| Battleship Nagasaki
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- We have left Bretonia and the Armed Forces behind us. It was the only thing left to do. Bretonia is facing Gallia on the surface of Planet Leeds, a bloody ground war which we do not have the numbers for. Our best course of action is to return to Kusari and rally our people. It won't be easy, but I doubt that any honorable Kusari Naval Forces pilot would fire on his brethren.
- Our ship may have seen better days - she is well overdue for a berth - but the same cannot be said for her crew. We are almost home, and the prospect of returning to Kyushu space has raised the spirits of everyone aboard this ship. Our commander is cautious, and wishes to wait until Yamato and Satsume can join us. But I am eager to see the Crow up close again.
- Being this close to home means we are finally getting more than a trickle of Kusari goods again. Rice, Sake, compatible Hull Panels and Optronics... It has become easier to arrange for these supplies now that we are no longer behind the Gallic fleet. Now we can repair our ships in earnest, rather then patch them up with barely-compatible Bretonian parts.
- Our war with Gallia must be fought differently. We cannot possibly survive a frontal assault against their fleets, not while we are not unified in our own house. Our course has returned us to the edge of Kusari space, but we must wait for all our brothers to join us, before we return home. Leaving soldiers behind is not -our- way.
- I'm not sure if I will ever be able to look at New Tokyo and feel home. Being abandoned by the people you were fighting for is a bitter fate to endure. Yes, we survived in Bretonia - most of us. But how can you fight for victory when those you fought for have surrendered?
- Will Bretonia endure? I do not know. They are stubborn folk, but not the brightest bulbs when it comes to military tactics. But the same is true for Gallia - they rely on sheer numerical pressure to achieve their goal. The cost of their campaign must be staggering. Not even they can keep this up indefinitely. A battle of attrition is ultimately destructive for all those involved. I am glad we are returning home.
- We receive most of our support from Samura. They run supplies to us from Shinkaku, and by proxy, Kusari itself. In return we run patrols north of their base, in an effort to curb some of the Outcast attacks they must endure. It is shameful that Kusari is not sending her own Naval Forces to protect these civilians. Have their soldiers forgotten who it is they have sworn to protect?
- The greatest day of my life was the day the Emperor arrived to rally the troops in the war against Gallia. The lowest day in my life was the day that he died. But he never yielded, he never surrendered. I will follow the path he has set. His successor will lead Kusari back to greatness.
- When the true Emperor returns to Kusari, I expect there to be a cleansing of the government. The treacherous fools who have betrayed Kusari must be dealt with so harshly that no one ever contemplates such treason ever again. Fuchu will overflow, if his eminence is generous. Many families will mourn if he is not.
- We have received a report that Gallia has established a Jump Gate in Tau-53. That is both a concern and an opportunity. We are not certain how large Gallic gates are, but if their warships are any indication, their size should be sufficient for any of our ships. It is tempting to consider the prospect of going behind -their- lines and destabilize their rear.
- News from home is disconcerning. The new government seems to have a lot of support on New Tokyo and Honshu, but Kyushu is almost in a state of revolt. Shikoku and Hokkaido do not have large civilian populations, but they will likely follow New Tokyo. I am loathe to admit it, but the new governments actions have created a rift in the heart of Kusari. Time will tell if it will heal.
- When the time comes to return to Kyushu, Nagasaki will meet Nagumo, likely at the edge of Kyushu space. I do not know what will happen. If it comes to a fight, Nagasaki's crew has well over double the experience of the Nagumo. But I cannot say if either the Exiled or those following the Kusari Republic will fire on eachother. One spark may ignite the whole of Kusari. Let us hope for rain, that day.
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| Yokohama Shipyard
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- The Blood Dragons have been focusing more of their attacks on the Hokkaido Jump Gate. They realize that if Hokkaido can be isolated, it will soon fall into their hands. Our expeditionary force in the system is weary of the nonstop combat, heavy losses, and fanatical hatred that the government bureaucrats and Samura share for the enemy.
- The Kusari Naval Forces has learned that Liberty is developing a new class of super ships far more advanced than that displayed in the Missouri class. However, we have been unable to learn of the secret location. It would be impossible for Liberty to conceal its intentions in the New York system.
- The Yokohama shipyard has been producing all of Kusari's Naval Forces ships since 100 AS. We have worked hand-in-hand with Samura to forge a great empire. The Blood Dragons and the Golden Chrysanthemums are a threat to the peace and stability that Kusari has enjoyed for 800 years.
- The Naval Forces is somewhat uncertain of our relationship with Samura. Kishiro has shown us more promising research in 10 years at our new center in Kansai than Samura ever has at Nansei. They recently offered to build our ships at the Yukawa yard in Honshu. Given their more advanced shielding technology, this is an attractive proposition.
- The GMG acts as our border guard in the Sigma systems. This has been invaluable in reducing overall security costs for Kusari. Otherwise, the Matsumoto would not be available to patrol the Hokkaido system, which is arguably not of much strategic value to Kusari. They should move the Matsumoto into the Tottori system, where there are civilian lives at risk.
- We will never allow Republican to land at Yokohama, not after all the financial hardship that the Kusari people had to endure during the 80-Years War, and not after Rheinland's invasion of our great nation. Mind you, because large amounts of government money were available for advanced weapons research and development, the 80-Years War did enable us to increase our shielding and cloaking capabilities.
- The Blood Dragons attack us incessantly here, usually from the Kanto Field, but other times from the Chiba. They will also hide behind Kitadake and launch surprise attacks when all of our patrols are out of range.
- The Golden Chrysanthemums have staged several suicide attacks on the shipyard in recent years. They are not considered a threat, unless there are Blood Dragons in the area, who will often come to the GC's assistance in times of trouble. They make a strange alliance, those two.
- Tokyo Command says that once the Blood Dragons' fire is extinguished, all of Kusari will again be in peace and prosperity. I doubt this. The government is almost bankrupt. Arming the GMG during the 80-Years War was historically very costly for Kusari. Then we had the invasion by Rheinland in 800A.S, then the Bretonian War, and then our recent disaster with Gallia. Kusari is weaker than it has ever been, yet the Dragons appear stronger than ever.
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| Battleship Myoko
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- The police are commissioned with capturing criminals, whereas we are not burdened by that limitation. If pirates are harassing shipping, we are fully within our rights to destroy them. Only if they surrender will they be spared.
- The Xenos in Kepler used to wreak havoc upon our shipping concerns traveling between Kusari and Liberty. They feel as we do toward outsiders. Though I can sympathize with that sentiment, they are not justified in their belief as we are. Well, now we have to deal with Hackers and Rogues in Galileo, not sure if that's an improvement or not.
- This system is a crossroads of Kusari and Liberty shipping. Consequently, we get a lot of Liberty criminals here. There are Rogues and Lane hackers as well as our own Blood Dragons, Golden Chrysanthemums, Farmers Alliance, and Hogosha.
- I fly a patrol into the Keiun to hunt down Gaijin pirates. They are mostly coming in from that area. I also escort convoys from the Border Worlds. Often times the ships have been so beaten up out there that to be attacked here in Shikoku almost ensures their death.
- I wish that the Liberty Rogues would confine themselves to Liberty. They are not skilled or coordinated in their attacks, but they are plentiful, which is unfortunate. I must try harder to kill more of them. They are the foulest of the Liberty criminals; they have no intellect or honor.
- The Blood Dragons are fierce opponents, and the police require our help to fight them off. Bounty Hunters are also successful at dealing with them, and I know that Samura has hired many of these mercenaries to deal with the problem. Deshima is home to the Bounty Hunters Guild in Kusari. No where else will you find their bases operating in this part of space.
- Our patrols enter in the Border Worlds in an attempt to stem piracy in this system and in nearby areas. If we can reduce the number of criminals in Galileo, we will reduce the criminals in Shikoku.
- The Lane Hackers make attacks upon our vessels in Galileo. They have a base there in the Komatsu Cloud, though its exact position within the cloud is unknown. They are always able to sniff out the most expensive cargoes to seize. We have taken to escorting the most lucrative shipments; sometimes it is not enough just to run patrols.
- After the Shikoku-Tokyo Gate was built in 300 AS, our period of isolation was over. Since then more and more Gaijin have entered our space. At first, the foreigners were closely monitored, and not many were allowed to enter beyond this system. That has changed, and now you may travel rather freely through our space.
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| Battleship Hamamatsu
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- The Seiran Dust Field is the point of entry for the Blood Dragons that enter the system. Our patrols have spotted them moving between there and the Okha Dust Field. We cannot interrogate the ones we capture as we would like to, so many of their strategies remain secrets.
- Rishiri was always Kusari clay. How it was taken from us in a treaty that was forced down our throats is unforgivable.
- My father served on the Nagumo. Never forget.
- One of the greatest threats to Kusari is the spread of Cardamine abuse. The Golden Chrysanthemums have been smuggling Cardamine into Kusari through this system, and it must end. I have ordered all Golden Chrysanthemums to be summarily executed and given flight commanders a red pass on patrols in the Border Worlds and this system.
- The Golden Chrysanthemums might be our number one priority in this system, but it is the Blood Dragons who are the greatest threat to our physical safety. The Golden C. pilots are young and reckless; the Dragons are skilled and fearless.
- This ship is something else. Did you see the engines? And the guns? This thing is fast, and it hits like a bag of rice.
- Much of our effort is spent redirecting the Gaijin into Shikoku. We are trying to seal this part of Kusari space and, more importantly, New Tokyo from their presence. Bretonians, Gallians and the populations of the Border Worlds are very unsavory characters. They would be more comfortable in the other system.
- Though some of their actions do get a little violent, the Farmers Alliance is not a real threat to Kusari society. Much of our time and resources would be wasted hunting down a paper tiger. The occasional accidental attack on Kishiro occurs, but for the most part they attack only Gaijin shipping.
- I am eager to get some action, we have all been confined to training simulators for far too long.
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| Kansai Research Institute
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- Kishiro is building specialized new Hull Panels under the guise of gas miner production in the Yukawa shipyard. They are also constructing special field generators that are able to fit within a stripped down cruiser. Our goal is to make an instant leap into Sigma-17 from Kansai, without the aid of Jump Gates, less than 10 years from now.
- We have conclusively determined that the Trade Lane and Jump Gate technologies are clearly of alien origin, which confirms our long standing suspicions. Unfortunately, practical manufacturing limitations have prevented us from replicating the Superconductor field-generating materials.
- Once our prototype cruiser is working, the Kusari Naval Forces will test it on the Blood Dragon base in Chugoku. If all goes well, we will be able to muster a secret attack force here in Kansai, step aboard, and be at the doorstep of the Blood Dragons minutes later. It would be over in a matter of hours.
- If we unlock the secrets of Trade Lanes and Jump Gates, Kusari will finally be free of the Liberty yoke. We have been exploited far too long by Ageira and IC. All of Sirius will be on a level playing field.
- We buy our supplies from the Yukawa shipyard or Shinagawa. Since we produce our own life support Gases, our needs are few. It is a lonely life, surrounded by our protective mine field. Once you enter this complex, you rarely leave.
- We have several large laboratories here dedicated to reverse engineering the Liberty Jump Gates and Trade Lanes. Parts have been gathered in random criminal raids throughout the years to avoid arousing the suspicion of IC and the LSF.
- This is an ideal location for research away from prying eyes, unlike Nansei. The Kishiro scientists are also more creative and willing to take risks than their Samura counterparts.
- The Fugaku was lost in a raid on the Kansai Research Center within the Hiyo Cloud. The fighter became entangled in the mine field during the attack, and the pilot was killed. It eventually drifted off into the cloud. No one has seen it since.
- The Blood Dragons think that we are creating some super weapon here that Tokyo will use to destroy them. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are interested in creating the ultimate battleship that can traverse space without the aid of Jump Gates or Lanes. We have reliable information that Liberty has achieved exactly this goal, and we shall not be far behind.
- This base is dedicated to Nanocapacitor research. This is a key technical problem faced by both gas miners and military ships in navigating the interior of the Crow Nebula. The challenge is creating nanobot components that are shielded, and can repel trillions of gas molecules every second during spaceflight.
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| Battleship Matsumoto
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- The patrols could sure use help up here. The enemy picks away at them, one by one. Never do any suicide assaults, at least not on us. They like to harass the jump gate and trade lanes. They'll fly right at transports, then swerve away at the last moment. It is most effective at unnerving the Gaijin and Kusari civilians alike.
- Why do the Blood Dragons hate the government and Samura so much? They seem to tolerate Kishiro and the GMG. I'm just a soldier following orders. I want this war to end so that I can go home to Kyushu. Unfortunately, it seems like there will be no simple resolution to this conflict. I hope the new government can find a way forward, we are going nowhere sitting here in Hokkaido.
- I've heard that we will abandon this area of Hokkaido soon. Tokyo wants us to build a defensive line on the other side of the Kyofu Gap and leave it at that. All the Gas that Samura wants is in the southern end of the system anyway. We have more important assets to defend in Tau-53 and Tottori, but given the reaction of the Farmers to the new Kusari government, I wonder if we will be welcomed warmly in Tottori?
- Welcome to the end of the universe. You probably need a drink, and an anti-rad pill after crossing the Gap. The Kyofu makes life difficult here, because you can't just hop back to Tokyo to take your leave. They prefer to minimize exposure to once every two months for anyone posted here.
- We are certain that the Hole to Chugoku is somewhere in the Kayo Cloud, but it is hard for us to linger long in there. The Blood Dragons emerge from the fog, destroy one ship of the patrol, then flee like cowards into the mists. It is very demoralizing on our pilots.
- Many Naval Forces fighters have been lost recently in skirmishes with the Blood Dragons. Due to the low visibility and difficult conditions in the cloud, some weapons could still remain on the ships in some of the more remote locations.
- None of us know why we are here. The government should withdraw behind the Gap, or move us into Tau-53. That would be much easier to defend than this hell hole. It is a matter of saving face for the bureaucrats in Tokyo that approved this project. They cannot admit their error, or more likely, return the bribes they accepted from Samura.
- This is a most difficult situation. Tokyo insists that we defend this Jump Gate to the Tau-53 system in order to eliminate the Blood Dragon threat. But it is not easy to supply our ships across the Kyofu Gap. The Blood Dragons are patient, waiting for us to lower our guard for a moment. Then they strike out of the Kayo Cloud. We should move into Tau-53 itself, the dense clouds and radiation in Tau-53 would limit the movement of the Dragons, and allow us to patrol into both Hokkaido and Tottori.
- It would have been virtually impossible to build the other end of this jump gate in Chugoku. It would have taken months to transport supplies and run the battleship cross the gap, and we would have been very close to the Chugoku base while attempting to construct the Gate. I am grateful that we found a better use for this project.
- We must also patrol the Trade Lanes to the jump gate through the Unyo Cloud. The terrorists would destroy all of the Samura and Farmer's Alliance convoys if we didn't. It is a tenuous balance in the northern end of Hokkaido.
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| Battleship Sado
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- I keep meeting this same Dragon out past the arch. I'm no traitor, but he is a worthy opponent and over time I've come to find his banter quite amusing. It will be a cold day in hell before a Dragon emperor ascends to Heaven's Gate.
- We're lucky that the police keep the Golden Chrysanthemums busy toward the galactic west, or else this system would be even more dangerous. We generally only have the Dragons to deal with, and those traitors who are in league with them.
- I just came back from a patrol through the system. We were attacked, but I'm not sure by what. Strange, purple-hued craft that didn't seem to show up on scanners initially. Were they non-metallic? Luckily, one of the gunboat patrols assigned to Sado came to our aid and forced the enemy to disengage. They were fast too... impossble to keep up with. If those were Blood Dragon ships, I can see why they brought the Sado here.
- This is the best ship Kusari has ever produced, I'm proud to be assigned here, each day is truly a test of my abilities. I can only hope to live up to the expectations of those who have sent me here.
- This system is a restricted zone, which means no transports or freighters come here without our authorisation. Any that do are diverted to Sado for inspection and interrogation. Aside from the odd lost Zoner, we only see smugglers here, likely those supplying our enemy. If they run as soon as they spot you, you know what you're dealing with, and the chase is on.
- Welcome, friend. First time on the Sado? Then you are now a Sado-warrior! Eh, I know, lame joke, but it lightens the mood for those rotating in that are a little fearful of this posting. Anyway, what will you have?
- Life is hard for those posted here. We never know if our next flight will be our last, but we cannot let the Blood Dragons gain control of Heaven's Gate. Our defeat in the Tau systems was a worse blow to the soul of Kusari then it was to her army. Losing Heaven's Gate would be another such blow. Without resolve, Kusari is nothing. That is why we can not fail.
- I'm glad I got out of the Core Worlds, despite the stronger Blood Dragon presence here. In the Core Worlds you'd get written up for addressing an officer without observing protocol. Out here, we are brothers rather then enlisted men. There is an unwritten rule that you leave your rank at the door when you enter the Sado bar.
- I requested reassignment here for the glory, this is a very prestigious post for a young pilot. To serve in the defense of one of the great Wonders of Sirius. The old throne. It is unfortunate that we are under orders not to reveal much about our mission here. If my friends on Honshu knew, they would be green with envy.
- The Blood Dragons have had Heaven's Gate in their sights from the day of their inception. I've heared rumors they actually took the base, briefly, after Hideyoshi was deposed. I'm not sure if I believe that. That fortress looks nearly impenetrable!
- We do not talk about it much, but sometimes we lose ships out here. No wreckage, no signal, they just... disappear. I know the Blood Dragons sometimes salvage wreckage to patch up their own ships, but the Dragons have always left bodies behind in lifepods. They may be brutal, but they are not beasts. Most of us who have been here a while suspect those "Nomads" have something to do with this... I will be glad to leave this system behind when the time comes.
- Since the days of Tekagi we've had reports of alien beings periodically raiding Heaven's Gate. I'm told they are called "Nomads", and rumors say that they were the cause of Tekagi's insanity. Others say they are some kind of Rheinland bioweapon that got loose. I'm just glad their attacks are sporadic - those things are merciless.
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