Six years ago Jericho Fraction was formed by unlikely group of fledgling capsule pilots united by a strong belief that the new technology embodied in their very flesh would signal a brave new era of outward exploration and cultural Diaspora. I remember the names and the faces as keenly now as I ever did, and closing my eyes I hear the voices and the camaraderie that brought us together:

Athule Snanm, Amarrian dissident, rogue free captain and fanatical anti-Jove activist who attempted to assassinate the first Jovian diplomat to make contact with the inner sphere worlds for a generation. Athule's personality was slain by assassins in the wake of the Great Northern War and his genetic material sequestered by loyalist paramilitaries. We remember his life.

Bonepart, Gallente industrialist and industrial captain joined the movement to win freedom for independent miners in the Domain region, teaching those under the thumb of Amarrian paramilitaries that protection money was really a contradiction in terms. Putting aside the role of capsule pilot in the first year of the Diaspora he's been active in workers' rights movements planetside ever since. We support him still.

Darantil, Caldari entrepreneur, scientist and Freespace radical, joined the movement and embraced the cause of the Star Fraction in word and deed. Darantil was one of the first pilots in the cluster to patent tech2 ships and equipment for general resale and his provision of Crow interceptors to the anti PA forces in the Great Northern War was a significant advantage to Freespacers in theatre. Darantil is still active in the Eve Star Cluster and has maintained a vast industrial cooperative these past years.

Elisious Strom, Brutor tribesman and freespacer, burning bright in the early months of the great expansion when the skies and distant systems were free of empires and roadblocks both. Fighting in the Venal wars he fought and died and lived again many times, but ultimately retired from the capsule to teach children in Pator with his mind full-sated on the ferocity of conflict. I salute his wisdom.

Elsie Sparrow, Caldari Civire combat pilot, spent the first months of the Diaspora searching the frontiers for new trade opportunities for the Fraction and became a renowned reseller of the then rare Harvester mining drones and Berserker combat variants in the fledgling Lonetrek market. Elsie was killed in the first Venal war following a critical failure of Gurista cloning technology in H-PA29. Today I raise a toast to her memory.

Lucius Drax, Caldari patriot turned dissident and free-market libertarian, seeing the painful self-limitations of the State hierarchy he sought his fortune amongst the Free Stars of the Frontier. Once combat pilot Lucius found his talents better suited to industry and high technology trade and has remained a financial supporter of the Fraction ever since. One day I hope he sees the State evolve into the entity he dreamed of.

Magister, Sebiestor scientist and radical thinker, joined the Fraction from the outset seeking outworld knowledge and solutions to the foul vitoc addiction plaguing his people. Always intense and darkly emotional the Magister retreated from public life many years ago. I hope he found his cure.

Ragadude, Minmatar warrior trained to use the weapons of the enemy against them, became a formidable combat pilot in the post NVA period and would return at the time of the Mito war to terrify nationalist mission runners in his signature warship, a Nightmare class vessel named the -JFS- Griefing Dutchman. Rumoured to have trained to full capability for the Erebus class Titan, Ragadude is a mysterious figure bringing death and paranoia to the nationalist fleets today as ever he has in the past.

Tarik, Matari tribal warrior and expert Stabber pilot joined the Jericho Fraction cause to learn as much as he could of Freespace ethos and the technological advancements of the other cultures united in our name. Tarik was fiery and driven combatant and proved the nemesis of many foes until he was seriously wounded in a brutal skirmish in Pure Blind that rendered his clone implants incapable of reliable genetic replication. Unwilling to give up the cause of his people he returned to the Bleaklands where he devoted the remainder of his life to planetside insurgency amongst Matari freedom fighters. He was killed during Shakor's rebellion 9 months ago. Long live the fighters!

The Grimp, strange wanderer and explorer of the depths beyond civilised stars, ranged far and deeply in the early months of the Diaspora - communicating with the rest of us in codes and symbols as he carried the cause of freedom deep in his heart. He was lost in space exploring the regions of the far south beyond Sansha's holdings. One day its possible we'll find his stabber class cruiser and discover an ending to his tale.

