Erik Nantz

[Jwnantze]

Erik Nantz started life as the third born of a large family in New Berlin. This family had an abundance of money and land, but as the nomad war hit the government seized there assets and drafted 4 of the sons into the military. Erik was one of them. He fought in the war and survived, running up through the ranks and finally making it to Captain, in charge of a brand new Gunboat. This Gunboat didnt look different from others, but had enhanced thrusters and a new enhanced gun, the Cerberus. He served as captain for a few years with a pick crew doing deep missions against the corsairs in the omega systems. His crew was excellent, and quickly grew to admire and respect there captain.

One day they were called back to the core systems for a special assignment: they were going on an assassination mission. When there ship arrived at the target area, they realized that instead of a dangerous criminal with a fleet, it was a lone transport carrying thousands of red hessian women and children from Yanagi to Ronburg. Worse, Erik soon realized that he wasnt the only one sent to do the job. Another gunboat and a wing of 3 fighters and a bomber soon arrived on scene. With the few minutes of time he had, the thought ran through his head: WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL DECNECY AM I DOING?!!? Am I willing to sacrifice my name and honor for my country? Erik was horrified at the prospect. As a military man he had no qualms about shooting someone that was a clear threat. But civilians? This was downright nauseating. He gathered his crew and held a vote. The vote was unanimous: turn their back on the corrupt and wicked Rhienland government and defect to the Hessians. They quickly did a dry run on the transport, and as the other battle group approached, did an about face and opened fire on the gunboat with their long range cannons. The faint was a success. They hit and did serious damage to the gunboat. But the bomber and the fighters quickly flanked him and started pounding on his rear. His shield failing quickly, he prepared to do a suicide run. But then, a wing of fighters appeared. They were Hessian! They quickly destroyed the remaining Rheinlanders and helped him tow the Gunboat back to Volgstat. With the transport safe, the Hessians were extremely grateful. His gunboat was all but destroyed. However, he was able to save most of the turrets off of his old gunboat. With a few years of service to the Hessians, he was able to obtain a second rate rogue gunboat.

With this ship, he served the hessians faithfully until their cause ran dry. He woke up one day and realized that the group he was with was no more than a group of common pirates. He spoke with the leader, and through the conversation, the comment was made, if you want a cause, go to the mollies. He was smitten, and went to his crew and told them what had happened. He still had his original crew and they were fiercely loyal to him. They shared his concern, and one of them said, well, why dont we try Bretonnia? The idea appealed to them all, and late that night they left Rhienland and the Hessians. They headed out to Dublin using the omegas as they were sparsely populated. Finnaly reaching Arranmore, they found a safe haven. The Mollies had heard of their exploits in the war versus the corsairs, so they welcomed them warmly. The cause they had been looking for was found: the Problem between Bretonia and the Mollies. At first this was dealt with by attacking any Bretonian vessel in sight. They did so well that the Mollies gave them expensive inferno cannon to add to their Rhienland armament. This was inferior to the fighter version, but against the Bretonian destroyers it was the edge needed to win. There gunboat was destroyed in a big engagement, but their presence was enough to win the battle and the mollies soon repaid their efforts with a brand new Rogue Gunboat MK2. With this vessel, many Bretonain craft fell.

But soon, the problem was changed as the war between Bretonia and Kusari commenced. The mollies and the Bretonian government signed a temporary truce as they aided each other fighting this new threat. Erik and his men saw an immediate opportunity and a shot at becoming a lawful force again. They sought to make this peace permanent by giving aid and acting in diplomacy efforts. (need more content) He got in contact with the commanding admiral and began to form a relationship with him. They worked together for several years. Erik got good enough at spotting corsair engines on his long range scanners during his time as a Hessian, and still had good relations with the Hessians. He was assigned to be the first warning on the front line in Omega-5. Basing his operations from <insert base name>, he spotted and quelled several dozen corsair raids on Cambridge every year, not to mention the small raiding parties he aided Bretonain and Hessian forces against every day. When on leave, he helped the Bretonain government and admiralty work toward a lasting peace between the Mollies and Bretonians.

