Zoner Sheriff Office

[Zapp]

I wrote this some time before 4.85 even came out, based off the ID Infocard discussion. Figured I'd throw it out there now for comments and volunteers.

Zoner Sheriff Office

Naming Conventions:
ZSO|Firstname.Lastname|S (Sheriff)
ZSO|Firstname.Lastname|D (Deputy)
Tag: Zoner
ID: Vigilante

Vigilante ID
Pilot carrying this ID is a Vigilante, who:

• Can demand any non-house police or non-house military ships to drop any contraband
  
• Can hunt pirates and terrorists anywhere in Sirius except for the Omicron and Omega systems
  
• Can only use the Griffin, Hawk, Falcon, Eagle or Roc Mk II
  
• Cannot use ANY unlawful equipment or weapons (including Nomad weapons)
  
• Cannot ally with anyone except other Vigilantes
  
• Cannot attack any lawful police or lawful military except in self defence
  
• Cannot demand credits
  
• Cannot trade or escort traders
  
• Cannot fulfill bounty contracts
  
• Can only land on Bounty Hunter, Zoner, IMG, Neutral, and Freelancer bases
  

Allowed ships: Fighters, Bombers
Carrying unmounted IDs in your ship, as well as not equipping an ID, is a serious crime. Vigilantes are often considered to be unlawful and may be engaged by the lawful house police and house military. Players using the Vigilante ID MUST have a lawful tag and their equipment and area of operation must also reflect their tag.

Description
The Border Worlds have always been a place of particular chaos. Pirates have, to date, constructed numerous bases in the border worlds (at last count by this organization, eight criminal hideouts exist in the border worlds). Not to be confused with the Edge Worlds, which is defined by this organization as the Sigma, Tau, Omega, and Omicron systems, the border worlds are comprised of the space between Liberty and the other three houses. Lawless, the great militaries of each house refuse to take any drastic action to reduce crime or protect traders in these zones.

Something had to be done.

The Zoners and IMG, having significant interests in these various regions of space, kept an open-door policy on their freeports. They supplied the pirates and terrorists, but at the same time secretly collaborated, hoping to better defend the region without outright flouting their neutrality. Representatives from Freeports 2 and 4, as well as Ames, met secretly on the Zoner Destroyer Shades of Gray to discuss what they could do. Some radical elements from each base demanded drastic action, either openly losing neutrality or calling in the House militaries, while the conservatives stressed caution, perhaps the secret hiring of Bounty Hunters or mercenaries. Both came to a steady draw, neither side backing down. Then...

A member of the IMG, Lloyd Yetz from Freeport 4, suggested a different third-party strategy. He gave an impassioned oratory piece that moved both sides towards compromise: the Zoner Sheriff Office. While bearing the name of the Zoners and their IFF and transponders, it would be decidedly hostile to any overt hostile action taken by anybody - pirates or otherwise - in the border worlds. Freeport no-fire zones became enforced by a rowdy bunch of gunslingers, and the NFZ eventually extended to include all the border worlds. As time advanced, it became increasingly obvious that despite their vaunted ambivalence in dispensing "justice", the ZSO was heavily favoring the lawfuls in engagements. The House military patrols that came across pirates and engaged (whether wrong-doing was evident or not) were supported by the ZSO, who entered engagements on the military's side.

It is for this that they separated from the Zoners in name. While secretly approving of their actions, the Zoners could not be known to take sides in engagements. The Zoner Sheriff Office became an autonomous group, no longer carrying Zoner transponders. Still based off of - and supplied by - Zoner bases nonetheless, the group continued to flourish despite their lawful nature in the face of numerous pirate organizations.

Responsibilities

• Upholding law and order in the zone of operations
  
• Stopping smuggling of contraband (as defined in the "Contraband Policy" section)
  
• Destruction of malcontents
  
• Defense of the 5k no-fire zone (NFZ) around Freeports
  
• Mouthing off any military ships that stray into the Zone of Operations
  

Allowed Ships
Griffin
Eagle
Civilian "Roc" bomber

Allowed weaponry
Civilian "Flashpoint" and "Debilitator" lines
Zoner "Fury" line
Codename weaponry
All explosive ordinance
Mini Razor hull breacher
All CD/mine/CM types

Nomad Weaponry is not allowed under any circumstances! Deputies mounting them will be taken out back and shot!

Contraband Policy
Objects considered contraband:

• Cardamine
  
• Artifacts
  
• Synth Marijuana
  
• Slaves
  
• Any Nomad technology/brains
  

Ranks
Sheriff - The leader of the Zoner Sheriff Office, the Sheriff is simply an elected leader whom the Deputies trust to make good judgment calls. Little really sets him apart from anyone else.

Deputies - These are men that put their lives on the line so that law and order are maintained, or at least whatever kind of law and order they envision. Erratic at times, these men are trusted and true nonetheless.

Zone of Operations
Bering, Hudson, Galileo, Kepler, Cortez, and Magellan are the normal operating zones for all members. Moving through Liberty to get from one zone to another is acceptable, but violence in said zones is not acceptable except in self-defense. The LPI, LN, and LSF frown down on this organization, so utmost caution is advised when in transit from one zone to another.

Bases to be used are Freeports 2 and 4, as well as Ames. Significant knowledge of their zones leads members to have an extensive understanding of jump holes and criminal patterns of movement.

Diplomacy
Allied
Zoners
IMG

Friendly
Bounty Hunter Guild

Neutral
House military/police
House trade corporations
GMG
The Order

Unfriendly
Corsairs
Mollies
Gaians
Blood Dragons
Golden C.
Farmer's Alliance
Hogosha
LWB
Red Hessians
Bundschuh

Hostile
Liberty Rogues
Lane Hackers
Xenos
Unioners
Outcasts

War
Nomadic entities
Phantoms

---

[Malaclypse 666]

Sir...

I'm sorry, but have you not been paying attention?

We have a Council of Zoners.

We have the Council's "Zoner Security and Response Team".

And now, we have the "guiding hand" of Faction, soon-to-be Faction, and respected Independent Zoners in the form of "SHIZL".

Who would these "Sheriffs" report to, Zapp?

How do existing Zoner Factions and quasi-official Bodies reconcile our "neutralness" with your suggested "Diplomacy"?

I have serious concerns, sir, just as I have with "Interpol".

And lastly, did you even bother to consult with anyone in the Zoner Community regarding this proposal? (It is excellently written and presented, but it's a bolt out of the blue to mostbunall Zoners i cavort with, sir.)

Just... no.

Mal

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[Clarkie]

With Mal on this one. Nicely written proposal, but I really dont see the need. Most of us on the council operate ships capable of enforcing Zoner law.

I have issues with any proposal for a faction that considers itself some kind of pan-zoner police force. Big Issues.

[Cyberanson]

Zoners are pacifists... why should there be such a faction?

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ALG Waste Disposal
Faction Status - Recruitment - Message Dump

Rheinland Military Information Center | Marinenachrichtendienst Central Computer

[Apex]

I agree with Mal, I beleive the Zoners already maintain all thats needed. The unique Council of Zoners, the NFZ violations section, Zoner registry , kinda covers it all and puts it all well within RP boundries. If independant zoners , not the new faction but individual players are haveing problems there is already well inplace means for them to report, with people moderateing these forums on an near constant and vigilant basis. And we Zoners have both the means and resources inplace to take care of our own and take out the trash if needed.

[Magoo!]

Another Edit: Can you say... "Jupiter Guild"?!?

Glare.

Freakin'...

Glare. It's perfectly acceptable for mercenaries who can hold their own to work for whoever dishes out the dollar. Something people don't seem to understand, lets refrain from attacks like that, shall we?

Anywho... Yeah. Zoner Vigilantes is somewhat of a contradiction. The Zoners are... Zoners to get away from the Houses and the affiliated chaos. And with chaos comes conflict, thus, Zoners seeking conflict to get rid of people who the Houses can't and therefore helping the Houses... Well, you get my point.

[Scrapmetalsinner]

You should consider a Freelancer tag instead of Zoner, mal said the rest already.

[bluntpencil2001]

Having a 'contraband list' is utterly wrong for the Zoners, it being a set of laws, which are directly contradictory to their general libertarianism/anarchism.

Also, the diplomacy is utterly screwed up. The Zoners actually get on rather well with the Xenos, for example.

If you want to play cowboys, I would suggest the Bounty Hunters Guild and the Xenos for that 'feel'.

---

[Apex]

Having a 'contraband list' is utterly wrong for the Zoners, it being a set of laws, which are directly contradictory to their general libertarianism/anarchism.

Also, the diplomacy is utterly screwed up. The Zoners actually get on rather well with the Xenos, for example.

If you want to play cowboys, I would suggest the Bounty Hunters Guild and the Xenos for that 'feel'.

doh..

[Malaclypse 666]

Glare.

Freakin'...

Glare. It's perfectly acceptable for mercenaries who can hold their own to work for whoever dishes out the dollar. Something people don't seem to understand, lets refrain from attacks like that, shall we?

Glaring right back, sir.

I could quote you chapter and verse from the Council of Zoners "minutes" regarding how badly the aforementioned "Zoner Mercenary" idea was received, roundly debated, and finally tossed out with the bathwater. But I can't be arsed.

Now, didn't you just register one "Paddy" as a CoZ Delegate; and then promplty disappear. Haven't heard tuppence from you since. Missed a vote ro two as well, I believe.

There, having found a more current and convenient target, I shall go back and Edit my edit.

Sour apples,
Mal

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