Dresden system

Situated within the orange-brown Walker Nebula, the Dresden system is bathed in the same sickly hue. This pallor is not aided by the abundance of sulfur clouds boasted by the system. However, like its neighbour Omega-11, it holds great mineral wealth, containing two fields with abundant free-floating deposits of ores that are rare elsewhere in Sirius.

Close to the Kruger operated Bautzen Station (that lies within the Kruger Lavafeld) is the Schwefelnebel, a huge cloud of sulfur containing many diamonds that can be mined with ease (apart from the frequent Red Hessian attacks).

On the opposite side of the system lies the Daumann Lavafeld, a vast cloud containing an abundance of cobalt and copper asteroids, with Leipzig Station at its heart.

At the system's north-western edge lies the third great sulfur cloud, the corrosive Giftnebel, containing the Vogtland Base, the home for Red Hessian activity in the system. Any pilots not friendly with the Hessians are strongly advised to give it a wide berth when traveling within system.

Planets[]

None

Bases[]

Bautzen Station[]

Bautzen Station supports Kruger Minerals operation in the Dresden system. Smaller than the rival Daumann facility at Leipzig, Kruger chose to focus solely on the extraction of Diamonds from the shifting clouds and rogue asteroids that populate Dresden.

Leipzig Station[]

Leipzig Station is the main ore processing and smelting operating for Daumann Heavy Construction in Dresden. A chaotic system of fierce tidal eddies and volcanic asteroids, Dresden is an unforgiving environment; conditions aboard Leipzig are reportedly litter better, with overcrowding a constant problem and industrial accidents a common occurrence. Cargo runs are usually under heavy protection since their valuable cargo makes them a particularly attractive target for pirates.

Pirna Border Station[]

Pirna Border Station is the command center for the Rheinland Federal Police in the Dresden System. The Federal Police are tasked with protecting Daumann cobalt convoys outbound from Leipzig Station from pirate attacks.

Vogtland Base[]

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.

Jump Gates/Jump Holes[]

Jump Gates
- New Berlin
Jump Holes
- Stuttgart (C3)
- Omega-11 (C4)
- New Berlin (D3)
- Frankfurt (G4/5)

Wrecks[]

Danzig (D3, top-right)[]

Scanning reveals older Rheinland Freighter model. The most likely candidate is the Danzig, a Kruger Minerals ship lost in 450. It may be carrying diamonds.

Contains:
- 2x Adv. Starbeam
- 2x Adv. Starbeam Turret
- 20x Diamonds

Fields[]

Daumann Lavafeld[]

A field of Copper and Cobalt bearing asteroids. Heavily mined by Daumann Heavy Construction from their base on Leipzig Station, this field has produced the bulk of these minerals in the Sirius Sector for centuries—making it an irresistible target for Red Hessian pirates. However, experts speculate that the field will be depleted within two decades, leaving little behind but a massive cloud of sulfur.

Giftnebel[]

The cloud is a swirling mass of sulfuric acid and hydrogen sulfide that will corrode the Hull Panels of even an armored, shielded ship in a relatively short amount of time. Because of its toxic nature, the cloud has never been fully explored, but Red Hessians will sometimes use it as a method of evading pursuit after stealing valuable Diamond shipments from Daumann or Kruger.

Kruger Lavafeld[]

A field of lava asteroids. Unfortunately, the field is too close to the sun and consequently too molten for any mining. Bautzen Station, local headquarters for Kruger Minerals, sits at the edge of the field.

Lavafeld[]

A small field of lava asteroids. Often used as a waypoint for Red Hessian attacks on the Daumann facility at Leipzig.

Schwefelnebel[]

A large sulfur cloud containing lava asteroids. Diamonds can often be found floating freely within the cloud and are collected by Kruger Minerals, operating from nearby Bautzen Station. However, Kruger has been forced to increase security to prevent theft by Red Hessians.