I came to the struggle against Amarr tyranny from a twisted path. Until my rebirth I was a Minmatar living far from home working with friends to whom race was never an issue. We lived and worked well together. We prospered as well.

Everything changed after my adoptive parents passed, for only then did I find this last letter to me in their effects during the settlement of the estate. My brothers, you are the first to see this. My former comrades and friends do not know what has driven me to seek this new path; to have told all would have complicated and perhaps endangered their lives. I seek retribution for the sins committed against our people. I am ashamed that I did not reach this clarity earlier. I hate myself for rousing to action only after my personal tragedy. I beg forgiveness from the countless other sufferers to whom I should have pledged my life long ago.

“My Dear Wex,

“Your eyes on these words mean that we have finally succumbed to either illness or injury. It is time for you to know as much of the truth as we can share. You’ve always known that you were our adopted son, but I am afraid we have lied to you in order to protect you.

“Forget all that you thought you knew and replace it with these truths. You were spirited out of an Amarr concentration camp as a baby. It was common for the Amarr scientists to experiment on slave subjects. You were chosen for the lab, but the biologist who selected you was a sympathizer to our cause. Even now his name must be secret, lest his family suffer long after his execution.

“To this day this hero saves Minmatar children, and he doesn’t work alone. It would be best if you never try to identify your savior. The Amarr are skilled at following traces, and an active search by you would probably lead to arrests and deaths.

“Your first name is the only connection you have with your past. It is a syllable taken from the given name of your father. He and your mother never made it out of the torture chambers of that camp. They died as proud clansmen, happy in the knowledge that their progeny had escaped the butcher’s knives.

“We were thrilled to be given the task of bringing you along, and proud as well for the way you excelled at the Academy. All the talk of family influence being the reason you were admitted ceased as your education and reputation among your classmates evolved. And, although we were concerned for you when you decided to strike out into the galaxy to make your way, we were not surprised when you were snapped up by ISEL. We have followed your career with interest and are happy that you found brotherhood in that far distant land. We fear all that is over now. But we don’t fear for you. Be careful what you tell your friends of this. The tentacles of the Amarr are deeply imbedded in the Caldari. News of a survivor of the torture camps will not be welcome. You will face assassination, and so will your friends, even though they aren’t Minmatar.

“Now that you are the heir to our small legacy you have enough money to chart your own course. We know you well enough to guess that now you’ll take up the cause of Minmatar revenge, but channel your anger in the right direction. Remember, you have a number of friends who don’t share your heritage. They love you as you love them. Pick your enemies carefully, and never allow an Amarr to get close.

“You may be tolerated—even respected by their state for your skill and earning potential, but make no mistake, they loathe you and when you raise your fist in defiance they will crush you at first opportunity. Seek the companionship of those whose ancestry you share. It will be a struggle for you not only because of the distance involved, but because to the Mimnatar you will look to be the worst kind of collaborator. You have a strong will. Use it to conquer their doubts. Perhaps you will find one (or some) who will let you prove yourself. We are far removed from the fighting, but we do have one piece of advice for you. If and when you decide to pick up the sword, seek out the Murientor Tribe. They may welcome you if you prove your heart, and if they do, you will have found a home and a new family.

“And at the last, there is one other truth you need to hear. You have a brother who was saved along with you. We know nothing more, and you probably will not ever be able to find him, but you are not alone in the world.

“We wish we could have done more for you, Wex. And we wish we could have seen you all the way through your struggle.

Eternal love and respect,”

The letter is signed “mom and dad” in their pen. When I think of them I can hardly see the HUD of my Rifter through the tears. I never deserved such parents, and I never repaid them. I will begin now to pay my debts.

Do not pity me, and do not stand in my way. I come late to the fight, but I come prepared to lay waste to my enemies. I ask only for the opportunity to fight.

Wex Manchester