Really?
Yes, really.
This narrative of "the independent trader caught up in someone else's war" is a fiction created by Earth Defence Fleet to cast the Alliance Elite Diplomatic Corps in a bad light.
Who cares. The narrative could be written in Swahili, it doesn't change the fact that the Alliance crusaded into a Fed permit system largely unopposed.
Ross 128 is a toxic institution.
But it's a toxic Fed institution, what right does the Alliance have to dictate how another power treats its prisoners in their own heart systems. IT may be immoral in your view, but then the Empire trades slaves and they think it's fine.
There are plenty of lore sources for that.
So what?
Meredith Argent (co-founder of the Alliance) was threatened with life imprisonment there.
And?
Jo Merion (also early Alliance personality) was detained without trial during the same period.
I don't know Jo Merion or what he/she stands for, so I don't care at all, thank Fdev for making it so difficult to find out who to read about, let alone WHERE to read about them
Would the Alliance want to throw open the doors of that prison?
I dunno, would they? This isn't about something happening the other way around.
The foundation in lore is strong.
No it isn't.
And lets be clear why this thread was created:
The Federation CMDRs are
not trying to take back Ross 128.
Don't worry, I'll rally them soon enough.
They tried and they failed. Instead, they are mounting a co-ordinated, widespread retalliation against an Alliance minor faction.
And they are rattling their sabres against the wider Alliance. They want boots on the ground for this.
Sounds like par for the course in a war to me.
And they are framing it as supporting the little guy.
And they are being believed.
Propaganda is a big part of wars, you circulate your own very proactively. Once war is started, almost anything except the death of non-combatants (and even some of that is ok) is justifiable if it brings victory closer. Whether or not hte man on the street understans he is the victim of propaganda (i.e. believes untruths), is neither here nor there. You invaded a Fed system, you started a war.
You can go along with those who change who they are.
Who have to hide and pretend in order to recruit.
But I wear the Alliance badge prouldy.
I research my case carefully.
And I'm telling it straight:
Kicking in the doors of a toxic labour camp / supermax prison is the right thing to do - especially for an Alliance faction.
Siding with the Federation in their vindictive witch hunt of the player group that achieved this is the wrong thing to do.