Unathi Piracy

Overview
From the humble smuggler, carrying exotic and illicit goods from one place to another; to the brash marauder, pillaging and plundering vessels for their riches; to the brave explorer, searching for a destroyed vessel of lost treasures and their future love amongst the cosmos— Unathi piracy is as vast a topic as the stars they traverse. The concepts of combat and seeking glory through conflict are not new to Unathi; however, they are traditionally coupled with honor and righteousness. Piracy comes about when a Unathi forsakes their honor for a life of adventure and intrigue. Despite their shady backgrounds, a pirate’s skill on a ship is renowned as it is sink or swim for these Unathi, and as a result, those that have left the life of a pirate behind— whatever reason that may be, they can be found in the most unlikely of places.

The life of a pirate for Unathi is not unlike that of life for most pirates in the Spur. However, some things about them remain unique, such as their willingness to gather and share tales over a drink, a disdain for their homeland, and an almost unique view of religion and society as a whole. Their crews are open to anyone who wishes to join, and anyone who feels rejected by their upbringing and seeks a life of adventure finds a good home among Unathi vessels.

Unathi captains often do not start with their own ships; stealing them when opportune, buying them, making them from parts and with teamwork, or even renting them in the most bizarre of circumstances are all ways in which these lawless vessels come about. The recent chaos of the Phoron Shortage and the Solarian split into several states vying for power has led to a greater proliferation of pirates and the formation of new crews among the seas of space in the Spur.

Pirate Marks
The ‘Pirate Marks’ refer to not only a person’s place on a ship, whether as a shiny new recruit or the captain of a vessel, but also to one’s occupation. There exists a wide selection of those that call themselves pirates and no two crews will really look the same.

Recruits into the pirate life are not restricted. In fact, most pirates are the rejects of society; those that didn’t find Aut’akh enticing, felt restricted in the current climate of the Izweski Hegemony and Unathi culture, or were criminals or Guwan were found among pirate crews without much discrimination or thought to their presence. Holdover ideals and beliefs of prior society may be found, especially if someone finds out a Unathi was a Guwan, but they are otherwise met in good company and accepted. A person’s gender, sexuality, religion, and previous status— rarely have any bearing on someone’s new life as a pirate. Traditionalists make up the largest group of space piracy, followed next by Hegemony peasants and undesirables, then warriors, and finally, nobles. Interestingly enough, Aut’akh are impossibly rare due to their dispassion for violence and despite the breed of pirate that focuses more on exploring the unknown.

New recruits have an interim period of a fourth of a galactic year or three months. During this, they earn half a share that a normal crew member would earn, their drinking is always rationed, and they are always delegated to the most menial labor aboard the vessel. However, if they survive this interim period (quite literally for some), they are given the remaining shares they would have earned were they a full member of the crew, and there is a celebration in their honor.

Taking slaves is a concept that is perhaps the most scorned by folks universally; Unathi that have won a conflict sometimes take slaves, where food and supplies are high, in order to have labor attended to. This is in the form of untrained labor, but also any specialists that may come in handy, such as those that know ship engineering, hydroponics, research and development, or other valuable skills on a vessel. From this, most non-Unathi pirates join their crews; most slaves often find themselves willingly offering their service if it would mean no longer being a slave. This is typically allowed if a slave can be proven useful. Rarely, a crew may take slaves permanently. Once a slave has been in service, around a month or some odd weeks, they are let go at the next dock with a laser pistol, a meager share of spoils (a fifth of a crew member’s share on average), fresh clothes, and information on a route back to a country of their choosing, if a captain or quartermaster is knowledgeable about space travel.

Raiding is the most popular form of piracy among Unathi. Whether pillaging ships, landing on small colonies, or fighting ‘tyranny’— in whatever forms it may take, as opinionated as those may be— it remains the most lucrative and rewarding trade. The acquisition of goods through immoral means is then distributed across space to whoever delivers the most profit and requires the least costs of travel to get to. Warlords of the Solarian Alliance, desperate colonies in the Deep Frontier, and the pits of Ouerea remain the most prominent locations among the wider Spur. Due to their proficiency in combat compared to other kinds of pirates, these also offer their services as rogue mercenaries that aren’t afraid to get their claws dirty. It is for this reason that they come in handy as additional vessels to pad out an assault for warlords in their conflicts with each other or to perform tasks on their behest. The non-affiliated nature of these ships makes them a unique asset, in that they can avoid the heat official fleets of Sol receive when passing through enemy territory, though their status as pirates will always leave some threat of capture or being shot down. Whether due to a discriminatory view on Unathi and their use as disposable fodder or a tactical move to bring an undervalued asset into the fold, raiders, as well as other pirates, have become increasingly common in Solarian Wildlands space.

Different captains and crews have different standards for what is allowed and what isn’t for engaging ships, stations, and cities. Taking a portion of supplies and leaving those that surrender unharmed is common, and it is more common to leave a vessel operable and temporarily or permanently disable its defenses. This is to reap supplies that may be destroyed or devalued by being exposed to space, such as sensitive materials, food, supplies, and machinery. A rare few will destroy and plunder as they see fit whenever they are high on necessities, and a scrapped ship is easier to gather supplies from than an operable one with a full crew. Some still will kill an entire crew and sell their ship in deep space to colonies outside of the greater galactic community as verifying a license would be harder out there; alternatively, these ships are retrofitted and added to their own fleet. Raiders have the most specialists among them on average, as making value out of junk, creating or modifying weaponry and defenses, and ultimately understanding technology make for extremely valuable assets in fights against other vessels.

Smuggling is a lucrative activity and, even for those that do not premiere in this trade, it remains common among Unathi pirates as a way to make credits on the side. The premise is simple: illegal or regulated goods, such as firearms, drugs, illegal modifications or prosthetics, organs, combat synthetics, and, very rarely, sentient slaves all make for a valuable line of profit. Smuggling relies less on combat and conflict, but on knowledge and charisma. It takes knowledge to know the markets and what can be valuable somewhere, in some corner of the galaxy, and charisma to make connections with those that know what a Unathi may not. Though it makes less than raiding on average, a very successful smuggler can often retire early with their crew and live a luxurious life, something that all smugglers aspire for. It is a trade that rewards, when someone is successful though, punishes when a crew fails.

