To: Bristol | From: DSE

[Barrier]

「o」Neural Net uplink established...
「o」Decrypting message contents...
「o」Displaying message contents...

---

George E. Rolf, CEO
LOCATION: Red Rock Refinery, Colorado
SUBJECT: Galileo Mining Rights

Howdy there folks.

My name's George Rolf, and I currently represent DSE's interests in Liberty as its CEO. I believe the time has come for us to work out an agreement regardin' the Platinum deposits in Galileo. While we have been content to let "bygones be bygones", as they say on the lower deck, recent events have made this impossible to continue.

As you may be aware, I am beholden to a large number of shareholders for this here company. Recently, there has been growin' concern about the changes to the incentive structures in place at your depot for the acquisition of Platinum ore. With the newly developed methods of extraction of material of a substantially higher grade, I can understand the need to meet the increased demand. We have done the same on our Red Rock Refinery out in Colorado. However, your current pricin' exceeds even the most reasonable market analysis, which has resulted in accusations of undercuttin'. This is your chance to put the matter straight, folks. Either explain what it is about the yields that make worthwhile to overstock your supply, or reduce your incentives to a more reasonable level. I am attaching the current publicly available numbers for your consideration. I believe I have no need to explain the relative distances from the fields to our respective stations.

Another problem with the operation of your depot is different in nature. As far as I have been able to discover, Bristol Constructions does not possess the necessary expertise and proprietary formulae for the refinin' of the final product. There are no entries of note in the patent office, and I have not encountered technical analyses written by your people in any journals I know of. This means that all Platinum passin' through Liberty is assumed to have been refined by our folks at Red Rock and Hinsdale. We have at first been glad to get the reputation of consistent supply schedules, no matter that we've tried to tell folks of the limits currently in place. However, this situation changed soon after critical flaws were discovered in Platinum shipments used for industrial projects abroad.
As we have no way of knowin' the source of such material, I have instituted a close observation of our refinin' process, as substantial increase in labor costs, which have been split between ourselves and the consumer. While some impurities always remain, my people have been able to conclude that these are exceedingly unlikely to lead to the production failures observed by our tradin' partners.

I am forced to conclude that you folks do not have a robust refinin' process in place, and that you're able to keep your costs low by exportin' flawed platinum as the final product. Through some method that needs not be mentioned here, such manifests are obfuscated to appear to originate from our refineries. This cannot be allowed to continue. There are a number of solutions to this here conundrum, but allow me to suggest one from the get go. If you process your refined ore through our existin' pipeline (on your depot or our base), it will receive our stamp of quality. You'll naturally have to cover the operatin' costs, but I'm sure you folks can afford that just fine.

There are additional issues to discuss at a later date, but I will await your response to the currently outstandin' concerns I have raised here. I urge you to strongly consider what I have outlined, so that we may come to an agreement that will satisfy my shareholders, and the owners of your organization.

Rolf out.

ATTACHMENTS:

Arcetri public info node

Red Rock public info node

First, farthest, fearless.

---

「o」Message ends...

[Jaina Wheeler]

Incoming Transmission

---

.
User ID: Jaina Wheeler
Recipients: George E. Rolf; The Arcetri Company; Foreman Ltd; Erie Mining Corps; Amarok Security
Subject: Galileo Mining Rights
.

---

Good day Mister Rolf,

it is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the new board at DSE. I am Jaina Wheeler representing the board at Bristol and acting in the interest of The Arcetri Company today. With inquiries to the mining field permissions all reporting a negative to exclusive rights to inter Sirius bodies, The Arcetri Company is paying various miners a fair exchange price for platinum ore. This is entirely legal and the prices were voted on by the employees of The Arcetri Company at the beginning of the quarter. I am told the vote passed unanimously and the changes were authorised and distributed by Bristol Logistics. While we will not reveal our overhead costs in detail I can reveal that the generated profits stay majorly within the company. As such we can guarantee stability of pricing without needing to cover dividends or share buybacks.

Our refinery systems are among the newest of one of our Bristol group members. The libertonian company Foreman Ltd. is our main supplier for all mining and refining with teams of Erie Mining Corps supporting in best practice. We've not been contacted by any regulating body nor have our customers among the houses required any such licensing. Bristol has an excellent reputation for quality and reliability. Foreman has opted to not submit any new developments to be patented. Their assets are instead protected conventionally by Bristol's Amarok Security.

