At the front of the crowd a large stage was set up with a lectern waiting for him. Neural Net Reporters were seen amongst the people, he could tell them apart due to their small Camera-Drones hovering near their shoulders, broadcasting live to Rheinland's citizens who had an interest in such things. He moved through the crowd with ease, the whispers slowly dying down as they realized who was amongst them before polite applause started to echo throughout the hall. As he reached the Lectern he briefly shook hands with Wilhelm who had been waiting and turned to the crowd with a soft smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, I thank you for taking the time out of your schedules for coming here on a cold New Berlin day to meet with your fellow Party supporters and other citizens of Rheinland who have expressed an interest in this event." he calmly thanked the crowd, small scattered chuckles from the crowd were heard before it got quiet again and Joachim continued the speech.
"As I stand here and look at your faces I see something, something that has been lacking in Rheinland for a very long time, something thought to be forgotten and buried among the dead of old. Pride. Pride in yourselves, Pride in your work, Pride in your House. Pride which was taken from us by men who put up a fake front and whispered sweet lies into our ears, promising an end to our Houses' woes and sufferings all the while slipping a hand into your pockets as a thief would and taking what is rightfully yours from under your noses." Joachim stated, he could hear some grumbling amongst some of them while others merely listened attentively, waiting, He put his hands firmly on the lectern and leaned slightly forwards. his gaze sweeping the crowd as he pressed onwards.
"However I see it once again in many of you assembled here, I see hope where the was previously none, the sharing of a dream many of us have within our hearts and minds today. That is why we have assembled here today, banded together under the Imperial Party of Rheinland and sought fellowship with one another. Because we all have the same pride, the same hope, the same dream. Long ago an empire was crumbled by terrorists who sought control over a great nation, these same terrorists did not stop the formation of their progeny who went on to be an even more dangerous threat that sought only to steal the lives of you, your families and all that you own under the false flag of 'Peace' and 'Social Reformation'." he stated, his right hand clenching slightly before he forced himself to keep his calm.
"These terrorists destroyed an empire out of greed, a lust for personal power and a desire to make our house into a carbon copy of the corrupted 'Republic' of Liberty with those like 'President' Powell as their overlord who would pull puppet-strings to make them dance to his tune, however they may have failed in their bid for power and were forced into the shadows to strike again like a murderer who stalks his prey before giving the final plunge, they hide in dark holes like vermin and insects, slowly but surely chewing away at the very foundations of the House hoping that it will collapse under it's weight.
When you have an infestation you have two choices. You can either try to call an exterminator to be rid of the pests but you can never be absolutely sure they are gone as your first choice...The second choice, you tear down the house that is falling apart and erect a new structure, a structure made from stronger materials and built to last. The Imperial Party of Rhienland represents that new House, however this house can only be built with your continued support and devotion, In closing let me say that for the future of this House that each and every one of you should encourage those you know to vote for the Imperial Party of Rhienland in the upcoming election. Thank you for your time and continued support. God Bless Rheinland!" He finished, the crowd applauding by the end, much louder then he had received when he came into the room, giving a warm wave before he started to leave with Wilhelm catching up to his side and giving a small smirk.
"My my sire, quite the rousing speech today. I think you might have made some of them cry." the older man ribbed as they left the room, the Prince chuckled in good nature as the doorman handed them their coats and opened the doors that led to his shuttle that would take them back to the Headquarters.
"Wilhelm you know that it's attitude like that which makes your wife so annoyed with you right?" he teased back, making the older man sputter in embarrassment as they climbed into the shuttle.
RE: For Gott and Empire. [Rheinland Politics] - Tabris - 02-21-2014
As their shuttle come to a stop at the Party's office building Joachim sighed softly, his eyes fixed upon various posters plastered on the side of the building by Party campaigners, he would occasionally see somebody stop briefly and look at it before they moved on to the rest of their day. Looking over to Wilhelm he gave a small smile.
"End of the ride my friend, are you ready to back to the endless grind of paperwork and listening to campaigners voicing each and every microscopic problem?' he asked, his tone prodding at the other man who merely huffed and schooled his own face into a stern expression.
