OBT Forum

The Marian Ambassodor, now a little bored, leans forward.

Gentlemen and Ladies, were we not discussing the Pirate scourge before the Lyan and Marik ambassadors treid to refight the entireity of the Succession Wars before us.  I think we can all agree that both the Marik and Lyran delegations will not agreee: on anything.

I would ask what other action states may take to combat the priates of the fringes?

Ambasador Reeves of the Outworlds Alliance clears her throat and says in a loud and clear voice:-

'Ladies and Gentelmen of the soverign nations of the inner sphere and periphery, it seems to the leadership of the Outworlds that the pirates that trouble us all are being supplyed by someone and that the ORCA nations at least should look to finding that supplyer and ripping their harts out!'

Turning to Ambassador Hashimoto, Simon Kosh takes a deep breath and begins

"Ambassador Hashimoto, although you claim to be striving to have good relations with those that wish you no harm, seeking to protect your own citizens against the threat of piracy, and seeking good will and harmony.  The recent truth is far from what you claim.

Speaking from experience regarding dealing with the Draconis Combine in recent years,
- the Oberon Confederation has actively sought to remove trade barriers which make trade between our two realms cost prohibitive, with all of our diplomatic messages unanswered by your government.  Without the basis of simple bilateral communication, how can nations even begin to have good relations, let alone develop a trading partnership?

- there does not appear to be harmony in the trade fleet distribution of the Draconis Combine in fact there appears to be a notable lack of diversity.  One can only wonder what the citizens of the Draconis Combine think of such lack of diversity, let alone your trading partners.

- The Draconis Combine's singular abrupt response to the numerous communications sent from the Oberon Confederation regarding the threat of pirates, offers to work together to combat the pirate threat, offers to share intelligence on the whereabouts of pirate bands that were very successfully raping and pillaging throughout the District of Rasalhague shows a complete disregard for the safety of those citizens.

- The pirate band Santander's Killers, based out of Santander V, for instance launched a devastating and highly successful series of raids throughout the District of Rasalhague.  The complete lack of response from the DCMS to this threat is a travesty.  Instead the DCMS stripped nearly the entire district of military forces to launch their attacks against the Lyran Commonwealth leaving the citizens of the entire District of Rasalhague at the mercy of marauding pirates.  Once again it appears that the DCMS takes the young men and women of the District and sends them off to die on Lyran worlds, instead of protecting their own families against pirate predations.  That is one way of limiting rebellious thoughts in a population, burying the strength of the region on foreign shores, while allowing pirates to feed of their unprotected families.  The blood of those innocent women and children is on the hands of the Combine government.

- Numerous refugees from this oppressed region have found a home within the Oberon Confederation, and many now serve within the Oberon Confederation Armed Forces.  Many of our units wanted nothing more than to cross the border into the District of Rasalhague in order to provide the protection against these marauding pirates that the DCMS appears to be so negligent in providing. 

- Only when this pirate band left the District of Rasalhague, which is supposedly under the Combine protection and I use that term loosely, was any sort of response to this single pirate band launched.  And what form did that response take, oh yes, a task force of troops from the Oberon Confederation Armed Forces.  Not only did forces of the OCAF launch an attack to remove the base of operations of the pirates on Santander V, but we have placed a net of forces to react and hunt down the band itself, as well as a set a task force to actively hunt them down while they are operating within reach of the Oberon Confederation operational area. 

- Not only did this one pirate band over double in size only partially accountable from successfully pillaging throughout the Rasalhague feasting on the flesh of these hardworking and innocent people, but the complete lack of response by the DCMS has emboldened every pirate and pirate want-to-be in the periphery to take their pound of flesh from the defenceless and unresponsive Combine.  By being completely oblivious to the pirate threat in it’s midst, the DCMS further places all other Districts within the Combine at risk as well as forcing the other periphery nations in the region to fend off an increasing pirate presence.

- The success of pirate bands like this against an unresponsive nation has encouraged the formation of countless other new bands seeking to mimic the prosperity.  Where these bands are obtaining their materials is still yet to be determined.

So forgive me Ambassador Hashimoto if I find your words to be quite hollow and without substance.  In the future I would love for you to prove our experiences to be an isolated to a dark period of time, but that will not bring back any of the peace or harmony you speak so fondly of taken from these citizens of the District of Rasalhague, the Oberon Confederation, and countless other victims."

Hashimoto, once again having written much throughout the address of ambassador Kosh, looked at him, just glancing over to Ambassador Reeves. Her expression was solemn, as it had become throughout the speech of Kosh.

"Ambassador Kosh, you talked very much. However, there were points that are worth thinking about, but others that lead you on an interesting road.

Let me try to address some of your points: The failure of contacting your realm's Leadership or answering their calls is something I will present to my superiors. I have nothing on my hands regarding this, but you seem sure that it was intentional. The mutual opening of borders for trade sounds well and also, I will ask my superiors on Luthien if there could be a prospering trade established, something that both realms would certainly profit from.