As DSE is not a regulatory agency, we do not see the need for DSE's services in this regard at the current time. We'd of course love to come back to you should this change.

Thank you and good bye!

---

Transmission Ends

---

[Barrier]

「o」Neural Net uplink established...
「o」Decrypting message contents...
「o」Displaying message contents...

---

George E. Rolf, CEO
LOCATION: Red Rock Refinery, Colorado
SUBJECT: Galileo Mining Rights

Well Mz Wheeler, good to see someone steppin' up to take the heat as it were. I can see where you're goin' with this, and I'll unfortunately have to disappoint you in the particulars. But before I lay it all out for ya, know that we at DSE are always willin' to come to a compromise.

I've pulled some folks from various areas at DSE to steer me straight in this issue. From what they've told me, there are a number of issues with those there claims you're makin'.
First, and the most egregious, is that the companies you mention have little legal bearin' within the greater legal landscape. At DSE, we recognize ONE additional claim to them Platinum fields, the one made by Kishiro and Samura on behalf of the Empire of Kusari. Now, the nature of that claim currently means those folks are minin' there illegally, but that's neither here nor there. Unless you mean to tell me that you're cooperatin' with either of them Keiretsu, your operations are limited by the "Independent" clause of the charter. We have no issue with folks like you makin' use of the fields, as long as certain requirements are met.

Second, you say that you were not contacted by any regulatin' body. You may consider my communication here to be that contact, eh? And the less said about your House customers, the better, I'm thinkin'. I wouldn't wanna dig into your affairs, but the fact remains that we have received complaints about quality, as is our prerogative in the business. Just because you haven't heard from these folks doesn't mean they don't have real issues that must be dealt with. But they know not to come to you folks because they know what they're payin' for, eh?

Third, and I dearly hope that this is just some kinda misunderstandin'... I've received complaints of threatenin' language from Bristol crews regardin' our minin' ops. In one specific case, a hegemon-class miner and its accompanyin' hauler were forced to relinquish all gather ore specimen and ground themselves at a nearby Zoner installation. Now Lady, I don't know what you're playin' at, but DSE won't suffer this crap. If it was all some kinda misunderstandin', well and good. We'll both make sure it doesn't happen again eh? But if this is part of your so called Board policy, you fellas got another thing coming. So let's keep our disagreements to the conference room and the comm relay, before the shareholders really get pissed off.

Now like I said, I don't wanna be unreasonable. A recent shareholder vote would solve a number of our problems here. All we need to do is come to an agreement concernin' price controls. Based on the latest round, the followin' figures have been proposed regardin' pricing at your Artcetri Station:

• Platinum Ore: purchased for $120-$140 per unit.
  
• refined Platinum: sold for at least $121 per unit.
  

The way I see it, the former takes care of the current market rate for ore, and the latter ensures enough profit margin for adequate regulation. Whether you choose to use us or other folks is all the same to me, but we need assurances that you're using someone here. But if you're unhappy with them prices, I'm eager to hear your counter-proposal. Like I said, I'm willin' to come to a compromise here.

And in the meantime, tell your folks to behave themselves out in the field, or all of this won't mean shit when we shut you down.


Rolf out.

First, farthest, fearless.

---

「o」Message ends...

[Shulsky]

Incoming Transmission

---

.
User ID: Blake, Esme, CO -BCV-Saggiatore (IND-BRI00033-K834)
Recipient: Rolf, George; The Arcetri Company
Subject: Galileo Mining Rights
.

---

Good afternoon Mr Rolf,

Due to current administrative difficulties I’ve been authorized on behalf on Bristol’s Board to speak on this matter. My name is Esme Blake, Board Member of Shackleton Operations Group, subsidiary to Bristol Constructions & Manufacturing. Your message was quite interesting, Mr Rolf, and we at Shackleton find the whole of the situation less than satisfactory to say the least. I will respond to each of your allegations in kind, I think.

