View source for Pegasi Pirate War

{{Conflict
|image       = File:Archon Delaine vector.svg
|date        = May 14, 3301 - Late 3301
|location    = Pegasi Sector, [[Core Systems]]
|result      = Stalemate
*Kumo Crew incursion into Imperial territory halted
*Kumo Crew weakened
*Empire unable to fully liberate the Pegasi Sector or destroy Kumo Crew
|side1       = 
*[[Kumo Crew]]
|side2       = 
*[[Empire]]
|commanders1 = 
*[[Archon Delaine]]
|commanders2 = 
*[[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]]
|casualties1 = Thousands of Kumo pirates and independent pilots
|casualties2 = Thousands of Imperial troops and independent pilots
}}
The '''Pegasi Pirate War''' was a conflict between the [[Kumo Crew]] pirate syndicate and the [[Empire]] that occurred from May 14 through the end of 3301. It began with Kumo Crew launching a large-scale expansion outside of its traditional territory, the Pegasi Sector of the [[Core Systems]], and raiding dozens of [[Federation|Federal]] and Imperial systems. On July 11, the [[Imperial Navy]] responded with "Operation Davy Jones", a campaign spearheaded by [[Senator]] [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]] to liberate the billions of Imperial citizens living under the yoke of Pirate King [[Archon Delaine]] in the Pegasi Sector. While the Empire's counterinvasion arguably weakened Kumo Crew, the Pegasi Pirate War did not culminate in a conclusive battle, and was overshadowed by the assassination of [[Emperor]] [[Hengist Duval]] and the resulting campaign to eradicate [[Emperor's Dawn]].

== Background ==
The pirate syndicate [[Kumo Crew]] was once a relatively insigificant gang, one of many such gangs that plagued the Pegasi Sector, but was sharpened to lethal effectiveness by the ascension of Pirate Lord and self-proclaimed Pirate King [[Archon Delaine]] in 3264. When Delaine killed his last major rival in 3284, his burgeoning criminal empire had free rein of the Pegasi Sector. While Kumo Crew demanded tribute from numerous [[Federation|Federal]] and [[Empire|Imperial]] systems as well as [[independent]] ones, the superpowers ignored the situation. It is likely this was because of Kumo Crew's strict rules, which mandated no Kumo pirate could raid a settlement that had paid its tribute; settlements under Kumo Crew protection were not only relatively safe under this system, reducing the need for Federal and Imperial military interventions, but some were also more orderly and productive than when they were free. This carefully balanced peace between the superpowers and Kumo Crew would come to an end in 3301, when Pirate King Delaine's ambition got the better of him.

== Events ==
Reports first emerged of increased Kumo Crew activity in the Pegasi Sector, a frontier region of the [[Core Systems]], on May 14, 3301.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/b596847d7ee257dd33c0ebb7e94842339de9e808 GalNet: Unrest on the Frontier]</ref> Kumo Crew's operations ramped up through June, resulting in the displacement of thousands of civilians fleeing from the pirate raids. Pleas to the Federation and Empire from their colonies in Kumo territory went unanswered.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5589856b9657ba3f446cd316 GalNet: The Science of a Safer Society]</ref> The pirates' advance was tumultuous and somewhat disorganised, however, with successes often matched by failures. Archon Delaine's bid to capture the Pegasi system ended in humilating defeat on June 18.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5582f1579657ba8e611fb755 GalNet: Chaos in the Kumo Crew]</ref> His invasions of Arawere, Huaich, LTT 16548, and San Muss paid off, allowing Kumo Crew to establish new strongholds. By June 24, Kumo Crew had subjugated over 160 systems, encompassing some 20 billion Federal citizens and 6 billion Imperial citizens.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/558ad1949657bae07d6cd316 GalNet: Terror in the Pegasi Sector]</ref><ref name="Davy Jones">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/559fe4bd9657ba997947e853 GalNet: Naval Academy Graduates join "Operation Davy Jones" in the Pegasi Sector]</ref>

While the Federation remained reluctant to get involved, the Empire opted to take action after the pirates attempted to expand into the Cuchua system. On July 11, 3301, at the graduation ceremony of the Naval Academy of [[Achenar]], [[Senator]] [[Arissa Lavigny-Duval]] announced that "Operation Davy Jones" was underway to liberate the Pegasi Sector from Kumo Crew control, and an elite Imperial vanguard had already engaged Delaine's forces. The news was met with cheers, and 73% of the 10,000 graduates immediately signed on to join the larger Imperial armada that would travel to the Pegasi Sector.<ref name="Davy Jones" /><ref name="Frontline">[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55b219029657ba806fe7daa1 GalNet: Operation Davy Jones - Frontline report]</ref>

Kumo Crew forces were expelled from Imperial space and the Pegasi Sector was under siege by July 24. While the Imperial offensive did not advance as rapidly as the Imperial Navy had anticipated and few gains were made, it did succeed in blocking any further expansion attempts by the pirates. Despite this, the Empire's slow progress in the face of fierce resistance strengthened Kumo Crew's morale. With the Empire refusing to negotiate and Archon Delaine continuing to defy Imperial demands, commanders on both sides of the conflict agreed that it would not be ended at the negotiation table, but in battle.<ref name="Frontline" /> The Empire's optimism held strong by July 29, but signs of disagreement began to appear in political circles. It was reported that Princess [[Aisling Duval]]'s supporters attempted to solicit the assistance of Federal-aligned pilots against Kumo Crew in Operation Davy Jones, which outraged Senator Lavigny-Duval's followers.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55b8ff999657baf75a2ff021 GalNet: Operation Davy Jones - The Voices of Dissent]</ref> Public opinion in the Empire was also split about the humanitarian value of a military intervention in a region of space that most considered to be extremely remote.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55b9e4e09657bae71e2ff021 GalNet: Pegasi Intervention Sparks Debate at Home]</ref> Meanwhile, pirates and smugglers used the chaos to enrich themselves, and the black market trade increased to alarmingly high levels.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55bb5d449657ba19792ff021 GalNet: Smuggling on the Rise in Conflict-Strewn Pegasi Sector]</ref>

