From: Kurt Weinbaum Source: HRZ~Jagdzeit To: All Black Hearts Subject: Angry Farmers
Alright, then.
Something interesting happened a few days ago. We were beaten to our mark - an EFL merchant ship - by another pirate. Said pirate was affiliated with the LWB movement, now part of the larger Farmers' Alliance.
The merchant was real obtuse - I don't know if they just build them dense over in Gallia or what, but he just couldn't be convinced to turn around and go back the way he came - or pay an escort fee to be carted over to Zurich. On the bright side, we seized his entire cargo of gin when we scrapped his rusty tub. We signaled our pickup crew and had a nice chat with the Farmer while waiting.
[12.02.2023 14:20:20] Death: EFL-Edgar_Atoi was put out of action by Abenddammerung (Missile/Torpedo).
[12.02.2023 14:20:43] Abenddammerung: Cheap produce.
[12.02.2023 14:20:46] Abenddammerung: It's worthless.
[12.02.2023 14:20:47] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Nice moves. You in LWB?
[12.02.2023 14:20:51] Abenddammerung: Ja.
[12.02.2023 14:20:54] HRZ~Vagabond: Shame I ain't got space for more. We'd have a good night on Ithaca with that.
[12.02.2023 14:21:21] Abenddammerung: Part of the Alliance's movement. Today I grabbed my sickle because I was tired of these foreigners bumping my prices.
[12.02.2023 14:21:36] Abenddammerung: Our crops are dying, and they're choosing to buy outside produce instead of ours.
[12.02.2023 14:21:47] HRZ~Vagabond: Hah. Don't blame you. Everyone's here to pick off Rheinland's carcass.
[12.02.2023 14:22:02] Abenddammerung: Rheinland died the moment they chose to bicker in a civil war.
[12.02.2023 14:22:15] HRZ~Jagdzeit: True enough.
[12.02.2023 14:22:20] Abenddammerung: But I need to make a living, still. If we farmers don't work on our produce, you're all dead.
[12.02.2023 14:22:35] Abenddammerung: "Synth" foods aren't comparable to real, sun-raised products.
[12.02.2023 14:22:55] Abenddammerung: And frankly you don't want to eat out of a toothpaste tube for your whole life.
[12.02.2023 14:23:00] HRZ~Jagdzeit: You got that right.
[12.02.2023 14:23:02] HRZ~Vagabond: So why you out here instead of doin' that farmin' eh? Or you got a tendency for a different kind of farmin'? Heh.
[12.02.2023 14:23:36] Abenddammerung: Because of these outsiders, barging in and making my customers buy their cheap, dirty products instead of the real ones.
[12.02.2023 14:24:06] HRZ~Vagabond: Ain't no one got a taster for the finer things no more.
[12.02.2023 14:24:10] Abenddammerung: So instead of arguing at the markets, I'm now out here bursting skulls open like tomatoes because they're too blinded by greed.
[12.02.2023 14:24:25] Abenddammerung: Or, well.
[12.02.2023 14:24:28] HRZ~Vagabond: Hows that goin' for you? Workin' ?
[12.02.2023 14:24:30] Abenddammerung: Low prices I guess.
[12.02.2023 14:24:44] HRZ~Jagdzeit: I can see you have passion for what you do.
[12.02.2023 14:25:01] Abenddammerung: It's going. All I want is for people to buy the real stuff we make, period.
[12.02.2023 14:25:06] Abenddammerung: We're at the foundation of society.
[12.02.2023 14:25:09] Abenddammerung: Always have been.
[12.02.2023 14:25:37] Abenddammerung: Everything comes from nature in one way or another but they have to force us to lower our prices because they make their lab-
[12.02.2023 14:25:49] Abenddammerung: -grown products even cheaper.
[12.02.2023 14:26:01] Abenddammerung: So, of course. Your average customer will buy cheapo paste from the market.
[12.02.2023 14:26:20] HRZ~Jagdzeit: It's good to remind the people on top who built them up and who can tear them down. That's why we're all here, I think.
[12.02.2023 14:26:49] HRZ~Vagabond: Got me thinkin' bout my stomach now. Thinkin' we bring her in to berth soon eh?
[12.02.2023 14:27:20] Abenddammerung: Great to hear. If I keep at it, by bursting down these imported products, Rheinland will have to cut ties with the other corpo-
[12.02.2023 14:27:24] Abenddammerung: corpos eventually.
[12.02.2023 14:27:42] Abenddammerung: Our guys in Kusari probably feel the same.
[12.02.2023 14:27:54] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Well, it would be a shame to let all this gin scatter in space... Even if it is an import.
[12.02.2023 14:28:18] HRZ~Vagabond: We wouldn't be takin' it into Rheinland anyway... jus' drink it.
[12.02.2023 14:28:45] Abenddammerung: That's an awful lot of Gin. It's better to just break the ones you can't carry.
[12.02.2023 14:29:03] HRZ~Vagabond: Thinkin' we call a ship out 'ere. Bring it back with us.
