FROM: Erich Teufel, Rheinland Bundestag
TO: Interspace Commerce
Dear Friends,
My name is Erich Teufel. I am a representative of the Rheinland Bundestag and I have been elected to contact you in regards to an issue between our organizations.
As you have most likely noticed, the regrettable, but necessary act of grounding interspace ships in Rheinland has been issued.
Rheinland officially extends our apologies for this disruption. We understand that huge amounts of flights have been canceled and stalled due to these restrictions in place. Unfortunately, we feel that we had no choice in the matter but to take this action. As we continue our discussion, it will become apparent why this is the case.
For now, we must sit down and confront the issues that stand before us. It is my hope, that working together, we can minimize the consequences of these restrictions and return interspace commerce to working order in Rheinland as soon as possible.
We await your reply on this channel.
Representative for the Rheinland Bundestag, Erich Teufel
[font=Arial Narrow]I happen to be completely in the dark, as to what exactly has caused this.
I'm sure some papers must have gotten lost on my desk or something.
What ever the incident may be, this is very regrettable and I hope we can sort this matter out as soon as possible.
The longer this problem goes unsolved, the more trouble it will cause for Interspace Commerce and for the economy of Rheinland, which I am sure you are aware of.
[color=#FFFFFF][font=cursive]Felicia Davis,
President and CEO,
Interspace Commerce
PRIORITY: [color=#FFFF00]Medium ENCRYPTION:Medium IDENTIFICATION:Inspekteur Carl Becker SOURCE:Nibelung Polizei Plaza, Planet New Berlin SUBJECT:Interspace Commerce
Sehr geehrter Herr Teufel,
I would like to bring the following matter to your attention regarding the behavior of Interspace:
They once told us, their subcontractors wouldn't be reason to fining the whole corporation Interspace Commerce, because they are not everytime informed about the Rheinland laws.
After countless violations of Interspace ships and without a leadership response, we chose the direct way; even without a response.
This week, we had a violation of one of their direct employees. Said person, didn't know the law of Rheinland, but did complied with all orders, other than the usual subcontractors, but how can we differ the subcontractors from the employees now?!
[color=#33CC00]Attachment:
' Wrote:
[color=#33FF33]..::Incomming Transmission::..
PRIORITY: [color=#FFFF00]Medium ENCRYPTION:Medium IDENTIFICATION:Obt. Renate Bommel SOURCE:Nibelung Polizei Plaza, Planet New Berlin SUBJECT:DSE & IC incidents
[...]
On ze way back to New-Berlin, I saw an Interspace ship violating his shipping rights.
I immediately ordered ze captain to stop at her current location.
As soon as I had visual evidence of ze cargo of zis Interspace ship, I started ze usual procedure.
After a long discussion, ze interspace captain finally paid a fine for her violation, dropped ze cargo and left Rheinland.
But it is interesting to see, zat zere is no difference between Interspace "subcontractors" and normal captains; almost every interspace captain ignores ze law!
Mr. Teufel, I am surprised that the Bundestag has decided to restrict all Interspace Commerce ships within Rheinland, costing us -and Rheinland- millions. I request the restriction on all Interspace ships to be lifted because we have been blaimed far too many times for private contractor ships that may have been hijacked and operate with fake papers. We would like to see this done otherwise Interspace Commerce will cease most -if not all- activities in Rheinland as this seems to be causing us more loss than profit.
I also want to remind you that, one of the many activities in Rheinland is to support your goverment economically during the war which would be catastrophic for you if it came to an end, wouldn't you agree? Not to mention that Rheinland still has to pay the debt to Interspace Commerce which is big enough to have to sell a planet like Stuttgart to repay us fully.
So we'd like to regain the unrestricted trade within Rheinland, for both IC| and private contractors otherwise we -will- withdraw.
