| Alster Shipyard | |
| Owner | |
| Imperial Shipping | |
| Location | |
| F/E-5/6, Hamburg |
CLASS: Elbe
GRAVITY: Partial
DOCKING: Yes
AMENITIES: Yes
CREW: 1040
Constructed by Imperial Shipping in 412 AS, the Alster Shipyard specializes in the construction of utility ships and transports. However, the shipyard is better known for its pivotal role in the emergence of the Unioner movement. Following the economic collapse of Rheinland in the aftermath of the 80-Years War, Imperial Shipping, subsequently renamed Republican, found itself compelled to downsize its operations in Hamburg to remain profitable.
In an effort to reduce costs, Republican terminated the employment of hundreds of shipwrights and thousands of surface laborers, ostensibly claiming a lack of work. In reality, the company was purging members of the "Alster Union," a labor rights organization that had long dominated labor negotiations. The Unioners responded to their expulsion with violence, commencing an armed campaign against Republican. Even with the rebranding to the Imperial Shipping name, the Unioners remain skeptical about any reconciliation with their former employers, and attacks persist without abating.
In the years preceding the Colony Wars, the shipyard was controversially pressed into service for the construction of military vessels, and in the aftermath, would assist with breaking up large capital ships in fulfilment of treaty obligations. To this day, the yard occasionally secures maintenance and refurbishment contracts from the Rheinland Military. Nonetheless, the majority of its projects are civilian in nature, with the maintenance of Imperial Shipping and Kruger fleets forming a significant portion of its workload.
Bribes & Missions Offered
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Commodities
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Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rheinland Train | Super Train | 1,606,006$ |
| Rheinland Heavy Transport | Heavy Transport | 1,006,006$ |
| Advanced Train | Super Train | 1,356,006$ |
News
| [834 AS] Historic trade deal secured with Gallia |
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NEW BERLIN -- 834 -- Following the Emperor’s state visit to Gallia, negotiators have finalized the Treaty of Oerlikon. This historic agreement boosts trade between the two Houses, while formalizing joint security standards in the dangerous Alsace Passage. Gallia is expected to be a major customer for Rheinland’s minerals, manufactured equipment and alloys, after negotiators exploited humiliating Gallic security lapses during the state visit to obtain enhanced market access as compensation. Rheinland citizens are already anticipating the novelty of Gallic foodstuffs, as well as cultural and luxury items. The Trade Ministry has celebrated a sharp drop in Food prices across Rheinland as a victory for the average citizen. |
| [834 AS] Bundschuh dossier sparks outrage |
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NEW BERLIN -- 834 -- A dossier of information has been published by the Bundschuh, alleging the Hamburg Blast was caused by an unstable Xeno Relic. The leaks implicate senior Imperial Shipping officers in a years-long plot to direct illegal research that was banned under the Denver Convention. In dawn raids, MND agents arrested Baron Mathias Schnider (Hamburg University’s dean of physics) and Wolfgang Kohler (Imperial Shipping’s Vice President of Academic Investments). Imperial Shipping has disavowed all knowledge of the alleged scheme, blaming ‘rogue elements’ for any wrongdoing. Baron Schnider and Mr Kohler both deny the charges, calling the dossier a ‘terrorist fabrication’. |
| [834 AS] Catastrophe on Planet Hamburg! |
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ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 834 -- A massive explosion has rocked Rotherbaum City, annihilating Hamburg University’s physics campus and plunging the northern hemisphere into darkness. Government authorities reacted immediately by deploying the Rheinland Military to the region to coordinate emergency relief; government officials have also confirmed that the MND have taken charge of the federal investigation into the incident. Initial reports have confirmed that the highly sensitive Optronic components used to regulate power networks were destroyed by a large pulse of energy. Kishiro Technologies has reportedly ramped up production in anticipation of increased orders. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast. |
| [833 AS] Rheinland pledges support over Dublin action |
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HAMBURG -- 833 -- While touring Nanotube production facilities on Altona Station, Trade Minister Baron Tobias von Hueber acknowledged Interspace's recent report on the Gold market. He confirmed Rheinland’s support for any military action Bretonia takes to reassert control over Dublin, condemning calls for a negotiated settlement. He argued that capitulating to terrorists and separatists was "intolerable" and would undermine the territorial sovereignty of all the Houses. Hueber closed his speech by urging Bretonia to take immediate and decisive action to restore the Gold trade, offering Rheinland's industrial services to the Bretonian Armed Forces. |
| [833 AS] Gold Insecurity Invites Crisis |
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WATERLOO -- 833 -- Interspace analysts have published a report on the continued volatility of sector-wide Gold supplies, claiming that further instability invites disaster. The reports note the pressures placed on advanced Optronics, Bio-Neural Processor and Quantum Multiplexor manufacturing were already causing spiraling cost increases in adjacent market sectors. Market analysis also indicates that the bulk of Bretonian exports now consist of recycled and in some cases adulterated materials, likely indicating that stockpiles are running low. Interspace has called upon House authorities to collectively find the means of addressing the Dublin question before economic crisis becomes inevitable. |
