Starboard Flag [STARBOARD] - Organizations

History

The origins of Starboard Flag trace back to 2469, when Edward Prince, a watch officer aboard the tanker Roustabout, made a discovery that would alter history—the Pyro System. Unlike the corporations that sought to claim and exploit new frontiers, Edward believed planetary systems should belong to the people, free from the greed of mega-corporations. His plan was simple: upload the Pyro system’s data to the United Earth Empire’s Open-Source Planetary Trust Platform (OSPTP), ensuring public access, exploration, and sustainable settlement.

But Pyrotechnic Amalgamated (P.A.), the corporation that owned Roustabout, had other plans. They sought to strip-mine Pyro, bleeding it dry for profit, regardless of the environmental destruction it would cause. Faced with a choice between compliance and defiance, Edward made a fateful decision—one that would cost him everything.

He steered the Roustabout through the newly discovered wormhole into Pyro, aimed his ship toward the sun, and ejected in an escape pod. It was an act of both sacrifice and defiance, ensuring that P.A. couldn’t use his ship to exploit the system. But his escape ignited a brutal corporate manhunt.

P.A.‘s security forces swept through the crew of Roustabout, using intimidation, torture, and—according to rumors—murder to extract information on Edward’s whereabouts. One particularly infamous case involved a crew member found tied to a tree, executed with three blaster shots to the back of the head. Officially ruled a “self-inflicted” incident, the ruling was as laughable as it was damning.

Edward knew he couldn’t outrun P.A. forever. With bounty hunters, mercenaries, and covert operatives on his trail, he fled through the fringes of known space, seeking refuge among smugglers and outlaws who had no love for corporate rule. Eventually, he made his way to the Stanton System, a chaotic mix of corporate control and lawless zones where a man on the run could disappear—if he was careful. Hiding in a remote outpost on Daymar, he hoped to find allies or a way to get the Pyro data to the UEE before P.A. closed in.

But P.A. had resources, and patience. They sent an “official” explorer mission to claim Pyro, but the truth was far darker. The explorer was no scientist—it was an assassin, dispatched to track Edward down and recover the Pyro data by any means necessary. When they found him on Daymar, Edward was taken, tortured, and ultimately executed. His death, however, did not silence him.

When news of his murder broke, Edward Prince became more than a man—he became a martyr. The revelation of P.A.’s ruthless greed and corporate overreach sparked public outrage, but more than that, it sparked a war. A silent, ruthless rebellion took shape, waged by those who refused to let corporate empires carve up the stars unchecked.

From this chaos, a group of disciplined, battle-hardened individuals banded together under a single banner. Their mission was clear: to make interstellar corporations pay a price for every world they sought to consume.

This was the birth of Starboard Flag.

Manifesto

1. [REDACTED] are rarely killers
Tragically, killing does happen on a few [REDACTED] vessels, yet this is not the norm and is not admired, even amongst other [REDACTED]. Since [REDACTED] are comprised of former sailors from merchant or navy vessels, they are not ones to kill or torture the sailors of the merchant ships they had just taken as prizes. They sympathize with the sailor’s poor lot in life and allow them safe passage to the nearest port. “[REDACTED]”, arguably the most infamous of [REDACTED] of ancient times, actually had no record of murdering or torturing his captives, on the contrary, it is reported that he had a pleasant and polite demeanor. The concept of “robbing the rich to feed the poor” is a popular concept amongst [REDACTED] crews, thus respect for the poor sailor is widely recognized, so much so, that it is not uncommon that sailors of taken ships will willingly and enthusiastically join with the [REDACTED] rather than go back to the standard and oppressive life that they were then currently a part of.

2. [REDACTED] treat their crew better than UEE Navy or Merchant Vessels
A common misconception of [REDACTED] is that many of their crew are kept in line by brutal force aboard the ship and that many are forced to serve. In fact, most [REDACTED] choose the lifestyle. During the ancient time period (17th-18th century), any legitimate work at sea featured abusive and abominable conditions. Sailors aboard royal navy or merchant vessels were extremely underpaid (less than a farm hand) and often beaten by their superiors. Wages would be delayed, deducted or simply not paid out at all. When ships within the royal navy were short on sailors during war time, “press gangs” were sent out to kidnap men on land and violently force them into service for “Her Majesty.” Not surprisingly, this gave quite a bit of emotional ammunition for the sailors wanting to jump ship to join a more democratic, profitable and even humane lifestyle aboard a vessel that would also allow them to fight the system that held them down. To this day, 1,000 yrs later, this principle is still being practiced.

4. [REDACTED] are an equal opportunity employer
Since crew members often elect to be on board, [REDACTED] ships often consist of members of diverse cultural and social backgrounds. The well-off will work alongside and even be held accountable to the poor; social, economic, national and racial differences are dissolved while aboard. Crews aboard a single vessel are often comprised of UEEN Veterans, social outcasts, runaways, slaves, etc. all of whom are granted an equal share of the profits and equal rights as crew members. In fact, there are even a few female [REDACTED], most famously Anne Bonny and Mary Read from ancient times, as well as the late Pelamy Le’doise and Tanyo Perryweather, who reportedly fight just as well (maybe better) than their male counterparts. In short, [REDACTED] are treated as equals, regardless of background – a practice not found in the legal and legitimate career paths of today.

