"Herr Admiral, one of your guests has arrived." "Bring him up, Badstuber." Gunter closed the intercom.
Located on the highest floor in the Military headquarters of Stuttgart, Gunter Kunrad walked from his desk towards the window. The view showed other tall skyscrapers close to the one he inhabited. Further away- to his shagrin were the forever going farm fields, ran by Synth Foods. He vowed to one day evict the Liberty corporation once and for all, but all due in time. Heavy taxations, Gallic food imports and his secret collaboration with the Landwirtrechtbewegung hurted his nemesis, but not enough for Synth to pull out yet.
He snapped out of his thoughts and walked towards the door to welcome the first of his 2 guests.
The office itself was of a traditional, Rheinlandish style. Brutalist yet with a luxurious flair. Going through the entrance, one could see the lounge table and seats with a view outside through the wide window on it's right. Perfect to create a relaxed athmosphere during meetings.
At the end of the room, passing the lounge area, Gunter's desk was simple compared to the rest of the room, but it's sturdy, granite material also gave off a flair of authority, fitting to his rank. On top of the desk wasn't too much special: A portable hologram, a small lamp and a picture of his family on Holstein. The wall behind his desk displayed some medals, pictures with old military comrades throughout his career and a large, steel pitchfork that felt out of place, yet reminded him of his farmer's past.
The door opened with Adjudant Badstuber entering, followed by another man. "Your first guest, Admiral."
A blinding flash and the Lyra Dromedary class freighter jumped into the Stuttgart system from the Omega 7 system. Christian reached his hand to the overhead panel and pressed a few buttons to activate the autopilot, arrival points appeared on the panel and he selected the planet Stuttgart. He took his hands off the controls and unbuckled his harness, he still had a couple hours to spare to change and gather his thoughts for the meeting.
Though it wasn't a long journey, the flagship Hyperion had jumped into Omega 7, but the journey from the remote sector of the system to the jump gate was extremely dangerous given the number of pirates, but any additional escort could attract even more unnecessary attention.
As the ship neared the planet, Christian had already donned a more appropriate suit for formal meetings, and was in high spirits - one of the Phoenix's pressing problems was about to be solved soon, which would strengthen the group's position in such a volatile place as the remote part of the Omicrons. As they approached the planet, Christian glanced out the window, just at that moment the truck crossed the dense layer of clouds and one of the largest cities of the planet, Stuttgart - his destination - appeared in front of him a dozen kilometers below.
The ship tilted slightly backwards, the engines shrieked nervously and went deafeningly silent, the autopilot shut down all systems, Christian unbuckled himself from his seat and opened the cargo bay, descending he went directly to the arrivals hall. Walking leisurely to the building, he activated his comm interface and found the address of the Rheinland Military headquarters.
Entering the building he directly approached the reception desk and said "Good afternoon, I had an appointment with Mr. Kunrad". The assistant nodded and said “Mr. Kunrad is waiting for you. Please proceed to the elevators and press the top floor, continue down the hall to the left." Christian nodded politely and made his way to the elevator car, pressed the button and the doors closed. He felt the ground start to go out from under his feet - the high-speed elevator was already stopping at the last floor. Stepping out of the cab, he followed through the corridor where an adjutant was already waiting for him "Mr. Burton, I presume? Follow me." Christian nodded politely and they walked together to the end of the corridor, where Gunter Konrad already met them.
Christian smiled and took a few steps more to greet him "Mr. Kunrad, it's nice to meet you." he extended his hand for a handshake and looked around the room "I guess Daumann representative is not here yet?"
Kunrad answered with a firm handshake himself. "Wilkommen, Herr Burton! By all means, call me Gunter. I hope you had a comfortable journey towards Stuttgart?" Gunter smiled. While his face always seemed a bit cold to the outside, he was genuinly happy to do business with likeminded individuals. He was hoping this could be a fruitful conversation for all 3 the parties. While he got to know Christian already a bit from their previous communication, he was not known with the representative of Daumann, and Gunter didn't like to be unprepared.
He gestured to take a seat at the lounge area near the window and talked a bit about the planet itself. "...While it lacks the weather of Baden Baden and "some" of it's occupants,-" A near unnoticable tone that felt like annoyance could be heard during that short moment while his eyes passed the far way farm fields. "-Stuttgart has still plenty to offer for tourists. Did you visit Rheinland yourself often, Herr Burton?"
Christian settled back in his chair and looked out the window. Behind a few skyscrapers he could already see the vast plain, cut into quaint squares, which emphasized the agrarian bias of the area. However, this was a fairly well-known fact to those who had visited Stuttgart at least once and its dramatic history.