[12.02.2023 14:29:29] Abenddammerung: So long as there's nothing left. I'd hate it if some shrewd passerby would think about hauling it to Rheinland.
[12.02.2023 14:29:39] Abenddammerung: Besides, it would fetch a horrible price.
[12.02.2023 14:30:01] HRZ~Vagabond: It's our claim now, unless ye want to stake yours? Ain't no one takin' this here loot.
[12.02.2023 14:30:29] Abenddammerung: Danke, but I'm not interested. What matters is that this ends on the news.
[12.02.2023 14:30:48] Abenddammerung: If not over this transport, then I'll keep on stopping them until it happens.
[12.02.2023 14:30:55] HRZ~Jagdzeit: I'm thinking it would be a shame for your efforts to go unrewarded. [12.02.2023 14:31:12] [2023-02-12] 14:31:12 You have sent 5.000.000 credits to Abenddammerung.
[12.02.2023 14:31:19] HRZ~Jagdzeit: So keep on fighting the good fight, yeah?
[12.02.2023 14:31:26] Abenddammerung: Danke schon. I'll make sure to do that, yes.
[12.02.2023 14:31:45] Abenddammerung: So long as those Hessian freaks don't get in the way.
[12.02.2023 14:32:00] HRZ~Vagabond: Everyone's gettin' in each other's way out 'ere.
[12.02.2023 14:32:18] Abenddammerung: Especially the Hessians, friend. If they find you, you're dead.
[12.02.2023 14:32:34] Abenddammerung: Doesn't matter what your flag is. They're no better than the Corsairs.
[12.02.2023 14:32:47] Abenddammerung: No, even the Corsairs have some respect for their allies.
[12.02.2023 14:33:29] Abenddammerung: They will find the simplest excuse to blow you up. For their revolutions, or whatever.
[12.02.2023 14:33:56] HRZ~Jagdzeit: That's odd.
[12.02.2023 14:33:58] Abenddammerung: They just have these... lofty dreams while we're working our rears off, hands covered in soil and soot.
[12.02.2023 14:34:27] HRZ~Jagdzeit: What do the Hessians say about their goals?
[12.02.2023 14:35:03] Abenddammerung: Their goals are about the Volksrevolution, which in other words means the complete eradication of the Rheinland Military.
[12.02.2023 14:35:20] Abenddammerung: Like that's ever going to happen. The imperial dogs are practically endless.
[12.02.2023 14:35:42] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Sounds good to me. That particular institution could use a shakeup.
[12.02.2023 14:35:42] Abenddammerung: By the way, keep an eye on them, too. They don't take too kindly to murder.
[12.02.2023 14:36:11] HRZ~Vagabond: Rather ironic ain't it?
[12.02.2023 14:36:20] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Weren't you on the same side before the civil war?
[12.02.2023 14:36:54] Abenddammerung: I was too busy trying not to starve during the civil war. They came to my farmstead to aid the local markets.
[12.02.2023 14:37:00] Abenddammerung: Which was incredibly hilarious.
[12.02.2023 14:37:23] Abenddammerung: First they pay Synth Foods to supply them, then when they're having trouble reaching Rheinland they come to me.
[12.02.2023 14:38:06] Abenddammerung: I just laughed at the officers. My farm's soil was too arid at that time in particular.
[12.02.2023 14:38:25] HRZ~Jagdzeit: I take it they weren't happy?
[12.02.2023 14:38:51] Abenddammerung: They just turned back - not much they could have done about it.
[12.02.2023 14:39:28] Abenddammerung: I don't know, friends. Sometimes I envy Synth Foods for how easy they have it.
[12.02.2023 14:39:42] Abenddammerung: Turn up some bizarre mechanism, and make toothpaste food for half of Sirius.
[12.02.2023 14:39:51] Abenddammerung: But that's not how we evolved.
[12.02.2023 14:40:19] Abenddammerung: We didn't eat through a straw, we ate with our hands and forks and knives. It's just an insult.
[12.02.2023 14:40:31] Abenddammerung: To- to normalcy.
[12.02.2023 14:40:36] Abenddammerung: Common human decency.
[12.02.2023 14:40:54] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Is anything about our current situation normal anymore?
[12.02.2023 14:40:58] HRZ~Vagabond: At this rate, we're all destined to be suckin' somethin' through a tube, locked in a metal box, driftin' through space.
[12.02.2023 14:41:13] HRZ~Jagdzeit: We are lightyears away from the world we evolved on.
[12.02.2023 14:41:16] Abenddammerung: That's why we don't want to let that happen.
[12.02.2023 14:41:22] Abenddammerung: We can't regress like that.
[12.02.2023 14:41:22] HRZ~Jagdzeit: I wonder how it's doing.
[12.02.2023 14:41:45] HRZ~Vagabond: Feel like I'm headed that way already, Farmer. If you thinkin' you're fightin' that good fight, keep fightin' eh?
