This week has not been a quiet one in Boralus, capital of the Kul Tiran admiralty. On Tuesday night, Officer Chane Benson was murdered in a heinous act committed by a local pirate, but let me tell you first about how this situation came about. I had the chance of sitting down with Theodore Royston, Captain of the Blue Eagle, an Alliance ship. He has been on the hunt for this particularly cunning pirate for a long time, one who often goes under the name of Vincent Graham. This hunt has not left a single stone in the harbor city left untouched, with many of the local populace sympathizing with the criminals out of some misguided nationalism. In fact, this little war has been going on for a while now, as Captain Royston told me.
T. Royston: I was sent here by the Alliance navy in a pursuit of a dangerous criminal and pirate named Vincent Graham.
Cassie: Tell me more about him, how much is known?
T. Royston: Oh, he is a scourge of the Alliance’s seas. A notorious pirate originating from Booty Bay. So far we know he has plundered and looted more than ten ships of the Alliance's navy. And he is a hard man to catch, that one. I've been chasing his ship, the Red Mary, for some time now. You see, we engaged in a naval battle with his ship two months ago, we've set up a trap for them posing as a trading ship and lured them in. Though they've managed to escape. Our trail led us to Kul Tiras as we've received reports they've shipwrecked in Kul Tiras. And that they were operating in the area. More precisely, in and around Boralus.
Things are heating up now, and Chane Benson is the latest victim of Graham’s violence. The officer has been serving Captain Royston as his right-hand man for a long time now, and indeed, his crew had become his family. I asked the Captain to tell me more about his fallen comrade, as people deserve to see him as more than just another uniform killed in battle.
T. Royston: My late warrant officer Chane Benson was a brave and valorous man, he even saved a woman who was attacked by some thugs not far from the Blue eagle. He was with me on the Blue eagle from the start.
Cassie: Did he have family?
T. Royston: Alas, not. The only family he had was the crew of the Blue Eagle. I was hoping to promote him as the captain of one of my ships as I am expected to be promoted to a rank of an admiral as a reward for the years of my naval service and after the capture of Graham.
Cassie: Are there any memorable stories about him? I know the pain must still be very fresh, but it's these memories that people can connect to.Article continues after the ad.
T. Royston: I would like you to write that he defended a lady’s honor that was attacked by three thugs not far away from our ship. One scoundrel was behind the young miss and held her by the arms as the others slapped the poor lady. Even though he was outnumbered, he bravely fought off the scoundrels and helped the madam get up, escorted her to the nearby tavern and consoled her the whole evening, bought her dinner before escorting her to her home. That's how I remember Chane Benson. Loyal, obedient, valorous and placing the well-being of others in front of his. He died as a hero.
These are people that lay down their life to protect the people of Boralus, of Kul Tiras, and of the Alliance as a whole. It is important we remember that, and remember the sacrifices of these officers as they hold the line against the rise in piracy. However, they have not been received all that well in the admiralty, and many of the locals seem to be supporting the pirates. Here is what Captain Royston had to say about that topic:
Cassie: Are you close to bringing these terrible pirates to justice?
T. Royston: We are, though not because of the help from the locals here. Even though I have to commend Commodore Rackamore of the Proudmoore Admiralty, he has been a trusty ally in our efforts to apprehend these dangerous pirates. You see the problem is this city is full of pirates turned privateers, pardoned by the Proudmoore Admiralty and from what we've uncovered, they are aiding Graham and his men, providing him with shelter and supplies. On the other hand, we've gotten nothing but contempt from most of the citizens of Boralus, seeing we are wearing Alliance and Stormwind colors and are not natives to these lands.
So not only do the officers have to contend with pirates, they also have to do so in a hostile environment, fostered by a false sense of nationalism. Would Chane Benson still be alive if the locals did not show this animosity to the crew of the Blue Eagle? Perhaps, though, who can tell. What’s certain is that the hunt would be much more successful with some help from Boralus’ populace. We are printing a wanted poster for Vincent Graham with this article, so if you’re a citizen of the great harbor city, and you run across this dangerous murderer - make the right choice. Cassie, signing out.