Two very different views, Jack's very forward approach is likely to result in conflict with Rheinland, but Christian's approach would have us bend over and ask nicely. To be frank it appears you've missed the point, "Keep in mind that the security and privacy of Omicron Rho are paramount and non-negotiable." With the Omicron Rho jump hole in Sigma-15 the only way I would be willing to not have a fortified position the other side would be if we permanently disabled the jump hole cutting off the Core and Rheinland from each other's supplies.
Jack alternative, starving the crew on Ennibeck and throwing our lot in with Kusari certainly would cost us initially but who's to say what we might gain in the spoils of war after? It really is a shame that Rheinland Government doesn't see fit to entrust us, an ally of years with half an empty system simply as a matter of security. The shame would be double is such long-term partnerships where to be thrown away in the mists of combat and raiding in sigma-21.
I'm happy with neither of these solutions and will reach out to the Rheinlanders in order to attempt to reach some middle ground between your proposals. Before I end this meeting, is there anything either of you would like to add?
»ID: Jack Daniels »Location:The Senate, Omicron Rho »Subject:Overconfident desk warriors
Yeees, yes. I might've got carried away just a tad.
Truth is, burning bridges right now is indeed a terrible idea. We should let Rheinland and Kusari fight it out. When their war is finally over, we can use our tech and marketing skills to sell various goods that would accomplish three very important things. Help people, make us richer and make us look better in general. Alas, I digress.
As head of APM, I absolutely have to say that business comes first. If they want us out of Sigma-15, so be it. The strain on APM is high enough with all the unforeseen events that are happening in the Omegas. If we want to keep both Rheinland and Kusari as our business partners, we must take a deep breath and tactically retreat. It's the smart thing to do. It's indeed true that war changes people. They become paranoid and quickly assume we're out to get them, when we clearly aren't. Oh and by the way, starving that Daumann base was a joke, what do you take me for? Sheesh... where was I, ah yes.
We shore up the defense around Sigma 15 jumphole and maybe post a capital ship or two in the immediate vicinity of the anomaly . I'm certain a well trained captain can easily use the rocks to effectively ambush trespassers. As for the station , we'll have to convince Rheinland to run it alongside us. A joint project. I see this as the only scenario where they agree with us. And I also see this as another opportunity for tech exchange and further cooperation with them. But that must come after the war is over, taking sides would be a bad idea.
28-08-825 AS - The Senate, Omicron Rho
Williams cabinet divided and him no closer to a suitable solution to both ensure peace and Rho's security, he reluctantly closes the Senate. After hearing that the Frumentarii's and Procurators view on the matter were a contrast to his own he decided that sending a delegation wasn't in his best interest and decided to attend the matter personally.
20-09-825 AS - The Senate, Omicron Rho Sigma-15 tensions part 2
After days of consulting with the Senate William responded to the Rheinland governments request for answers ■ Striking up a deal he deemed fair and suitable, a reasonable middle ground between the interests of Core and the interests of Rheinland where he believed no side won the negotiations and no side lost.
William, impressed by the flexibility of the Rheinland government and their willingness to negotiate a fair deal was now certain that Rheinland was a prime choice for further diplomacy. His attempt to gain an upper hand in negotiations by leveraging the Imperium's military might went almost unnoticed, most likely because of Rheinlands already substantial military. Seeking other methods to bring the governments of Rheinland and the Imperium closer he reached out to Jack Daniels controller of the Core Economy.
Just the man I wanted to see, have a seat. Before we start I'd like to thank you for APMs assistance in clearing out the Vault, your teams operated extremely efficiency which was surprising considering your laissez-faire attitude. We have struck a deal with the Rheinland government that appears to the rest of Sirius as a middle ground personally I think this expansion is a major win for the Core and we should consider possible ways to keep the ball rolling.
The Bundesrepublik have proven to be understanding and malleable to our needs, these traits make for good friends and even better allies. I want to discuss three things with you, The lifting of the armament export ban to Rheinland, providing free Rho Visas to Rheinland Corporations. Oh, before we get ahead of ourselves, open that box in front of you. They are only libertonian so don't get too excited but this is an occasion to celebrate.
