COMM-ID: De Luca To: Comandante Fiorella Arianna de Marco Subject: Current situation Priority: Moderate
Señora de Marco,
Then it shall be done. I will investigate what is happening in Liberty and hopefully fulfill señora Eliza Valdez's plan to open up new trade routes for our cardamine business. In this case, if you are attacked, the Legion will have your protection.
Nothing will stand in the way of the Legion and its effort to serve Malta's interests in every way.
REPORT: THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK AND ITS EXPANSION Author: Fiorella A. de Marco
1. Introduction
The purpose of this report is to map and evaluate the current state of our Network as of 05/829. The report contains mainly information based on communications from our Network's intermediaries and a few other individuals and does not contain hard economic data, and the economic side of things should be considered separately by more in-depth economic analyses.
2. Bretonia and Gallia
Bretonia and Gallia currently remain outside our Network primarily due to the absence of any credible local intermediaries. This is mainly due to the very low local demand for Cardamine, which gives little incentive to potential intermediaries to join our Network in there.
In Bretonia, our distribution network operates to a limited extent at Trafalgar in the hands of the Junkers. However, due to the low demand so far, the trade is of limited importance. Gen'an Chrysanthemums also conducts its limited trade as they have a limited access to Bretonia.
3. Kusari
The Cardamine trade in Kusari is entirely in the hands of Gen'an Chrysanthemums, who take over our product from Cali and also take care of the final distribution. The Kusarian society is very conservative and has an aversion to Cardamine as to any other foreign influences, however, Gen'an reports a steady increase in demand as well as their growing influence among the younger women population. Gen'an is also actively seeking other markets for their expansion, but except for their limited trips to Liberty, without a significant success.
The biggest obstacle for the Gen'an in Kusari is the local naval forces with large capital ships, against which our intermediaries have limited options, and so the Gen'an have expressed a desire for increased presence of Maltese capital ships in Kusari.
However, for all the problems with the local forces, at least according to our mediators, the distribution Network itself remains virtually untouched by the local forces.
4. Liberty
Liberty remains our most important and complicated market. Paradoxically, our obstacle in the region is not the police, who are easily bribed, but the Xenos and their hatred of the Junkers, the very end of our current Network in Liberty.
Our strongest intermediaries in Liberty are the Liberty Rogues, who have recently reinforced the line from Kusari with another station and increased their shipment volume through the Xeno infested Colorado. The Texas route has not experienced any major difficulties and Cardamine volume through it is increasing.
The biggest problem for us in here remains the vulnerable Rochester. The Xenos have grown stronger over the last two to three decades and have also acquired new weapons, as they demonstrated last year with their battleship.
In the words of Signor Hemlocke, the main problem is the Junkers' alignment with the forces of law and that is why Rochester cannot host a significant Rogues garrison. Unless the Junkers themselves have taken their own precautions, which they have not commented on as yet and I have observed no such thing around their base, it is very likely that the station may be disabled again or even destroyed.
The Lane Hackers have not been very helpful either. The Inner Circle seems to have lost a lot of its influence and it is getting harder and harder to contact them or track their influence in Liberty. Alongside them, a new group of hackers have emerged, calling themselves SIGNET, who seem to be in ideological conflict with the Inner Circle and pose as freedom fighters. They seem to be outside the main focus of Xenos and it is questionable to what extent they will be a hindrance to us in the future.
5. Expansion
5.1. The Mollys
The theoretical candidates for our expansion in Bretonia are the Mollys, who are at war with Bretonia for independence and could benefit from additional funding and influence through Cardamine in Bretonian society. They are also at odds with our ancient enemies, the Corsairs.
However, they are also known for their pride and bluntness, any successful contact with them should be done carefully and cautiously so that they do not feel that we are trying to use them unilaterally.
5.2. The Brigands
The least successful criminal elements in Gallia might also have a potential interest in distributing our product, but the problem remains the dominance of the Unione Corse in the Gallia black market and Brigands' theoretical dependence on our rival. There is also the chance that any distribution know-how could reach the Unione Corse and be used against us and our intermediaries.
5.3. The Xenos
Although the Xenos are one of our biggest obstacles in Liberty, they themselves have a strong interest in becoming members of our Network as they will need stable financial resources for their 'Liberty Free Republic', at least according to Cobra, and they do not care what happens to the rest of Liberty.
