Rheinland Shipping - Printable Version

Walter von Bismarck began his career in Rheinland as, the then, Republican Shipping. He started as a warehouse worker – stocking shelves, inventorying, loading/unloading crates and ships. The constant hustle and bustle of ships flying in and out of docking bays never got old for Walter.
He eventually had enough of working on the ground. He wanted to fly. He trained and became certified in flying freighters. He enjoyed the faster moving transport ships along with the hustle and bustle of traffic and routine police inspections of the ships. He loved it all and often broke individual company records in flight time and shipping tonnage.
Though he still loved his local, freighter routes, his interests started to expand. In the lounge and break rooms he would hear of the adventures of transport pilots. They told stories of drinking Sunbucks in Liberty, eating Kyushu Rice in Kusari, and sipping tea in Bretonia. Walter wanted to still enjoy his time as a pilot but yearned for further adventure.
Seeing great promise in Walter, Republican Shipping helped Walter in obtaining his transport license. He would now be responsible for a massive transport ship along with a crew to help make it run. However, the honeymoon stage of his new adventures came to an abrupt end.
817: War broke out between Liberty and Rheinland. With Liberty and her allies pushing inwards toward Rheinland territory, the fantasized cruises along the stars were a thing of the past. Walter now has to worry about Liberty patrols on top of the usual pirate attempts by the Red Hessians and other criminal factions.
The need for pilots in the Rheinland Military pulled from the work force of Republican Shipping. Walter was one such pilot. With a nice sign on bonus and the guantee of adventure, Walter jumped at the chance of flying transports for the Rheinland military. The sorties were simple at first – munitions here, ship parts there.
Eventually, Walter would experience the front lines of the war itself. With the incentive of combat and hazardous duty pay, Walter agreed to now haul supplies and troops to the war front. He participated in station breach missions that involved maneuvering through enemy fire and explosions to unload the cargo. Walter would watch as the troops that were once mere feet from him in the cargo unit of his transport would be slaughtered by the dozens under enemy fire. He would have no choice but to complete the mission and bring his ship back to the deployment zones to pick up more cargo or troops.
It did not take long for the war to take a toll on Walter. The once vibrant, enthusiastic young man quickly turned into a hardened, stern man. He often talked about mission details instead of trade commodities and stocks. He did not take pleasure in participating in the war. It was not like anything he could have ever imagined.
Through luck and skill, Walter survived the war long enough for the two houses to sign the peace treaty. With the reopening of trade and communication lines, Walter’s service with the Rheinland Military was terminated honorably.
The war almost broke Walter. He remained with Republican Shipping, which eventually became Imperial Shipping. The world around him was irrelevant to the internal battles he fought. If he wasn’t flying, he spent his time drinking.

The war between Kusari and Rheinland, along with the Rheinland civil war, seemed to breeze by Walter without much of a thought. He continued his habits of flying and drinking until eventually, on a snowy night in New Berlin, Walter met Jurgen Schwarz and Heinrich Bauer, all of which have a similar story to Walter. All three fly for RSG, all three are veteran’s of the Rheinland-Liberty war.
The three became fast friends. They first shared their stories while choking back tears and kicking back shots. As the night wore on, their disgruntled frowns became smiles and laughter as they celebreated life and friendship. They exchanged their personal information so that they may remain in contact. People like these come by seldom in a man’s life.
After a year of friendship, the three decided it was time to launch their own transport business! Through personal partners that they have met along the way, the newly named “Rheinland Shipping” has financial support enough to field a small fleet of transport ships. The work of these ships will determine the future of the newly formed Rheinland Shipping.