Space Pirates

Space Piracy is a classic theme of science fiction, but is there chance we'll see it in the future? We'll examine how it might develop in the next century around asteroid mining and how it might occur in the interstellar void as spaceships travel out to the wider galaxy.
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Credits:
Rogue Civilizations: Space Pirates
Episode 217, Season 5 E51
Written by:
Isaac Arthur
Editors:
Cooper de Ruiter
Darius Said
Jerry Guern
Keith Blockus
Matthew Acker
Matthew Campbell
S. Kopperud
Graphics:
Darth Biomech www.artstation...
Fishy Tree www.deviantart...
Jeremy Jozwik www.artstation...
Katie Byrne
LegionTech Studios
Sergio Botero www.artstation...
Produced & Narrated by:
Isaac Arthur
Music:
Miguel Johnson, "Pirates our for Blood" & "Time for War" / migueljohnsonmjmusic
Aerium, "Civilizations at the End of Time" / @officialaerium
Lombus, "Amino" & "Hydrogen Sonata" lombus.bandcam...

[@maan7715]

"In space, no one can hear you *Arrrr*" that was unexpected. Good start haha.

[@ArcherWarhound]

It made me snicker!

[@greypatch8855]

Haha I was laughing pretty hard

[@etherstar]

I didn't expect that. It caught me off guard lol!

[@DanteTorn]

Hearing the "arrrr" with Isaac's speech impediment is a sound I never thought I'd hear, but now I know what a pirate with a speech impediment would sound like. "LET NOBODY DARE MAKE FUN OF THE DREAD PIRATE ISSAC ARTHUR! We'll keelhaul you if you do, and trust me, it's way worse when it's a space ship." As a person with a mild pirate obsession, I salute thee, Dread Pirate Isaac Arthur. o7

[@andrewsallans589]

It's also a great slogan for a potential Tarantino movie XD

[@jengleheimerschmitt7941]

My takeaway: Get into space piracy before the detection grid is completed.

[@RainbowDevourer]

Heard about corruption? The most reliable thing about humans is their unreliableness :)

[@airnidzo]

@@RainbowDevourer On the money. Fucking humans

[@blackthorne-rose]

"People will trust a reliable criminal before they will trust a corrupt businessman..." --Jazz (Artemis by Andy Weir)

[@lillyanneserrelio2187]

Yep, we will be reminiscing about "the good old days" of early space piracy once detection and prevention technology catches up to space travel.

[@amehayami934]

No it won't be that easy. I think every one is forgetting exactly how big space is. (1) tell me on earth can you pick out Mars with your eyes? Well if you know where to look you can, but can you even tell if that was a planet? Can you see what is going on Mars? Like any dust storms? No? So anyone would believe you will be able to see engine exhaust? Space is huge all you need to do is hit, take over, jump to new location. By the time anyone gets there they will be long gone and won't even know which way they head there is also up and down, as if that means anything in space.

[@thebaccathatchews]

Most likely space piracy: "You wouldn't download a spaceship, you wouldn't download a fusion reactor, you wouldn't download a mass driver. Piracy is not a victimless crime."

[@ArcherWarhound]

He did mention hijacking data.

[@aspiringscientificjournali1505]

Lol i would totally download all of those

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

I thought the whole point was to have victims... to earn score.. loot is there anyways. Just kiddibg.. just came to me at the top of.my head I have literally spent less timenon it than tounhave so far. GL hf Love .edit.. From my pirating days at least Rep not score was nr1.. all else was less inportant... when you realize you have built your whole life outlook around a hormonic splurt that turned out to be... etc.etc during strange times.

[@aspiringscientificjournali1505]

@@gumunduringigumundsson9344 you clearly into the kinky stuff..... Call me lol

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

@@aspiringscientificjournali1505 I am within the confines of common sense.. married.. but exiled from.. cuz ppl are strange.. you know. I am totally able to teach humans what good.... thanks, but I will not. Send me a msg on one of my vids hehe. Ask me anything your.are welcome to. 🖖🧙‍♂️🐸🧙‍♀️👍 Well.. teach and teach.. i dont know any better than the rest of humanity . Best teacher I had was always in a good mood and was 50 looked 35 and did pushups on his thumbs and tried to tech me to breathe hahaha

[@cluckeryduckery261]

I just heard Isaac Arthur say "exotic booty." Welp, that completes the ol bucket list.