The Xenos have tried to negotiate a distribution deal with Malta in the past and negotiations have gone nowhere much further. They are currently offering a cease-fire once the official negotiations begin. They are also willing, once they become a part of our Network, to hunt and destroy any artifact and xeno relic smugglers in Liberty to further weaken income of our ancient enemies, the Corsairs. They could also hunt down the Junkers' carrying these goods as well.
The Xenos quite understandably skip the Junkers for distribution of their goods, so they could serve as an alternate flow for Cardamine to penetrate the places where the Junkers have no access.
6. Conclusion
Currently, our distribution Network is working, and is growing dynamically in areas like Liberty and Kusari as our intermediaries gain influence in Liberty and Kusari. Rather than law enforcement, our Network is being threatened by other criminal elements vying for their share of influence in the black market and by the various mercenaries.
It is through the steady efforts of the Liberty Rogues and the Gen'an Chrysanthemums that our Distribution Network is expanding, while the Junkers and the Lane Hackers may prove to be weaknesses, or in the case of SIGNET, outright problems in the future.
Expanding our Network to include the Mollys or the Xenos, in addition to increasing the flow of Cardamine and our revenue, could also directly help us in our fight against the Corsairs and their revenue. The Brigands remain our only, but not very reliable, option within Gallia.
TERMINATING TRANSMISSION / INTERRUZIONE DELLA TRASMISSIONE
COMM-ID: De Luca To: Comandante Fiorella Arianna de Marco Subject: Current situation Priority: Moderate
Señora de Marco,
While I am concerned about the Liberty situation, especially with the Xenos, your report does seem to clarify in detail our intricate Cardamine supply network. But, let me add what the Legion thinks of each house:
Liberty - Señora Eliza Valdez had reached out to the Lane Hackers before. You may have heard of "Paragon", si? Unfortunately, she and the Hacker never had continued contact, as far as I know. As for the Rogues, I know señor Hemlocke, but I haven't reached out to him. Maybe, if we can establish a good relationship with his group, we can secure a base of operations for our business in Liberty. And also, I'd rather not consider the Xenos as a potential business partner; the risk is too much to justify it over other factions.
Bretonia - The Mollys are a possible option, but their only concern is freeing Dublin from Bretonian expansion. And they aren't going to be friends either, since they are somewhat allied to the Coalition, who are enemies of Malta. Besides, with Kusari and Bretonia jointly patrolling the Tau systems thanks to a recent agreement made by the two houses, it is somewhat risky to expand our network to Bretonia, in addition to being a hotspot of Crayterian and Gallic influence.
Kusari - Our primary house for the trading network. The Gen'an, from the Legion's viewpoint, has always maintained a good relationship. Their military does not seem to bother us, as they have done little to stop the network and have other things to face, notably the Blood Dragons.
Gallia - The biggest hindrance to our business is the Unione Corse, who primarily use Nox as their substance of export. They see us as enemies, much like corporate rivals, and have been known to intrude into our territory. Unless we can make a deal with the Brigands, a sparsely-seen group, there's no hope of a successful expansion in Gallia anytime soon. Another hindrance, besides the law enforcement and military, are the Maquis, who aren't known for their friendship towards the Maltese.
I'll brief señora Eliza Valdez about this. As always, gracias for the information.
To: Maltese Organizations From: Alexandra Amelia Source: Planet Malta Subject: Strategic Matters
Hola,
I'd like to share my insight on this matter as far as Liberty is concerned, for what its worth to you anyhow.
I've heard of previous attempts at negotiations with the Xenos, but nothing really came out of it.
Despite recent setbacks for the Junkers, they still play a major role for the distribution network in Liberty, and abandoning them for the Xenos is a risky move.
Choosing them over our current business partners is one thing, but some of those business partners are also our trusted allies, and betraying them would have severe consequences. The Xenos themselves are not dumb either, they wouldn't accept any deal while we supply the current major distributors in Liberty.
This possibility has potential, but whatever deal you might have in mind should be discussed with the rest of the influental Maltese groups.
As for the Rogues, Hemlocke's pack has proven time to time that they can be trusted, I suggest maintaining good relations with them, as they are the most cooperative of the groups in Liberty.
The Lane Hacker's Inner Circle are an enigma for me. They usually consider their own interests first and foremost, and they have been a rather rare sight as of recent months, nevertheless, you won't lose anything by trying to contact them.
