There was a Prompt released by
@alonicus in the World Building Community, and while I had a different idea of something I wanted to write about, I thought I'd dive into this one, because it's an interesting topic of discussion.
The Confederation arrives at the capital planet of Free Space, Jex.
B'hima During The War
West-Sec, in the city of Zeelis, is a huge swath of land overlooked by a larger-than-life figure named B'hima.
When the Confederation came to Jex, the capital planet of Free Space, the people fled underground as fire rained from the sky and levelled the city.
B'hima, at this time, was the muscle of a well-known gangster named Vyderius Jen, who was an Alid.
The Alid were not known for their strength, or their courage for that matter, but with B'hima at his back, Vyderious went from a lowly information broker to a notorious gangster. He extorted businesses, led strikes, and essentially put out a lot of suggestions that rippled through the city and affected the lives of many who called Zeelis home.
When the Confederation arrived, Vyderious got scared and attempted to flee the planet, but before he could escape, B'hima killed him.
Many believed that B'hima was paid to kill his boss; others believed he saw an opportunity to seize power. Truly, nobody knows for sure why he did it.
B'hima presented with his tribute.
Rise To Power
West-Sec was notoriously poor, even though it was the largest industrial sector in Zeelis.
The population density was very high, and that led to many people competing for work. Those who accepted lower pay often got the jobs.
Others, who refused to work dangerous jobs for low pay and who couldn't afford to leave, often found themselves involved in criminal activity.
Many who could not flee underground were left to find shelter wherever they could, to avoid orbital bombardment.
B'hima, who remained above ground, quickly amassed a loyal following of armed civilians and abandoned gang members. This force launched attacks against Confederation ground forces, winning many skirmishes, which bolstered his following.
When the Confederation withdrew, B'hima was now in control of the strongest and most experienced militia in Zeelis.
He knew that and took the opportunity to carve out his territory.
When civilians flooded back to West-sec, they had to ask his permission to re-enter their old homes.
When those who owned what was left of West-Sec were ready to restart their businesses, they had to ask his permission.
When the government's rebuilding efforts reached West-Sec, they didn't ask his permission, and the work was halted many times by B'hima's enforcers.
They ignored B'himas advisors and ambassadors, and refused his request for "Tribute", which prompted bombings throughout the city.
The Jex Government decided it was easier to pay him. To this day, he is still on their payroll.
Many who call West-Sec home laugh at the fact that B'hima is being paid by the Jex government. Many still, beyond West-Sec joke about it, too, which has led to much political discourse.
B'hima does not hoard what he earns, and in fact, he uses that money to fund many enterprises in West-Sec, and he has even minted a whole new class of wealthy individuals. He himself earns a piece of their profits, which also gets funnelled into this sector of the city.
While he is not a hero in the traditional sense of the word, he does a lot of good and has also done a lot of bad. One thing that everyone can agree on, though, is that he could do a lot worse if he truly wanted to.
Many of the people here have a lot of respect for B'hima. He has become a living legend and is hailed as a true defender. There are people who would love to see him take charge of the planet, but it is believed that B'hima is content where he is.
