Born in 777 A.S. on the Planet Denver, the second most populated planet in Liberty, David Leroy was the only son of a modest family who lived in the suburbs of a small town in the south. His father, John Leroy, was a shipyard worker, often willing to work double shifts in a desperate attempt to support his family. He had to do this because his wife, Inna, at the birth of David, had some complications that did not give her the opportunity to get a job. Raised and educated more by his mother, David's childhood was not exactly enviable. Lacking his father's presence, he became an introverted child and quickly learned what hunger and poverty mean in the suburbs populated by miners, smelters and shipyard workers. However, his mother managed to instill in her son the courage to learn and follow his dreams, regardless of the opinion of those around him.
As he grew up, David began to discover his own aspirations. His whole childhood, but especially in adolescence, David dreamed that one day he would become so rich, that he could travel freely anywhere in Sirius. He often looks at the richest children in the city center as they went on vacation to places David could only dream of, like Planet Curacao or the newest popular tourist attraction, which appeared when he was 14 years old, Luxury Liner Hawaii. Marked by family discussions and quarrels between his parents, at the age of 18, David decided to create his own path in life. One night, he take about 1.8 milions credits, the hard-earned money by his father who desperately wanted to see his son follow a military career. With these money, he purchased his first EL-HiL27 class freighter ship, which he called "INDEPENDENCE", a name that was not chosen random, because, deep down in his soul, that is what David wanted most in his life: INDEPENDENCE!
Independence
Aboard his ship, he began to discover a new world, much different from the one in which he lived on the planet Denver. Forced to raise more money for repairs and maintenance, like many other young people his age, David chose to sell goods from one corner of Liberty to another. Also, he chose to break off relations with his parents, of whom he knew nothing. For three years he lived in a rented room on the outskirts of a small town located in the eastern part of the Planet California Minor, rechristened in 826 A.S. as Planet Anaheim by the local California government.
Here he met Diana, a nonconformist girl from a wealthy family. Although she had a carefree life, Diana wanted to get rid of the severity and rigidity of the lifestyle imposed by her father. She attended the courses of a management university, which she did not complete. Driven somewhat by the same ideals, David and Diana soon decided to unite their destinies. In 798 A.S. they moved together on the Planet Manhattan, where they wanted to make their own trading and shipping company. For 18 years in which they both tried to put their personal skills into practice, everything seemed to go on a paved road only with well-being and harmony. David had become the father of two boys, Mark and Joe. The family business was prosperous and provided them with sufficient funds to afford a peaceful life. They allowed themselves to take an annual vacation in the places where David dreamed since childhood, the rule being that Diana always decides what these destinations will be.
Death
But their dreams were suddenly shattered. In 817 A.S., on the way to Valley Forge Flight School from Pennsylvania, where David's two sons wanted to take courses at one of Liberty's largest piloting institutes owned and operated by Interspace Commerce, the ship where David and Diana were with their two boys, was violently attacked by a group of Xenos terrorists. Diana suffered serious injuries that caused her death, 2 weeks later. Left alone with his two sons, David did not have the strength to overcome his wife's death and had a mental decline.
In a very short time, he decided to close his business. However, his two boys, Mark and Joe, followed their own destiny. They separated from their father, who began to drown his bitterness more and more often in alcohol, on the Newmark Station in New York system, were hired by Interspace Commerce. A year later, in an attempt to rehabilitate their father, they managed to hire David into the same corporation.
Beginning
On Newmark Station Mark and Joe met a 22-year-old young man, Rick Tenda, also employed of Interspace Commerce who had raised a significant amount of money in a few years. But Rick Tenda wasn't the kind of man to be content with a little. In May 819 A.S., he persuaded David's two sons to give up Interspace Commerce, and to set up their own company together, named "Liberty Trade and Supply". But due to lack of experience, their initiative has failed. Few months later, the father of those two brothers, David, being dissatisfied by the policy of the Interspace Commerce corporation, has decided to resign and joined to these young mens, in their attempt to form a new shipping company. And thus was born the Liberty Trade Shipping corporation, with Rick Tenda as Vice President and David Leroy as President.
Knowing that to become a competitive company on the shipping market is necessary to have a vast transportation division, they bought many transport ships and decided to begin first businesses in Kusari space, trying to take advantage of the poor relationship between Interspace Commerce and local authorities from this house. Seen as a foreign competitor, arrival of Liberty Trade Shipping in this space was not greeted enthusiastically by other much bigger corporations. However, in a few weeks, Liberty Trade Shipping, with the consistent financial support from Rick Tenda, has succeeded to sign some contracts with local companies, like Kishiro Technologies or Samura Heavy Industries, to purchase from a group of freelancers, known as Coalition of Free Traders, a private station, named Muroto Trade Center, wich has been protected by the Kusari Naval Forces and become also the headquarter of Liberty Trade Shipping.
Betrayal
Beginning was a tough one. But having more employees, more ships and more influence, David Leroy considered that it was the proper time for the beginning of a intense campaign, in order to extend the operations area of his company in other houses. In the meantime, this company was forced to cope with different obstacles in its way to ascension: repeated attacks from terrorists groups like the Xenos in Liberty or the Artisan Farmers Alliance in Kusari, difficulties due to relationship with Interspace Commerce and influences of this corporation or solving of some events occurring in the Honshu system, after a treaty has been signed by Kusari Naval Forces and Rheinland Military, initially considered a potential danger for the Liberty Trade Shipping.