| [831 AS] Alster Announces Tariff Windfall |
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ALSTER -- 831 -- Alster is reporting promising year-on-year financials, as ship orders boom. The turnaround appears to have been caused by Imperial tariffs imposed on Kusari shipbuilding imports during the Civil War, a policy maintained by the current Consensus Government despite complaints from New Tokyo. For the first time in years, Alster has begun to hire new shifts, as production ramps up across hull classes ranging from heavy transports to gas miners. Despite this, Unioner attacks and enhanced security checks continue to impose a drag on productivity. The Elector Prince of Hamburg has filed a complaint with New Berlin, requesting a permanent Military garrison. |
| [831 AS/747 AGS] Gate Corps Clash Over 'Blackout'! |
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ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin jump gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source. |
| [831 AS] Imperial Offers Reward for Lost Liner |
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ALTONA -- 831 -- Imperial Shipping have released additional details about the lost liner RSS Von Albrecht. The bulk passenger ferry had been traveling from Houston when the chilling Blackout Crisis stranded it in Hudson. Cached communication logs confirm that the liner reached the Hamburg Jump Gate. Imperial has stated that the liner's last known signals were a hijacking alert, rescinded by a false-alarm code several minutes later. Imperial has offered a significant bounty for information leading to the return of the Von Albrecht, its passengers and crew. Rheinland and Liberty naval patrols are continuing to cooperate in their investigations. |
| [831 AS/747 AGS] 'Blackout' Causes Jump Network Fail |
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MANHATTAN -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When the network resumed 31 hours later, restored communications broke the news of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged the market into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates indicate that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of culpability for the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's jump gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. Independent researchers in Cologne and the Edge Worlds have also announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, with data about 'The Pulse' being widely shared across the neural net in recent days. House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to comment on their own observatories' data. |
| [830 AS] Bessemer Struck by Corsair Raiders! |
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MAINZ -- 830 AS -- An Ageira Technologies research vessel, the ATS Bessemer, has come under a Corsair attack during its final venture through the Munich Jump Gate. The Bessemer, dispatched on a joint expedition by Ageira and the University of Berlin, was en route from the Raubling junction to the Frankfurt gate when it was waylaid by Corsair raiders on the edge of the Schwarzwald cloud. The RPU Dohna, a police gunboat tasked with overseeing the gate during the expedition, was quick to respond, but not before the raiders dealt significant damage to the unprepared civilian vessel. Anonymous sources report that as many as five Ageira employees lost their lives in the attack. The incident came as a shock to the public and the law enforcement alike, as pirate activity was believed to have completely died out in the desolate Munich system. The frequency of strikes, from both Corsairs and domestic pirates, have steadily declined ever since the antimatter storm first ravaged the system. While the chaotic evacuation efforts from Nuremberg had initially caused a spike, as the system's population decayed to just skeleton crews and Junker scavengers, the criminal element became nearly absent. Some theorize that the Corsairs were there for the Bessemer specifically, intending for one last taunt at Rheinland's people. Thankfully, the Dohna and her crew were there to thwart their efforts. The ATS Bessemer was dispatched into the Munich system in order to deploy a network of specially reinforced satellites, meant to monitor the advent of the antimatter storm's core. According to the University of Berlin, the core will wash over Munich around the end of this month, stripping away planetary atmospheres and most likely collapsing all remaining jumphole anomalies. The probes deployed by the Bessemer will provide the scientific community with first-hand data of the storm and its effects, transmitting it back to Berlin through a central relay nested within the safety of Raubling's hulk. With the task complete, the Bessemer was meant to be the final ship to make the jump from Munich, with the Jump Gate being shut down later the same day. However, due to the damage sustained in the attack, the RPU Dohna did the honours instead, covering the Bessemer's departure to ensure its safe return. |
| [830 AS] Leaks Reveal Secret Gallic Treaty |
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OERLIKON -- 830 -- Confidential diplomatic cables have been uploaded to the neural net after a Rheinland official left an unencrypted datapad on a New Berlin shuttle. Included was a mocking assessment of Gallic negotiators working on a previously secret free trade treaty, and penalty threats over EFL’s slow progress on the Omicron Rho Jump Gate. EFL had privately objected that The Core was failing to provide adequate security against Corsair raiders. The internal communications predict large cost overruns, and further delays of over a year. Rheinland has refused to comment on the leaks directly, but has announced the deployment of Rheinland Military squadrons to Sigma-15 for ‘border security’ missions. |
| [829 AS] Unioners Outlawed over Armistice Violations |
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HAMBURG -- 828 AS -- Rheinland officials have once more outlawed the Unioners following multiple incidents of piracy, smuggling and racketeering. The Unioners were offered an armistice and amnesty through the post-Civil War Holstein Accords. Regrettably, the Unioners appear to have effectively rejected this offer for reintegration into society by reverting almost immediately to their old ways. An anonymous RFP source commented, “I doubt they ever had any intention of abiding by the Accords, they were simply seeing how much they could get away with before we responded.” Arrest warrants and bounties on Unioner affiliates have now been issued across Rheinland space. |
| [828 AS] Shotgun Diplomacy |
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ERIE -- 828 AS -- In a turn of events for the quiet system, the Liberty Navy press corps has released information about an incident involving a Slave Liner. Spokesperson to the CNS Bradley Stern addressed the conference by stating the ship had refused to comply with orders issued by patrols, and that it was being conducted in a manner that raised all manner of red flags. The Delaware was forced to position itself such that the ship was forced to stop, and when a cargo scan was conducted it was revealed that the Liner was carrying a vast quantity of munitions. With its secret loose, the Liner attempted to escape and was promptly disabled by secondary cannon fire. Upon further investigation, the Navy has successfully identified the ordnance being transported as being sourced from Rheinland. Going as far as to state that they contained serial codes which correspond with weaponry used by Rheinland's own Military. Naturally given the circumstances around the discovery of these weapons and Liberty's history of hot and cold relations with the neighboring House, it is expected that this development will lead to further scrutiny when it comes to potentially suspicious activity. |
| [828 AS] Cologne Aftermath |
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COLOGNE – 828 AS – The siege of Planet Saarbrucken proved that the reunited might of Rheinland is a force to be reckoned with; the Hessians have largely vacated the system. In preparation for the assault, the miners turned pirate had weaponized the nearby Tholey Station to slow down the advance of the military. In order to bring a swift end to the fighting with minimal casualties the commanding officer ordered the station be neutralized rather than boarded, resulting in its destruction. Despite the success of the Military, it seems the Hessians flagship; Battleship Kassel, has managed to escape virtually unscathed. Rumors on Heisenberg Research Station speak of Hessian prisoners taken by Corsairs and Unioners alike. It's no secret there is a lot of bad blood between these groups and the Hessians and this reporter shudders to think of what fate awaits those poor deluded criminals. |
| [828 AS] Hessians Flee Under Rheinlands Might! |
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COLOGNE – 828 AS – Under pressure from both the emperor and elected officials for a quick and decisive resolution to the ongoing Cologne crisis, the Rheinland Ministerium of Defence ordered the Altenburg battlegroup to advance onto the Red Hessian position at Planet Saarbrucken. The Red Hessians recently received additional reinforcements as it became clear the former miners planned to dig-in and would need to be uprooted from their position. The Siege of Saarbrucken is currently underway and it has been reported that the Red Hessians have begun evacuating from the area. It is speculated however that the Red Hessians intend to make the Rheinland military suffer for every meter they take. The Rheinland Military has offered a reward for any Red Hessians that are caught fleeing from the siege. The military has also advised caution as they have reported several other pirate groups in the area, with some claiming these groups are striking out at the Hessians. This reporter cannot help but think this situation goes to show, that there is no honour among thieves. |
| [826 AS] Wandsbek Murder Sparks Panic |
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WANDSBEK CITY -- 826 -- The RFP has appealed for information after a massacre at a Wandsbeck City apartment block. Sources report that all 43 residents of the building were killed during the night, allegedly by four service droids armed with knives. The killings bear a chilling resemblance to those committed by Steffen Kalb, the serial killer known as ‘Der Mechaniker’. Sentenced to life imprisonment in Vierlande in 793 AS, Kalb committed his murders by hacking and remotely controlling utility droids. Red Hessian terrorists are believed to have freed Vierlande Prison's inmates during the recent attack on the station. Wandsbek mayor Luca Müller has called for calm. |
| [826 AS] Vierlande Prison Breached! |
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VIERLANDE PRISON -- 826 -- Hamburg has been placed on high alert after a large force of Coalition, Red Hessians and Unioners attacked Vierlande Prison. It is believed the pirates exploited a routine prisoner transfer to enter the station, quickly overwhelming the local garrison. Due to the ongoing conflict in the Sigmas, the Hamburg garrison is currently at the lowest level seen since the immediate aftermath of the Colony Wars. Local Federal Police squadrons were unable to muster sufficient force to repel the attack. Authorities have stressed that the situation is in hand, and there is no reason to believe escapees will be able to penetrate the Police blockade cordoning off the area. |
| [825 AS] Kusari declares war on Rheinland |
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SAIGON -- 825 -- In a solemn speech, Chancellor Neumann has condemned Kusari's declaration of war as ""a misguided day of sadness for both our Houses"". Kusari asserts that Rheinland destroyed Ibusuki Survey Platform in Sigma-21, killing 61 Kusari citizens. The Battleship Bayern had been ordered to enforce an eviction order removing the staging point for Gas Miners Guild terrorists, but was shocked to discover the station's wreckage upon arriving on the scene. Kusari has since released logs from the station's distress beacon, which it claims incriminates Rheinland forces. Anonymous government sources believe these logs have been fabricated, likely to provide a pretext for Kusari's own territorial ambitions in Sigma-21. |
| [825 AS] GMG Enemies of the State! |
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HAMMERSEE -- 825 -- Pilots of the Battleship Altenburg have deployed to counter acts of GMG terrorism in Sigma-15. The Kruger vessel Velbert was brutally destroyed by Guild pirates, killing all aboard. The perpetrators were pursued to a nearby Jump Hole, and are believed to have escaped to Sigma-21. Taking a bold step to secure Rheinland’s interests, Chancellor Neumann has declared a counter-terrorism operation against the GMG. She vowed to pursue all means available to defend Rheinland’s territorial sovereignty and citizens, including the territories of Sigma-15 and 21. The GMG are ordered to withdraw all forces from both systems and surrender the murderers of the Velbert. The arrival of the Battleship Bayern in Sigma-21 will allow Rheinland to directly enforce its demands. |
| [823 AS] Liberty and Rheinland formally end conflict |
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NEW BERLIN -- 823 -- President Powell and Chancellor Neumann have signed the Treaty of Atka formally ending the state of war between their two Houses. 6 years of devastating conflict has seen tens of thousands killed and both Houses severely economically damaged. The agreement sees Rheinland cede all claims on Planet Atka, while Hudson and Bering are split in half, creating two security zones. The boundary between these two zones remains neutral territory, to be policed by the Bounty Hunters Guild under a joint contract. In return, Liberty has agreed to immediately end all economic sanctions, and fund 85% of the Jump Gate cleanup and reconstruction project. |
| [822 AS] Schulte removed through no confidence vote |
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NEW BERLIN -- 822 -- Chancellor Schulte has been ejected from office after the Reichstag passed a constructive vote of no confidence. The motion is believed to have been tabled after sensitive private correspondence was leaked from his office; it is alleged these documents detailed Schulte's plans to sabotage peace negotiations with Liberty, supposedly as a means of extending his wartime powers. Former Trade and Industry Minister Luisa Neumann has received the necessary votes from Reichstag representatives to be appointed Chancellor. She has vowed to end the war, while securing reasonable concessions from Liberty. |
| [821 AS] Chancellor resigns over health concerns |
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NEW BERLIN -- 821 -- Chancellor Rheinhardt has resigned from office, stating that deteriorating health has prevented him from fulfilling his duties. The Reichstag thanked the outgoing Chancellor for his service, before nominating Maximilian Schulte through a majority vote. Chancellor Schulte served in Rheinhardt’s administration as the Minister of Defense; he has vowed to uphold Chancellor Rheinhardt’s policies, stressing his own unwavering resolve to achieving Liberty’s military defeat for their unjust aggression. Schulte’s inaugural speech hailed members of the Rheinland Military as heroes, whose sacrifice had secured Rheinland’s greatness. |
| [820 AS] Liberty sabotages ceasefire talks |
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PLANET CAMBRIDGE -- 820 -- While fighting has largely ground to a halt in Bering and Hudson following the destruction of the Hamburg Jump Gates, Liberty and Rheinland remain locked in a state of cold war. Rheinland officials have confirmed for the first time that mediation with Liberty has been attempted over recent months in Bretonia. This good faith negotiation has been impeded by the Liberty aggressors’ bad faith conduct and attempts to impose laughable conditions. During these talks Liberty has continued to launch terrorist strikes at Hamburg civilians, intended to coerce Rheinland into capitulation. As a result, no common ground could be found, with Chancellor Rheinhardt vowing to fight on until Liberty’s criminal ambitions are defeated. |
| [820 AS] Wartime powers delay elections |
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NEW BERLIN -- 820 -- Relying on wartime powers, the Chancellor has announced that elections will be indefinitely postponed until the current time of crisis has passed. In a solemn speech to the Reichstag, Chancellor Reinhardt announced the formation of a wartime coalition government to tackle the looming threats of Liberty aggression and Red Hessian terrorism. A number of opposition representatives will join the Chancellor’s government as ministers, most senior being Maximilian Schulte of the Rheinland Conservative Bloc who will serve as Defense Minister. The Reichstag passed an uncharacteristically united motion providing support for the move. |
| [819 AS] Liberty invasion thwarted by bold action |
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BERING -- 819 -- Owing to the deteriorating situation in the Independent Worlds, Rheinland has been forced to withdraw all remaining Military units from Bering and Hudson. Intercepted intelligence on a planned Liberty invasion of Hamburg sadly proved true, forcing the execution of an unspeakable contingency plan. As the Liberty fleets began docking with the Jump Gates, charges were detonated, crippling the connection. Rheinland engineers then triggered the anti-tamper devices on Hamburg’s gates to prevent a connection from being re-established. Chancellor Reinhardt expressed his sincere regret for the move, but maintained it was necessary to repel Liberty imperialism. The destruction of the Gate connections also severs any hope for a quick post-war resumption of trade. |
| [819 AS] Liberty invasion plans leaked |
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HAMBURG -- 819 -- An anonymous Rheinland source has leaked detailed intelligence intercepts of a Liberty Navy plan to force a ""knockout blow"" in Hamburg. The plot involves massed Liberty battleships simultaneously breaching Hamburg’s Bering and Hudson Jump Gates, followed by Marines landing on the planet and seizing key infrastructure. This marks a significant escalation of the conflict, which had previously been confined to the Independent World border systems. As the news spread, scenes of chaos erupted on Planet Hamburg as citizens swarmed the spaceports in an attempt to flee off-world. Chancellor Rheinhart has called for calm in this grave time, promising his administration were “examining all options, no matter how severe” to protect Rheinland’s citizens. |
| [818 AS] Military promises weapon to turn the tide of war |
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SCHATTEN -- 818 AS -- Daumann engineers have today unveiled the product of many months of development, designed to support Rheinland’s operations on the front: the Elbe class carrier. Financed in part by New Berlin’s wealthy Rutger family, the prototype hull has met with rousing approval by Military examiners, with the Carrier Soltau to be deployed in the coming weeks. Designed from the ground up to supplement Rheinland forces against the Libertonian invader, its light and nimble design has been tailored to counter Liberty doctrine. The Chancellor’s Office affirmed that the public announcement of the new class was intended to signal Rheinland’s eternal resolve to resist aggression, regardless of any temporary setbacks in Bering or Hudson. |
| [817 AS] War with Liberty! |
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HUDSON -- In response to Liberty’s encroachment in Hudson, state sponsored terrorism in Hamburg and attacks on classified research stations, Chancellor Reinhardt has taken decisive steps to secure Rheinland’s interests. Military patrols have been deployed in force to Hudson and Bering; Liberty responded to these reasonable steps by intercepting forward elements and attacking. Several are believed to have been killed in the clash. Liberty has feigned ignorance of their aggression, using the incident as a pretext to declare a formal state of war. Rheinland does not relish such a return to conflict, but we will do whatever is necessary to safeguard our House and people. Our proud Military will ensure the sovereignty of Rheinland, and the autonomy of the Independent Worlds. |
| [817 AS] Rheinland shocked by Gallic discovery |
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NEW BERLIN -- 817 AS -- Shocking reports from Bretonia have revealed the existence of the previously unknown House Gallia beyond the Taus. Jump Holes into Gallia were apparently intentionally hidden within vast mine fields, and only recently breached by a Gallic dissident group named The Council. They describe a House commanded by an isolationist and militaristic absolute monarchy, with whom they are locked into a bloody civil war. The revelation that a French Sleeper Ship arrived in Sirius in 84 AS has sent shockwaves through Rheinland, with many calling for immediate diplomatic contact to be established with the Gallic state. The star cluster settled by Gallia is believed to be the most remote part of the Sirius sector colonized by humanity. |
| [816 AS] Journalists assassinated in arson attack |
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PLANET HAMBURG -- 816 -- Hamburg’s spaceport has been locked down after a masked assailant entered the media offices of WahrheitBericht, gunning down many staff and setting fire to the building. RFP counter-terrorism officers immediately responded, pursuing the gunman to a nearby abandoned hab-block. In the resulting firefight, several officers were killed before the attacker detonated an explosive device, killing himself in the blast. WahrheitBericht had recently published groundbreaking claims about illegal Liberty research programmes. Chancellor Reinhardt has furiously condemned the murders as “political assassination”; the MND have taken control of the investigation. |
| [816 AS] Rheinland media alleges illegal Liberty research |
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PLANET HAMBURG -- 816 -- The Hamburg investigative outlet WahrheitsBericht has leveled explosive accusations at Liberty, claiming illegal research activities. Citing anonymous sources, the report alleges the existence of a previously unknown star system code-named “Alaska”, where the Liberty Security Force has recently been authorized to carry out human experimentation and Artifact research prohibited by the Denver Convention. Liberty has responded furiously to the broadcast, with President Powell dismissing it during Congressional questions as “baseless, lurid conspiracy theories”. WahrheitBericht has promised more “bombshell” revelations in the coming days, advertising a full length documentary they will self-publish next week. |
| [816 AS] Rheinland Torpedoes Talks on Hudson Status |
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HUDSON -- 816 -- Liberty’s newly elected President Powell has demanded talks with Rheinland on the status of the Hudson border. Liberty has long had ambitions of annexing the system, with Rheinland at several points coming close to selling their consent for the move. Since the last substantive round of negotiations collapsed in 812 AS, Rheinland has remained non-committal on the issue. This ended with a statement by Chancellor Reinhardt declaring Rheinland would “never countenance” auctioning away the “integral” border system, pointing to economic and defense interests. Powell blasted Reinhardt in return, arguing that Liberty was “owed” compensation for Colony War damages, and that Rheinland had a duty to negotiate in good faith. |
| [815 AS] Blast on Ingolstadt Kills Executives |
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INGOLSTADT -- 815 -- A bomb has been detonated aboard Ingolstadt Station in Munich, targeting a Republican Shipping executive board meeting. Over 70 people have been declared dead so far, while emergency responders work tirelessly to repressurize damaged decks and access trapped crew members. The Unioners have claimed responsibility for the attack, with a broadcast claiming they had targeted Republican CEO Andrea Kirsch. Kirsch has confirmed that she was not in attendance at the meeting. Republican has previously submitted a formal complaint to New Berlin over Munich’s lax security environment, which relies on patrols from the distant Battleship Koblenz. Government officials confirmed that they were examining all options. |
| [808 AS] Hamburg University restricts research access |
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ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 808 -- Hamburg University has announced a change to its publication process. Academics from other institutions will now need to subscribe to a ‘commercial affiliates’ programme managed by Republican Shipping to gain access to the university’s papers for peer review or research. Objections have been raised by New Berlin and Cambridge Universities, who argue that the move threatens academic freedom and scientific rigor. Hamburg University was bailed out by Republican Shipping three years ago when the institution faced imminent bankruptcy. Republican's Academic Investments Office say the fees schedule will subsidize "innovative research" and "push forward novel paradigms". |
| [808 AS] Schweizer Commission reports to the Reichstag |
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NEW BERLIN -- 808 -- Otto Schweizer has delivered his damning report to the Reichstag. The 1,400-page document accuses Daumann and Republican of colluding to create a "cartel-like structure" to defraud public funds in the lead-up to the Colony Wars. The Commission describes "inexplicable" and "self-destructive" financial irregularities that were signed off by Chancellor Niemann and senior officials during this period. Schweizer is believed to have passed on recommendations to the Public Prosecutor General for behavior rising to the standard of criminal conduct. Bipartisan legislation has already been tabled in the Reichstag to begin the process of clawing funds back from both corporations. |
| [808 AS] Rio Grande Puts pirates to the sword |
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RIO GRANDE -- 808 -- The Battleship Rio Grande and its fleet has carried out an expansive counter-piracy campaign in Hudson. Attacks on convoys in the region have already markedly dropped, with Navy representatives claiming dozens of destroyed Liberty Rogue, Unioner and Xeno ships. Rheinland's Chancellor Steller called the deployment of the battleship into the border system ‘unlawful’, while the Rheinland Military announced a strategic defense review to probe its readiness levels. The Rio Grande’s ‘take no prisoners’ posture has also drawn criticism from Houston’s congressional representatives, who argue depriving the pirates the possibility of reform through the Liberty penal system is a breach of their human rights. Liberty says it was ‘forced’ to act by Rheinland’s failure to police the system adequately. |
| [807 AS] Colony War Demilitarization Complete |
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ODER SHIPYARD -- 807 -- With the deconstruction of the Battleship Goethe, the Rheinland Government has announced that the post-Colony War process of demilitarization has been completed. The Federal Audit Office has also provided a damning report to the Schweizer Commission, indicating that the bulk of the hulls examined were built to cheap, 80-Years War grade, rather than the modernized standards billed for by Daumann and Republican. Opposition politicians have called for the corporations to be charged with fraud. Addressing the Reichstag, Councillor Stellar announced that the day "closed a door on a dark period of Rheinland’s history". |
| [807 AS] Liberty Concerned by Rheinland Pirates |
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FREEPORT 2 -- 807 -- Liberty has raised a formal complaint with New Berlin over the deteriorating security situation in Hamburg, Bering and Hudson. Pirate attacks in the border worlds have risen dramatically over recent years, as Rheinland plunges ever deeper into economic crisis. The Rheinland Military advise that they do not have the resources to schedule additional patrols, while Liberty corporations claim that existing patrols rarely respond to emergency calls. Liberty Navy sources warn that unless Rheinland steps up, the Navy is going to be forced to ‘clean house’ itself. Preliminary discussions about a Liberty-funded RFP border force are ongoing, however Rheinland is reluctant to accept more Liberty debts. |
| [808 AS] Klaus Schulze murdered following arrest |
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MAINZ -- 808 -- Republican Shipping’s stock price has plummeted following the arrest and then assassination of CEO Klaus Schulze. In a shocking move, MND agents raided the facility on Planet Nuremberg where Schulze had been hiding, charging him with treason. Reminiscent of the killing of Wolfgang Daumann five years ago, the prison convoy carrying Schulze was intercepted and destroyed by multiple squadrons of Bundschuh in Frankfurt. Federal Police responders from Fulda confirmed that no survivors were recovered. Schulze was a reclusive figure that had rarely been seen in public since the end of the Colony Wars, claiming fears for his safety. |
| [805 AS] Republican bails out Hamburg University |
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ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 805 -- Hamburg University has narrowly avoided bankruptcy after negotiating a financing deal with Republican Shipping. The University's public funding was recently removed as a part of the ""difficult decisions” made by the government to stave off financial collapse. Republican is believed to have appointed itself as a “corporate guardian” for the institution, providing funding in exchange for exclusive rights to commercially exploit any resulting intellectual property. Republican representatives have confirmed that the investment forms part of the company’s broader plan to revitalize the Hamburg economy. |
| [804 AS] Secret war in Rheinland? |
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HAMBURG -- 804 -- A petition has been filed with the Chancellor's office by the families of deceased Military personnel, claiming that dozens of Hamburg families have received next of kin notifications over recent weeks. Sabine Wexler says, “the Ministry of Defense refuses to release my son’s body or tell me why he died. He was a soldier, not a pilot. He shouldn't have been fighting.” A representative of the Chancellor passed on his condolences to the families, and advised that the deaths were related to counter-terrorism operations against the Red Hessians. The families have vowed to take the matter to court unless the withheld bodies are released for proper burial." |
| [804 AS] Leaked documents reveal war profiteering |
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NEW BERLIN -- 804 -- Daumann and Republican Shipping have both come under fire after a cache of leaked documents revealed their profits from Colony War shipbuilding contracts. Chancellor Niemann’s unprecedented military buildup cost hundreds of billions of credits to surge production in both the Oder and Alster Shipyards. The documents released by Bundschuh activists revealed that both corporations reaped record-breaking profits for this work. Several Reichstag delegates have called for the corporations' executives to be investigated as war criminals and the public funds clawed back. Chancellor Steller’s office has reluctantly promised an inquest into the matter, appointing Otto Schweizer to investigate. |
| [804 AS] Treaty of Honshu eases Colony War wounds |
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HONSHU -- 804 -- Dignitaries from Rheinland and Kusari today ratified the Second Treaty of Honshu, officially normalizing relations between the two Houses and ending Kusari’s embargo. Rheinland has formally accepted sole culpability for the Colony Wars and agreed to a 20 year reparations package. This includes preferential rates for Kusari corporations on military goods and resources needed to rebuild the Kusari Naval Forces, and financial compensation for the damages inflicted in Honshu itself. Chancellor Steller offered his sincere condolences to Kusari over the war, and promised a brighter future of mutual prosperity. |
| [803 AS] Hudson negotiations stall |
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HUDSON -- 803 -- The Hudson border world between Liberty and Rheinland is a dangerous and lawless place. Liberty has long had an interest in annexing the system, having previously commissioned terraforming surveys of Planet Atka. In 800 AS, Rheinland had come close to selling its consent for the move, until Chancellor Niemann abruptly withdrew from negotiations. Liberty has since requested renewed talks in exchange for substantial investment and debt relief packages, but the newly elected Chancellor Steller declined, saying that he would not “make territorial concessions in a time of crisis.” Despite this, Liberty appears unwilling to abandon its ambitions in the region. |
| [803 AS] Rheinland recession bites deep |
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BONN STATION -- 803 -- Interspace has officially confirmed that Rheinland's economy has entered a sharp recession. This is largely a consequence of the devastating Colony Wars, Kusari's trade boycott, and the gradual tapering of the 'lifeline' loans Liberty had used to sustain the Provisional Rheinland Government. Anonymous government sources also commented that audits of Niemann-era records were revealing bizarre patterns of extreme short-term borrowing and expenditure that amounted to ‘financial sabotage'. Chancellor Steller has announced a raft of measures intended to address the economic crisis, including renewed negotiations with Kusari and targeted state investments. |