[@pougetguillaume4632]

Isaac: hide the booty My 5 year old brain: _uncontrolable giggle_

[@lilsammich8252]

I want exotic booty.

[@cecollins68]

Heh heh

[@EddyA1337]

The first ten seconds of this was the best. I love Isaac saying, " in space nobody can hear you ARRRRRGGGG". Hell ya Isaac. Thanks for putting out two videos a week for us man! You rock!

[@theCodyReeder]

Time to crush all my preconceptions on the topic. Yay!

[@UNSCPILOT]

Always good to see Cody in the comments!

[@curvy4655]

Of course Cody's here, he's preparing for when those coyotes turn to piracy and try raid the base!

[@mikedrop4421]

I just want to thank you for mentioning Isaac's channel several years ago when you mentioned it was part of your Thursday routine. I subbed that day and binged his catalog and now listen to this channel to help me fall asleep

[@over7532]

You sir, are a goddamn delight! I hope you have a great day

[@lilsammich8252]

Arhh says the pirate.

[@alexandernorman5337]

You see, Isaac, FIRST you build the Paperclip Maximizer - the AI that values paperclips over everything else. THEN you pirate away the paperclips and hold them for ransom!

[@judgeomega]

it was on that day that the great ai paper maximizer decided letting humans live was not a good strategy

[@s0ulshot]

@@judgeomega it can use those pirates actions to justify anti terror military campaigns on some unfortunate worlds.

[@blackadder564]

And you demand 1 BILLION paperclips as a ransom.

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

Captain! The ship be ours, but the hold be filled with naught but Devientart posts and the odd Harry Potter Fanfiction! Argh! Foiled again by Sturgeon's Law!

[@rizzorepulsive7704]

this is how space pirates turn into space inquisitors purging the universe of degeneracy

[@dropdead234]

"99% Of Anything Is Crap."

[@classarank7youtubeherokeyb63]

"Captain, what are these boxes labeled "fursonas?" "EVACUATE THE SHIP!"

[@mikehel4533]

Derp Eaters??

[@tonyoliver4920]

Space piracy: 3D printing your ship without appropriate licence

[@daltoncook209]

Tony Oliver oi you got a loisence for that ship?

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Steal a few cows eyballs and and butt holes to make authentic hot dog recipe... Get labelled a pirate:(

[@Karthik-pn2yj]

steal the license too

[@marlonlacert8133]

Future Space Pirates, might be some lone person sitting at a desk, waiting to intercept a data transmission.

[@Esoteric_5075ism]

Piracy is probably the only situation where ramming your enemy is a good strategy

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Huh, I hadn't thought of that, interesting notion

[@ShadeThe777]

Captain Herlock approves this idea

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Risky move in space, though likey effective if the ship can handle it.

[@jasonbelstone3427]

Thats how Animorphs started and ended, funny enough.

[@VainerCactus0]

What if you're an ancient Greek Trireme?

[@kevinscott7292]

3:50 Someday, somebody's going to splice together a bunch of out-of-context phrases and it's going to culminate with "Exotic Booty"

[@jasonbelstone3427]

Issac Arthur, broadcast no context.

[@rsaunders57]

If you start to put anti-piracy telescopes in Belter shipping lanes you're just encouraging "ship" pirates to switch to being "anti-piracy telescope" pirates.

[@hyperdude144]

Dark ball-bearings made of plastic + 10+ km/s velocity = Shredded telescope dish.

[@zrebbesh]

It's a 'tragedy of the commons' situation for the pirates. Attacking the telescopes would work to their common good, but attacking telescopes instead of ships means negative profit for the individual pirate that does it. So unless the pirates are a cartel willing to compensate the attackers accordingly, it won't happen.

[@daveice20]

@@zrebbesh No one needs to "attack" the telescope.. they simply go from selling relatively low-tech stolen freighters to selling brand new high-tech stolen military telescopes with military hardware lmao

[@rarepepe1572]

@@daveice20 Also generally people get paid off in these scenarios, you'll never not be able to pay someone off.

[@aserta]

All you'd need is a powerful laser to kill all those super fine grade telescopes. I mean, a cheapo tattoo removing laser off fleaBay can decimate a CCD with stray paths and reflective paths, in space, they could drop laser spheres and kill all kinds of surveillance.

[@patrickgrassey2290]

"In space, nobody can hear you yarrrrrrr." 🤣 classic

[@TheExoplanetsChannel]

Great video. I would love to watch a movie like "Pirates of the Caribbean", but in space.

[@fanOmry]

Magic or Hard known science?

[@tariqahmad1371]

Do mean pirates of the belt?

[@bucko9423]

@@fanOmry Pirates of the Jovian.

[@tariqahmad1371]

@_Unknown13_ ahhh, good times

[@tariqahmad1371]

What about Harlock and his pirate ship Arcadia

[@MrLulzack]

I don't know if I feel safe knowing Isaac had been turning his brainpower toward contemplating criminal enterprise

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Agreed

[@paxdriver]

"in space, no one can hear you 'argh!' " lol I love Arthursdays. Big ups

[@cptbutt3571]

Arthursday, my new favorite day.

[@SpecialEDy]

Happy Arrr-thursday!

[@theghostofpatrickhenry4516]

Since I am already a ghost space piracy is most certainly my future career path.

[@hamentaschen]

Merry Christmas Mr. Authur! Thank you for all that you do.

[@zs9652]

Thanks for having a consistent schedule, Isaac. Always look forward to these each Thursday.

[@MrRyanroberson1]

with all these words containing "r", it's easy to hear how much progress you've made on that specific sound. it's... normal, now.

[@markwatney4989]

First space pirate. First discovering of dirt on mars. First left alone on mars. First mars potato farmer. In your face, Neil Armstrong.

[@ghrey8282]

What a nice way to spend the morning of my birthday! Thank you!

[@JB52520]

Happy birthday!

[@hunam1464]

Isaac’s AAARRRR is a bit like Malcolm’s laugh in Jurassic Park. And it’s glorious.

[@allanroberts7129]

Happy Arrrrthursday and Have a Merry Christmas

[@albertjackinson]

0:10 *Stellar* one-liner!

[@ferpineda5022]

Finally I was looking for this episode to pop up

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Us too :)

[@AnrachPlays]

I really like the museum thing. It would be interesting to see not just a shipping of exhibits between interstellar museums, but actual wandering museums. Massive ships traveling between the stars to show off the natural wonders and artistic masterpieces of their civilization for all to bask in their cultural glory. Perhaps there would even be similar university ships wandering between star systems, sharing knowledge and receiving it in turn like scholastic nomads. It could even become a common phenomenon, with each dyson-civilization sending out their own cultural and scholastic treasure fleets, and privateers preying on them not necessarily to score a pay day but to diminish the perceived cultural dominance of rival civilizations.

[@thedoruk6324]

That's *the* reason why you should protect your *Hyperlanes* and Trade Routes at all costs

[@angelkitty11]

He flexed his R!!!

[@wolf359loki]

Have you ever considered writing a simulation video game based on your videos here? Like a SIM style where you can play a person, small group or an empire building race?

[@Netseer2000]

This would have been funnier on September 19, International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This topic is making me want to find and re-read my copy of my departed friend CJ Henderson's book Space Pirates

[@Roxor128]

Look on the bright side: He did at least manage a release on the 19th of _some_ month! Pity, though. The 19th of September 2019 _was_ a Thursday, so it would have been a great opportunity if he could have managed it.

[@jurianvanderknaap]

Did everyone miss “on this arrrrr-thurs day”? :)

[@mikelastname6469]

Jurian van der Knaap I heard it but didn’t understand it until I read your comment like five times! Good ear! (Or good arrrrr....)

[@elliotlea5457]

That shit was GREAT

[@spoonikle]

I heard awwwuuuthursday

[@stevenumerator]

Well, shiver me timbers, Cap’n Isaac ARRRRthur, ye son-of-a-railgun! After hearin’ such a well spoke cinematic reference christen the launch of this video, I’d wager there’s nary a scurvier spacedog than ye. Smooth light sailin’ to ye an’ yer crew this holiday season!

[@seanvolk4202]

3:48 ...”carrying such exotic booty”...yes, yes, YESS

[@suthinanahkist2521]

In space, no-one can hear you break the law!

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Laws... lol

[@Starbat88]

No. But they can see you. No stealth in space.

[@spacepope69]

And when you said parrot, somehow I was reminded of the 'The Pirate Planet' episode of Dr Who

[@jonathanhensley6141]

Another awesome video and love to see a movie based of space pirate that is similar to what was discussed here. Only issac can make pirating fun lol.