All culminated with sudden disappearance of Rick Tenda at the end of June 819 A.S., while he was in a business travel in Nagano system. Left alone in the lead of this company, David had a new psychotic break, two days later, when Mark Leroy ran with over two billions of credits from the funds of Liberty Trade Shipping. Being betrayed by one of his own sons and without his best friend, David was very close to give up. Two full weeks he tried to find a way for solving this situation.
Coma
At the age of 43, David Leroy had enough experience to realize that real money cannot be obtained only from legal business. Thus, without the knowledge of the other employees of the company, he carried out some illegal smuggling activities in collaboration with other groups, more or less recognized by the local authorities. At December 21th, 819 A.S., being on such a trip to Dublin, he became the target of an attack initiated by a Hyena bomber belongs to a Mollys group, in the proximity of the Graves Station. Following the attack, David completely lost consciousness, failing to request timely help. Coincidentally being in the area, a young woman by name Susan Miller on board of her IDC K-LF-337 "Stargazer" Civilian Shuttle, found David in an extremely critical situation but still alive, and took him to a medical center from Planet New London where he lay in coma for more than a year.
Meanwhile, due to the unexplained disappearance of the CEO, David Leroy, the Vice President of the Liberty Trade Shipping, Nicolas Carter, the Trade & Logistics Manager, Brian Ford, the Director of Public relations, Armund Pagasi, and the Chief Security Officer, Francois DeVersailles, have decided to take temporary full control of the company until the CEO come back. Francois DeVersailles stepped up as temporary CEO of the company on the September 5th, 819 A.S., trying to keep Liberty Trade Shipping alive. But later, he chose to work for Gateway Shipping and the company's financial situation became extremely critical in a very short time.
Bankruptcy
In January 821 A.S., after coming out of coma, David tried to contact his son, Joe Leroy, but without success. Shortly afterwards, David was informed by a friend of Joe's that he had been killed in Hudson system by a "Tirpitz" class Battlecruiser, being a collateral victim of the conflict between Liberty and Rheinland. Susan Miller, who took care of David, helped him get through this difficult time. David became attached to Susan, but their relationship was based strictly on friendship, the age difference between the two being considerable. During all the time she was with him, Susan listened to him and became practically the only person who knew his whole past. She decided to get involved in revitalizing of the Liberty Trade Shipping company.
In a desperate attempt to save company from bankruptcy, David sold Muroto Trade Center to Kishiro Technologies. With the money obtained, he tried to pay the company's employees and start negotiations to receive approval from Bretonian local authorities for building a new trade center in New London system. But because David was still recovering, Susan took over the management of the company in an extremely critical financial situation and tried to get in touch with former members, without much success. But she quickly realized that the end of the company was extremely close, regardless of the efforts of the two. Therefore, she made the final decision to leave David alone on his adventure, and joined to the Orbital Spa and Cruise company, where skills allowed her to quickly reach the position of CEO for a certain period of time. Left completely alone with the memory of his wife Diana who died 4 years ago and without his two sons, Mark and Joe, David decided to retire from business and officially declared the Liberty Trade Shipping company bankrupt.
Suicide
With little money left, in 821 A.S., David Leroy chose to return on the Planet Denver and retreat at the edge of a small settlement located near to the place where he grew up. His parents had long since died. For more than 6 years, he was content with modest earnings from short deliveries of goods he occasionally made. He spent most of his time watching the video he had recorded from the time when he had a beautiful wife and happy family. Now they were just memories. These six years in which the world has undergone major transformations, nothing has been able to determine him to resume previous lifestyle. The thought of suicide tormented him every day. Probably, the only thing that stopped him was... the thought that maybe his son, Mark, is still alive. Although the credits stolen by his son led David to bankruptcy, in his soul, he would give anything to see him at least once more. He had forgiven him a long time ago because... he is still his son!
[09:04 SMT] - Barrier Gate Station A, Coronado System
Eight years later. A strange sound causes David to open his eyes slowly. He was lying on a bed, in a spacious room but still couldn't tell where he was. He could assume that it is a hospital, although the furniture around him did not fit such an environment. A strong light prevented him from clearly distinguishing the face of the person who was bent over his bed, but its figure made him believe that it was a woman. He did not feel able to ask anything. He simply felt as if he did not have enough strength to open his mouth and say something. Suddenly, the person in front of him broke the silence, confirming his suspicion that it was indeed a woman's voice:
- Good morning, Mr. David!
The timbre of the woman's voice in front of him betrayed the fact that she was young. Although he could not distinguish her face very clearly, he realized that she had a long hair. David tried to remember who is she, but his memory plays tricks on him. The woman continued, as if reading his thoughts:
- You are probably wondering who I am and where you are. Well... I don't think that is the right time to tell you this. For now, I think it's better to rest. All you need to know is that... you are safe. So, don't worry! We will have enough time to tell each other stories, now that you have finally recovered! I will come back later. Until then, try to sleep.
The gentleness in the woman's voice made David calm down. Still, he wanted to understand what was happening to him. He still couldn't see very clearly, and his body felt extremely weak. A few seconds later, he realized that the woman was just giving him an injection in his right arm. Overcome by a strange tiredness, he closed his eyes and suddenly fell asleep.