Ironically, these crews are the most immoral; even though they rarely kill or attack other crews, due to the contents of what they smuggle, they are frowned upon by nearly everyone looking at this subculture. Unathi smugglers remain as a mirror to the megacorporations, though while Unathi merely defy the law, megacorps took to manipulating it in their favor through their own dishonor— or so most smuggler captains proudly claim.

Exploring the unknowns and farthest reaches of space is the most mystical and romantic aspect of piracy for Unathi, whether for their own curiosity of the unknown, wishing to redeem themselves to their clan, to take payment from groups like NanoTrasen who don’t wish to risk their own resources, or merely looking for treasure on the fringes of civilization. This is the focus of those that see piracy as a novelty or adventure, and to this end, pirate groups that focus on exploration and adventuring reliably recruit burgeoning warriors, merchants seeking new riches and trades to make for profit, and even peasants who wish for more. This remains the least common form of piracy and crutches on raiding other pirates and smuggling less immoral goods in order to get by. Rarely do these crews make it big, though some fortunate enough to find treasures like tiny phoron deposits or exoplanets with other notable resources can make good credits off of them.

Of course, the risks of deep space are just as perilous. Those that stray too far outside of civilization can become lost, with other explorers coming across ships full of withered supplies and skeleton corpses. Some ships go missing entirely, and rumors circulate that monstrous space fauna bigger than space whales puncture and bite into ships, that Lii’dra slowly fold more stray vessels into their hive-minded army, and Bluespace horrors linger in the darkness between the stars. Equally unfounded rumors are those of famous pirates that have since perished having buried their treasure just outside of civilized space in a spot on star charts that require riddles and clues to locate. This remains an exciting aspect of the explorer’s life: adventure, the romance of the new lifestyle, and charting the unknown.

Ranks
Captains found and lead ships. Their way of leading a Unathi pirate crew is similar to those that humans run; however, mutiny remains rare, even in the direst straits, and crews are likely to be loyal. It is only when there is a major betrayal or failure that a crew elects to mutiny. Captains are usually men, though it’s not unheard of for a woman to become a captain. The most successful of them become leaders of a Fang Clan, or a pirate fleet. Fang Captains are highly elusive and successfully evade capture due to residing in deep space.

Quartermasters solve disputes on behalf of the captain, keep track of supplies and stocks, and is generally the one responsible for the happiness and well-being of the crew. They are also typically the spiritual leaders of a ship if there is no ship shaman and a liaison between the captain and the crew. A ship’s quartermaster has so many tasks that it isn’t uncommon for them to recruit officers to help in their duties.

Ship shamans are as the name implies, though they have a working knowledge of non-Unathi religions in order to perform basic rites for those following them among a crew. The most common ones to know are those for funeral rites, followed by basic ceremonies.

Vesselhides are a ship’s chief engineer. They have the dual role of not only managing the ship and its engine, but also the vessel’s cleanliness and outside appearance. Some have taken up a light artistic talent that they then decorate their vessels with, either with a captain’s permission or at their request.

Gunners are appointed by the captain to learn the vessel’s weapons and defensive systems, as well as the ones to lead boarding parties and repel hostile parties.

Officers are any that have been appointed to the position of assistant to one of the previous roles, such as a gunner’s right hand or a vesselhide’s engineer. They are also next in line to seize the position above them, should their commanding officer perish due to disease or conflict.

Lifestyle
Pirates in the modern era are faced with more pastimes than ever before. The rigging of ships, adjusting sails, cleaning, cooking, and other processes are greatly streamlined by technology. As a result, hobbies are common among the crew where it was previously nearly and nigh impossible. Learning additional trades, such as someone learning under a vesselhide to become an engineer, is common, but so is arts like music, drawing, and sculpture from metal and wood scrap. Ships have a communal sense of clansmanship that is unlike any other group outside of a real clan. A good crew can be a found family for those that feel they are outsiders to society. Group games and less spacious sports are common with gambling for sport being the most popular. Though it is strictly forbidden to wager shares and credits, pirates will substitute these with daily chores for the next days or weeks, unique positions, and sometimes created works like clothes and weapons. It makes the activity simulate gambling as best as possible, to the disdain of quartermasters and ship shamans.

Drinking and merriment are ostensibly common. Without the restrictions of society, crews freely mingle as they like, feast wherever possible, and are raucous with their fun and festivities. It is common to celebrate as if it were your last festival, whatever the object of celebration is. These can be a successful haul or raid, welcoming a new member or members of the crew, or simply celebrating for the sake of raising spirits and morale due to long months of hard work or little reward, or both. It can lead to incidents like fights or gossip about odd couples, but celebrations are seen as a time to forgive and forget, with any lesser conflicts being handwaved during these times.

An odd thing some crews take to if they have the resources is animal husbandry and shepherding. It remains rewarding to keep Moghean livestock. Cows and chickens are also kept on board for their milk and eggs, and this activity also keeps meals more interesting outside of fish. Manure and extrament are recycled into aquaponics to tend to the fish and the plants that are ground into feed for both. Sometimes even exotic cargo like space carp and space sharks are taken, caged with energy cells, and then bred or harvested for materials. They can even be tamed by aggressive and domineering pirates, but this remains unreplicated by even expert xenobiologists. Most of this is owed to Dionae on pirate crews that help to connect with xenofauna through taking blood and a slow and patient process of domestication. It takes fine-tuning and a lot of practice (and some convincing of the relevant ship command) to get going, yet the strange animals outside of and within the Hegemony remain fascinating and fun to learn about for some pirates.

A life adrift in space presents many challenges and problems that haven’t been issues since the time of sailors on the sea. For starters, a person’s livelihood is their vessel; should it sink for any reason, a pirate is especially put at a disadvantage compared to most because they would have no home to return to— if they survive the ordeal. Escape pods act as lifeboats in the modern space age, but even these only increase survivability for a few days before a lack of oxygen and supplies can spell doom for those trapped in them. Secondly, provisions of food to prevent illness are also an issue. While liver can help ease issues with scurvy, the lack of healthy sunlight remains a constant to tackle, and especially in human space, liver can be hard to come by due to its unpopular use in cuisine abroad. Navigation by hand can be nearly impossible without the proper tools and supplies. Even with it, doing it by hand is strenuous, meaning that, should a crew be bereft of navigation AI for whatever reason— malfunction, battle, degradation— a ship can easily become stranded. Backup navigation AI personalities are expensive, and calculating Bluespace jumps and space navigation by hand takes time and instruction that most crews don’t have access to.

