Buckingham's Buccaneers
| Faction Information | |
| Played by Bubble Wrap in CYOH | |
The Forlorn March lies along the edge of the Empire’s territories, a vast nebulous expanse of dying stars and shattered worlds that seems uncharacteristic for this part of the galaxy. Nominally part of the Imperial domain, the march is for all real purposes governed from the former naval depot of Nova Mercia.
Nova Mercia and its subordinate worlds were settled when the march was first explored, with high hopes of finding mineral rich worlds in the mysterious expanse. The hopes were unfounded, however, and most of the fledgling colony worlds were soon abandoned to their fate by the houses who had sponsored them.
The march was soon all but forgotten, with only the occasional trade mission running through to Nova Mercia, and a small fleet of local traders struggling to maintain the surviving colonies. The naval base on Nova Mercia was used to base the local patrol fleet, and for hazardous space flight training, but otherwise remained a shadow of its former self, with much of its fleet mothballed.
The Antaran Succession crisis sparked a civil war with the Neo-Republicans seizing power in the regions around the march. The Nova Mercian admiral was a staunch traditionalist, and he led his fleet deep into the march to avoid the neo-republican war machine. Over the next decade, the admiral and his fleet became known as Buckingham’s Buccaneers, as they preyed on neo-republican supply lines and isolated outposts, contributing greatly to the collapse of the neo-republic and the end of the succession crisis. As a reward for his help, the admiral was made governor of the march, with his capital on Nova Mercia.
To this day, the Buccaneers have maintained their small domain, appearing out of nowhere to aid the empire when it is threatened before retreating back into the march. House ships straying into the march find themselves shadowed by sensor ghosts and stray signals, while ships without the backing of such powerful sponsors are as likely to find themselves boarded as they are welcomed.
Rumours persist that the buccaneers are linked to numerous pirate groups near the march that have come and gone over the years, but on the rare occasion that they are directly confronted about it, they deny any involvement, and from time to time the buccaneers will emerge from their hidden home to strike out at pirates bases, or rescue stricken ships.
Considered by successive emperor’s as a useful bulwark against anything that lies beyond the imperial border, the buccaneers’ sovereignty over the march remains undisputed to this day. While they are fickle allies to the houses, their loyalty to the empire itself has been proven time and time again.
