AHN - All Honshu Network - Printable Version

AHN - All Honshu Network - Printable Version

+- Discovery Gaming Community (https://discoverygc.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Role-Playing (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=9)
+--- Forum: Communication Channel (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=59)
+---- Forum: Sirius News and Commerce (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=57)
+---- Thread: AHN - All Honshu Network (/showthread.php?tid=181972)

Pages: 1 2 3 4

AHN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 07-19-2020

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

Konnichiwa! Ishikawa Ayumi desu. You are watching "Ikiru michi" (//"Way of life") on All Honshu Network. Today we humbly welcome you to travel with us to one of the famous among the locals of Honshu yet obscure to most denizens of other worlds spot for rest - Kandagawa.

Hidden among the lush humid forests of the southern islands of Haneda lies the city of Minamimito. A sprawling local activity hub famous for its plum-wine and high-quality optronics for spacecraft construction industry, Minamimito is a typical Kusarian city densely housing a few million people in a limited space. Surrounded by the mountains, the city is situated in a fertile valley with humid temperate climate creating excellent conditions for growing plums, pears, and other fruits. The cool waters of Kandagawa river flow through the heart of beating megapolis from the ice caps of the neighbouring mountains until falling into the Daitoukai sea 50 km to the south from Minamimito. The city is rather green and hosts many parks and gardens offering much needed rest for its denizens. However, it is the Kandagawa arukumichi (//Kandagawa walking path) - a walkway spanning from Kuroyama station deep into the mountains - that attracts the local tourists. Join us on our small venture into this hidden recreation spot and learn more of this wonderful place.

Kuroyama maglev station

Kandagawa arukumichi itinerary can satisfy both a casual tourist seeking for some solitude in picturesque landscape and a seasoned traveler ready for many kilometres march. The route is approximately 18 km long. For the convenience of the travelers, maglev tram line is operating 8:00 - 18:00 local time and can take you to the designated spot in a few minutes. The true charm, however, is walking this route on foot while stopping at various izakayas (//pubs), shrines and temples, and landmarks to enjoy the flavour of Kusarian culture. There are multiple ryoukan (//hotel in traditional Kusarian style) where a weary wayfarer can stop for a night and relax body and mind at onsen (//hot springs). Do not forget to order some plum wine that the locals are producing just at the hills you are traversing!

Shimamori castle over Minamimito

Aside from numerous shrines and temples the route is famous for Shimamori castle built over 100 years ago for the local Shimamori imperial clan. The castle serves the residence for koshaku Shimamori but it is also open to public on weekends. A fine collection of Kusarian traditional cold weapons is displayed for the visitors, as well as an open library of old literature. The castle is surrounded by a verdant garden which the locals like to visit on weekends to see turtles and exotic birds. Shimamori castle is easily to reach by taking a maglev tram from Kuroyama station and until Shimamori station.

Trail of Buddhas

Further the path, one can find a peculiar "trail of Buddhas". It is believed that the first settlers on the island of Haneda had troubles finding the spot for a settlement. To see all their options, they landed atop the highest mountain on the island but the fog clouded their vision and they had to descend down the hill to explore the places by themselves. One of the explorers, Iwaguchi Masanori hit upon the trail that would become Kandagawa arukumichi and descended safely into the valley where the city of Minamimito is now situated. The locals tell that good spirits of the island guided Iwaguchi to the best spot, and so in gratitude to the spirits statues of Buddha, symbolising luck, were placed along the trail. It is believed that if a traveler gives a coin to every of the 134 Buddhas, good spirits will give him luck like they did to Iwaguchi. Try yourself, and maybe your life will become a bit luckier indeed!

Akamatsubashi

Another spot of interest is Akamatsubashi (//Akamatsu Bridge). This bridge was constructed soon after the settlement of Haneda island from the first red pines that grew from the seeds brought by the colonists. Appreciate the fine Kusarian craftsmanship and its aesthetics: the bridge was made of wood and without a single nail. Even now, over 300 years after its construction, the bridge is in excellent condition and only the paint is renewed to upkeep the rich colours. The local young couples have a tradition of visiting the bridge and throwing origami swans into the flowing river for everlasting love. Take your second half to this remote spot and most certainly a wonderful date will strengthen your relationship!

Should you be not afraid of the cold, follow the trail further into the mountains where a picturesque view of the whole valley with a sprawling city will open to your eyes. Just plan this ahead not to come on the foggy day which are frequent on the island. And better take an umbrella. Should the rain catch you after all - hurry up to the nearest mise (//shop / cafe) and get some hot matcha (//Kusarian green tea). Relaxed from the busy city life and mentally and physically restored, you can take the tram back to the city and be back to the active nightlife of Minamimito in no time!

Kandagawa arukumichi is indeed a wonderful place that can offer a range of activities for the whole family. Give it a try yourself and you will surely have some wonderful memories of Haneda island and planet Honshu. Minamimito ni youkoso (//welcome to Minamimito)!

This programme was sponsored by Haneda Department of Tourism of Honshu and Clan Shimamori. Brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

NOTICE: The administration reserves the right to delete comments deemed to be offensive, a form of harassment, discrimination, hate speech, incitement to violence, or in violation to Kusari Legal Codex.

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Lord Helmchen - 07-19-2020

COMMENT

Name: - Caitlyn Cross
Location: - On Board the OS&C|TE~Red~Velvet~Club
Reaction: - Inspireing

Greetings I am Caitlyn Cross Director of the Triton Expeditions Daughter Company of Orbital Spa and Cruise. as I was in Kusari I Received your Interesting Program, and I have to Say your Planet is Butyfull. so Triton will Bring more Tourists and Guests to your World. so that Others might see its Buty to, of course in a Respectful way so we do not Burden the Locals with our Presence.

以上

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Groshyr - 07-19-2020

COMMENT

Name: Casimiro Castellano
Location: Kinkaku-Ji (???), Shikoku system
Reaction: Culture!

It is indeed inspired me to visit your place in as soon as possible to get familiar with your culture. Unfortunately official kusarian government and most of the corporations or their daughter companies can't provide such detailed description and synopsis for kusarian culture and lands what makes tourism not so attractive.

p.s. I hope your people don't mind me wearing a mask? I have some health issues and would like to not threat others' health.

以上

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 07-22-2020

Name: AHN Moderator Ozawa Yukio

(07-19-2020, 10:44 AM)Casimiro Castellano Wrote: ...

Castellano-san,
It is mandatory to pass a health check for infectious deceases upon entering Honshu. This takes merely a saliva sample and a few seconds of analysis. Following the check and in case no publicly harmful diseases were found, you are free to wear any specialised respiratory equipment if your health requires so. The local government strives to provide most comfortable conditions for tourists and ensure their safety.

(07-19-2020, 10:34 AM)Caitlyn Cross Wrote: ...

Cross-san,
We contacted Haneda Department of Honshu Tourist Agency and confirmed that the local tourism industry naturally welcomes foreign business oriented at tourism and recreation. Should you be interested in organising group tours, AHN would be able to broker discounts and group privileges for your groups, as well as provide other assistance should the need arise.

Arigatou gozaimasu for the interest in our report! We are happy to attract more attention to our humble planet! We are looking forward to providing more quality content for you.

以上

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 07-27-2020

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

Konnichiwa! Ishikawa Ayumi desu. You are watching "Ikiru michi" (//"Way of life") on All Honshu Network. Seeing the interest in the previous episode of "Ikirumichi", today we would like to continue exploring Haneda island of southern Honshu and invite you to embark on a journey into the beating heart of the isle - the city of Minamimito.

Lying inside of a valley and surrounded by mountains all around, the city of Minamimito has a mild climate and a moderate weather pattern that holds throughout most of the year. Despite its secludedness within the hills results in all the moisture from the morning mist condensing into showers of rain during the day, the city’s climate adjustment system keeps allows the locals to go out any time of the day to do business and enjoy city life.

Built over 300 years ago, Minamimito developed like most Kusarian cities: the busy trade hub around the spaceport attracted businesses that in turn brought more staff to expand. The service sector followed, resulting in booming population growth. Despite the wine industry flourishing on the hills in the suburbs, most of the population still resides within the city limits, enjoying the comforts of hi-tech infrastructure within a handreach. The density of the population in case of Minamimito is also explained by the complexity of expanding the city into the hills, giving preference to building tall hive-type skyscrapers that Kusari is so famous for. Mori tower, the colossal building of 2,086 metres, is the tallest in the city. Tourists can enjoy seeing the sea from its rooftop 50 km away from the city on a clear day. Unlike many skyscrapers on New Tokyo or in other Houses, most of those in Minamimito like in many other Kusarian regional centres combine the function of a business centres with many offices with a dwelling place for thousands of people rich enough to have an apartment in such a prestigious place. Naturally, the building also hosts many izakayas, shopping centres, and even a park on its 70th floor to cater for the inhabitants. Such growth upwards allowed the city of only 129 km2 to support 8.9 million people living within the city ward limits and additional 700.000 living in the suburbs and flocking into the city on a busy day.

Mori tower (in the centre) and Minamimito centre at night

Tanegashima trading district

As a large city of regional importance, it has a lot of activities to offer to its inhabitants and the visitors alike. Minamimito might appear deserted during the day when most of the locals are working either from home or at their kaisha. Do not let the image deceive you, however! The trading district of Tanegashima is a bustling place 24/7. The place is favoured among the young Kusarian ladies who seek for fashionable clothes and accessories, and by young guys looking for a stylish girlfriend. If you are not into fashion - do not be discouraged to visit Tanegashima, as it also offers many electronic devices and hosts a lot of gravicar sale points for all budgets.

