Kapitel 57: Skull and Bones (V)
It's incredibly frustrating that this guy actually believes he can deceive me.
His offer to teach me is nothing more than a test. There's no way I'm handing over a two-meter giant who looks like a man but has gray-green skin—seriously, what kind of genes produce that color?—especially one with some sensitivity to the Force. Even though he's currently sitting in his cabin within the range of the Ysalamiri, I hope the old clone hasn't figured out a way to bypass their influence. He's been unusually quiet lately, not even showing any curiosity about why his abilities didn't work on Weyland. I wonder if he's already figured out that it's connected to the Ysalamiri. I'll need to test him when the opportunity presents itself.
As I surveyed the trio of criminals seated before me, I gave Captain Pellaeon, who stood beside me, a nod.
"Proceed," I instructed.
"So, gentlemen," the Chimera's commander began, clearing his throat as he prepared to improvise. "The Empire is offering you letters of marque…"
"Pass," interrupted the one known as 'Sniff.' "I'm a car thief, not a mercenary."
"Rukh," I murmured. My gray-skinned bodyguard stepped forward and, with a swift motion, shaved off a piece of the thief's stubble with his blade.
"The next time you attempt to kill an Imperial officer," I said softly, "will be your last, Monsieur Ferrier. Trust me, my patience with you is wearing thin. There will be no more leniency. Understood?"
"Y-yes," the thief nodded fervently.
"Excellent," I replied with a smile. "As a token of goodwill, we'll be accepting one of your CR90 corvettes as a donation to the Empire."
Ferrier gritted his teeth but remained silent. I wonder how many times I can play this trick before he catches on. And why doesn't he just walk away? His market for stolen ships must be drying up.
"So, I suggest you leave our meeting and go inspect the ship you brought," I offered. "Given your audacity, the settlement for this transaction will be based on deducting the repair costs from a third of the market value of the stolen starship."
"Not ship, but ships," Ferrier corrected, wincing.
"Indeed," I acknowledged. "Any objections?"
"None," the thief forced a tight smile and slouched toward the exit.
Once the door closed behind him, I turned my attention to the two remaining pirates, who seemed genuinely pleased to see Ferrier leave.
"Continue, Captain," I suggested. "Stick closely to the wording of the patent."
"So," Pellaeon began again, setting aside decorum as he read from the draft privateering patent I had crafted. "You are invited to become privateers in the service of Grand Admiral Thrawn." The pirates exchanged glances, likely picking up on the nuance that they'd be working directly for me. "Your targets will include any military and commercial vessels of the rebels calling themselves the 'New Republic' and their allies, as well as their infrastructure. You are forbidden from engaging in privateering or any other illegal activities within Imperial Space…" The captain paused, looking at me, then back at the text. He sighed, resigning himself to what he had to say—until further orders are given. Damage sustained to your ships during military operations will be repaired at Imperial shipyards in exchange for a proportional share of your earnings. Captured ships must be delivered to the designated prize courts for inspection. After evaluation, you'll be paid half the value of the starship and its cargo."
This was the best I could concoct, pulling from my knowledge of old-world privateering laws. I didn't delve too deeply into the details.
"Questions?" I prompted.
"Who will be evaluating the captured 'prizes'?" Captain Tyberos asked.
"The prize court will be headed by the Moff of the planet on which you dock," I explained. "He and his specialists will assess the ships and goods you deliver. If you disagree with their assessment, you may present evidence of discrepancies—based on official market values, of course."
"Uh-huh," Yazuo Vayne scratched behind his pointed ear. "Forgive my ignorance, but... why should we engage in piracy for you when we can do it just fine on our own?"
"To begin with, Captain Vayne," Pellaeon interjected, "our intelligence will provide you with data on enemy convoy movements, escort compositions, and combat strength. Without such information, attacking enemy transports on your own would be suicidal. Even though your crew is sizable, I'd bet my salary that if you ran into a few cruisers, especially with an Interdictor among them, your fleet would suffer significant losses. Whereas we can not only give you detailed information on large convoys, but if needed, we'll send our starships to engage the enemy's capital ships while you loot the transports right under the rebels' noses."
"What's to stop us from simply targeting individual ships or small convoys that we can handle?" Captain Tyberos inquired.
"How long until rebel search teams start hunting you down?" I replied. "They're increasing their escorts, so lone pirates or small squadrons will either be left with no prey or will be wiped out."
"The galaxy is vast," Vayne mused. "There will always be a rogue trader…"
"You're free to pursue independent targets, gentlemen," I noted. "As long as they aren't Imperial. That's entirely your initiative. You might make ten, twenty thousand credits from a cargo haul," I continued, "but you'll end up with more problems than you can handle. I, on the other hand, can help you evade both the 'tails' and Imperial scrutiny. You'll become official privateers and no longer be hunted in Imperial Space. Neither you nor those who follow your example—though that's more theoretical at this point. I doubt the Imperial Ruling Council will be disappointed receiving a small 'cut' from your operations. New Republic convoys are valued in the tens or even hundreds of millions of credits. And we're primarily discussing their cargo. The ships are almost an afterthought with those figures."