Religion and Beliefs
Religion is an interesting place among these outlaws. The traditional forms of worship are common, but a majority of pirates convert to a form of Th'akh called Sik’amakh Th’akh. It is found not only among pirates but anyone that sees raiding and pillaging as a means of living and surviving and those that do not respect or have allegiance to any material power, like a nation or corporation. While it can be found elsewhere, it is a rare oddity to see it in more civilized areas, like the Hegemony. To these Th’akhists, the Scythes of Sik'amakh are the natural order of things in the Spirit World. Committing to no ideals, this event— not a spirit-god, notably, even if it has the power of one— is something that follows in the wake of both artificial and natural disasters like war, earthquakes, hurricanes, nuclear fallout, and other disasters. The Scythes of Sik'amakh take these souls that suffer a premature death and a touch of the Realm of Spirits on the Material Plane for their collective of hunters. Those that die naturally continue in the reincarnation process, and those that serve the hunters long enough may choose to either stay with these hunters or reincarnate themselves. Sik'amakh is seen as a spirit-god of sorts, but only because their combined power in their hunts acts more like a force of nature than as an actual spirit-god. It is recognized uniquely among other religions as being the culling of life, to prevent it from choking out other forms of life and killing itself off in the process. Natural disasters especially are revered due to this, and artificial calamities like war and destruction at the hands of mortals are considered the influence of reincarnated hunters on the Material.

The Unathi worshipers of Sik’amakh Th’akh and even those that are not religious (and remain superstitious) give offerings to the Scythes in an attempt to stave off ruin that besets its worshipers; warriors, pilots, and other Unathi in high-risk positions do this to ensure they do not suffer a premature death. Common offerings include traditional sacrifices, such as offerings of worth to someone, but also can be ritualistic killings of livestock and animals before making use of every single part of the animal. This shows the Scythes that there is respect for life wherever it is found and that no waste is left in the wake of a creature’s demise.

Skepticism and superstitions, like with Unathi in general, are core parts of the everyday life of pirates. The common belief is that a space whale is viewed as good fortune in endeavors, while space carp and sharks, especially those that are dispatched swiftly are a sign of victory in battles to come. Drawn on by influence from Skrellian crews and occasional pirates, some space-bound Unathi take to looking at the stars and planets of systems they pass for signs of omens to come. Meteor showers while docked at port, similar to solar flares and electrical storms, are all omens of disaster, though the specifics of these disasters vary from crew to crew.

Honor, or the lack thereof, is an interesting concept among pirates. Their codes and policies often are created by the captain of the ship, and the crew must agree to take the pirate pledge to belong on the vessel. Despite this, it is not truly considered honor, but more like a set of laws that bind them all. Real honor for each Sinta aboard a pirate vessel varies, with some having honor, not unlike their previous ideals from Moghes, and others having none at all. It is seen as being honorable to follow the code of the captain and respect your fellow Unathi, but otherwise, the idea of honor is personable and varies between each person. Almost always different from traditional honor, it is tweaked to include a Unathi’s own ideals and beliefs, especially those that might have made them an outsider from Unathi society in the first place.

Prosthetics and augments are not forbidden and don’t carry the same taboos as they do in traditional Unathi culture. Here, those that don’t enjoy the Aut’akh yet require major augmentation can find refuge among others like them that don’t face scorn or hostility for their position. It is not a perfect culture free of discrimination, but it is much more tolerant of outside ideas.

Portside
Moving to port provides relief from being trapped indoors and is a chance to mingle with those outside of the crew. Porting occurs rarely outside of larger cities and planets, though with forged documents, they can find shelter in these larger populations. Pirate faces are rarely recognized unless rather infamous, so if a ship can remain hidden, a crew is free to go planetside and recoup from weeks in space. This is the only notable way any of the crew can acquire their own possessions with their shares of spoils and engage in vices like heavier drinking, real gambling, drugs, and other mature endeavors.

The captain and quartermaster are usually at the hip when off-ship. They have the dual purpose of managing the shares for the ship’s supplies as well as finding new recruits or leads on new work. It becomes paramount to always have an intake of new pirates as a majority of potential candidates leave before their interim period is over, and the crew constantly are under threat of death due to various reasons.

Ship shamans stay aboard in lieu of other commanders and are de facto in charge while the quartermaster and captain are out. When they do have the chance to leave, they pursue their own interests and have no responsibilities to follow. However, it isn’t uncommon for them to collect books and resources about religion, not just their own.

Vesselhides and gunners scope out shops for repairing major ship systems that are within budget. They then recommend these locations to the captain and quartermaster for repairs and refueling at the captain’s discrepancy. Sometimes, if times are good, these commanding officers may also recommend new or upgraded systems to make their vessel more formidable. They otherwise tend to their own interests.

Glorywright Pledge
This is the code of the Glorywright Fang Clan, led by former Fang Captain Variz Smokescale. Variz made the otherwise uncommon name more common among the latest generation of Unathi due to his infamy.

I. "Every Sinta to have purchase of a vote in the affairs of immediate passions; there to be among them equal claim to fresh meat, and strong xuizi, regardless of the time acquired, for the purposes of pastime. Retrenchment comes in scarcity, and free drinking to be limited on these occasions."

II. "To desert a vessel, its crew, and their boarding in battle, to be punished with death or marooning."

III. "No clawing each other aboard, but in the presence of an appropriate Captain’s Claw. Grievous maiming to be taken rockside."

IV. "The lights and candles to be put out by twenty-one hundred on the ship clock: if any of the crew after the hour for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck."

V. "Keep their claws, cannons, and cleaves clean and fit for service."

VI. "No hatchlings to be allowed amongst them."

VII. "Proper equipment to be bought, or requisitioned by the Quartermaster, such as suits for spacewalking, tools for their respective title, clothes for their person; every Sinta to be called fairly in turn, by list, for spoils. If they defrauded the company to the value of a credit in plate, jewels, or materials, marooning to be their punishment. If the robbery was held between one another, they were to contend themselves with snipping the tail, charring the horns, slitting the frills, and sending them rockside, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where to encounter hardships."

