[Chapter List]

EPOLIGUE

Being a Pirate in this world was never easy. It's commonly thought that all we do is jump on board a ship, steal the stuff and then speed off into the sunset with our newly ill-gotten gains.

It never goes that smoothly.

It takes immaculate planning and information to even know when and where our target will be (pubs and bars are a great way to gain information on such things since most people get slightly loose-lipped after a drink or two). After we get this information, we need to sort the useful from the useless (nobody needs to know about how someone's "in luv wiv Vanesa from Durem, LOLOLOL"), and then from this, we need to make a plan of action. If we get anything wrong up to there, our targets could hear of our plans, or even just sail away if they see us coming at them.

The getaway isn't easy, either. Note; both parties have probably equally matched ships that both have cannons. In fact, the only difference between the two crews would be that the other crew are usually slightly peeved at having had their loot stolen by pirates.

So let us dispel the thought that being a pirate would be the easy way out of working hard for your money. We work hard. Just that it's for your money.

Not that this information would be worth much nowadays. Not even a year ago, the seas were brimming with pirates from all corners of the world, sailing in magnificent galleons with their tall masts and fluttering sails. Their crew would lovingly care for their ship, and would treat their captain with the same respect. The seas were alive with mariners of all kinds trying to make a living. We would never like each other, but we could tolerate one another.

Now, you'd be lucky if you caught sight of an old oak galleon in any port along any coastline, let along a crew of "traditional" pirates...

It only took 5 days for the new ships to swarm in and take over. Oh, they were a sight to behold, and everyone was in awe at the sight of 8 huge, silver ships slowly coming into port. They belonged to a man, a Marquis, whose name we do not know even now. He had started up his own "pirate business", (as he described it) called Corsair LTD.. Nobody gave much heed to his visions at the time (who would have?), but he and his 8 captains seemed so determined that nobody dared question their beliefs. But slowly, their ship's numbers grew and began to drive us out of business. Crew after crew of pirates were lured into the clutches of the Marquis, who started to grow colder, and more distant. His visits to the towns grew less until they became non existent. He charged a "protection" tax, to 'make sure his crew didn't attack the towns'. He had grown so powerful that even the leaders and influential people of Gaia were powerless to stop him.

His visions of turning Piracy into a Corporation, it seemed, had become a reality.

However, there was one crew of misfit pirates who wanted to go against the Marquis' vision. I sailed with this crew, under the flag of the Black Nancy. We refused to sell our souls to the corporation for any amount of money, refusing any offer he made us. In return the Marquis tried to make life as hard as he could for us, with some degree of success. However, the Marquis' alienation of the townspeople had a somewhat negative effect on his ability to gather information which worked in our favour. Still, things were never easy. We just about managed to scrape by, though most days consisted of the same mundane, repetitive activities. Until one fine day in the middle of Summer, when things for the crew of the Black Nancy got very interesting, indeed.

This, my friends, is our story.

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