Pirates' Bane

The Pirates' BaneIn the book both the spelling Pirates' Bane and Pirate's Bane are used, in fact, Pirate's Bane is even used more often than Pirates' Bane. However, when the ship is introduced and its name given for the first time, it is spelled Pirates' Bane. was a former Imperial Andermani Navy Vogel-class armed collier which later was privately owned by Captain Thomas Bachfisch and operated in Silesian space under his command.
== History ==
The ship was built by the later defunct Gopfert Yard in the New Berlin System around the middle of the 18th Century PD. After sixty years in service, its inertial compensator broke and the Imperial Navy listed it for disposal and finally sold the ship to Thomas Bachfisch, who re-christened her the Pirates' Bane.
Bachfisch already owned the armed merchant ship Ambuscade, which was, thanks to support by the RMN's Office of Naval Intelligence, more heavily armed than the average freighter. When Bachfisch purchased the Bane he updated and upgraded her original armament, including 80-centimeter-grasers. Also counting the already military-grade inertial compensator, impellers, particle shields and sidewall generators, Pirates' Bane became somewhat more a heavy cruiser-level Q-ship than a normal freighter. Therefore the ship was able to destroy every pirate which tried to attack it. To operate these armed ships in Silesian space, Bachfisch managed to get warrants as naval auxiliary of the Silesian Confederate Navy for both the Bane and the Ambuscade, but both ships were never called upon in Silesian naval capacity.
The Bane was severely damaged in 1919 PD when she got involved in a fight with the Havenite destroyer RHNS Hecate she was shadowing on its way from Osiris in the Horus System to discover the location of the Republic of Haven Navy's Second Fleet. Eleven crewmen died, while nineteen more, including Bachfisch, were wounded. However, Pirates' Bane managed to not only to destroy Hecate but also return to Sidemore to deliver her findings to Admiral Honor Harrington. In return, Harrington had the Bane repaired by the Marsh System's naval yards at no charge. ()
== Known crewmembers ==
The Pirates' Bane's crew included people hailing from Silesia, Manticore, the Andermani Empire, the Solarian League and even the People's Republic of Haven.
* Captain Thomas Bachfisch – Master (Commanding Officer)
* Commander Jinchu Gruber – Executive Officer
* Roberta Hairston – Tactical Officer
* Lieutenant Ferguson – electronics specialist
* Larry – Astrogator
== References ==
Category:Freighters
Category:Q-ships