Corvus Nox Free Charter / CNFC

Excerpts compiled from 'Mercenaries, Pirates and Vagrants': 'A History of the Fringe'; 'The Black and Turning a Credit'; the autobiographical 'Ain’t No Friends in Vacuum – The Maboski Story'; 'Benevolence Enforced: A Study of Imperial Compliance'; 'Advocacy Field Manual 7-B: Irregular Organizations and Non-State Fleets'; and 'Messer: Regime of Terror'. Cross‑referenced against limited Advocacy and UEEN archival material.

2615–2619 (Date Unconfirmed) — Founding Period
What would later be formalized as the Corvus Nox Free Charter traces its origins to an indeterminate period between 2615 and 2619. The organization emerged from a loose, shifting coalition of veterans, deserters, and independent captains, many of whom were deeply disillusioned by their participation in the near‑genocide of the Tevarin and the subsequent political purges that followed the Second Tevarin War.

In its earliest incarnation, CNFC functioned as an informal mutual‑aid network rather than a structured organization. Affiliated crews provided one another with protection, intelligence, spare parts, and logistical support, often traveling in convoy through unstable or lightly governed systems. Their services to fringe worlds and remote stations were deliberately broad: navigation assistance, salvage operations, bounty work, and—when profit margins narrowed—petty theft or outright piracy.

Survival depended on constant motion. Crews avoided extended stays in any single system, remaining deliberately beyond the sustained reach of the Messer regime. Contemporary observers applied a variety of dismissive labels—Rag and Bone Men, Void Gypsies, Crows. CNFC members adopted these names readily, wearing them as marks of identity rather than insult.

Note: Early CNFC culture placed exceptional emphasis on mutual obligation, shared risk, and collective survival. These values were later codified in the Charter and persist in ritualized songs, toasts, and customs. Advocacy records suggest that proto‑CNFC activity consisted of overlapping networks of smugglers, illegal salvage crews, and unaligned captains. Known associated criminal groups include the Void Crows, the Black Keel Compact, and the Cinderwake Syndicate.

2622–2626 — Fringe Convoy Protection Era
CNFC-affiliated crews increasingly appear in informal convoy formations along unstable trade corridors, particularly in systems experiencing Messer-era neglect or underfunded Advocacy presence. Independent traders report reduced pirate losses when traveling alongside “crow-marked” vessels, though convoy participants deny formal coordination.

Note: Advocacy analysts later identify this period as the origin of CNFC’s informal signaling systems, shared distress codes, and cross-crew mutual aid practices. Advocacy piracy records show some correlation with higher rates of piracy and smuggling in adjacent systems where "crow-marked" vessels sighted.

2629 — Cano System Bounty Dispute
Crew of two suspected CNFC vessels, ‘Hand of God’ and ‘Just Kidding’, attempted to claim a bounty on the Rim‑Spiders gang at an Advocacy outpost in the Cano system. The captains asserted that no surviving members of the gang remained following a series of raids on the arcologies of Cano II.

The Advocacy rejected the claim due to insufficient proof. The dispute was resolved without payment after threats of Imperial Navy involvement, and the bounty was formally withdrawn.

Note: Rim‑Spiders attacks on Cano II were recorded consistently from 2620 to 2629. No further incidents were reported thereafter. Official Advocacy conclusions attribute the cessation to the gang altering insignia and identifiers. No independent confirmation exists.

2639 — Terra Disappearance Rumors
Several vessels later linked to CNFC are rumored to have assisted in the transport, concealment, and protection of supporters of Senator Assan Kieren of Terra following his disappearance and presumed assassination.

2644 — Surplus Ambush Allegations
Suspected CNFC vessels ‘Nose Candy’, ‘Childish Tycoon’, and ‘Hand of God’ were alleged to have ambushed military surplus shipments enroute to Sol for long‑term mothballing. No admissible evidence was recovered.

Note: Contemporary officials suspected internal leaks from active UEEN personnel. Hand of God’s IFF transponder was recorded in three separate systems during the alleged attack window, suggesting either deliberate spoofing or falsified ship tags.