As for the Police Officer, none of these notifications have made it to my office but several ships from those you have reported, have been listed as hi-jacked or had their transmitters hacked since we have many enemies that'd like to see us getting in trouble. As for the IC| employee you caught breaking the law, she will have to attend to many seminars concerning the House laws.
FROM: Erich Teufel, Rheinland Bundestag
TO: Interspace Commerce
Dear Felicia Davis, Richard Quinn,
The words you use to approach this issue are blunt, but ring true. An amount of diplomatic niceties are always to be observed, but it may indeed be far better for us to speak clearly then dance around the issue. Seeing as you have set the tone for our conversation, allow me to dive directly into the issue.
Five interspace commerce transports were caught directly supplying a terrorist movement against Rheinland. These transports were independent contractors, however, we have seen this issue cropping up again and again. Seeing as the transports in question were directly welcomed by the Hessians as friends and allowed access to the most restricted space possible, it worries us that this might not be an isolated incident. With the STAGGERING amount of violations seen in the past form independent contractors, we felt it prudent to ground the entire fleet.
The being said, we do value interspace's contributions to Rheinland and have no desire to see your company removed from our nation. Interspace commerce, while headquartered in Liberty, is a valuable partner in business and after the past centuries, has branched out into all houses of Sirius.
While we appreciate your business, we will not tolerate your support of a terrorist group who's goal is the overthrow of the Rheinland government. I do not see the restrictions being lifted until we can be guaranteed that this will never, ever, happen again.
We are willing to work with interspace commerce on this issue. If you prematurely decide to take your business elsewhere before negotiations are complete, that is your decision. If this does happen, Rheinland will consider interspace commerce to have abandoned their position in Rheinland willingly and all debts owed to interspace commerce to be null and void.
Representative for the Rheinland Bundestag, Erich Teufel
[font=Arial Narrow]It is in Interspace Commerce best interest to stay in Rheinland, Mr.Quinn was just pointing out a possible scenario; all of which will not happen regardless until all negotiations are done with, and if we are not satisfied. It wont just be Rheinland losing a deal here, sure Interspace Commerce would bankrupt the Rhienland Government if we asked for out debt back, but that is just bad business sense to me. I hope this matter can be settled, and rather quickly I hope.
[color=#FFFFFF][font=cursive]Felicia Davis,
President and CEO,
Interspace Commerce
FROM: Erich Teufel, Rheinland Bundestag
TO: Interspace Commerce
Dear Mrs Davis,
It is our desire to see this through as quickly as possible as well. With this in mind, allow me to propose a solution to our problem.
The central trading fleet of Interspace Commerce, those with the transponders IC|, have done little in the way of wrongdoings these past few months. We recognize this as a vast improvement form the near crisis levels of violations last year. With this in mind, we can overlook more recent transgressions on the part of the IC| fleet.
The matter remains that Rheinland law has repeatedly been violated time and time again by non-union employees. You mention the fact that you have little control over them and/or they may be hijacked ships. The lack of security, allowing your own ships to be hijacked this frequently, is extremely troubling to Rheinland. We cannot allow these repeated incidents to happen as it threatens the very security of our nation. We see no reason to allow unreliable, rogue transport captains into Rheinland. We demand that only IC| tagged union vessels be allowed to venture across the Rhine.
As for the matter of the violation itself. Compensation is needed to pay for the damages caused to the brave men and women of Rheinland. Interspace commerce transports were caught directly supplying the Red Hessian movement. How many men in military uniform have died to these barbarians? How many Daumann miners have gasped for their last breath in the hard vacuum of space after their ships were vented by Hessian bombers? How many republican shipping transports have been blown to pieces, the civilians inside little more then charred remains in brutal attacks on shipping? How many Kruger miners have met their doom in omega 7 due to Hessian gunboats saturating the area? How many ALG transports carrying cargo have been intercepted and drained of vital supplies to feed the Hessian war machine?
