Agent Blitz 8, the MND Direktorat deems you trustworthy for the following mission. Most of the backgrounds shouldn't be of interest for you. Just recognize, that our engineers are working on a new kind of mass driving effect weapon. This technology is based on the rare material 'Prometheum'.
Unfortunately the extraction of this material within our facilities is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore we need you to get us a large load of pure and raw Prometheum. Unhedged sources mentioned a group, called 'Le Conseil', who might be in possession of the material we need.
Your mission is to look for a way to contact this group, gain their trust and retrieve 3,000 units (three thousand) of raw Prometheum. If they own any kind of highly developed Prometheum separators, try to obtain blueprints or samples of them. For documentation purposes, log conversations with this group and your actions within their zone of interest.
Needless to say that this mission has highest priority.
Signed, Das Direktorat des Marinenachrichtendienstes
The first steps in Operation Strahlende Maske have been successfully made. I have assembled a staff consistant of Specialists "Meister", "Feuer", "Hund" and "Landser" to operate as my ship crew during the mission and had us transferred to Leeds via a passenger transport.
I also succeeded in acquiring a B-40-E Percheron-class transport on a saleout, the ship is in an adequate state for the mission to be commenced. Using a group of underworld assets, I had the ship registered as a freelance research vessel, the Albumasar. I took up the name William Sanders for the operation's length, all my crew members were given anglo-saxon names aswell.
I have ordered the ship's relocation to the Freelancer base, known as Barrier Gate Station located in Coronado, since we couldn't risk being caught using the false registration codes in Bretonia. The first flight test was successful, I will now attempt to contact the Independent Miners Guild to confirm on Gallia's existence at all, upon success, I will hire a mercenary vessel to escort me to the aforementioned constellation.
Blitz 8 signing off.
/Closing transmission...
/Powering down transmitter...
/Deleting files.
Everything is going as planned so far. I couldn't contact anyone from the Independent Miners Guild, but the Colonial Republic's leader personally responded to my call. President Basil Angelos showed an incredible level of helpfulness, not only did he exactly pinpoint the jump hole's location, he also gave several tips and hints about the severe dangers that will await me upon my entry to Gallia, not to ignore the fact that he ordered a four-men escort to the Albumasar's protection and offered employment to me and my crew among the ranks of the Colonial Research staff. A very generous man, indeed.
So, after deciding that I did not want to leave my ship in Hangar 7 of Barrier Gate Station unguarded, I sent a hailing frequency to all mercenary ships in system. A mercenary called Ray West responded at once, we were ready to roll in 5 hours. The man was an expert at pathfinding, he located the rumoured Baffin Jump Hole immediately and we were at Freeport 6 in a matter of minutes, saving quite a few clicks and the Bretonia-Kusari border guards.
I used the comms of Freeport 6 to contact the leader of the Colonial patrol, Enyalius (don't ask me if it's his name or his ship's). He had some doubts at first, but as I told him about the President's orders, he was soon there to fetch me with an escort wing consistant of four colonial fighter crafts. The Taus were pretty harsh, we had to take the Albumasar through some minefields, explosive nebulas and pockets of radiation, luckily Special Agent "Meister" manouvered us through the hazardous areas without the smallest scratch.
Soon, we found ourselves at the minefield covering the Gallian entrance, there's even a station ran by the Council directly at the mouth of the opening, called Reunion. The Colonial escort told me that all "Sirian" ships are welcome and that the Council shows no hostility torwards us. Intentionally, I wanted them to guide me to an IMG base, but they convinced me it was safer at Reunion due to the Outcast threat.
The Albumasar is now in a hangar of the Council base, I'm now transmitting from the bar comms with some booster hacks and decryption used, Special Agents "Landser" and "Feuer" are guarding the ship. I'll try to hear out some rumours then contact the Council militia for protection during my cover-up operation.
Blitz 8 signing off.
/Closing transmission...
/Powering down transmitter...
/Deleting files.
There was a little holdup in the mission, the Council was harder to reach than I would have thought. Regardless, I have made huge progress today, I got as far as Marne, a heavily industrialised planet located in the Champagne system, literally on the edge of the Gallian Border Worlds.
Since the Council gave approval of my entry, but didn't provide escort ships, the Colonial Republic decided to take me into the harsh, yet wonderful constellation. President Angelos ordered Admiral Meek to scramble a wing of Colonial fighters, led by First Lieutenant Dagon Kaze along with two other ships, the Splash and Scotty, they escorted me through the Gallic systems, all the way to the seemingly isolated Champagne system.
Our journey began with me taking off from the Reunion station, located in Orkney, also known as Roussillion to the Gallians. Under the escort of two Colonian ships, Agent "Meister" drove the Albumasar through the dense minefield and we jumped to Gallia without trouble. After observing a field of remains left by a battle between the Council and the Royal Navy, we landed on Planet Quillan, from where I began my disguise operation, which consisted of getting samples and readings on the planets of Languedoc, Dauphine and Burgundy. I can give you more details if requested, since I indeed collected the samples and analyzed what my tools allowed me to do so, that is mostly because both the Colonials and the Council requested a detailed presentation of my findings.
