Birth of an alliance
From The Pardusian Chronicles
It was around the beginning of the 3rd year of the second galactic war between the Federation and the Empire, when some high-ranking pilots decided that certain values like pride, honesty and dignity are not bound to race or faction alignment. Disillussioned by the autocratic leadership style of the Empire and the squabbling of the many different alliances within the Federation, it was this first group of 8 (2 of each race) who met on a busy little planet in the Neutral Zone, to form the basis of what should later be known as Red Cell. Deciding that the only way to get something done for the greater good, was to do it themselves, these pioneers founded a secret society, which was willing to do everything its members deemed necessary to achieve their goals.
It was not too long after this pilots returned to their respective factions, when acts of sabotage, blackmail and direct assassination started to influence the outcome of more and more battles. This was also the time when rumours about Red Cell started to spread, and nervous pilots mumbled to themselves "I'm a little nervous about all this, someone is always lurking nowadays..." before leaving for critical missions. And they sure had a reason for feeling nervous, given that none of the original members of Red Cell had given up their military rank, but instead used insights they gained from this position for their very own purposes. Besides that the factions also proved themselves to be excellent recruitment ground. So more than one surprised pilot one day found a message like this in his mail box:
"My sources tell me that you may be suited for Red Cell. Membership is by invitation only.
Please PM me if you are interested.
Regards,
XXX, Red Cell Agent"
Those curious enough to reply, soon found themselves confronted with another message:
"Red Cell is a covert organization, founded by a group of high-ranking military officials and experienced and free-minded pilots from the Neutral Zone. We must ask you that if you do not decide to become a part of Red Cell, that this correspondance and the information hearin remains strictly confidential. Otherwise repercussions will have to be taken.
Red Cell comprise of a skilled strike force, backed up by trading in high profit goods regardless of legality, willing to do everything we deem necessary for the greater good in the universe.
The nature of the pilots we employ, guarantee that we have contacts to all of the four sectors, and infuences in other alliances.
XXX, Red Cell Agent"
Although this kind of recruitment gained the Red Cell quite a few members, it was also beginning of the prosecution of its members. More than one newspaper - be it from the Federation or the Empire - took part in this campaign against the newly labelled "enemy within". This led to many an innocent pilot being brought before martial law and sentenced to death for suspected activity within the secret society. Moreover whole tribes of populations who were suspected for offering shelter and support to members of Red Cell have been terrorised and prosecuted until they fled their home planets.
This was the time when Red Cell declared its dissolution via the media, to avoid a similar fate as 'Mad' Max Sheppard's "Union of creative free traders", an underground organisation Red Cell members despised for their complete and utter lack of any morals whatsoever. Of course the rumours around the organisation never died down completely, as everyone suspected that a core group of the organisation might still be acitve, because - as the old saying goes - "Someone is always lurking...". Certain events including guerrilla assaults on pirate stations, assassination attempts on Goron and Sheppard, as well as the mysterious deaths of certain unpopular alliance leaders only added to this rumor.
And finally, not long before the stabilisation of the latest wormholes which opened up Rashkir and the North Pardus Rim for tens of thousands of curious pilots, Red Cell once again made its presence know to the public. This time its current members have agreed to leave a life in secrecy behind them. Instead they claimed the sectors of Capella and Nebul, where they established their new base of operations. A lot of those who had to go into exile during the pogrom against Red Cell are now flocking into Capella every day. The current members of RC still uphold the ideals of the founding fathers, including the firm belief that in order to get something done for the greater good, you have to use any means necessary. Especially recent developments in the Neutral Zone seem to raise suspicion among Red Cell's pilots, as the freedom of these clusters and their population is on top of the society's agenda. So whatever your plans in the Neutral Zone are, rest assured that someone will always be lurking...
--Red Cell