"So you'll take the warships for yourselves without any compensation to us?" Captain Tyberos clarified.
"If you and your crew contribute to their capture, you'll receive a reward proportional to your efforts and losses," I explained. "If we capture them on our own, the spoils and cargo are ours. The patent covers joint operations or your individual endeavors. Imperial-designed and constructed warships must be handed over to us, and you'll be compensated accordingly."
"What about the crews of captured ships?" Captain Vayne asked.
"According to the terms of the marque patent, they are prisoners of war and must be handed over to us as soon as you reach the rendezvous point," I said calmly. Judging by the looks on their faces, both pirates were somewhat disappointed. But Pellaeon nodded approvingly. "Of course, those who survive the boarding. No one expects you to risk your lives capturing more prisoners. The same goes for any mutinies during the transfer of ships. And let me make this clear—violating any clause of the marque patent will, depending on the severity, result in either a reduction of your share or a death sentence."
This extra precaution was necessary in case these so-called noble pirates decided the crew was an inconvenient obstacle to delivering the ships. Why not just kill them all? Simple—the officers of captured ships are a valuable source of intelligence. And, of course, free labor.
"Clever," Captain Vayne smirked. "So, we're supposed to prioritize capturing, not destroying, New Republic ships?"
"That's correct," I agreed. "As mentioned, during these challenging times for their logistics, our enemy is also using warships for their transport needs."
"Yes," the half-breed scratched his ear again. "And the cargo? Can we buy back part of it if we have a use for it?"
"Yes, you can," I confirmed. "As long as it's not military-grade and we don't need it ourselves. We reserve the right to claim any military cargo as part of our share."
"How will particularly valuable information be compensated?" Captain Tyberos inquired.
"In proportion to its value," I responded. "However, this only applies if the information wasn't obtained from prisoners of war after the capture of a ship."
"Given that you're personally issuing these letters of marque," Yazuo Vayne remarked, "I assume the rest of the Imperial Remnants aren't aware of this initiative. So, the question arises—how quickly will we be sent to Kessel if we find ourselves in Imperial Space beyond your sphere of influence?"
"I believe it was made clear that Imperial territory is strictly off-limits for your 'trade,'" I replied, my tone becoming slightly more severe. "If you attack Imperial ships or territories, you will be executed as soon as my forces find you. There will be no negotiations, no repentance, no apologies—justice will be swift and decisive. It's enough that you'll be acting on intelligence provided by Imperial Intelligence."
"Do I understand correctly that providing us with such information means you'll also receive a share of the cargo and ships, even if you didn't participate directly in the raid?" Vayne sought clarification.
"If we provide you with information, then we are already involved," I noted. "If you prefer not to share, then you're welcome to find targets on your own. In that case, the spoils, excluding warships and crews, are entirely yours, and we'll buy back whatever we need from you."
"So, I gather that, as with ships, you won't pay the full market value for these 'prizes'?" Vayne clarified further.
"As with stolen ships, the valuation will be based on half the market value of the 'prize,'" I explained. "This is in favor of reducing the cost for any damage. That's why the chief engineer from our shipyard will be part of the prize court—his team will have to repair the damage."
"Let's summarize," Captain Tyberos suggested. "Everything we loot from the rebels will be valued at only half its worth. If we act on your intelligence or with your participation, you'll take a share of the 'prize' for yourself. You'll permanently keep all the warships and valuable cargo, and you'll pay us no more than half their market value."
"So far, everything is correct," I confirmed. "If something doesn't suit you, you are free to leave."
"No," Tyberos grinned. "I'm just fine with everything. Rarely does anyone pay the full value for goods and ships obtained through less-than-legal means. Half is still a considerable amount of money. Especially if we operate on a large scale. The question is different—who will sell the goods that neither you nor we have any use for?"
"There is no such thing as unnecessary cargo," I remarked, considering that in our sector, there was a convenient port where any cargo could be offloaded. The key is to have someone—or something—that can do this without attracting unwanted attention. "In any case, if such a situation arises, we'll handle it amicably. Any other questions?"
"Will other pirates or pirate groups be involved in privateering?" Yazuo Vayne asked.
"Are you worried about competition?" Captain Pellaeon interjected with a hint of mockery.
"I'm more concerned that our agreement might become known to unreliable elements," Vayne replied, casting an eloquent glance toward the departed Ferrier. "And then the New Republic might be motivated to send a battle group after us."
"So much the worse for them," I said calmly. "If you can lure rebel ships into an ambush, you'll earn honor and praise."
"Even so, I don't trust Ferrier," Tyberos admitted openly. "He's a slippery character. More than once, he's been caught stealing ships intended for another group. If they pressure him and offer him enough money, he'll easily betray us all."
"Of course," I smiled. "Mister Ferrier has only two loves in this life. The first is money."
"And the second?" Yazuo Vayne asked with a grin.
"His own life," I replied coldly. "And right now, it's in considerable jeopardy."
The pirates' smiles broadened, full of satisfaction and anticipation.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein