EMPIRE TIMES
]A Pirate Turned Patriot.
Mark Takahashi Senior Correspondent
2183-9-27 17:00
In a daring raid earlier in March of this year, UA forces under the Command of Captain James R. Blackbriar of the USS Tau, defeated and captured the Derrick class pirate ship Manatee. The ship was originally an asteroid mining vessel, however its crew turned pirate in protest of poor payment from NanoTrans industries. NanoTrans refused comment on the matter at the time and continues to do so. The Mining platform turned pirate ship Manatee, claimed the lives of hundreds of colonists and cost multiple companies billions in property damage to various stations and cargo ships. Now after much bureaucratic push-back and heavy retrofitting, the Manatee has found new life as the USS: Black Gold.
Captain Blackbriar after capturing the ship, insisted on being given commission of the ship as his own, and even footed the several million dollar bill for retrofitting from his own pocket. The admiralty only gave in begrudgingly after the loss of the USS Paladin to CLF terrorists in June. Captain Blackbriar, when asked why he insisted so heavily on being commissioned the ship said this: "Well, I grew up in Alaska and my father worked the oil fields up there, and honestly, it just felt like a little peace of home. This old girl has some good bones and I'm sure she'll be happier serving on the front lines protecting the freedom of the colonies, and bringing infrastructure aid where its needed " The USS: Black Gold will be entering service by the end of the month and is expected to patrol the Herculis Sector of Tychon's rift for the foreseeable future.
Pictured Below, the USS: Black Gold 's Medallion