Pirates Everywhere
by Ringo Baxter, exclusive for the GGG
Piracy has been a problem since the early days of space exploration. Starcaptains have learned how to deal with the occasional raiders and to accept their existence in the same way they tolerate stray asteroids or faulty equipment, just as inevitable annoyances of life in the peripheries. Today, however, the situation has changed considerably and piracy has escalated from a sporadic inconvenience to a real threat to our way of life. In the last few weeks, for example, we have seen pirate attacks in many systems of different peripheries, not all of them successful but quite a few resulting in the loss of ships and in major disruption of outposts and even starbases.
One big part of the problem is the change in the nature of piracy itself. Many of these pirate attacks are not the traditional opportunistic theft of a ship that was left lingering for too long in the same unprotected quadrant. Instead of trying to get some quick profit from stolen property, these ruffians aim to destroy assets and disrupt operations of legitimate affiliations. They destroy ships on sight, without any attempt of capture. They blast small outposts from orbit or take them for short periods and then leave quickly. There is obviously no direct profit in any of these attacks, so we are led to believe that their pirate flags are merely disguises: we are actually dealing with mercenaries hired by adversaries that don't want to show their faces or with covert operations conducted by these same cowardly opponents.
Space is vast and it's impossible to patrol every single quadrant everyday looking for pirates. That's their strength, the ability to hide away easily. It's not impossible, however, to apply stern measures against anyone who associates with pirates. That's their weakness, without sympathizers to hire them or to buy their stolen goods or to provide shelter piracy becomes an unprofitable business. A previous surge in piracy was successfully derailed when the affiliation that aided and abetted them saw itself under attack: the IMP-GTT-FET war against the RIP cost them a few vital starbases and a couple of system claims, resulting in the retirement of several pirates who now lacked the support to make their operations profitable. If some of those pirates are back in activity or if we have new pirates taking their places, that's because they have new sponsors. Target the sponsors, the pirates will go away again.
Sadly, affiliations known for their association with pirates are currently being forgiven or ignored. The KRL were caught running pirate ships in the Halo Periphery and as a result were attacked by the IMP, but one of the first things the new Viceroy did was not only to declare a state of ceasefire with the KRL but to reward them with the claim to the Storm System. The RCF have been caught working with pirate fleets in the Halo Periphery, but other than a small CNF operation against them there's apparently no real opposition to these rebels or to their supposed new partners, the RIP. And a recent wave of pirate attacks in the Inner Empire (with the GTT being the main victim with the loss of one major starbase and a whole fleet of starships) was repelled by only two thirds of the Triumvirate, the IMP and the CNF, while the other third, the DTR, didn't even bother to offer assistance.
If the current attitude towards piracy doesn't change the problem will only get worse. We need to stop blaming the victims as if they only lost their ships or outposts because they were not protecting them as they should. We need instead to start being more severe with pirate collaborators and more willing to confront piracy anywhere, even if it seems to be too far away from our comfortable homes. If you are not fighting against piracy, you are already helping the pirates.
-o-
IMP Still Leaking Members
by Cornelius Merryheart, exclusive for the GGG
After losing Grand Duke Ravenstone to the CNF, now the IMP see yet another member leaving the affiliation, none other than former Viceroy and former Patrol Commissioner Ike Krieger. A note from the IMP Capellan Times announced General Krieger's retirement without mentioning his next move, but observant eyes have already noticed that he is now wearing a GTT badge. Meanwhile, IMP Viceroy Githyanki is probably still convinced that the loss of a Grand Duke and the loss of a former Viceroy have no connection with his political skills.
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