Spiritual Pirates?

The Void Wings are large band of pirates, heirs, along with the Night Fangs, of an unnamed now-disbanded pirate organization. They operate in most areas of space raiding major and minor hyperlanes alike. Hence, Corellia (and Talus) space, Naboo (and Rori) space, Tatooine (and Lok) space, Kashyyyk space, Dantooine space, Endor space and Yavin space have witnessed the attacks of the pirates. The pirates typically roam the lanes in flights of four composed of two elements of two (usually, two TransGalMeg Kihraxz fighters and two TransGalMeg Rihkxyrk bombers), with an accompanying ship for the loot (often, a stock Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300). Sightings of a Void Wing capital ship, the “Fear & Futility”, a Warlord Heavy Cruiser, have been witnessed in Kashyyyk and Ord Mantell space.

The Void Wings use a pair of black wings displayed against a brighter background as their insignia. However, the significance of this specific insignia is open to conjectures. There are little clues as to whether the wings refer to a real creature, or if the circle behind represents more than a generic planet or star. Additionally, Void Wing pilots do not seem to wear a specific uniform, as holographic ship-to-ship communications have showed them donning the popular modified RIS boarding suit and helmet or a standard bare-headed flightsuit.

Uncovering fanaticism

While the pirates do the usual raiding / plunder and killing, retrieved ship-to-ship communication logs and accounts from encounters survivors hint at a darker side of the pirates. Discounting the hailing and warning signal or the occasional taunting, the records show a worrying amount of fanatical devotion.

Hailing victims as “Infidels” and wishing for their deaths in order to consume their essence is somehow perplexing to the outside observer. It reveals however a complex, if hostile, set of beliefs centered on a leading figure, the Reverend Oni’antae, and a region, the Heart of Dathomir, in the Dathomir System.

Yet, it is also indicative of a possible rift within the Void Wings pirate group. Indeed, while the Void Wing pilots respond to their usual call sign, their communications refer to the “Dark Veil Order”, whose status in unclear. Is it a splinter group within the Void Wing or an outside cult widely practiced by the pirates? Are the pirates turning into fanatical crusaders?

Perhaps, part of the answer is revealed in their new or concurrent insignia. The wings are uniformly colored in green, the planet or star has gone and what appear to be stars are visible in the background. The insignia’s evolution may be the testament to an internal struggle within the Void Wings. Yet, if there are new meanings to this insignia, there are for the time being, unfathomable.

The Dark Veil Order

The communication trail left by Void Wing pilots leads directly to the Dathomir System. In the system’s Third Quadrant, along the Dathomir’s Vitality hyperlane, what the locals describe as a “nebula” – in fact a gas cloud rich in organo-metallic asteroids, lays the Heart of Dathomir. The area suffuses a sense of drama even to hardened pilots. Among the asteroids, “molten rocks”, “red energy”, “palpating gasses” and “dark clouds”, to use the words of the astrogation gazetteer, give an eerie feeling to the place, in addition to being navigational hazards.

The Heart of Dathomir is also the heart of the Dark Veil Order. In the Dathomir System, Void Wings call signs disappear to the favor of Dark Veil Order call signs. While the ships are of similar built, their names are ostensibly different, T’raenyan bomber (Rihkxyrk), Sitaela fighter (Kihraxz) and patrol in flights of three. YT-1300s are no longer seen, but the Order replaces them with Daemicula Saboteurs (TransGalMeg Ixiyen Fast Attack Craft) and Vin’ticula Bounty Hunters (piloting Kihraxz fighters).

The change in call signs may be an indication that the Dark Veil Order originates from the Dathomir System; whether as a local emanation of the Void Wing or under the influence of an exogenous group. The lack of reports of an internal struggle inside the Void Wing comforts the theory that it is indeed a splinter group or an evolution of the pirate organization as a whole.

Moreover, estimates of the Void Wing war-chest can account for the maintenance of Dark Veil Order / Void Wing fleet. Indeed, documented evidences indicate that the Void Wing / Night Fangs parent organization disbanded after each crewer gained 100 000 credits from raiding – a target set in the captain’s article. Given the size of pirate crews, with starfighters, transports and capital ships, this implies that the organization had raided in excess of hundreds of millions from the spacelanes.

Rites and Ranks

According to local rumors, the Dark Veil Order is led by a Queen, served “with passionate ferocity”. The Queen’s exact role in the Dark Veil structure remains to be explained however.

It is possible to assume, that under the Queen’s command, is Reverend Oni’antae – the central figure of the Order. Reverend Oni’antae travels the Heart of Dathomir aboard a Rihkxyrk ship and is constantly referred to by Void Wing / Dark Veil Order pilots. His name is spoken for help, to alleviate desperation, as a curse, and as a figure to be pleased, in short a deservedly title of “reverend”. According to ship-to-ship communications, it is he who sacrifices victims to the Heart of Dathomir, although, local rumors state that the Order as a whole seeks the sacrificial function.

Traditional beliefs stress that sacrifices are used to enter bargain with deities, in the Dark Veil Order’s case, the Heart of Dathomir supposedly offers protection to its followers. In exchange for this service, followers provide it with the “essence” of the victims. Interestingly, the deity bears the attribute of a live-giver; it is a “heart”, filled with many “essences” which, according to accounts “fuel life” in return. The life-giver becomes thus a life-eater in order to grant protection to its faithful as illustrated in the saying “death shall consume you”, where “death” appears as a substitute for the divinity.

But what of the victims, the raw material for the “essences”?

First, the victims are, according to the belief, the aggressors. The protection offered from the Heart is directed against the “infidels” – those who do not share the faith. Similar to the life-giver / life-eater cycle, an aggressor / protector cycle akin to a purity ritual is thus constructed. The protection granted is timeless as “never” can the Dark Veil Order be destroyed.

Second, “infidels” are “unclean”, likely in both the spiritual and the corporeal sense of the term. In the spiritual sense, by not sharing the faith, in the corporeal sense by existing as illustrated by the saying “may the Heart of Dathomir flail the skin off your bones” is also a call for some disembodiment; a logical step, since the “Heart” feeds off the “essence” and not the body.

Third, the victim is symbolically rewarded for its unwilling (but not innocent) sacrifice. “Homage” is being paid to the essence; calls for a quick and painless death are made, along with boding well in another life.

Finally, there is an interrogation remaining regarding the aftermath of the sacrifice. While the belief in metempsychosis is implied in the saying “…your next life”, rumors mention “molten rocks, infused with the rage of many lost souls” when describing the general area. This contradicts the idea of a next life but tends to confirm the idea of survival of the soul in the Dark Veil mindset.

Salle Minéralogie

Salle Minéralogie :

Gemme violette (origine Kashyyyk) : Cette rare gemme violette irradie d’un halo lumineux. La composition a été réalisée localement pour favoriser l’artisanat.

Pierre gazeuse : Cette pierre gazeuse, habituellement sise au fond des étendues d’eau, produit de façon constante des bulles.

La gemme violette, comme la pierre gazeuse, font partie de ces minéraux rares provoquant des réactions chimiques variées (émission lumineuse, gazeuse, fumée) à température ambiante.

Composé minéral : Ce composé minéral de synthèse a été réalisé au sein du laboratoire du musée. Ces propriétés moyennes en font une alternative intéressante dans le cadre de l’artisanat.

Sphère d’eau (origine Mustafar) : La sphère d’eau est un artefact trouvé sur Mustafar. Cet objet utilitaire revêt son originalité en raison du caractère aride de la planète et de la valeur relative de l’eau sur la planète.

Magnetite cleaner : Cet appareil était utilisé afin de nettoyer d’autres appareils de résidus de magnétite.

Salle Faune Sauvage

Salle Faune Sauvage :

Fourrure de synthèse : Cette fourrure, conçue à partir des chutes de fourrures naturelles, permet d’apprécier les diverses ressources disponibles pour l’artisanat.

Salle Vie Aquatique

Salle Vie Aquatique :

De nombreux spécimens rares de poissons (laa, faa, blackfish, bluefish, blowfish, ray, striped fish) ont été collectés sur Dantooine.

Un aquarium contenant des poissons rares comme la truite d’Endor, le fatfish de Naboo, ou les Mee et See fish, également de Naboo occupe désormais une place de choix dans la salle. L’aquarium a été construit sur Dantooine pour favoriser l’artisanat local.
Parmi les outils exposés, une canne à pêche traditionnelle utilisée pour la collecte des poissons exposés.

Salle Exploration

Salle Exploration:
Scalp humanoïde (origine Mustafar) : Ce scalp, d'une créature humanoïde aux cheveux / pelage roux, ceint une plaque de métal. Il dénote la volonté de préserver les cheveux / le pelage de façon ornementale et était vraisemblablement utilisé comme porte-bonheur, indicateur de statut social ou à des fins purement décoratives.

Annonce du musée

La direction du musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Cauth Bodva est heureuse d'annoncer l'ajout de nouvelles pièces aux expositions permanentes. Ces pièces ont été rapportées à l'occasion de plusieurs missions conduites sur les planètes de Mustafar, Dantooine, Endor, Kashyyyk et Naboo.