Marque and Reprisal
To all to whom this shall be presented, be it known that this warrant entitles the bearer:
Rhadam Sinyéren Daemar
Owner and master of the armed merchant cruiser IS Gloriously Acquisitive;
To subdue and to seize goods and citizens, to destroy goods that cannot be taken, and to destroy military assets, belonging to such enemies of the Empire of the Star that Their Divine Majesties shall deem to exist from time to time, states, private sovereignties, or sovereign individuals, armed or unarmed, fixed or mobile, as designated in such separate Imperial proclamations as Their Divine Majesties shall see fit to issue, or by any pirates or brigands at any time;
And to bring the same to a starport, naval base, or roaming fleet base wherein a Court of Admiralty is empaneled, for adoption as prizes, condemnation for sale, or payment of bounty;
And to retake any vessels, goods, or citizen-shareholders of the Empire captured by such aforementioned enemies;
And to bring the same to a starport or naval base within Imperial territorial space, or to a roaming fleet base, wherein a Court of Admiralty is empaneled, for payment of due reward.
Furthermore, this warrant entitles the named bearer and vessel to apply for whatever assistance, whether monetary or not, that Their Divine Majesties shall deem fit to provide from time to time, and to seek succor and resupply at bases and depots of the Imperial Navy, subject to payment of expenses and the exigencies of war.
In the course of these privileges here granted, the named bearer and vessel are required to conduct themselves in all ways in accordance with the Ley Accords and the Imperial Rules of War, and to give such assistance as may be requested and required of them by captains and flag officers of the Imperial Navy; and should they attack and seize goods or citizens of any polity, howsoever constituted, that is not a thus designated enemy of the Empire, they shall be subject to such penalties at law as if they had carried out such an attack against the Empire itself.
Given under my hand and seal this day, 4045 Cálíath 14,
Kynéä Valentarios Tentáren, Constellarch of the High Verge
~~~
“We issued a letter to Rhadam Daemar? The man’s a loose cannon, and his crew are worse.”
“Actually, he’s four loose cannons.” The constellarch’s military aide flipped the associated documentation back on screen and off again with a gesture. “And six loose missile racks, four loose launch tubes, two loose armed cutters, and one loose… ‘electromagnetic pulse-projecting xenowidget we picked up in a breaker’s yard on Méklish’. But he’ll get the job done.”