Firstly, the companies which Ms Wheeler mentioned, those being Arcetri, Foreman, Erie Mining, and Amarok Security make no claims on Galileo Platinum mining whatsoever; these companies are merely in support of current independent mining efforts undertaken by part-time contractors with Bristol and, as such, fall outside the legal framework of company recognition for mining rights within the Galileo system. These companies were listed in specific demonstration that Bristol efforts are a multilateral endeavor between many different companies. Furthermore, DSE claim recognition in the matter of Platinum mining within the Galileo system is not the concern of Bristol as a whole.

Secondly, Bristol Constructions & Manufacturing does not recognize Deep Space Engineering as a regulatory authority in regards to Platinum quality. DSE’s failure to provide examples of such complainants which may be assessed by Bristol or a suitably independent third party, such as a Gallian corporation which bears no stake in the situation of Platinum mining in Galileo, and the fact that these complaints have been received by DSE instead of a suitable regulatory agency within the Liberty Government, means that Bristol cannot act in good faith on the basis of those complaints.

Thirdly, in the matter of your allegation that Bristol vessels have forced DSE vessels to land, Bristol subsidiaries and part-time contractors operate along their own mandated protocols and methods for operations in Galileo. Actions undertaken by Bristol subsidiaries and part-time contractors are not directly ordered by the overall Bristol Board. In addition to this, as Bristol notes no encounters of this type within Galileo, I would like to highlight the possibility that third party elements, such as Liberty Rogues, may be utilizing counterfeit IFF codes to pose as Bristol vessels. I would suggest that, should DSE continue to experience these events, they should contact Liberty Navy at once. We have noted similar patrols by the Kusari Navy in the region.

Lastly, in regards to your proposed price controls, Bristol Constructions & Manufacturing refuses any and all proposed price controls. I’m personally surprised that the analysts DSE has hired have failed to see the proprietary methodologies Arcetri has employed in Platinum refinement. I’m sure we might be able to offer some replacements for more insightful personnel, but doubt that DSE would recognize their credentials. That stated, such price controls would generously cut down on our profits and disincentivize independent contractors in their choice of harbor, something Bristol cannot and will not stand.

I would urge you - and DSE as a whole - to know where you stand.

V/R
BLAKE, ESME

---

Transmission Ends

---

Operation Have Sea

[Barrier]

「o」Neural Net uplink established...
「o」Decrypting message contents...
「o」Displaying message contents...

---

Jess Geller, Owner & Commodore; Philadelphia Office
LOCATION: Red Rock Refinery, Colorado
SUBJECT: Galileo security

Well howdy there Mz Blake, and all you other fine folks at Arcetri. My name's Geller, and it seems that Corporate has decided to assign me fully to this issue. That the Philly office is involved to this extent should give you an idea of the shitstorm your announcements have caused for the shareholders, but be that as it may.

To start with the most pertinent, YOU folks are responsible for the actions of your sub-contractors. I don't even want to hear of a scrape caused by their negligence or liberal interpretation of the GPE Regs. From now on, anyone already on out shit-list through these encounters seen operatin' near your station will reflect poorly on your organization. Acquire enough demerit points, and I'll personally register a claim of Arcetri housing and equipping pirates. What happens afterwards is out of my hands, but I'll be sure to be on scene when the navy comes kickin', eh?

Now, you say you've knowledge of vessels using false IFFs to paint you in a bad light. That is a serious allegation that may lead to needless escalation of an already unstable region. To play it safe, I'll be involvin' the LSF in our own investigation into the matter, and I strongly suggest you share all your findin's with them. I'll drop you a node for submittin' evidence, and I expect to see some data soon after that. Otherwise, I'll know you're bullshittin' me, and the LSF has very little patience for bs.

Now all that other shit is for the suits to figure out. I'm sure everyone is tryin' to squeeze each other dry, as usual. The only thing I'm here to do is to make sure that you're on the level, and that DSE vessels have nothing to fear from Galileo besides the dark matter. I hope we understand each other on this real good, so don't be hesitatin' to clarify anything over this node.

And hey, if things start lookin' up again, maybe the Boss will come back with a better offer for you folks after the shareholders get their greedy heads out of their asses.

Geller out.

First, farthest, fearless.

---

「o」Message ends...