The Rise of Resistance

[Daumann Heavy Construction]

Daumann Board of Directors Meeting Room. Gathered executives await your situation report. Your eyes examine every face around the table, and you begin your speech:

- In the last weeks, Bundschuh activity increased significantly. Trend of their capabilities increasing was monitored for months, but in the last few weeks we experience more their activity than ever. Often patrol flights, more equipment in their hands, more pilots, more potent hardware mounted on their ships.

Security commander Von Geld interrupts you and confirms:

- indeed, so far relatively quiet Frankfurt and Munich departments have been experiencing more troubles with our student terrorists.

Mittermeier is looking questioningly at you.

- Since the fall of Leipzig we intended to direct part of its production to Nuremberg and Holstein. Hessians are building up in Dresden and while the war with Liberty continues, Military won't be committing any significant forces to the south. We must rely on leftover Military units, our own forces, corrupted Police with obsolete ships and Bounty Hunters there.

- Herr Direktor.
- Yes Edward?
- Altenburg was crippled in hessian attacks, they can secure gate area at best. We can try contain main hessian forces in Dresden, we can't actively fight them.
- That's why I don't want -any- trouble in what's our rear, in Frankfurt and Munich. Leipzig production relocated there needs to start increasing soon.
- It would be easier if we evacuated Leipzig machinery in time
- We drowned enough funds in Dresden over centuries, and it should've been profitable until the last moment of station being operational.
- Yes, but now hessians have largely intact Leipzig available.
- It's inexcusable error demolition teams failed to destroy the station when the boarding commenced, and you are responsible for it, Von-Geld.
- I was acting on Board's orders to secure the station with minimal Military support in hessian nest and don't evacuate it until what in fact was too late. An impossible to execute task. If tightening hessian blockade wasn't enough, in the end their jamming managed even to break communication with the station.
- And now it's your task to destroy it.

You cough, but not too loudly, afraid of your position in the company. Mittermeier and Von-Geld look at you and end their offtopic discussion.

Turning the projector on, you point out most important supply lines and inform the executives they should be reinforced in light of Bundschuh's recent activity increase, if Holstein and Nuremberg are to avoid any setbacks in production. Board members nod and you continue referring the actual situation...

---

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[LunaticOnTheGrass]

Knock knock.

“Oberst Klugmann, you’re - You’re needed urgently at Hangar Two. The transport’s arrived.”

It took half a minute before he shook himself awake, nearly crushing the fragile vial in his hand by reflex. He blinked blearily, holding it up to inspect the contents; fine orange dust.

An absolute last resort. Seeing off the transport’s contents would keep him awake at least a little longer.


“...Thirty-four. They’re all accounted for, Oberst Klugmann.” The young, pretty secretary assigned to Oberst Erich Klugmann for the duration of his stay on Eltmann Outpost tapped several icons upon her datapad, diligently taking notes and “inventory” for the Arsenal; watching as the last few passengers began to board the mooring port.

Erich scarcely heard her; his attentions were focused on their faces.

Dirty, tired refugees fresh from Nuremberg were en-route for a better life now, wherever the Captain took them. It wouldn’t have been difficult to find one better than what every resident of Eltmann had, he reasoned. His gaze locked with a child holding the hand of her father; prominently visible at the Hangar’s control bridge, he offered a gentle wave from the other end of the glass in response to the girl’s own unsure farewell.

“...Sir?” He finally looked away as the mooring port closed, hissing shut with gouts of steam and air-pressure shifts.

“Request double the escort for the Arsenal’s run to the Freeport.” The secretary found herself staring at the Oberst’s intense glare, the abruptness and oddity of the statement catching her off guard. “But - Sir, Eltmann is already stretched -”

“That is an order.” The words exuded in a tired snarl, as the wholly professional secretary looked back down at her datapad to transfer the request to Eltmann’s Administrator; whether such an outrageous demand would be accepted was another matter entirely.

Meanwhile Erich was already at work on a datapad of his own, reaching up occasionally to rub his weary eyes. “Tell Bergsteiger Squadron to continue their reconnaissance of the system. I’m going to have the Widerstandsarmee ready the moment they find something.”

“...Yes, Oberst.” The Secretary nodded meekly, taking several steps backwards before turning and leaving the troubled man at the Bridge, alone.

[Pavel]

- And that's how we'll proceed in that region of space for now.
- Thank you. Are there more questions?

Silence answered Von-Geld.

- If the Board wishes to send Security Division suggestions later, my secretary will deal with requests and deliver final versions to my desk.