[@jeffersonian000]

Just a small correction, but all precious metals have a providence, which is from the trace elements found where the precious metals are extracted. These elements form a fingerprint that not only locates the origin, but also sets the chain of ownership. It’s extremely difficult to get away with theft of industrial grade precious metals, which is what you would have being shipped from sources in space.

[@geordiejones5618]

You and your team as well as the channel Cool Worlds have been such a great resource for improving my own worldbuilding and narrative schematics. If I can ever get my epic cycle published you guys deserve so much credit.

[@cannonfodder4376]

On second read/listen through of the entire Honorverse series. Truly a cut above others due to the reasons you listed Isaac. It has become a new favorite of mine. Another fantastic episode as always Isaac. I very much look forward to the next ones and wish you all a Merry Christmas.

[@mradminus]

Just want to wish Isaac Arthur a Merry Christmas, I love your videos!

[@skrv8588]

"In space, no one can hear you ARRRRRR." -Isaac, 2019

[@TorMatthews]

This is a moment that will go down in history

[@everydaydroneguy371]

Oh my God! I have never laughed out loud at Isaac but that was hysterical!

[@AEHTSCH]

Baltalowa nois pirat!

[@TomatoTerminator]

I remember a novel (not the name) where the pirates rob rare materials by hacking orbital drop stations and nudge the math a little, so the valuable stuff lands in wrong location where they can be looted.

[@lilithstardust7359]

the next sci-fi movie about faster than light travel better have "ambush by time travel" as a fight scene dammit

[@DescendantSaga]

20 seconds in, best episode ever.

[@LukaszStafiniak]

Excited about the next episode! Imagine a protocol for interstellar communication where you digitally reinstate your attention (consciousness) with the content of the previous interaction as you react to a response.

[@mikeupton5406]

Fireflies, "today we're going to do crime".... .

[@ericvandet8517]

your pictures of David Weber's Honorverse paperbacks looks just like mine - creases and all...must be your personal set.

[@zell9058]

SFIA coffee and Christmas cookies. How could it get any better... SPACE PIRATES!!!🏴‍☠️🚀

[@crysanthiumvega]

That was 100% your best intro.

[@zeljkoradojkovic6159]

I only have one thing to say. Rocinante was a legitimate salvage

[@unintentionallydramatic]

I gotta disagree with you on privateers somewhat. They were essential in North and South American Independence from colonialism. See: "Public goods and private solutions in maritime history" by Larry Sechrest.

[@Eastmarch2]

“Gold has no provenance” “Every hand turned against you save those so stained” It’s like a poet helped you write this script. Did anyone else notice the slightly more lyrical wording this week? I greatly enjoyed it to be sure.

[@mickidawop414]

Isaac, I have noticed that my coffee tastes better when drinking it from my SFIA coffee cup. Has there been any research done concerning this delightful phenomenon?

[@BobbyCoggins]

Happy ArThursday!

[@BuckeyeStormsProductions]

Happy ArrrrrrThursday.

[@barrybend7189]

Captain Harlock stares menacingly.

[@shermanbrown419]

I knew you would make this reference.

[@Raziel-mq3fn]

Hey Artur, I listen to your videos every night before I fall asleep. Thank you so much for all the high quality content you made for us. And I also noticed you mention your speech impediment in various videos, we are not bothered by it at all and neither should you.

[@brooklyn560]

RIP Klaes Ashford

[@brianmessemer2973]

brooklyn560 Too soon 😢

[@kirahawkins3931]

ICE PIRATES is the ultimate space pirate movie.. Chessy gold!

[@djc4799]

Fitting short song - Carmen Miranda's Ghost - "Dawson's Christian"

[@djc4799]

@BBB H kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWSXl4akf7ODY5Y

[@djc4799]

@BBB H kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWTJeqhohMmKpJo

[@SuperGamefreak18]

My friend I love how this video came out after I've learned we're gonna be space pirates for a rp session...this video has given me some fun ideas. Like the parrot program, be very useful idea for my mechanic character lol.

[@woodrowsmith8333]

As always, been looking forward to this.

[@TheJosep70]

In the future, space pirates will ride moon rovers.

[@spacepiratecaptainrush1237]

I'm an old school Captain Harlock fan. kind of like space Captain Nemo without most of the tragic flaws (depending on the version) Acts of Piracy against an oppressive occupying force.

