The Freedom League was the military force of Haven City under the command of Ashelin Praxis. Formed in 300 HE, it was born as a reformation of the New Krimzon Guard, which comprised both former Krimzon Guards and members of the Underground.
Commanders and Leaders
Ashelin Praxis
Born in 278 HE, Ashelin was the daughter of Baron Praxis. In 297 HE, Ashelin renounced her birthright and became a commander in the Krimzon Guard. Following her father’s death in 300 HE, Ashelin became governor and reformed the Krimzon Guard into the New Krimzon Guard under the command of herself, Torn and Brutter before renaming the organisation the Freedom League. Despite her position as governor, Ashelin was powerless to stop Jak from being banished to the Wasteland by Count Veger, leader of the Grand Council of Haven City. However, she was instrumental in getting Jak to return and turn the tide of the war in favour of the Freedom League. When it was revealed that Veger was responsible for attacking Haven Palace, Ashelin dissolved the Grand Council and stripped Veger of his title, command, and all privileges. After the war, Ashelin remained governor of Haven City and participated in the Kras City Grand Championship of 302 HE.
Count Veger
Count Veger was the leader of the Grand Council of Haven City under Baron Praxis and then Ashelin Praxis. After the overthrow of King Damas by Baron Praxis in 297 HE, Veger stole Damas’ son Mar (Jak), hoping to use his eco powers for his experiments, only to lose Jak to the Underground. Because of this, Veger distrusted Jak’s Dark Eco abilities and was instrumental in swaying the Council’s opinion to banish Jak to the Wasteland in 301 HE. After secretly forging an alliance with the KG Robots, Veger took control of the Freedom League before being stripped of his powers by Ashelin after it was revealed that he destroyed Haven Palace. Towards the war's end, Veger raced Jak to the catacombs where the Precursors turned him into an Ottsel and subsequently was forced to become Kleiver’s “sidekick”. His eventual fate remains unknown.
Samos Hagai
The father of Keira Hagai and Sage of Green Eco, Samos supported the Freedom League, having founded and led the Underground in 297 HE. Following the events of 300 HE, Samos time travelled back to the year 12 BHE with young Jak to watch over him until he came of age. After the beginning of the Metal Head Wars in 2 BHE, Samos time travelled with Jak, Keira and Daxter 300 years into the future to Haven City. During the War for Haven City, Samos provided input on many missions allocated to Jak and the Freedom League. Samos was also fascinated by the legend of the Precursors and, upon discovering the truth about their form, remarked that his “life’s work, it turns out, was spent searching for a bunch of furballs” (Naughty Dog, 2004). After the war, Samos travelled to Kras City but did not participate in the Kras City Grand Championship.
Torn
Born in 272 HE, Torn was a commander of the Freedom League and an advisor to Ashelin. In 297 HE, Torn became a commander of the Krimzon Guard, but after the Battle of Dead Town, Torn defected to the Underground due to becoming disillusioned by Baron Praxis’ cruelty. After the death of Baron Praxis in 300 HE, Torn became commander of the New Krimzon Guard and its successor faction, the Freedom League. After Count Veger took command of the Freedom League in 301 HE, Torn led a contingency of Freedom League soldiers to capture the Port and open a Southern Front against the KG Robots and Metal Heads. However, his forces became divided by KG barriers until Jak returned to Haven City and turned the tide in favour of the Freedom League. Torn later took part in the Raid on the Metal Head Tower, where he was escorted by Jak, Sig and Jinx and destroyed the door leading into the Metal Head Tower. After the war, Torn travelled to Kras City and took part in the Kras City Grand Championship.
Locations and Districts
New Haven
Under the control of the Freedom League, New Haven was constructed to replace the Water Slums under the governorship of Ashelin Praxis. It consisted of sidewalks between rivers of water on either side, decorated with various trees, shrubs, and water fountains, and lined with skyscrapers, apartments, and other buildings. It was the most architecturally advanced sector of Haven City. It was the location of Freedom HQ, where the leaders of the Freedom League briefed each other on inter-league affairs during the War for Haven City.
