Harpreet Singh
Baron Harpreet Singh is a fighter, and a born survivor. A native of Zukhisa (Empty Quarter 0139), Singh started off life as a criminal enforcer for local ethnic Indian syndicates. Easily captured after a bungled hijacking, Harpreet Singh was imprisoned in the then-notorious Kranouvo Imperial Penitentiary (over and above the objections of his legal counsel.)
Kranouvo – an oddly-shaped bit of rock two km long, in an eccentric orbit around Lazisar (Empty Quarter 1233) secondary G8 V star – has been a disgraceful hellhole for over five decades when Singh arrived. The environment has crushed many men before, and Singh was no exception. Unlike others, though, he managed to recover and adapt to the environment, eventually building a prison gang around himself. For most this would be accomplishment enough, but Prisoner Singh was not satisfied: by using prison-house diplomacy, seizing control of the various illicit trading networks, and orchestrating truly nasty acts of violence against his enemies, Prisoner Singh took informal (but very real) control of the prison.
The Warden eventually chose to work with Prisoner Singh, to “make a model prison” for the pleasure of Warden’s superiors (and ensure the promotion of the Warden): in return, Prisoner Singh was to be given a strong recommendation for early parole. The prison was successfully reformed, but after his promotion the Warden forgot all about Prisoner Singh.
Prisoner Singh finally got his break when he got wind of a series of a major anti-Bwap terror campaign being planned out and financed by an alliance of Solomani criminal gangs and pro-Solomani interests. From his prison cell, Prisoner Singh used his outside contacts and influence to trace out the connections and the money flows, leading him to both a plot to kill the newly enthroned Bwap Sector Duke and to certain treasonous interests who stood to gain from the Duke demise. He played his hand with great adroitness and political élan, gaining not only a full pardon in 990, but a rank noble title as well in return for “crucial information and assistance in delicate Matters of State”.
Currently, Baron Singh is the Prison Bailiff of Duke Dethwabtakebwebwakawas’ household, and is in charge of Imperial Prisons within the sector administration. He works under the supervision of the High Bailiff of the Empty Quarter, who is in charge of Imperial law enforcement within the sector, especially the Ministry of Justice. He operates within an unseen cage12 that channels his activities (legal and not) in ways beneficial to the Imperium and to the Ducal Household. Within these restrictions, he plays a useful and respected role in running and reforming the local Imperial prison system.
Baron Singh subconsciously knows that he is not free, but he enjoys his work and the rewards too much to bother complaining about the unseen hands and invisible restraints. Moreover, he is a patriotic Imperial in his own estimate, and he has materially improved the conditions of Imperial prisons within the sector, while reducing the recidivism rate sharply. Nagging questions regarding his methods have been muted in the applause for his results.
- Footnote on how he wound up in prison:
- He and some fellow neophyte criminals hijacked a starship, but the pilot easily deceived them when ‘plotting jump co-ordinates’ (while actually sending out a distress signal.) The hijackers suspected foul play when the ‘misjump’ occurred, but the crew managed to sweet-talk them into allowing a ‘harmless repair shuttle’ to dock and fix the jump drive: the would-be pirates only needed to hold the bridge, while the ‘frightened crew’ – supervised by a ‘dangerous armed hijacker’ - provided the friendly face for the repair techs to work with.
- As soon as his electronic profile was made, the supervising pirate was quietly garrotted while a virtual version was planted in the surveillance software. The TL-5/6 ignoramuses – including Harpreet Singh – were left ‘in control’ on the bridge until they heard a familiar voice giving the all clear. The minicams’ (photoshopped) video was as expected, but they refused to open the door until they heard their buddy’s (synthesised) voice at the other side. So they opened the iris door, and had an unexpected meeting with a team of armored and rather displeased Imperial Marines.
- Fortunately for them, the hijackers were too surprised to resist as they were swiftly bashed/stunned, thrown down, disarmed, and shackled. (“All done in less than eight seconds flat – a new record ”)''
References and Contributors (Sources)[edit]
- Jason Kemp. "Biography: Selected Ship Masters and Vessels of the Empty Quarter, Part 2." Stellar Reaches 08 (2008): 51.