2681–2690 — Refugee Convoy Operations
CNFC‑affiliated crews began offering low‑cost escort and transport services to refugees fleeing Vanduul incursions, particularly along under‑defended trade routes and fringe corridors. These operations marked one of the first sustained periods in which CNFC activity drew tacit approval from local authorities despite the group’s ambiguous legal standing.

2720 — Bremen Smuggling Incident
An unnamed individual suspected of CNFC affiliation was arrested for smuggling weapons to anti‑Messer activists in the Bremen system.

Note: The suspect was transferred to military custody and subsequently disappeared. Such outcomes were not considered unusual during the latter Messer regime.

2782 — Cascom Incident (“The Foolhardy Run”)
An alleged CNFC member, Farrington “Foolhardy,” piloting an Aegis Avenger, attacked UEE Army units conducting the roundup and detention of so‑called “illegal settlers” on Cascom in the Castra system.

The settlers had been stranded when their colony ship—part of the Quality Colonization Program—suffered catastrophic mechanical failure. Castra’s designation as a military‑only system enabled the local governor to request direct intervention from Imperator Linton Messer XI, who authorized ground forces to detain the colonists.

Foolhardy engaged multiple sub‑orbital attack craft, while also suppressing ground units allowing additional CNFC members to load the bedraggled settlers onto a recently “acquired” cargo hauler and extracted them from the system.

The UEEN Idris‑class frigate UEES Baker arrived shortly thereafter. Foolhardy attacked the frigate directly and was destroyed by a mass‑driver strike. His final recorded transmission reportedly included the phrase: “You’ll never take my space penguin!”

The rescued settlers eventually reached safety in the Nyx system. Some settled in Levski; others joined fringe crews, including CNFC.

Many subsequent CNFC gatherings includes a formal toast: “TO LIVE AND DIE A FOOL.” and the less formal “You’ll never take my space penguin!” – depending on the level of inebriation.

Note: The Quality Colonization Program was a chronically underfunded initiative established by Imperator Linton Messer XI. Subsequent analysis by Ark historical accountants suggests it functioned as a mechanism to sell off decommissioned and barely space worthy naval hulls as “colony ships,” generating revenue while displacing undesirable populations from Earth’s lower strata.

2792 — Messer Uprising Evacuation Rumors
An alleged CNFC vessel identified as ‘Hand of God’ was reported departing Earth and transiting the Sol jump point naval blockade during the confusion surrounding the uprising and eventual death of Linton Messer XI. Persistent rumors suggest the vessel may have assisted in the off‑world extraction of Fiona Messer.

Note: The vessel is unlikely to be the original Hand of God, which would otherwise exceed 170 years of service. Association with Fiona Messer remains unproven; however, Imperial Palace security logs do record her authorizing an unknown vessel to land at a palace service entry shortly before the complex was overrun by the rioting mob.

2793 — Formal Chartering
CNFC reorganized from a loose confederation of freelance pirates, bounty hunters, independent operators, traders, salvagers and explorers into a formally chartered entity: the Corvus Nox Free Charter. The first Charter was codified and signed by the six most senior captains of the flotilla. While officially the Charter sought legitimacy, the culture and code of the CNFC had been ingrained and developed over 170+ years on the fringe.

Note: This marks the first official record of the organization operating under the CNFC name. Multiple members registered with the Advocacy and local authorities for trade, navigation, and salvage licenses shortly thereafter.

2808 — The Great Departure
Following the overthrow of the “Benevolent” Imperator and the apparent stabilization of the new UEE under Imperator Erin Toi, a significant number of CNFC members departed the organization to re‑enter core‑world society. Many sought to participate in the promised Age of Enlightenment, leaving behind a smaller, more skeptical core committed to life on the fringe and suspicious of the new authority.

2811 — The Raleigh Station Incident
CNFC affiliate Martin “The Poop Weasel” Hideoshi was arrested at Raleigh Station in the Odin system for public intoxication, assaulting seventeen UEEN Marines, and joyriding a station fire‑suppression vehicle down the central market concourse. During pursuit, he used the vehicle’s suppressant systems to disable four local constabulary ground craft.

He was eventually apprehended when the vehicle’s foam reserves were exhausted and transferred to the Perseus‑class naval gunship UEES Bellerophon for transport to an Advocacy security station. Hideoshi escaped enroute by squeezing through the holding cell’s waste‑plumbing system and ejecting himself in an escape pod moments before the Bellerophon entered quantum.

By the time the escape was detected and the vessel returned, Hideoshi had, in official phrasing, “weaseled his way to freedom.”

Note: The incident was considered a significant embarrassment for the UEEN and directly contributed to later Perseus‑class design revisions. When the class re‑entered production in 2950, brig facilities were removed entirely.

2875 — Ariatric Rest Stop Blockade
Five unnamed but suspected CNFC vessels participated in a blockade of Ariatric Rest Stop Station in the Bremen system until Bereon “Stomper” Gorrute and his crew were released from local custody and their ship, the F.C.V. Free Flyer, freed from impound. The crew had been detained over alleged failure to pay refueling costs. Station management eventually capitulated and released the ship and crew who promptly fled the system with their rescuers before Advocacy units could arrive.

Note: Advocacy records later show multiple members of Ariatric station management were charged with price gouging and illegal impound practices, effectively holding vessels hostage to extract bribes.

2913 — Chronos Cargo Disappearance
The entire contents of two Galaxy Haulers transporting materials destined for the Synthworld Program vanished in the Chronos system. CNFC was implicated solely due to a large concentration of its members being present on Archangel Station for the organization’s 120th anniversary celebrations. No arrest were made.

2932 — UEEN Viper Incident
An experimental UEEN Viper sub‑orbital fighter was suspected stolen by CNFC member Jennie “Light Fingers” Harstone from the flight deck of the Pegasus‑class escort carrier UEES Kelpie. The loss remains one of the few blemishes on the record of the famed 999th Test Squadron, “The Reckless,” and has fueled numerous altercations whenever CNFC members and naval personnel socialize.

Note: Official UEEN records attribute the loss to mechanical failure during launch and document the demotion of deck officer Edmurt Sanchez. No formal record places Harstone aboard the Kelpie, though demotion hearing transcripts include Sanchez exclaiming, “Damn manipulative #%!* Jennie.”

29 May 2947 — Corporate Legitimization
The CNFC joined the Citizens Coffee Company associate program, seeking expanded access to legitimate exploration and salvage contracts.

27 August 2947 – Heist of the Century
Suspected CNFC vessels F.C.V. Grendel (an aging, heavily modified Reclaimer) and F.C.V. Alysrazor (a newer Avenger Stalker) carried out one of the most bizarre crimes of the century: The Novelty Space Poultry Heist.

Using an illegal custom‑built mass driver, the Grendel attacked and breached the Corvalex Shipping Hub. A boarding team—including a modified Titan suit—forced open cargo holds and ejected crates labeled “Novelty Space Poultry – Assorted” into open space, where they were rapidly recovered. The vessels disengaged, evading a naval patrol (its turrets neutralized by the Alysrazor) and an Advocacy quick‑response force left baffled by a slowly expanding orbital cloud of rubber duckies.

No charges were filed. However, space rubber duckies soon appeared for sale across fringe systems, often shortly after CNFC vessels visits. CNFC members deny involvement while openly adopting the Space Rubber Ducky as an unofficial mascot.

Note: Advocacy File #Ninetail/Intel?#18409533‑Alpha13 documents persistent rumors that the toy shipment concealed stolen Hadesian artifacts intended for Sol black‑market sale by the Nine Tails syndicate. Corvalex denies all allegations and maintains the manifest accurately reflected the cargo: “Novelty Space Poultry – Assorted.” The crime was later further immortalized by the release of the now popular folk song "Who will dance with Mr Black an me?" and short series of graphic novels detailing the adventures of an anthropomorphic crow "Mr Black" - Artists unknown

Current Records Search: CNFC Activity

Note: Freedom of Information Act request to UEE — DENIED. Advocacy records request — APPROVED (Limited Access).

Registered Permits and Licenses

• Bounty Hunter Licenses.
• Registered Trade License, Class 3 (Hazardous Goods Endorsement).
• Registered Exploration and Jump‑Point Mapping Permits.
• Class 4 Mining Permits.
• G‑Class Ground Vehicle Licenses.
• Multiple Weapons Permits.

• Personal Security (Limited).
• Orbital Ship Detail (Limited).
• Jump‑Point Screening (Limited).

Revoked: Orbital Station Security — see Gurant III Station Incident
Revoked: Class 2 Settlement Policing Permit — see Jermanax V Mining Colony Revolt

Current Records Search: CNFC Criminal Allegations

Note: Freedom of Information Act request to UEE — DENIED. Advocacy records request — APPROVED (Limited Access).

Available Advocacy files show minimal successfully prosecuted activity. Numerous members, however, remain listed as suspects or persons of interest in cases including—but not limited to—the following:

• Piracy.
• Illegal Salvage.
• Non‑reporting of navigational hazards.
• Creation of navigational hazards.
• Arson.
• Petty Theft.
• Grand Theft.
• Common Assault.
• Assault with a deadly weapon.
• Assault with a non‑sentient being .
  Note: Who slaps someone with a Flo‑Pet???
• Assault on UEEN personnel.
• Misuse of a port fire‑suppression system.
• Murder.
• Illegal broadcasting.
• Unauthorized access to UEEN systems.
• “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!”
  Note: Who inserted line 17, and why won’t it delete?
• Unlicensed modification of water conveyance systems.
• Smuggling (commercial goods).
• Smuggling (sentient beings).
• Smuggling (non‑sentient beings).
• Tampering with shipping manifests.
• Tampering with IFF transponders.
• Evasion of port cargo transfer fees.
• Non‑compliance with space lane regulations.
• Non‑compliance with spaceport regulations.
• Failure to report newly discovered jump points.
• Space Rubber Ducky Larceny.
  Note: Space Rubber Ducky Larceny??????????!#$!%!?

ADVOCACY INTERNAL ADDENDUM SUBJECT: CORVUS NOX FREE CHARTER (CNFC) CLASSIFICATION: RESTRICTED / ADVOCACY EYES ONLY FILE REF: ADV-TA-CNFC-Δ17-SHORT SUMMARY Corvus Nox Free Charter (CNFC) is a highly adaptive, irregular actor operating across fringe systems and within the empire. Individual members often meet criminal criteria, but the organization demonstrates episodic tactical hostility rather than sustained insurgency. CNFC’s operations correlate with political instability, under-policed systems, refugee movements, and supply-chain stress. Notable behaviors include: * Rapid convoy assembly and dispersal. * Tactical interference with UEEN assets during enforcement. * Sophisticated evasion using falsified transponders and unconventional tactics. * Localized, high-impact operations (e.g., Cascom, Ariatric Reststop, Novelty Space Poultry Heist). * Erratic and often disproportionate response level to perceived threats or slights. Possible indirect links to the Office of Executive Services have been noted, primarily involving high-value extractions and intelligence-sensitive cargo. Overall Threat Rating: ORANGE–RED (Context Dependent) Advisory: Avoid provocation. CNFC responds punitively to perceived harassment, asset seizure, or enforcement overreach. Their behavior is often petty and vengeful, imposing outsized operational and political costs for minor interventions. Recommended posture is monitored tolerance and indirect pressure via third-party enforcement.
Analyst's note: Like the birds of their namesake, CNFC has proven remarkably adept at acquiring items that do not belong to them, avoiding incarceration, and anticipating trouble before it arrives. They consistently appear near conflicts both large and small, and their members are typically bold, boisterous, and—almost without exception—rarely found alone.