Kagurazaka riverside

As the sun hides behind the mountains and dusk sets in, the neon lights pop up all around the streets and the humming labour force gets out of their working space, bring the city to life. At this time all the izakayas (//Kusarian pubs) and mise (//restaurants; cafes) start to get full and unless you have a prior booking, it might be challenging to find a place to sit. However, there are always free standing places near automated kaizen-zushi (//conveyor sushi) if you do not mind eating and drinking while standing that is. Our advice would be to check out Kagurazaka-dori that spans along the Kandagawa, a popular among the locals “food street” where sushi-ya offer o-nigiri, maki, and sushi made from the fish caught just hours prior to serving from the very Kandagawa. Naturally, if your gourmet preference for Kusarian food go beyond the widely advertised o-sushi, you can always have takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakiniku, and all kinds of “don”.

Happongi at night

Having saturated your physical hunger, it would be just the perfect time to spend the calories on some active entertainment. Head to Happongi district, situated upon one of the few hills in the valley of Minamimito. Happongi is contrasting with traditional Kandagawa arukumichi described in the previous issue and epistomises the “modern” direction in Kusarian culture. Buzzing playing centres where one can experience the virtual thrill of Alliance-Coalition derby in the “War of Sol”, or levitating dances that would enable all your muscles and be a fun combined with sports training. Test your mettle in cyber-kendo, fight hordes of zombies in shooting arcades, or just cheer up other players while drinking the popular among the youth “Sutorongu Zero”. Happongi is especially popular among the students of the neighbouring universities: the Imperial Haneda Gakuin, and private Tenmei Daigaku. Students of these both prestigious in their own way Universities study hard, and party hard thereafter. Do not shun making acquaintance with the students - they for sure know how to spend the night out in a cheap and enjoyable way. Perhaps, they can show you a hidden izakaya that is neither expensive nor crowded due to known only to the locals. Give a try to the local nightlife and do not worry about the safety - it is always kept at utmost level by local police with kouban (//police booth) placed every 300 metres with support available in all official House languages.

View on the city from Tenmei Daigaku campus

The aforementioned universities are two jewels of Minamimito themselves. The Imperial Haneda Gakuin was established by Emperor’s decree 30 years following the institution of Minamimito when it became apparent that the city would grow into yet another Kusarian megapolis. Specialising in maritime research, the university nourished many specialists that contributed to biodivesification of sealife on Kyushu and building platforms on Junyo. While not being on par with the Universities of new Tokyo, it is still an imperial research institution the specialisation of which makes it relevant on all-Kusari level. Tenmei Daigaku, unlike the mentioned above Haneda Gakuin, is a relatively new classical university founded just 80 years ago with the support of the local Shimamori clan. As a private university, it has a reputation of an elitist forum for Kusarian bohème and its scions more concerned with philosophy, arts, and the like. Despite its ambiguous reputation, Tenmei Daigaku accepts many students from ordinary families who were deemed talented enough for a full scholarship. Nowadays the university is recognised as a prominent liberal think tank for political sciences and philosophy, that prepares qualified bureaucrats and politicians. Should you visit Honshu for research symposiums and conferences, it is quite likely you will as a part of your stay visit one of these universities. If so, bear in mind our advice regarding the local nightlife and other recreational activities!

Whether you are visiting for business or pleasure, do not hesitate to visit the southern island of Haneda and its pearl of Minamimito! We in AHN hope that our information will be useful to the visitors of Honshu and help you get the most out of your trip to the Eastern Jewel of Kusari! Go-seichou arigatou gozaimasu (//thank you for attention!)

This programme was sponsored by Haneda Department of Tourism of Honshu and Clan Shimamori. Brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 08-05-2020

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

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.

I has been over a month weeks since the Reformed Empire of Kusari declared war on the Confederacy of Gallia. This offensive war was declared as a surprise to the many citizens of the Empire only 2 years after the end of the civil war in Kusari and the expulsion of the Gallic puppets who had kept Kusari a semi-official vassal of the warmongering Kingdom. The decision of the government to wage an offensive war without proper explanation given to the stakeholders and the citizenry as to the motives and reasoning behind the war raised concerns regarding the quality of strategic communication of the government, the transparency of political processes, and the competence of the top bureaucratic apparatus of the Reformed Empire itself.

Today we will try to analyse this questions with the invited guests, Professor Miura Sadako, expert on PR and stratcom at the University of New Tokyo, and koushaku Shimamori Masahito, a political activist who openly opposed the war.

First, we give word to Professor Miura. Konnichiwa, Miura-san. Without further delays, let us delve into the analysis of the situation. From the viewpoint of state communication, how would you evaluate Kusari’s informational sphere?

Konnichiwa. Thank you inviting me to the studio. In my opinion, the state communication of Kusari right now is not in its best shape. Despite the claims of the Reformed republic of trying to provide the populace of the House with larger representation through political institutions like parliament and respective specialist committees, and therefore greater transparency - they seem to be doing this in words only. I will not comment on the political participation part as I am not an expert in this field. The elections took place after all. The transparency, however, is what I research in particular.

The government seems to not understand that in order to invoke the support of the people one must be transparent about the course of action. I have heard before points like “Kusari is a monarchy and the monarch does not need the recognition of his actions among the citizens”. If so, then what is the whole affair with the “Reformed” Empire? There are still many people who are pro-republic and to them such an explanation would be like a slap on the face. Besides, if the monarch decides important actions just by himself, especially the matters of war - then it makes Kusari much more similar to the much despised tyrannical Kingdom of Gallia than anyone would want.

Take recent declaration of war for example. The message was oriented at international stakeholders and at the Confederacy of Gallia itself. However, the government did not care even to try to explain the reasoning behind such a step to the populace of Kusari as if people should just “roll with it”. This is not how a caring, and more importantly, professional government should act in a critical situation. I would not be commenting on the validity of the reasons for war declared in the message as I believe Shimamori-san will do that in a more professional manner. What I want to underline is the very fact of absence of any even slightest attempt on behalf of the government of Kusari to reach to the population and explain its motifs, the trade-offs between risks and benefits for a common kaishain (//company worker) or a nouka (//farmer) who truly cannot fathom the reason for the war when they need to earn a living after an economic plunge of Kusari following the Gallic puppet-regime and the civil war. Moreover, there are many indicators that the declaration of war with Gallia was put on air already after the first shots had been fired which is not just unprofessional but also dishonourable.

Miura-san, in your experience, is the current situation different from the previous Kusari governments during the Imperial and brief Republican eras?

This is the sad part. The situation is no different. People were putting hopes into the Reformed Empire as the idea of one was popularised as the combination of merits of both republican and imperial administrations. However, the hopes were not answered. Just think of Yuyu Matsuda and the whole Golden Chrysanthemums movement. Government overzealous persecution of her in the media made her a martyr because of whom the whole movement exists nowadays. Certainly, she was a terrorist linked to the attempted assassination of an important public figure and got a respective coverage, Yet the government did not answer concerns regarding the stance of a woman in Kusarian society raised by Matsuda. It is exactly this that gave birth to the Golden Chrysanthemums, because the women of Kusari saw that a terrorist would be justly persecuted, but just questions would not be answered. The government opted for silence, same as it is opting now.

This leads to the question about the role of media. How would you evaluate the work of media nowadays regarding the conflict?

Well, one thing is certain: media have never been truly independent. Sponsorship, lobbyism, threats - these all have been shifting the stance of particular media platforms since the inception thereof. Take even your channel, AHN. I would not be saying with full certainty, but it would appear that it pushes forward a rather liberal agenda as opposed to some other conservative media in Kusari. Therefore, AHN apparently has links to oppositional liberal politicum.

This is not a bad thing, however. As I said before, there cannot be a truly independent media, especially on a local level. What raises my concern is the position of some larger Sirian media conglomerates and the way the information is presented. Take for example recent CNS story on the war between Kusari and Gallia. There is a whole bunch of issues I see with presenting the material in such a way but I will address just a few.

Firstly, the news item starts with the reference to the Crayter Republic and Natio Octavarium and how Kusari pushed into Taus in an unexpected move. This would be fine if the stance of the Crayterians and the Octavarians was presented at least. It is simply discarded in favour of accenting on the push of Kusarians as if following its success the position of the local forces should not be taken into account and properly voiced.

Secondly, the wording. “Ejected”, “little in the way of”, “clamp down”, etc. - these are emotionally charged words. Normally, I would not pay attention to such trifles, yet a war especially with another House is a very sensitive topic and its inappropriate coverage can always “trigger” especially sensitive elements into unforeseen negative ramifications. Besides, these words were used not to describe a position of a side to the conflict which quite often is emotionally charged, but rather used to describe the developments, the facts that should always be neutral. The duty of the international media is to present the information in as neutral as possible fashion since both sides to the conflict are likely to see the material. It is simply irresponsible to do otherwise.

Thirdly, look and compare how the positions of Kusari and Gallia on the conflict are presented. While I will defer the analysis of reasons for war presented by the both sides to Shimamori-san, it is the manner of presentation that I will comment on. The stance of Kusari is presented in an effective bullet-point like way and is clear. The Gallic stance in the news is presented in a defensive explanatory was as if an elementary school kid was caught cheating and now giving silly excuses. Where are the condemnation of any offensive war and warmongering from the viewpoint of human rights, international security system, and without even a clearly outlined reason for war? It is as if the stance of a House that is to have a dedicated institution made of cadre professionals to represent it diplomatically was ignored.

