Freeport Civil War

Military action

Civil war breaks out in Freeport; Drac betrays Francisco and becomes sole ruler of the city.

The next ten years were tense ones. The Great Raid set off a panic among the maritime nations, who spent vast amounts of money and resources building up larger navies. The Sea Lords were forced to fight battle after battle against determined foes. Freeport was assaulted on three separate occasions, but its defenses proved too strong for the attacking ships.   This undeclared war had no clear victor. Freeport defended itself and inflicted several stinging defeats on its enemies, but attrition was high on both sides. In the end, the conflict petered out as the warring navies ran out of ships and men to hurl into battle. After ten long years of fighting, there was a lull, during which each side licked its wounds.   Throughout the war, adversity had kept the pirates united, but when the pressure eased, trouble was not slow in coming. The Sea Lords had long hated each other, and their enmity had deadly consequences. After a series of provocations, open fighting broke out inside Freeport for the first time in its history. The men of Drac and Francisco killed one another in the streets, shattering the pirate code that had long bound Freeport together. Neither Sea Lord gained the upper hand. Before their fight could be resolved, word came of yet another fleet bound for the city. The pirates called a truce to defend the city, and the fleet sailed out, united once again. Or so it seemed.   Captain Drac had realized this new war was one they could not win. The only chance for him and his men was to become a part of the system that was trying to destroy them. Drac entered secret negotiations with the nations set to destroy Freeport. He agreed to betray Francisco in exchange for a truce and their recognition of Freeport as a sovereign city-state. The enemy leaders were only too happy to sign such an agreement, so they could end the ruinously expensive war.   With no knowledge of his comrade’s duplicity, Captain Francisco led his fleet to the attack. Once he was engaged, the ships of Captain Drac simply sailed away. Exposed and without support, Francisco’s fleet was surrounded and destroyed. In the meantime, Drac sailed back to Freeport to announce the new city-state and his new regime.