Marque'd Man

Due to Lyra System's lack of a unified government, the vast distances between population centers, and the abundance of dark places for a fugitive to lay low, there arose a need for an extrajudicial lawman to bridge these gaps in the pursuit of "justice".

Qualifications

There is no standard set of qualifications across the system, but generally requires holder to be highly skilled and deeply familiar with political relationships of the issuer.

Appointment

In most cases, a polity will post warrant that automatically grants a Letter of Marque to anyone authorized and so inclined.

Responsibilities

The objective of most Letters of Marque is the capture or elimination of a specific targets, or the seizure of voidcraft and goods. Because many of these objectives could be found within the borders of what is technically a sovereign nation, the Marque'd Man must weigh cost of collateral damage versus the value of the target. If they cause enough trouble they could be financially responsible for damages, have their Letter revoked, or even become a target themselves.

Benefits

If ones Patron state is powerful, a Letter of Marque is an incredibly powerful document grant a level of diplomatic immunity, unrestricted travel, and minor fame.
If the Patron relatively weak, the Letter might be no more useful than the paper its on. In these cases, the Marque'd Man must rely on low cunning and discretion if they plan on completing an objective and returning home.

History

As the dust settled after the Annexation Wars, the surviving polities begin employing private citizens to hunt enemies of the state and projecting hard power upon weaker and less cohesive actors. Over the years the practice was formalized in the series of treaties that formed the suzerainty and its tributary states.

Cultural Significance

From the perspective of the more gentile and cosmopolitan Suzerainty, taking up the Letter of Marque is seen a deeply patriotic and romantic occupation. One that brought the Marque'd Man to the dark corners of the system bringing justice to those benighted lands. For everybody else, these Marque'd Men are at best little better than pirates and mercenaries with vague levels of legitimacy, and at worst they represent everything wrong with the balance of power in this system.

Type

Civic, Military, Generic

Alternative Naming

Corsair (when strictly voidborn)

Equates to

Part bounty hunter, part privateer, part mercenary.

Source of Authority

Any governing body can issue a letter of marque, as such the diplomatic and authoritative weight of that commission is proportionate to the relative power of the issuer.

Length of Term

Most letters of marque are issued for a single target or goal, but it is not unheard of for the especially trusted and capable to be given a blank check to pursue the interests of their patrons.