Kalistan

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Kalistani Privateers return to Empire
Empress thanks Partisans for their Service
Port Swedes, Duchy of Vrassa
May 30, 5592


"Mad Dog Marauder," a Privateer posted north of Lodamun during Embargo docks in Port Swedes

The first ships from the Privateer fleet that have been keeping the Embargo Line in the Karzon Straight for several years are beginning to return to port, following Her Imperial Majesty's suspension of all Letters of Marque issued to help Kalistan enforce the blockade.  The initial returns will mostly consist of those who were already enroute to Kalistani ports before the Letters of Marque were revoked nearly a month ago, but the bulk of the ships expected to return to Kalistani quays and wharves will begin arriving in about two weeks and will continue to arrive throughout June and July.

"We were part of a privateer pod of four ships," said Montel Parker, who skippered the Mad Dog Marauder, a converted fishing yacht which claims to have scored four captures.  "Our group were already steaming back to port for some liberty when we got the word that the Letters of Marque had been pulled.  We also heard that those who didn't come in would be considered pirates, so, we went straight for Port Swedes, instead of stopping in Lodamun as we had planned, and turned in our Letters."

People like Captain Parker, whose crew consisted of six privateers, had used the trade war as a business venture.  "You sort of had to have some capital to start with," said Mr. Parker.  "The boat is mine, but we all pretty much split living costs and costs of fuel and all that.  We probably spent a total of 850 days at sea over the four years were were at it, but the four ships we took more than covered our expenses in the long run and I still have my boat which is more than I can say for a lot of those guys..."  Parker claims to have earned a total of ₭2.3 million during his time on the embargo line from seizures and reselling both in Kalistan and in other ports.  "But ₭1.95 million of that went for maintenance, fuel, supplies and wages," said Parker.  "Still, ₭350,000 isn't bad money to put in your pocket at the end of the day."  Parker said he split the proceeds 6 ways with an extra share for him as captain.

Overall the damage to trade in the Mad Dog and through the Karzon Strait over the course of the entire Embargo is estimated to be between ₭350 Million and ₭500 Million, either in terms of seizures or in terms of diverted trade.  Most privateers were not as successful as Parker.  "Most guys went out there, thought it was going to be a party, got drunk and ran out of money real quick," said Parker.  "We learned to not make friends out there, because you never knew if you were going to see guys in a different pod or not ever again.  Our pod was pretty solid.  I think of the four ships we sailed with, three of the four stayed out the entire time and we really learned how to work as a team.  But a lot of these guys should have never been out there to begin with."

Kalistan lost several privateers during the course of the conflict:  The Foreign Ministry puts the total at 68 privateers dead or captured in the Karzon Strait alone.  But as a reward for their service, the privateers who were successful got to keep the proceeds of their seizures, "...after taxes, of course," said Parker. 

The Empress has issued a pronouncement honoring the service of the Privateers in this conflict, and issuing a general amnesty for all acts that would be considered "depredation" in other countries, as long as they happened under a valid Letter of Marque.  During the entire conflict, only 7 Letters were found to have been forced, and at least one of them was held by a known sadist who was later charged and convicted of Piracy and sentenced to 15 years on King's Rock.  The forgery was discovered after his crew turned him in, and said he was committing "unspeakable acts" against civilians of other nations.  The court found him guilty and sent him to live at the Prison Colony in Odufaray.

So far there are no reports of any additional privateering activities in either the Karzon Strait or in the Mad Dog, as either all or nearly all Privateers are heeding the call to return to the Empire and surrender their Letters to Imperial Authorities.