The Piraati

The name “Piraati” is derived from an ancient word in the species’ native tongue meaning both “pirate” and “clever.” The term was one that carried connotations of positive accomplishment and wit, as opposed to similar words in other cultures, which generally carry derogatory connotations. As this entry will illustrate, this is no accident. There is no record of their original species name.

The Piraati culture

Formerly the Piraati lived in a remote corner of the galaxy within reasonable proximity of several other prosperous civilizations. Despite the availability of resources in their region of the galaxy and a level of technological development that was, more or less, on par with these other civilizations, the rate of Piraati development went though a period during which it was consistently outmatched by its neighbors. Some scholars theorize this shortfall was due to an influx of internal strife within the Piraati culture. Whatever the cause, the Piraati economy floundered and development slowed. It will not come as a surprise that, during this period of economic slowdown, some Piraati of adventurous spirit took to piracy. The scale of these operations was likely minimal at first. But in the face of economic hardship, these early buccaneers likely transitioned quickly from preying on individual ships to small colonies and whole settlements.

…The Piraati fought with a fury born of desperation...

Sporadic accounts indicate that this early shift to piracy went smoothly with relatively little resistance from the Piraati’s victims. But once word spread in the sector, the inevitable organized response was launched. Several freight companies in the sector banded together to form a posse of sorts, charged with teaching the Piraati that not all the sector’s ships were such easy prey. When the posse tracked its first Piraati vessel, they surrounded it and quickly engaged. The Piraati fought with a fury born of desperation. Though only a handful of the crew survived, they managed to defeat the freighter fleet and take an important lesson back home. The time of easy pickings among the sector’s other inhabitants had passed. If they were to remain effective, the Piraati would have to put a new emphasis on seizing powerful war ships, building a repertoire of asymmetrical tactics that would give them the advantage over a larger force, and using merciless violence and fear to intimidate.

The special tactic

The Piraati managed their new model of piracy with great success -- so much success that the other inhabitants of their sector banded together and launched a massive assault on the Piraati home world. Faced with annihilation, the Piraati mobilized the largest fleet of buccaneers in history and fled their planet. Though they lost their home world, they began a new phase in their history. With their unorthodox tactics, their well-honed use of fear and brutality, and no planet to defend, the Piraati proved unstoppable. A period of unchecked plunder and great economic plenty followed during which the neighboring cultures agreed to a truce under which they would pay ongoing tribute.

It is difficult to speculate on how long this comfortable mode of existence might have continued for the Piraati. Their situation was irrevocably changed when a nearby star went supernova, destroying all life in several sectors. The main fleet of the Piraati narrowly escaped destruction by mere chance. The fleet had been positioned in the lee of an enormous red giant when the radiation swept through the vicinity. They lost many ships and many people that day, but a large portion of the main fleet survived.

Not long after, the Piraati found themselves admitted into the Ascon Universe. Though they continued their way of life, the main fleet fragmented as small groups of ships dispersed to find their own way in this new environment.

At present

The Piraati of today tend towards the anarchic, only grudgingly and loosely entering into alliances. They are highly trained, highly effective, and highly independent. And they are often on the run. Their tactical skills and the tendency for the greenest among them to be hardened veterans that put many other species to shame means that they are highly sought after as mercenaries or assassins. As such, Piraati can expect to spend most of their lives far from home on some campaign or other.

…They have well-organized systems for hacking and gathering intelligence on rival technologies…

The Piraati traditionally do not make alliances with other groups of their species because it is not uncommon for two sides of a given conflict to hire Piraati mercenary forces. It is too easy for Piraati allies to find themselves face to face in battle. Additionally, the Piraati have no ship building enterprise as they tend to replace old and outdated hardware with captured ships. They have well-organized systems for hacking and gathering intelligence on rival technologies, and they are adept at mixing the technical knowledge gained from different sources to produce unique, new weapons.

Though some things have changed since their admission to the Ascon Universe, the Piraati are still the terrors of the stars. For a long time, their inclusion in the council of UFF was a bone of contention. However it was recognized ultimately that it would be preferable to include them as members so that some manner of supervision might be exercised.