Arbor Caelum First Annual Address
12 Jun 2020Tan Bin Phan Nguyen
[The following is an excerpt of the address given by CMDR Tan Bin Phan Nguyen, Taproot of Arbor Caelum. The speech was given on June 9th, 3306 before a large crowd in the refinery sector plaza of Stephenson Orbital. This speech is reportedly being used as recruitment material for Arbor Caelum and Gilgamesh Corps across the core of the bubble and beyond. The material has been redacted slightly, and our operatives were unable to acquire an intact recording, astonishingly. Please review.]Sound of crowd dying down to a murmer. A man's voice rises above the din and a hush sweeps across the space. His tone is gravelly, paternal, and despite a note of exhaustion, jubilant.
CMDR Tan Bin Phan Nguyen here, of Arbor Caelum and The Ishtar Sovereignty.
Greetings and regards to all, thank you for being here.
It's kind of funny how we still use the old Earth year to mark progress. Sort of an acknowledgment of our shared origin, or an understanding that we can never really leave our home behind. Whatever the reason, here we are.
Today, it has been one year since the formation of Arbor Caelum and Gilgamesh Corps! And what a year it has been!
Crowd roars
In order to honor the journey that we have taken, and the path that lies ahead, I wish to address the both of them. The present needs no more acknowledgment than our fullest attention, and so it has been omitted.
The Past
It was June of 3305 that Arbor Caelum was assembled, just a small handful of Commanders, invested in pushing back the chaos just a little, and planting a seed. I, Commander Tan Bin Phan Nguyen, and four others (who have now retired, relaxing on some G-laden beach somewhere), founded ARCM on the ethos of Arbor and Ardor. Growth and Passion. Without judgment, we would forge our paths and support our own. Without reservation, we would offer our companionship and guidance to any who ask.
Thus it began, and in a few short months our ranks had grown to a strong few dozen. Our banner attracted pilots from all walks. With these numbers, our influence began to grow. Our diplomatic outreach began to find us new allies. One such ally stood out in its strong resemblance to ARCM.
What we did not know at the time, but would soon discover, was that a mere two days after ARCM was formed, another similar group of CMDRs were taking the same steps, down the same path...
At the time, Gilgamesh Corps was lead by CMDR Captain. Each of us were leading our inaugural recruitment drives, and by happenstance we each attempted to recruit the other. What we discovered was that we each had a burgeoning community, but something was missing. And the threat of stagnation looms over any organization that strives to stake out a light against the darkness.
Over the following months our squadrons began to grow closer and more entwined. Engaging and supporting one another so frequently began to blur the lines between our separate communications networks. A meeting was proposed and the leadership of ARCM and GLGC discussed a merger.
The conditional merger of the two squadrons resulted in The Ishtar Sovereignty that we all know and honor today. The two squadrons agreed to maintain their own ranks and identities, but merge their ethos and strengths in order to create a union that is greater than the sum of its parts. One look around today will show how fruitful and beneficial this decision was. Our squadrons have thrived, and our authoritarian factions have benefited from the support of the other.
Over the last year, Arbor Caelum Internal Defense has lead an entirely successful revolution in our home system of Nemehi. Our insurgency began in late July of 3305. The massive population of the system, coupled with its central location and high volume of daily traffic is a unique challenge, but it is one we were destined to overcome.
The story of our capture of Nemehi is one for a different time, but suffice it here to say that we triumphed over Nemehi Blue Natural Industries and divested the corporate exploiters of their unjust gains wrought from the blood and sweat of the people of Nemehi. We now hold one of the gateways to the galaxy for new Pilots Federations Commanders in Stephenson Orbital. It is a duty of all denizens of Nemehi to conduct themselves in the knowledge that they will be many pilots first impression of the worlds beyond their own.
Gilgamesh Corps pursued their righteous dominion over their home of LHS 3836 in good order, and soon after they expanded to the system of Stopover, then Wolf 918 and soon after, Ross 193. The home system of LHS 3836's low population enabled them to rapidly send expansions into nearby space, easily securing a region to act as a ward against incursion for the future of The Ishtar Sovereignty.
The Future
Now we turn our eyes to the future. What goals and ambitions should we nurture in order to plant the seeds for our brightest horizons. There is much to be excited for.
On the home front, Arbor Caelum is at long last looking at the final stages before expansion and emancipation from Nemehi. The home system will forever be the anchor and shining jewel of Arbor Caelum, and it is indeed a fortress against any assault, but it is now time for us to sew our seeds in new lands. Our next system will serve as a base camp from which we can increase our influence and outreach to nearby systems. In the coming days and weeks we will begin laying out the groundwork that will see ACID present in our first non-native system.
Gilgamesh is flourishing, and with its handful of lower population systems is primed to respond defensively or offensively to any threat to Ishtar's factional autonomy. Within Gilgamesh are some of the brightest and most engaged strategists and operatives for achieving solid results in the vast political shadowpalace that is the Bubble. Among our cohort we have the dedication, tools and determination to achieve any goal we set. In some ways, GCOP is the flexible quick response to ACID's gargantuan weight.
In the future we can look forward to Ishtar's presence in the core of the bubble to become undeniable to our local neighbors. We should ramp up our outreach to discover who in our neighborhood are friends, and who are foes. Now that we are ascending, and in a densely populated region of space, we should put our best foot forward in foreign policy and public relations. Remember our autonomy depends on our conduct. Faction conflicts are painful, drawn out and messy affairs and it is our imperative to avoid them for everyone's sake.
On this day, we now have access to a new class of hardware. The Fleet Carriers will allow us to project our force and our will in new and as yet unseen ways. Look forward to Ishtar organized exploration hubs, floating trade centers, BGS logistics and assistance endeavors, and countless other applications. Pay attention in our comms to new roles and pings for FC Operations if you are interested in being kept up to date on the disposition and purpose of our soon to be armada.
With Fleet Carriers comes heightened activity. Please do not be silent on your interest for participating in any activities. We are prepared with the leadership and planning to arrange for any number of events. From The Ishtar Racing League, to SRV events or open PvP scrambles. Staying active in CQC is a great way to keep your combat skills sharp. If you have any ideas or thoughts that you would like to see become a reality, please share them with your Captains!
The rumored and eventual upgrades to our flight and disembarking capabilities will surely bring even more to our community and enable us to explore the galaxy in new ways. I'll spare everyone my own personal conjecture, as it is far to soon to be talking along any of those lines. I'll just leave it by saying I for one cannot wait to get some dirt under my boots. Sick of deck plates.
So let's not forget where we're coming from, and keep in mind where we want to go. Our companionship and community has only grown stronger, and every passing month demonstrates the strength and utility of our union. Remember that each and every one of you is a representative of all of us, and we grow our numbers on the merit of our conduct and outreach. Present yourselves, GLGC or ARCM, in the best and most honorable light, for you have earned it.
We all have a mandate to achieve our goals, to support our friends, and to defend our destiny. My deepest respect and admiration to every one of you who has taken up the banner of Ishtar by wrapping yourselves in blue or purple. The shade does not truly matter, what truly matters is that you are Ishtar!
Thank you, and fly forever free!
A surge of cheers rises and crescendos in a roar, the recording cuts out.