And finally, where is the reaction of the other international entities on a clearly big war? I don’t believe that Liberty, Bretonia, and Rheinland would just ignore whatever is going in Taus and Gallia. If the media is international, their position whatever it might be is to be presented, or at least it must be clearly stated that they refused to comment on the developments if they indeed had done so, which is unlikely. I doubt that Liberty, always positioning itself as a paragon and champion of freedom and democracy would simply ignore commenting on the conflict.

These points create an image, at least to me, that there is some influence of Kusari government on the editorial board of CNS. This by itself would be a scandal should it be proven and, say, Liberty learns of it. Such a situation would pave a wave to biased information representation which can infringe the commercial activities of Houses and their corporations by downplaying their activities in favour of those lobbied. This is also a motivation for people to check on the local news of the both sides to get both perspectives and juxtapose them to get a larger picture. Certainly, analysing the media of smaller sides to the conflict, like Natio Octavarium or the Republic of Crayter would also be beneficial.

Arigatou gozaimasu, Miura-san. Now we give word to Shimamori Masahito. Dr. Shimamori, you openly criticised the beginning of the war in your public address. Your position was pretty clear, has it changed in any way since the beginning of the war and what do make of this war now?

My position has not changed. This war is a mistake, Kusari does not need another war. As Miura-san indicated in her analysis of stratcom, the government never cared to deliver the reason for the declaration of this war to the populace of Kusari. Perhaps, because they realised that the reaction would not be favourable. I read the comments to my address to Kusarian public where some Kusarian stakeholders said that the casus belli was “obvious” and that someone not understanding them is ignorant. Well, let me educate those people on the theory of international relations: the reasons for war are never obvious. Whatever you invoke to declare the war is rarely the true intentions for sending millions of people risking their lives by attempting to deprive their fellow Homo Sapiens of their lives. There is always some undercover play: ambitions of the corporations to expand their resources base, diversion of the attention of the populace from internal problems to external, support of military-industrial favour, you name it. Just remember the declaration of war of the Kingdom of Gallia on Sirius. Do you think of their casus belli as obvious? Do you truly think that punishment of Sirius for some ephemeral centuries-old betrayal was the real reason for war? Sapienti Sat.

I bet the reasons for war of Kusari with Gallia are far from the declared ones. Punish those guilty of Leeds? Why in the first place Kusari be preoccupied with the punishment of those to blame for the war crimes against the Kingdom of Bretonia? If I remember correctly, Bretonia was a party to the peace Conference with Gallia, which means they had the opportunity to settle the matter themselves. I would not treat Bretonia as a baby incapable of solving its own problems. Depriving the Confederacy of the WMD they allegedly possess? We saw hours of combat footage published by the Council who were fighting the royalists in ships devoid of any WMD. Now, that the ex-Council members de facto holding power in the Confederacy, I doubt they would suddenly abandon their principles in favour of embracing the ones of the royalists they were determined to overthrow. Yet again, look at their formulation of this cause: “Their weapons of mass destruction are simply dormant, inactive, ready to be re-activated whenever the Royal sympathizers see fit.” - this is a serious allegation that must have proofs. Taking action on the basis of groundless allegation just aggravates the guilt of the Kusari government and certainly does not reinforce their cause. If they were against the WMD in question, they should have cooperated with the Bretonians and Crayterians against the Enclave which clearly possesses the Royalist ships that had been equipped with the “Werwolf” cannons.

Same applies to the war criminals as the casus belli invoked. You think the Confederacy would willingly harbour known criminals to intentionally deteriorate their relations even further with the Houses that following the war would by default are distrustful to the Gauls? Or you think the ex-Council members who had lost numerous friends and relatives to the royalist war criminals would suddenly experience a change of heart and a surge of forgiveness to allow those criminals in question not only to continue living in Gallia, but also to avoid any punishment and even retain their posts? These two reasons are a joke, and to choose to actually publish them in a state-level international communication is to willingly humiliate the House of Kusari. Nobody sane would take this as a valid reason for war.

What are your thoughts on the real reasons for war then?

Glad you asked. My sources recently shared with me a peculiar document, the negotiations between the then newly established Confederacy of Gallia and the Reformed Empire of Kusari that had just lifted the yoke of the Gallic Royalists (with the help of the Confederates, by the way) regarding the normalisation of relationship and regulation of borders in Tau region. Since no sensitive strategic information was discussed in the negotiations, I see no reason not to make them publicly available. You can see for yourself that Kusari reached understanding with Gallia regarding the shared conduct of business in Taus which i can truly commend as a good diplomatic move on the behalf of the Reformed Empire. The interests of Kusari in Taus in the negotiations were well represented and maintained. However, it appears that Kusarian tatemae (//fake face) was used as it probably was not enough. As I see it, the Reformed Empire seeks to achieve what it tried to achieve in 814 in the war with Bretonia: control over Taus. Such reasoning might be reinforced by Samura, which is well-known to have close ties to the imperial family, seeking to expand its operations in the Taus that are traditionally seen as the domain of Samura as opposed to Kishiro primarily operating in Sigmas in cooperation with the GMG. The other reason might be reinforcing the support of the reformed government that cannot find its own identity. The idea of a short successful war bolstering the support for the government by inducing pride in the hearts of the citizens is an old one.

At any rate, knowing that the government actually reached an agreement with the Confederacy of Gallia but decided to breach it anyway in an act of war without even proper explanation thereof makes the whole conflict look even more miserable from Kusarian perspective.

In your understanding, has the character of war changed and what should we expect from this war in the future?

The first thing that has changed is international attention that is gradually attracted to a greater extent to the war. Recent condemnation of the war by Natio Octavarium is an indicator that the war is seen as the act of tyranny and violation of the existing status quo in the Taus. This certainly will not be good for commercial activities of Kusari internationally, as our reputation will deteriorate and perhaps even be compared with the Kingdom of Gallia itself now that it is gone and its place of the “big bad wolf” is vacant. Bashing in the media is likely to intensify and continue.

The second thing is worsening crime situation back in Kusari. While I have confidence in the capacity of KSP to prevent and resolve crime situations, terrorist groups like Blood Dragons or Golden Chrysanthemums require quite often the involvement of the Navy to prevent their deeds. Remember, that Blood Dragons are professional military after all. And do not forget about the Hogosha. Their shady business can expand rapidly while the attention of the police is diverted away from administrative and commercial crimes in the absence of the support of the Navy at countering possible terrorist attacks. Do we need even more brothels, shady casinos, and yakuza activity?

Thirdly, as the Navy are pushing even deeper into Gallia, their supply lines become even more exposed to counterattacks. This can lead to devastating repeat of the events of 817 when our fleets were cornered in Taus by the Gauls from all sides. Gallia still has formidable forces to resist and bite. And someday we will find their bite to be too painful for us to take. However, this is a problem not even because of the possibility of a military loss, but because of the lack of clear objectives to the war. The forces are pushing deeper for what? Taking New Paris? That will draw the war for years similarly to how the Gauls tried to take New London for years. It will also cost us trillions of credits and thousands of human lives. If not New Paris, then what? The authorities state they are not fighting the war against the citizens and respectively do not occupy planets and bases. This deprives them of supply lines and just puts under question even the adequacy of moving deeper into hostile territory. If the purpose is the lightning war with a view to force Gallia to cede Taus, then they are already too deep into enemy territories with a huge risk of a counterattack as the Gallic forces are reorganising. Even if we consider the laughable objectives set forth in the declaration, I see no way how the current actions of the Navy are bringing the war cabinet closer to their realisation. I doubt the Gauls would surrender being too proud of themselves following centuries of propaganda feeding their sense of self-exceptionalism. Besides, the Council had been waging a war with less resources and even without the capacities of New Paris for decades prior to the establishment of the Confederacy. This war is nothing new to them. So I have no idea how the Navy are going to enforce the terms they are invoking in the war declaration.

What should Kusari do then, in your opinion?

Now that the war has been raging for over a month this is a much more complicated matter than when I first addressed the public. It would be much more difficult to convince the sides to stop firing shots and sit at the negotiation table. If it was up to me, I would contact some third party for mediation of the negotiation and to send the request to convene a conference on the war. Prior the recent events, I would opt for Natio Octavarium, but now that they are a belligerent to the war it makes their involvement as a mediator less acceptable by Kusari.

I would consider calling upon Liberty as a distant House without interests in Tau region safe for stopping the flow of Cardamine. Establishment of peace in the region would benefit them as it would return some sense of order in Taus and prevent the spread of the orange drug. They also can act in the capacity of peacekeepers should a ceasefire be reached. Their fleet is big enough to dispatch an expeditionary group to oversee the enforcement of peace. This, however, can be less favoured by the Gauls due to their history with the Liberty. The Confederacy not being the Kingdom of old and many important positions occupied by the ex-Council members, I still do believe they can find a way to cooperate with the Libertonians.
Following the negotiations it is in the interest of the international community to push the sides to reaching an agreement, preferably not favouring either of the sides not to feed the revanchism that is bad in any case. Returning to pre-war conditions would be a favourable, in my opinion, development. Kusari might be required to pay some contribution, although I would advise the parties to refrain from making unreasonable claims in this direction as Kusari at least tried to avoid inflicting damage on the civilian population. This would also prevent the rise of nationalistic chauvinism among the populace that despite Kusari being a clear aggressor to the conflict can see the demands unfair.

