The Battle for the Galapagos

The first settlers of the Galapagos, early January 2028

## Quote

"*These so called Pirates of the Galapagos think themselves so mighty, building wooden hovels and potato farms on what is rightfully, our land! The people of Columbia will not stand for such a haughty incursion. They use the idea of freedom and change to blind us from the fact that they are thieves and rapists! They eat potatoes every day, smoke barrels of cocaine and marijuana, shit publicly in the docks of their beloved port, and call their life a good one! I say its about time we reclaim what is our land and teach these scoundrels a lesson*!" - Jualisco Franco, a Right Wing Columbian activist, 2028

## Overview

It is not clear when Duncan Heyward decided to start a pirate colony in the Galapagos Islands. Some say that he was given a divine vision from the Goddess of the sea herself, and some say that he was just high on a combination of mushrooms, cocaine, and marijuana. Regardless of what happened, Duncan Heyward successfully led 2,000 future inhabitants of the Galapagos across the seas and onto the main island Isabela, where the colony was to be built. This sparked outrage from the Columbian government, who had spent half a year evacuating and fixing a nuclear power plant that had prematurely exploded (albeit Duncan Heyward was the one who funded for the construction of this plant, and was also the cause of its exploson). However, assuming that the inhabitants would not be able to sustain such a large population on a desolate land, the government deemed that no immediate action was to be taken as they would likely be driven out by hunger or anarchy within a month.

Half a year passed, and the colony was prospering. Becoming self declared "Pirates of the Galapagos," they promoted the idea of freedom and a new way of life, causing the colony to grow from 2,000 people to almost 10,000 within this time. Fundamentally a rejection of modern life, old fashioned architecture was prominent, along with taverns, markets, fisheries, and ports. Some modern amenities persisted though, such as toilets, fridges, and drink dispensers, but other objects such as computers, televisions and phones were generally discouraged and looked down upon, albeit not forbidden. Radio was considered acceptable and was very common. The reason for this growth was due to Duncan Heyward's introduction of the Blue Finned Galapagos Salmon, which could reproduce and grow abnormally fast, and the Galapagos Potato which was purple in color and very savory.

By this time in early June, the Colombian government made a formal declaration that the presence of the Galapagos pirates were unacceptable, and that force will be used if the inhabitants did not accept an ultimatum to leave the island. Although many did flee, about 4,000 individuals still remained, bound in their love for this new way of life. They ultimately rejected the ultimatum, and by June 5th, 2028, both sides prepared for an inevitable battle. Although resolute in their defense, the people of the Galapagos relied on Duncan Heyward to act as their leader, who had become almost a thing of legend to the inhabitants of the Galapagos. Heyward assured them he himself, will do his part, and ordered the construction of trenches and the general destruction of infrastructure around the island. As for the Colombians, the entirety of their navy would be sent to bombard the island, along with close air support, and ultimately a naval invasion would commence in which would seize the main Galapagos colony and effectively conquer it. Although the United Nations condemned such a show of force, the Colombian government ignored them and proceeded with their plans.

   At dawn of June 18, 2028, the pieces had been set. A series of trenches surrounded the pirate colony, hidden amongst destroyed piles of wood and stone. Ports were torn to pieces, and any walkway leading up to the port was rendered unsuable. Thousands of guerilla fighters around the island were positioned in the trenches and on rooftops. The main defense was dedicated to the undeveloped and exposured parts of the island, where at least half the force resided in trenches and stone battlements. Although heavily defended and very company, the Galapagos pirates were armed only with hunting rifles, and they lacked extensive training. However, as a trump card, Heyward chose 250 volunteers to act as the "1st Galapagos Shock Fighters, armed with bulletproof armor and visors developed by ALPINE. Bred for melee combat, and meant to be frightening, they were armed solely with a short sword called the Greek Kopis, which was specially designed by himself to be set on fire. The Colombian Navy made its final preparations around 6:00am and began their attack a half hour later, numbering twenty attack ships, and two large capital ships. 2,000 Marines were dispatched for this expedition, instructed to land on the exposed beaches of the Galapagos. The battle began with a series of air and naval bombardments, as roughly fifteen airplanes made strafing runs around the island. The damage was extensive, and casualties mounted, but after an hour the bombardments ceased.

The next phase of the battle was the most decisive. At roughly 8:00am, the marines began to make their landing. Although suppressed by rifles and impeded by numerous obstacles on the beach, the marines eventually made a beachhead and began charging deeper inland. The inhabitants of the Galapagos steadily retreated, beginning to put up resistance in the form of guerilla warfare. By 3:00pm the Colombians had controlled a large part of the beach, and began to make operations to clear the town and the peripheral areas. In what was considered a last stand in hindsight, a group of 550 Galapagos fighters manage to make a trench in front of the west entrance of the town and was the only main defense that separated the town from the rest of the beach. After putting up a valiant stand for several hours, drawing in more and more Colombian forces and being bombarded constantly by naval ships, it was at this point that Duncan Heyward himself led the Shock Fighters across the field into the rear of the Colombian forces, initially hidden away in heavy brushwork. In addition, another large group of pirates subdued marines defending transport ships, and managed to set them ablaze. A combination of these two events caused the marines to surrender, ultimately winning the Galapagos fighters the day. They were allowed to return to their ships and retreat, and none were taken captive. The battle concluded just before sunset, and it was at this time that Duncan Heyward then delivered a passionate speech in front of the thousands of pirates of the Galapagos, declaring that a new age had begun, a Second Age of Piracy. This speech would be ingrained in history as perhaps on the most momentous things to happen for the pirates of the Galapagos, as it fundamentally changed who they were. No more just a collection of scoundrels or homeless or destitute, they were now unified in a sense of struggle and identity, one that would persist for years to come. In the aftermath of the battle, a solemn ceremony was held, burying the fallen and then holding a candle light vigil by the sea in recognition of all who had gave their lives, whether Colombian or Pirate. Speeches were given, memorials established, graves marked. The next day, repairs began, and by the end of the month, everything was almost as it was before the battle started. All in all, 363 Galapagos fighters lost their lives that day, compared to roughly 368 Colombian Marines.

## Consequences

The international community saw this event with mixed perspectives. However, the gesture to release Colombian prisoners resonated strongly with the citizens of the world, compared to the aggressive moves initiated by the Colombians in the first place. Though, members of the international community saw the Galapagos as a threat, still viewing them as scoundrels and thieves who have just set a precedent for more actions like this to come. For the Pirates of the Galapagos, this marked a new age to come, known as the Second Age of Piracy. After the battle, the population of the Galapagos quickly surged to 25,000, and then 100,000 by the end of 2030. People from all over the world wanted to participate in this new community, now that it has been legitimized, and began settling in the masses in its peripheral islands. In addition, the battle resulted in the Galapagos Islands arranging elections for the First Commissioners of the Galapagos, who would effectively oversee administration. Duncan Heyward was naturally advocated, but he rejected this offer on the basis that he would always be the protector of the Galapagos, not its ruler. This choice would also have a strong impact in the future, as many people began to see Heyward as almost a mystical figure, the creator and the Father of Piracy by all means. His reputation and status was unchallenged as a result of his contributions to initiate everything that has happened. In all, the Battle for the Galapagos solidified the status of Pirates in the Pacific, and effectively created a new era for the Pacific that would be unlike anything ever seen in history.