Name: John Lenin
Known callsigns: N/A
Current affiliation: Junker
Rank: N/A
Graduated: West Point Military Academy
Birthplace: Freeport-9 (Omicron Theta)
Date of birth: September 8th, 792 A.S.
Height: 5'7"
Age: 24
Weight: 155 lbs
Sex: Male
Hair colour: Brown
Eye colour: Green
Parents: Boris and Elena Lenin
Marital status: Single
Ship name: Chimera
Dislikes: Terrorists
Priorities: Freedom, Flying, Exploration, Mankind, Family
Motto: Live [and let others live] a Life
I was born in 792 A.S. in a Zoner family on Freeport-9, Omicron Theta.
My mother was a scientist researching jumpholes, deep space anomalies and the kind. Omicron Theta was the perfect research field for her while my father was patrolling the space as an Eagle pilot to make it a safe place for commerce, research, normal life.
My mother's scientific life did not really touch me, I was more my father's boy. Already in kindergarten I played mostly fighter pilots, deep space explorers. Still Today I cannot think of a better life than flying my own Eagle to the far reaches of Sirius.
I was 8 when the Nomad War swept through Sirius. Luckily the war itself did not directly affect my family, but it made my parents thinking not only about companies, factions or houses but about mankind - and they raised me accordingly.
Luckily my family supported my dreams so when I became 18 (810 AS) they sent me to the Rheinland Military Academy since Rheinland was the closest colony to our home system.
But I had to realise that while the Rheinland military pilots are on the top speaking of flying and military skills (first of all discipline), by the time of their graduation they lose their sense of humor, they lack flexibility, initiative, individuality. They are superbly organised, probably the best naval officers following their orders to the point, but that's useful only if you have a navy to fly with. As a born Zoner I needed something what could help me survive without a clear chain of command, in a fuzzy situation alone or in a mixed team. I stayed at the academy for two full years and I have to admit I still have a thing for Rheinland weaponry!
In the meantime the Kusari - Bretonia situation escalated so the only remaining option was to switch to Liberty. It wasn't easy, of course I couldn't continue my training where I quit Rheinland but anyway I was allowed to join the West Point Academy in 812 AS. There the culture was a lot more like ours at home, giving a lot more freedom to the individuals not only accepting but really expecting initiative.
After my studies finished at West Point I did not enroll to the Liberty Navy. Of course by the time of our graduation we were all Lieutenants of the Liberty Navy but then I never signed to be a regular navy officer.
For now I'm planning to fly around Liberty earning the money to buy something more space-tight. Then I'll visit my parents back home at Freeport-9. Though I don't think I'll stay there - there are far too many corners of the world I haven't seen yet.
Since I spent the last six years in Rheinland and Liberty, I'd like to visit the Bretonia and Kusari systems.
By the time I saw most of the civilised systems I should have the expertise and funds to head to the rest of Sirius or maybe I'll meet a nice girl, fall in love and settle down somewhere... Who knows?
Just recently I spent my savings to buy my first spaceship, a Starflier on Manhattan, NY, Liberty. It isn't fancy at all, but you find your first bird always pretty! I named it Chimera - with time the ship will change but I'll take the name along with me...
Life is strange. I expected that I'll have a perfect reputation with the Liberty Navy, but it's not the case. Are they hurt because I did not enroll? Who knows.
Flying this Starflier is an experience. It handles extremely well, but lacks everything what we had at the navy. Those Patriots and during the last year the Defenders are real hardware! I have to start earning soon to be able to afford something better.
Our old foes, the Liberty Rouges and Xenos are what they were, I flew some missions against them - and recognised that my Starflier is inferior to most of my opponents. Outcast in thier Daggers are definitely dangerous I had to do my very best to beat them staying alive.
One day however I saw a familiar ID on the comm channel, a Zoner. He contacted me and offered help. He is a well established merchant and willing to help me starting my civilian life. We agreed to meet at Fort Bush.