Directors nodded and started gathering their documents from the table.


Assistant approached Von-Geld and Mittermeier, whispering something to the latter's ear.

- When?
- Thirty minutes ago.
- Edward, deal with it. Situation on Holstein, some platform rebelled.
- Unproductive workers, standard...
- Sir, it's already on the news...The press was faster this time. - the assistant said.
- Damn it. We need to rework Holstein's laws to stop journalists other than our own.
- We've been thinking on that for a long time.
- Have something prepared and send me for consultations. I want to know.
- Of course.


Half-emptied meeting room was being left by more and more executives, while news of the latest strike which turned violent reached Klugmann...

[LunaticOnTheGrass]

" - Now return to you live at the Company Planet Holstein where terrorists have contested Stormarn Platform. Elsa, what do you see from there?"

A Daumann-owned atmospheric gunship circled the platform overhead, grainy camera footage showing a scene of the burning oceanic platform. A young woman speaks.

"Hans, it looks like the rebels are currently tending to their wounded after the last assault by Holstein Planetary Security. If you look closer you can see fire control crews attempting to put out the flames with chemicals and seawater. Combat Medics are -"

The woman was interrupted by the host's voice. "Have the terrorists caused civilian or military casualties?" Shouts from other crewmembers of the gunship could be as the camera notably panned to about the range of a concussive minigun.

She had to speak more loudly as the indistinct commotion raged on in the vehicle. "We aren't sure, Hans. The rebels fought back landing patrol boats - Daumann ships - with a number of light arms. Rebel casualties are high, but after the automatic fire from -"

Again, she was interrupted by an audibly irritated network anchor. "Do these terrorists have links to the Red Hessian organization? The Unioners?" The reporter shook her head, about to reply; suddenly, red alarms blared from the gunship's interior.

Shouts of "Missile Lock" could be heard as the grainy camera panned to a smoke trail exuding from the nearby platform. Any further noise was deafened, drowned out by the grinding sounds of the starboard minigun aiming in the platform's general direction.

A concussive shake of the camera could be seen, then a drifting of the ship towards the platform, and then static.

"Seems like, erm... Technical difficulties." The host quickly recovered the awkwardness, launching into what must have been routine. "This hour is brought to you by Daumann Heavy Construction Security! Sign up for Daumann security, and take the fight to terrorists who want to bring ruin to you and your Fatherland!"

Erich squinted at the now-blank screen for a few silent seconds as a close confidante ceased the recording. "This occurred approximately two hours ago, Oberst Klugmann. From what I was able to glean from the guerrillas, they fired a surface-to-air missile supplied from Liberty's own Detroit Munitions, and smuggled planetside at some point by another sect. The fact that they were able to repel any interfering security with a priority towards nonlethal neutralization suggests that their anger against the Federal Republic has been boiling for a long time, and that they're more disciplined than mere rabble."

"But you saw this already." She added after a moment. "I believe most of Rheinland did."

He reached up to touch his bare chin. "Rotate any willing sect's snubcraft out in the direction of Holstein's docking ring. When orbit causes it to reach the dark side of the planet, that'll make it easier to reinforce. More desperate attempts at censorship like that, and it's possible another platform or two will join them. From there..."

Mhairi Rathburn interrupted him. "Erich, you're not suggesting we attempt to blockade Holstein, are you? We aren't even close to matching the manpower of Corporate Security head-on."

Klugmann shrugged enigmatically. "I could be suggesting it, but an operation like this one will demand improvisation. We know it won't simply be Daumann paying a visit; the moment the government hears we've launched any action, they'll focus the entire state's security and media on Frankfurt. That'd of course be an opportune time to lure them all into the Westerwald, media included."

Steepled fingers and a furrowed brow signified furtive thought under pressure.

"Where was I... Right. If any other Platforms and their inhabitants defect, we need to hide them from the Hessians and especially the Unioners. The more technicians and personnel willing to join us... It'll be an immense boon for us."


Mhairi took down shorthand notes upon a datapad, looking up at him again. "Do you think that this will work, sir?"

Erich silently shook his head, provoking a questioning pause. "Then why -"

"Because 'success' for us here is an absolute minimum of casualties. The Battle of Schatten literally broke our backs and destroyed the Party. But two decades later, here we are, at our strongest ebb. If we can ferry the necessities of survival for these Platforms to withstand a protracted siege... And if we can hold off Orbital Capital Bombardments and Troop Transports..."

The churning mind of Erich Klugmann broke out of its verbal musing, the tone of a man with a dream. "This could be the spark."