GGG - Issue 18 - 211.12.1

Interview: Consul Armand, leader of the Falconian Republic (FCN)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

Following the announcement of Elder Soviet Partnership (ESP) treaty, a cooperation agreement between the Dewiek Elder Nation (DEN) and the Falconian Republic (FCN), we talked with Consul Armand, leader of the Falconians, to learn more about this new pact.

GGG: What exactly is the Elder Soviet Partnership (ESP)?

Armand: The ESP is an alliance of the Falconian and Dewiek people which works to the benefit of both parties by maximising collaboration in economic areas such as trade, industry, research and security. The Falconian and Deweik territories form two separate soviets with complete independence of government. [Editor's Note: "soviet" is a Russian word, from Earth, meaning "council".] The Falconian Consul has complete authority on Falconian affairs and the Wolf Mother and Elder Council have complete authority over Dewiek territories. A council is in place so that joint decisions can be reached on matters affecting both soviets. Signs of this close cooperation with our comrade Dewiek are the DEN starbases on the Falconian homeworld as well as the FCN starbase on their homeworld and FCN privileges to develop in the Dewiek Home Periphery. You will also have noticed our joint offer to sponsor the Great Trade Race (TM) which is an example of our desire to promote public trading and assist the small business sentient.

GGG: For many people, at first sight, the ESP sounds like a first step towards a merging of affiliations, with the FCN losing some of its sovereignty to the DEN. How close is this to the truth?

Armand: Soviets have complete autonomy over their own affairs. By close cooperation we will all prosper and so be better able to project and protect our own unique identities in the peripheries.

GGG: Will the ESP eventually include other species?

Armand: There is no arbitrary limit set on the possible number of soviets. All soviets would be expected to contribute fully for the greater good and respect the integrity and territory of the other members, as well as abiding by agreed policies of the soviet council.

GGG: What effect will the ESP have in the Falconian participation in the Consortium? Will the DEN join in the war against the FLZ? Or will the FCN withdraw from the hostilities?

Armand: I have spoken with the Consortium leadership and a statement will be made in due course. Hostilities with the FLZ are an internal FCN affair, as is our anti slavery campaigning. I will go no further in answering this.

-o-

What's the Big Deal?
by Kaspar Khan, exclusive for the GGG

Gambling networks across the peripheries went wild after FET CEO Zuvoro Norozov announced that he was looking for a ship capable of carrying a single 30,500 MUs item. A huge number of bets over the nature of such bulky contraption have already been placed with bookies and speculators from all corners of the galaxy. The most popular suppositions about what Mr. Norozov wants to transport included an orbital platform and a large university complex, but a few more adventurous highrollers went with more extravagant ideas, such as a luxurious mansion to serve as the official residence of the FET CEO or a statue of the True One made as a gift for the BHD. What is your guess?

-o-

GGG - Issue 17 - 211.11.1

Interview: Black Jack, leader of the Trade Acceptance Group (TAG)
by Tess Olsen, exclusive for the GGG

It's not often that a newcomer to the peripheries succeeds in building his own affiliation instead of joining one of the already established organizations out there. Black Jack did that and created the Trade Acceptance Group (TAG), yet another merchant affiliation claiming to be politically neutral.

GGG: First of all, congratulations on the creation of your new affiliation, the TAG. Why did you choose to start your own affiliation instead of joining one of the already established affiliations?

BJ: I did not want to be tied to a history complete with friends and enemies. All of the major blocks come complete with a full stable of both. Even the AFT has a history of war with the IMP block so is not free from this chain. The GCE comes closest but they are a family owned business and I am in the wrong family. As my own boss, I can decide the direction of the company and how it will fare. I know I will never have the opportunities a large block could offer or the toys they have but that is fine. As a non-aligned business, I have other opportunities someone from the large blocks don't have. And the toys are mostly military equipment and our business has a firm stand on its no-warship policy so that is not really a factor.

GGG: What are the TAG goals and how does the affiliation fit in the political spectrum?

BJ: We want to become a major force in transportation of goods around the stars, modelled somewhat after the Mohache. In the short run, a mid-level organization that can take shipping that is too small for the Mohache to bother with. In some years, I am hopeful our growth will allow us to compete with the Mohache directly. On the political spectrum, we are strictly neutral and will do nothing to break this neutrality. Any base in a claimed system will support that claim without discrimination. No spy missions, no selling of information or positions spotted.

GGG: Where is the affiliation based and how far it extends its trade activity?

BJ: We are based right now on Mobile Bay where our HQ is TAG Pershing. This base is still in the growth stage but we are acquiring modules to expand its size. We have had trade runs in IMP, CNF, DTR and FCN space to date and expect to reach the Cluster and Halo soon to do business there.

GGG: We understand that you managed to pay the new affiliation fee of one million stellars by obtaining a loan from the EEM. How did you get such a large advance without collateral of the same or higher value? And if you indeed had anything evaluated in that high bracket, how did you get it in such a short period of activity?

BJ: We did have collateral in excess of one million stellars at the time of the loan. Our base on Mobile Bay exceeded that amount at the time of the loan. Now I do not pretend to understand the valuation method used by the EEM and, to be honest, I felt their valuation of the base to be excessive, but who am I to tell them that? But their valuation of a merchandising complex far exceeds the value of the 25 modules that go into that complex. The fact that I built almost nothing but merchandising complexes at the start brought in a large weekly income that I used to buy yet more modules for factories that are now producing yet more modules in a (hopefully) never ending spiral of growth. And we now even have a small shipyard area building barges.

GGG: What are the TAG next big projects?

BJ: We are currently looking at other areas of space for a second base to grow the corporation. Though this will be slowed obviously while we continue the expansion of TAG Pershing.

-o-

Cheap Shots
by Kaspar Khan, exclusive for the GGG

+ HLQ ships get attacked by pirates again, Baron LiQuan blames the DTR but offers no evidence for their involvement.

+ Krazy Kastorian Kanji invades an empty CNF hiport in the Inner Empire for the second time, and brags about his ability to steal unguarded property.

+ GTT Trade Director Bob Bost announces his retirement from the affiliation, leaving more space for éminence grise Ike Krieger to expand his influence.

+ Kasius Ven leaves the DTR after a very short stay and joins the BHD, trading the gods of bureaucracy for the gods of arrogance.

+ Allegedly peaceful and neutral traders from the AFT spotted flying 200 Heavy Hulls warships, making people wonder how peaceful and how neutral they really are.

+ RCF rebels create problems for the HLQ among the population of Jericho, Baron LiQuan expected to blame the DTR.

-o-

A note from the editor

At the time we closed our last edition, we had not heard back from Michelle Diaz, leader of the DTR, about the possible GTT-DTR crisis (apparently totally defused now). But I want to register here that Ms. Diaz did contact us later, and we thank her for that. Too often our requests for comments or for interviews go unanswered, and we are very appreciative when starcaptains or affiliation officials take time from their busy schedules to talk with the free press.

Cornelius Merryheart
Editor of the Great Galactic Gazette