I am Lea Kaufman, an unaffiliated freelancer taking contracts here and there to make a living. The reason I am reaching out to you is that I need some guidance, and according to a pilot with the following callsign: [KNF]Sk.Miyuki.Ishii, you are the one able to assist me with this matter.
My concern is the vessel I am piloting: a GM08 "Odin Mk. I" Rheinland Black Market Very Heavy Fighter. According to Section 4 of the Kusari Empire laws, I am not permitted to fly such a vessel freely. I then looked into requesting a license, but it seems the available licenses apply only to specific ships, cargo restrictions, jump drive operations, cloaking devices, and base licenses.
Transmission received
Code recognised as NT-Sh-Hnn-X93-Ext-/
Decrypting.... Recipient:Lea Kaufman Sender:Naval Operation Headquarters Date:08.03.835 A.S. Subject:License inquiry Priority:Medium
Miss Kaufman.
You have made the right choice to follow Santo Kaisa Miyuki's advice.
The Empire of Kusari does not maintain a license databank for vessels of origins deemed inacceptable for good reasons. We share the conviction that these vessels, regardless of who is utilizing them, represent an affiliation or business relation to the criminal organizations producing these ships.
Should you be unwilling to part with your peculiar vessel, there are but two options for you:
Accept the legal implications and consequences of your vessel and refrain from entering the sovereign space of Kusari.
Attempt to acquire an extraordinary license.
Considering the fact that you have contacted us, we shall elaborate the steps required to obtain such a license.
The NOH will require your criminal records. Based on the assumption that you are a Rheinland citizen, a record issued by Rheinlands authorities will suffice.
You will require a Keiretsu or equally trustworthy benefactor vouching for your status as unaffiliated to any criminal groups.
You understand that every law violations may lead to the withdrawal of any future issued license.
In service of Kusari, Shido Kijima
Naval Operations Headquarters
I am not sure if I have any criminal record in Rheinland. However, I can share my résumé and provide details about what I have done so far. It may not be exactly what you requested, but hopefully, it will give you a clearer idea of who I am. You will find it in the attachments.
For transparency, I will remain onboard of Kanagawa Shipping Platform and won't depart from there until all is sorted.
Transmission received
Code recognised as NT-Sh-Hnn-X93-Ext-/
Decrypting.... Recipient:Lea Kaufman Sender:Naval Operation Headquarters Date:08.03.835 A.S. Subject:License inquiry Priority:Medium
Miss Kaufman.
We appreciate your honesty and willingness to showcase such transparency. The contents of your attachment are sufficient to negate further needs for a criminal record datasheet. However, your act of transparency raised one further question.
How was your vessel acquired in the first place?
In regards to the benefactor - keeping your current location in mind, we advice you to approach local Ionic Incorporated employees to inquiry whether their company would be ready to vouch for you or not.
In service of Kusari, Shido Kijima
Naval Operations Headquarters
It is good news. I also did not expect to tell the story of the ship, but I will gladly share what I know.
I got this ship as soon as I obtained my flight license. The ship itself is a trophy that my father earned after defeating a Hessian pilot. He invested most of his salary to restore it piece by piece. My father, Bjorn Kaufman, used to serve in the Military with a decent rank, if my memory serves me well. He obviously did this in secrecy, but once he gave it to me, I completed all the necessary procedures to use it legally. This ship is also the last keepsake I have from him. It's not that I want to be sentimental, but this ship holds great value for me, especially with the modifications that have been made.
I know this is not the kind of story you were expecting, but it is the truth. I have never taken any action against law enforcement from any House while piloting it.
On another topic, I just contacted Ionic Incorporate as you adviced. I am waiting for their answers, but you will likely be the first notified. If not, I will give you an update as soon as possible.
Transmission received
Code recognised as NT-Sh-Hnn-X93-Ext-/
Decrypting.... Recipient:Lea Kaufman Sender:Naval Operation Headquarters Date:11.03.835 A.S. Subject:License inquiry Priority:Medium
Miss Kaufman.
We thank you for your clarifications regarding the vessels origin.
Considering your lack of a swift response, we assume that Ionic Incorporated is either unusually slow or chose to ignore your request.
I went out of my way to discuss this matter with a few people and the NOH may consider alternative benefactors to the Keiretsu. Seeing as you currently reside on the modular installation of a potentially suitable candidate, why not reach out to them too? I would understand if they were to hesitate, though considering you are permitted a prolonged stay on Kanagawa, they seem to tolerate and might even consider employing you, am I correct?
In service of Kusari, Shido Kijima
Naval Operations Headquarters
Ionic Incorporate seems to be taking forever to respond, and my guess is that they have more important matters to deal with at the moment. As for the owners of Kanagawa, Caledonia Distribution has officially allowed me to stay for as long as it takes to obtain a license. In other words, they have openly told me that I am free to work with them as often as I want, even if it is not yet formalized on paper. Before contacting you, I had already escorted one of their transport vessels. The vessel in question was CDL\GSV-Drakensberg, and the captain of the ship is Elize Terblanche. You can contact her if you need more information.
One thing is certain, though—if I remain on their station, their transports will likely have no escort unless they have other escort pilots within the company. This could be problematic if a Corsair raid were to occur in Honshu and their transports became the target. Moreover, I would be unable to provide protection since, legally speaking, I cannot operate the Odin MK I without a license. In other words, not only would I be unable to protect their ships, but I also wouldn't be able to fulfill my role as an escort pilot.
Transmission received
Code recognised as NT-Sh-Hnn-X93-Ext-/
Decrypting.... Recipient:Lea Kaufman Sender:Naval Operation Headquarters Date:12.03.835 A.S. Subject:License inquiry Priority:Medium
Miss Kaufman.
Reaching out to higher-ups within the NOH equals approaching parts of the Admiralty on a matter they would prefer not to bother with by default.
I have done you a favour far beyond my responsibilities and duties, so I will not reach out to Miss Terblanche.
Simply provide us with a formal agreement between you and her involving your employment as regular escort unit for their company. She is listed as official representative of Caledonia Distributions on account of Kanagawa's registration process already, so it may suffice in terms of the required trustworthiness of the guarantors.
In service of Kusari, Shido Kijima
Naval Operations Headquarters
Once again, I apology for the long silence, but Caledonia Distribution was highly busy and I finally received what you requested. It will be in the attachements and hopefully, it will satisfy your request.