Vanazir Saracen
Vanazir Saracen was an Amarr admiral in the Imperial Navy and the head of the 7th Fleet[1], which achieved notoriety under him and was subsequently nicknamed after him.[2] Saracen held the post for a decade before he was accused of treason by Chamberlain Dochuta Karsoth and stripped of all titles and ranks.[3]
History
Vanazir Saracen was born in YC43 as the third son of the noble Saracen Family in Tash-Murkon space. As the third son, Vanazir was not in line to inherit his father's Holder title, nor was he expected to receive much wealth from the relatively unimportant family. With limited options for personal advancement, Vanazir chose to join the Imperial Navy.
Vanazir began his officer training at the Imperial Academy in YC68 and graduated in YC72 at the top of his class. He was immediately commissioned as an ensign and joined the crew of a patrol Maller, the Righteous Burden, where he served in ship's navigation division and proved highly competent. The reports from his superiors were glowing, particularly of his leadership under fire.
Within a year, Vanazir was promoted to lieutenant and again proved his bravery and leadership, taking over the navigation division when the officer in charge was killed by weapons fire from a Blood Raiders' ship. Vanazir was soon promoted again to lieutenant commander and put in charge of the entire navigation division.
He continued to slowly climb the ranks and provide exemplary service in the line of duty. In YC78, his quick thinking saved his ship from being destroyed by a Minmatar terrorist ambush. In YC79, he was awarded a Gold Cross for rescuing five men from a collapsed section of hull that had been exposed to vacuum.
Vanazir was promoted to Commander in YC83 and given command of his own Coercer, the Shining Flame. He served with the 4th Fleet on the Domain/Providence border, patrolling for pirates and terrorists. In his first year of command, the Shining Flame recorded 11 kills. In one particularly notable engagement in YC86, the ship fought off seven Blood Raider frigates, destroying three of them and leaving two more crippled, before the rest fled the engagement. The Shining Flame was left in deep structural damage and had to be towed back to station for repairs.
Despite his success, Vanazir's career seemed to stall at the rank of Commander. He served at the rank for ten years, being constantly passed over for promotion by others. However, in YC94 he was suddenly promoted directly to Admiral and given command of the 7th Fleet. Rumors claimed the promotion was made under orders, or at least the extreme influence, of Davit Tash-Murkon, the Heir of the Tash-Murkon Family.
Regardless of the reasons for the promotion, Vanazir proved more than capable. Under his command, the 7th Fleet dealt several crushing blows to Minmatar terrorists, including wiping out an entire cell of freedom fighters that had dogged the Empire's borders for decades.
Bleak Lands
In late YC109, the Bleak Lands had become increasingly unstable, with mysterious attacks destroying colonies and wiping out installations across the region. The 7th Fleet was deployed to the area to combat the threat.
Vanazir stated a goal of fortifying the Bleak Lands so that no system was more than three jumps from a heavily fortified installation. In order to fund the fortifications, he undertook the unusual step of enforcing a tithe on local Holders, a power usually reserved for planetary and regional Viceroys. This move drew some criticism from Holders, but was approved of by most residents of the region. [4]
The 7th Fleet proved a stabilizing element in the area, and among the commoners Vanazir was widely held to be a hero. However, his brash attitude often caused clashes with the local Holders. He frequently stepped on their toes and complaints arose that he acted above his station. Rumors began to circulate that Vanazir was acting without official orders.[3]
Recall and Disgrace
In YC110, Vanazir was recalled to the Throne Worlds by Chamberlain Dochuta Karsoth. Reports arose that Vanazir had arrested Holders who objected to his methods and even, in one case, executed one.[5]
Shortly after his recall, Vanazir was publicly denounced as a traitor to the Empire. Evidence was discovered that he had planned to seize the Bleak Lands as his personal fief and perhaps had even hatched plans to secede from the Empire entirely. As a result, he was stripped of all ranks and titles and was detained by Chamberlain Karsoth.[3]
The final fate of Vanazir Saracen following his disgrace remains unclear. With the fall of Chamberlain Karsoth following the return of Jamyl Sarum, many of the political prisoners interred by Karsoth were released. The disposition of Vanazir was never established. Some claim he had already been sold off into slavery to atone for his actions and remains there to this day. Others insist that he was freed and returned to his family, where he remains, unwilling to reenter the public eye due to his tarnished reputation.
See Also
References
- ↑ http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=1677&tid=4
- ↑ http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=2085&tid=2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=2082&tid=2
- ↑ http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=1684&tid=4
- ↑ http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=2078&tid=2