However, after several years, this peace began to disipate. The Mollie government collapsed suddenly as its unified force split and started fighting among themselves. Meanwhile, the admiral that Erik had formed a relationship with committed suicide and a new fleet commander that knew little of him came to power. With these few months, 2 of his 3 support lines collapsed and he was forced to cut back his operations. He and his crew did small raids every now and again, but nothing like when he was backed by 3 different entities that he could call on. The mollies still claimed him, but the young blood that was becoming more and more the norm wanted to attack the BAF, not the corsairs. Erik needed more information and finally his curiosity got the better of him. He had sent a few letters to the molly government but got no answers. He decided to get more info.


MR Headquarters: The leader is pacing by the widow, thinking of his new battle plan, when he notices and group of men walking towards the headquarters. While not old, these men had the look of many a battle fought and won. They also walked stiffly, almost formally, a rarity among Mollies.
They almost look like Rheinlanders, sir a young aid states.
That is because they are Rheinlanders, he answers. That is Erik Nantz and his crew, a well known force of interdiction and intelligence gathering on the fronts of Omega 5 and surrounding areas.
Then why havent I heard of him, the aid asks.
Because who he was famous with. Nantz is a loyalist, one of those that is a lobbyist for peace with our enemies, the Bretonians. He worked for a full year to aid the peace negotiations as a molly diplomat. That is why I know him. We are watching him. He could be acting as a spy. The leader paused to take a cup of coffee.
Then why havent you apprehended him?
Its not that simple, my friend, he has done nothing worthy of such and has all the appearance of one that has the best interest of the Mollies at heart. He has been on Ronburg since the renewal of our conflict with the Bretonians and that made it difficult to watch him, or to catch him. Also, I dont think he is our enemy. Regardless, I dont think he has certain information that would sway him to aid our conflict.
The door opens. Erik Nantz is here to see you, sir the doorman states. Very good, send him in.


Erik entered the room, followed by his four crew members. They filled in and stood in a line in parade rest at the back of the room, while Erik approached the leader.
Greetings, sir, it is an honor to finally meet you said the leader.
No, no, the pleasure is all mine. I trust that you have had a good morning?
Yes I have, except the fact that you are here and I dont know why.
I will get strait to the point. Why have you begun hostile operations against the Bretonians, and what happened to the UoG?
Ah, so thats why you are here. It makes since. We cut off all communication with the Hessians up until now, and it would have taken a while for all this info to get down to you. The answer is very simple: The reason we renewed hostilities with Bretonia is that they are a treacherous bunch in that they had several spies in our organization in the form of the UoG leaders. The treaty that you and others were working for was drawn up by these fiends. Did you ever see it? No? Here, take a look.
It took Erik several minutes to read over the extensive document. When he was finished, he looked up. His face was pale.
Is this true, or is this a bloody hoax concocted by your organization?
We could easily concoct something like this, but we could not put this seal on the bottom. It is beyond our technology. He showed Erik the seal of the Bretonian parliament. In addition, there was the seal of the Admiralty and of the Queen of England.
Erik sat back. This was a lot to take in. This is not the document that I was working for.
I know
This would put us back into worse bondage than the mollies had before they rebelled, and war reparations to boot.
Yes sir, you certainly got that correct.
Well, what do we do?
We fight. And that, my friend, is what we are doing.
Alright, I agree. Here is what I request: All my crew retain their present rank, and have the opportunity for promotion. I keep the gunboat, and at my expense I will supply fighter craft to my crew at their leisure for the better usage of our resources. A gunboat is not sufficient for every situation, and while my crew and I are well suited for it, it is not well suited for all areas of combat. I also request that I be given purchase rights to a pirate train. I will supply the resources for its construction, and will use it to supply hard cash for construction of combat vessels and material for the betterment of the Molly people.

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There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for. -Elizabeth Elliott