[@lilahdog568]

Anyone else remember the isaac Arthur video about aliens teleporting down into a museum and stealing paintings? That's the way of the space pirate. You arrrr a pirate. Lol

[@frankjones4804]

Grab your rum and your plasma blade's! We strike in the void! Aye!

[@aufowithwificoverage3328]

We can confirm, indeed there are a lot of Space Pirates

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Agreed. Quite common among the reptilian empire's star systems. Where the wealth imbalances arrrr so absurd

[@CN-wt2bj]

More butt pirates in the comments section.

[@garetclaborn]

@@CN-wt2bj doesn't count if they are only pirates around uranus, we're talking about full on space here gah

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

...and Zombies? :'(

[@PerfectAlibi1]

Space vampires. :P

[@PerfectAlibi1]

@@sebastianstark3224 No just space vampires. e.g. the Wraith from the Stargate universe ^^'

[@crysanthiumvega]

That game is great.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

@@crysanthiumvega Game?

[@crysanthiumvega]

@@PerfectAlibi1 he's referencing a game called Space, Pirates, and Zombies. It's a lighthearted top-down spaceship shooter in which you travel around a randomized galaxy, collecting parts to attach and detach to your spaceship at will. The game has an insane amount of customizability. I kept my explanation a little generic, I dunno how much you know about video games, but it's a ton of fun, if you wanted to pick it up.

[@ProperLogicalDebate]

Oil can be tracked by trace elements in it. The same can probably be said about other cargoes that the authorities are suspicious of.

[@aspiringscientificjournali1505]

Yrs and this is done for diamonds and cobalt

[@edwinpeterson9983]

Bodacious Space Pirates, anyone? Especially the part where the pirates are part of space cruise entertainment.

[@DavidKutzler]

At 2:54 I immediately thought about Fred Saberhagen's short story "Patron of the Arts," from his Berserker series. In the story, a space ship is fleeing the Earth carrying culturally-significant art works away from Earth in an attempt to preserve the cultural heritage of Earth in the face of a Berserker attack on Earth, when it is captured by Berserker "pirates."

[@quazar5017]

Funny to think of Time-Piracy. 1. They know of a cargo delivery, that took place. 2. They go back in time to steal all the stuff. 3. They find the cargo vessel already robbed by another version of themself from the future, where they travelled further back in time, because of this very incident.

[@mikelastname6469]

Good timing! I just listened to Revenger, and I am now on Shadow Captain, both by Alastair Reynolds. Fascinating topic! Anyone who is curious, they are some of Reynolds’s best works. Very good episode, as usual! Thank you to you and your team, and Merry Christmas!

[@alexv3357]

I've spent the last week thinking about space piracy and its practicality, this is a perfect source of ideas for my sci fi campaign

[@TurnipStewdios]

I would pay good money for an SFIA tshirt that says "In space, no one can hear you Arrrrg"

[@sharkylpd4]

Coffee and a snack. Ready to learn thank you sir.

[@revenevan11]

19:23 "The Oort cloud is your best bet for long term *ice*-o-lation" 🤣

[@SquirrelASMR]

Hahaha

[@plexibreath]

The Crimson Permanent Assurance goes to space!

[@ryantwombly720]

I went to a sci-fi con that had David Weber as feature guest. One of the Honorverse co-authors talked about working with him to overcome the impossibility of losing track of a ship that had to be marooned for the plot to kick off. The circumstances had to be just right, with just the right sequence of flukes, but it was so detailed it sounded believable to anyone who has encountered Murphy’s Law.

[@scifience8297]

Please do a video on Brachistochrone trajectories and a 1G rocket

[@captainjacksparrow7116]

Oh yeah, it’s all coming together.

[@zs9652]

@Dan Nguyen But she is just the bounty hunter, Ridley is the real pirate XD.

[@zs9652]

@Dan Nguyen Real space pirates. Experience is important.

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Came together a while ago, where you been?

[@captainjacksparrow7116]

A_Mad_Khajiit aye

[@captainjacksparrow7116]

United Space Pirates Cuba

[@shawnmckernan2277]

I used to be a space pirate. Got a cloaking device for my Kestrel. Used to raid the Capella system and disable and board luxury liners for luxury goods.

[@onanthebarbarian4842]

I've been told Honor Harrington was basically just line battles in space. Maybe it warrants another look. I do like her cat.

[@earnestbrown6524]

Funny story. I got Honor Among Enemies first because the paperback had a cool page flip animation of a ship blowing up. Started reading and was a little lost. Flipped to the front a saw that it was book 6. Had to wait till the next day to go back to the book store to get the others. Really love this series of books. All 20+ of them.