| [802 AS] New task force hunts war criminals |
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NEW BERLIN -- 802 -- NEW BERLIN -- 802 -- Chancellor Steller has announced the formation of the Marinenachrichtendienst, an autonomous Federal taskforce with a mandate to investigate all echelons of the Rheinland Military. Steller has decried his predecessor, Niemann, as a traitor whose insane wars of aggression were enabled by an insidious, revanchist rot at the highest levels of civil and military leadership. In a fiery speech, Steller ordered the MND's newly appointed Director Von Claussen to 'root out' these 'war criminals' and bring them to justice. Rheinland officials are now believed to have ended the Liberty Security Force’s involvement with the investigation, describing it as an 'internal security matter'. |
| [802 AS] Chancellor Steller elected to office |
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NEW BERLIN -- 802 -- Following emergency elections, the Provisional Rheinland Government has been dissolved and Chancellor Alfred Steller voted into office by the newly seated Reichstag. Steller has vowed to return Rheinland to a state of normalcy, and undo the damage inflicted by the traitor Niemann and his enablers. Steller has promised to uphold the Provisional Government's policy of demilitarization, and has committed to make amends with Kusari and the other Houses for the unprovoked aggression of the Colony Wars. President Jacobi offered her congratulations and Liberty's support to Chancellor Stellar's new administration. |
| [801 AS] Rheinland High Command missing? |
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NEW BERLIN -- 801 -- As the smoke clears following the cessation of recent hostilities, citizens across the Colonies have two simple questions: what happened, and why? As the Rheinland Provisional Government looks to answer those questions, it has become apparent that the House’s senior military leadership has vanished. According to anonymous sources, the whereabouts of the Military High Command is unknown, with numerous Admirals disappearing along with their flagships. The Rheinland Federal Police and Liberty Security Force have posted bounties for the missing officers after formal desertion charges were pressed. |
| [801 AS] Provisional Rheinland Government demilitarizes |
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POTSDAM -- 801 -- The Provisional Rheinland Government has begun urgent and immediate demilitarization. PRG representatives advised this was an absolute necessity to prevent Rheinland’s imminent financial collapse, and had been a requirement for both Bretonia and Liberty to drop heavy reparation demands. It is expected that these cuts will reduce the Rheinland Military’s headcount by over 80%%, leaving tens of thousands unemployed. This will reduce the force to levels last seen in 794 AS, prior to Chancellor Niemann’s build-up programme. Already huge formations of capital ships have been mothballed in orbit of Potsdam, awaiting shipyard space for deconstruction. |
| [801 AS] Kusari imposes embargo on Rheinland |
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NEW TOKYO -- 801 -- Shogun Edo has announced that a full economic embargo of Rheinland will be imposed by Kusari due to the outrages of the Colony Wars. Liberty’s President Jacobi has taken a leading role in mediation between Rheinland and the other Houses, with the Provisional Rheinland Government offering a message of condolence to the Kusari people for the actions of the toppled previous regime. Despite this, Kusari has remained resolute that no normalization of relations will be considered until full reparations are made for the devastation in Honshu and New Tokyo, and the many crimes Kusari alleges were perpetrated there. |
| [801 AS] Republican executives flee Hamburg |
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PLANET HAMBURG -- 801 -- As Rheinland reels in the aftermath of the Colony Wars, Republican Shipping has announced the closure of several of its executive offices in Hamburg. The shipbuilding and haulage firm has long been one of the planet's largest employers, sparking alarm that Republican could be planning further rounds of layoffs. Republican sources advised that they were simply insulating themselves from Hamburg's increasingly dire short term forecasts, and investing more heavily into their Ingolstadt facilities in Munich. Pre-war projections had expected local unemployment to fall to 26%% by 805 AS, although this trend is now expected to sharply reverse. |
| [801 AS] Rheinland ends all hostilities |
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FULDA -- 801 -- With the disappearance of Chancellor Niemann and the installation of the Liberty-backed Provisional Rheinland Government, an immediate cessation of all hostilities has been ordered. Rheinland forces have begun withdrawals on all fronts. Reports from Kusari have confirmed that the Northern Fleet has retreated from New Tokyo and Honshu, however it has not returned to Rheinland or recognized the authority of the PRG. Government sources believe the fleet may have deserted, with Rheinland's remaining loyalist security forces being ordered to high-alert as a precaution against pro-Niemann coup attempts. |
Rumors
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| Imperial Shipping |
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NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:55:47 UTC