[12.02.2023 14:42:00] Abenddammerung: I will not stop until Rheinland finally comes back to us.
[12.02.2023 14:42:14] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Hear, hear.
[12.02.2023 14:42:21] Abenddammerung: You can take this Gin, just don't let the rest drift open for others to pick up.
[12.02.2023 14:42:29] HRZ~Vagabond: That's the plan.
[12.02.2023 14:42:39] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Yeah, I signaled our crew for pickup. They should be along soon.
[12.02.2023 14:42:41] Abenddammerung: Probably Gallic cheap-shit imports anyways.
[12.02.2023 14:42:52] Abenddammerung: Speak of the devil.
[12.02.2023 14:43:05] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Hey there.
[12.02.2023 14:43:08] HRZ~Vagabond: There's some of them in our number, Gallics that is. Maybe they'd appreciate it.
[12.02.2023 14:43:23] HRZ~Loch.Ness: So these Gin you told me?
[12.02.2023 14:43:28] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Yep.
[12.02.2023 14:43:39] HRZ~Loch.Ness: Traking it up
[12.02.2023 14:43:40] Abenddammerung: It's not my business if they have a taste for it. All I want is for it to not enter our markets.
[12.02.2023 14:44:03] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Help yourself. Just leave some for the rest of the crew.
[12.02.2023 14:45:28] HRZ~Jagdzeit: We're not exactly uh... welcome in Rheinland markets anyway.
[12.02.2023 14:45:49] Abenddammerung: You three seem to be in cahoots with each other. Are you just a group of ne-er-do-wells?
[12.02.2023 14:45:58] Abenddammerung: Friends, maybe?
[12.02.2023 14:46:06] HRZ~Vagabond: I do well, sometimes.
[12.02.2023 14:46:22] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Something like that.
[12.02.2023 14:46:46] Abenddammerung: Mostly based around Rheinland, then?
[12.02.2023 14:46:57] HRZ~Loch.Ness: I will take my leave.
[12.02.2023 14:47:08] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Well, if hiding out in the border worlds counts, yeah.
[12.02.2023 14:47:28] Abenddammerung: Auf Wiedersehen.
[12.02.2023 14:47:37] Abenddammerung: Ja, it does count.
[12.02.2023 14:47:50] HRZ~Kharga: RO: Hey.
[12.02.2023 14:47:59] Abenddammerung: Hello.
[12.02.2023 14:48:08] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Hey.
[12.02.2023 14:48:15] HRZ~Jagdzeit: They cargo's here - what's left of it.
[12.02.2023 14:48:19] HRZ~Vagabond: 'Bout time Kharga. Had you on the wire ages ago. Loch Ness rolled in and took most of it already.
[12.02.2023 14:48:25] HRZ~Kharga: RO: Perfect.
[12.02.2023 14:48:47] HRZ~Kharga: RO: Got her as fast as I could my guy.
[12.02.2023 14:49:05] Abenddammerung: You people aren't pulling back your punches when it comes to bringing in large ships.
[12.02.2023 14:49:14] Abenddammerung: It's an entire Oasis right here.
[12.02.2023 14:49:31] HRZ~Vagabond: *coughs* Pirates?
[12.02.2023 14:49:41] HRZ~Jagdzeit: We don't have many. We try to keep them on the quiet.
[12.02.2023 14:50:27] Abenddammerung: And stay on the quiet they shall. Rheinland is a dangerous place for people like us. It's better if it stays out.
[12.02.2023 14:50:48] Abenddammerung: Let the nimble ones in. Snub crafts, and the like.
[12.02.2023 14:50:55] HRZ~Jagdzeit: That's the idea.
[12.02.2023 14:51:19] Abenddammerung: Very thoughtful.
[12.02.2023 14:52:01] HRZ~Jagdzeit: It's a shame, really.
[12.02.2023 14:52:24] Abenddammerung: Not a lot we can do these days.
[12.02.2023 14:52:35] Abenddammerung: I'd like to check in Stuttgart, if that's alright.
[12.02.2023 14:52:47] HRZ~Jagdzeit: We're trying to make things better for Rheinland, but all we get is a gun.
[12.02.2023 14:52:54] Abenddammerung: A gun is all we need.
[12.02.2023 14:53:00] Abenddammerung: From our direction, that is.
[12.02.2023 14:53:05] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Heh.
[12.02.2023 14:53:12] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Well, see you around.
[12.02.2023 14:53:30] HRZ~Jagdzeit: Alright, let's go home.
[12.02.2023 14:53:32] Abenddammerung: Take care, crazy people.
[12.02.2023 14:53:39] HRZ~Vagabond: Best way to be.
[12.02.2023 14:53:39] Abenddammerung: Good luck with Rheinland.
The Farmer seemed alright. Maybe a little bit preachy, but we all have our causes, and this one's got a ship and is using it to fight the taxman and not us, which makes 'em a good sort in my books. Maybe we can get along - so enjoy the gin and don't go around starting pointless fights.