The shooting of Phillip Ross.
May 28, 29484 - Kate "Lariske" Delvin [Atlantean]
IRRK Freelance - A theory on the shooting of Phillip Ross.
The reasons why and who attempted to assassinate Phillip Ross, have long been a mystery. In nearly five years since this incident no one has been formally charged with the assassination attempt. Certainly it is possible that the assassin or group who carried out this act are still at large on the planet. It is also likely that they had the help of very powerful and influential people. The attempted assassination could have been the culmination of a power struggle within the uppermost echelons of the most powerful body in the galaxy. If we go back and look at events which occurred preceding the shooting a disturbing path can be traced. One which would perhaps explain the rapid rise to power, the mystery that surrounds him as well as the increase in strength of the group he has been entwined with for much of his career.
This person is none other than the current CEO of Omni-Tek Rubi-Ka, Tarkhan Zora.
Firstly I would like to identify the two possible factions within the upper echelons of Omni-Tek.
On the first side there is a group of hard line corporate types on the ruling Board of Directors on Omni Prime. It is my belief that they became worried about Ross’s more open approach to allowing the Clans to continue to exist as well as the neutrals. It is they who hold the reins on the Unicorn Company and use it to further their hard line beliefs. It is from there that they selected Tarkhan Zora, a man they knew to be loyal to them to the position of CEO on Rubi-Ka. For the time being I will refer to this faction as the hardliners.
On the other side are the die-hard supporters of Phillip Ross within the ruling Board of Directors on Omni Prime. It is they who were slowly moving the hyper-corporation towards a more democratic and open way of working. For the time being I will refer to this faction as the freethinkers.
We begin by looking at an event which took place in August of 29478.
“August 26th 29478 A reporter and adviser from Omni Prime backed up by Unicorn troops question citizens in Borealis on their opinions about Philip Ross.”
This sounds very harmless at first. However if we look closer some questions come to mind. Why would Omni-Tek, especially Omni Prime be interested in non-Omni Rubi-Kan’s opinions of Phillip Ross, the CEO of Omni-Tek on Rubi-Ka at the time. Also note the presence of Unicorn troops, instead of Omni-Pol or Omni-AF, who would have been the more logical choice to provide a security detail. This suggests that the hardliners were getting the opinion of non-employee’s, about Ross.
“August 28th 29478 Unicorn troops move into Omni-HQ amid rumours that Philip Ross had been placed under house arrest for some as yet unknown reason.”
The first step is taken in securing their rise to power. With the Unicorns holding Phillip Ross his contact with the outside world, the rest of the corporation and his allies is limited and censored. During the next few days it is presumed that Phillip Ross begins his journey to Omni-Prime, with few knowing the truth.
On September 1st 29478 the aliens finally launch their invasion of Rubi-Ka. Thus triggering an automated system broadcasting a pre-recorded message from Phillip Ross, instead of he himself addressing the people of Rubi-Ka live, which he would have likely preferred. The triggering of the automated response for the imminent invasion by Alien forces, likely forces the hand of the hardliners, but is also a blessing in disguise. No longer able to keep the transport of Phillip Ross off world a secret, a plan is concocted and rushed into action with the cover story that he is en route to Omni Prime for talks with the Board of Directors. These talks having been hastily setup by powerful hardliner members of the board before the official story is published. Following the Alien invasion many of the orders for Rubi-Ka come from Omni Prime, but are not listed as coming from Phillip Ross himself, which is strange.
During the next couple of months the headlines, news agencies and thoughts of everyone are turned to the Alien invaders, little thought is given to Phillip Ross until his eventful return to Rubi-Ka. It is my opinion that during this time there began in earnest a power struggle within the upper echelons of Omni-Tek with two factions fighting for control.
It is my belief that somehow the freethinker members of the board found out or worked out what the hardliners were planning, and managed to free Ross and hide him from hardliner elements whilst they consolidated their strength and formulated a plan to return Phillip Ross to Rubi-Ka where he would be near untouchable to the hard-line faction. It was during the freeing of Ross that he sent his message "Rest assured, citizens and employees, I will return!" which was followed by the sounds of a struggle and static.