These are mere speculations, I must admit, since the real course of negotiations is to be determined once the negotiations can be organised in the first place. I must reiterate though that the widest international representation and participation is needed to provide peer-pressure for the establishment of peace and initially needed peacekeeping operation in the region.

Kimi no iken wo osietekurete arigatou gozaimasu, Shimamori-san. This will conclude out interviews with the guests. Many points have been presented today and we hope that they will contribute to the all-side understanding of the political situation between the Reformed Empire of Kusari and the Confederacy of Gallia. We implore our viewers to take into considerations all points of view yet to rely on their own judgement.

This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank your watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 09-05-2020

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

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.

According to the recent reports of the Kusari Business Federation (鎖経済団体連合会　- Kusari Keizai Dantai Rengou-kai), the commercial activity has plummeted in the House over the last month by whooping 14.1% compared to the previous quarter. While the fiscal challenges that followed the reformation of the Empire two years ago can still be traced to decreased consumer consumption and uncertainty regarding the governmental bonds, this new decrease is, according to the Business Federation experts, linked to the war with Gallia and uncertainties surrounding it.

The unexpected declaration of war upon Gallia by the Imperial Government puzzled many in the business sphere. Such a bold move by the weakened after the restoration process government was construed unequivocally: while certain companies were pretty open about their dissatisfaction with the cessation of trade with Gallia due to hostilities, the others were optimistic about possible lucrative military contracts and acquisition of vast resources in the Taus in a short bloodless war.

The reality turned out to be more in favour of the first viewpoint. Most of trade with the Confederacy of Gallia ceased after the commencement of the war, the Gallic companies refusing to deal with the aggressor threatening their home. Over 10 years of the development of trade and production chains initially with the Kingdom of Gallia and subsequently with the Confederacy of Gallia were discarded over a month, leading to forced re-orientation of many companies to other markets and unavoidable expenditure of capital. At the same time, the war despite giving hopes to some business circles in the beginning as the Kaigun advanced into Gallic systems turned out to be not a swift bloodless war that those very businessmen hoped it would be. The Navy was stalled in the Gallic borderworlds with the prospects of rapidly charging on the core worlds fading away. As the realisation that the war would drag on, drawing state resources to the army and slowly undermining financial reserves resonated with the decrease in price of governmental bonds, indicating falling trust in the government.

Moreover, many criminal organisations can make use of the departure of significant share of military vessels from Kusari core worlds, significantly increasing the risks of trade even domestically. Both foreign and Kusarian traders report on increased sightings of Blood Dragons and Golden Chrysanthemums who seem to be coordinating their moves. Increased risks of transportation resulted in the increase of prices and decrease of the volume of trade goods entailing the decrease of supply. In such circumstances both businesses and citizens have to reconsider their budgets and refrain from purchasing non-vital goods. For Kusari that is a manufacture-oriented economy, this is a bad news as the decrease of commercial activity reduces the taxation so needed in the time of the war dragging down.

Not even corporate giants are safe. The last week saw the decrease in price of Samura stocks on New Tokyo Stock Exchange (新東株式取引所 - Shintou Kabushiki Torihikisho) by 5.8%. While the keirezu (//big corporate alliance under one brand, e.g. Samura) can still make a comeback during further tradings, the expectations are no longer favouring Samura as the latter would not probably acquire vast natural resources in the Taus to expand its operations while at the same time being vulnerable to the Blood Dragons who can infringe Samura’s endeavours all across Kusari, and especially in Tottori now that the Kaigun is busy with the invasion. Kishiro, on the other hand, does not experience the drop in stocks value due to orientation on Sigmas, yet is still prone to the decreased commercial activity that hampers the growth of the corporation, the stocks having increased only by 0.2% over last week.

As the war is still ongoing despite the lack of active hostilities reported, it is difficult to predict the full scale of impact thereof on the economy of Kusari. However, most of the people we managed to ask regarding the situation were not optimistic about the future.

My company used to import wine from Gallia before the war. We specialise in alcohol and so a fine Gallic wine was a fine addition to our line of products. People here [on New Tokyo] love fancy stuff so we sell mostly foreign alcohol, while exporting locally produced sake and whiskey to Kyushu and Honshu. Now our supplier stopped having business with Kusari and we lost quite a lot of customers who would come for wine only. We are trying to replace it with Libertonian wine but it is not quite the same and does not find popularity, at least not yet. Besides, people are not willing to spend much nowadays on fancy drinks as the prices rise. Even we had to increase the price for imported alcohol by roughly 7-10% because the trade pilots are not willing to take risks to travel through Shikoku that is more dangerous than ever, or ask for addition pay for the risk. But I am luckier than some of my friends: with all this stress regarding the war and prices will surely will buy alcohol even if not imported one. - - Tsuchiya Yoshiyuki, 54, New Tokyo.

I wanted to buy a new gravicar this month, but I had to reconsider it. The product prices have raised recently and it will be an additional burden on my budget. My wife is right now taking a maternal leave and I am the sole provider in the family, so I have to be especially attentive to financial matters. There are already a lot of expenditures like putting off the money for the kindergarten and a good private school, so I believe I can still use my father’s gravicar for now despite it being old. At least I will feel more safe. I hope the war ends soon so that we can feel more secure about the future again. - Tomoya Takahashi, 29, New Tokyo.

“I was more optimistic about the war than most of my friends. I did believe that Gallia has to pay for what it did to us. However, I realise now that I was a bit naive as the war is not the solution to the disgrace we experienced in the past. Prices are rising, criminal situation is worse than it used to be, and there is even a risk that the Gauls will push our fleets back to Kusari. Perhaps, they will even invade, forcing us to experience occupation again. I guess, our diplomats and politicians should have been just more vocal about their position regarding the damage inflicted upon Kusari by Gallia and demand apologies and appropriate compensation. But war? I am not so sure now about whether it was right to declare it. The common folk should not suffer such decisions”. - Yuriko Ogawa, 26, Honshu.

This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank your watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

RE: ANN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 09-13-2020

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

Konnichiwa! Ishikawa Ayumi desu. You are watching "Ikiru michi" (//"Way of life") on All Honshu Network. We invite you today to visit the famous floating cities of Honshu, learn about their history and contribution to the planet.

Minakamitoshi, or "floating cities", have been known to humanity since before it left the Old Earth. A true feat of engineering ingenuity, it allowed our ancestors to dwell on the tides of oceans and expand the place of living. For the progenitors of Kusari that was extremely important, and so our forefathers achieved great success in this technology which eventually was brought aboard “Kusari” to our new worlds.

By the whim of fate, the newly settled words were predominantly aquatic, and so Kusarians used to the best of their abilities the know-how of building aquatic cities to support the rapidly growing fishing industry. Honshu was not an exception. Minakamitoshi (//floating cities) greatly contributed to booming salmon fishing that managed to grow from newly introduced species, to abundant, to nigh extinct in mere 200 years. As the fishing industry faded to the background of Kusarian food supply priority, the floating cities became remnants of the past and a tourist attraction. According to the estimation of the Honshu Department for Fishery & Maritime Affairs, there are 252 floating cities remaining on Honshu, spanning from empty museums with skeleton crew to receive tourists to sprawling 100.000+ cities with self-sustaining infrastructure. Today we will visit one of such cities, Mizumura, with population of 14,828 inhabitants not far from the island of Haneda.

Mizumura Docks

Mizumura was established in 78 A.S., making it a rather old city of first generation of the colonists. Originally deployed much further away from Haneda, Mizumura soon moved closer to the island where the city of Minamito was rapidly developing to support the latter with sea products. As the city grew, Mizumura increased its fishing capacity and also constructed oil refineries for nearby seabed oil platforms to diversify the local economy.

Memorial Torii

However, Mizumura probably is most famous for one of the biggest disasters occurred to a floating city in history of Kusari - Komura incident in 149 A.S. As the focus of the local minakamitoshi (//floating cities) was shifting further from fishing and more into refining of crude natural resources, security measures were at times neglected for the sake of rapid re-specialisation of the technological capabilities. Komura company was one of such profit-driven enterprises that eschewed safety for profits, resulting in temporary disconnection of one of the anchor pillars in the eastern section of the city in order to install a mining drill in its place. When a particularly strong taifun hit the area, the lack of one pillar proved to be critical for the stability of city, that was partially ripped apart by the waves. To worsen the situation, the integrity of the petroleum storage was compromised, resulting in severe contamination of the adjacent waters, aggravating already dire situation with sealife on the planet. It also prevented many survivors of the taifun from swimming to safety. Exposed to oil on the waves, many people lost strength quickly and drowned. Others fell victims to sporadic fires ravaging the ruins of the city. 5,062 people lost their lives that day. Although following thorough investigation of the reasons of the disaster and appropriate punishment for the responsible, the reputation of the floating cities took a severe blow. The exodus of the floating cities population combined with fish dying out planetwide, the number of cities decreased from over 500 to less than 300 in two years.

To commemorate the tragedy, a giant torii (//Japanese ritualistic shinto gates) was installed on the spot of the incident. Towering 50 metres above the waves, the “legs” of the torii gate go 300 metres deep directly into the seabed These firm columns are a symbol of us remembering the prevalence of safety and stability over the profits of graceful ever-changing waves.

