COMM ID: Chief Arbiter Hannibal Bishop LOCATION:(scrambled)
Salutations;
I am going to break the chain of condemnation here and not deny them access to Junker bases. Why? The Congress does not make threats it can not back up; Junker dockmasters are unfortunately as a general rule, self-motivated and entirely too difficult to regulate.
However, the Congress Co-Arbiter Mr. Crow, along with one of my most trusted men intercepted a small convoy. The cargo will remain unnamed. The two GST captains in question were offered a buyout on their cargo, on reasonable terms that would have gone in their favor. If we were so inclined, such would consider the gesture a tithe, or a deference of respect in keeping with the Junkers' previous 'hospitality'.
They protested, proclaiming on past 'alliances' as a means of immunity. As friendships go, accepting the terms of a reasonable deal is a key element in the maintenance of good business dealings.
The offer was perceived as an insult, leading us to believe they are not a business so much as a pack of amateurs clutching at their fading legitimacy. One took advantage of a delay in communications and fled, the other engaged and then when confronted with the option to drop his cargo and let bygones be bygones, chose to expend enormous amounts of fuel being chased across two systems on thrusters in full evasive pattern. All for the tiny amount that could be carried in the bay of a bomber.
The Congress can not, and as a result, will not deny them access to Junker bases. But be assured that future 'business' dealings with the [GST] will be of similar tone, if far less merciful and patient considering the opportunistic nature we encountered here. The noose draws tight, and opportunity draws near as a result.
Business is business, after all. And we do love business.
---Incoming Transmission---
--CommID: BHG|Jepp.Lutz--
-Location: Planet Manhattan, New York-
You should know that the weapon systems on any ship I'll be flying that encounters your crapft ... will be set to full power and I'll go right for the engine core. Me and my wingmen or crewmember do have a tiny bit of sympathy for lawlbreakers and outlaws, but not for malicious traitors. You'll be served what you ordered.
*jimmy sat laughing amungst his bridge crew on the Ft louisbourg a battlecruiser that had 3 GST kills to her name all "fearless" Destroyers
"i cant belive there serious these these fleas think they can go to war i could fly better drunk and in a coma hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
John "Jack" Burton was looking through the large armoured window of his office on ********* Base into the abyssal dark red depths of ********* system.
He remembered these words with another of his subtle smiles. "Ewige Blumenkraft." It was a so called "slogan" of an ancient so called "secret" community. In fact the community had existed on planet Earth before the Great Migration, though far less powerful than rumors had pretended, but never had used this slogan. "Ewige Schlangenkraft" was no real slogan of this sect, either. Hearing these words from the mouth of a member of TAZ in another galaxy... this was almost as ridiculous as hearing the words "smuggler cartoons" from a scatological and disappointed member of the BHG.
There seemed to be everlasting psychological rules in Siriusian diplomacy: Need for power. Envy. Gregarism. Arrogance. Vulgarity. Stupidity. Previsibility. Blindness. Which definitely meant: Vulnerability.
Obviously, the forces seemed fully unbalanced. But this was an illusion. Obviously, the vast majority of LSF, LNS, LPI and other legal factions in Liberty and Bretonia was against smuggling. But this was an illusion too. Secretly, Liberty and Bretonia were fully dependent on invisible smuggling companies. These two powerful Houses transformed their prisoners into slaves on their prisons and wanted these slaves to be sold by smugglers. The war against Rhenany was not only the best way to maintain the military budget as high as possible, but a way to create perfect business conditions for smugglers based in Hudson and Bering, too. Black market business and smuggling were supposed to make 27% of Liberty profits. These were the non-official figures of LSF experts. The only trouble with GST was that... it made smuggling official.
And there was another trouble with GST. But very few LSF officers would be able to understand it one day. GST's real business had almost nothing to do with smuggling. But how could have so called "intelligence" officers understood this? Sun Tzu was no longer thaught to them on West Point, neither in their secret bases in Virginia. They had never read such sentences like, for example:
"Attack openly. Win secretly."
They prefered to repeat such words like "ewige Blumenkraft". Or "we want the bounty, Millenium Falcon". Or "you'll be served what you ordered."
To say it in simple words: Everything was running like planned.
John "Jack" Burton snapped fingers to open the visiochannel.
"Yes, mister Burton?" asked his brave but intelligent first security officer, Lt. Kusanagi.
"Please take some rest, Lt.