Sender ID:Fiorella Arianna de Marco Recipient ID:Signor de Luca, Signora Lopéz Subject:Strategic Matters Location:MNS Amalfi Encryption:Medium
Cari Representatives,
I am not suggesting to abandon our current intermediaries, on the contrary, my suggestion diversifying our portfolio with the help of some careful diplomacy. Yet we must also realize that our 'reliable allies' are also happily dealing with the artifacts and xeno relics, and happily fill coffers of our ancient foes, the Corsairs, with credits from Liberty.
Rochester is still a major hub for the artifact trade under the careful watch of our 'allies'.
If we want to behave like reliable allies, bene, but we should enforce a total exclusivity with our intermediaries as far as the black market is concerned.
If we will not enforce it, then we are behaving like some naive fools because we restrain our business venues due to some loyalty that is not even reciprocated.
As for the Lane Hackers - I sent them a message few days ago, but I have not received an answer yet. Signor Hemlocke informed me few moments that SIGNET hackers are indeed in a conflict with the Inner Circle and they have been shooting each other. I will inform you as soon as the Junkers or the Inner Circle will give me their replies on these matters as well.
We would like to refer several points regarding Liberty, as it seems the essential topic to discuss currently.
Liberty has always been a conflicted area of constant negotiations and never-ending quarrels between close parties. Alpha Command had a heated discussion about this matter and we want to bring the following queries and suggestions for all here:
Quoting the words of our well-esteemed Alpha Explorer: “Are we getting desperate now? Do we really have to consider the possibility to have a mutual understanding between us, the Maltese, and the Xenos so our deliveries can properly be secured?” Xenos have proven zero interests in further talks, as they purposely attack our men and women; harass all nearby distributors and they would bring more problems that we already have, at the moment, with the other factions. Also, we would like to refer the importance of the Junkers, as señorita Amelia has cleverly mentioned, as one of the main distributors we have and that their will and efficiency on their doings highly depends on the weight on their pockets. We cannot say the same about the Xenos, as their ideological and political beliefs are an additional variant that could be difficult to manage on the long run. Expanding our network as much as we can seems to be the standard procedure for the Orange Dream, but if we are not careful enough, it could backfire on us.
Regarding the exclusivity idea mentioned by Fiorella De Marco, we must remind ourselves that the illusion of freedom submitted in our allies should be kept unchanged, as the oldest families have tried to keep all these years. In other words, if we try to implement new rules for those who are cooperating with undesirable entities, some will evidently try to reach a consensus with us. As many of them are Cardamine users, extortion and subjugation can be easily possible, but todo hombre tiene sus límites. If we twist them excessively, the distributors will start to demand more from us, imposing their own regulations, lowering our profits and, in worst case scenario, provoking a destabilization of the Cardamine operations. Although, even if our conservative vision on this matter can be considered pessimistic, we are not completely discarding this idea; as each group have a weakest link that can be pushed harder and, using accurate intel, we can manipulate the talks into our favor.
The recent issue with the Lane Hackers and their present power struggle is a concerning one. We can confirm Hemlocke’s claims referred by Comandante De Marco, as one of our ships, conducting surveillance operations in New York system, obtained the following visual footage during an encounter involving Liberty Navy, Liberty Police and Lane Hackers, in which weapons fire can be seen between these last ones:
Even if SIGNET proclaim themselves as freedom fighters, persuasion techniques could be necessary to contain an impending dissension, if it has not reached a critical point yet. Lane Hackers are a vital source of information and losing their assets is unacceptable, as their particular technical expertise cannot be replicated efficiently by the other allied parties; and even if we can back up their database with the right contacts, the information gathered could be obsolete in a matter of days, compromising the schedules of several trading transactions, the security clearance on smuggling checkpoints and jeopardizing the organic flow of the distributors.
Lastly, La Flota Hiperespacial de Malta would like to remark our commitment to protect our brethren, and we will be watching closely the new developments that could occur in the coming months. Estaremos en contacto.
Sender ID:Fiorella Arianna de Marco Recipient ID:Signor de Luca, Signora Lopéz Subject:Strategic Matters Location:MNS Amalfi Encryption:Medium
Cari Representatives,
It seems all of your focused on the loyalty of our current intermediaries you are not even willing to enforce, yet you miss the key point of my report.