Tenmei Marine Research Centre

Nowadays, Mizumura is a rather small city that specialises in maritime research. Cooperating with the best universities on the planet and beyond, local laboratories hope to restore the population of salmon on the planet and throughout Kusari. In particular, Tenmei Daigaku laboratories in coordination with Samura are investigating the impact of alien microorganisms from the planet of Kurile on the local sea flora and fauna. Kishiro Technologies uses Mizumura as one of its testing fields for submarine vehicles and pioneer spaceships capable of diving into the seas of newly discovered stellar objects.

There is still, however, the older side of the floating city: sushi restaurants. Now mostly a symbol of the past, sushi-ya-san (//suchi restaurants) procure synthetic salmon from coastal farms. Despite not actually growing their own livestocks, the restaurants are said by the tourists to have exceptional quality of the food. Try the unique recipes of spiced maguro-maki (//salmon roll) with flying fish ikura (//roe) yourself - our filming crew had to stop working for an hour just to enjoy the taste, as well as invigorating atmosphere of old colonists, still thirsty for new discovering and taming their new homeworld.

Hiromi Aquapark

Home to hardworking researchers and kaishain (//office clerks), Mizumura can not boast about its nightlife. The city still can offer a lot of activities during the day: numerous museums, including the Museum of Floating Cities History and our favourite - Museum of Water; Hiromi Aquapark with countless attractions for the kids and adults alike; local flea market where travellers exchange their items from all over Sirius; and an observation platform from which a tired traveller can observe the whole city, as well as enjoy the view over the island of Haneda and the memorial torii-gate.

Mizumura Museum of Water

Located just 30 minutes of flight by a shuttle from the centre of Minamimito, the city of Mizumura is rather easy to reach. The city also has its own spaceport and can receive travellers directly on their own space vessels no larger than 30 metres wide. We advise to come on weekends when most of the facilities are open, and when one can peek at the locals to follow their example in enjoying the unusual life on a floating city, once a pioneer technology and now reminder of the past. And if you find yourself even more interested in floating cities of Honshu after the visit - there are 251 more of those to check out while staying on the planet.

Come visit Mizumura on Honshu, and witness the wonders of Kusarian floating cities yourself! Mizumura ni youkoso (//welcome to Mizumura)!

This programme was sponsored by Haneda Department of Tourism of Honshu and Clan Shimamori. Brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

RE: AHN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 11-04-2020

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

Mina-san, 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 the topic of our discussion again will be Second Kusaro-Gallic war. Stay tuned as our reporters contacted both sides to get exclusive first-hand opinions from both sides. We also took the interview of koushaku Shimamori who was leading the efforts to find the peaceful resolution to the conflict and asked his thoughts on the situation.

Firstly, we will briefly recap on the causes and the course of war. The war broke out in June 827 A.S. with the attack of Kusari Naval Forces on a wide front in Taus. The targets were Barra Anchorage station in Tau 31 which was taken from the Crayter Republic, La Charite Spaceport in Tau 53, and Cheronsee Station in Tau 2, both Gallic corporate assets. The war commenced without the proper declaration of war, which followed only later, and was a surprise for stakeholders all around Sirius.

According to the Declaration of War issued by the Kusari imperial government, the casus belli was to bring Gallic war criminals to justice and to rid the world of the weapons of mass destruction that the Gauls were harbouring. As such, the target of the war was the recently established Duchy of Burgundy, the so-called successor to the Kingdom of Gallia which preserved its administrative and societal features. However, this casus belli was criticised as far-fetched and covering the real cause of war - dominance in Taus, which was the reason for Kusari-Bretonia war in 813 A.S. This view is supported by a few observations:

The real successor to the Kingdom of Gallia which likely harbours most Gallic war criminals because they simply have nowhere else to go is the Enclave. Enclave allegedly is even home to the King Charles, rendering it not a successor to the Kingdom, but actually the Kingdom just significantly reduced in size. As such, it would only be natural if Kusari would seek justice by launching an attack against the Enclave, which at the same time was also still at war against Bretonia.
There was and still is no proof of the Duchy of Burgundy or the Confederacy of Gallia on the whole to either harbour war criminals (at least those who have not been punished under the new Gallic confederate legislation) or weapons of mass destruction.
Despite the declared casus belli, the war was waged on Gallia as a whole, not simply on the Duchy of Burgundy. Invasion to the system of Languedoc, which is quite distant from Duchy’s space and overall being under the jurisdiction of a separate Confederacy constituent state, the Minarchy of Provence, speaks for itself.
Attack on already mentioned Homan’s Outpost belonging to the Republic of Crayter, which during the Gallic invasion to Sirius fought against the Royal Forces together with Bretonia, Liberty, and Kusari on the initial stages of war does not fall in line with the logic of the conflict presented by the Kusari imperial government. Moreover, its distant location from the Gallic theatre of war which was supposed to be the main one, draws to conclusion of Kusari’s interests in lower Taus akin to those during the war with Bretonia in 813-817 A.S.

Regardless of the validity of the casus belli invoked, the shots were fired and the war could not be simply stopped. There were some movements to cease the conflict in its inception. From Kusari’s side, in particular. Shimamori Masahito, koshaku of imperial Shimamori clan, attempted to find diplomatic support to push the belligerents for peace. This attempt, however, did not succeed and the war continued. The initial surprise effect played for the benefit of Kusari Naval Forces. The fleet of Confederacy, although being larger and more technically advanced than Kusari’s fleet, was caught off guard and had to withdraw from the borders, allowing Kusari fleet to get a foothold deep in Languedoc and Lorraine systems. Military experts suggest that these losses were due to the restructurisation of the fleet of Gallia following the collapse of the Kingdom in particular to re-arm the new confederate warships and get rid of the old “Warwolf” cannon that was mentioned as one of the reasons for war. In addition, the Confederacy was overall disorganised due to being a political Frankenstein made of constituent-states with very different administrative and economic systems, each of them not mature enough to be efficient because of existing not even 5 years. The lack of coordination among the forces was aggravated by overall abandoning the old practices of the Royal Navy command in line with over-encompassing reforms in the Confederacy.

Disorganised resistance efforts of the Gallic forces allowed the Imperial Navy to seize control over Quillan and push for Dauphine system. It soon became obvious, however, that the initial momentum was being lost and further progress of the Naval Forces was stalled due to the Gallic fleet re-organising fast and starting inflicting serious damage on the Kusari invasion forces. The Enclave’s joining the fray with their sizeable and battle-hardened fleet despite its weariness turned the tide in Languedoc, squeezing Kusari forces out of Quillan’s orbit and further into Dauphine. The situation became to look grim for the Empire, and in desperation all the home fleets, namely Sado and Yamaguchi, were mobilised to bolster the invasion forces, leaving Kusari’s back almost unprotected. This move caused a lot of criticism at home, yet managed to bring certain relief to the invasion forces that managed to stage a successful breach of Gallic defences in Dauphine. This operation, however, strained the Kusari forces even further and the success was achieved at the expense of tremendous losses. As of now, Kusari invasion forces are cut off in Dauphine system, but still have significant presence in Lorraine where they have a stable supply line through Tau 53 system.

Having summed up the previous developments, we jump to our today’s guests and their opinions on the situation and its possible resolution. Firstly, we welcome Miroslav de Gobineau, a Captain of the Confederacy Forces. For security and convenience reasons, Gobineau-san will be joining us over the neural network line.

Bonjour, Monsieur de Gobineau. Thank you for joining us today and agreeing to present your opinion to the populace of Kusari. We know it must be hard given the circumstances, and we appreciate your voice contributing to better understanding of each other and building bridges between our peoples. Firstly, I would like to ask you what is the opinion of the soldiers and the officers on the ongoing conflict?

Video-feed opens up with a view on a bulky and strong male in his thirties. Tall and beefy, he looks somewhat like a bear and at the same time, this man feels humble and gentle. Sitting on a couch somewhere in an office, he is dressed in a brand-new and fresh Gallic officer uniform, maybe even parade one. He even has a cap on his head. After looking in the camera for a brief moment and smiling uncomfortably, listening for the question, he nods and readjust his position. His speech had a very distinctive Gallic accent and was plagued with Gallic words.

Spirits are high, I would say. You see, every single Gallic soldier, officer, man, woman and I think even children know four words by heart. Honneur. Patrie. Valeur. Discipline. These are Core Gallic Values. Honor, fatherland, valor and discipline. And never before the whole idée of our Values was under such direct attack as now. Everyone understands that. Everyone, every single matelot, sea-... sea-man and every single technician in the Navy, every single factory worker and medic in the hospital, everyone is doing everything he can to defend Gallia. Because defeat will mean the failure of this système. You know, it's like, uh-h... fight between Good and Evil. The government of the Kusarian state attacked us without declaration, like cowards, and this is something unacceptable in our culture. It goes against the idée of Honneur. Miroslav made a pause to drink out of the prepared water bottle and adjusted his sitting position again.

I'll be honest with you, regular Gallic people never liked this whole... Sirian culture in the first place and the conflict now, like... re-ignited this sentiment. It's not, well, anti-Sirian, it's more like... very patriotic sentiment. I know that there are good people out there, I mean, I am speaking to one right now, but there's also... not very good people. Jingoistic and revanchist-ic. Whole nation of Gallia was trying to distance themselves from the, well, sins of the past, but we have what we have now…

What was the impression of the civilian population on the conflict from army's perspective? Has there been any aggression against civilians?

