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Piracy


Spaceman
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I have been informed by President Logion of the Benthis Collective that he will be attacking one of my vessels this turn. He gives two reasons for this attack:

 

1. That I have yet to recognize his claim to the Chebyka System.

Our public discussion about the Chebyka System was as follows:

- Benthis: this system is claimed by the Collectivity and protected by the Charter and laws of the Galactic Senate.

- Swarm: we certainly do not recognize the Benthis Collective's claim over Chebyka.

- Benthis: points out that their claim over Chebyka was stated 18 months earlier.

- Swarm: When I saw your initial claim for Chebyka in this thread I assumed that you had just warped in and that you were being cheeky. Now that you have pointed out your claim from 18 months ago that does shed a different light on things.

- Benthis: We take it you are less than three jumps out from your homeworld and we suspect your pathfinder has no way to leave the system on its own.

 

This was the end of our discussion about Chebyka. I think that I was very reasonable once Benthis identified the validity of his claim.

 

2. Benthis is attacking me because I am a member of PA. I have run multiple empires for over 2 years without firing a shot at anyone, nor have I provoked any empire in any way. A former member of PA was at war with an ally of Benthis. Can this be considered a legitimate reason to attack a ship from any PA member on sight?

 

I dug out this little gem from the Galactic Senate Bylaws:

 

HANNIBAL-LOGION Anti-Piracy Bill

GS BILL 061704-2-04

 

"The Galactic Senate declares piracy as a strictly illegal activity. No empire is allowed to steal or capture property belonging to another empire, unless under a declared state of war. Piracy is not in keeping with the Senate’s stated goals. Any empire found by the Galactic Senate to be engaging in piracy, will be branded as an outlaw empire. All empires, both in and out of the Galactic Senate are free to engage, indeed encouraged to engage, an outlaw empire wherever it is found to exist.

 

Piracy is defined as the act of intentionally attacking, raiding, blockading, bombarding, extorting, or plundering of any thing of value, actively run by a real player, without provocation or legitimate justification. Piracy shall not be deemed to include the capturing of legitimate prize during times of just war, nor shall it include the confiscation of contraband or tariffs by customs and revenue authorities provided the collection of same is openly and conspicuously announced beforehand and the territorial scope of such collection is specifically and intelligably defined.

 

The liberation of contraband from a known pirate shall not itself be deemed piracy. Whenever possible, stolen property should be returned to its former owners. The liberator of stolen goods may keep 30% of any liberated goods as a salvage fee."

 

 

And who wrote this Senate Bill? Why Senator-President Logion of the Benthis Collective of course.

 

So if piracy is defined as the act of intentionally attacking...without provocation or legitimate justification, then it appears that the Benthis Collective is, by its own definition, engaging in piracy.

 

The Swarm welcome a good fight, but we don't fancy hypocrisy.

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unless under a declared state of war

 

If there is a state of war between the PA and Benthis or a group to which Benthis belonged and you are a member of the PA then he can attack you. It might not be fair as you have claimed you were peaceful but he would be able to attack you and not have it declared piracy.

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You must admit, it is rather civilized to mention you will be seeing the attack in your coming turn.

 

I will admit I'm rather confused as to who is fighting whom. And why. We need some type of guide to track it all.

 

As for attacking a PA member, I can understand that. Spokes beings for the PA have repeatedly stated their clear intention to "win" the game. And for them to win, others must lose (be defeated). That has been made very clear, time and time again. So to me, the PA has clearly declared hostilities against any and all non-PA members in the game. Hence any action against a PA member is not Piracy, but merely defensive. IE - there is no hypocrisy .. being a PA member means you have given every race clear justification to act in a manner needed to protect themselves from you, as the group as a whole has declared themselves to be a threat to all non-PA systems.

 

At least it will be that way until the PA renounces all intents to "win" the game, and apologizes for all their previous actions and statements against others. Then again, several have acted in enough of a dishonest manner that the group as a whole may never again be trusted. Only time will tell.

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To avoid being labled pirates or uncivilized ruffians is precisely why we wrote you and declared war on a Tuesday(1 1/2 days before orders were due). Furthermore, any "proud" PA member can rationally be viewed as nothing if not a clear and present danger to planetary security since a clear pattern of territorial encroachment has been observed by many of our friends and allies. You pathfinder can not be allowed to continue its espionage.

 

The PA modus operandi is such that boarder treaties are negotiated and then ignored. This has happened on so many occassions and by so many PA affiliates (different players) that we can regard it only as a collective policy. If not explicit, it is certainly a product of "wink-wink-nod-nod" collusion. Then there is the mutual defense treaty and the fact that we are, for all practical purposes, at war with all PA positions by virtue of our treaty with the Valkor and the Romans.

 

President Logion

Benthiss Collective

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...there is the mutual defense treaty and the fact that we are, for all practical purposes, at war with all PA positions by virtue of our treaty with the Valkor and the Romans.

 

President Logion

Benthiss Collective

The Valkor certainly find the Benthis Collective honorable by not only words, but also deeds. They supported a treaty ally immediately, displaying the moral fortitude of their noble race. And now, they declare war upon our mutual enemies and announce it as we did prior to hostilities commencing. Valkor and Benthis have displayed far more honor and integrity in intergalactic relations than those PA empires who began the war without so much as notification that they were ripping up the treaties to which they were a party.

 

Valkor finds it laughable every time the enemy seeks to invoke the Galactic Senate laws when they had nothing but scorn and laughter for the organization that others sought to build upon. Now, Spaceman makes a weak gesture to use those laws. THAT, Spaceman is hypocrisy. The Benthis Collective has declared war following both the letter and spirit of the Senate laws you quoted.

 

To wit, Valkor specifies that Swarm ships will shot on sight as a state of war exists between us. As the Benthis Collective has fulfilled its treaty obligations for Valkor, so Valkor will fulfill its own.

 

Duke Esper

Valkor Foreign Minister

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We, the members of Phoenix Arisen, in order to form a more perfect union,  establish Justice and insure Galactic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the members of our alliance.

 

We believe that a perfect union is one where the members share our point of view.

We stand for our way of life and the rule of Justice, not law.

We believe that the way to galactic tranquility is through the elimination of sources of dis-ease.

We shall strictly and enthusiastically defend all territories and borders from those who do not share our beliefs.

We shall promote the welfare of our constituents through research support and open trade.

We ensure the liberty of the beings within our 517 system sphere of control through an active and aggressive expansion of our buffer zones.

We adhere to the logic of strength and the wisdom of Sun Tzu.

We tolerate no deceit.

Should an empire encroach upon our borders we shall let them know.

 

So Signed, The Officers of Phoenix Arisen,

 

Grand Vizier Norman Fraley - of Procyon, Draconis and Eridani

  Minister Rick McFarland - of Procyon and Draconis

  Minister Scott Fisher - of Procyon and Eridani

  Minister Gary Carpenter - of Procyon and Draconis

  Minister Dan Lawrence - of Procyon and Draconis

  Minister Bob Wilbanks - of Procyon and Eridani

  Minister Galvorn - of Procyon and Eridani

  Minister Dave Hunt - of Procyon and Eridani

  Minister Jonathan Pettit - Ker'Pluk

 

 

From the Archives ...

 

-SK :ninja:

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For the PA to win everyone else must loose? Logical. The first galaxy wide war?

 

Is there a comprehensive list of PA empire names and symbols so I'll know them when I see them?

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While certain parties, and groups would like you to believe that you will be attacked if a PA member finds you, we do have treaties with people that are not in the PA Alliance.

 

I believe that LARS, can testify that meeting a PA member does not automatically mean war.

 

However, if You find a PA member and wish to go to war, we will certainly NOT back down.

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For the PA to win everyone else must loose?  Logical.  The first galaxy wide war? 

 

Is there a comprehensive list of PA empire names and symbols so I'll know them when I see them?

 

 

As this is an open-ended game, I doubt that the PA is striving to 'win' as it would cause RTG to stop running it. That being said ...

 

The "Axis of Evil", if you will, of the PA Constitution is the phrase:

 

We ensure the liberty of the beings within our ... sphere of control through an active and aggressive expansion of our buffer zones.

 

Perhaps it is a misinterpretation on my part, but an 'active and aggressive expansion' tends to imply military conquest moreso than peaceful trade and/or cohabitation, from my perspective.

 

While there are probably a mixture of 'hawks' and 'doves' within the Phoenix Arisen membership, even their 'doves' are probably toting pulse rifles. :P If you can arrange an equitable situation with an individual member of the PA or the PA as a whole, more power to you! :) Based on their initial sentiments, I take any and all PA diplomacy as being their way of saying, "Nice Doggy ..." while they go and get a bigger stick to whack the Dog with. :)

 

YMMV,

 

-SK :)

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Ahhh, our plan is working. There is much chaos and disorder in the galaxy. 

Interesting. That's our plan as well, the more chaos and disorder, the more beings desire to imbibe! :)

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Now my caveat to this statement is that I've had NO dealings whatsoever with any member of the PA, so.....

All the talk on this thread reminds me of a movie I just saw last week. "Mars Attacks" with the PA being the Martians of course. :):P

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