November 26th 29478 Ross’s shuttle crashes outside of Old Athens, he emerges at the head of a legion of Omni Prime soldiers, presumably loyal to his faction. It is possible that the shuttle was not shot down by Alien fighters but by Omni-Tek on orders or working for the hardliners. Their disguise as ICC personnel will have thrown off any of his pursuers searching for him, giving him a few days reprieve to plan what to do now he had returned. No doubt his pursuers would have been checking the identities of the corpses at the crash site to see whether he was amongst them.
Having not found his body amongst the dead the Hardliner faction would have likely grown desperate and worried by their complete loss of Phillip Ross. It was here that they decided that he must be assassinated at any cost and in their desperation they hired a group of shades.
Days later on his way to Omni-1 it is reported by OTPC that he was being stalked by assassins. The shades attempted to assassinate Phillip Ross, but were defeated by his entourage, before meeting with an adviser from his allies on the Board. This is likely to have been Korbensen.
In the following weeks the hardliner faction takes time to reassess and plan their next strike. On January 8th 29479 the hard-line faction made their next move, under the cover of the Alien invasion they put through special requisition orders to increase the resources of the Unicorn Company and Omni Prime security on Rubi-Ka, strengthening their forces ready for the next phase. “Rumours start to circulate about the escalation of Unicorn Company activity on Rubi-Ka.”
Amid the fighting of the Aliens they also increase the numbers of the Unicorn Company on Rubi Ka, and begin building bases within the Outzones partially to combat the Aliens, but more likely to provide a private staging area for their own plans. To secure these private bases various employee’s have to be permanently removed so that questions are not asked and to blind Ross as to what is going on inside these bases. Also to cover their preparations the Unicorn’s use Kry’Ozch technology to taunt them into attacking various bases within the Outzones to add weight to the pretense that they are doing nothing more than they say they are. This is further bolstered on the Febuary 9th when they open up one staging area to freelancers to come fight the aliens.
During these months it is likely that Phillip Ross would have been consolidating his own position on Rubi-Ka and would have been busy with overseeing the defense of the planet. It is likely that during this time, he formed the Omni-Pol 6th Directive out of those employees’s he knew to be totally loyal to himself.
Finally on May 7th the Hardliners succeed and one of their agents, from the security detail for the speech shot Phillip Ross. This is the only logical reason as to why the initial investigation made little headway.
Following the shooting the Ross aligned faction under Korbensen use official means to pursue an investigation into who shot the CEO in hope of uncovering the conspiracy, but after little progress they are forced to give in and allow Unicorn agents to join in. The Unicorn agents then are able to more easily cover up any trails leading back to them, the hard-line faction.
As the months roll by with Ross still alive but in a coma, the Hardliners in the Board of Directors on Omni Prime make their final move and push for their man, Tarkhan Zora to be appointed the new CEO of Omni-Tek on Rubi-Ka.
If anything this raises further questions. Questions that cannot be answered, such as;
- What is this hardliner faction actually planning next?
- Is Tarkhan Zora just a puppet on the throne, with the strings being pulled by his masters on Omni Prime or is he in control?
- What is going on in the other Unicorn bases in the Outzones?
- Are the Unicorns themselves excavating Xan sites much like the Dust Brigade are reported to be doing in places such as the Neverata Canyons?
- How much do the Unicorns really know about the Kyr’Ozch menace?
- Who actually pulled the trigger on Ross the Unicorns, a hired mercenary or a traitor within his own ranks?
Historical news reports.
OTPC: Aliens Invade: Ross Speaks
IRRK: Rubi-ka under siege: News from the front
IRRK: Rubi-ka under siege: News from the front #2
OTPC: Ross' Triumphant Return, Promition of Unity
OTPC: Official requisition of resource
IRRK: Escalation of Unicorn presence on Rubi-Ka?
IRRK: Former Omni-Tek Employees Missing
FJRK: Outzone Conspiracy?
OTPC: Omni-Tek Public Notice - Security Instruction
OTPC: Breaking News - Philip Ross shot!
OTPC: Omni-Med Update - June 2
OTPC: Omni-Tek Press Release: Acting CEO assigned
Other sources include the historical annals of Rubi-Ka.
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Originally Posted by Agentcora
