NationStates Jolt Archive

Ministry of Trade

The Hyperborian Star Empire is now opening up to Free Trade to all Neutral nations. All Space Ports and Trade Routes are Open to trade from Neutral nations that are not joining the war between the Empire and the Terran Federation.

we will Protect all Neutral Shipping in Imperial Space and Hyperborian Controled territories.

Any Raider attacks in Hyperborian Space will be invesagated and the Reports will be given to the Government that the Traders worked for.

"Gravy guns?"

"Gravy guns."

"But.. why?"

Masiren Industries was not a large corporation. Based in one of the outer systems of the Realm, Laterne's Gate, it was a major source of goods and shipping for minor asteroid colonies, and the occasional run of defensive satellites and faster-than-light inhibition systems to the outer colonies. They sold cheap goods, rather than quality ones.

Gerrard Masiren, who ran the company, however, was looking at his stock rating with glum notice. Worth almost eighteen pounds per share yesterday, it was now worth seventeen pounds and forty-two pence. One of the power generator's they'd shipped out to a minor asteroid colony, one that served mainly to sell supplies and provide recreation to the occasional ship that came through to ensure the refueling station was fine, had exploded. Fifty-nine deaths.

Of course, there had been nothing wrong with the generator. He'd told them their limits, and, apparently, they'd tried to overload them, powering up all of their shuttlecraft at once, while running everything else at one hundred percent. No legal liability.

The press, though, was having a field day.

The analysis expected the price of the shares to drop to fourteen pounds before it stopped. He needed to get some profits quickly, and easily.

So the idea had hit him. Ship infantry weapons to the Hyperborians. Weaponry that hadn't been used against the Union before. He'd be hated for it, of course, in many circles. But most of his buyers didn't have much choice - his generator prices were a third of that of his nearest competitors. To tell the truth, he made most of his money on supplying luxuries. If you were buying a cheap generator, why not save on shipping costs, and buy luxury goods from the same corporation?

This logic had made him millions.

Now, though, they had to expand into different territory. The Hyperborian market would remain open for only a small while, he knew. Once they had been beaten back by the UTF, blockaded, or even destroyed, there'd be no more money to be had.

Within a few hours, the freighter Lazy Trader had been loaded up. Two hundred thousand "gravy" guns - rifles that manipulated the fabric of spacetime in order to create random gravitic forces on a person. This was invariably fatal, and harder to detect than most guns, as well. Secondly, fifty of what were named the "planetary defense units". Capable of digging deep into a planet, and providing underground defenses, as well as tapping into geothermal sources in order to create both local shields and power the onboard grasers.

Lastly, Von Neumann defensive drones. The premise was simple. Release a single drone with a replication system and a laser attached into an asteroid belt. In a day, you'll have two. In two days, you'll have four. In three, eight. And so on, until all the usable material in a belt had been consumed. They were horribly weak, and easily swept aside within moments by any capital ships, but they served to provide valuable intelligence, and the occasional delaying action. There were only ten of these.

Overall, the goods had cost him almost two hundred million pounds. The shipping would cost sixteen million. The freighter was worth nigh on six hundred million. So. To run a profit, he decided.. well, a billion dollars, or whatever the Hyperborians used as money. While the weapons wouldn't increase the Hyperborian effectiveness much, they'd provide a nasty shock to any Union forces who weren't expecting any technology that they hadn't encountered before.

At a whim, he added another two hundred thousand power packs for the gravy guns. They had limited range, and could only shoot for a concerted ten or twenty seconds before they needed new packs.

The message was filtered through black-market contacts into the Hyperborian Empire. He didn't want news of this trade to get out - he still bought raw materials from the Union, and the hit to his reputation if Travellia found out about it.. he winced. Public opinion was still very much on the side of the Union. Still, it was a risk worth taking.

I can get you a shipment of Travellian gravitic rifles, armour units, and self-replicating defense drones. Two hundred thousands of the first, fifty of the second, and ten of the last. I'll even throw in a free replacement power pack for each gravy gun. For the risk it'll cost me, and the use they'll be against the Union.. a billion dollars. On delivery. Whaddaya say?

"Cousin Jimmy"

"Gravy guns?"

"Gravy guns."

"But.. why?"

Masiren Industries was not a large corporation. Based in one of the outer systems of the Realm, Laterne's Gate, it was a major source of goods and shipping for minor asteroid colonies, and the occasional run of defensive satellites and faster-than-light inhibition systems to the outer colonies. They sold cheap goods, rather than quality ones.