VIII. "No Sinta to talk of departing from or disbanding the company until everyone was paid an order of one hundred thousand credits. In the event of crippling in service, they were to be paid eighty-thousand credits and surplus for lesser hurts, proportionately, out of the public stock."

IX. "Games to be played for pastime, not profit."

X. "The Captain to receive two shares of spoils: the quartermaster, vesselhide, and gunners, one share and a half, and other Claws one and quarter."

Star Code
While not as developed as the pirate pledges, the Star Code remains a staple when it comes to the interaction of other vessels, pirate or otherwise. Being too long to summarize in the words of any true pirate, the following ideas summarize its principles and tenets.


 * A pirate is not beholden to the laws and policies of an evil entity, like a corporation or nation, that does not respect its members and crew. These are what we stand up against.
 * A pirate holds no regard for a pirate not of their clan, be they friend or foe. Should two pirates find themselves in combat, a party that is surrendering should be treated with mercy and left with enough supplies to make it to the nearest dock— though any true pirate shouldn’t surrender.
 * A pirate should not cease more than half of a vessel’s property if it is unarmed and doesn’t resist capture.
 * A pirate can be held to a temporary truce or ceasefire if a parley is called. Once the parley has ended and one hour has passed, the ceasefire is called off.
 * A pirate can take a hostage and put it up for ransom, provided the hostages are well attended. Killing hostages is discouraged.
 * A pirate should not have aboard a hatchling barring the most extreme situations.

Society
Pirates have little to no collective society outside of Ha’zana. Despite this, they do interact and collaborate, barring attacking each other.

The most notable example of this is Ha’zana, the planet hidden from the greater galaxy on the fringes of deep space. It remains an unstated "neutral zone" for any crews that have intense rivalries. Pirates are expected to not attack each others’ vessels— though each other in bars and street corners is a different story. This is a result of Ha’zana being home to the families of the various Unathi and their crews. The life of a sailor can lead to unexpected changes, and while a good deal of pirates find love or even begin their journeys in space with a family, the call is too strong for most to ignore. Children are forbidden on nearly every vessel unless the circumstances are dire, resulting in a need to put these families somewhere where they won’t be used against a pirate pillaging and plundering.

Fang Captains are the figureheads of "pirate clans," structures that mimic their lives back on Moghes. While these clans are not traditional by any means, they are what represent a pirate’s newfound family away from home and their blood ties. Grueling experiences, as well as hardship, loss, and sorrow, can make these informal families as tightly knit, if not more so, than the average Unathi clan. These clans are similar to those of the Wasteland; they aim not for upholding culture but to maintain survival. As such, emphasis on gender norms and roles is not maintained, and neither is the duty to one’s clan at any cost. Pirates are more likely to call out their fellow sailors for being despicable and dishonorable.

There is extreme wariness from captains and officers that are not Unathi due to the reported ‘lack of honor’ among them. When contact between two crews is made, signals with head beams and radio allow for pirates to determine who is friend or foe. It is rare for Unathi to lie and betray each other, even among pirates, so one saying they have honest and peaceful intentions is taken at face value. When there aren’t open hostilities, crews will board each other. They are not friendly, and things are tense and skeptical, but an exchange of information and supplies can occur to collaborate and give each other what they need. On the rare occasion of an alliance or continued contact, there can be a feast between the two crews to simulate the more populated and foreign feel of a hotel and bar.

Unathi pirates have a tendency towards flair: impressive displays of skill with a sword or gun; outfits that are colorful and extravagant; grandiose statements and actions, however much they may later impede or hinder the crew later. This is no different with captains between crews and fleets as alliances and rivalries are as much of a political affair as back on Moghes. Pirates refer to the Star Code when it comes to treating other pirates, though most non-Unathi don’t follow this de facto policy.

Relations
Piracy is condemned across the galaxy by almost every existing nation; despite this, its use remains valuable to struggling powers.

When it comes to collaboration, working with local groups results in the most profit for both parties. Notable other entities that Unathi crews work with are Skrell Marauders, working on shipping goods from the other side of civilized space to the Traverse while sending equally important goods back to Ouerea and through other territories with noteworthy Skrell populations. While neither group knows the other’s intimate secrets, their cooperation can make each other’s reaches far wider than they would originally be. Friction still occurs when a marauder crew comes under siege by a more fierce raiding vessel, and the relationship between the Fang Captains and Lu’Vru’qos Xioshi has become strained at times as a result.

The Wildlands provide unique opportunities, profits, and dangers that are new to the crews and captains of Unathi outlaws. There is always the option of linking up with any given warlord for opportunistic captains in space (provided the pay is worth it); however, ostensibly, crews are almost always considered criminals, even if they are in friendly space and working with an employer. The only safety pirates find is in Ha’zana, along with whatever tentative alliance they may have with a greater threat among the stars.

The Solarian Restoration Front provides the most danger out of the bunch. While criminals, fleets belonging to the Front and its territories have orders to shoot down any vessels engaging in piracy and smuggling, especially any that appear to be of a foreign make and design. This stems from their views on species other than humans but also is an attempt to show strength and domination over their territory. In a similar vein, the Middle Ring Shield Pact and Free Solarian Fleet also have ordered its ranks to destroy pirate vessels; it remains a sweeping declaration and isn’t aimed at any species in particular. The Free Solarian Fleet shows disdain towards these outlaws, but unlike the Fleet, the Pact’s military and bureaucracy do have stereotypes formed around Unathi due to pirates and actively encourage their destruction. The FSF merely avoids pirates where possible to avoid any net losses on their part, but whenever there is a clash, they hunt down any vessels that dare cross them.

The status quo among most of the Wildlands warlords, surprisingly enough, is to use pirate crews for their various means, despite the means and methods and reasons for this all varying. The League of Independent Corporate-Free Systems, for example, hires crews for their manpower. While there is some shared appreciation for the domineering and oppressive nature of the megacorporations, and their disdain for the neighboring Solarian Restoration Front, the League has only a lukewarm view of the pirates they use to pad their own ranks. True, yes, they remain loyal to them with enough bribery and offers of goods, and are true to their word; unless they reform into something halfway decent, perhaps smuggling essential supplies in lieu of megacorporations doing that work, they will not be met with even tolerance after the warlords disband.

The Southern Fleet Administration remains in tatters, and the various ships and captains still around remain vulnerable and on the run. They tend towards hiring various raiders as padded muscle for their diminished fleets, but this is only buying time for the inevitable. Only foolish Unathi sign up for this job, with some even abandoning post due to treatment or the threat of destruction.

