Vogtland Base

CLASS: Unknown

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

POPULATION: Unknown

The story of the Hessians emerges from the turbulent history of the Dresden system, the mining heartland of Rheinland since the beginning of the third century. Mining there was dirty, dangerous work, but Daumann and Kruger had little reason to lose sleep over the welfare of their employees. The price of the occasional disability pension or life insurance policy was nothing compared to the money made from extracting and refining the metals and materials that fed Rheinland industry.

As the 80-Years War wound down to its ignoble conclusion, Rheinland found itself virtually bankrupt. Kruger and Daumann released thousands of employees throughout Rheinland. Promises of bonuses were left unfulfilled, and in many cases, miners were left completely destitute. An uprising was almost inevitable. A group of miners took control of the Daumann Heavy Construction facility on Von Rohe's Day in 700 AS.

The revolt soon spread from Dresden to the rest of the Rheinland, gaining widespread backing from the legions of newly unemployed workers. The industrial heart of Rheinland stopped beating; the Popular Revolution had begun.

Within five months a new coalition government was established. Both Kruger and Daumann were required to pay reparations, and all Rheinland companies were forced to comply with a newly ratified Workers' Rights Convention. They have been careful to adhere to the letter of the law, if not the spirit. The compromise left many that had fought in the revolution bitter. Many workers could not accept the prospect of working for their old taskmasters and decided to form the Red Hessians, a group dedicated to destroying the two companies.

It was not long before Red Hessian political ideals were replaced by greed, which has led them to become more like pirates than activists. The police have been forced to maintain a significant presence in Dresden in an effort to prevent Hessian strikes from clogging the gears of Rheinland industry.

The Hessians have gradually expanded, assisted by their close proximity to Stuttgart Food shipments and an extensive Jump Hole network within the southern Sirius Sector. They now own a string of bases in the southern Rheinland Border Worlds. In Omega-5 they encountered their first real obstacle -- the Corsairs. They have fought the Edge World faction to a tenuous stalemate, with the Ronneburg base barely holding on against the stronger Corsair presence in that system. Fortunately, they live in a rich area of Sirius in terms of raw materials, especially Diamonds. Their preferred targets are Daumann and Kruger, although almost any shipper is vulnerable to attack.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* LWB
* Red Hessians

## Commodities

* Mining Machinery

* Water
* Diamonds
* Food Rations
* H-Fuel
* Pharmaceuticals
* Consumer Goods
* Light Arms

## Rumors

* This base serves as a trade depot for other Hessian bases in the area. The basic supplies we ship here also get shipped to Freital. If you made these shipments, it would be easier for us since the police actively hunt for us.
* Along with basic supplies, we also purchase Side Arms and Engine Components from the Junkers in New Berlin to ship here. Surplus weapons and engine parts get sent to Freital.
* Diamonds come to this base from Freital in Omega 11. We will take them to the Junkers in New Berlin to be sold on the black markets. It is these Diamonds that fund the majority of all Red Hessian operations.
* The Giftnebel is a dangerous cloud to move through, but its proximity to the Kruger and Daumann operations here makes it worthwhile. We know this system well, and that helps us when we raid the corporates trying to ship their goods back to New Berlin.
* What a fitting place this cloud is; formed from the sulfurous waste of the smelting plants in the system, crafted by Daumann and Kruger’s heedlessness. Now it hides their greatest threat: the Red Hessians. It also hides the Jump Holes to New Berlin and Stuttgart.
* We might eventually win this system from the corporates. Ore deposits here will soon be exhausted, and our attacks cost them dearly. Intelligence suggests they may be moving the bulk of their mining operations to Omega-7. If that happens, it will be a great victory for us.
* Years ago this was our only base. But we have expanded, due greatly to the Jump Holes that have been found. Also, we’ve had great success mining and stealing Diamonds. Hessians know the corporate strategies and protocols -- we used to be part of them. That’s why our strikes are so effective.
* Rheinlanders have a slang for Diamonds -- they call them “Hessian Tears.” They symbolize the lives of all the miners crushed into the Rheinland corporate machine, our fight to hold back the tide of Daumann and Kruger, and our struggle to pay for our crusade with their beauty.
* I'm one of the few Red Hessians left who really tries to fight for the cause. Mostly, my brotherhood is one of pirates, but there are still some of us who haven't lost the meaning in all of the greed that has overcome the others.
* The Rheinland Republic was supposed to be about the common man getting paid well for hard work, about companies that cared if their employees were safe. Those brave souls who died fighting to overthrow the empire -- why? Rheinland has the same masters, only now they rule a republic instead of an empire.

* The Hessians do business with the Junkers in New Berlin for Engine Components and Side Arms. Then we do business with the Red Hessians here. We require the same things to remain a thorn in the side of Synth Foods and the traitorous ALG.
* This system is useful to the LWB only as a place from which we can be resupplied by the Red Hessians. Dresden is anathema to anyone who ever farmed land or lived in a place of beauty. The less time I spend here, the better.