»ID: Jack Daniels »Location:The Senate, Omicron Rho »Subject:Overconfident desk warriors
My attitude has nothing to do with the way I do business. You know that, best of all people. And yes, liberty's finest produce. I caught the whiff when I walked in. Much appreciated, it is hard to find quality tobacco with all the contraband stuff coming in from Gallia. I'll let you in on a secret, their stuff sucks. It's bad, man. Reeks of huge egos, mold and tyranny. But I digress.
Let's see, you want to lift the armament ban and provide Rheinland corps with unlimited access to Rho. Since I like you, I'll give you my unfiltered, raw opinion on this. It's a bad idea. The moment shipment numeros uno leaves Rho is the moment Kusari becomes our enemy. We cannot supply their direct opponent in the war and expect them to turn a blind eye. That's not how this works. We either lift the ban for both houses, or we don't lift it at all. At this moment, it's important to treat them equally. Rheinland took our Vault from us. Not because it posed a danger to them, no. But because they decided to annex Sigma-15. Whatever bullcrap they are feeding us, it's lies. We got a measly zone around our jump hole, which is nothing but a joke. We could secure the gateway to Rho from both sides. We could fortify our side and render the zone around the hole in S-15 tactically useless. I'm solid on this, we have to treat them equally otherwise, we'll loose a major supplier for more than one rare material. And don't get me started on Rheinland's decision making process. How long until they decide Rho is their property as well? To sum it up, Mr. Rotschild, it's a bad idea to take sides in a war you can't otherwise win by yourself. Because in the end, that's what happens, you are left for dead by those you call allies. The Core has survived this long because we get the job done by ourselves. That's what I think.
Now then, what's that third thing you wanted to discuss?
As for Rheinland government encroaching on Core space, you are aware that they just gave us a reasonable chunk of what has always been considered Rheinland territory? This is effectively the reverse of what you are suggesting. Along with that, yes the space its self might not be worth much but the local planetoid is resource-rich and now under our sphere of influence, I'm astounded that it's not been stripped of its assets yet, but still there is plenty of room for us to move now. If that changes then we can revisit our Sigma-15 border in the future.
Now, the third thing I wanted to discuss Jack was how you are going to process these suggestions anyway. I expect APM to hauling hardware arse to Rheinland quicker than a gallic girl can drop her knickers. We'll deal with the Kusarians if they find out about it and if they do we can just lift the ban there as well more money means more money, Jack. I do what the rheinlanders to benefit from this first of course I have a small wager that they win this war and I wouldn't mind winning that bet. With regards to open Visa's, I'd like to open Rho up to at least DHC and maybe Kruger this should support APMs sales from Alabama and improve relations between us. I'm sure they could even bring in useful materials as well.
And as I like you too, let me know if there's anything you need to make this transition smoother.
»ID: Jack Daniels »Location:The Senate, Omicron Rho »Subject:Desires
Hmm. This is starting to sound rather lucrative. My boys can be illusive if they decide to. They'll get fat bonuses if they avoid detection. Personally, I'd hate to go against Kusari so we'll have to keep it this on the low-low. As for Kruger and DHC, I don't see why we shouldn't grant them free visas. Their convoys are already bringing in valuable materials, so we should do our best to keep it that way.
But I digress, I believe this idea of yours, it's absolutely doable and there will be considerable profit for us, especially if we can supply both sides at the same time. Worst case scenario, Kusari goes mad at us again, but I doubt they would waste military assets to fight in the ass end of nowhere. There will be embargoes and maybe a few accident involving mild violence. Mostly negligible consequences. I still don't trust Rheinland but I do trust the basic human desires, namely greed and the overwhelming urge to win a war.
10-10-825 AS - The Senate, Omicron Rho Sigma-15 tensions part 2. Complete
Jack Daniels was rightfully hesitant to accept Williams ideas but his eventual approval further convinced William that Rheinland was the correct partner to invest in. With the support of Jack Daniels, William was confident that the Procurator and APM as a whole would deliver the needed playing card to draw the Bundesrepubliks attention.
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