The gunboats, the bombers, the fighters that the Hessians have are striking at the very blood of our people. These ships must be built and supplied. It has been proven beyond a doubt that at the very least, independent Interspace contractors have been fueling the Hessian meat-grinder. Thus, we demand a compensation of credits from Interspace commerce to, at the very least, cover the cost of burring the brave people of Rheinland who resisted the red scourge. This does not take into account the lives of their spouses at home, forever tainted by loss, and the prospects of their children, now without fathers and mothers.
Interspace commerce transports have been found directly responsible for making these atrocities possible. There are debts owed in coin, and then there are those owed in blood. Blood has been split, and we ask for its cost to be repaid.
Once this issue is settled, we may discuss the reopening of Rheinland to your ships.
Representative for the Rheinland Bundestag, Erich Teufel
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[size=small][font=Arial Narrow][color=#FFFFFF]To: [color=#33CCFF] Rheinland Bundestag [font=Arial Narrow]Subject: [color=#33CCFF]Interspace Commerce Groundment [font=Arial Narrow]
You ask for compensation for the damage that the Hessians caused to Rheinland assets. Compensation that we already are giving you via insurance packages, despite Rheinland's failure to secure the Omega borderworlds which in short; cause Interspace Commerce huge net loss while insuring cargo in the Omegas.
As you understand we are gaining almost nothing by helping you and asking for more from Interspace Commerce for the actions of independent contractors seems like an attempt to drag us in the Liberty - Rheinland war.
Although we understand your frustration our private contractors have caused you and we will sort this out internally so there won't be more deliveries to the Hessians and we would also like to give access to our contractors, official and private, in Rheinland so we can keep supplying the Synth Foods workers on planet Stuttgart. And as a sign of good will, we'll assist you by supplying Krupp Munitions with necessary materials.
[font=cursive]Felicia Davis,
President and CEO,
Interspace Commerce
FROM: Erich Teufel, Rheinland Bundestag
TO: Interspace Commerce
Dear Mrs Davis,
You talk of razed insurance rates and cargo being lost in the omegas. Wake up and take a look at who the people piloting those dread ships with red lazors are. I am sure that Interspace Commerce is charging extra for the shipping insurance due to high risk in any matter.
We acknowledge the strained relations between Rheinland and Liberty are playing a role in this argument. You can surely see that the situation developing here has left us with plenty of reasons to distrust your organization.
I appreciate your cander in this matter, however the time for sorting this out internally has long past. Perhaps in the future non-union Interspace Commerce pilots may find a place among the stars of Rheinland, but this is not that time. We are both leaders of men, and we both understand how hard it would be to regulate an entire fleet the size of your own without a clear, organized, chain of command. Rheinland is willing to welcome Interspace Commerce within our borders. The new presence of Interspace Commerce in Rheinland must be a fresh, structured, and organized presence. The past has taught us these lessons and the future will give your company's contractors a chance to redeem themselves.
Rheinland is willing to drop the issue of reparations. Cooperation, not opposition is the key for the long-term survival of our co-ventures and business relationships. We stand firm, however, on the demand that an Interspace presence in Rheinland be one of unionized ships and a clear chain of command. We ask that you too affirm this to be for the best of both our parties with improved security measures for us, and less embarrassments for you. I again reiterate that, in time, your secondary contractors will have a chance to redeem themselves. I once more reiterate, that that time is not now.
Representative for the Rheinland Bundestag, Erich Teufel
Unfortunately, as things seems, this is will be our last transmission on the matter.
Until our private contractors will be allowed to haul cargo through Rheinland again,
we will cease any and all operations in Rheinland including funding the Rheinland Bundestag except supplying and maintaining Bonn station.
This is due to the fact that without the private contractors cargo deliveries, Interspace Commerece will drastically lose more than it gains in this sector of space.
I Felicia Davis, in the name of all Interspace Commerce, thank you for your understanding.
[color=#FFFFFF][font=cursive]Felicia Davis,
President and CEO,
Interspace Commerce