Yvonne Pyros, Minmatar free trader and industrialist, spearheaded the Fraction trading and finance initiatives in the first months of the Diaspora and forged the now legendary plutonium routes between Venal and the Khanid Kingdom. Rising to prominence during the tech2 rush Yvonne invested wisely in the new technology and would go on to become one of the richest individual capsuleers in the star cluster. Yvonne is still an active Free Captain with the Star Fraction today.

We twelve were the beginning.

Pilots from the four empires, drawn together by a dream of something better than we had known before. We all had our stories:

I'd murdered an Amarrian noble on the orders of Federation Intelligence and learned the meaningless nature of that shadow conflict played out by hidden manipulators and agents of the status quo. Athule had seen the corruption in the heart of the Amarrian empire and sought his faith on the frontier. Yvonne and Darantil, Magister and Bonepart all saw the potential of the new isk economy, saw the freedom won in mere hours from the planetside economies and true independence from tyrannies on the worlds below. Elsie, Lucius, Elisious and Tarik, were hard warriors united in the desire to free themselves and those following in their example, full-committed to the cause of liberty to death and beyond. Ragadude and the Grimp, strange personalities and joy of exploration combined with the zest for enduring life.

Twelve minds so different in background and outlook yet we all agreed this principle:

The capsule had given us a chance to break the cycles and flawed patterns of past political stasis. The empires had made a terrible mistake in breeding this new generation of mercenaries. They'd bred us too well and given us eyes to see the truth of things beyond the illusions of nationalist loyalty and slavery fiscal or otherwise. The Jericho Fraction was born of the will to resist. We dared to dream.

And in time our dreams became reality.

Jericho Fraction was at the forefront of frontier exploration, we forged trade-routes and travelled widely as we invested heavily in new technology to remain consistently ahead of the industrial curve. And where we travelled we spread our message, we turned pirates and murderers into statesmen, we forged the first Freespace alliance in the Star Cluster and we fought against regressive objectivists and corrupt megacorps to the end of our endurance and beyond.

For our principles and friendships made we saw the northern stars erupt into the cataclysmic turmoil of the Great Northern War and destruction untold flare for a full year and more that would change everything on the frontier. Our enemies were destroyed by the end of that war, but our allies had become changed by the fighting and xenophobia and closed-borders became the norm. So much blood spilled over such a glorious cause turned to ash with the fading of men's dreams.

We could have failed then. Given up, abandoned ideals and principles and simply claimed space for ourselves and grown rich on the boons of victory but what is wealth without the dream to sustain the passions of the heart?

Jericho Fraction returned to the inner stars and began our wars and campaigns against the root-corruption of national imperialism that was now infecting the frontier like disease and we have never relented in that cause. We've scattered hundreds of corporate enemies in the past years, executed thousands of evil immortals, we've annihilated whole alliances and forged new friendships and bonds of camaraderie with fellow free-spirits the length and breadth of the Star Cluster. We have known such fame in our accomplishments and won such battles as others can scarce imagine, but through it all the cause and the struggle is all. Arms, my only ornament; my only rest, the fight.

Free Captains have come and gone, our membership is fluid as pilots find their faith tested or renew bonds of friendship alike. Jericho Fraction pilots have gone on to lead fleets in the mightiest alliances, have founded great mercenary corps, have gained fame and notoriety in their own names  and some have kept the Freespace dream alive in their own breast in the unlikeliest of places.

But what has never changed is our idealism and commitment to the cause of freedom and post-national emancipation in the wake of profound technological advancement. These drives are as strong today as they ever were six years ago and to all Free Captains past and present I'd commend this anniversary of the birth of our cause.

The revolutionary heroes of Jericho Fraction today give thanks and pay our respects to all who have gone before and aided our cause over the long years of Diaspora. We are today what you have made us. Your blood and your passion and your striving against the night. We are united in our dreams beyond divisions of politics and personalities. We are free men and women who yearn to see all bonds broken and the human spirit freed from the rot and corruption of tyrannical imperialism and all the slothful regression of slavish hierarchy.

Six years ago I spoke to this summit in a simple voice as an unknown captain without reputation promising hope in the violence of revolutionary action. Here's what I said:


Well we took the shot and even now God is bleeding to death.

Raise a toast with me to another six years of revolution!

And always Dare to Dream!