He smiled at Kunrad's reply, recalling his turbulent youth in the merchant navy "Oh yes, of course I have been to the Rheinland, and quite often. But, that was a long time ago and my forays were usually limited to the starport area and the surrounding area" he crossed his legs and looked thoughtfully into the distance "Stuttgart is a beautiful planet. And while I'm not very familiar with its geography and ethnography, at first glance it looks a lot like my home planet, Erie." he smirked slightly "And while I've heard a lot of Baden Baden resorts, I prefer places with more temperate climates and less crowded areas". He shrugged his shoulders as if shaking off dust "Anything corporate, from the world of luxury is alien to me" He looked around the office appraisingly "But don't think I'm an ascetic. Life in Omicrons makes an imprint even in such trifles. Nevertheless, you have taste, Gunter. Minimalist interior, yet quality materials give a touch of luxury. I like it."
"That said, it's been quite some time since I've visited core worlds, aside from short business trips. Situations in Omicrons sometimes change lightning fast and require an almost constant presence." he continued with interest "Has something happened to Baden Baden in recent years and its de facto status? I heard of a civil war that had been waged across Rheinland, but could be unaware of all details.”
Taking seat opposite of Christian, he listened with interest, joining him in looking at the plains afar. "I have never visited Erie myself, but i have heard it's beautiful there. While Holstein is where i spent most of my life, Stuttgart is my second home by now." He turned towards Christian. "I guess both our homes were in invaded by Liberty in a way. Albeit the circumstances were different. Mine was through Corporate take-over while yours was by military invasion."
He grinned and took Christian's opinion of his office as a compliment. In another life, these two could have been friends if it hadn't been for their different destinations in life. "I try to keep organized. While my inner farmer might disagree with me, i try to get a little bit of luxury in my office. I'm here most of the time, so I might as well make it comfortable."
Hearing out Christian about the Omicrons, Gunter replied: I've only been in the bordering Omicron systems for engagements with Corsairs. Hearing from Korporal Lahm, the pilot that you met before, it seems like a jungle with a threat on every corner. I have utmost respect for you and your men keeping a station this large secure and operational in that far corner of Sirius."
A short glimps of sadness was seen on Gunter after hearing the Phoenix leader asking about the civil war and Baden Baden's role in it, recovering to his sober face immediately. "OS&C reinvented the planet as an emergency hospital for both sides in the Civil War and allowed aid organizations to save many lives. Despite not being a Rheinland corporation, relations are surprisingly well with Orbital. Financially they had many setbacks, but things seem to finally turn around with the many new Gallic and Sirian tourists interested in Rheinland Culture."
"As a matter of fa-" Badstuber entered again. "Herr Admiral, your second guest arrived".
"Your permission to dock is granted, Personentransport-1. Deck 5 is free, please orient yourself towards that way."
The Humpback transport made its way through the docking station towards its assigned spot. Once there, it slowly hovered down to the ground.
"Wait for me there, Johannes."said Rupert."I will call you when this meeting is over, so that we may take off swiftly to get back to Der Ring."
Rupert was, as per usual, going from station to station, system to system, to attend meetings. However, this one would prove to be the most important of the day. It is rare that a Rheinwehr Admiral request the presence of Daumann's Betriebsleiter to a meeting, as most business was done through thorough - yet very complicated paperwork.
Rupert made his way to the Rheinwehr Office, where a secretary enquired about his presence here."I have an appointment with Admiral Gunter Kunrad. I am afraid I am bit late, unfortunately."
She gave him the instructions to get to the office, and Rupert followed them, at first with a swift pace, then more slowly, to be composed when he would meet the Admiral.
At the door, he knocked. The vertical door opened without making a sound, and Rupert went in. A small office, with a secretary sitting behind the desk, stood up."Herr Gehrig, welcome. I will let Admiral Kunrad know that you have arrived."She walked through another door, and Rupert heard her announce him to the Admiral. She came back to the room:"Herr Gehrig, you may go in."
Rupert entered the fine and luxurious office."Guten Tag, Admiral Kunrad!"he said, putting his right hand forward to shake the Admiral's. "I am truly sorry for my late arrival, I have been stuck in a meeting on Ruhrpott, and made it here as fast as I could."Behind the man, he noticed a familiar silhouette."Christian! Nice to see you again. I am quite happy to see that you have made your way back home unharmed. I read the reports about Kadesh, I am glad the station's integrity is untouched, and that the Nomad incursion has been stopped."
He turned and saw Badstuber entering followed by what must have been Rupert from Daumann. "Wilkommen Herr Gehrig! Please call me Gunter. No apologies needed, we're all men with a busy schedule. Christian und ich were just getting started." Gunter gave him a firm handshake and gestured his hand to another seat next to him. "Bitte take a seat!" Badstuber came right after with some glasses and bottles of Rheinbier, Gallic Wine and other refreshments. Right after he gave Badstuber a glance. The adjudant knew instantly he had to leave. and closed the door behind him.
As Rupert entered the room Christian turned to the new guest, stood up, and took a few steps to shake hands "Pleased to meet you again, Rupert" he waved his hands in an acting manner "As you can see, I'm really fine. Your help came in handy, we made it to Kadesh Orbital City without any obstacles." he pushed back the chair he was standing next to, inviting Rupert to sit at the table and continued "Your men fought well, together with our allies we were able to fight off this plague, for which I am truly grateful."
