View source for Outlaw

'''Outlaws''' is collective noun for people who live outside the laws of the [[United Empire of Earth]], either as part of a structured faction, or as independents. Loosely organized groups are called '''outlaw packs''' (often refering to [[Piracy|piracy packs]]). Outlaws typically reside in [[:Category:Unclaimed Systems|unclaimed systems]] or off the beaten path, often in makeshift habitation - be it a planetside camp, dereleict space-station or hidden asteroid base. It is currently not known if a UEE [[Civilian]] or [[Citizen]] can be literally declared an Outlaw and be stripped of all of its rights or if the term refers to their self-imposed life in [[unclaimed System]]s.

When [[Human]]ity first pushed outwards into the starts, a new wild-west was created and outlaw activity ran rampant. It was initially very hard with the technology of the time to be able to police the void between inhabited locations with armed defenders. Not to mention that before the formation of the [[UNE]], there simply was no agreed law in space.

When [[NavJumper]] [[Antoine Lebec]] discovered the [[Nul system|Nul System]] in 2290, the system was not claimed due to a percieved lack of useful resources or terraformable planets. As such Nul became the first outlaw haven, a legal no-man's land beyond the reach of [[Earth]]'s law.

By 2341, Nul had grown quite a reputation as a hideout for pirates and smugglers, and when the [[UNE]] was formed in 2380, Nul was not brought under the protection of UNE law, allowing the problem to fester further.

In 2438, the [[Cathcart system]] was discovered by fugitive [[Adelaide Lorris]] - an unfortunate naming choice given that her law-enforcement "nemesis" who she named it after - Marshall [[Winton Cathcart]] - would later kill her, but it's an appropriate namesake for a system that would become notorious regardless. With no planets, the UNE weren't particularly impressed with the find. Due to the system's lack of real use, and with no local residents, the UNE put Cathcart under military classification and began using it as a 'junkyard' of sorts.

In 2445, UNE [[Navy]] Pilot [[Dominic Thapa]] discovered a jump point in Cathcart leading to a new system, given a bland military designation. The pathfinders' first assessment of this new system was one of potential, but with a problem - because it could only be accessed via Cathcart, which remained military classified. Rather than risking opening Cathcart to civilian traffic, they attempted to make use of the system themselves - successfully terraforming the [[Nexus IV|4th planet]] and experimenting with terraforming the [[Nexus II|2nd]] - a smog planet akin to [[Venus]].

By 2468 however the government began to face a significant budgetary shortfall from the terraforming of the 2nd planet, and the expensive development of the system was quickly stopped. A compromise was settled upon - rather than giving free access to civilians, the system would only be accessed by a single corporation, so as to maintine strict control of Cathcart. Mining rights to the system were sold to the [[Hathor Group]] for a considerable sum. The subsequent lack of government and public oversight allowed Hathor to run the system as they saw fit. The name Hathor soon became synonymous with the system, but you probably know it as [[Nexus system|Nexus]].

The military presence in Cathcart dwindled and access to the sytem got easier and easier, with later jump points discovered linking there. Without a proper claim on Cathcart, a repeat of Nul was inevitable. Few laws were enforced over in Hathor, allowing crime to become commonplace - the only viable economy outside of mining, and this activity bled through to Cathcart. Over time, Cathcart became a home for criminals, who built makeshift bases from the carcasses of scrapped ships. Eventually one concentrated mass of scrap emerged - the outlaw base, and so-called pirate capital - [[Spider]].

Gangs began to stalk the flight paths between the jump points and planets in Hathor, preying on any ship they came across. Combined with the Hathor Group's stranglehold on the system, this disuaded most people from visiting and most businesses from setting up operations.