"Now Sire, it's not an endless grind of paperwork, it's a seemingly endless grind of paperwork!" he 'protested', although he could see a slight twinkle in the older man's eyes hidden behind the expression on his face before he got out, Joachim gave a small chuckle, shaking his head at the other man's behavior before he also left the shuttle.
The New Berlin weather was as expected, cold and snowing, it bit at his eyes from the sheer cold, making him wince as it started to seep into his very being. Wilhelm didn't react at all, apparently quite used to the cold weather as he walked around the shuttle to Joachim's side, waiting patiently for him to exit the vehicle and head up the steps into the Office building. Joachim pulled his coat closer to his body in an attempt to keep his body heat trapped inside as he shut the door behind him, traffic above them flying in endless lines of ships of various origin.
Shaking off the cold feelings running up his spine he started to make his way up the stairs when he saw a glint out of the corner of his eye, an armoured shuttle was flying low by them, one of it's side doors opened, a man wearing a grey pair of overalls could be seen, his face concealed by a black wool mask, in his hands a Rifle was evident as his shuttle slowed down slightly and he took aim at the pair before letting loose a hail of bullets.
Joachim dove to the ground, hitting the stairs hard and sending small spikes of pain through his body as he hit the unforgiving cement, as the bullets made contact with the concrete all around them he could feel chips flying into the air, making small cuts across his exposed hands and acouple managing to hit him in the face as the stairs were torn up. Looking up towards the entrance he could see Wilhelm trying to get to cover in the door. However his heart fell to his stomach as he saw the man's back being torn apart by weaponsfire, the force of the bullets throwing him forwards just shy of the doorway and a pool of blood starting to form.
The ship quickly vacated the area as near by Federal Police Phantoms from the traffic above took notice and started to intercept the would-be assassins. Local ground police forces were also closing in, sealing the area off as two officers ran to Wilhelm's downed body, one of them looked him over, his face grim as he looked to his partner, giving a negator y shake of the head before they got to their feet.
Joachim felt numb, even as he was lifted to his feet and an officer started to talk to him.
"Sir, are you alright?" He asked Joachim who still was quite out of sorts, just staring at Wilhelm's body. "Are you injured anywhere?" the voice asked again, Joachim absently shook his head no as what happened started to fully sink into his head...
Somebody just murdered his oldest friend, and he had no idea who it could have been...
RE: For Gott and Empire. [Rheinland Politics] - Tabris - 04-21-2014
One Month Later, Planet Hamburg, Wien District, IPR Campaign Office.
A Month has passed, yet he could remember it as if it was just yesterday...The buzz of his party membership seemed muted as he was so deep in thought, the snows of Hamburg drifting down outside the large windows of the office building, tables were scattered throughout the room with bustling activity, mostly the work of his relatively new Campaign manager/Second in Command Ludwig Vogt, the man was relatively young compared to Wilhelm, but he was very...Energetic.
Joachim paid the hustle and bustle no mind as he kept reviewing what the Federal Police had been calling 'The Bavarian Incident', although they had apparently caught the men who were 'apparently' Red Hessian radicals something didn't feel right about that. The Red Hessians while dangerous didn't have enough leverage to pull such a blatant stunt in one of the Federal Republic's most secured worlds... This all felt...Off. As if they were not seeing the full picture being painted for them.
Joachim forced himself out of the memories and tried to keep up with Ludwig's energetic 'enthusiasm' as he talked on and on to various members about how his 'ingenious' ideas would bring in more votes when election-time comes around and ensure a 'Royal Victory'. Joachim appreciated the enthusiasm but he found himself missing his more reserved friend who was more cautious and less active.
After the incident and his stay in the hospital and attending Wilhelm's funeral he had continued on his campaign, he had started in Hamburg and stayed for a week, attempting to gather support, the planet was pretty well split even between the Nationalist Party and the Imperialist Party, while he had gained some ground it wasn't enough to dislodge the Nationalists entirely, instead they got a stalemate. the Prince smiled slightly, at least it was better than a full-blown failure.