[@bongo990]

I am high and saw this video as a suggestion. The title "Space Pirates" omg. The nerd inside me was aroused.

[@keithbyrne1]

Snap

[@unitedspacepirates9075]

Only law we believe in is the law of attraction.

[@joanevans9508]

I love the Japanese anima "Bodacious Space Pirates". The title song made it into the Japanese Top 10. The 16yo heroine inherits the right to be a "Space Pirate" when her father, who she never met, dies. It's all about electronic warfare and giving the customer a good show while keeping the insurance companies happy. Well worth a look if you enjoy that sort of thing. (And there's a followup movie).

[@VanessaFlyhight]

My take away, star forts are coming back and in a big way!

[@TeddSpeck]

Its just too excellent that Issac (Rhotacism) just went for it, saying, “arrr.” Just do it! 😀

[@user-ko3vg7fc7o]

Very unexpectedly informative! I really appreciate the depth you went to on a subject that most wouldnt take seriously. Your research must have been exhaustive!! This was a terrific video and extremely well d9ne!! I applaud you my friend....well done indeed! Seriously this video was better done than ANY documentary I e ever seen on discovery!! I am shocked and blown away by your effort! Thank you very much!!

[@warren286]

I don't know if you have already, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the concept of negative matter.

[@ryantaylor1142]

Event horizons w john Michael did that interview with him it was a general interview but he covered it

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

Corsair and the Starjammers is what I automatically think of when I think of space pirates.

[@amfinc2]

Rogue Traders!

[@3698sch]

Just as an extra thing about piracy, which would have an interesting effect in space age. There are several instances where piracy is a side effect of the monopolization of force by empires. The use of force, or the possession of weapons/warmaterial tend to be forbidden by the rulers of the empire, as they would be weary of having to be ready to put down rebelling provinces or populations. However, often they are not able to maintain a peaceforce everywhere. Therefore, In the areas where they are not present, there is no defense against piracy. Those areas are prone to piracy, as they tend to have populations not very well off in the first place. They might be tempted to raid ships crossing their area, as they have no stake in the wellbeing of the empire and have nothing to fear from the same empire. Local populations suffering from this activity can not do anything against it, as they are simple not allowed to and their weaponry has been taken away. Historically, the eastern Mediteranean under the late Roman republic suffered from piracy for exactly this reason. Not so long ago the rise of piracy in the area of Somalia could only pop up, because the UN and Nato would not allow effective defenses being built up in these areas, for concerns about nearly constant local warfare. The Dutch East Indies together with the British empire in South-east Asia triggered piracy in the area of malaya. There are more examples of this. In Space-empires, where the distances could be so vast that an adequate reaction time on criminal behavior might not be possible even within a lifespan of individuals, piracy would virtually go unpunished. Expect piracy to be a constant issue in space-empires. Books written by Jack Vance on the subject are not so far from what could actually happen. (The Demon Princes)

[@starbomber]

16:48 Ahhh the good ol flip&gank. As an avid follower of EvE online the idea of holding a cargo pod ransom resonates with me. See, like you mentioned, raw materiel usually isn't worth much. But, if that mining ship has a person onboard, and you have a bomb strapped to their hull, you're essentially asking them "how much is your life worth". It's a dangerous game for both sides, because the pirate doesn't want to blow up the miner really, even if he salvaged the raw materiel, it wouldn't be worth nearly as much as the ransom, but for the miner it becomes about principle, do you pay the bribe and get pirated again and again, or do you say no, try to fight, and discourage future pirate attempts? It becomes an immensely more complex question when there are more people involved. The captain of a passenger liner doesn't have to worry about just his own life or his crew, all the passenger's lives are in his hands.

[@sporegnosis]

Time travel and piracy... reminds me of time bandits!

[@kevincrady2831]

@Dan Nguyen Let me steal this moment from you now...

[@mennovanlavieren3885]

@@kevincrady2831 Let me steal it back... With interest!

[@Soulcatcher30]

'Exotic booty' reminds me of Tachyon the Fringe game, where they have space ships transporting ceiling/roof of the Sistine Chapel and you need to steal it.

[@Hambie76]

Awesome mention for David Weber! I love the way he writes a battle scene. He does tend to recycle characters between different series, but it's a quirk.