Pirate's Code

The Pirate's Code, also known as the Pirate Code, was a set of rules followed by pirates. The Code allowed individual crew members to mutiny against their captain. In order to become new captain, one needed to either defeat the incumbent captain or have them say that they yielded. In addition, the Pirate's Code stipulated the "equal time" rule during trials and allowed the defendant the Right of Last Appeal. