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Pileus Libertas is the name given to independent commanders who associated themselves with The Libertas Co-operative. The Libertas Co-operative is a minor faction based in the Munshin system. They are a groups of free citizens dedicated to good governance through the cooperation of individuals, stakeholders, and organizations. Held together by a Council of Elders and led by Galleria Huneric, it seeks to coordinate among the various Imperial and independent institutions with an aim to better serve the people of Munshin and the surrounding systems. The faction has grown to include a strong portfolio of local and nearby assets. Pileus Libertas also administers the Munshin Manatee Meat corporation and the Wakea Coffee Company, both run by CEO and CMDR Augold.
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Who are The Libertas Cooperative? Who is Pileus Libertas?

We are the descendants of freedmen and freedwomen of the Empire, The Libertas Cooperative. The Libertas Cooperative is a minor faction based out of the Munshin System and has allied itself with a number of independent commanders who call themselves Pileus Libertas.

In the Duvalian Empire of Achenar, slavery is legal. This system of Imperial Slavery has existed for nearly 1000 years, since the early days of the Empire. Much like the Romans of ancient Earth, Imperial citizens may choose to become slaves to pay off debts through labor. Slaves were also acquired through conquest or purchased from other early Earth civilizations. Freed slaves were called libertas. They would shave their heads and wear the pileus cap as a sign of their new freedom. Although ancient slaves were not full citizens of Rome after manumission, freed Imperial Slaves are full citizens of the Empire with all the rights and privileges guaranteed by The Emperor. The Libertini, an armed corps of freedmen, would fight for Rome 3000 years ago and Pileus Libertas will fight for the Empire today.


Recent History

Beginning in late 3301, Libertas Cooperative began to assume direct management of space stations and surface settlements in the Munshin System. This change from background coordination to direct governance was spurred by the Pegasi Refugee Crisis. Far from a quick police action, the Pegasi Pirate War stretched from weeks to months with a heavy toll being placed on citizens in the Pegasi region and on the borders of the Empire. Libertas Cooperative spearheaded an initiative to invite refugees to Orxinox Orbiter for resettlement away from the conflict zones. The huge influx of refugees was managed with the help of Pileus Libertas and numerous independent commanders. Later, security forces moved through ALD territories to prevent pirates from pillaging the refugees as they fled across Imperial space.

More GalNet Coverage here, here, here, and here.

After such a successful campaign, the citizens of Munshin called on the Libertas Cooperative and its council of elders to act as a formal government in the system. They were granted management of Orcinox’s Orbiter and later expanded into management of Sterney’s Refuge, Harding Station, and numerous surface outposts. With the aid of Pileus Libertas the faction now works in the CD-72 190, Shanteneri, Arngin, Yu Diegus, Aurgel, and Wakea systems and continues to work with other nearby cooperatives to grow the economies of all systems in the Munshin cluster.


Why Munshin? (The faction history.)

The story of Munshin is the story of the Empire.

The Munshin system was one of the earliest locations scouted by the post-war Empire. Nearly 600 years ago, the first asteroid mining stations were constructed around the now depleted rings of Munshin's gas giants. With the first settlers came slaves. At that time, the Empire was expanding rapidly into uninhabited space and faced a shortage of materials for building mineral extractors, refineries, and furnaces. They did not face a shortage of manpower. Using techniques which would have been at home in 20th Century Earth, thousands of slaves took the place of modern automated extraction equipment. The rings of Munshin supplied much of the raw materials for the Empire's Age of Expansion which saw the borders of the Empire grow to almost their modern size.

In the year 2898, terraforming began on Munshin 5. It had long been known as a suitable candidate and hosted indigenous small invertebrate life forms. The process was quick and in two years time the first surface settlements were underway. As the rings of Munshin's gas giants became depleted, more and more of the extraction operations shuttered. Tough financial times forced tens of thousands into slavery on the agricultural and aquacultural plantations of the newly terraformed world. Though some extraction moved to the rocky and metallic worlds of Munshin 2, 3, and 4, Munshin 5 quickly grew into a major agricultural producer and home to a large number of Imperial Slaves as a labor force.

In 2998, 100 years after terraforming began, Munshin officially ceased being an Imperial Colony and became a fully fledged System of The Empire. With it came representation in the Imperial Senate and the birth of the Ocrinox "dynasty." The leading landowners on Munshin 5, the Ocrinox family, easily earned their way into the good graces of the Empire and when time came for the appointment of a Senator, Bibrax Ocrinox, was picked by Emperor Hender Saik Duval.

The family's rise to power in the three centuries since Bibrax's appointment is etched into the name of Munshin 5, now called Ocrinox's Opulence and the orbiting starport named Ocrinox's Orbiter. Until the demise of their only living heir, Gaiseric Ocrinox, aboard The Antares in 3251, the Orcinox family seemed destined to be a major power in the Empire. Without an heir and without any way to pass on the family name, all of the possessions of the Orcinox family became property of The Empire and were granted to the newly formed Munshin Empire Group. The millions of slaves, however, could not be passed on by law and were freed, their debts considered null and void since Gaiseric had no heir.

Suddenly, the Munshin system was slave-free and millions of people needed work, training, and a way to support themselves. Thus was born The Libertas Cooperative: an organization dedicated to the descendants of slaves throughout Munshin. Since its founding, The Libertas Cooperative has sought to take on an ever growing role in Munshin's politics and defense through an alliance with independent commanders called Pileus Libertas. Imperial slavery was outlawed and Munshin became a hub for freed slaves throughout the Empire. As Aisling Duval recently rose to prominence, The Libertas Cooperative found common ground with The People's Princess and the Munshin system was one of her earliest supporters. Bolstered by Aisling's broad support, Pileus Libertas has recruited from its ranks a number of CMDRs to join Aisling's cause.

WHO LEADS OUR FACTION?

Our faction is divided into 2 parts: the Independent Commander (player) group, Pileus Libertas, and the minor faction, The Libertas Cooperative.

Pileus Libertas, as a collective of independent pilots, has no strict leadership outlined. Instead, all pilots freely associate with each other forming cooperative groups in order to accomplish goals on behalf of the faction or Aisling Duval. All kinds of commanders are welcome to join and aid the cause. The only hard and fast rule is that Slavery of all forms is frowned upon and actively discouraged. Although not principally a bounty hunting or combat organization, Pileus Libertas recognizes that some violence is inevitable. Even primarily peaceful people need to be able to defend themselves and the innocent.

The Libertas Cooperative minor faction is governed by a Council of Elders. The Council of Elders is selected every 4 years. Following the selection of a new Council of Elders, one of the members is appointed by unanimous council vote to be the head of the Council of Elders. The humble title applied to this appointee is Community Organizer. The current Community Organizer for the next three years is Galleria Huneric. She is the daughter of a founding member of the council, Thorsimund Huneric, and has proven herself an adept coordinator. It is under Galleria’s tutelage that The Libertas Cooperative first reached out to independent commanders forming close relationships with pilots in the service of Aisling Duval. The public face of The Libertas Cooperative is Progenitor Selena Conley. She conducts business exclusively with allies of The Libertas Cooperative.

WHERE DO WE STAND ON SLAVERY?

As the sons and daughters of slaves, as freed slaves ourselves, we know the truth of it. We recognize that the way slavery is portrayed in the Empire is not always the way slavery is in reality.

Imperial Slaves are property, not citizens. As such, they are often mistreated, beaten, starved, psychologically damaged, or worse. Slaves have no legal recourse while they are slaves and few are capable of bringing a case before the courts after manumission. Once freed, they are citizens again but often leave slavery with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Moreover, many slaves do not enter into slavery of their own free will and many can not exit slavery when their debts are paid because they find the terms of their contracts have changed.

We, therefore, oppose Imperial Slavery in all forms. Even when well regulated, the potential for abuse of Imperial Citizens is too much to bear. We believe in an enlightened Empire; an Empire that stands as a beacon for all of humanity as we spread across the stars. That acknowledgement brings us into close alliance with Aisling Duval and her steadfast opposition to slavery and to all forms of human degradation. Slavery, addiction, violence: all lay equal in Aisling's mind as humanity's attempt to deny itself a future. Pileus Libertas seeks that same bright future. We work for freedom.

The Libertas Cooperative Government RP

Because the sudden abolition of millions of slaves was so unexpected, careful coordination among the various people and organizations of Munshin was necessary. The most experienced leaders of the freed slaves, the heads of Munshin’s government, educators, corporations, and landowners all stepped forward to help guide Munshin through the transition to a free state. These leaders were the first council and they were responsible for establishing what is now known as The Libertas Cooperative.

The Libertas Cooperative minor faction is still governed by a Council of Elders. The Council of Elders is selected every 4 years. Following the selection of a new Council of Elders, one of the members is appointed by unanimous council vote to be the head of the Council of Elders.

The humble title applied to this appointee is Community Organizer. The current Community Organizer for the next three years is Galleria Huneric. She is the daughter of a founding member of the council, Thorsimund Huneric, and has proven herself an adept coordinator. It is under Galleria’s tutelage that The Libertas Cooperative first reached out to independent commanders forming close relationships with pilots in the service of Aisling Duval. With Galleria Huneric at the helm, The Libertas Collective is poised to take a larger role in the governing of the Munshin system.

Values and Vision

Like many of the systems and governments in the Empire, Munshin falls under the purview of Aisling Duval. This benefits The Libertas Cooperative greatly because they share many values. Opposition to slavery, clearly, is chief among those but many other areas of cooperation exist. The quickest way to sum it up is to call those values Humanist. Despite the Empire’s strictly hierarchical nature, it stands for an enlightened view of society. Each member has something to contribute and those contributions are valued. Things which devalue the humanity of a citizen are looked down upon: addiction, slavery, war, etc. The Libertas Cooperative opposes criminal activity too. They work to end piracy and crime in the Munshin system because such activities rob citizens of the fruits of the Empire. Therefore, despite the chasm created by their abolitionist stance, The Libertas Cooperative is firmly an Imperial faction.

So what happens to all the people who would have been slaves?

Officially, Imperial Slavery functions as a social safety net for any Imperial citizen who falls on hard times. Most commonly, pro-slavery Imperials argue that people enter into slavery contracts to pay off debts which they would otherwise be unable to discharge. However, following centuries of slavery, the freedmen of Munshin have seen how corrupt the institution has become. Slaves are often exported out of the Empire. Slaves are often kept beyond the term of their contracts. Slaves are often mistreated. Without any formalized system of appeals and management, The Libertas Cooperative has come to the conclusion that complete abolition is the only way forward. Slaves freed in the Munshin system are allowed to attend training centers to learn valuable skills or to seek employment directly if they have prior skills. Mostly, this is what the freedmen do: they work, just as they would have if they were slaves, but they are paid for their labor. Using that money, they can afford to pay debts, to buy homes, to get pilot training, or whatever else they choose. That self-determination is the truest benefit of being an Imperial and something which The Libertas Cooperative seeks to provide for all citizens.