One of the more interesting cases of pirates finding work in the Wildlands is under the command of the Southern Solarian Military District. It is no secret that the District faces little to no issues with most pirate crews in an almost intense exercise of routing pirate incursions in their territory. What remains questionable and curious enough are the number of vessels that stop at the District’s borders for some time, then are seen heading towards the Republic of Biesel. These ships make their way back towards the border of the Southern Solarian Military District, only to either head off in their own direction or go back towards the Republic. Some consider these pirates disposable pawns of the District’s game and are likely viewed by the warlord as such, while others speculate they are bribed or blackmailed into coercion. What Admiral Szalai intends with these ships or even has her officers tell them remains unknown, as the captains of jobs are sworn to secrecy, but what is known is that anything the admiral touches remains a thorn in the burgeoning Republic’s side.

The Solarian Provisional Government is plagued with worries and woes between the two most powerful figures within it. There is no surprise, then, when some Unathi run “errands” for the provisional governor and the leading admiral to cause problems between each other to vie for power. Admiral Yunso opts to show that stricter military control could help keep the issues with smugglers and raiders at bay, while Governor MacPherson attempts to do the exact opposite by undermining the military to make them look weak and unprepared. It is a political stalemate furthered by the conditions of the region, only creating profit for the true winners: the Unathi crews.

Reformation for pirates isn’t impossible, to the surprise of many. With a reliable specialty and knowledge, some engineering and medical staff can receive momentary training and then find work with the likes of Hephaestus Industries and the Nanotrasen Corporation. Raiders are the most likely to link up with the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces as they keep their arms open to anyone who wishes to join, even criminals. Some relapse and fall back into piracy due to the intense training program, but those that refine themselves for the company provide a refreshing and unique talent to the company that other similar groups may lack. However, these come at the cost of becoming basically indentured labor for a handful of years, winning over little to no free money, decent living space and lifestyle, and a record of their history ignored for the purposes of employment. This is referred to as ‘sanctioned employment’: the hiring of specialized labor at a greatly reduced price in exchange for ignoring problematic elements of an employee’s history. Of course, if the law does find their new life, these corporations cannot necessarily keep an employee safe, a threat that can loom over former pirates that become too cocky or complacent. Some offer legal changes in names and endorsements when it comes to navigating Biesel’s bureaucratic plaza and gaining citizenship, but this is not a shield from law enforcement or deportation back to the Hegemony if a pirate is caught red-handed. Even worse, nearly every megacorporation keeps this history on file, and it isn’t uncommon for a pirate causing problems to suddenly be discovered and outed to local authorities. Claiming to be a pirate of course is not grounds for arrest; however, should these claims be verified and corroborated by authorities, it can spell bad news for a Unathi.

History
Piracy has not much of a history to its name. A mixed back of tall tales and salt worthy stories, their combined account doesn’t live up to much in the eyes of the modern scholar.

However, Unathi pirates rose to prominence during the period leading up to and during the Contact War. The diaspora of Sinta fleeing Moghes led to the rise in many notable changes to the species’ situation as a whole: the population boom of Ouerea, the formation of a modern Dominia with a major Unathi House, a migration to Biesel by displaced or otherwise unhappy peasants. Unathi piracy was one of these fledgling factions, spurred on towards something exciting rather than watching their homeworld fall to ruin.

Piracy started in its earlier forms among Unathi with the species joining the crews of others and learning their ways, such as the various independent human smuggling operations and the Skrellian Marauders. Those that managed to acquire their own ships at the height of the Contact War were among the first pirates to sail the seas of space. Variz, Izharshan, and others learned through trial and error what it meant to be a pirate, what mistakes to avoid, and what tactics and strategies worked best. This time from the 2440s up until 2452 is considered the Visage of Vultures among historians as it marked a time where piracy plagued Hegemony space and was a constant nuisance, with piracy being primarily based and founded on Ouerea due to its lack of power to stop every criminal ring passing through its space. Its end date, 2452, is mostly agreed upon because it is the time when criminal crews had all but vanished from the fledgling colony; what historians didn’t know is around this time was the discovery of Ha’zana. Its discovery proved to be something interesting, though: how are pirates supposed to collaborate? How do they interact?

The question wouldn’t be answered for a few years still, and Variz’s rise to prominence lead to the establishment of piracy as a mainstay form of ‘employment,’ if one so embedded in the society of the Spur could call it that. Tales of his exploits were romanticized and, due to various conditions, a peasant or reject from the Hegemony or society might find themselves gravitating towards this lifestyle and its prospects. Piracy flourished as this question remained. The Koko reed as a product had not even been perfected yet until shortly after the First Order of Fangs was done, after Variz’s sudden death.

Long had Variz advocated for some sort of absolute peace, an area never touched by their conflict-ridden lifestyle, as a means of exchanging tales and conquests, or even warning other pirates of danger. Ha’zana, he argued, offered a perfect place for that, a colony unfound by the rest of the galaxy where they could retire in peace after becoming legends. Other captains and sailors didn’t heed his demands, and while they respected him, they thought the notion foolish and didn’t trust this notorious pirate.

After one of his greatest heists, the Caper of the Crimson Moon in 2453, as his former crew called it— and other pirates proliferated the tale, as they do— the caper was a dashing attempt to steal data, NTbonds, and phoron from a vulnerable transport in the orbit of a Middle Colony planet in the Alliance. He was dashed and warned by his lieutenants not to pursue such a lofty goal, even as far as them saying the intel was likely bogus, but Variz was stubborn and refused to back down from a challenge. The mission started strong before Zavodskoi vessels and soon Hephaestus cruisers were in hot pursuit of the trio of pirate ships. Variz got his crew enough time to find a Bluespace jump to escape as he went down with his ship, blown asunder and lost to the annals of time during a space storm.

It was during a meeting in Iz’iz that the new Fang Captain Iklex Izharshan suggested the Star Code in its earliest form, and with unanimous agreement from other parties on the scene in the wake of Variz’s demise, it was pushed into practice. Ha’zana flourished as a haven for pirates and those wishing to sell to them, and the lucrative product of the Koko reed made for a fascinating product to sell to the outside world. It remains something of a gem that eludes megacorporations like Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen, a product that they could refine and perfect for selling to even a market wider than just Unathi.