When landing I saw a girl landing too with a Starflier and when I went to the bar she followed, then we had some smalltalk. I even invited her for a drink. Her name is Jane Blond, a rather straight type, and she was quite pissed about everything. She mentioned something about losing her family and friends. What we agreed on was that none of us liked flying our Starfliers...
My merchant came and I invited Jane to stay. It cannot hurt I thought. The Zoner was a lot more generous than I expected, he offered millions - I had to cool him down just to give me some hundred thousands. It is already a great help, and I did not want anybody to solve my life...
Jane wasn't so shy, she told him her needs, and immediate plans, and surprisingly he agreed to give her enough to cover all.
Both of us had to promise however that we will help those in need when we can afford...
Now that I have enough money I have to look for a better ship. But the funds are far too much to settle for a Defender. Fisrt of all, I'll just fly around here in NY to see what's for sale and I'll also stop somewhere where I can browse the catalogues of remote dealers.
So I spent a whole day at West Point browsing through a lot of catalogues. (Why when I wanted an Eagle most of all? Simply because I still couldn't afford it.) First of all I was interested in what Liberty had to offer, but I couldn't find what I needed. Well, that's not true, they had some rather fancy fighters but those were a little bit too expensive, and then why not the Eagle. Then my interest turned to Rheinland where I was still familiar with the basics. After scrolling through all of their military models something very interesting hit my eyes: they sell some rather weird ships of alien design. Some of them were crafted by my people of Freeport-9. I had to see those!
I packed everything I could into my Starflier and headed off toward Rheinland. This Starflier should be called Grasshopper. You can hardly fly trough a whole system without a stop, you have to strech your body, refresh etc. So I landed and took off at countless bases till I got to Battleship Koblenz in the Frankfurt system. They had those Kushan ships on offer. I agree, their desing is rather strange, but the technical parameters are OK. They agreed to give me a testflight. After this long trip in a small light fighter I wanted something more spacious so we tried their heavy fighter. I don't know why but after a few loops around Planet Holsten it became clear that it isn't my ship. When I told them that I'm fascinated by the extraordinary design but this ship doesn't quite match my requirements, they suggested to visit Battleship Regensburg in the Munich system. They have something similar and different at the same time.
And they were right! I wouldn't say that those Taiidan ships are the best choice models for everyone but they are worth their price. Their design is a lot sharper compared to the far too curvy Kushan style. Technicaly they are all inferior to an Eagle but also cost only about the half. So we made a deal, I took off in a brand new Taiidan Heavy Fighter. The weaponry wasn't the best, they were selling only a limited range of equipment to strangers but I can upgrade it later on.
The first upgrade came earlier than planned. Just after I hit the trade lane some Bundschuh hit on me. Better to say I hit them and tractored in some of their guns. I got them repaired at the next base and tried them out. I like those Lugers! I think I'm going to stay around to get more of them...
Rheinland space can be rather dangerous as it happens.
Just the other day leaving a trade lane and wanted to dock with the next on when my ship got destroyed by ships I never saw using IDs unknown to me. Luckily enough my escape pod got tractored in to Essen Station.
Aster a few life rescuing Schnaps the bartender told me who they were: Die Wilde. Some kind of nomad infected humans... It seems nomads are not gone, are they?
So I have to be careful, my ship dissipated after their first salvo of fire...
---
Later I visited my parents at home on Freeport-9. It was a happy reunion but not as smooth as I expected. spending 6 years in the crowded, civilized center of Sirius did change me, my affiliations to different people, factions. I'm not the distanced person the Zoner myself was when sent to the academy.
But flying again in the wild space of the Border Worlds was intoxicating!
---
I've received a message from Jane to meet her in NY so I headed core-ward again. What a stressful trip that was! There was no system I could pass through without being disrupted at least once. Pirates, terrorists and petty criminals all hack trade lanes and terrorize people...
Now I'm sitting at our regular table in the bar on Fort Bush waiting for her to show up...
Looking out of the transparisteel window it's amazing to watch the crowded space after the vast emptiness of the Omicrons...