"So, now that we're all gathered, let's get to the main subject of our meeting." Christian gave a curt glance at Rupert and continued "I don't know how much Rupert you've been briefed on the nature of our discussion, but we're here to discuss a project to restore a Bismarck class battleship. I hope that doesn't surprise you too much." He dropped the phrase on purpose, as he didn't want the earlier discussion on the Ring to remain just between Rupert and Christian. "I can go into more detail later about the history of how this ship came to be with us, if that would be of interest to you. But given the location where we are holding this meeting" he looked around the room "You can rest assured, the work to restore the ship is not against the interests of Rheinland."
Christian lifted his hand and made a few taps on his wrist, a translucent projection of a Bismarck called Vega appeared above the table, inside it different colors illuminated different units and assemblies, the main part of the ship was mottled with red-orange colors. "This is the current status of the ship, from red to green or missing colors illuminated damaged, or severely deteriorated units of the ship. Of most concern is the condition of the power and propulsion systems" said Christian and with a gesture of his hand brought the hologram closer to the stern of the ship "I will send a detailed analysis of the ship's systems to your comms so you have a more detailed description of all the problems." he waved his hand, a list of suggested work appeared.
"As you can see, the list is quite extensive. And while the ship is more likely to be operational than not, we need it to be one hundred percent operational given its region of operation." he looked around at Rupert and Kunrad "Before discussing the scope of work, I'd like to discuss the location of the repairs." his facial features changed slightly and his cheekbones tensed, realizing that this was a pain point for the parties present as well. "In theory, we could do the repair work at the Livadia Shipyard, which is located in Omicron Kappa. But, it's quite a logistically complicated place, but also quite hidden from unwanted attention." he leaned back in his chair and placed his hands on the arms of the chair ”Do you have a better spot in mind, gentlemen? What about Rheinland's facilities?”
Gunter listened to Christian and looked curiosly at the hologram. It seemed there was already a lot of thought put into the repairs. He pondered a bit and then said: "While I know most if not all of the components in Rheinland ships, i'm not too known into building the components. I'll leave that up to Rupert and his Daumann kollegen." He poured a glass with rheinbier and then continued. "I do however can send a military detachment of our own to help as well. Perhaps a combination of both Daumann and Military engineers can freshen up the Vega." He turned to Rupert. "What are your thoughts on it, Rupert?"
His face went cold again hearing Christian's proposal. This was not something he'd like to do, but was necessary. The Vega being spotted could cause a new diplomatic incident. Rheinland was recovering, but still vurnerable at this point. There was no way this could be allowed in his eyes. "The Military's facilities are unfortunately restricted. Due to the sensitivity of this case, it will have to be done outside of Rheinland space." He went silent for a second, reading the dissapointment on Christian's face. "I'm sorry, but i have to think of all possible outcomes, including if- and probably when the Vega would be spotted in Rheinland space. The political backlash would be heavy if this ship was caught def-."
He looked at Rupert again, realizing he was probably not aware of their little treaty. He decided to continue, best to be open about his intentions. Meetings like these required trust and being secretive himself would not aid that cause. "...-If this ship was caught defending Planet Erie."
Rupert shook the hands of Gunter and Christian, and sat on the other side of the table. He grabbed the bottle of water, poured himself a drink, and listened to the conversation.
When Christian mentioned the Vega, Rupert felt some unpleasant chill running down his chin. He was glad he took precautions before making a deal about the provision of hull panels to Kadesh. And now that the Rheinland Military was aware of that, he could unfold the cards he carefully kept in his hands. Rupert laid back in his chair.
“Well, the deal we made was about a Rheinland-themed resort on Kadesh Orbital City. Now I understand that the matter is more… complicated than I thought.”Rupert took a sip of water, and leaned forward, hands crossed on the table. “On the one hand, it is of primary importance, both for business and mankind alike, to keep the Nomads off of human turf. On the other, the other Houses may see the refitting of the Vega as a supply to a foreign military.”
Rupert’s look went from usually patient and kind, to very grim and serious:“As Gunter said, we cannot use the Military’s facilities to refit the battleship. Livadia Shipyard feels like a better, more discreet alternative. But there is still one more problem that we would have to face: Corsairs. While Kadesh might have better relationships with them, the same cannot be said about Daumann, nor the Military. The possibility of them disrupting our transport operations is a major issue in this partnership.”
Rupert took another sip of water, stood up, and look at the beautiful view outside the office. He turned around, a smile on his face:“As regards to Daumann, our understanding was that we had an agreement for the supply of hull panels with Kadesh. We can keep it that way, so as not to attract any unwanted attention. We can send an engineering party on a separate convoy, composed of Daumann specialists, and Military engineers. This would be a safer way to get them to Livadia. The deliveries of supplies can be discussed later, what do you think?”
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