- You know I don't need any rest, mister Burton. I'm a machine.
- You're an intelligent machine, Lt. As such, you desserve more culture than most of our so called "ennemies". Please take some rest. I mean some culture. Do you know Picasso's Musqueteer pictures?
- No, mister Burton.
- Well take a vessel and fly to our friend Jaba. He'll show it to you. He stole it on Manhattan a few years ago.
- Thanks, mister Burton.
- You'll like it. You'll understand it.
- I trust you, mister Burton.
- And I'm trusting you too, Lt.
- You really don't need me now, mister Burton?
- No. GST security is no longer a problem, Lt.
- I understand, mister Burton.
-I'm sure you do."
Lt. Kusanagi was smiling too, now.
GST CEO John Burton (3076-...) is a retired Liberty high rank politician and business man.
His functions in Liberty administration are still not clear today.
He left Liberty administration some years ago and founded the well known Galactic Secure Trade Company in Kusari space with WDR funds.
The GST Company was based in Zoner systems for the following years, until tensions with Liberty authorities because of GST breaking the Texas blockade became to dangerous for Zoners.
Then the GST Security Council decided the Company should switch to Smuggler ID and cut all official contacts with former Zoner Allies.
You can find more information and desinformation on GST's Neuronet: http://gstrade.forumactif.net
and contact John Burton and other GST members there almost anytime.
John Burton was smoking some 1st class gallic tobacco in his office on board of his "Democritus" class Yacht cruising through Bretonia and looking at a new relique from the Old World he had been able to buy from the new profits of what could be defined as war time business.
"Come in and take a cigar", he told to Lt. Kusanagi who was standing at the magnetic armoured door.
"Thank you, mister Burton.
- Welcome on board of the 'New Venice', Lt.
- I'm in no mood for beeing proud of it, mister Burton.
- Why, Lt? Because of this little incident near Houston, Texas?
- You call that a little incident, mister Burton? I've lost one Pirate Train and the Security vessel of one of our best combat pilots, sir.
- No, Lt. That's not what really happened. What really happened was: you saved the lives of two GST captains on that day.
- I had to run, mister Burton. There's nothing to be proud of.
- What do you prefer to do? To fight against these bloody BHG Gunships they're using with 2 Eagles and a Pirate Train?
- Well. Ozu and I should have taken bombers for that mission, mister Burton.
- Well, next time more chance maybe.
- Chance? This conflict with Liberty and Bretonia lawful factions has nothing to do with chance, mister Burton.
- You're right, Lt."
Burton looked at his left hand and at the awful scar he had on it.
"It has little to do with chance. We do not have big vessels like the BHG or Liberty and we won't have any, never. But somewhat everything is running like I planned it. And I know you trust me, Lt.
- I trust you, sir. And I sometimes wonder why.
- Look at this picture, Lt. And describe it, please.
- This is a antique ****ao picture from the year...
- No, Lt. The hell with art history. What are you looking at when you look at this picture?
- Well..."
Burton was smiling and smiling, as ever. There was something terribly arrogant in this smile, of course. But sometimes you would wonder if there was not wisdom too in this strange and never ending smile.
"What I see, mister Burton, is a perfect balance between precision and brightness and haze, limpidity and blur, clearness and impenetrability."
Burton looked at his Lieutenant with friendly and happy eyes.
"This is exactly what I wanted to hear from you, Lt. The other name for what you just said is: the beauty of war.
- This is just a picture, though, mister Burton. Nothing like this does exist in the whole universe, sir.
- Are you sure, Lt?
- I'm pretty sure of it. I've never seen something like that in my whole... in my whole life.
- Your life... This a beautiful word, too, isn't it, Lt. Especially coming from the lips of an high intelligent security droid. Well, something like that, Lt., will happen in Sirius very soon."
GST CEO John Burton (3076-...) is a retired Liberty high rank politician and business man.
His functions in Liberty administration are still not clear today.
He left Liberty administration some years ago and founded the well known Galactic Secure Trade Company in Kusari space with WDR funds.
The GST Company was based in Zoner systems for the following years, until tensions with Liberty authorities because of GST breaking the Texas blockade became to dangerous for Zoners.
Then the GST Security Council decided the Company should switch to Smuggler ID and cut all official contacts with former Zoner Allies.
You can find more information and desinformation on GST's Neuronet: http://gstrade.forumactif.net
and contact John Burton and other GST members there almost anytime.