Journeys of the Shepherd

Chapter 22: Death Of A Pirate

''On the 22nd of August a task force under the command of Commodore Sergei Grischenkov and supervised by Admiral Theodore Urachenkov of the People's Space Navy conducted an operation that led to the capture of Cormack Hamilton, a pirate responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Union sailors.

''The Navy decided to act upon reports of Mr. Hamilton being located at an undisclosed location, following an engagement that led to the destruction of both Hamilton's vessel, the Space Shepherd; and the interceptor PSNV Zaschitnikov; the death of her commander, the honorable Commodore Ivan Dahler; and the death of 143 officers and crew members.

''Forces of the Naval Infantry moved on Mr. Hamilton position, a hijacked vessel, in the early evening. Though a large amount of gun fire was exchanged, the Naval Infantry was successful in capturing Mr. Hamilton and three of his associates unharmed. Unfortunately, three Naval Infantrymen and one of Mr. Hamilton's associates were killed in action.

''The reign of terror of Cormack Hamilton and his band of pirates lasted for over three decades. For years, he terrorized the local populations of small planets and moons in the Zone that were unable to defend themselves. For years, he raided numerous merchant vessels, killing hundreds of sailors. And for years, he went unpunished.

''But no longer. Today, September the 4th, will be the day that Cormack Hamilton and his associates will finally stand trial. I have absolute confidence in the Naval Tribune, and I can promise the people of our Union that Cormack Hamilton will face justice.

''The capture of Cormack Hamilton marks a new era, but even in this time of celebration, we should not delude ourselves. There is still a great deal of progress to be made in our struggle against piracy.

''Cormack Hamilton is one of the last of his kind, but there are still too many criminals like him who continue to commit atrocities and who continue to roam freely. It is true, piracy is not as rampant as it once was, and it has seen a dramatic decline in recent months; but there is still work that needs to be done. If we ever wish to see prosperity return to the Zone, and see our dream of a united universe fulfilled, piracy must be eradicated in its entirety.

''Because of this, the Council of the People's Space Navy has decided to increase military activity in the Zone, in an effort to combat this menace. Over the next eight months, four counter-piracy task forces will be deployed to patrol shipping lanes and actively hunt down pirate vessels. The Council is also investigating possibilities of deploying armed security guards on merchant vessels.

''All of our efforts would have been futile, had it not been for the dedication of the service members of the Navy. The capture of Cormack Hamilton is a tribute to all the sailors who served, fought, and died in the war against piracy and for a brighter future. A future without piracy.

''May the People's Space Union prosper.

''Thank you.''

A deafening applause erupted on Citadel Square as Chancellor Konstantin Vasilyev ended his speech. The Admiral stood next to the Chancellor on the stage, glaring at the cheering crowd with a satisfied grin on his face.

Captain Hamilton, Luke and Ash were watching the scene at the Square on a television screen that hung overhead in the mess hall of Gao Detention Centre.

''Christ,'' Ash mumbled, ''how many folks are there, do you think?''

''Several hundred thousand, at least.'' the Captain said.

''I can't believe that many people would show up just to watch that guy give a speech.''  Ash said.

''Well, Chancellor Vasilyev is the head of the Union after all.'' the Captain mumbled.