The Independent Cloud Corsairs are a currently stateless faction of pirates and raiders, living outside Conglomerate controlled space. Known by settlers in far off colonies and space installations as “the confederation”, having heard the term, when raiding parties came to take material or to “rescue” deserted pilots or crew, once they abandoned their superiors or overthrew their captains. In recent years their presence grew along the border of patrolled space, along with the frequency of incoming raiding parties to the most remote space installations, so much so that they are just as frequent as Conglomerate convoys.
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Etymology
The organizations name is a reference to the light green gas clouds floating through most of STC space. It is supposed to represent their dominion of the whole region, as they managed to capture and secure most of the early Conglomerate's space ship construction capabilities and also have been founded a year earlier than the modern STC state.
History
The organization was founded in the wake of a feminist revolt in 3264, protesting the antiquated role models present in large parts of Dalaran society at the time. During this revolt, a militant group under the lead of Flora Sunderlaas stole a military corvette and stormed the orbital shipyard in the Dustcrown system. With several newly built freighters at the shipyard, still awaiting their crews, the group then clamped the ships back to the shipyards structure and moved the shipyard itself outside of the solar system.
With this base as headquarters they started to attack and raid Dustcrown and the colony Dalarnas’ End for several years until the government of Dustcrown was able to rebuild a shipyard and start producing repurposed freighters to fight back and protect the trade routes as well as the planets itself.
From this time on the tactic of the organization had shifted towards smaller operations and guerilla tactics against trade routes and distant military installations, as well as propagandistic influence and sabotage.
The chaotic expansion and colonization attempts in 3295 brought an intermediate change to their general doctrine as they saw the opportunity to gain major influence and rival the Star Trading Conglomerate as is was their main enemy since their founding. Their time as a political power lasted for roughly 25 years in which their progressive but sometimes not very refined governing and self-governing concepts where used to form the Republic of the Corsairan Households. The Republic went through three major structural development phases, with the first two occuring during the 25 year tenure of the Grand Mother at the time and the third being the splitting of the Republic into two independent nations, namely the Corsairian Households of the Northern Expanse and the Corsairian Households of the Southern Expanse. What happened to them after communications fell silent in 3321 is unclear, as the regions have not been explored further after the termini points were mined by the ICC navy at this time.
Recent Developments
It is said that the faction has great contacts with the Sharaadi migrant fleets, as Sharaadi ships have been seen serving in cloud corsair raiding parties going as far back as 3295. Inofficial reports of secret treaties between the Conglomerate government and the Corsair grand mothers go back as far as the formation of the two parties itself. That supposedly brought the first major peacetime in the early days of the Conglomerate allowing both factions to rebuilt and somewhat prosper on their own. In the last years however, the rising hostility between them let speculations run wild what might have happened in the shadows to cause turmoil after the relatively peaceful situation between the factions, that had lasted for almost a hundred years since the last major conflict ended in 3321.
Structure
Very little is known about the organizational structure of the ICC, as most attempts to get a high ranking mole into the system has not been successful so far. Although it is known that a very decentralized hierarchy exists throughout the faction, perhaps bound to individual ships or fleets.
On top of all sits the Grand Mother - as far as is that could be confirmed - delegating all operations from their main station and shipyard. Where this station is located, if it is still the first shipyard the ICC acquired from the STC or if it is even a station at all can not be confirmed.
Participants
Two names come up, when talking about associates that the ICC works with in a more or less constant manner. The Migrant Fleets of Sharaad - or at least a subgroup within - and the so called Confederation.
While the numerous specific operations of each fleet of the great and lesser houses of Sharaad are usually only known to the fleets themselves, it has been confirmed that the ICC had at least intensive trade relations with them. How far they go is unknown, the Sharaadi have sold them ships however, indicating an extensive trade or exchange network between the two groups. Official spokespersons of the local house of Buliir are unwilling or incapable of commenting any connections.
Even less known is about the "Confederation". References about their existence can only be found in symbols on stations and crates in the border regions of Conglomerate space. Witnesses usually report they only get visits from independent merchants and the occasional, only barely masked ICC ship, travelling through or conducting basic business. If the Confederation is only a rebranding attempt or a subgroup gaining influence within the ICC is unknown.
Objectives
Official statements from the founding years of the organization and their actions during the last big conflict from 3295 to 3321 show the main goal to be the eradication of the STC any replacing it with a "free society" unbound by "oppressive elements" and "total egality in every aspect through a cleansing fire". If these goals and ideals are still present in the organization in recent years is unclear. The militant feminist revolt group that formed the first Cloud Corsairs is largely believed to have dissappeared, as dissidents leaving the group over the years have stated. If the growing presence of the Confederation subgroup also comes with a change in goals and ideals is unknown, although raiding parties usually only feature signs of the ICC.
Operations
Most activities noticed in wider society concentrate around raiding military supply convoys or merchant ships trying to cut costs by flying without support or through sparsely patrolled regions. As the raids usually only target specific wares though, often ignoring other and potentionally more valuable goods, it is widely believed that these efforts function as propaganda and to test weaknesses and strengths of the STC navy.
Their extensive area of operation and divers fleet compositions point towards wide variety and large number of activities. Unofficial sources and anecdotes say that indepentent merchants, especially in less frequented areas often have ties to the ICC either conducting business for the ICC, pay protection or are otherwise connected to them. The usage of sharaadi technology also suggests that they trade with the migrant fleets.
It is also likely that organizational and administrative work is part of their operations, as they are suspected to secretly run several habitat stations and smaller trade hubs.
Funding
As the ICCs operations are just partially known to their fullest extend, a complete account of all income sources is hardly possible. It can be estimated though that major sources are protection services, trading on black markets and the selling of stolen high valuable goods.
Criticisms
As a military organization in direct opposition to an established government specialized on practices outside the usual legal boundaries, even their existence is naturally widely critized in STC society. Raids and public appearances of the group are usually followed by extensive media reports painting the most dangerous picture possible. Even legal operations being able to linked back to them are used to critize them as destructive and hurtful.