A Pirate Hunter Speaks
At the Confederation Patrol Academy "Oega-Bistar Hus"(Guardian House), at Brennistein, Tizon.
Introduction: As the Cadets are aware it is the custom here for officers of distinguished service to speak before us and give us the benefit of there experience-as well as entertaining us by their hopefully factual tales of their deeds(dutiful laughter from the cadets). Therefore I present Kapiten Aelfwine Olafson. Aelfwine has an honorable record of twenty-three years protecting the Hearthfires. He is also the only serving Ringbearer in the Confederation Patrol. Therefore I call you all to hear Kapiten Aelfwine Olafson!
Aelfwine: Cadets! I am pleased to speak to this class today. It seems like only yesterday when I was hear myself dreaming of the great and adventurous deeds I would do and the many songs that would be sung about me. Unfortunately I was to learn that the tales of the recruiters were not completely accurate.
Cadets. You are destined to a hard life. You will face week after week of tedium, discomfort, and indignity interspersed with occasional periods of extreme danger. Often, while your kin are feasting and making merry, you will be off in the cold void keeping watch. Yet the path you have chosen is an honorable one, for you have a high task-to protect the innocent, and keep them from harm. In the days to come you will no doubt many times curse yourself for your foolishness in following this calling-even as I did. But if you serve well then when the brave and mighty are gathered you will need only say, "I served with the Patrol", and they will give you respect.
I am come to talk about the enemy you will face. This enemy is not the Imperium, or the Darrian's-these are only your foes because of the whims of statecraft. Why every year when it is possible the IISS sends us good wishes for Yule and we send them good wishes for the Emperor's Birthday(some cadets grin and others give shocked looks).
No your chief enemy is an eternal enemy, a foe of all Sophants of good will. He is relentless, ever searching for the slightest spot of weakness or unwariness. You must be as relentless and as cunning as he. This enemy haunts all the starlanes and pursueing him is your calling. For it is the highest and most honorable task of the Confederation Patrol to pursue pirates-the predators of the stars.
Pirates come in many categories each of which must be faced in different ways. None of these categories are absoulute and they often overlap. Nonetheless this is a fairly good description of a few of the types of pirates you will face.
The first category is what I will call, "the Foolish". These are a type you are perhaps likely to see most often. They are inexperienced people out for a quick fortune. Or sometimes desperate people driven by their fate into outlawry. They barely have the skills to steer a starship, let alone attack others with one. They have only the most basic notion of tactics. No skald will sing your praises when you capture one. Yet they should not be underestimated. For their danger lies not in their prowess but in their unpredictability. You can never know what they will do. More important, you can never know what they will do to their victims. If ever you find any of this class with captives be very careful! Fortunately few of these live long enough to gain experience. Those that do "graduate" into other categories.
Another type which is encountered frequently is "shapeshifters". These are ordinary merchant vessels-often Far Traders, which are favored for the obscurity natural to a tramp ship, and the extra jump ability. But the most important criteria for pirates of this type is that they are easy to aquire and easy to refit for their work. Typically there ships have little offensive or defensive weaponry mounted on them-sometimes no more then a typical merchantman. They chiefly rely on their large crews.
Shapeshifters work in small packs, sometimes even single vessels. They mingle among more peaceful vessels, imitating them. When an opportunity arises they will cut out a target and capture it. The methods of doing this are many. One popular one is to give a false distress signal and then board the ship as soon as it tries to dock. Another method, used often among multi-ship bands is to disable the target with a low intensity beam weapon or Electro-magnetic Pulse missile. In such a situation the ship will many times surrender; if it does not it can be fairly easily subdued. Shapeshifters seldom take prizes, because of the nature of operating close to the traffic. They usually plunder their prey, and leave hoping to hide themselves in their anonymity.
Dealing with shapeshifters is an art. One can look for various clues. A typical example is battle damage on the bow. Very few merchant vessels have battle damage on the bow for the obvious reason that they are seldom in pursuit of anybody. By contrast, this is quite common for pirates who are often the pursuer.