This unwritten history of the pirates, of course, remains unknown to the greater galaxy. It remains a rumor amongst Unathi especially, though it is a grandiose legacy left behind by someone that inspires others to take up the scimitar and follow in Variz’s claw prints. '''Unathi that don’t know when to shut their snout on the matter are not heard from again. Dead men tell no tales.'''

Ha’zana, Harrow of Fangs
Also known as the Fang Protectorate of Ha'zana officially, the inhabitants are primarily based within four small towns on either side of two of the three primary islands. The planet was populated by Unathi fleeing Moghes due to the Contact War, and pirates guarded the secret of its location in deep space somewhere outside of Izweski space to this day. It remains a “pirate island,” a den of little to no governance that favors the trade of pirates, like Free Gakal’zaal Station. Only pirate captains, Unathi or otherwise, and a rare few quartermasters know the location of Ha’zana when it comes to making Bluespace jumps and calculations, and even fewer know how to easily enter Ha’zana’s stormy and perilous atmosphere without crashing. Those that aren’t pirates have no evidence of its existence, only the mysterious Koko bar remaining as any form of proof of the tale.

The Circle of Fangs is a group of Fang Captains that rule Ha’zana— if you could describe it as rule. It is rare that they enact any policies from their seat of Iz’iz, Galzifrax’s Refuge. Iz’iz is almost entirely anarchy with there being no law enforcement barring the word of law and intimidation from any of the Fangs, as well as public retribution for major crimes like murder. The rest of the towns can be lawless and roguish outside of reprimand and exile for crimes of ‘decent severity.’

This group of pirate lords dictates norms and decisions for pirates as a whole. They very rarely decide on new additions to the Star Code, if at all, and are complacent to keep running their profits and trades. While they are disjointed and with opposing interests most of the time, it is rumored that joint cooperation under the Fang Captains would lead to the pirate vessels being a decent force to be reckoned with. Of course, this remains a rumor, and one unfounded due to a lack of such coordination ever being recorded.

Fang Captains are not always joined together on Ha’zana, though it remains the most notable hiding spot for them besides their individual hideaways. When there are some together, other pirates can take grievances or problems before them that they deem are important for more powerful figures to know, such as a potential breach of the location to a megacorporation or nearby nation like the Hegemony.

When the planet was taken under the wing of notable pirates, they left Ha'zana to mostly govern itself with the exception of the M&O Guild. The Fang Captains granted the guild a Charter that allowed them to sell their product, Koko bars, to the wider galaxy if they were allowed to proliferate the product, mimicking Hegemonic mercantilism. Now only a select few would have knowledge of how to produce fertile Koko reeds, even though the planet is hidden from wider galactic knowledge. Absconding with this information would be unheard of as the Fang Captains are likely to be ruthless in their hunt for the traitor.

Ko'ko Reed
The economy of Ha'zana is dominated by the cultivation of the Koko reed. This tall, green, grass-like plant grows up to seven feet tall. In the past, it thrived in the wet marshlands outside Iz'iz, having evolved to take nutrients from the otherwise toxic byproducts of the algae-contaminated waters. It was discovered by the Unathi colonists that the stalk can be chewed to induce a soothing sense of warmth and comfort, but only to Unathi due to its unique interactions with Unathi physiology. Other species simply taste a sweet, stringy reed.

Cultivation of the Koko reed began immediately, with enterprising guildsmen of the human-Unathi Mark and O'kamazi Koko Guild aggressively exterminating the wild Koko population to ensure they maintained a monopoly on its production. With genetic modification, they were successful in ensuring that all instances of domestic Koko reeds are sterile and unable to flower and produce seeds unless treated under extremely specific circumstances. Their guild soon became the primary source of employment on the small moon, with some of the Unathi and human inhabitants working in the Koko plantations or the many small industries that create the Koko Bar that has become popular with Unathi.

Geography
Sometime in the geological past, Ha'zana's freshwater ocean was overtaken by a massive algae bloom that overtook the entire world, triggering a mass extinction and leaving the water toxic. The four primary large towns on the moon's surface rely on water treatment that provides potable water that is pumped into reservoirs beneath the towns.

Most inland plant life is dominated by the thick, alien jungles that have evolved to thrive on the toxic rains. It rains at least four times a week in constant showers, and severe storms lash across the planet at least once a month. While not acidic, the rainwater of Ha'zana is not safe to drink. Because of the relatively high humidity, Unathi colonists must take care to ensure their hide and scales are clean or they will develop an extremely embarrassing scale rash.

It takes 12 days and 21 hours for Ha'zana to complete an orbit of its parent gas giant. The locals celebrate this Lunar Solstice with a festival encouraging strangers to give each other gifts. The parent gas giant takes 444 days to orbit the star Kaziti. Like Moghes, the population has divided the year into three seasons: Versakh, Kasavakh, and Travakh.

Notable Pirates and Fleets
The fleet's identity, and the pirate clan's, are generally inseparable. Each fleet, beyond trying to survive, follows its ideals and develops its own culture over time, something only contributing to its reputation. This also gives these Unathi pirates a unique sense of unity that is very rarely found in non-Sinta pirate fleets. Unathi, Despite these differences, however, all follow the Star Code in one way or another. There are other pirate fleets and Fang Captains out there, but these are some of the most recognizable in their region and expertise.

Variz Smokescale, Greatfather of Buccaneers
Former captain of the Glorywright and its clan, Variz was the first pirate to gain infamy. While Izharshan gained the reputation of being the oldest and most powerful clan, that title didn’t always belong to them. Variz cultivated a name for himself by making off in a daring escape from a Hephaestus dockyard with a prototype vessel in a grandiose way of renouncing his former life as an engineer to become one of the most terrifying and morally bankrupt pirates that ever lived.

Variz was known for partaking in every form of piracy that exists today. Raiding developing NanoTrasen vessels for phoron, smuggling it and illegal technology to the Coalition of Colonies, and exploring forays into the unknown with his crew when times were good were all activities Variz enjoyed equally. He was especially known as being anti-Hegemony and anti-corporate, but his origins were surprisingly simple despite his grand legacy. Born to a coastal town in the Izweski Nation (though where is an intense matter of debate— Variz was known to have cited multiple towns during stories of his childhood, and it was difficult to decipher whether a story was earnest or a deception), Variz Smokescale grew to dislike the Hegemony as the son of a struggling merchant. The rise in prominence of the guilds leading up to the Contact War made him bitter and resentful of the caste. The former Hegemon’s policies and rule, especially towards his religion, as well as the notion that a family’s son must produce a new generation for the clan, led Variz to the notion that the culture was oppressive. Thus, those lackies that partake in these grand schemes for profit, like manipulating and exploiting people, or the elites in a government that do the exact same deserved conflict and strife at his blade, in Variz’s eyes.

Variz tragically was struck down during an infamous shootout with Hephaestus and Zavodskoi where he alone manned a vessel so the rest of his flagship crew could escape in the ensuing chaos. Despite this, his clan slowly fell to ruin without his cunning leadership, absorbed by the other Pirate Fangs that were sympathetic to their plight— and unwilling to pass up on new members. His legacy still exists in a handful of ways though. Smokescale’s Stock is not only rumored to hold a decadent amount of phoron, but also NTbonds from days closer to NanoTrasen’s premiere at the discovery of phoron. They were an impressive steal back in the day, but nearing 25 years later means these bonds are valued to be a near-impossibly large amount of wealth. The Gold of the Glorywright is also an impressive tale. Due to the space storm and conditions following Variz’s demise, his vessel was never really recovered by any megacorporation or explorer. Rumor has it Variz got his claws on information that could hinder some of the Orion’s Spurs most powerful players, and he was hunted down for it. Only a datachip remains on his decrepit vessel as the only testament of his demise, yet it remains a myth and fantasy to this day.

Finally, his code of conduct, the Glorywright Pledge, grew up to be an important staple among pirates as the most important mark of his legacy, with other captains imitating or revising it to suit their own crew’s needs. It is said to have been based on human tradition from nearly a millennium ago, but those outside of the pirate clans lack any knowledge or history regarding their exploits to comment on it with certainty.

Izharshan's Raiders
Few pirates dare to remain in the heart of the Hegemony itself and generally stick to less policed areas. With its mighty fleet, and as the only power in the Orion Spur owning and fielding the dreaded Super-Dreadnaught, it isn't hard to imagine why most fleets are reckless enough to stay in this part of the Spur tend not to last long. Yet, Iklex Izharshan and his raiders did, pushed by the singular goal to defy the Hegemon himself— at least, annoy him. Considered both the original and definitive Unathi pirate fleet, Izharshan's Fleet is perhaps the largest and most resourceful pirate fleet out there, after the Grim Compact.

The Raiders were originally founded in 2439 before the nuclear exchange by Iklex Izarshan, a young and cunning but disgraced noble of the Hegemony who chose to take to the stars as criminals rather than to live as a Guwan. Many names serve Izharshan, under which one could find a small fleet or even a single shuttle. Each clan and their ships are allowed to do piracy at their own discretion with lax rules and regulations but are expected to obey the Izarshan clan, and their leader himself, if a direct order is given. It is assumed that the Izarshan found a way to keep all of these different pirates obedient, but none know what it is exactly; the main theory being that they are the ones who have access to and can distribute supplies to the rest of the clans, to allow them to maintain their ships. In any case, the sheer flexibility and size of Izharshan's nebulous pirate kingdom have proven to be quite the thorn in the Hegemon's side. If it wasn't enough, the fact that all of these pirates remain in Hegemony territory allows them to have a steady stream of new recruits, from Mogheans fleeing the wastes, to freshly-minted Guwans running from their former clans, and other criminals escaping from society— a stream that is only bolstered by the extraordinary liberal attitude that the Izharshan leaders hold related to religions, allowing Sintas of all faiths to join, granted that they do not cause trouble.

Iklex Izharshan died not long after the creation of the Raiders, in 2443, when his ship's Bluespace drive malfunctioned as his captain pushed it too hard, causing the whole spacecraft to implode and be crushed under its own generated field. It is his younger brother, Alkhas, also referred to as Lord Izharshan, who took over. He has been the Fang Captain ruling over his clan and the rest of the Raiders ever since from his own spacecraft, admiral ship of the Izharshan raiders: the Black Torrent, a heavy Destroyer strong enough to pose a threat to most spacecraft yet nimble enough to escape the larger ships of the Hegemon's fleets. Under his rule, the Raiders managed to grow enough to become the infamous force they are now. It was his rule that led to the creation of the Circle of Fangs, the Fang Captain system, and the modern Star Code pirates are used to.

There have been several incidents involving the People's Republic of Adhomai fleets near Tajara space as well as the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai vessels around Gakal'zaal in recent years as the Raiders have slowly started to expand, even beyond Hegemony Space. '''By an extent, this means that members and ex-members of Izharshan's Raiders are considered outlaws at best to most interstellar powers. While it is not the case in Tau Ceti Republic territory, or in the eyes of the SCC, these Sinta would still be closely monitored and put on official watch if their origin was to be discovered.'''

Kazu's Techraiders
Albeit quite small on Unathi Pirate fleet standards, the Techraiders, led by a Sinta only known as "Kazu," are known for two things: their dubious choices in colors for their ships and outfits and their unusual targets. The Techraider's main targets are not merchant ships full of valuables, they do not kidnap people they could ransom for high prices. Instead, they attack highly advanced ships and mainly kidnap scientists. In other words, Kazu's crews are what some call "Technology Pirates." Rumor says that Kazu himself believes that it is the quickest path to rebuilding Moghes and that, by the time he'll come back, he would bring so much knowledge that the Hegemony would likely become the most advanced power in the Spur shortly after.

The Techraider's fleet mainly operates galactic north of Izewski space, choosing to target Skrell crafts in the reaches of Jargon Federation space, namely the Traverse, as well as heading straight to what is currently known as the Wildlands in Human space, sometimes even going as far as entering the edges of the Republic of Biesel and Elyran territories. Their area of operation has been dubbed by many sailors as "the Pink Triangle" due to its shape between Federation, human, and Hegemony space.

