--- Incoming transmission ---
--- Source: New York ---
--- Destination: Liberty Navy high command ---
Right! I'm not happy! I'm not happy at all.
I'm Dave Peters from A1_Construction, and I want to draw your attention to an incident which took place at about 06:25 SMT today.
I'd been contracted to build a base in Pennsylvania, and had just reached the NY/Penn jump gate when I was told to hold by LNS-Sting_Ray. He was soon joined by [LN]-Geral.Macmahon, LNS-The.Retribution and [LN].Alan.Polstari.
It appears that my employer got scammed, since the person who granted him the base licence had no authority to do so.
At this point, [LN].Alan.Polstari ordered me to drop my entire cargo. I dropped the nuclear devices (since he told me they were restriced in Liberty), but was ordered to drop the rest. At this point, everything I had in the hold was perfectly above board. I was again told to drop the rest and, when I asked why, was told "because that's my order on the matter."
I told Polstari I was going to report him to his superiors and asked for his service number. At this point, he said "I sense non compliance" and, without further communication, opened fire destroying my ship.
Whether the licences were in order or not is irrelevant. I'm just an honest businessman going about my business. Your officer had no right to demand my cargo and absolutely no call to destroy my ship.
Is this how the Liberty Navy treat law abiding citizens?
I want compensation for the loss of my ship and cargo and, more importantly, I want that lunatic court martialled.
Full cockpit recordings are available if required.
Miscommunications can be a most unfortunate affair, that much is for certain. It is also regrettable that your employer entered into a base construction agreement with an unauthorized party, so allow me to clarify:
The only parties which can authorize the construction of a new space station within Libertonian territorial space, are the offices of the Libertonian government.
While you might not like it, and while the use of force is never a pleasant course of action, as far as I can tell, Vice Admiral Polstari acted in accordance with the Liberty Navy's standing orders regarding base construction materials being hauled by unauthorized sources.
The Nuclear devices alone were enough to warrant action against you. While the rest of your cargo may or may not have been legal per say, if it was related to base construction and you refused to comply with Mr. Polstari's order...that explains perfectly to me, why this situation unfolded the way that it did.
--- Incoming transmission ---
--- Source: New York ---
--- Destination: Admiral Rachel A. Baker ---
--- message begins ---
Oh! so it's Vice Admiral Polstari, is it?
"Miscommunications can be a most unfortunate affair, that much is for certain." That's your explanation of one of your hot dog fly boys shooting down a civilian craft without warning?
As far as both I and the guy who hired me were concerened, he had authorisation. He had, after all, just forked out 200 million credits for it. Once we were informed that it was bogus, I made it quite clear that I wasn't going to build the base, so that was never an issue.
He mentioned the nuclear devices, so I dropped them straight away. At best, his insistance that I drop the rest of my cago was heavy handed and unwarranted. He knew full well that there was never any intention to break the law. At no time did I refuse to drop my cargo or flee. All I wanted was to know why. When I told him I was going to report him, he opened up on me without a word. You're seriously trying to justify that?
As for your reference to base contruction materials: well, that covers just about everything, doesn't it? Are you going to start downing ships for carrying basic alloy now - that's a base construction material. You lot are making it up as you go along.
I don't know why I'm bothering trying to get justice out of you lot. You probably had a good little chortle about it together in the officer's mess over a couple of large gin and tonics.
You lot are there to uphold the law, not make it up as you see fit. Ever heard of "due process"? No? Thought as much.
My statement regarding miscommunications was merely a statement of fact. Your transport of base construction materials, and Polstari's belief that you were showing noncompliance, is all the justification needed in this instance.
You talk about "Upholding the law"...and while the rule of law is something that I personally believe in, you are mistaken if you believe that civilian law enforcement has anything to do with the mission of the Liberty Navy.
Our mission is to defend the sovereign territories, and spacefaring citizenry of The Republic of Liberty. The construction of unauthorized facilites, or transport of materials to said facilities, is in fact, a violation of Libertonian sovereignty, as well as a potential threat to our national security.
As I said previously, the use of force is never pleasant, but Vice Admiral Polstari was acting in accordance with the orders handed down from Secretary of Defense Robert McKay, and the President himself, in order to eliminate any potential risks to The Republic.
The Navy does not write the law, nor does it act without orders. Even I, as Acting Fleet Admiral, am still expected to follow orders.
This incident was of course, unfortunate, and I am glad that civilian death was avoided.
However this incident could have been avoided had your employer thought to verify the status of his facility's legality with the appropriate authorities, before hiring pilot's to move goods to it.
If you wish to further argue the letter of the law, or Libertonian national security statutes, I suggest that you send any further transmissions directly to the Offices of the Libertonian Federal Government.