Another type is "the Snatchers". These types use tactics much like privateers-many were privateers in the late war. They lurk in the outer orbit of a system, or follow known convoy routes hoping for stragglers. As you know it is almost impossible to jump a whole convoy and arrive at the destination in perfect formation. Snatchers take advantage of this. This type is usually better equipped and frequently more skillfull then shapeshifters. They also take prizes more often and attack larger vessels more often.
The tactics for dealing with these have some resemblance to those of warfare. As many of you are transfer students from the Tizonian Naval Academy, and a few have seen actual service you will find it easier to adjust to dealing with this type. When pursued snatchers will attempt to trust in speed or stealth to save them, often hiding in asteroid belts or near minor planets. It often becomes the familiar hide and seek with sensors.
Then there are the ground attack pirates who attempt to plunder isolated settlements. I would estimate that it is unlikely that you will meet these often as most of the Sword Worlds is to well defended for this method to be practical. But you never know.
"Professionals" are another type. These are the most dangerous. They are connected to large organizations including several ships and port facililities. Sometimes they are even sponsored by a foreign state. They are far better equipped and better trained then other types. Their tactics will vary but they generally act in a more confidant manner.
And finally-and I hear a great sigh of relief at the word "finally"- there are the Vargr Corsairs. These are a special type of "professionals". They have very large organizations; a campaign against them is often as much a military operation as a police one.
Like everything else about Vargr, their tactics vary to a nearly infinite degree. A common one though is simple, but brutally effective. They descend on a system in overwhelming force, pick it dry and then move on. They continue this until enough counterforce is gathered to drive them away, at which point they flee, sometimes dispersing in the process. All that can be done against this method is to get the alarm out as early as possible. Fortunately they of necessity are tied to a home base which can be attacked. I have gone on several missions searching for corsair bases. It is a dangerous and difficult duty, but it must be done.
Well I see that this is all the time I have. May you serve well and may you bring pride to the Hearthland.
Questions, anyone?
At the Confederation Patrol Academy "Oega-Bistar Hus"(Guardian House), at Brennistein, Tizon.
Introduction: As the Cadets are aware it is the custom here for officers of distinguished service to speak before us and give us the benefit of there experience-as well as entertaining us by their hopefully factual tales of their deeds(dutiful laughter from the cadets). Therefore I present Kapiten Aelfwine Olafson. Aelfwine has an honorable record of twenty-three years protecting the Hearthfires. He is also the only serving Ringbearer in the Confederation Patrol. Therefore I call you all to hear Kapiten Aelfwine Olafson!
Aelfwine: Cadets! I am pleased to speak to this class today. It seems like only yesterday when I was hear myself dreaming of the great and adventurous deeds I would do and the many songs that would be sung about me. Unfortunately I was to learn that the tales of the recruiters were not completely accurate.
Cadets. You are destined to a hard life. You will face week after week of tedium, discomfort, and indignity interspersed with occasional periods of extreme danger. Often, while your kin are feasting and making merry, you will be off in the cold void keeping watch. Yet the path you have chosen is an honorable one, for you have a high task-to protect the innocent, and keep them from harm. In the days to come you will no doubt many times curse yourself for your foolishness in following this calling-even as I did. But if you serve well then when the brave and mighty are gathered you will need only say, "I served with the Patrol", and they will give you respect.
I am come to talk about the enemy you will face. This enemy is not the Imperium, or the Darrian's-these are only your foes because of the whims of statecraft. Why every year when it is possible the IISS sends us good wishes for Yule and we send them good wishes for the Emperor's Birthday(some cadets grin and others give shocked looks).
No your chief enemy is an eternal enemy, a foe of all Sophants of good will. He is relentless, ever searching for the slightest spot of weakness or unwariness. You must be as relentless and as cunning as he. This enemy haunts all the starlanes and pursueing him is your calling. For it is the highest and most honorable task of the Confederation Patrol to pursue pirates-the predators of the stars.
Pirates come in many categories each of which must be faced in different ways. None of these categories are absoulute and they often overlap. Nonetheless this is a fairly good description of a few of the types of pirates you will face.
The first category is what I will call, "the Foolish". These are a type you are perhaps likely to see most often. They are inexperienced people out for a quick fortune. Or sometimes desperate people driven by their fate into outlawry. They barely have the skills to steer a starship, let alone attack others with one. They have only the most basic notion of tactics. No skald will sing your praises when you capture one. Yet they should not be underestimated. For their danger lies not in their prowess but in their unpredictability. You can never know what they will do. More important, you can never know what they will do to their victims. If ever you find any of this class with captives be very careful! Fortunately few of these live long enough to gain experience. Those that do "graduate" into other categories.
Another type which is encountered frequently is "shapeshifters". These are ordinary merchant vessels-often Far Traders, which are favored for the obscurity natural to a tramp ship, and the extra jump ability. But the most important criteria for pirates of this type is that they are easy to aquire and easy to refit for their work. Typically there ships have little offensive or defensive weaponry mounted on them-sometimes no more then a typical merchantman. They chiefly rely on their large crews.
Shapeshifters work in small packs, sometimes even single vessels. They mingle among more peaceful vessels, imitating them. When an opportunity arises they will cut out a target and capture it. The methods of doing this are many. One popular one is to give a false distress signal and then board the ship as soon as it tries to dock. Another method, used often among multi-ship bands is to disable the target with a low intensity beam weapon or Electro-magnetic Pulse missile. In such a situation the ship will many times surrender; if it does not it can be fairly easily subdued. Shapeshifters seldom take prizes, because of the nature of operating close to the traffic. They usually plunder their prey, and leave hoping to hide themselves in their anonymity.
Dealing with shapeshifters is an art. One can look for various clues. A typical example is battle damage on the bow. Very few merchant vessels have battle damage on the bow for the obvious reason that they are seldom in pursuit of anybody. By contrast, this is quite common for pirates who are often the pursuer.
Another type is "the Snatchers". These types use tactics much like privateers-many were privateers in the late war. They lurk in the outer orbit of a system, or follow known convoy routes hoping for stragglers. As you know it is almost impossible to jump a whole convoy and arrive at the destination in perfect formation. Snatchers take advantage of this. This type is usually better equipped and frequently more skillfull then shapeshifters. They also take prizes more often and attack larger vessels more often.
The tactics for dealing with these have some resemblance to those of warfare. As many of you are transfer students from the Tizonian Naval Academy, and a few have seen actual service you will find it easier to adjust to dealing with this type. When pursued snatchers will attempt to trust in speed or stealth to save them, often hiding in asteroid belts or near minor planets. It often becomes the familiar hide and seek with sensors.
Then there are the ground attack pirates who attempt to plunder isolated settlements. I would estimate that it is unlikely that you will meet these often as most of the Sword Worlds is to well defended for this method to be practical. But you never know.
"Professionals" are another type. These are the most dangerous. They are connected to large organizations including several ships and port facililities. Sometimes they are even sponsored by a foreign state. They are far better equipped and better trained then other types. Their tactics will vary but they generally act in a more confidant manner.
And finally-and I hear a great sigh of relief at the word "finally"- there are the Vargr Corsairs. These are a special type of "professionals". They have very large organizations; a campaign against them is often as much a military operation as a police one.
Like everything else about Vargr, their tactics vary to a nearly infinite degree. A common one though is simple, but brutally effective. They descend on a system in overwhelming force, pick it dry and then move on. They continue this until enough counterforce is gathered to drive them away, at which point they flee, sometimes dispersing in the process. All that can be done against this method is to get the alarm out as early as possible. Fortunately they of necessity are tied to a home base which can be attacked. I have gone on several missions searching for corsair bases. It is a dangerous and difficult duty, but it must be done.
Well I see that this is all the time I have. May you serve well and may you bring pride to the Hearthland.
Questions, anyone?