They had then departed to Frankfurt and visited the terraformers on Holstein and Mainz, they only gained minor support on Holstein because the corporates there tended to be more supporting of the Nationalist Party, some would say the Nationalists were funded by the Corporates but it was unlikely any speculations would be examined by the Federal Police without any real hard proof. The stay there only lasted three days before he moved on to Munich.
He had landed on Nuremberg, primarily a world dedicated to the production of industrial hardware both military and civilian, the destruction of the Augsburg space colony which housed much of the elite of Rheinland Society was a disappointment as he had substantial support from the wealthy members of Rheinland's upper class which meant he had to work quite hard to gather support from the middle-class industrial workers on Nuremberg, Again while he had made some progress and established a foodhold the Nationalists were still the primary power on the planet. His visit to Stuttgart was to start next week after he had met with his supporters on Hamburg once again to spread words of encouragement and attempt to tip the scales on the planet.
The disabling of the Jump Gates while it meant that the war was less likely to touch the people of Rheinland also meant ill for any future trade with the Republic across from them, it is what allowed him to shift the situation politically on the planet. It caused some of the population to lose their faith in the Nationalists to ensure Rheinlandic dominance over the borderworlds between Liberty and Rheinland, allowing him to steal several the votes of several of the Bundestag from the region. All it needed in his eyes was several more visits to push it over the edge and create a Imperialist stronghold to counter the Nationalist strongholds in other parts of Rheinland...
He leaned back slightly in the small office chair, rubbing his temples slightly as he looked outside the window, the snow was coming down thick and heavy today...Typical Hamburg weather...
RE: For Gott and Empire. [Rheinland Politics] - Tabris - 09-27-2014
Rheinland, Stuttgart System, Planet Stuttgart
The Stuttgart System, home of SynthFood's chokehold on Rheinlandic Food Production and Spa & Cruise' own Baden Baden resorts. Foreigners who reap the worlds his forefathers had brought into their fold, while Spa & Cruise wasn't as problematic they still represented a major foothold into the Rhein's economy. Synthfoods was no better as they actively destroyed Suttgart's previous ecological balance by changing the atmosphere to better fit their 'Synthpaste'.
Joachim wasn't happy with what these...Libertonian Profiteers had done to the former Breadbasket of Rheinland. His suite was located in one of the urban centres on the surface of the planet, he could see fields upon fields of that accursed weed Synthfood peddles as food on the outskirts of the city from the rather large window he stood at, his room was a rather comfortable room, meant to cater to the many businessmen who frequent the Synthfoods Headquarters. His security detail thankfully secured it from possible terror-threats before he even arrived on the surface.
The LWB would likely not discriminate a Politician from a Corporate lackey, Joachim sympathized with their plot, however he didn't trust them not to try anything considering their connections with the larger Red Hessians. Nontheless his campaign here was almost over, support on Planet Stuttgart would likely be low considering it's full of Synthfood corporates who would rather maintain the status quo. However Baden Baden frequently entertained the aristocracy from New Berlin and other parts of Rheinland so it would be a good opportunity for the Imperial Party to make strong connections so he could at least salvage this trip, with Hamburg in a deadlock, Frankfurt being an Nationalist stronghold and Munich being only a minor foothold for the Imperialist Party with New Berlin being being an Imperialist hotspot. Stuttgart would likely vote strongly Nationalist considering the Corporates who would rather manipulate the Nationalists better than the Imperialists.
If the problems in Rheinland not being enough to foul his mood the news from abroad concerning their neighbour Bretonia being pushed to it's breaking point over and over with this 'Kingdom of Gallia' only served to worry Joachim, if this Gallia won he wouldn't likely suffer another Empire rising up, not to mention the riches the Walker Nebula offers would be a tempting target for conquest. He sighed, walking to a tan Club Chair and sinking into it he rubbed his temples, he feared the worst if the Nationalists were enticed by their markets, not only would it start to bind them together it could pave the road to a place Rheinland would be worse off in...