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Piracy was the criminal enterprise of intercepting, boarding, and pillaging merchant freighters in the Post Diaspora era.

Historical Description[]

Piracy was a term describing a robbery committed at sea, or sometimes on the shore, without a commission from a sovereign nation (robbery with a sovereign commission was called privateering, and was distinct from piracy; this required a letter of marque and reprisal (French: lettre de marque; lettre de course).

Privateers were often treated as pirates due to the reality of their political sponsors. In other instances, commerce raiders were entitled to be protected as prisoners of war when operating under the legal orders of their own government. (HHA3.1: MMH, HH6, HH10, SI1)

Pirate Organizations[]

Background of Piracy[]

Generally piracy affected area was the Verge - a space beyond the Solarian League.

Canaan was the location of a piracy crisis. (MA1)

Particulary the Silesian Confederacy was a hotbed of pirate activity with both the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Andermani Empire battling local pirates in the region to assure the safety of their trading lines, merchantmen, and merchant spacers. Manticoran and Andermani efforts were obstructed as many of the pirates had arrangements with the local authorities that allowed them to escape punishment for their crimes. (HHA5.3: LD)

In an attempt to pressure the Manticore to abandon Silesia, the Imperial Andermani Navy drastically increased its anti-piracy operations. (HH10)

After the annexation of the Silesian Confederacy in 1921 PD, many crews of the former Silesian Confederate Navy turned to piracy. Andermani and Manticoran warships were given the authority to pursue pirates regardless of border violations. (Companion, HH12, HHA7.3: TSC)

As an effect of the Havenite Civil War, after 1915 PD, some Havenite warships were sold to pirates by ex-Peoples Republic's warlords. Moreover, some rogue Havenite units, such as the People's Navy in Exile, operated with its original crew. (SI1, CS2, HH10)

Several ex-StateSec ships operated in the Talbott Cluster and the Republic of Erewhon area. (CS2)

Legal Issues[]

  1. Henri Benson-Dessouix was convicted of piracy and sentenced to Hades Planetary Prison. This was a show trial in the same way the accusation of Treason was used to convict political enemies.
  2. The Cherwell Convention of 1651 PD equated slavery (transporting slaves with ships in fact) - with piracy. (CS1)
  3. Piracy was a crime punishable by death in most star nations. In particular in the 1910s PD, the Royal Manticoran Navy implemented a policy of summarily executing those captured in the act of piracy or slaving that had been previously captured by Manticoran authorities. (HH6)
  4. The unauthorized invasion of Spindle in the Talbott Quadrant, attempted in 1922 PD by Solarian League Navy's Admiral Sandra Crandall, could legally be considered piracy. (HH12)
  5. The Grand Alliance terms for the surrender of the Solarian League after the Battle of Sol stipulated that any Solarian League Navy ships remaining outside the borders of the Old League would be considered pirates and dealt with accordingly. (HH14)

References[]

  1. In the period between 17th and 19th century PD.
  2. Many of the crews of the PNE worked as pirates before their recruitment while others were mercenaries hired on by its Manpower sponsors to fill out its ranks.
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