Aken Bosch
Admiral Aken H. Bosch is most famously known for orchestrating the Neo-Terran Front rebellion sometime during 2366. Admiral Bosch had one of the most important roles to play in the FreeSpace saga, and is the main antagonist of FreeSpace 2. He is known to be an expert tactician and strategist, as well as a charismatic political leader. His main ambition was to make a new future for humanity, which manifested in his vision of Neo-Terra.
Contents
Biography
The Great War
Before he started the Neo-Terran Front rebellion, Bosch is known to have fought against the rogue Galactic Terran Intelligence branch as a soldier for the Galactic Terran Alliance. The fact that he played a role in the stopping of the Hades Rebellion from succeeding has led to popular speculation that he may have been the pilot that the player assumed the role of during Silent Threat, though there is little evidence to support this theory.
It is very likely that he found out about many of the Terran Intelligence's secret research projects into the Shivans during his engagements against the rogue intelligence branch. Of his discoveries, one is likely to be the ETAK project.
Reconstruction
After the dissolution of the Galactic Terran Alliance and Parliamentary Vasudan Navy, and the formation of the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance, Bosch rose up through the ranks during the Reconstruction period. He continued to advance in position, eventually reaching the rank of admiral and becoming the commander of the GTVA 6th Fleet. As commander, it is likely he had access to a large amount of the information which helped him in staging the Neo-Terran Front rebellion.
Also during this period, as the commander of the GTVA 6th Fleet, he may have designed (or commissioned the design of) a new class of Terran ship, known as the NTF Iceni frigate, at the Freedom Shipyards in Polaris. Though it is not confirmed that the Iceni was created during this period, Reconstruction is the most reasonable candidate, given the amount of time needed to design and construct the vessel. It is likely that the Iceni was built with the primary purpose of ETAK research, though the GTVA probably knew nothing of its purpose at this point. The Iceni would then become Bosch's personal ship for the duration of the rebellion.
The Neo-Terran Front
In 2366, Admiral Bosch famously instigated a pro-Terran anti-Vasudan movement, known as the Neo-Terran Front. Masses of civilian and military personnel rallied to his cause, inspired by his anti-Vasudan sentiments. He spoke of a new future for the human race, the ideology of Neo-Terra and the belief that Bosch would be able to supply the Terrans with a new homeworld equal in splendor to the lost homeplanet of Earth. Based in Polaris, the Neo-Terran Front grew in power until it had a fleet of at least 10 destroyers and massive influence throughout Sirius, Regulus, Deneb, Alpha Centauri and Epsilon Pegasi.
During his anti-Vasudan campaign, he was able to adequately secure Vasudan systems to study Ancient ruins and technology, and find out more information about the Shivans. Among his discoveries was information about the Ancient Knossos portal in Gamma Draconis, and the nebula system to which it led. Using the information he acquired, he sent the NTC Trinity to the system in order to activate the Knossos device and come into contact with the Shivans. With the ongoing development of the ETAK project, Bosch would be able to communicate the Shivans and bring his dream of a Shivan alliance to fruition.
Though he successfully activated the device, he had lost the battle in Deneb, and the new Terran-Vasudan vessel, the GTVA Colossus, had destroyed his fleet in Epsilon Pegasi. Polaris and Neo-Terra was now under threat. A subsequent Vasudan attack was able to destroy the entrenched rebel positions in Sirius, forcing Bosch to retreat to the last safe system, Regulus (but not without being attacked by ships led by rogue Admiral Ahmose). Soon after Bosch's retreat to Regulus, Polaris fell to the Colossus's assault.
Into The Valley of the Kings
Knowing that he had no future with the GTVA, he instigated a daring and extremely dangerous plan that would possibly have allowed him to realize his dream of an alliance with the Shivans. He formulated a reckless strategy in which every remaining rebel ship would form a massive attack force and fight all the way to Gamma Draconis. The plan yielded only a partial success, and a massive amount of rebel ships were destroyed on the perilous journey. Regardless of Neo-Terran losses, the Iceni was able to reach the nebula system and make contact with the Shivans.
Bosch traveled in search of the Shivans for an undetermined length of time before being able to communicate with a Shivan task force (through means of the ETAK device) which then met with him in the nebula. Optimistically foreseeing a bright future for himself and the Terran race, he authorized the scuttling of his command ship, the Iceni, and for his crew to board the Shivan Azrael transports which had been deployed for this reason. For reasons unknown, after boarding the ship, the Shivans killed all the humans on board the Iceni except for Bosch and his closest lieutenants.
The Shivans then took Bosch to a second Knossos portal in the nebula. Though the Vasudans were able to locate Bosch, they were unable to intercept him before Shivan reinforcements arrived, among them a second Sathanas juggernaut. Under Shivan cover, the Azrael transport which housed Bosch was able to escape into the binary system beyond the second Knossos portal. Past this point, no canonical information is given as to Bosch's eventual fate or the future of Neo-Terra, though it has been the subject of massive speculation.
Trivia
It may have been that the concept of Aken Bosch's name actually comes from Hieronymus Bosch, a rennaissance apocalyptic painter. This is possibly an effect of FreeSpace's supposedly apocalyptic-style plot.
Note: This information comes from GiantBomb. (http://www.giantbomb.com/admiral-aken-bosch/94-3059/)
