Kalistani Major History

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Kalistani Privateers Score Major Success
Largest Vanukean Ship to date Quarantined in Vrassa
Kaliburg, Ananto
March 7, 3927

Kalistani Privateers have quarantined the largest ship to-date, a Vanukean supercargo container ship, the Shifu No. 1.  The capture took place in late February, and was carried out by a crew of 35 Partisans just inside the Embargo zone.  The Privateers took an estimated 26 million Rubles worth of merchandise off this single vessel alone.  Ship manifests established that the Indrala-manufactured containership originated its voyage in Wiel Vanuku, and made stops in Telamon and Trigunia before continuing its voyage into the Embargo Zone on its way to Talmoria.  The various stops on its route made Vanukean naval escort impractical, and the Captain told Kalistani reporters that he had deliberately opted to not ask for an escort due to the unpredictability of his itinerary.


Socialist Partisan Ahmad Al-Khalid-Hjelmson stands in front of the skeleton of the Shifu No. 1,
captured in February and beached in Vrassa

The Ship's manifest identified products of several nations on board, but the country of origin for almost all materials seized from the ship was deliberately obfuscated to make it difficult for Kalistani Privateers to separate Vanukean goods from goods from the various other nations represented aboard.  As such, the Kalistani Government issued a special order, declaring all items on board contraband being transported in contravention of the Embargo Order, and therefore forfeit to its owners.  Items consisted of all manner of consumer goods, foodstuff, textiles, and light weaponry and munitions destined for the Vanukean-suported Talmorian Government.

The seizure of the ship was not without incident.  After the Privateers had boarded the Cargo ship and subdued its crew, the Partisans began driving the ship toward Quarantine in Suldanor.  However, the ship had apparently gotten a message to Vanukean naval craft operating in the vicinity.  As a small Vanukean Frigate task force appeared several nautical miles off, the majority of the privateers disembarked the container ship and returned to their craft to harass the frigate fleet and draw them off them off.  This provided the 10 Privateers still on board the container ship an opportunity to escape. 

The Partisans dealing with the Vanukean Naval unit engaged in a brief firefight, with the Vanukeans sinking 2 of the 4 private ships, critically damaging the other two, and killing 14 Partisans.  At this point, a Kalistani Destroyer group appeared on the scene and intervened.  The standoff lasted into the night, and the remaining two ships, though crippled, were able to put the Destroyer between them and the Vanukean Navy.  By morning, the Vanukean group broke off contact with the Destroyer and headed back to the shipping lane to continue their escort mission.  Meanwhile, the remaining 9 Partisans were fished out of the Ocean and put aboard the Kalistani Destroyer.


Vanukeans aboard the Shifu No. 1 attempt to fight off Socialist Privateers with watercannon, to no avail

Back on the supertanker, the ship's Vanukean crew were able, under the cover of night to disable one of the ship's two engines by sneaking into the engine room and destroying the gearing mechanism on the Starboard engine.  They were also able to briefly gain access to small arms and manage to kill two Partisans who were standing watch.  The small arms fire woke the remaining Privateers, who quickly scrambled into position, wounded one of the Vanukean crew, and ordered the others to drop their weaponry.  The Leader of the Privateers aboard the Cargoship, Ahmad al-Khalid-Hjelmson, reportedly said to the Vanukean defenders "Give up and you will not be harmed.  These materials are not yours-  is it worth losing your life to defend things that belong to other people?"  The Vanukean resistance was not ended, however, as they got off another three shots, one of which wounded another Privateer aboard before finally running out of ammunition.  Al-Khalid accepted the surrender of the Vanukean crew, who were taken below and locked in the ship's stateroom.

The disabled engine provided the Privateers with yet another challenge.  Ultimately, with no possibility of making it to Quarantine at Suldanor, the Privateers decided instead to beach the ship on the coast of Vrassa.  At the maximum speed the ship could muster, the privateers pointed the ship toward the shore and ran the ship aground.  Luckily, the tide was in, and the ship made it significantly further inland than otherwise possible.  This essentially made the ship into a monument to the success of the Partisan crew.  Once aground, the crew was led off the ship and to a pair of waiting vehicles of the Socialist militia, who debriefed the crew and handed them over to Kalistani State authorities.  The Privateers, assisted by other elements of the Socialist Militia and the National Steveadores union, then emptied the cargo from the ship over the next three days. 

The Kalistani Privateers were paid more than 26 million rubles by private distributors for the goods from the ship, though it is likely that the cargo was worth as much as 30% more than that amount.  Split between the 19 remaining Privateers, the haul made each Privateer a millionaire overnight. Al-Khalid privately donated his share to the relief of the families who had lost brothers and sisters in the incident.  Speaking to Reporters later, he said "I am a good socialist, of course, and have no need for this money, especially when others need it more than me.  It is an honor simply to assist my nation in this troubled time.  I would be happy to return to peace-  I am a simple fisherman by trade, and this business has really hurt my livelihood.  But when the Republic calls, I answer.  And any opportunity to strike a blow of vengeance for the loss of my President is an opportunity I cannot help but take."