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Gank, Inc. / GANKINC

  • Corporation
  • Regular
  • Piracy
    Piracy
  • Bounty Hunting
    Bounty Hunting

A pirates life for me!



History

Gank, Inc was founded by the Pirate Lord Sureshot. Sureshot founded many companies that were all part of the Gank, Inc. conglomerate such as Klaus & Werner, R.A.C, Nyx Spiced Rum Corporation and Covalex Shipping. Klaus & Werner was sold off to shareholders many years ago after Gank, Inc. developed the CF-227 Panther Repeater. R.A.C and Nyx Spiced Rum Corporation remain a part of Gank, Inc. because of their profitability. Now is where the story becomes interesting……As for Covalex Shipping it was said that if you want to see the farthest corners of the Empire, join the Navy. If you want to see even farther than that, join Covalex Shipping. With hubs across dozens of systems and contracted transports hauling goods to almost everywhere else, Covalex became an indispensable part of everyday life in the UEE. Many are surprised to learn that this auspicious conglomerate can trace its origins to less than legal beginnings.

Near the end of the Messer Era, the government, desperate to fund an ever-growing military complex, increased taxes on interplanetary shipments till off-world goods were rapidly becoming inaffordable luxuries. With the UEE’s tight control over the flow of goods, many had begun to count on black market smugglers such as Gank, Inc to provide the everyday things they needed to survive. Though extremely lucrative, smuggling was even more dangerous than it is today. The Navy was instructed to take extreme measures to protect this important tax revenue stream and smugglers were dealt with harshly and with lethal force. Yet thousands of men and women, known at the time as “conveyors,” braved jump points and blockades to secretly haul goods throughout the Empire.

Covalex Shipping took on jobs transporting fertilizer for the the UEE throughout the known universe. Sureshot allowed his girlfriend, Hanso Malloy to head up the organization so that he could focus on other….not so legal ventures. Hanso Malloy, decided that there had to be a better way. If she could get an official transport license, she would be able to smuggle goods more easily than any of her competitors and be fast tracked through the often risky scan stations. Unfortunately for her, only a handful of new licenses were allotted in any year, and to earn one was a lengthy and costly proposition. If she tried to acquire one through the normal means, she would have little to no chance — but for Hanso, the normal way was never her way.

She figured that if she wanted to acquire one of those licenses she would have to find something to ship that everyone needed but no one wanted to deal with. The answer came to her when a farmer, Covantino Lexly, requested she smuggle in a load of a fertilizer called moly-nitronese to the newly terraformed world where he was settling. He was at his wits end trying to get it through normal trade since most haulers refused to deal with the highly hazardous animal waste derivative. The problem was that though it was a better fertilizer for terraformed soil, there were cheaper, safer, if poor performing, alternatives. The small boost in harvest gain was not worth the Credits it would cost to ship it all the way to the frontier …at least for a normal hauler.

With the Empire eager to encourage the development of these new planets, Hanso saw her opportunity. She sidestepped her lover Sureshot and the TDD licensing board and petitioned the Agriculture Ministry directly for a special license to specifically haul moly-nitronese. She convinced Sureshot to name her company Covalex in honor of the farmer who inspired her. The best part, though, was that the fertilizer was by nature hard to scan through, and very few customs agents were willing to search the horrible stuff by hand. She had not only gotten her license, but she had also found the perfect way to smuggle goods.

With license in hand, Hanso began hauling ‘fertilizer’ to systems far and wide. Never one to rest on her laurels, she realized that the terms of her license could be applied to sub-contractors as well. Soon conveyors far and wide were paying Hanso to fly her colors. The only rule was they had to carry the moly-nitronese and more importantly, they had to charge a fair price for the goods they were smuggling. She knew that the good will of the people was almost as valuable for the safeguarding of her livelihood as anything else. It was this longsighted vision that soon made a Covalex-flagged ship landing in your town something to be celebrated. These ships heralded the arrival of not only cheap fertilizer (if you were into such a thing) but more importantly, Sureshot’s black market goods at a reasonable price keeping the master happy.

It wasn’t long before the UEE administrators took notice of this positive reputation as well. Their own popularity waning, they were in need of a service provider they could trust to move goods through systems that had grown hostile towards their occupation. Covalex was approached by the Messer government and issued a charter to become an official vendor. Given clear access across all borders and military lines, Covalex ships were soon providing Messer troops with supplies and for the first time officially carrying something beyond fertilizer.

A smuggler at heart, and ever a prudent business woman, Hanso saw that despite this high paying contract, times were changing and the tide was turning against the Messers. She decided to stick to her usual company motto of keep the people happy. Therefore, Covalex ships began to smuggle weapons to rebel forces while providing dry goods to the Navy. Their deliveries in many ways could be attributed with fueling the success of the uprising.

When the revolution finally ended, and the Messers ousted from power, Covalex had firmly established itself as indispensable and a true company of the people and the place to turn to when you really wanted to ensure something got to where you needed it to go. In a short time, Covalex had become so profitable that Hanso decided the company should give up smuggling altogether and focus entirely on transporting legal goods. As you can imagine this did not set well with her mentor and former lover, Sureshot.

Today Covalex has one of the largest fleets in the ’verse; thanks to its policy of contracting with independent ship operators. It has discovered that owners who fly their own ships are more invested in the success of the company and that their wholehearted commitment ensures a higher level of performance. In most systems, at any given time, a majority percentage of the ships flying are working under contract to Covalex.

In addition to its hauling arm, Covalex owns a number of orbital platforms in a variety of systems. These platforms, while owned and operated by Covalex, act as transfer hubs for many other shipping companies as well. Interestingly enough, and to its credit, there is no additional charge or tax on non-Covalex companies that patronize these centers. Not charging other businesses is viewed both as a means to expand its influence and as a way for it to give back to the Empire. Some of the bigger platforms have even become tourist destinations. Shops, simulations arcades, and eateries line most of the available real estate not taken up by the shipping business. Originally developed as a way to entertain haulers in-between jobs, they have become a place to visit for anybody passing nearby looking for a hot meal and some company.

Lord Sureshot decided long ago that he would not seek revenge on his former girlfriend until she had achieved a certain level of prominence within the UEE. So, for many years now he has allowed her to believe that she has gotten away with a considerable portion of Gank, Inc assets. However, me eartie’s! The tale does not end here……..The Pirate Lord Sureshot and the rest of Gank, Inc. have let it be known that they wish to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.

Manifesto

Avast, ye mateys! As a wench of the piratical Left, I be callin’ on all progressive privateers, buckaneers, brigands and sailors of fortune o’ good will to sign the Gank Manifesto.

Yea, friends, I offer ye this resolution in the grand spacefarin’ tradition of the Dread Pirate Lord Sureshot and his swashbucklin’ crew o’ Eustonites.

I trust these followin’ truths be self-evident.

  • Rule 1: Rum be good. We nae sayin’ sake be bilge swill, but any mouth that be praisin’ sake is nae gulping rum. We just be sayin’. (Nyx Rum be a mighty fine thing too, but ye’d better not be givin’ none to the UEE whilst ye sits the watch.)
  • Rule 2: We all be needin’ more parrots, regardless o’race, creed, or preferred method o’killin’.
  • Rule3: We be havin’ no ship with pirates apologizin’ for UEE, Vanduul, Xi’an or any o’er races atrocities. Nae, no ship. With the undersigned pledge that any scurvy bastard who ever dreams o’flyin’ with the UEE fascists be keelhauled and strung up on the mast.
  • Rule4: There be no double standards in piracy. Though we be critical o’ the piratical practice o’press-gangin’, we be strenuously opposin’ any implication that forceful recrutin’ tactics be comparable to the silent killin’ o’whole families by throwin’ stars.
  • Rule 5: Though the UEE Navy be bent on our destruction, we be brookin’ no more scurrilous slurrin’ o Lord Sureshot’s Fleet. Every breath spent cursing the Fleet Admiral’s mother be one breath less to curse the UEE and their apologists.
  • Rule 6: We, bein’ pirates, be acutely cognizant o’ the sorry history of apologism within the annals o’ piracy. Progressive old salts like us be therefore resolved to maintain ye olde Critical Openness. Aboard our ships, any scurvy dog who be not open to criticism will kiss the gunner’s daughter, and right quick.
  • Rule 7: Plunder be the new way of stars and the stars be ours for the takin’.
  • Rule 8: Arrr! Fuckin’ Arrr!
  • Rule 9: Relativism be for syphilitics, UEE, and landlubbers.
  • Rule 10: If ya disagree with any of the statements above ye will walk the plank.

Have ye questions?

Sign now, or prepare to be boarded.

Charter

  • Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment.
  • He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.
  • Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes but if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned.
  • If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.
  • None shall game for money, either with dice or cards.
  • The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.
  • Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.
  • No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.
  • He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.
  • None shall strike another aboard the ship, but every man’s quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner: at the word of command from the Quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the Quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim, they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.
  • No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of £1,000.
  • Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have eight hundred pieces of eight from the common stock, and for lesser hurts proportionately.
  • The Captain and the Quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the Master Gunner and Boatswain, one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.
  • The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only, by right, on all other days, by favor only.