Now, however, touching the topic of Pirate activity and the most notable, Santander's Killers, you provide your observations and go forth with assumptions. That should be beneath you. Do you think your intelligence service is that proficient to prove that the might of the Dragon, sometimes slower to mobilize than that of smaller forces, would not move against that terrible aggression against its citizens? Are you 100 % sure about that? Even I would not dare to say this, but then I am only a servant of the Dragon far away on Terra. Rest assured I dare to say that the Dragon protects all of his people.

That there are malcontents even in our realm that I will not deny. And if they found a new home with Oberon then I wish them all the best.


You must know though, where your assumptions turn into dangerous thoughts that could be seen as unfriendly. Assuming the Dragon could and would not protect its citizens is such a thought.
I assure you that the Dragon's might will turn against anyone threatening the cohesion, trust or welfare of its citizens, Pirate or other. Now, if Ambassador Halstein can be civil, then you should follow his example, even as our realms are unfortunately struggling against one another with armed forces.

I told you that I will seek to get my superiors to improve relations with you, but do not try to overstep certain boundaries. Thank you." With that and a glare to Reeves she sat back down.

Ambassador Hashimoto, the Oberon Confederation's Intelligence gathering performs admirably for the budget we can afford such things, as a small newly formed periphery state whose priority is survival and self sufficiency.  No one can be 100% sure what a nation might do to "move against such terrible aggression against it's citizens", we were merely commenting on observations of what 2 nations have done faced with raiding by the same band of pirates.

When faced with the information that Santander’s Killers had jumped out of the space claimed by the Draconis Combine and began operating near the borders of the Oberon Confederation, the OCAF repositioned itself to respond to protect their citizens from even the potential of raiding.  When actually faced with pirate raiding by this single band which grew significantly due to it’s most recent successes, began the process of cutting the pirate band off from their base of operations, and hunting them down to ensure they could not further threaten the citizens of the Confederation.

Please describe to us what the DCMS has done, when faced with pirates actively raiding throughout the Rasalhague district, or Pesht district as they do now?  Every news agency, even common information and observations of troop movements see no response from the DCMS for at least the past 3 years worth of raiding by countless pirate bands, only a mass exodus of troops from the periphery borders to feed this latest offensive against the Federated Suns and Lyran Alliance.  Wouldn’t such a mass exodus only encourage further pirate predations from the periphery?

Although you claim that the mighty DCMS is slow to mobilize compared to a smaller military, it is obvious that the truth is quite different.  One need only question where the postings of some of the Pesht and Benjamin Regulars and Armoured Brigades were over the past year, or where the sons and daughters of all of the Rasalhague military elements have been posted and now find themselves.   The Rasalhague Regulars, Armoured Brigades, Draconis Aerospace Wings, Altenmarket Militia, Night Stalkers, or An Ting Legions that have all been quite quickly mobilized to fight and die over Kobe, Tamar, Severn and Suk II.  The 2nd An Ting Legion itself defended against those very same pirates on New Caledonia before being mobilized all the way from the periphery border to Severn in the Lyran Commonwealth.  No my dear Ambassador, the question is not whether or not the DCMS can mobilize quickly, rather what the DCMS command chooses to mobilize quickly against.

In response to Ambassador Reeves’ statement, Prince Grimm’s Oberon Confederation Armed Forces choose to actively seek to remove pirate threats from the Coreward periphery region; however they are not sufficient to provide the security the people of the District of Rasalhague deserve.  Then again isn't that what the Rasalhague Regulars, Rasalhague Armored Brigades, Altenmarkt Milita, and Rasalhague / Draconis Aerospace Wings were created for?

And finally if these thoughts are seen as unfriendly or uncivil, they are merely a passionate man's observations of a neighbour’s military’s past actions, and a call to action that hopefully will result in the DCMS joining the esteemed company of nations that have acted effectively against piracy and protected their citizens from the near constant nibbles of pirate threats.  The pirate threat is one that the Oberon Confederation knows exceedingly well and is quite passionate about resolving.

I am sure our government looks forward to discussions with the government of the Draconis Combine regarding the improvement of communication between our realms as well as trade and other opportunities.

"Ambassador Kosh, it seems that you cling to the past in this matter. I applaud your intensity in this matter, especially considering your realm's past. However, this is about now. Even if you did bring low the Pirate group, this is no indication of the future actions of the Dragon and I would say that it will be the final word about the matter. If there can be a common course of forces in dealing with the Pirate issue is not mine to decide."

Stretching, the ever arrogant Tiberius Saul, took centre stage agin:

We within the Hegemony are interested to see that the Periphery Guards Battalion of Canopus has arrived at Logan Prime.  This is another concrete instance of the Periphery working together to imporve the lot of all our members.

Something the Inner Sphere could do much to learn from.

He sits and pours himself a rather long, amber drink from his hip flask, then proceeds to drain half of it.

Yes, my dear Ambassador, there are many many things the Inner Sphere could learn, and I fear, they will be learning it all too soon.