I think, we need to ask regular people about that because, well, I might not have the best look at the 'civilian' perspective. But people were shocked, of course, it was like a... lightning. Like, one day there is news that the government is having fruitful cooperation with Kusari Empire and, pow... Miroslav claps his hands ...the Kusari fleet is already in Languedoc. People are probably afraid and unsure but they are staying strong. They are helping the families, widows and invalides, they are supporting the Navy, sending gifts and postcards. Interestingly, the whole Kusarian invasion had a premise that they are not going to hurt the civilians but first thing that happened was, basically, destruction of Cheronsee station, it's in Tau-23, and capturing and holding hostage the La Charite Port in Rishi-, excuzez-moi, in the Tau-53. And there's also destruction and havoc in Lorraine and, think about that, the Kusarian battleship rammed a civilian station in Burgundy not so long ago. Of course this will make people furious, of course this is aggression. Of course, this is war and there will be victims but there's such thing as humanity. I mean, being humane to those who are not doing anything to you. Kusari government said that they are fighting to get rid off mass destruction weapons but, mon Deux, there is none, I would be the man who knows such things, and most of the people, civilians, never-ever participated in this whole Sirian Incident. This is hypocrisy and cruelty.

Do you think that finding peace and returning to pre-peace state is still possible?

Miroslav thought for a brief moment after hearing the third question and scratched his beard. After thinking, he shortly laughed and shook his head. - Non-non-non, things have changed, of course. There might be peace, but it will be very... strained peace. Blood was already spilled and whole situation is in such... stage, that this is more than just an insult or, don't know, small-scale border conflict somewhere in the Tau region. It's conquest, it's total war. Such things are not being forgotten or, like, swept under the rug. Fighting can stop, of course, navy men would see their families and enjoy leave but on the political level, there is always going to be a constant struggle. Bad blood leads to bad blood, this is the saying, I think. Miroslav was silent for some seconds, thinking about something and then he spoke with enthusiasm - You know, actually, if something would happen in Kusari itself, like, the government is going to have some changes and the new government be very sorry and do everything to mend the wounds and rebuild the trust, then there might be a change, a good change. Yes, Gallic people will hold the grudge but we also value the concept of absolution. So, there might be a positive change. I hope, the state could be even better than before.

Do you think this conflict has brought Gallia closer to unity?

As soon as the question was asked, Miroslav actively nodded - Oui, oui. Yes, of course, indeed. The danger to Gallia is something that unites everyone here. From the most liberal folk of the Republic to the most conservative aristocrats in the Duchy. This is far more serious than some disagreements in how the country is being run or, je ne sais pas, what wine is better for what. The nation is in grave danger, the whole idea of a nation. And this unites people because it is a fight for Gallic identity, pride and nationhood.

How do you think will the conflict end and what are your fears regarding its ramifications?

Miroslav drew a long sigh, thinking about the question and then just shrugged - My own opinion, bon? Eventually, we should push them out of the Gallia and there might be a stalemate in Taus. This is one possibility. Or maybe their frontline crumbles and we push them all the way to Kusari core worlds. I mean, I am a peaceful man by nature but the idea that our Superdupont will be translated from Gallic to Kusarian and shown to Kusarian kids... Miroslav laughs a little bit tightly and then shook his head. - Or, well, if you already asked about my fears, there is a possibility that I don't want to think about. We might lose. But I am not considering that. I am certain that I, my men under my command and the whole Gallic fleet will fight off the invasion and that we will rebuild Gallia. I am adamant on that. Oui, this will be a rocky road and there will be hardships and all, but-but eventually, Gallia will be stronger than before.

Merci beaucoup for your opinion and time, Monsieur de Gobineau. I sincerely hope that your voice will be heard on the both sides of the barricades and will prompt the decision-makers to resolve this conflict as soon as possible.

Now, we switch to the Kusarian side. I should apologise to our viewers as the officer of the Imperial Navy who initially came forth to give an interview on the issue suddenly became unavailable and because of this the person who generously agreed to dedicate his time on the urgent interview did not have much time for a lengthy discussion. Nonetheless, we greatly appreciate the time he found to participate on the programme. Please, welcome an ex-serviceman of the Kusari Tenkoku Uchuugun (//Kusari Imperial Space Forces). We are glad to have such a venerable veteran as yourself here. For security and convenience reasons he will be reaching to us through neural network connection.

Konbanwa and thank you for your invitation.

Please call me Goro-san, my family name shouldn't matter. Well, I don't want them to know I still keep such a close eye on Kusari's internal and external matters even after we left Kusari behind during the Gallic Invasion. I hope that's okay.

Konnichiwa, Goro-san. Please, allow me to thank you for your participation on the programme. We greatly appreciate your time and opinion, especially given the time constraints you have faced due to the force-major with the previous interviewee. We are sure you will represent well the opinion of the Kusari military, especially given your past combat experience in multiple wars. To begin with, what is the opinion of the soldiers and the officers on the ongoing conflict that has dragged for longer than expected?

I got in touch with some old comrades of mine. Most of them appear to lean positively towards the war. A few complained about inefficiency in the command chain, which they state is the main reason the swift strike slowed down so much. Can't blame them for this, ain't the first time the Shogunate's plans looked better on paper than reality.
But as a war veteran of the Gallic Invasion, I know everyone yearns to return home after a while. Still, I doubt morale is at an all times low compared to the faithful days taking down the first Empire.

To all my former comrades out there, stay strong.

How would you evaluate the defense of the Gauls?

The Gallics defense? Clearly, the original momentum caused by the surprise attack is gone. The Gallics were always fierce fighters, defensive or aggressive doesn't matter to them. They are still poisoned by a Kingdom which grew hatred into people's minds incomparable to any Sirian Regime so far. A mere change of the governing system doesn't change people that quickly. They're what they were raised to be: Xenophobic, hateful people whose minds are still foggy from generations of propaganda. Time will tell if the norm becomes a rarity in the future and the majority of them will finally embrace a certain togetherness with the Sirian Nations.

Do you think that the efforts of Kusari actually brought the Confederacy and the Enclave closer?

Political wise? Most likely. It was to be expected. A war led over crimes the Kingdom committed, over honor and what-not else? Of course such things provoke the defender's population. As I already said, they couldn't change in such a short time-frame. Nobody can. I really wouldn't be surprised if the Council forces as the only sizable different mindset in Gallia – mind you, they are few compared to the general population even now after practically winning the Gallic War – grow all desperate now that the damaged Confederacy could lose political strength and the Enclave gain never truly lost influence back.

How do you think will the conflict end and what are your fears regarding its ramifications?.

How it will end.. I doubt it ends satisfactory for either side. Our future trade relation to them will be grim, at very best. Border skirmishes might become a thing, especially when keeping the Gallics general mindset in account. Not like we are any better at backing down.

Personally, I doubt that Gallia will attempt to act revanche on Kusari. Actually, I doubt our Shogunate intended this but I think this could result in a new internal mess for Gallia. You know the Maquis? Words claim they are ultra-democrats. Them, the Council, neither of them would back down if the Enclave tried to gain a foothold again.

Gallia falling into another – at very least just political – internal struggle is inevitable.
In the case of a revanche act against Kusari, it will be a bloody battle, that's for sure. This will also be the day I return to Kusari and re-enlist with the Naval Forces.

Regarding Kusari's pests, there is just to state how surprised I am. So far no major sightings flashed the newspapers, no large movements, no strikes whatsoever. Either they are still plotting something or they finally consider just giving up, who knows?

Unfortunately, my time is limited. So we got to wrap this up.

To all the listeners, our people, my old comrades, curious civilians from other houses, remember that war is inevitable but never fully justified. This brief chapter in history shall stand as yet another grim reminder that humanity does not change.

To all listeners of the Gallic Law Enforcement, defend your home as you must, take a step onto Kusari soil in search of revenge and I will be there.

We thank you, Goro-san, for taking your time answering our questions and extend best wishes to you and your family wherever you might be. Your voice is as important for us as the voice of any citizen of Kusari regardless of their place of residence.

Now, surprisingly, upon coming to the studio koushaku Shimamori shared with us the logs of his flagship “Zuiryu” which encountered an Enclave warship in Tau 53. The sides refrained from violence, which is yet another sign of the possibility of finding peace, and the commander of the Gallic Royal Navy generously agreed to an impromptu interview. With the permission of Shimamori-san, we publish here the interview. The commander of the vessel in question expressed the wish to remain anonymous, so video feed and unedited logs enabling the viewers to identify the ship in question will not be used.

Enclave Officer: Oh, bonjour.

Shimamori: konnichiwa!

Enclave Officer: Well, well. Kusarians everywhere!

Shimamori: indeed so. Do not let the appearance of the ship confuse you, however. We are not of the KNF. I represent the imperial Shimamori clan. This ship was granted to the clan upon its founding. My ancestors indeed were of uchuu-gun (//Space Forces) but not me.

Enclave Officer: What makes you different from the Kusarian savages in the Naval Forces? I find it hard to believe you're different.

Shimamori: the mere fact I am not working for them? And perhaps the fact that I am the only one of the Kusarians who reached out to the Parisian Assembly seeking peace. I am "the political opposition" so to say. I was and am against the war.

Enclave Officer: Good. The war only brought chaos to our home.

Shimamori: unfortunately, my political gravity is not big enough to sway the imperial court and the Shogun alone and other Houses showed disinterest in finding peace. So I am doing what I can do to help my home - guarding against criminals.

Enclave Officer: Oui, oui.

Shimamori: you must be well aware that Kusari sent all the ships to Gallia, leaving home system a piece of the cake for all sorts of brigands.

Enclave Officer: Then we shall allow you to do so. Oui. We are aware.