Resistance was not remarkably tough. My escort wing, which grew to three Colonial ships in the meantime was rather skilled and aware of the jump holes and Royalist patrol paths, we didn't get detected by any of the patrol wings or Battleships. We only had two things to worry about. Directly following our entry into Languedoc, we met a Gallic Cruiser, the Liberte patrolling the area. We were about to open fire due to the ship's lack of response when it stated that it was a commandeered Council cruiser and authorised our research operation into Gallia. The reason for his lack of response or unablity to escort us any further, was the malfuncion in his translator device. The second troubling issue was us being detected by a Junker, which brings me to my next line of thoughts.
It was a surprise to both me and the Colonial soldiers that there were Junker installations to be found in Gallia, one was even connected by trade lanes. I have no idea how they managed to do that or what stance the Junkers in Gallia represent, but if they maintain the unhealthy neutrality they do in Sirius, I could use their aid to solve three of the problems that came up.
The first issue is the fact that Planet Marne, due to its incredible size and number of inhabitants has two docking rings. One leads to the prospering Council quarters, the other one to different cities under the rule of crime lords and mafias running black markets, which would also offer the Prometheum, we are there to acquire. The problem is, only the Council area is equipped with a mooring point, which I could use to dock with the Albumasar. The other area is not reachable for a ship of the Albumasar's size, I will have to get a freighter pilot to transfer the Prometheum.
The second thing to worry about is that the Albumasar is not equipped with the sufficient amount of radiation containment cells, I will also have to arrange another transport, which is suitable for the job, probably a Junker, that would be. I have yet to arrange that vessel.
The third problem is that the Gallians seem to use a substance called "Oil" to keep their vessels in flight and my H-Fuel reserve is seriously running low. I will have to find means to convert the Albumasar to the usage of Oil, as long as my operations last, I hope some of the Council engineers can manage that before my ship dies into space.
The next steps I am going to make will be these ones: I will again, try to contact the Council to get an escort for the Albumasar on its cover-up task, which would be cartography and stellar research. I am intending to do so in the following days, until which I will attempt to get some analysis of the planetary samples I collected and convert the Albumasar to the usage of Oil, I lost hopes of finding H-Fuel so far away from the Sirius sector.
Blitz 8 signing off.
/Closing transmission...
/Powering down transmitter...
/Deleting files.
I finished the cover-up operation of astronomy research with the aid of the Council and the Colonial Republic. I have a huge collection of useless rubbish on-board, mainly minerals, rocks and scanner data. I would like to get some real astronomer experts to analyze the data and give them to the Colonial Republic and the Council, so our part of the deal would be fulfilled.
My shorter, but more perilous journey began with me taking off Planet Marne. I successfully got our engines to be converted to the usage of Oil and two Council Ensigns, Marc Letrier and Nicole Blanchard met the Albumasar in space. The Colonials also promised us an escort, so Letrier took us through Champagne while we were waiting for their arrival.
As soon as the Colonials arrived, we moved off to Lorraine, a system under heavy Royalist control. The close danger was well visible, stations were orbitting most planets and the Albumasar took a few hits and a missile in. We were also closely being tracked by a civilian vessel acting as a spy, but Lieutenant Dagon and Ensign Blanchard shook him off.
Upon our return to Champagne, I asked the Council soldiers about the export of Prometheum. Ensign Letrier pointed out that they believe in free trade, but the Royalists try to do their best to prevent the export of the substance. He also offered me help in moving goods by trying to contact some of his smuggler associates. Hopefully, he will be able to get me at least two ships which would do the job. I will also have to move some wine and tobacco back to the Colonial soldiers, as promised earlier, but it seems we're over the hard part.
Blitz 8 signing off.
/Closing transmission...
/Powering down transmitter...
/Deleting files.
Agent Blitz 8, we are very happy with your progress so far. Seems like you are the right man to handle missions like this. As you mentioned before, you have lots of data regarding the Gallic space and even mineral samples. Keep an eye on them, as they can be valuable for our research department.
Now, continue your mission! We are looking forward to get a positive result.
After getting authorisations to export the Prometheum from the Gallic Council, I hired a smuggler, called Ouroboros to transfer the required amount to Rheinland. I also contracted a higher ranking ALG employee, Sascha Wollmer to finish the route.
I've set up a meeting point of the two individuals, near Battleship Westfalen. Herr Wollmer met the smuggler at 15:17, Sirius Mean Time. Wollmer transferred the payment of 23 million credits, then went to Munster, without an escort to avoid detection.
Munster granted entry and guided the Westerwald, Wollmer's ship through the mine field. The Mover's cargo bays have been emptied of the substance by a hazard containment unit.
I still have to find means of acquiring Tobacco and Wine, which I promised to pass on to the Colonials. About the lectures on Marne, I will start off with something, but cannot finish, due to my lack of actual astrologist knowledge.
Anyway, my last step will be getting rid of the Albumasar, the ship that accompanied me on my journeys and pretend my death. I cannot allow my presence to be memorable, then I will return to Rheinland with my crew.
Blitz 8 signing off.
/Closing transmission...
/Powering down transmitter...
/Deleting files.
Agent Blitz 8, we are overly happy with the result of your mission. The Prometheum you provided was very net and will help us to push the development of our new weapon technology forward.
You are hereby exempted from duty until further notice.