I have standing behind me the heads of the Erlichmann and Weiss families – two of the primary LWB ringleaders and direct descendents of the Weltbau Verein von Stuttgart and, in later years, the Arbeitergewerkschaft. In terms of resources, the Unioners have successfully acquired scores of LWB spacecraft, resources, and a good third of the organisation’s former manpower. The evacuation, as to which objective your organisation has been warned, was a resounding success. A relatively small number of rebels appear to have banded up with the Hesse against Weiss and Erlichmann’s wishes – we are presently attempting to find avenues to re-unify the refugees – however, we must fear the worst. The LWB was not the first casualty of the Volksrevolution civil war, but it remains its most bittersweet loss.

Whatever resources and supplies the Gaians require, Weiss has ordered us to obtain them. He is in discussions with the Arbeitsdirektor as we speak – I know little of what they discuss but such agency rarely comes from such a position. Major institutional changes within the Union are expected - perhaps a power-sharing concessions between the LWB refugees and Garen's administration. Until such changes can be effected, you are essentially the only organisation that can fill the LWB's shoes within the region. A balance of power must be preserved - for all our sakes.

You have our aid. Come hell or high.

We concur with the fleet's supply situation, all demands we should be able to cater for. Whilst we may be able to manage their supply situation, the Greifswald’s security remains questionable. The LWB split exceedingly acrimoniously – there is no guarantee that any former bonds will be sufficient to prevent the limited members of the LWB command staff who migrated to the Red Hessians from attempting to hunt the remnant fleet down. Additionally, the Bundschuh will be quite aware of the general location of the fleet - all present evidence suggests that the Bundschuh has been neatly capitalising upon the decay of the LWB to liberate their Neu Berlin forward operating centres – it is certain that the Hesse will attempt to fill the power vacuum. Obviously, this cannot be permitted to occur. My Arbeitsdirektor would infinitely prefer a joint Unioner – Gaian solution to the crises afflicting Stuttgart, as opposed to Hessian banditry, therefore, we will support the survival of the remnant fleet, in despite of our personal preferences regarding the LWB.


We are in the process of attempting to secure a truce with the Volksrevolution traitor enclave – primarily the Hesse, with the objective of providing relative legitimacy to the LWB families that is presently utilising Unioner protection, including the Weiss and Erlichmann families who we were able to make contact with before the Hessians could – in-part due to a greater degree of pre-warning and our relatively neighbourly role in servicing the LWB active fleet in the Koeln system. Unfortunately, in addition, increasing hostile opportunism in Bering has forced us to move tactical assets away from the sector – we may be able to detail a few fighter wings to the Greifswald’s defence, but eventually the Gaians will have to conduct most of the heavy lifting – we still need to fully exfiltrate the LWB elements we ourselves have preserved. A public statement will be made upon this particular subject in the coming days.

In regards to the LWB cells that the Unioners are co-ordinating with, the majority of the Darmstadt cell, with the exception of the remnants, bonded with the Unioners in the early days of the schism, along with elements of the Neu Berlin cell who refused to bend knee to the ‘Schuh. Fortuitously, we successfully recovered the LWB’s most critical strategic asset, the vidar-class heavy cruiser Schwarzwald and her support fleet, presently concealed within one of the most impenetrable fields of the upper Omegas. It remained fortunate that the Schwarzwald had been under a state of resupply for a number of months with our Koeln enclave. It is expected that the Unioners and those within the LWB sympathetic to us will federalise our respective administrations, to preserve the continuity of the LWB’s history, expertise, and operational practice, under the new banner.


I am well aware that the remnant’s narrative regarding the nature of the split is unlikely to be favourable. They will paint a narrative of us and the Hesse tearing their movement apart for strategic advantage in our own ideological civil war, of infecting their movement with our own disputes. There is sufficient truth to it – unfortunately, the alternative would be a Hessian aligned Unioners, which, considering how expansionist the Hesse have proved, would have made every effort to assimilate the LWB regardless. History is regrettable, but it cannot be changed. We can only hope to preserve the memories of the past, in our journey towards a preferable future.


On the subject of food, there remains the predicament of supply. Whilst we have sufficient reserves to last a number of months and trade connections to replace the influx, the Unioners cannot viably afford a hike in food prices in the middle of a refugee crises. Without Darmstat as an intermediary, it will be significantly more difficult to acquire food from the surface of Stuttgart. We are in the process of attempting the creation of an ethical hydroponics installation upon one of our in-space hideouts, along with resurrecting old smugglers routes to the surface of Stuttgart itself. We may need Gaian aid for both of these projects.

A blessing to hear you have survived, captain Keller. We feared a violent altercation may have dispossessed you during the split.

I concur with your disposition to leave the talking-points to the historians. Unfortunate that the Bundschuh are moving as rapidly as they are.
We will attempt to bring supplies to your vessel within the next forty-eight hours to outmanoeuvre any Bundschuh attempts at an incursion. If they press the point at the finer end of a torpedo, we will shoot them down.

Be assured that we have no hidden designs. The Unioners need comrades, not lackeys. Especially in these times of betrayal.

If required I can put you in limited contact with the captain of the Schwarzwald; your former superior officer. Obviously you occupy separate chains of command now, and whilst she has sided with the LWB elements backing Weiss, she is still an LWB man at heart, spirit, and objectives, as are the entirety of his crew still aboard the ship. She may be of some use.

For Stuttgart, Captain Keller. I pray that the Gaians treat your division of the movement with honour.