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The Merchantmen / MERCHMEN
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Join The Merchantmen
Born on Hurston. Built on honor.
We trade, protect, and deliver where others fail.
Join a UEE-licensed crew driven by integrity, not greed.
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History
The Merchantmen:
A Chronicle of Freedom and Fortune
“Born under smog. Raised by ambition. Forged in vacuum.”
Filed under UEE Interstellar Commerce Registry §42-B-2948
“The deal isn’t about profit. It’s about proof — proof that a free man can build something honest in a dishonest system.” — The Merchantman
Origins: The Child of Hurston
The story of The Merchantman begins on Hurston, 2919.
Factories roared, air thick with acid rain, and entire generations were born owing their lives to the company that owned their lungs.
Among them was a nameless child — registered only as “Unknown.”
His parents refused to sign the Hurston citizenship contract, an act considered treason in the towers of Lorville.
They vanished soon after.
Unknown survived by running packages for black-market couriers through Lorville’s industrial corridors.
He learned the value of speed, reliability, and silence — the traits that would later define his empire.
He wasn’t chasing wealth; he was chasing escape.
Becoming The Merchantman
By his twenties, he joined a UEE logistics fleet, hauling weapons and supplies along the Stanton corridor.
He watched officers grow rich on bribes while haulers risked decompression for scraps.
After three standard years, he left the service, cashed every credit he’d saved, and bought a battered Banu freighter.
He painted the hull black with red trim and named it The Merchantman.
The name wasn’t boast — it was identity.
He swore that his word would travel farther than any weapon.
The First Runs
His first contracts were small — Hurston to ArcCorp, cargo no one else wanted.
But his record was flawless.
He delivered through pirate ambushes in Pyro, storms over Crusader, and the bureaucracy of Area18.
When a convoy failed, his ship didn’t.
Traders began to whisper: “If you want it delivered, find The Merchantman.”
From One Ship to a Fleet
In 2948, the UEE registered The Merchantmen under Interstellar Trade Charter §42-B.
What began as one hauler became a corporation built on discipline and neutrality.
The new company specialized in weapons logistics, resource brokerage, and secure transport for clients who valued discretion over allegiance.
While other orgs chose sides, The Merchantmen chose stability.
They flew where others feared to go — from Banu space to the edges of Nyx — under the code:
“Neutral. Reliable. Unbroken.”
The Turning Point
When the Pyro trade lanes collapsed in the early 2950s, many haulers cut and ran.
The Merchantmen stayed.
They rerouted through uncharted drift zones, escorted by repurposed Liberators, and kept the supplies moving for frontier settlers and relief stations.
That decision turned them from traders into protectors — and earned them the respect of both Banu guilds and UEE customs alike.
The Modern Era
Today, The Merchantmen operate as a UEE-licensed, independently governed consortium headquartered in Lorville with offices in ArcCorp and Bacchus.
Their fleets run high-risk convoys, diplomatic cargo, and defense-grade materials across the Verse.
They maintain partnerships with Banu trade families, Xi’an logistics houses, and independent miners who share their code of integrity.
Every ship bearing the red-and-black crest carries more than cargo; it carries a promise —
that honesty still has value in a galaxy built on deals and double-crosses.
The Legacy
The Merchantman, the man, has long vanished from public view.
Some say he commands from the shadows; others claim he retired among the Banu who once taught him trade.
Whatever the truth, his name endures — not as a legend of greed, but as proof that freedom can be built, hauled, and delivered.
Registered Office: Lorville, Hurston (Stanton I)
Operational Status: UEE-licensed Independent Trade Consortium
Corporate Motto: “In every transaction, a promise; in every promise, a legacy.”
Manifesto
The Merchantmen Manifesto
h2. A Declaration of Purpose
Issued by The Merchantmen Corporate Council, Lorville, Hurston — UEE Interstellar Commerce Charter §42-B-2948
“Freedom isn’t granted. It’s hauled, bartered, and defended.” — The Merchantman
Introduction
Across the endless Verse, where laws change faster than jump coordinates and survival depends on trust, The Merchantmen stand as proof that integrity can thrive in the void.
We were born from Hurston’s chains, tempered by frontier storms, and refined through a thousand successful deliveries.
We are not mercenaries. We are not smugglers.
We are professionals — the black-and-red standard of reliability where chaos reigns.
Our Creed
Integrity before profit.
Excellence before ease.
Neutrality before allegiance.
Honor before survival.
Each contract, each cargo hold, and each promise carries the Founder’s seal: our word is our warranty.
A Merchantmen deal is more than commerce — it’s a covenant between those who work for freedom and those who pay for certainty.
Our Purpose
We exist to bridge the systems the UEE forgets, to bring structure to the lawless, and to prove that professionalism can outfly corruption.
Where others see risk, we see opportunity.
Where others flee, we deliver.
Our fleets supply relief stations in Pyro, deliver weapons to frontier defenders, and haul essential resources across borders no one else dares to cross.
We trade with Banu, parley with Xi’an, and respect the codes of every species that honors their word.
Neutrality
We do not fight wars of flag or faith.
Our neutrality is our greatest weapon — it grants us passage where empires collide and makes our presence welcome in ports where others are refused.
We serve clients, not causes; results, not rhetoric.
The Merchantmen Standard
Every pilot who joins our ranks inherits the legacy of The Merchantman himself — a life defined by precision, patience, and purpose.
Our uniforms bear no rank beyond accountability.
Our contracts are bound by the oldest rule of trade: “Deliver, or don’t depart.”
To be a Merchantman is to embody calm under pressure, respect in negotiation, and loyalty in silence.
Commitment to the Verse
We honor UEE trade law, the spirit of Banu cooperation, and the trust of every client who places their livelihood in our hands.
We build, not exploit.
We guard, not conquer.
We prosper, not at the cost of others, but by the proof of our integrity.
Closing Declaration
The Merchantmen endure not because we are lucky, but because we are loyal — to our word, our work, and each other.
From Hurston’s smog to the fringe of Xi’an space, our name has come to mean one thing: reliability.
“The Verse runs on credits. But it survives on trust.”
Charter
The Merchantmen Charter
Corporate Code of Conduct
Ratified 2948 — Lorville, Hurston (Stanton I)
UEE Interstellar Commerce Registry §42-B — Active License
“Respect the deal. Protect the crew. Deliver the promise.” — The Merchantman
1. Community Conduct
Respect Above All
Every crew member of The Merchantmen shall treat fellow pilots, clients, and allies with courtesy and restraint. Disagreement is allowed; disrespect is not.
Unity Through Diversity
We are a coalition of worlds. Discrimination or hostility toward race, belief, gender, or identity has no place among us.
Constructive Communication
Criticism must build, not break. Speak as if your words were recorded in the cargo manifest — because they are.
Common Language
English remains the Corporation’s operational standard for cross-system coordination.
Integrity in Transmission
Distribute only verified data, navigation, or comm links. The Verse is dangerous enough without internal sabotage.
Privacy and Discretion
Personal information, location pings, and comm records remain private. Breach of confidentiality violates both UEE regulation and our own ethics.
2. Sensitive Topics
Neutral Ground
The Corporation remains apolitical and secular. Debates on politics, religion, or ideology belong outside official channels.
Respectful Discourse
Discussion is welcome when aimed at understanding, never division. The goal is perspective, not victory.
3. Violations & Enforcement
Progressive Discipline
First violations result in a logged warning. Repetition or escalation leads to suspension or removal of corporate privileges.
Zero Tolerance for Harm
Harassment, hate speech, or malicious actions result in immediate expulsion and, where applicable, UEE notification.
Accountability
Encouraging, assisting, or covering for misconduct is treated as the same offense.
Operational Integrity
Unauthorized use of corporate assets, insignia, or transponder codes constitutes breach of UEE contract law.
4. Content & Operations
Honor Original Work
Respect creative ownership. Materials or designs belong to their creators unless formally licensed to the Corporation.
Streaming & Broadcast Protocol
Announce live transmissions or record sessions in advance. Use comms channels marked @Livestream to prevent interference with fleet ops.
Security Compliance
Adhere to encryption standards and cargo-data authentication during every operation. The Merchantmen protect both product and privacy.
5. Closing Statement
By swearing to this Charter, each member carries forward the legacy of The Merchantman — to conduct business with integrity, defend comrades without hesitation, and uphold neutrality across every lane of the Verse.
This Charter is more than law. It is the cargo we all carry.
Signed and sealed aboard The Merchantman, 2948.
