Sparefish Bar Incident

Introduction
The Sparefish Bar incident is one of the strangest in the history of lunite rebel Jeff Ryan. It has given rise to some conspiracy theories amongst Lunite, Martian and Sivadian, especially those who follow current events. A few news-broadcasters and some vocal supporters of Ryan's movement particularly Dirk Chyremeson prior to his execution have questioned the Solar Republic on the events leading up to the incident. The Republic's silence has only fueled the fires of the conspiracy theorists.

Background
Former-Senator Jeff Ryan, was assigned to the CSS Menusa, one of the key vessels, along with the LDF Peacemaker, in searching for a cure for the Nexus Plague. The announcement had been made and all sources indicate the Captain was taking a personal break on La Terre prior to taking up his post. On October 29th 3003, the shuttle carrying the Menusa's Captain was reported destroyed with all hands lost. Some theories suggest that it was just before this time, Ryan first formed the controversial interstellar spy group, The Watchers. Indeed Ryan's own admission after being released from hospital on Sivad, in March 3004 of heading the Watchers is evidence enough they were formed prior to his disappearance. It is worth noting that other than Ryan himself, none of the other thirty-five passengers of the shuttle have ever been heard from again.

The Incident
The shuttle explosion was a mystery and like the other passengers, nothing more was heard from Ryan, until he appeared in a report by INN titled Standoff on Luna, on December 13th 3003. From the report itself and other evidence it seems Ryan escaped from the Guardian Fleet earlier that day, and was waiting in the Sparefish Bar to make contact with a party or parties who would help him get off world. However a regular sweep of the Bar, aimed at illegal drugs also forced Ryan into action, taking the customers of the bar hostage. Over the next two days there was a stand-off as Fleet military and intelligence converged on the building, yet afraid to attack for fear of civilian casualties. The standoff was finally broken when the hostages themselves rose up against Ryan, at the same time a raid was executed and the man was brought back into custody.

The Theories
It's a simple news story of a man escaping from custody, taking a bar hostage and heroically being taken down by the very people he's menacing. At least on the surface, however the news story reported and the factual evidence presents one very significant question: Why was Ryan in Guardian Fleet custody in the first place? There are presently two main theories:

1) The Guardian Fleet learned of Ryan's attempt at organising an interstellar intelligence organisation and because of his obvious anti-Fleet sentiment, this organisation was aimed at themselves. In an attempt to silence the man and destroy the organisation before it's birth and indeed, take Ryan down before he gained any credibility with the CSS Menusa mission.  They made a desperate attack on the shuttle enroute to Castor before it could reach it's destination, killed the other passengers and took Ryan into custody.

2) Ryan himself caused the attack on the shuttle, murdering 35 people and with the aid of accomplices, destroyed the shuttle and left the debris to be found by the authorities who'd assume he was dead. This would have been to cover his tracks as he went about building up a anti-Fleet Watcher's Organisation.  Indeed, some theories state that /this/ and not prior is when the Watchers were founded.  On a mission in probably November or early December, the Fleet found him on Luna and apprehended him.

There are several more theories to be found on independent newssites across the galaxy, but most of the crazier ones have lost support since time and distance have seperated the incident from the present. These two still maintain popular support and whether people believe 1) or 2) usually depends on their position on the Solar Republic itself.

Aftermath
Ryan was captured once again and this time openly in Guardian Fleet Intelligence custody. Several news agencies and as mentioned earlier Dirk Chyremeson demanded Ryan's release from custody, something the Guardian Fleet eventually did in March 3004, although Ryan was in a bad state by that time and had to be hospitalised on Sivad and later La Terre for a couple of months afterwards. Intelligence spokesman at the time said Ryan was wounded in another escape attempt. Some theories at the time supported the idea Ryan himself was now a Guardian Fleet agent, and this theory gained support when he was arrested on Sivad. Since rumours are abound he's alive again (following yet another death on Antimone, this time with a body) and once more at the helm of the Watchers have led to more theories.