"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 7 April 827 A.S.
Landmarks of Gallia
Ever since Captain Jack Ashton opened Gallia to routine commercial service aboard the Boundless Pleasure, passengers from all over Sirius have been clamoring for limited seats to see how the "other" half lives. Recently, Captain Hanna Brooks of OS&C|Aesthea decided to commission a tour that dove deeper into the rich history of our Gallic cousins, highlighting their landmarks for all to appreciate. Under the watchful eyes of one Gerald Bourbeau, the liner made its way through the history of humanity's lost house.
The first stop were a pair of Gallic battleships: the La Fierte and De Grasse. Most Sirians who have seen Gallic capital ships up close were not in a position to appreciate the artistry that goes into Redemption-class vessels, but the Aesthea got to take a slow tour of the historic vessels. The La Fierte's dark hull plating and fiery orange accents were particularly striking to the passengers who awed at the former council color scheme. The de Grasse made up for its more traditional color scheme with its more storied history. Beloved by the Republique despite her age, she is a striking symbol of honoring the past while embracing a less confrontational future.
However the Gallics don't save their keen eye for design for their warships alone. All of their stations embrace a philosophy that merges form and function together. "As we were passing through Orleanais & Ile-de-France, I was admiring the beauty of Gallic Architecture," said Captain Brooks. "Gentle curves, white palette and imposing might are seen everywhere." From the delicate web-like spokes of Chartres Space Colony to the cathedral-like buttresses of Versailles, every station in Gallia doubles as a work of art.
The next stop was Battleship Montreuil in Ile-de-France. This would not be another flyby, but rather tenders ferried passengers to dock with the battleship to peruse Gallia's museum dedicated to the Second Gallic War. Through informative exhibits, the passengers got to see the war through the eyes of the other side and gain an appreciation for the sacrifices of the council that made ultimate victory possible. Most Sirian reports focused on the New London blitz, but countless stories of heroism from deep inside Gallia never made it to the Colony News Service, and all who left the Montreuil came away with a fuller knowledge of the conflict. Of course, the sheer size of Gallic battleships makes them uniquely suited to this task. "Gallic battleships are majestic," said Captain Brooks. "Vast corridors, the ever-present white aesthetics... It is hard to believe that such beauty was created as a machine of terror and oppression."
Gallia has her natural beauty as well, though the remnants of the war have left her a scarred land of contrasts. For every magnificent vista such as the strikingly tiger-striped planet Tonnerre, there are derelict stations such as the Genlis Debris field. A somber reminder that Gallia proper was also a front in this last war, and is also recovering from the effort.
One of the last ports of call was the Luxury Liner Belleville, a Lucullus class liner in orbit in Lorraine in same manner as OS&C's own Hawaii cruises the Sigmas. Everything the Gallics build for space is large and majestic, and the Belleville was no exception. Some passengers were almost disappointed to leave the amenities of the liner to return to the Aesthea, but Captain Brooks managed to refill her liner and return home to Exeter.
Gallia has many more secrets to share and vistas to admire, and OS&C will continue to offer all of humanity the opportunity to appreciate all the Confederation has to offer.
Baden Baden Temporarily Closed
After meeting with the board of directors, Chairman Jonathan Seabourne has ordered that the resort world of Baden Baden be temporarily closed due to the escalating situation in Rheinland. "All civilian flights to Baden Baden are hereby suspended," said an unusually somber Seabourne in a statement from Planet Manhatten. "I've been observing the situation firsthand in Rheinland, and until their internal matter is sorted, it would be irresponsible of us to continue putting civilian tourists in harms way."
Rheinland is in the midst of a historic powerstruggle between the military-backed Imperialist party and the Federal government backed by the MND and Bundschuh. After a recent election saw the Imperial party's plurality out-maneuvered by a power sharing deal from the opposition, violence became inevitable with accusations of treason and assassination attempts flying back and forth. Stuttgart is likely to be a front line in the dispute, and OS&C neutrality no guarantee of safety for passenger ships travelling to and from the planet famed for its volcanic springs.
For now, all passengers with holidays booked on Baden-Baden are entitled to a refund for OS&C credit to be used towards future vacations or luxury goods. Customers can also opt for a free upgrade in tier if they re-book their vacation to Curacao in the next three months instead. Meanwhile the only OS&C vessels heading to Baden Baden will be Spa-SEC stewards looking to ensure the security of OS&C assets. In addition, Seabourne has opened the world to neutral parties looking for a politically neutral base of operations. "Med Force Enterprises has expressed an interest in using us as a potential base for their humanitarian operations in the sector," said Seabourne, "and Captain Dumas will be reformatting his liner into a hospital ship for our humanitarian efforts. We will of course take in any injured pilot or damaged ship in accordance with the Law of the Stars, but we cannot stress this enough: Baden Baden is neutral ground and not a part of this war. When the dust settles, we look forward to continuing OS&C's productive relationship with Rheinland. Until then, we'll do our part to make sure the civilians caught in the middle suffer as little as possible.
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine