Bonn Station

CLASS: Zeus

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 850

Originally constructed in 521 AS, to oversee the transition of trade lanes and jump gates to Rheinland ownership after Interspace Commerce (IC) was all but forced to sign agreements to nationalize them, Bonn Station has since become the headquarters of IC within Rheinland, and is the station where all cargo being shipped out of Rheinland is insured for the journey.

Thoroughly angry with having to wipe countless billions of credits of debt away almost overnight, after Kusari and Rheinland both nationalized their trade lanes and jump gates, IC had never been satisfied with the two hundred years of tolls it got in exchange, and it is for this chief reason that a good deal of animosity towards Rheinland and Kusari exists even today. As a result, IC often allowed ships from the Bundschuh, Red Hessians and even the Unioners to dock and purchase supplies, and was even going so far as to donate money to their causes or share information of cargo shipments with them.

This angered the Rheinland government considerably, and when hard proof was finally obtained in late 818, Rheinland wasted no time in evicting IC from its borders. Bonn Station was seized and put under Police administration for several years, but the upkeep costs proved too much for an already heavily burdened governmental budget, even with the aid of Bonn's many onboard transactions.

After the Liberty War's end, the government decided to sell Bonn Station to IC again as a hasty means to recoup some of its wartime losses; but with far heavier and more stringent on-station surveillance with permanent garrisons of police and security. Additionally, Brandenburg was towed and expanded upon whilst the Battleship Strausberg was called to the Southern flank of New Berlin.

IC has once again returned to insuring outbound shipments and managing the billions of credits transacted upon Bonn every day, but rumors still circulate that occasionally they manage to smuggle Rheinland criminals aboard through bribery and other subterfuge. At present these rumors are denied by both IC and the Federal Republic.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Kruger Minerals
* Orbital Spa and Cruise
* Bounty Hunters Guild
* Interspace Commerce
* The Core
* ALG Waste Disposal
* Gateway Shipping
* Synth Foods, Inc.
* RGS Shipping
* Universal Shipping

* Bounty Hunters Guild

## News

While the battlegroup successfully managed to destroy both Leipzig Station, as well as Bundschuh controlled Bautzen Station, the assault ended in a catastrophic loss of the Battleship Strausberg, having been ambushed by a heavy Hessian battlegroup. While the Strausberg itself managed to successfully withdraw from the battle, its engines failed halfway towards the New Berlin Jump Gate, and the order was made to scuttle the ship to avoid it falling into the Hessian hands.
As a result, massive riots are taking place all around Rheinland, demanding Kaiser's resignation from his position due to his reckless actions making Rheinland even less safe than it already is. We have reached out to the Kaiser Cabinet, but were refused any comments at the time of publication.

Shortly afterward, a bill mandating a 5%% increase in military spending was passed, along with some minor policies aimed at increased security in the core systems. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

While this troubling trend is observed throughout the Sirius colonies, Liberty is bearing the brunt of the crisis among the four major Houses. Remarkably, even Rheinland, where historical data indicated low Cardamine consumption, has witnessed a notable rise in medical cases linked to the illicit narcotic. Experts postulate that the extensive black market responsible for Cardamine distribution might be facing a shortage, or worse, that Outcast factions deliberately curtail the supply to bolster demand. Regrettably, no law enforcement agency has been available for comment on these concerns.
The long-standing debate over Cardamine's controversial nature, juxtaposing its euphoric and purported medicinal qualities with the genetic alterations it inflicts upon long-term users, continues to echo. A key point of contention revolves around the plight of innocent consumers caught in this crisis. Yet, according to independent polls, a substantial majority of our viewers maintains that the substance must remain banned.
In response to this escalating crisis, Cryer Pharmaceuticals has announced a forthcoming press conference. During the event, the company intends to unveil plans for an expanded production of Stabiline, their touted "wonder drug". This announcement promises affordable access to Stabiline for all patients grappling with Cardamine withdrawal, sparking a remarkable 15%% surge in Cryer Pharmaceuticals' stock following the revelation.

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.

With the end of the war and Bretonia's withdrawal from Planet Gran Canaria, Poole's prominence waned. The cost of policing the system and maintaining infrastructure has significantly outweighed collected tax revenue in recent years, with Planetform's Terraforming Gas operations reporting disappointing year on year returns.DSE has already confirmed that it will begin deconstruction operations shortly, with the dismantling of the Cambridge jump gate expected to be completed by 833 AS.

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Planetform has confirmed its intention to withdraw prior to this point, while settling shareholder anxiety with the announcement of promising preliminary findings for a replacement site in Newcastle.

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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.

It remains to be seen how this united Farmers Alliance will impact affairs on the wider stage, with the security forces of both Houses already strained by their fair share of crime and dissidence.

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.

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.

## Rumors

* If you want a real challenge, head out to Solarius in Omega-11. Daumann needs Bounty Hunters to help them with basic security. It's a rough post, but you can go Diamond mining while you're out looking for Hessians and Corsairs.

* Beware of the radioactive areas in the Ruhr. They're up in the mid-section, north of the Junker Debris pocket. The Ruhr used to be Rheinland's center of uranium mining and processing.

* There's good business for the Guild down in Dresden. Daumann and Kruger are both looking for Bounty Hunters to guard their operations. Kruger is the better one because you can always go Diamond mining when no one is looking. You'll earn your keep, though. Plenty of Hessians to go around in Dresden.

* There's a simple reason that the main areas of criminal activity in Berlin are in the Ruhrfeld and Saarfeld: That's where the Jump Holes are. The Hamburg Hole is in the northern part of the Ruhr; the Saar Hole leads to Dresden.

* This sure beats the police. I hadn't been paid in two months. The rest of my post had turned to "Trade Lane tolls" that they forced passing ships to pay. Berlin got wind of it and sent the lot of them to Vierlande to discourage others sharing the same thought. I decided to change professions and try to earn some legitimate money.

* DSE had to station a permanent repair crew in Omega-7 to deal with all of the Trade Lane ring damage that's been happening in all of the Corsair and Red Hessian attacks. We're on the supply transport just in from Freistadt. They don't bother us on the return trip, just when we have a full load.

* We do day runs to Dresden as needed to repair rings. It's a hell of a place to have Trade Lanes, I'll tell you. The system is an inferno, full of lava asteroids and hostile Hessians.

* Interspace Commerce monitors the Trade Lane network of Rheinland from this station. If repeat offenders involved in Lane attacks can be identified, the Bounty Hunters are sent off to dispose of them.

* Bonn receives most of its basic supplies from New Berlin, with the exception of food. That's brought in from Stuttgart by Synth Foods. This station is also the exclusive Rheinland distributor for spare Trade Lane parts -- always in demand in the Omega systems.

* The Rheinland government asked IC to leave after the trade dispute of 521. We were not able to return to New Berlin until the agreement between Liberty and Rheinland following the Eighty-Years War. Liberty companies were granted free access to Rheinland space at that time.

* IC is very concerned that the Rheinland Military has proven unable to patrol the Omega-7 system satisfactorily. That is a crucial shipping route between Rheinland and Bretonia. Many of the precious metals in the Sirius sector are found there. In particular, the future Copper supply for Ageira's plant in Colorado.

* The Sigma-13 Trade Lane attacks have attained crisis status. The Corsairs and Outcasts grow stronger with every passing year, and the GMG seems to be unable to effectively defend their territory as they did during the Eighty-Years War. The Edge World pirates have proven to be far more formidable adversaries than the Rheinland Imperial Fleet.

* Rheinland and its adjacent Border Worlds now suffer the dubious distinction of having the highest shipping insurance rates in the Sirius sector. We have advised the Bretonian and Kusari militaries of the situation in the hope that a special arrangement can be made to keep the Border World Trade Lanes operating in this area.

* Rheinland is plagued by a wide variety of criminals, some political, others engaged in common piracy. It is the latter group that interests us. Excessive insurance claims made by shipping companies and damage inflicted to the physical Trade Lane infrastructures can lead to decreased profits.

* The Eighty-Years War was a colossal mistake for Rheinland. The nation was fairly self-sufficient and prosperous, yet Kruger was not content. They had fallen behind Daumann, and hoped that the gases of the Crow Nebula would be their salvation. It was Daumann that actually persuaded the government to step in, for reasons of cynical self-interest. They knew that fat military contracts would head their way once the fighting began in earnest.

* The Liberty folks lobbied the Rheinland government quite heavily to allow us to land here. Not quite so sure what their real intentions were, but it's been a boon for the IMG and Gateway. We haul their Copper and Silver from Omega-3.

* We're doing very well on this route since Liberty decided to use us as a secondary source of metals for their factories and smelters. Word was that they didn't trust Daumann anymore and were concerned with the Hessians shutting off the flow of Copper through Dresden.

* The LWB was getting a lot of flack from the Rheinland public for attacking their food supply. So now they've switched to Fertilizers. They figure if our costs get high enough, we'll have to reconsider the current assimilation strategy of Stuttgart. They may have a point.

* Stuttgart may prove to be the undoing of Synth Foods. Nobody imagined the ferocity with which the LWB would strike back. Nor did we realize how challenging the criminal situation was in Rheinland. Our Fertilizer ships have to be specially armed just to survive the trip from Houston to Bonn. Escorts are required on all runs to and from Stuttgart.

* This is the end of the line for Universal. Management says that it's not worth it to go into Stuttgart. Too many problems. Just look at Synth Foods. Their security costs could bite them one of these days. Maybe the LWB will actually defeat Goliath.

* Bonn is burning through the Trade Lane spare-parts supply pretty fast. Deep Space is out there in Omega-7 or Stuttgart every other week. Looks like we'll have to bring in another load sooner than expected from Trenton.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*