Incarceration Proclamation

[Rashid]

My name is Ibrahim al-Rashid. I was born in Manhattan, not too long ago when things seemed simple to an average man living in Liberty. My parents were immigrants from a far away system called Mashriq. I did not really know what the place was like aside from what my mother and father told me in stories. Not that I could have known much anyway. My parents died when I was too young to even know what a system was. It all happened when they agreed to go on a cargo run with a bunch of military types. The Police said they were killed by pirates on their way to deliver 'food rations' to the Battleship Missouri. I was young, but even I knew that no group of pirates was willing to attack a fully armed convoy of 10 ships for a cargo full of cheap rations. Even more oft-putting: why was so much effort by the military put into defending a transport hauling synth paste? I didn't trust the feds, but that isn't why I turned Rogue. Not by a long shot.


It was a peaceful afternoon in Manhattan. The kids were out having fun, the civilians chatting laughing about how they nearly got dusted in space. Seung, who was a good friend of my parents', took me in after they were killed and raised me like his own. He was also an immigrant, from Kusari. Still had a bit of an accent. He was a little strict, but overall a sincere person. We were having a drink in the bar when he brought up the topic of me finding a career. I was 22 now, and he told me he wouldn't be around to have my back forever. He was right. I had my own ship: a Startracker. Not the best, but it was all I could afford at the time. Seung told me I should work for the Navy, they were hiring and they paid well. Usually, I would have told him "not a chance in hell", but I felt tired of the mundane life of working at Seung's engine shop. The job paid well, but not well enough. Call me greedy, but credits are the thing that make life easier. No one can argue with me about that. Putting my distrust aside, I signed up for the Navy the next day.

The physical training was hard. The paperwork was even harder. Since my parents weren't born in Liberty, it was difficult for me to go through all of the legal crap invloved with joining the military. But after pulling some strings, and passing the rigorous training, I was accepted into the Liberty Navy. I was on my way to speak with my new captain in the debriefing room when I heard chatter on the other side of the door. "This is a little too risky for me Captain..", I heard a voice say, "What if someone finds out?" The Captain was about to say something when Bruce Tanner, a fighter from my squadron, came around the corner and opened his mouth to talk to me. "Wait, I think someone's outside." The doors opened and two men walked out: Devon Valera, the captain of Alpha wing, and Hayden Solonski, the captain of my wing. Solonski intoduced himself and told me everything I needed to know for my first mission. A convoy of Cardamine smugglers were to be hunted down and caught alive along with their cargo. Seemed easy enough.

It was time. I had gotten into a few skirmishes in the past, even killed a handful of people who had gotten in my way. I was pretty damn good at it too, but it had been awhile and I was a little rusty. Due to budget cuts, the Defender ship was only given out to 'loyal' soldiers, whatever that meant. I was still in my Startracker when we undocked with West Point. My orders were simple: stay alert and bring the target home safely. Our formation was headed for a waypoint near the Jersey Debris field. We waited in the area for what seemed like only a couple of seconds when our boys showed up on radar. They were told to stop, and when they did, Captain Solonski hailed them with a threat: "This is Liberty Navy Captain Hayden Solonski, give up your cargo or prepare to be engaged." We were met with a desperate reply. "Navy Ships, we will surrender the cargo, do not engage." The voice was a woman, who, apparently from the background chatter, had someone very young on her ship. I thought Captain Solonski was just going to take the cargo and arrest them, but I was wrong. "Criminal ships, you are in direct violation of Liberty law, and a threat to peace and order. You are sentenced to immediate execution. Rashid, time to prove yourself. Destroy all enemy vessels." I couldn't beleive what I was hearing! "Sir, they have already surrendered. Couldn't we just-" "Negative, that's a direct order Private. Do it, now!" This was against what I stood for.. what Liberty stood for. I was not about to kill a surrendering woman and her kids, even if she was a criminal. So I did the only thing I could. I opened fire on my own wing, and got the hell out of there. "Run. Get away from this place!!!", I shouted to the smugglers. "You traitor! You'll pay for this!", I could hear Solonski's fading voice as I cruised passed them.


We were safe. We took a secret shortcut and swept in an out of the debris field, away from Navy scanners. It turned out that the woman was not hauling Cardamine at all, but loads of incriminating evidence against the corrupt government of Liberty. She was a Liberty Rogue, and she had taken her son and daughter, both 15, to train them in the art of Smuggling. Crazy way to make a living, but I wasn't protesting. She thanked me for my help, and took me to Rochester, where she introduced me to a bunch of her friends, who also happened to be Rogues. They offered me a chance to get within their group. I had thought about it, and up until now, I had always tolerated the B.S. the Liberty House corporation threw my way, and that was only because of the fear tactics and threats they used to quell any disagreement with their policies. I had seldom thought about becoming a pirate, but considering I was now an enemy of Liberty, it seemed like a grand new opportunity, for thrills and for money. Besides, this would give me a better chance of getting back at that bastard Solonski, and striking a blow to his Navy lapdogs..