Zoners - why they do exist?

[Doria]

Lemme correct you:
- Bering and Hudson were actually annexted by Liberty.
- Tau-29 is controlled entirely by Kusari Republic, after Imperial's Tau War.
- Omega-3 is now the sovereign territory of Bretonia, after short-lived Rheinland-Bretonia War.

Conclusion: Freeport 1, Freeport 2 and Freeport 6 are no longer in independent space.

Then let me correct you:

from the server rules post:

Liberty
Sovereign House Space: New York*, Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Ontario, Texas, Virginia.
House Controlled Space: Alberta, Ellesmere, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania
House Outer Region: Alabama, Cassini, Kansas

[...]

Independent
House Controlled Space: Cortez, Hudson, Magellan
Outer Independents: Bering, Coronado, Drake, Galileo, Kepler, Humboldt, Inverness, Puerto Rico, Unknown, Vespucci

So, you see, both systems you mention are considered independent by the server rules, and only Hudson is considered partialy controled by Liberty, but still independent.

I know, you wil argue that you were talking inRP, but the RP actions in this case are limited by the server rules. The houses can claim all they want about a system, it will still be independent and therefore the military actions are limited. And, also, some player RP actually back up the idea of the systems being at least partially independent and they recognize the importance of the Freeports there, as houses militaries would have difficulties to mantain bases there.

Proof of that is the fact that Bretonia recognizes at least the area around FP1 as Zoner space, and respects and even enforce the no-fore zone there. In the same manner, last year the zoner representatives from Bethlehem and Freeport 2, together with the LN admiral, forged an agreement around the no-fire zones with strict codes-of-engagement, also recognizing the 'soveregnity' of zoner space around the stations. Even Kusari has left the FP6 alone, even as far as I know no agreement has been made there.

So, you see, besides being in most cases a 'stepping stone' for traders venturing to the edge worlds, they are also valious supply points for the houses themselves, and considered by all of them a 'necessary evil', so to speak.

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