They would have you believe that we left Bering willingly, that we naturally migrated away. Simply left our homes, our lives, our ethos and moved back to the Houses.
It is true that some of us did leave the Freeport by choice - when the Liberty - Rheinland war started in 817 AS our incomes dried up and we were in the centre of a warzone. We were raised to tread a fine line between lawful and unlawful, to create a zone of peace between groups at war; suddenly the lawful side disappeared. After the Houses turned a blind eye to Bering lawlessness set in.
We were not trained for combat - we came to Bering as drifters looking for a safe haven. As our numbers declined we could no longer protect ourselves, we were bullied, robbed, beaten, raped - in our own homes. Ultimately we fled, we were refugees.
Neither of the Houses wanted us, Rheinland was destitute and dealing with its own problems following the war. To Liberty we were a blot of vagrants upon it's glossy appearance. To both we were somebody else's problem.
Some did find work, housing and some security in the Houses, others in distant Freeports or continuing to move from star to star. An attempt to move on with life. The majority of our group were sheltered in Bethlehem - a safe roof over our heads, but not a home. Liberty kept watch on us, we were under surveillance, declined the option to work, or to claim benefits.
Some years passed - we volunteered where we could: cleaning, cooking, repairing. Charity only lasts so long, our hosts at first were proud to be doing some good, but after some time the feeling faded until we became unwelcome guests. Despite our free labour they still felt that they were doing us a favour and we needed to work harder and harder to appease them. We were alive but not living.
The Coalition recognised our struggle and secretly started to work with us to ascertain our needs and how we could be helped. They saw that our only option was Bering, to take back what was stolen from us, to take back our pride and our lives. We were given basic combat and guerilla warfare training. When a mobile mining platform was heavily damaged and brought to Bethlehem for repairs, we were given a financing agreement to purchase the ship, supplies and weapons.
Back amongst the asteroids we know so well, honing our abilities and striking where we can. We must take back Freeport 2, to repay our debts and rebuild our lives. No House, company or pirates may be allowed to lay claim to this land. It must remain in the hands of the people. Freeport 2 will be renamed and will no longer be open to all.
We must show that Zoners may be neutral but we are not weak, and be a beacon of hope to all those who have been displaced in Sirius.
We are Bering.
Information
ID:
Zoner Militant
ZoI:
Bering, systems directly bordering Bering.
Objectives:
Retake Freeport 2
Disable the jumpgate to Liberty
Found the Peoples Republic of Bering
Activities:
Fight unlawfuls within the Bering system (excl. Unioners)
Control and manage access to the Military Salvage field
Deny Liberty and Rheinland Forces access to this system
May tax transports and miners within Bering, either for supplying the unlawfuls of FP2 or for income
May attack other vessels within Bering if necessary
Building support for our cause, both political and financial
Monitor the Unioner activities
Mining (supply of Military Salvage for the Coalition)
Allowed ships:
Fighters, Freighters, Transports, Gunboats (Cruisers - with substantial RP only)
Civilian, Zoner, Borderworlds
Diplomacy
Hostile:
Unlawfuls in Bering (excl. Unioners)
Liberty & Rheinland forces in Bering
Unfriendly:
Unlawfuls outside of Bering but within ZoI
Ships known to be supplying/trading with Freeport 2
Junkers within ZoI - known to deal with and harbor criminals
Neutral:
Unioners - In 720AS they were asked to leave FP2 and they agreed, founding Pacifica. We have been told not to interfere with their operations but to report any instances of unusual activity to our benefactor.
Battlegroup Harmony - We currently have neither the resources nor the expertise to interfere with this group. We are unclear of their stance towards us and our goals and will contact them to ascertain our future relations with this group.
Friends:
The Coalition
OORP FAQs:
Hasn't this been tried before?
Yes - a few groups were around in early 2018 using the Zoner Militant ID and with the goal of retaking FP2
No - The preceding groups had one objective only, I have tried to expand upon this with multiple goals, a more integrated diplomacy and history.
Why the Coalition?
Zoners have generally been egalitarian communities, of which socialism is an adaptation
I was given this idea because in Earth geography the Bering Sea separates USA and Russia
From SCRA Faction history - "We do not tolerate piracy, terrorism or oppression of the people." & "We believe that slavery is amongst the worst crimes man can commit"
Bering could operate like Bulgaria during the soviet era - as a satellite ally.
The Coalition has resources to give this group military training and equipment
The Coalition wants control over/access to the largest supply of Military Salvage
After the recent tension between Unioners and Coalition, the Coalition would like to keep an eye on their activities
Shouldn't Zoners be neutral/peaceful?
A previously common misconception - the Zoner information says "The Zoners are a diverse group of individuals who, for various reasons, have decided to live in the wild and unregulated systems outside colonial control."
This has more recently been realised where 'The Zoners' have split into more independent Freeports and factions/groups. In short every Zoner is different and has different views on their neighbours.
Can I be an indie?
Obviously, and we'd love to work with you