"I am often reminded of how space is both cruel and kind...From the darkest nebulae to the cataclysmic explosion of a dying star, she can take everything in a split second...but once in a while, give treasures of endless wealth and glory."
-Anonymous PERSONAL LOG #0001: SHIP OF THE PRIMA TERRA:
I remember the war between Rhineland and the GMG.
My great-grandfather was there when it all happened. His family had died trying to negotiate a piece between the two warring nations. The last he saw of their ships as he and his uncle fled Sigma-13 was the floating ruins of their transports.
Canisters of H-Fuel, caked in the burning ashes of ships and debris.
That was nearly 161 years ago. Since then, our family has served both Rhineland and the GMG for nearly two centuries. To keep our relations steady, we kept our focus on business and the steady flow of economy. Money can buy you anything: new ship, new equipment, new crew, even luxury items such as drugs to keep the pain at bay. But what happens when you let money control you? You slowly become a slave to it, feeding its parasitic hunger to further sustain that feeling of pleasure. Every bundle of credits that come falling into your lap is a release of precious endorphins that sends your body into an unstable high. You want more, so you give more. You give more and more, never realizing that you're soon running out...
Then, it's all gone. You have nothing. Nothing to your name, your body, our your soul. Everything reduced to zero.
What then?
Space is a continuous wheel of luck, chance, and fortune. You can make it big through earning bounties and cashing in on eliminating evil-doers. For the less bloodthirsty, their bounties are found through trade and resourcefulness, delivering goods that people want. And sometimes, the bounties of space herself house many gifts; pockets of minerals are open to the prospect of mining, including huge clouds of usable gas. If you lose a fortune, there's always the opportunity to win it all back. But just as easily you can win it...everything can fade away all the same.
My great-grandfather's recordings were passed on to me as I learn from the same mistakes he made during the aftermath of the war. I hope that through his teachings, I'll be able to survive. Sirius is calling out to me, and the thrill of danger leads me on a path to glory...or death.
After all, even with all the wars and conflicts in Sirius...