The name "Pegasi Pirate War" was coined for the conflict by August 12. Kumo Crew forces continued to deny gains to the Empire by avoiding opportunities for decisive battles, an asymmetric warfare tactic that the pirates adopted due to their overwhelming numerical disadvantage. In addition, every time the Empire broke a Kumo Crew siege of a system, the pirates would quickly regroup and restore the siege, keeping large detachments of the Imperial fleets busy and scattered. Observers asserted that since neither side had any clear way to gain the upper hand, the war was on its way to becoming a stalemate.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55cb080e9657ba4675597830 GalNet: Pegasi Pirate War]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55cdc39a9657ba3e30aa1055 GalNet: Imperial Inquisition and Emperor's Grace to Hold Meeting]</ref> [[Federal Congress]] finally debated the possibility of joining the Empire's war effort on August 19 in response to Kumo Crew's expansion into 140 Federal systems, where 89 Federal citizens resided. No formal resolution was reached, but on August 24, a number of leading Imperial supporters met with their Federal counterparts and requested their aid, a marked change in attitude from the previous month.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55d4529e9657bae1492c7ad7 GalNet: Federation Continues Debate on War]</ref>

Pirate King Delaine shifted his strategy from defence to offense on August 22 with "Operation Uranus", a counterattack on the key Imperial system of Contiku. Pirate raids in the system threw Imperial supply lines there into disarray, but ultimately did not turn the tide of the war.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55d6fa1d9657ba4f5f2c7ad6 GalNet: 'Operation Uranus' Successful]</ref> Controversy also erupted on August 25 when the independent think-tank Stratis Information Group claimed that Operation Davy Jones was merely an elaborate cover story for a massive Imperial expansion into undefended Federal systems. Analysts believed that based on historical precedents and the sheer amount of resources invested in the Pegasi Pirate War, the Empire would seek a long-term occupation of the Pegasi Sector after the conflict ended rather than withdraw.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55dc42709657ba87273a18a4 GalNet: Report Raises Concerns about Operation Davy Jones]</ref>

The last significant event of the Pegasi Pirate War occurred on August 30, when an Imperial commando team raided a Kumo Crew forward command post in the Tjakiri system. Evidence was found that indicated the outpost had been in use until half an hour befor the raid, and DNA from strands of hair was matched to Archon Delaine; the Empire had missed capturing the most wanted man in the galaxy by a matter of minutes.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55dede139657ba397c5b8fda GalNet: Cold Ice, Warm Trail]</ref>

In the weeks after August, events of the Pegasi Pirate War faded from public news feeds as the Empire's campaign against the radical group [[Emperor's Dawn]] took precedence over Operation Davy Jones, due to Emperor's Dawn member [[Brendan Paul Darius]] assassinating [[Emperor]] [[Hengist Duval]] on August 5, the day of his planned wedding to [[Florence Lavigny]].<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55c1d0099657bafd440d630d GalNet: Emperor Hengist Duval Attacked During Wedding]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/55c1d0809657bafa440d630e GalNet: Emperor Hengist Duval Dead]</ref> The shock of the assassination and the ensuing succession crisis as Arissa Lavigy-Duval, Aisling Duval, and [[Denton Patreus]] jockeyed for the Imperial throne effectively rendered the ongoing conflict with Kumo Crew irrelevant. As the year 3302 opened, both the Empire and Kumo Crew had essentially disengaged from the Pegasi Pirate War, though small skirmishes between their allies persisted.

== Impact ==
While the Empire failed to deal a decisive blow to Kumo Crew, with the Pegasi Sector still under pirate control and Archon Delaine still at large, the cartel was nonetheless diminished after its many battles against the superpower. By June 3302, it was widely speculated that Kumo Crew was on the verge of dissolution, and the Pirate King would cease to be one of the galaxy's major powers.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/575043509657ba647bb43964 GalNet: Community Goal: The Dangerous Games Begin]</ref> However, the Empire and Federation soon began focusing their attention on the [[Pleiades Nebula]], where newly-discovered [[Thargoid Barnacle]]s were found to produce an intriguing and lucrative new material called [[Meta-Alloys]]. The race to exploit the Pleiades Nebula brought on a new cold war, which proved to be a sufficient distraction to allow Kumo Crew to recover and reassert its dominance within the Pegasi Sector. The Empire even found itself briefly allied with Kumo Crew in an operation to wrest control of the Daramo system from the Federation, demonstrating that the two former enemies had pragmatically moved on from the previous year's hostilities.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/576bfca99657ba4d11f3e118 GalNet: Community Goal: The Battle of Daramo]</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Conflicts]]
[[Category:Lore]]
[[Category:Empire]]
[[ru:Война с пиратами в Pegasi]]