5. The flag is raised to avoid battle
During the great age of sail of ancient times, it was important for vessels to raise flags in order to distinguish themselves. These flags typically flew the colors of the nation they sailed under. In opposition to all established nations of the time, [REDACTED] initially flew a simple black or red flag to make clear this distinction as well as their intent. As [REDACTED] began developing their infamous reputation, they started incorporating a more intense branding campaign in an effort to intimidate merchant captains into submission before a conflict even arose. Rather than fight for the cargo of the wealthy that functioned to exploit them, sailors aboard merchant vessels would often refuse to fight, preferring instead to put their sails into the wind, and be taken peacefully. This tradition is carried out to this day as a nod to ancient times. The term for the black flag, with or without symbols, was termed the “Jolly Roger.” Popular versions incorporate some element of a skull or skeleton; the most famous being the skull and crossed bones, a symbol found on tomb stones (memento mori) signifying the inevitable mortality of us all.

Our Flagship, “Chimera’s Wake”, is an Aegis Idris-P outfitted with both an HMF-T12 “Hammerfall” Torpedo Launcher and an IFR-BC7 Ballistic Turret on the nose. The ship’s external proximity security system manages 11 M2C “Swarm” PDCs.

The ship gets its name from its function, the org’s philosophy, and the psychological impact the ship brings to an area of operation.

The name, ‘Chimera’s Wake’ fits the ship’s function: A “Chimera” is a mythical creature made of disparate parts. ‘Chimera’s Wake’ is a perfect example of this; A former UEE military vessel that combines a fighter wing, a cargo transport, and an assault element. The name perfectly describes its multi-role, hybrid nature.

It Matches the Organization’s Philosophy: The “wake” left by ‘Starboard Flag’ is a powerful metaphor for its consequences. The name implies that when Starboard Flag’s ships pass through, they leave behind a lasting trail of chaos and disruption for anyone that stands in their way. It suggests that Starboard Flag’s actions are transformative and have a profound impact on those who would stand against them.

It’s Both Intimidating and Mysterious: The name doesn’t spell out the organization’s purpose like “Vindication” or “Reclamation.” Instead, it’s intimidating and a little ambiguous. To a corporation, the ‘Chimera’s Wake’ sounds like a terrifying, monstrous force that cannot be easily understood or stopped, which has a great psychological advantage.

Charter

Starboard Flag is a democratically governed, equal opportunity faction. This means that we include members from ALL walks of life. It also means that, at any time, a vote can be cast to determine the path of Starboard Flag. This can range from current pursuits to it’s own membership to even include its leadership. We do not care about your past. Upon joining, you take an oath to yourself to never look back while also swearing to uphold our articles of agreement;

#The first and foremost rule of Starboard Flag is to never, ever, under any circumstances, discuss members, roles, objectives, activities, pursuits, goals, etc. with any third party entities. Unwavering loyalty is critical to the success of Starboard Flag.

#Members are expected to treat others with respect and dignity. Do NOT represent yourself unbecoming of Starboard Flag. Do not attract unwanted attention. Stay always on the alert. Report all happenings to the company at present.

#All members are expected to contribute a maximum of 10% of earnings to the Starboard Flag Bank. This ensures that funding exists for ALL pursuits and goals. This includes, but is not limited to, ship provisions, uniforms, weapons, ammunition, equipment, etc.

#You may wear the Helm, Gantlets, and Paldron of your choosing to express your individuality and taste. Bear in mind that if you so choose to wear the colors of your enemy, you may be treated as such.

Starboard Flag Bylaws:

I. Every member by least rank of Scout has a vote in affairs of moment; Every member, no matter the rank, has equal title to the fresh provisions, at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.

II. Any member that first locates a target, and upon successful capture, shall have the best loot aboard of her.

III. Any member that shall be found guilty of cowardice in the time of unfortunate circumstances, shall suffer what punishment the majority of the company shall think fit.

IV. No member to game at cards or dice or gamble with other members for money.

V. Leave of Absence to be given when Craved.

VI. No member shall open, or declare to any person or persons, who they are, or what designs they are upon; and any persons so offending shall be immediately removed from Starboard Flag.

VII. 2% compensation is provided the Ship Captain for the use of their ship, 10% compensation is provided the Starboard Flag Bank for the betterment of the syndicate, the remainder of the profits to be divided amongst all crew, including the ship Captain, again, to be paid as salary or otherwise the majority of the company shall think fit.

VIII. At any time hence forth, a member may request review of the Starboard Flag Bank finances to ensure transparency to members

Starboard Flag / STARBOARD

History

Manifesto

Charter