Port
Recaptured from the KG by the Freedom League, the Port served as the city's seaport harbour, consisting of a bay of water with cargo ships around the area, lined with a long walkway with access points to other sectors of the city. The Port consisted mainly of a bay of water, with two large towers located in the centre of the bay, with bridges connecting them to each other as well as the walkways of the city. Next to the entrance of the Metal Head City sector was the Naughty Ottsel. Around the corner of it was the Gun Course, followed by the entrance to the Industrial Zone.
Slums
Under the control of the Freedom League, this district lay on the border between Freedom League and KG Robot territory, with many battles taking place between them. The Slums were presumably home to many of Haven City's poorer population. It was a squalid district with unfinished construction and neglected architecture. The entrance to the Slums from the Industrial Zone consisted of narrow airways, with the western area of the Slums being home to a small market, produce stands, Onin's tent and the Fortress, where Freedom League soldiers were recruited and trained.
Units
Soldier
The basic infantry unit of the Freedom League, soldiers were equipped with Rifles, Shock-Rods, and Grenade Launchers. They patrolled in squads of up to four soldiers protecting the neutral zones and fighting against the KG Robots and the Metal Heads on the borders of their respective territories. Freedom League soldiers wore blue armour to distinguish themselves from these enemy factions. The primary tactic among Freedom League soldiers was close-combat infantry assaults combined with overwhelming firepower. Morale was often low for Soldiers throughout the war as they often commented to each other that “we lost this war a long time ago” or “the city is lost”, even though the war still raged around them.
Vehicles and Turrets
Hellcat Cruiser
Once the sole preserve of the Krimzon Guard, the Freedom League adopted the Hellcat Cruiser during the War for Haven City for air raids and reconnaissance missions. Like their soldiers, the Freedom League Hellcat Cruiser was painted blue to distinguish it from the KG model. It was equipped with a mounted blaster at the front and a 360-degree auto-targeting turret on the rear of the vehicle, the latter of which could take out Blast Bots with comparative ease. During the War for Haven City, over 100 Hellcat Cruisers were built, although KG Fighters and missiles shot down many during the Siege of Haven Palace. By the time of the Raid on the KG War Factory, only Ashelin’s model was still in use, although it is assumed that more were constructed after the war’s end as the Hellcat IV was used by Jak, Daxter and Keira to travel to the Brink in 303 HE.
Missile Turret
The Missile Turret was a stationary missile launcher used by the Freedom League. It was a turret stationed at the Port and was used to remove the barrier between the Industrial Zone and the Port. When activated, the missile took off immediately, could not be aimed, and had to be charged up with energy pick-ups to be fully effective. The KG Robots used a similar variant in the Industrial Zone, which was used to guard cargo transports. Unlike the Freedom League variant, the KG missile turret could lock on to its target and did not need energy pick-ups to work.
Transporter
Formerly known as the Air Train, the Freedom League adopted the Transporter from the Krimzon Guard and repainted it blue to distinguish it from the KG model. The Transporter came equipped with a mounted automatic laser-sight turret on the bottom which could shoot enemies with a very high accuracy rate once they came within range. Although heavily armoured, the Transporter was primarily used to drop Freedom League soldiers off during military engagements and transport civilians from Haven City to the Wasteland. About 20 Transporters were built during the War for Haven City, although only one was seen docked in the Port, with the pilot being a woman named Sophia. Each Transporter could carry a complement of eight soldiers and was equipped with anti-gravity engines that could fly over Haven City’s walls.
Bibliography
Jak and Daxter Wiki. “Freedom League.” Last revised August 9, 2021. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Freedom_League
Jak Himself. “Freedom League logo.” Jak and Daxter Wiki. Accessed February 27, 2023. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Freedom_League?file=Freedom_League_logo.svg
Naughty Dog. Jak 3. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2. 2004.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak 3: The Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2004.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak II: The Complete Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2003.
Shah, Reuben. Jak 3 Design Bible. Raleigh, Naughty Dog, 2003.
Comments