My dear Bretonian Armed Forces.

[Zig]

Incoming Transmission: Kommandeur Gottfried Halse, Leader of the Red Barons

*Gottfried folds his hands.* Guten Tag, Herr Grossadmiral.

I presume that you have now become or been made aware of the suspicious absence of your ranking Admiral, James Hobart, following his excursion into "Rheinland" space approximately - *Gottfried taps his fingers together* - one week ago; I believe he had intended to rendezvous with ranking representatives of the administration of the "House of Rheinland".

The reason behind the gentleman's disappearance is rather a simple one, mein Herr - the Red Barons have abducted him. May I present you with appropriate proof.



Kindly note the supplied evidence's complete lack of characteristics of any sort that might enable you to locate the area in which it was recorded, Herr Grossadmiral, barring a potential identification of the system in question - as such information will prove of no use to you, I will gladly supply it up front (the guncam shot was produced in Omega-7 space). He has since been deported, of course, and was no doubt pleased to no longer need to consume anti-radiation-sickness tablets by the fistful.

May I assure you that Admiral Hobart has been imprisoned and hidden away with excessive care. He currently wants for nothing - but that, of course, is subject to immediate change, entirely at my behest. A mere nod from me, and the redoubtable Herr Hobart loses a body part. I am a merciful man, however, so the first extremities to be chopped off shall be the Admiral's little fingers. We will progressively "work our way up", as the Libertonian idiom runs, from there. I trust you understand my meaning, Herr Nelson.

Respond to this missive and I will state the terms surrounding Admiral Hobart's secure and be-fingered return to his beloved Bretonian Armed Forces. I wish you a pleasant evening, mein Herr.

Transmission Ended

---

Luls:

Role-play is not the be all and end all.

[pbrione]

[Incoming Transmission]
[Source: HMS Pendragon]
[CommID: Fleet Admiral Nelson]

Your transmission has been received. We will hear you out. Note that the BAF has never previously taken particularly harsh action towards your organisation, so I ask politely that you show us some measure of courtesy. Be careful, Commander, that you do not act foolishly and bring about severe repurcussions against yourself.

Anyhow, state your case. I am listening.

Nelson

[End Transmission]

---

Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>

[Zig]

Incoming Transmission: Kommandeur Gottfried Halse, Leader of the Red Barons

*Gottfried nods.* Pardon me, mein Herr - I have a certain flair for the overly dramatic. Very well, cordial sobriety it is.

The Admiral, who, incidentally, we have treated fairly courteously given the circumstances, will be released into your custody in exchange for several shipments of certain products and resources desirable to us for reasons you need not necessarily become more intimately aware of. Certain of the freight we require is key to Bretonian industry, meaning that our demands will in all likelihood not exact too severe a drain upon Bretonian Armed Forces coffers, which are, as we are well aware, somewhat strained due to Bretonia's current state of war. These shipments will each occur independently of one other, and will systematically "disappear" during transit through the Omega-3 and -7 systems. The transports employed to ferry these shipments, as well as their captains and crew, will not suffer any adversity. They are not to be escorted, and will all be thoroughly scanned. Admiral Hobart will be placed aboard the last transport sent.

The first such cargo to vanish will be a Shetlandful of MOX. I await your response, mein Herr.

Transmission Ended

---

Luls:

Role-play is not the be all and end all.

[pbrione]

[Incoming Transmission]
[Source: HMS Pendragon]
[CommID: Fleet Admiral Nelson]

I am not so foolish as to embark on a project of shipping you potentially deadly materials without first knowing what the full cost of my cooperation will be. How many shipments overall will you be demanding, and of what? I also want assurances from you that none of the materials shipped will be used against the people of Bretonia. Millions have died from the MOX bombing of Cambridge several years ago. I will not see the same happen again whilst I yet live to serve my country.

[End Transmission]

---

Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>

[Zig]

Incoming Transmission: Kommandeur Gottfried Halse, Leader of the Red Barons

I regret, Herr Grossadmiral, that revealing the exact nature of my agenda, to you or to any others that do not rank among the Red Barons' closest allies, would be a rather unintelligent tactical decision. Once the first shipment, that of MOX, has arrived, I will inform you of our further requirements. I can, however, even at this juncture, state with reasonable confidence that the costs the Bretonian Armed Forces would incur by dint of compliance will not be particularly high. *Gottfried chuckles.* Accessibility and not financial issues prevent us from acquiring these cargoes ourselves. Your "LD-14" installation is reportedly extremely well-guarded, particularly given the apparent intrusion of Kusari elements into the region.

As a token of my confidence in a mutually beneficial conclusion to the matter at hand, however, I will render you your assurances. The Red Barons will not convert the MOX provided into a bomb to be employed against Bretonians. That is absolutely certain.

Guten Abend, mein Herr.

Transmission Ended

---

Luls:

Role-play is not the be all and end all.

[Zig]

-Re-transmitting-

---

Luls:

Role-play is not the be all and end all.

[pbrione]

[Incoming Transmission]
[Source: HMS Pendragon]
[CommID: Fleet Admiral Nelson]

Very well. The first transport has been prepared. It will be shipped out tomorrow in a transport licensed to Unlimited Imports at a time to be confirmed by the shipping company. We trust the Admiral is in safe hands and want confirmed proof that he is alive to be available to us when the shipment is delivered. We will keep our end of this bargain - I expect you to do the same.

Nelson

[End Transmission]

---

Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>

[Zig]

Incoming Transmission: Kommandeur Gottfried Halse, Leader of the Red Barons

*Gottfried taps his fingers together.* Exzellent. Tomorrow it is.

The "Unlimited Imports" will encounter the Red Barons detachment in either Omega-3 or Omega-7 space; not specifying precisely where ought to complicate any potential duplicity. Forgive me, mein Herr, if I am not entirely trusting, even at this rather advanced juncture. A Herr Goedel will command said detachment; the MOX will be transferred aboard its vessels rapidly and painlessly. The Shetland's captain and crew will subsequently be released unharmed, and are to be instructed to report the loss of their freight as the consequence of Corsair banditry upon arrival at the port of call of their choice. Kindly have it seen to.

Herr Hobart is becoming somewhat - how shall I phrase the matter - cranky, perhaps? due to his continued confinement, but is otherwise hale and hearty. Einen schoenen Abend noch.

Transmission Ended

---

Luls:

Role-play is not the be all and end all.