Hello all, Ric here again with a video touching on piracy within the Star Trek universe.
In the Milky Way, life in the core Federation worlds is generally safer unless there is
some sort of full-scale war going on, but the outer fringes of their space can lead to things
getting dicey at times, especially in poorly patrolled or vulnerable shipping lanes. It’s
in these locations where pirates and criminals tend to operate, plundering ships and spoils.
Piracy was far more common in the galaxy in the early times of Starfleet, with the organisation
itself often falling victim to raids or attacks. Even Federation ships themselves were the target
of attacks from such criminals. The powers of the time had their own ways of dealing with
these issues, with the Romulans generally having few recorded issues with such criminal behaviour,
probably due to their watchful and paranoid nature and zealous security. The Klingon
Empire meanwhile often attacked and destroyed pirates wherever they found them operating,
while engaging in the same activities for their own pursuit of glory and conquest. Basically the
Klingons tolerated no rivals in their space. Such criminal behaviour however was so common
that entire cultures would tie it into their way of life and none more so than
the Orion people. The Orion Syndicate was the primary criminal organisation and operated an
effective navy of independent merchants, pirates and mercenaries for a long time,
which even into the 25th century established certain stereotypes of the people. However,
as the Federation and Starfleet grew it seems the Orion’s criminal empire receded somewhat and began
to translate into more honest institutions, although the Syndicate is still there and
expanded well beyond a simple Orion-centric organisation, adapting to the changing landscape.
Meanwhile, other powers rose to fill those voids, with species like the Nausicaans engaging in
expansive pirate operations alongside mercenary work who never really ceased their activities.
Ferengi too often acted as pirates, although such pursuits were technically illegal amid
their own culture too, but with the Ferengi, profit beats out all, even illegal activity.
Such pirates who operated with their government's sanction were privateers and still posed a threat,
but were less common due to the political ramifications of having such operatives.
It’s also worth noting that in the Delta Quadrant, where there are fewer large interstellar powers,
acts of piracy are more common to the point of not even being considered piracy anymore,
such as the acts carried out by the Kazon for example. Suffice to say, just as in real life,
privacy flourishes in the blind spots of civilization and in the cracks between powers.
Life as a pirate only really begins when you have a ship of your own. The Orion
made vessels and Nausicaan raider ships often end up in the hands of pirates because they
are created pretty much for that purpose, especially those from the 23rd century.
But putting aside the Orion Syndicate for a moment, which was pretty atypical for pirate
activity considering its scale, Pirate vessels tended to be incredibly varied. This is because
such ships were acquired through opportunity, either in barter or as a prize from a raid.
While the Federation might not use money, currency was common outside of the UFP. So such ships tend
to be further heavily modified with extra armaments and technologies acquired through
similar ways. Because of the criminal nature of piracy in most sectors, those who follow such a
life often did so at immediate disadvantage when it came to resources and Pirate vessels tended to
suffer from a lack of maintenance and supply. Even the successful ones, that were armed to the teeth.
Basic commodities such as food, replicators and recreational luxuries were often heavily prized
due to their demand among crews and prime targets for attacking vessels to stock out
their supplies as well as components needed for ship repair or Dilithium and Deuterium for fuel.
Another source of starships that would end up in pirate’s hands tended to be older military
vessels that had ended up on the black market including old Klingon and Romulan ships from the
23rd century. Starfleet however retains a tight control on its vessels (old and new), partly
because they even find a place for 300 year old ships in their navy and partly due to the prime
directive. If a ship is decommissioned and ends up at a scrap yard, it's gutted of all components of
worth too. All Starfleet vessels have a prefix code that a fellow Starfleet ship can use to
interface with the ship’s systems and gain control of the vessel, all to prevent the capture of
Federation ships. However even this seldom known code can be overwritten with a smart enough hack.
In the late 24th century however, some Federation ships did end up circulating
into the black market, fully armed, such as a handful of runabouts and peregrine fighters
when the Maquis formed to resist the Cardassian and the relocation efforts of the Federation.
Basically, because the Federation cared more than was typical about technological contamination,
its tech was often harder to come by, although not impossible. The easiest
way for such to enter into the black market was through traitors or turncoats looking
to make a profit on the side, selling or slipping out Starfleet technology.
Larger Starfleet vessels remain converted targets for most pirates, with several attempts
made to steal even the Enterprise D seen in the shows. This is an incredibly ambitious target,
not only for the security of the ship itself, but the lengths Starfleet would go to,
to retrieve one of their own ships. Such heists have to be meticulously planned out,
such as the attempted theft while the Galaxy class flagship was undergoing its routine Baryon sweep.
But I guess they never accounted for Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his saddle.
A more realistic goal, although still a tall order, is the theft of Federation schematics
and databases concerning technologies, discoveries or ships that can then be replicated by entities
with the ability to undertake such a task. Often this is not the pirate vessel themselves,
but there would be many interested parties who would pay a hefty sum for such information.
The Federation patrols its own territory routinely and sends ships to monitor trade
routes while stations and outposts listen out for distress calls and document suspicious activity.
To this end, patrol patterns and ship placements are kept confidential to within
Starfleet crews to minimise the chances pirates can selectively evade detection,
but canny raiders can often watch and learn these patrol patterns, noting opportune moments to
strike a travelling merchant, or cargo vessel. Such opportunities included incidents where
the targeted ship would be unable to call for assistance, increasing Starfleet’s response time
(I say Starfleet for this example, but honestly any organisation with anti-piracy policies would
count). This means that a cargo vessel skirting too close to a communications hazard like a
radiation filled nebula risks being attacked and unable to call for help. Doubly so, as most
interference that blocks subspace communications also messes with sensors, making such areas
excellent ambush or hiding spots too. Attacking from such areas is ideal for a pirate attack as
they can also approach without being detected. Although for cargo ships to simply avoid such
areas is not always enough either, as often pirates can attack, employing a
jamming field of some description to dampen communications or simply targeting comms.
They would still have to find a way of approaching their quarry undetected however, as a travelling
cargo ship can signal for help and attempt to flee, sometimes successfully. Therefore another
method, especially for faster pirate ships, might be to eschew stealth in order to simply rush a
target if they know that they can complete their raid before their quarry receives aid.
Additionally, often piracy can take the form of scavengers who are the first to
the scene of a battle and immediately set about picking through the spoils,
maybe even looting and disposing of any survivors. All in all, these activities are the reason
Starfleet still arms its ships even in its golden age of exploration, and dedicates time into system
patrols and anti-piracy operations. Starfleet is seldom the target of pirates, but the shipping
lanes and colonies it watches over are, especially the further out you go from their core territory.
Additionally, Starfleet and the Federation at large have a self imposed obligation to
aid those in distress, Federation world or no, so frequently will clash with criminal behaviour in
the name of defence. When Starfleet itself is the target of a pirate attack, it is more often out of
panic on the pirate’s side, or a carefully planned operation that even then, will probably backfire.
Suffice to say, the age of piracy in Star Trek might come with that romanticised freedom that
the legends of sea-faring pirates incite, but it’s probably not worth the hassle of dealing
with the Federation. And besides, you can still claim a measure of that freedom by becoming an
independent ship owner yourself, or even a member of an organisation such as the Fenris Rangers,
who take it upon themselves to police and protect colonies from pirates too.
I intend to look into more of these underbelly or darker corners of Star Trek, so this was a
sort of primer for that topic, so let me know if you want to hear more, and any specifics to
cover. Until then, thanks for watching, I’ve been Ric and I’ll see you later. Goodbye!