Shimamori: quite generous of you, monsieur. Merci beaucoup. Pardon my bad Gallic, I have not had much time studying the language of the Gauls. Since we found an understanding, I would ask you of a favour, Monsieur.

Enclave Officer: What could that be?

Shimamori: you see, I am supporting the opposition media that propagates peace the newsmakers are right now in the process of making another programme. We have received interviews from the Confederals and the Kusari veteran navy. If I could ask you for a second of your time to present your view on the situaton, I would be greatly appreciated. If we are picking it correctly, you have the IFF of the Royal Forces, meaning you are of the Enclave. And the opinion of the Enclave is badly misrepresented on the news.

Enclave Officer: Oui, we are part of the Enclave. We are aware of that. However we wish to bring peace to our home. Unfortunately, the only way to do so is through violence, since the Kusarians attacked our people.

Shimamori: it saddens me but I cannot but agree with you. The Shogunate won't back down, which is the opposition like me is needed. The Empire cannot go on with audacious decision making like this.

Enclave Officer: Cowards! That's what they are! Attacking hopeless civilians...

Shimamori: I hope this war will teach the Shogun of the peaceful ways Kusari needs.

Enclave Officer: Oui, such events will only bring the Empire to its demise.

Shimamori: would you be willing then to answer a few questions on your views on the war?

Enclave Officer: Oui.

Shimamori: I can guarantee your anonymity if you desire so. So, firstly, what would you as an officer of the Royal Forces think of this war in general?

Enclave Officer: We have a negative opinion about it. We're here to help out our people.

Shimamori: Do you think that Kusari upheld its declared promise of not harming civilians?

Enclave Officer: No. They destroyed several installations, killing with them all the civilians onboard. Any other questions?

Shimamori: do you think that this war brought the Enclave closer with the Confederacy? Perhaps, to unity?

Enclave Officer: Oui, we do think so. In the end, we all wish to have a united Gallia.

Shimamori: a couple more [questions] and I will not hold you any longer, Monsieur. How would you evaluate the fighting? Which side suffered more losses?

Enclave Officer: The other Houses have laughed at the Confederacy - we must show them we are better!

Shimamori: this is sensitive question, so you can speak without strategic details.

Enclave Officer: Unfortunately, the losses have been high for both sides. We are unable to tell you how many casualties the Gallic side has suffered.

Shimamori: how do you think this war will end? What are the possible consequences?

Enclave Officer: We will not answer that question. The outcome is yet to be seen. As for consequences, we cannot give an answer either.

Shimamori: understandable. And the final question: do you think the return to pre-war status quo is possible?

Enclave Officer: Oui. But only if the Kusarians stop their futile attacks. If they do not, we will be forced to fight them with our entire might.

Shimamori: Would Gallia consider not invading Kusari if the latter pays reparations?

Enclave Officer: I cannot give an answer, the HC decides such things.

Shimamori: this will be all. I personally commend your reason not to seek vengeance upon my vessel. It is good seeing that dialogue option is still on the table.

Enclave Officer: It always was.

Shimamori: would you have any preferences on how you should be presented? Or should we leave your input anonymous?

Enclave Officer: Anonymous.

Shimamori: as promised, your decision shall be honoured. I thank you on behalf of the Shimamori clan. Know that not everyone in Kusari supports this idiotic war.

Enclave Officer: Very well. We will depart now, duty awaits us.

Shimamori: safe skies, commander.

This is surely some exclusive content. We thank you, Shimamori-san, for coming to us today and participating in the programme, as well as for the content you shared.

The pleasure is all mine, and we should thank the Enclave commander whom I met for the shown civility in this time of madness.

Shimamori-san, can you add anything on the opinions shared by our guests?

Well, the guests speak for themselves. In my book, they all complement the picture that we have. On the front all the sides are represented by the soldiers who are carrying out the orders. Whether it is a Kusari veteran, Confederacy officer, or a member of the Enclave - they all are ready to defend their home. However, at the moment the Gauls are defending their home, Gallia in general so it does not matter whether we are talking about the Enclave or the Confederacy soldiers. The voice of the Kusari veteran is also quite illustrative of the fact that the soldiers of Kusari, even those already retired, have a strong sense of duty and are ready to re-enlist should there be threat to their Sokoku (//Fatherland). However, Kusari soldiers are less so convinced about the necessity to fight if it is the invasion of someone else's home we are talking about. Why should we expect less of the Gauls? Our soldiers know perfectly well that the Gauls are defending their homes and their spirits are higher. Of course, there are sentiments for the war lost and the damage inflicted by the Gauls upon Kusari - but it is time to rebuild, the population is tired of endless wars and many soldiers simply want to lay down the arms, bury the hatchet and return to peaceful life where “tomorrow” is more predictable.

And, as the Enclave officer duly noted, it is up to the command to decide. Soldiers are following orders, they do not want to become deserters and are obliged to wage war. So I do hope that these opinions, our discussions in general, are heard by the decision makers in Kusari. The message is loud and clear - we do not want this war. We want it over already. People want peace. People want your attention at economy, social policy, not on allocating even more taxpayer’s money on war that has not been looking good from the very start.

Speaking of it, how would you evaluate the “progress”, if we can call it this way, of the war, Shimamori-san?

Well, the war is still raging. It is surprising how the Kusari fleet managed to stage a successful offensive in Dauphine. Certainly, I lack all the information but from what it appears the Uchuugun (//Space Forces) were severely outnumbered and their “success” if we can call it this way due to the horrendous human toll, looks like some “Deus ex machina” or “divine intervention”, whatever you prefer. This opens some opportunities for the KNF. Still the resources are strained. The Gauls are most likely aided by the civilian initiative guerrillas who are fighting for their home and at their home. Do not forget the Enclave with their sizeable fleet. Originally, the combined fleet of the Enclave and the Confederacy was larger than Kusari one, and their industrial capabilities that had been for centuries oriented on war and even more so specialised prior to invasion to Sirius allow them to recuperate faster. The KNF, on the other hand, is far away from home, its resources drained. There are no more sizeable fleets back home - all reserves have been sent to war and perhaps are the only reason for limited “success” in Dauphine.

Given these developments, what can be the outcome of the war?

Well, there are three main options: the tactical victory of Kusari, the tactical victory of Gallia, and a stalemate. I will elaborate on each of those before saying what I personally think.

Kusari is unprotected right now and it is a miracle that the Dragons are not using this situation for their benefit. If Kusari fleets are cut off, it would require a single fleet for the Gauls to breach Kusari core worlds. Planetary defense grids will hold, of course, but the cut supply lines will render the planets besieged. If the Dragons, however, decide to help the Gauls - I doubt they will help defeat their own people, still it depends on the scale of help provided - the Gauls with the access to Dragons’ knowledge on secret routes throughout Kusari systems will have the advantage of carrying out rapid unexpected strikes here and there. In absence of the navy, the police would not be able to hold off a Gallic fleet. So, surely, there is a risk of Kusari losing, and losing badly. I am saying a “tactical” defeat because i do not think Gallia will go as far to bring down Kusari on the whole - it would require a lot of resources which they do not have as of now. Still, knowing their determination they can even go this path at expense of their own stability, prosperity, and integrity “to send the message”, but then they will be very vulnerable to, say, warmongers in Libertonian political establishment who might seize the opportunity to strike already bloodied Gallia together with Bretonia. So I will not consider an unconditional capitulation of Kusari as an option.

A tactical defeat of Kusari, however, will not bring anything good as well. Most likely, we will be forced to pay reparations, decrease temporarily the size of our fleet, and give up claims in Taus. A side effect might be inability to protect certain assets against the inner foes - Samura’s colonisation efforts in Tottori and Nagano can become infeasible. Without the protection of the Navy, the dragons will seize Miyazaki and Tomioka for themselves and, lacking the capital, they will not be able to uphold the development of the colonies and the planets will be lost. Our economy will suffer badly in other ways as well: increased taxation to pay off the reparations, restoration of what is left of the fleet, cessation of trade with Gallia and re-orientation of the markets, again. You all remember how the markets suffered after the installation of the republican puppet government, re-orienting trade to Gallia. The financial sector will surely take a hit, too, as the stocks and other derivatives will lose in price. Most importantly, the imperial government bonds will lose its status of “high-trust-low-income” derivatives, losing in price and depleting the savings of the citizens and businesses.

Diplomatically, being loser in war which Kusari started will certainly not give any rights to posing oneself as victims, thus not having diplomatic support in the case. Having antagonised the Crayterians, who are tightly connected to Bretonians and Libertonians, will not earn us brownie points among the political establishments of Liberty and Bretonia, albeit they overall being anti-Gallic. The whole story with starting a war with some tailored excuses, for I cannot call those “casus belli”, without even proper declaration already renders Kusari as an unreliable and unpredictable diplomatic partner.

Tactical victory of Kusari can certainly bring some benefits for the Empire, yet they will be accompanied by a whole range of problems depending on what will be the demands of the victor. Given the poor reasons for beginning the war, the Shogunate can get greedy and instead of the declared “punishment for war criminals” and “destruction of the weapons of mass destruction” demand territorial concessions. Theoretically only Languedoc and Lorraine could be demanded due to proximity to borders. Looking at the theatre of war, Languedoc is beyond re-capturing, but Lorraine has significant KNF presence. The system is connected through Tau-53 (or “Rishiri”, how the government certainly would call the system should they “win” Lorraine) to Kusari coreworlds. These gains will be accompanied, most likely, by the spoils of war in the Taus - Tau 23, Tau 31, and Tau 53, the latter falling under full control of Kusari. Most likely, they will demand a contribution from the Gauls to alleviate the poor economic condition the Empire is in right now, limit the size of the Fleet of Gallia, and some symbolic tribunals over alleged “criminals” combined with staged for the public destruction of Gallic weaponry. Let us consider plan maximum - Kusari gets all of this.