Despite their small numbers, the Techraiders are perhaps some of the most dangerous pirates out there. The few ships they possess use their small size and highly advanced stealth technology, allegedly stolen from Jargon corvettes, to get as close to their targets as possible before either boarding them, generally without even being detected or obliterating them in a hail of close-ranged torpedos that few can hope to survive, let alone dodge. Kazu's own spacecraft, the Indigo Blue which is actually coated black and pink, despite the name, is a marvel of technology, rumored to be stolen straight from a secret Zavodskoi Interstellar installation located deep in neutral space, equipped with cloaking technology, electronic warfare modules, Bluespace interdiction capacities, and engines fast enough to catch most non-military crafts effortlessly. Thanks to their access to advanced technologies, including prosthetics, it is rumored that the Techraiders hold surprisingly decent relations with Unathi of the Aut’akh faith despite their violent ways putting some strain on this relationship.

Among those in Skrell space are the Tana'raq'iq, a group of marauders that the Techraiders have come to see as similar and profitable allies. The Techraiders align themselves with the Skrell due to the untapped technology that can be utilized both for their vessels and their dream of rebuilding Moghes. They are one of the few notable fleets to intersect with these other pirate groups due to the Techraiders' broad area of influence around the Sparring Sea and into areas beyond. While the Tana'raq'iq provide ships to raid for technology, the Techraiders assist in providing manpower and the occasional hard-to-acquire import. They enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship when it comes to menacing the Federation, sometimes even with the Techraiders promising to ferry wanted Skrell out of Federation space to places that are safer and out of its reaches, such as Biesel or Ouerea.

Their relationship is so much so that it is said some of the Tana'raq'iq know the proper path through the stars to the famed Den of Fangs. The rumor holds some merit, with the highest pirates needing some safe place to discuss matters with their Skrellian allies. This remains unfounded, but the occasional crew with a large amount of Skrell makes an appearance on the planet from time to time.

Due to their actions, members of the Techraiders are considered outlaws by the Tau Ceti Republic government and are wanted for acts of piracy, resulting in an instant arrest the moment the individual in question's history is learned.

Hiskyn’s Revanchists
Before reaching Moroz and joining the Empire of Dominia, the Kazhkz and Han'san clans made fierce pirates and raiders. By the time the occasion to join the Empire came, a small part of the raider fleet refused the offer, wanting to stick to the pirate life instead. The story says that a short battle ensued in the heart of the Unathi fleet and that the "true pirates," as they called themselves, were defeated and forced to flee. Years later, the survivors still exist and roam Dominian space and its surroundings, attacking both human and Unathi Imperial crafts.

Although they tend to target vulnerable, civilian ships in search of resources to survive and treasures to plunder like any pirates, the Revanchists, as they are called, rarely shy away from fighting military crafts especially if they are manned by House Kazhkz. Their leader, an old female known as Fer'is Hiskyn, once Fer'is Kazhkz, had sworn to avenge her fallen husband, killed when the rest of their once-united pirate fleet chose to join the Empire.

It is said that, to exact their vengeance, Fang Captain Fer'is Hiskyn and her crew are ready to do absolutely anything from supporting the fight for Fisanduhan independence or helping the synthetic cause— reluctantly, as the Revanchists are still mainly of Sk'akh faith— to hunting down Dominian Sinta who strayed away from Imperial space. Their Admiral ship, commandeered by Fer'is herself, is the Mighty Siro, an old oversized human-made transport ship converted into a raiding craft, allowing it to carry hundreds of Unathi raiders and borders in modified cargo containers turned into living space; all the while, this ship maintains good enough firepower to allow it to fend off most corvette-sized spacecraft by itself, and some extra armor was added after some dubious upgrades.

The Revanchists are not opposed to raiding those that get in their way or making enemies out of crews that prove to be of no use to them. The Tana'raq'iq Marauders' cold shoulder treatment towards the Revanchists have signaled that they make for good targets, should they ever meet in open space. The occasional shaky alliance is struck whenever both parties have something to gain, but the Revanchists have come to view these Skrell as being too 'picky' and not willing to do what it takes to achieve their objectives. The Tana'raq'iq thus keep their distance because of these pirates' tendency for supporting anything that would help undermine Dominia, even to the extent of supporting extreme synthetic objectives.

'''While there has never been proof, the Revanchists are considered the main suspects of multiple murders of various Dominian Unathi across Tau Ceti Republic space. This means that Sinta known to be members or ex-members of the Hiskyn Revanchists would most likely end up on official watch.'''

The Tarwa Conglomerate
The mysterious Tarwa Conglomerate is, to most, a legend that haunts the southern Frontier, a tale to scare off sailors and pirates away from the most dangerous and elusive parts of the Spur. Alas, the Conglomerate is a real thing. Also called the "living-dead fleet," the Tarwa ships are just that in appearance, ruined spacecraft that somehow manage to sail and fight despite their state. These ships do not move just by themselves, obviously, as they are fueled by the cooperation of grizzled Unathi raiders and Dionae gestalts.

Each ship in the Conglomerate is an amalgam of mechanical and biological matter, with Dionae forms comparable to Colossi-sized forms spreading through the entire hull of once fully-functional ships. In what is a symbiotic relationship, the Unathi crewmen both maintain what is left of the ship and tend to the health of their Dionae friends. In exchange, the mere presence of these gestalts through the entire ship provides a nigh-impenetrable armor against most weapons used in the Frontier, not just thanks to its toughness, but also to its ability to regrow and reshape itself. Unathi crewmen ensure that the warp drives of all things remain functional, steer the crafts themselves (although the Dionae parts of the spacecraft are generally behind most of the sub-light speed propulsion thanks to their gas bladders), and do most of the boarding work, while the gestalts latch onto their victims' ships. These Dionae forms also contribute to the tending of crew's wounds, notably offering nymphs as prosthetics to crippled crewmen.

Their Fang Captain is Tarskin Tarwa, a once-famous botanist who had been evicted from the Skalamar University Of Medicine because of experiments on "Sinta-to-Dionae compatibility" deemed too unethical. His ship, Greenclaw, is actually an assembly of different spacecraft rooms and components held together by a Colossus-sized form, one that Tarskin considers his best friend. Because of their rather nomadic nature, the pirates of the Tarwa Conglomerate are known to have acted through a wide area, from the South-Western border of the Coalitions of Colonies to Light's Edge.

Due to the fact that their area of operation is so far from Tau Ceti, Republic and Corporate authorities don’t pay much attention to members and ex-members of the Tarwa Conglomerate compared to other aforementioned pirate fleets. Sinta from the Conglomerate are known to treat Dionae with much more respect than their fellow scalemates.