The Free League

the league, as it is commonly called, was originally created as a counterweight to the Consortium, but had no way of competing in the beginning. They tried to perform the same functions as the Consortium, but have over time changed their attitude towards nurturing a more symbiotic relationship instead. The fact of the matter is that without the League’s deckhands, pilots and engineers, all of the Consortium’s ships and haulers would wait in dock, their cargo unloaded, and without the free traders, Consortium commerce wouldn’t reach as far out on the star arms as it does. In the shadows, both parties are still trying to out-maneuver the other, however. When it comes to free traders and markets outside of the core systems, the League is practically in a monopoly position. The risks compared to the calculated profit are too great for any of the major Consortium companies to get involved. The League runs several auction houses and souks in the outer systems, as well as a few on both Kua and Coriolis. The current goal for the League is to keep its control of the outer markets, and to improve the living conditions of its members. No other faction is as open about its membership as the League – counting official members, the Free League is the Horizon’s largest faction. y THE LEAGUE’S DIRTY LAUNDRY The League’s biggest problem is the alleged connection between itself and the Syndicate – something widely proclaimed by the Consortium. The League’s council member, Jesibel Niales, has time and again repudiated the accusations in very vivid language. To quiet the rumors, the League has begun hiring bounty hunters to go after corsairs, smugglers and even the Algolan slavers. Another fly in the ointment is that the League’s own so-called Night Hands, the paramilitary wing of the organization previously reserved for dealing with scabs and disloyal members, seems to have become more autonomous. The leader of the Night Hands, the stevedore Zahria, is often seen around the dodgy parts of the Ozone Plaza and is rumored to have dealings with the Syndicate. It is not all bad for the League of course – living astrogator legend Ehina Kuma still joins a new crew before every trip, bringing the Icons’ benevolent grace with her. Other celebrity members include Baris Khan, head pilot on the Net, and shipless captain Fatma Boroudi who takes jobs wherever a captain is needed. Some regard it as a bad omen when she comes walking through a port looking to ship out. The League is actively recruiting among the plebeians in the Conglomerate, something the local elite, the factory owners and the Consortium are less than happy with. Some even say that the League supports some of the uprisings in the Conglomerate. The Slum Queen Yjala Baktou has previously been a League member, but now fights against the Zenithians in the Ara-Ara borough close to the Monolith. y THE LEAGUE BOROUGHS In the last few cycles, The League has begun organizing itself in different neighborhoods in the larger cities of the Horizon. In metropolitan areas, such as Akhandar, Cimoran and Daharab, new boroughs with their own militias, hospitals, schools and even sanitation, water and energy plants have formed. The League seems to be on a quest for urban colonization across the Third Horizon, something that the other factions will likely not accept in the long run.   MEMBERSHIP The faction is based on paid membership. Every member must pay a license fee of 100 birr per CC, and in return, she is protected by the League through legal counsel, insurance and, perhaps most importantly, the right to bid on auctions. Through better working conditions, higher salaries and better insurance policies, the League makes life better for its members every day. They also run a school in Coriolis, free for members since they still have to work while they study. A new academy for captains and astrogators has just been opened on Coriolis, something the Foundation has protested loudly as they claim the sole rights to all portal stations and the crewing of them.