Freeport 7

## Background

A station located in the Sigma 17 system.

The station served as a neutral trading facility for all walks of life from around the galaxy.  It was equipped with a fighter wing of Liberty BDR-337 Defender Heavy Fighters.

## Storyline

The location where Edison Trent was going to sell a ton of Boron to Sam Lonnigan in exchange for a million credits.. It was destroyed in moments by a Nomad attack.

## Destruction of Freeport 7

The only warning that the station had of an enemy attack was long range sensors picking up some kind of unknown contact shortly after Samura transport SA14 departed the station. As a result, the station dispatched three Liberty BDR-337 Defender Heavy Fighters to escort the transport. It is likely that those three fighters were some of a whole squadron of fighters the station had for defense, but those were the only fighters currently flying and ready to respond to emergencies. In the end, this made no difference because shortly afterwards, unknown ships appeared inside the defense perimeter, fired their weapons, and obliterated Freeport 7.

According to survivor Edison Trent, "from the time the alert started, we only had a few moments before the station blew up." Over 2600 people died>, and only a handful of people survived in a single life pod. This made it the most devastating disaster in recent history.  In honor of those who were killed, the markets on Planet Manhattan held all trades for one minute. Despite the shock to markets from the unprovoked attack, analysts expect them to recover fully.

## Freeport 7 Investigation

### Speculation and Motivation

There was much debate over who might have been responsible for the attack on Freeport 7. Among the Freeport 7 Survivors speculation ranged from Chancellor Niemann and Governor Tekagi to Samura Heavy Industries and The Order.  Some people believed that whoever was behind the attack would inevitably be hunted down and killed before a trial could take place, namely due to the huge loss of life from across the Houses.

Some people thought that The Order was behind the attack because they believed the Order was trying to destroy the peace in the colonies. Therefore, attacking a neutral station run by the Zoners with members of each House on board, the Houses would inevitably blame each other for the incident and destabilize the sector.

Others thought that Chancellor Niemann and Rheinland were behind the attack due to an archaeological find in the Border Worlds.

### LSF Investigation

President Jacobi directed the LSF to start an investigation to determine what happened due to potential involvement of The Order. Initially, they maintained that there was no proof that the destruction was deliberate, but they did suspect that The Order was responsible.  Originally, the LSF was going to wait for the survivors to recover to be debriefed, but likely due to political pressure, the LSF reversed course a short while later to the point of even wanting to question the critically injured survivors. These efforts were however hampered because the LSF only had the names of the injured survivors  and the medical commissioner of the Williams-Creek Medical Center declined their requests.

The investigation began by sending Liberty military forces into the Sigma systems to guard the **Freeport 7** wreck. However, this caused other groups to be suspicious of Liberty's motivations, such as the Zoners who enjoy their privacy away from House controlled territory.

The investigators were charged with securing the wreckage, gathering evidence, and coordinating with forensic teams in recovering and identifying human remains.

Although the LSF was unable to secure immediate interviews with the injured survivors, they began taking measures to place the Freeport 7 Survivors under surveillance.

## References

1. ↑ **Storyline News Report: **Freeport 7** Public Reaction**

Citizens everywhere are still in shock at the news of **Freeport 7**'s destruction. The station, operated by the Zoners, served as a neutral trading facility for all walks of life from around the galaxy. In the face of the catastrophic loss of life and the growing consensus that this was most likely a deliberate attack, people are struggling to grasp the motive behind this senseless act of violence.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 **Cutscene: The Destruction of Freeport 7**

	* **Freeport 7**: Roger that, all systems show green. SA14, you are cleared for departure.
	* SA14: Acknowledged, **Freeport 7**. We'll see you in about two weeks.
	* **Freeport 7**: SA14, we're picking up unknown contacts on long range sensors. We're dispatching a fighter wing to escort you out of the system. Godspeed.
	* **Freeport 7**: Navy command, this is **Freeport 7**. We're picking up strange readings on the long range sensors. Alert! Unknown ships have breached the defense perimeter. Man all stations!
<**Freeport 7** is destroyed moments later>
3. ↑ *I met Lonnigan as planned on Kurile yesterday and we came to an agreement on the price. The plan is to meet on **Freeport 7** tomorrow to seal the deal on the ore shipment. If everything works out they'll owe me a million credits. It's the deal of a lifetime.* - Edison Trent, Neural Net Log Entry #5
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *I still can't quite believe it. Lonnigan and I had just signed the deal when the attack occurred. We barely made it out alive. From the time the alert started, we only had a few moments before the station blew up. Hundreds of people weren't so lucky. I actually had to carry Lonnigan to the life pod because a bulkhead collapsed during the attack and hit him in the head. He's been unconscious ever since. The medics assure me that he'll recover. I certainly hope so. We're currently on a rescue ship enroute to Manhattan but things aren't looking so good. I lost my ship and my ore shipment blew up with the rest of the station. All I have left is 500 credits. That wouldn't even buy me a ticket back to Leeds on a waste disposal freighter.* - Edison Trent, Neural Net Log Entry #6
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 **Storyline News Report: Arrival of Freeport 7 Survivors**

Just moments ago, the survivors of the Freeport 7 disaster arrived here in Manhattan. After two days of intense travel, several of the survivors required immediate medical attention. Requests by the LSF to conduct interviews concerning the attack have been declined by the medical commissioner. Meanwhile, the official death toll has risen to 2,600, making it the most devastating disaster in recent history.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *I hear people say that you were on **Freeport** when it blew up. Did you hear the latest numbers? 2600 people dead! Listen, you better keep your head down. I heard from a good friend of mine in the LSF that all survivors are under surveillance. Something's going on. Just watch your back.* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau
7. ↑ *The market took a pretty big hit today. Confidence in security is at an all-time low. You know, not that I condone profiting from others' misfortunes, but a guy like you might want to seize this opportunity. You could do pretty well out there. There are companies and individuals just looking for the right kind of help.* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau
8. ↑ **Storyline News Report: Market Holds Trades**

In Manhattan, the center of galactic trade, all orders were held for one minute in honor of those lost on **Freeport 7**. The market remains more sluggish than usual at this time. However, analysts expect a full recovery.
9. ↑ *Well, after several days of travel, we finally arrived on Manhattan. It was about time, the rescue ship was everything but a pleasant experience. The other eight survivors simply wouldn't stop talking about what had happened on **Freeport 7**. Speculations were running wild, and just about everybody was accused at one point or another. Some were convinced Chancellor Niemann was behind the attack, and others accused Governor Tekagi. A Kruger rep assured me that Samura was the only possible group that had an interest in destroying Freeport 7. After a whole lot of useless debate, the majority seemed to agree in the end that The Order was behind it. Anyway, I have to say Manhattan is everything that Tobias made it out to be: a single giant city that covers almost the entire planet. They say that over 220 million people live here - unbelievable. The medics just took Lonnigan to intensive care in Medical. They said it'll take a while until he's released. No matter how long it takes, I'll stay in Manhattan until he recovers. After all, we had signed the deal already. In the meantime, I should find a job. My 500 credits won't last long. Maybe there is someone in the bar who could give me a lead.* - Edison Trent, Neural Net Log Entry #7
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *It may not be the best move for Liberty to send troops into Sigma even just to guard the **Freeport 7** wreck. Despite our best intentions, not everyone believes Liberty means well - especially those who enjoy their privacy - like the Zoners. Meanwhile, enough people from every House died on **Freeport 7** that whoever did do this is likely to be hunted down and killed before they can be tried. No place will be safe for them to hide in the colonies. And if you ask me, they'll get what they deserve.* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau
11. ↑ *A lot of people say that The Order was behind the attack on Freeport 7. Makes perfect sense to me! That guy Orillion and his thugs are bent on destroying the peace in the colonies. Blowing up a neutral station run by the Zoners was a clever move. Now each House will blame the other for the incident.* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau
12. ↑ *I've heard from a reliable source that Chancellor Niemann had ordered the strike on **Freeport 7**. My source also tells me that it has something to do with an archeological find somewhere in the Border Worlds.* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 **Storyline News Report: Military to Investigate **FP7****

Government sources say that because of The Order's potential involvement, President Jacobi has put the investigation of Freeport 7 into the hands of a special unit within the Liberty Military. This corps of investigators will be charged with securing the wreckage, gathering evidence, and coordinating with forensic teams in the solemn task of recovering and identifying human remains.
14. ↑ **Cutscene: Liberty News on the arrival of Freeport 7 Survivors to Manhattan**

	* *"President Jacobi has asked the LSF to investigate the sudden destruction of Freeport 7. No word yet on whether it was accidental or a deliberate attack. The first handful of survivors arrived on Manhattan this morning."*
	* *"Officially, the Liberty Security Force maintains there is no proof **Freeport 7**'s destruction was deliberate. But sources inside the LSF suspect a dangerous criminal organization, The Order. We will keep you up to date as this story develops."*
15. ↑ *I hear the LSF wants to accelerate the investigation by questioning survivors from **Freeport 7** - even the critically injured ones. They were going to wait but the pressure must really be on to pull a stunt like that. I mean what can some of these people really tell them? Most of them are barely hanging on. I've even heard that outside of the list of injured, the LSF isn't entirely sure who was even on **Freeport 7** at the time. Typical government efficiency!* - Storyline Rumor, occurs between arrival on Manhattan and the destruction of the RNC Donau