MOD:WCU:PR3nutshell

NOTE: The following is not the *whole* story in a nutshell; it's actually from an answer to a question posed by mkruer about the motivations for Burrows to leave "civilization" for the tri-system. He was suggesting a groupie or girlfriend getting killed, which I'm not opposed to at all; but in this private message I was just letting him know that there are motivations aplenty already... So the text of that message follows:

Essentially, my story behind the story goes like this:

Tolwyn has more in mind than the benefit of the Confederation's war readiness, in plotting a war with BW: His plan is to see the Confederation ripped apart, so that a new empire may be born, possibly with himself as generalissimo. Not only does he control Black Ops and the Black Lance mutants, but he also possibly controls the Mandarins, and had a part in the deal between Menesche and the Kilrathi. Masterson and Monte are members of a secret religion based on ancient Steltec writings, who believe in limiting technology to within the boundaries that will make it a servant of Humanity rather than its master. The Retros are an extremist splinter of that religion. The former oppose the Retros, Menesche, Jones, as well as Tolwyn. Monte could be an ex-Black Ops that knew too much to leave, and therefore is in permanent exile.

Okay, so Burrows enlists with the Confeds and, after the military stint, or during it, gets to meet Blair and fight him --one on one-- on a simulator; followed by a ton of advice. At the end of the war, Burrows does all the subplots that are Confed-friendly first, like Landreich, Firekka, possibly other subplots in the Vega sector. Each of those plots could include hints or connections to the Tolwyn story. Then Blair, who has heard of this steltec religion during his retirement in Nephele, (a group of steltec religion followers have a ranch next to his piece of land, though they pass themselves as "Buddhists"), sends for him. Blair knows nothing about Tolwyn's role, yet, but heard that a job needs doing which is necessary, but officially illegal. He's heard about Retro and Mandarin infiltrators in government and Confed ranks, and the need for a purge. He cannot do that, himself, as a military career man; but he has every confidence Burrows could do it. He sends Burrows to meet a man at a Confed base in Sol, who is a steltec faithful, as well as a military man; and he puts Burrows to work on "gray ops": elliminating politicians that are Retro or Mandarin operatives. The last of these missions you have to attack the secret base of a political candidate, which is hidden in a gray zone system. He tells you to meet a ship that will guide you there, as well as bring storm troopers that will destroy some ground targets, capture key people, and gather evidence. When you meet the man on that ship, after the operation, it's Monte. After you get paid for that mission, the military man tells you that Monte wants to meet you at the bar at Oxford. Then comes a talk between Monte, Masterson and Burrows at the bar, where the story of the steltec religion and the Retro splinter is revealed. Now come the dark grey ops: Assassinations of Confed officials involved in the whole Tolwyn, Black Ops, Mandarin, Retro thing, and the sale of decomissioned Confed materiel through the Gemini mobs.

Here's why we go to the Tri-System:

Throughout all of this, Burrows becomes *officially* Public Enemy Number One, both with Confed, Hunter and Militias, and more than just officially enemies with the kats and retros. Your only friends may be the pirates, if any at all. Your radar will be a sea of red most of the time. Additionally, there's Kroiz, who has taken over from Menesche, and has put a hefty price on your head; and he's amassing an entire fleet, with his huge earnings. And has sworn to kill you himself sooner or later. (He has no face, only a prosthetic mask, barely having escaped alive after your fight with him in Rikel.) Additionally, Monte is also Public Enemy Number One with Confeds and Militias, but in any case, he's been given the job, as high ranking member of the steltec religion, to build a big fleet in some secret place, and he requests your help in achieving this goal. The purpose of the fleet is to defeat Kroiz's fleet first, and destroy the Retros second. But the player will be able to then use this large fleet to attack other mafia and pirate bases, if he chooses to do so.

So, that's my idea for how Burrows ends up going far up North. But it does not preclude there being other reasons as well. I like the idea of a girlfriend or friend getting killed; put some emotion into the story.