Rochester is the weakest link in our Network and remains as such. The Junkers have not done anything to reinforce it, they still not allow an increased Rogue presence around to protect the station and none has done anything about the fact that the Xenos still have a battleship capable of wrecking stations like this. There have been no precautions made and no alternative depots or drop off points established in the case of another attack.
We are blessed with several human lifespans, our minds are brighter and we are more united than any Sirians would ever be, yet we are unwilling to learn from our mistakes and we are ready to sacrifice our own interests so we will not have to answer few uncomfortable questions from those, whose lives ultimately do not matter in the long run.
What do you think they will do if we will start dealing with the Xenos as well, or any other party they do not like? We provide them with the most sellable product in Sirius, we fill their pockets with credits, we provide a joy to their misery and we own the very lives of many of their peers.
I do not care who is going to distribute Cardamine for me in the end. All I care for are profits, stability and reliability from my intermediaries, but Rochester at its current state is not capable of providing that.
There could have been a chance how to deal a blow to the Corsair's source of income in Liberty, promote Fleet's artifact trading in their place, but it appears we too concerned about feelings of those who happily trade with and, in the case of the Junkers, supply our deadliest foes, the Corsairs.
COMM-ID: De Luca To: Comandante Fiorella Arianna de Marco Subject: Current situation Priority: Moderate
Señora de Marco,
I appreciate your concern over the situation. The Legión has encouraged the support of other Maltese in strengthening and finding new key opportunities for our business while simultaneously dealing with threats against Malta, including the Corsairs and their beneficiaries. Unfortunately, not everything can be done simultaneously, but with the work of others, it can be possible.
I'd suggest contacting the Junkers, as that is the best way to address most of your issues, such as the Corsairs and the damaged Rochester base.
The Xeno problem has been already made clear. It's too much of a risk to even submit to their own belief of a "Liberty Free Republic", in addition to alienating us from the Junkers, Rogues, and the Hackers. Think of what logical consequences would follow from this deal, as we are effectively betraying our current allies, while also raising the possibility of them betraying us, leaving us with little to salvage from a deficit.
So focus on the main point. Increase our presence across Liberty, search out any possible intrusions of artifacts and other related stuff cooperating more closely with our known contacts in hopes of making Liberty an unsafe spot for artifact smugglers, and improve our relations with existing allies. That way, it is hitting three birds with one stone.
Sender ID:Fiorella Arianna de Marco Recipient ID:Signor de Luca, Signora Lopéz Subject:Strategic Matters Location:MNS Amalfi Encryption:Medium
Signor de Luca,
I have sent a call to the Junkers, yet none seem to be able to provide me with satisfying answers yet. The same applies to the Lane Hackers as well.
I believe that we have our intermediaries so they will act instead of us and we will step in and provide an assistance only when necessary. Perhaps I was wrong, yet I am not willing to involve myself and my fellow clanmembers in battles in Liberty more than it is absolutely necessary.
How do you think you will persuade the Rogues and the Junkers to not trade with our foes, Signor de Luca? They are already involved in several blackmarket deals at once and cutting one of it would be costly for them, and you would still anger them despite your best attempts of not doing so.
They work with us because of the credits and share of power, Signor de Luca, nothing more and nothing less. Only the Gen'an are dealing exclusively with our product and their own derivative of it. The Xenos were open to the same deal - just us and our goods, and willingness to disrupt any other blackmarket dealings in Liberty.
Alas, I am not Dona and my influence is limited to a handful of smaller clans at best. I will let the more wise and more influential Maltese to provide me with the assurances that my enterprise will remain untouched and then I will stop seeking the alternatives.
At this moment, however, my concerns remain as there has been nothing done for months since the Rochester incident and it appears that nothing will be done for the sake of not betraying our 'allies' who already betray us economically.
COMM-ID: De Luca To: Comandante Fiorella Arianna de Marco Subject: Current situation Priority: Moderate
Señora de Marco,
We will have to agree on that. Right now, there are some limitations to what we can exert on the local benefactors in Liberty concering the artifact trade, and we must therefore conclude that unless we can open up to them, there's nothing to make progress about the situation.
As you are in control of only a handful of others like the Legión, it would be prudent to reach out to other Maltese clans.
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Attached Data: Report
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