Pirates

One of humanity's most enduring activities,Piracy continues to plague the people of the 31st century. Pirates can usually be divided between those who took up their outlaw lifestyle out of strict necessity and those who simply enjoy to live without any rules. Pirates tend to thrive on power vacuums, when there is only weak (or non-existant) central authority to impose the rule of law, this is why many of these bandits can be found prowling the border regions of the Periphery and the chaos march. The largest pirate factions sometimes organise into Bandit Kingdoms.

Organization

• Mechs

The normal size of a pirate band is equal to a company. The mechs are superior than the normal armored militia vehicle and are no real danger.

Mechs with hands make it easier to gather the booty, get to the waiting dropship and liftoff before any real defenders can react.

Forces larger than battalion level are from bandit kingdoms. The mechs are too complicated to maintain it in large numbers. The kingdoms are a result when a force survive long enough to get a base and expand their region of influence. Their gain is also a new weakness for any enemy. Territory must be defended or it is lost...

• Aerospace

This branch is crucial to any pirate group. Before they can board a Dropship the brigands must destroy the defending forces like dropships and fighters. The elite pilots prefer designs with high trust, because the green pilots operate in larger groups.

The Dropship and Jumpships are another problem for them. In normal cases they need two: one for transport and one for transport (of the booty). The normal crew member is high skilled in zero combat situation to counter/assault when needed. The situation demands fast handling of the booty and high efficiency.

Jumpships are the key to any success. The jumpship navigators are held in high regard by the pirate leaders.

• Vehicles and Infantry

Considered in many cases as meaningless forces. They were used only for defensive purposes. Sometimes they can repel a raiding force by their own.

• Specialists

Many pirates use these "experts" when needed, such as demolitions experts, assassins and so on.

Tactics

• 3 criteria are common to select their force: use only the crew that you need to fulfill your mission, pirates with many "talents" and cheat.

Possibility 1: make you larger than you are

Possibility 2: radio traffic increase/decrease

Possibility 3: you are a other force

Interdicting Jumpships

• to get your prey

- waiting a known interstellar crossroads

- pay a engineer to "repair" the jumpship core and you get the ship with a minimal investment

- a friendly navigator guide it right in your hand

- jump after the doomed vessel

Raiding a planet

- a plan to raid a planet

1. jump in

2. uses surprise and stealth to land

3. battle the defenders to the ground

4. get what you can gather

5. lift of

6. and pray that you get your jumpship

Known Pirates

• Lady Death
• Vance Rezak
• Morrison's Extractors
• New Belt Pirates
• Tortuga Fusiliers
• Shen-Se Tian
• Captain "Redeye" Laudin
• The Red Corsair
• Thano's Terribles
• Dark
• Mark Brady Gang
• Jewel's Picaroons
• The Marcadia Brothers

References

• Field Manual: Periphery, p. 122, 125

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Periphery