This was the translation carried through to Prime Minister Yokitara. It was time to press for some more concrete dealings. The Prime Minister was preparing to make a rather lengthy speech, and he hoped tat the Delegates would remain alert for the duration.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, there are some proposals on the table we can consider only after a period of development analysis. There is one matter though, that we can agree on and implement immediately to our mutual benefit. This is the matter of an Inter-House Jump Service.
For our part, Kusari considers the unsolicited entry of armed battleship-class vessels a general threat to national security.
That being said, there are existing protocols to allow such entry, including a register of foreign vessels."
The Prime Minister went on for about fifteen minutes detailing the types of register used by the various Houses, citing numerous bureaucratic codes and standard forms.
"So my first recommendation is that all ships participating in this Service should be placed on a common register for the inspection of all our Houses.
The next issue I see is that deportment of a military-grade warship, in the running of such a Service.
In an ideal world, commercial traffic would be unarmed. Such an ideal shall not be seen in our lifetimes, and certainly not in the present environment. The issue is therefore one of balance in my eyes, between the need for national security, and the need for our Service vessels to reasonably defend themselves.
So to what extent could a Service vessel present a threat? In the worst-case scenarios, our strategic analysts consider the seizure of a Service vessel by enemy forces to be the main threat. The considered goal would be the subsequent jump-in to foreign space, with the aim of committing terrorist acts - most notably bombardment of bases and/or planets."
There was nearly a full hour of detailed analysis of previous threats, from Blood Dragon attacks, to security matters originating from Gallia and the Taus, to the assault on Krupp Munitions by the Red Hessians. Military delegates in particular, paid close attention for the entire hour.
"I believe we can mitigate such threats, and also allow for a reasonable defense against any threats. I would propose a prohibition on the deployment of Mortar-class heavy weapon mounts on Service vessels. It is these guns which are capable of delivering high-capacity bombardment to bases and planets.
Another means of mitigating risk would be to use under-strength hulls. I am sure all our respective House Navies have a few older classes of ship we would consider using for this Service. The Ministry of Defense informs me that older Meji-class warships carry an armour rating equivalent to AU8. I am also informed that a lower armour rating such as this has the advantage of freeing up additional cargo space for fuel storage.
I am sure you will all have more to say on the matter of armaments, I have received a wide range of views from within the Ministry of Defence, as well as in meetings with senior officers of the KNF. I am sure that your people will have a similar range of views."
There was a recess, with much private discussion had between the delegates. Food and drink were served and eagerly dined upon.
"Moving on to the matter of arranging suitable locations for this Service to be conducted. I believe it is a simple matter for each House to determine the number, and location of any jump-in points for Service vessels. Indeed, any jump coordinates a House, should be issued only by that House in the interests of national security.
With regards to other sundry regulations concerning the movements of Service vessels, there will of course be local rules and regulations to abide by for all our Houses. I feel we owe it to ourselves to ensure that regulations are not onerous, for the Jump Service is designed to encourage trade, not stifle it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have outlined for some of the salient points concerning this new technology, and how we might harness it to our own benefit. I would like for you all to add your weight to this discussion - in the hope that we can draft some clauses towards an overall agreement between us."
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