Gerrard Masiren, who ran the company, however, was looking at his stock rating with glum notice. Worth almost eighteen pounds per share yesterday, it was now worth seventeen pounds and forty-two pence. One of the power generator's they'd shipped out to a minor asteroid colony, one that served mainly to sell supplies and provide recreation to the occasional ship that came through to ensure the refueling station was fine, had exploded. Fifty-nine deaths.

Of course, there had been nothing wrong with the generator. He'd told them their limits, and, apparently, they'd tried to overload them, powering up all of their shuttlecraft at once, while running everything else at one hundred percent. No legal liability.

The press, though, was having a field day.

The analysis expected the price of the shares to drop to fourteen pounds before it stopped. He needed to get some profits quickly, and easily.

So the idea had hit him. Ship infantry weapons to the Hyperborians. Weaponry that hadn't been used against the Union before. He'd be hated for it, of course, in many circles. But most of his buyers didn't have much choice - his generator prices were a third of that of his nearest competitors. To tell the truth, he made most of his money on supplying luxuries. If you were buying a cheap generator, why not save on shipping costs, and buy luxury goods from the same corporation?

This logic had made him millions.

Now, though, they had to expand into different territory. The Hyperborian market would remain open for only a small while, he knew. Once they had been beaten back by the UTF, blockaded, or even destroyed, there'd be no more money to be had.

Within a few hours, the freighter Lazy Trader had been loaded up. Two hundred thousand "gravy" guns - rifles that manipulated the fabric of spacetime in order to create random gravitic forces on a person. This was invariably fatal, and harder to detect than most guns, as well. Secondly, fifty of what were named the "planetary defense units". Capable of digging deep into a planet, and providing underground defenses, as well as tapping into geothermal sources in order to create both local shields and power the onboard grasers.

Lastly, Von Neumann defensive drones. The premise was simple. Release a single drone with a replication system and a laser attached into an asteroid belt. In a day, you'll have two. In two days, you'll have four. In three, eight. And so on, until all the usable material in a belt had been consumed. They were horribly weak, and easily swept aside within moments by any capital ships, but they served to provide valuable intelligence, and the occasional delaying action. There were only ten of these.

Overall, the goods had cost him almost two hundred million pounds. The shipping would cost sixteen million. The freighter was worth nigh on six hundred million. So. To run a profit, he decided.. well, a billion dollars, or whatever the Hyperborians used as money. While the weapons wouldn't increase the Hyperborian effectiveness much, they'd provide a nasty shock to any Union forces who weren't expecting any technology that they hadn't encountered before.

At a whim, he added another two hundred thousand power packs for the gravy guns. They had limited range, and could only shoot for a concerted ten or twenty seconds before they needed new packs.

The message was filtered through black-market contacts into the Hyperborian Empire. He didn't want news of this trade to get out - he still bought raw materials from the Union, and the hit to his reputation if Travellia found out about it.. he winced. Public opinion was still very much on the side of the Union. Still, it was a risk worth taking.

I can get you a shipment of Travellian gravitic rifles, armour units, and self-replicating defense drones. Two hundred thousands of the first, fifty of the second, and ten of the last. I'll even throw in a free replacement power pack for each gravy gun. For the risk it'll cost me, and the use they'll be against the Union.. a billion dollars. On delivery. Whaddaya say?

"Cousin Jimmy"

We will pay you.

The Lazy Trader, renamed the Long Metropolis for the purpose of this delivery, slipped into Hyperborian space, delivered the weaponry, remaining only long enough to receive her payment. Officially, she had been in asteroid colony space as a delivery ship. A few million pounds to grease the palms of record-keepers, and there would be no suspicion of what she had done.

The Lazy Trader, renamed the Long Metropolis for the purpose of this delivery, slipped into Hyperborian space, delivered the weaponry, remaining only long enough to receive her payment. Officially, she had been in asteroid colony space as a delivery ship. A few million pounds to grease the palms of record-keepers, and there would be no suspicion of what she had done.

Banku, The 47 Ursa majoris System

The Planet Banku was on The Outer eage of The Empire, a place where Sumgglers and Traders could go. Controled by Governer Kabai Sang. This Planet was now in control of 200,000 Imperial Warriors.

a Good place for Trade also.

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