Lorraine will effectively fall under Kusarian occupation. Our forces there will not be guests, and Gauls are known as fierce xenophobes, especially on pro-royalist world of Metz. Do you think they will sit idly and doing nothing? The KNF will be forced to sit entrenched on Metz struggling against the guerrillas. Moreover, the whole story about “not harming civilians” will be trashed as soon as they will be forced to fight against the guerrillas. Now, let us remember the basics of occupation - you need a lot of troops to establish at least some semblance of control. Because of this, many millions of troops will have to be stationed on Metz. They need supplies and support, and this is an economic burden on all of Kusari. Let’s say they can cover the troops stationed there with the contribution Kusari gets from Gallia. Then, a different problem arises - they need to supply the newly acquired world. Metz is integrated in Gallic economy and torn apart from it, the planet will require a lot of supplies and newly established trade routes. Given the disposition of the local populace, it will not be easy. Again, it will be a burden on Kusarian economy. To make the planet profitable it would take decades, and a change in the opinion of the locals. Remembering the one of the reasons of the Gauls to attack Sirius was because of revenge for events happened back in Sol, I do not think they will forget these events that easily. Kishiro and Samura would be willing to fight for the new market which, however, they would find to be used to different technologies and overall unwilling to do business with them. The system will be a burden, rather than a gain, especially in conditions of already weakened on all fronts Kusari economy during this war and all the other wars preceding it.

There are also political and diplomatic ramifications of the loss of Metz and overall the defeat of Gallia to Kusari. Firstly, Gallia is more likely to unite in the face of existential threat. Be it republicans or royalists, seeing one of their worlds taken away by some foreigners will instill fear and anger, which are certainly not worse than traditionally good virtues in prompting political unification.

Secondly, Gallia will likely seek a revanche with the quite expected and natural casus belli of taking what was lost back. If Metz was taken previously, it would deprive Kusari of any ideological defence in rebuking the claims: we have never actually claimed any Gallic territories in the declaration of war, hence their occupation is wrong in all ways. A united Gallia can pose a much worse threat than disorganised Confederacy.

Thirdly, being occupants ourselves, we will not be able to expect help from the other Houses. Even despite Liberty and Bretonia disliking Gallia, they both remember that we similarly to the Gauls were waging war on Bretonia, and were close to assaulting Leeds ourselves and were stopped only by the arrival of the Gallic armada. Should the Gauls attack us to right what has been wronged in their opinion - we would be left alone.

Besides, the tactical victory would be possible only and if only the Gauls actually agree to it. Knowing how fiercely they fought on all fronts during the invasion, I doubt it would be that easy. Besides, they can endure lengthy war being fought in their homes and having a developed industrial military complex oriented at permanent war, while we are already strained to our limits.

So, in short, tactical victory of Kusari would be a pyrrhic victory - the gains will need to be developed for decades, be it in Taus or Gallia, to at least bear visible benefit while the burden will be felt immediately, exposing all the weakness in Kusari to other players on the international arena, simply waiting to exploit Kusari. It is our luck, let all the Rheinlanders hearing this forgive me, that Rheinland is in a state of turmoil and cannot use the situation to their benefit, otherwise their fleets would be somewhere in Sigmas already.

And variant number three - the stalemate. In my opinion, it is the most likely variant of developments. Both sides are tired and exhausted, both sides have their internal problems, albeit Kusari more so. Those puppeteers behind this war will find a way to get the benefit, so it will be typical diplomatic “wheelings and dealings”. I cannot say for sure what will be the matter of discussion on this case but I presume revision of spheres of influence in Taus, exclusive trade rights, some political concessions, etc. The outcome will also depend heavily on who will be the sides to the peace talks and whether there will be any mediators. Still, this is not only the most likely but also the most preferable outcome. It will prevent strong sentiments for any revanche, establish a new status quo that will be a safeguard against new conflicts (although not excluding them completely), and reduce the tensions. Again, that would depend on which terms are offered. If Kusari is more generous in terms and demands less, it is possible to return to at least some semblance of stability in the region. More demanding stance can jeopardize following re-building of peace, prevent trade between the Houses in the future, and prompt the Gauls to even more chauvinistic policy.

Thank you for such a detailed analysis. It was a bit difficult to follow, but I hope that those interested will hear what they are interested in. And lastly, what are your plans as of now? Have you changed your plans regarding mediating peace?

I genuinely hope I do not bore all of the viewers with my rambling. It is a professional deformation *chuckles*. I also hope those interested will find some insights from my deliberations. As for my plans - recent developments proved my peace efforts to be too “juvenile” and idealistic. Not many actors are interested in organising a peace conference and compelling the belligerents to sit at the table. In such conditions I simply try to increase the international and local awareness of the conflict, spread the image of the war as something illogical and not beneficial for either of sides, and that the peace can actually be a solution. I would like in the future to fund a programme that would feature soldiers’ mothers on both sides sharing their hopes and wishes. I do believe that such stories can reach out emotions in each of us, make us understand that beyond the barricades there are people just like us, with own hopes, aspirations, and dreams who certainly are not in the war for the killing but compelled by the very system and those pulling the strings behind the scene. I am also trying to protect our core systems from the criminals and render other support to the keisatsu (//police) to keep the citizens more or less protected. I also continue the research of new worlds for Kusari to tame peacefully. Recently, we have been observing a star system labelled Sigma-63 with potentially habitable worlds. Who knows, maybe we can establish a colony there and with the resources diverted from war to building we can expand Kusari without bloodshed and while gaining knowledge on new frontiers.

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu (//thank you very much), Shimamori-san, for your time and participation. I would continue, but the time frame for the programme is limited and we will be closing. I hope our viewers got some useful insights and that the interviews we have heard today can be the bricks for building bridge between Gallia and Kusari and contribute to finally finding peace.

This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank your watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers

RE: AHN - All Honshu Network - Shimamori - 11-24-2020

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

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.

Troubling news is coming from the Tau Rim. Numerous reports indicate that the Outcasts managed to amass a sizeable fleet to launch an assault on Crayterian positions in Tau-44 system. From the information available, the Outcasts managed to breach into the system without any opposition. The Crayterians mobilised their available assets in the orbit of planet Borneo that is apparently the main target of the invasion, as well as the adjacent infrastructure.

The result of the battle is yet to be seen as the combatants are assuming battle formations and sporadic skirmishes occur all across the Taus between the belligerents and their allies. While far from the borders of Kusari and other Houses, this conflict is of great importance for all the parties in the region. The outcome of this invasion can determine the future of the Tau Rim. The attack itself indicates that the Outcasts are growing bold enough to assume the role of a regional hegemon unless countered by the Houses and other minor regional players. Victory of Malta would establish firmer control of the outcasts over cardamine trade routes in the Taus, bolstering their primary income source and urging them on even bolder moves. Needless to say, such a development wound flood the markets of Kusari and Bretonia, and perhaps even Gallia with Cardamine, and strengthening the positions of Maltese proxies such as Golden Chrysanthemums and Lane Hackers. The victory of the Crayterians, on the other hand, can cost dearly for the Outcasts who would require some time and capital to lick their wounds while the Tuas remain no-man’s land and relatively stable, as well and deprive Maltese proxies of their economic and military support, making them easier targets for the law enforcement.

Damaged Crayterian Sulawesi Citadel - a token of successful beginning of the attack

The Empire of Kusari has played a role in this conflict. Empire’s expansion in the lower Taus that preceded the invasion of Gallia targeted Crayterian installation in Tau-31. Successful capture of Barra Anchorage forced Crayterian ships to withdraw further into home territory and away from Taus, providing Malta with carte-blanche of unchecked movement in the Taus while the KNF were tied in clashes within Gallia. This is yet another negative ramification of the aggressive foreign policy of the Imperial Kusari Government and it is not clear whether the Cabinet accounted for such developments when deliberating on the strategy against Gallia.

It is obvious that the Bretonians cannot afford to assist the Crayterians in this situation due to ravaged by war economy and presence of the Enclave in-between. Kusari is unlikely to step in as the Crayterian Republic is still formally at war with the Empire, and the uchuugun (//space forces) is unlikely to leave its positions in Gallia. The Gauls are witnessing a full-scale invasion to their home and are too preoccupied to even think of this conflict. Only Libertonian expeditionary forces can theoretically alleviate the position of the Crayterians. The lasting cooperation between the Crayter Republic and the Republic of Liberty is a well known fact and some can even call the Crayerinas “Libertonian proxies”. Yet it is impossible to predict whether Liberty wants to assume the role of “international policeman” once again, diverting resources from internal problems which are still manifold after the war. The minor factions such as IMG can certainly help the Crayterians to hold the tide, yet their involvement does not imply automatic victory as in the case of significant support from the Houses.

The situation is still unraveling and many factions are looking attentively at the outcome of this conflict which can determine the future track of Tau Rim. AHN will continue monitoring the available sources and deliver the latest updates to our viewers.

This was Ito Fumihiro for AHN. Thank you for watching and sayounara! This programme was brought you by

You have something to say? Reach us on social networks! For convenience, please use the template below:

Message Template

Feel free to insert these stickers to visualise your reaction!

Stickers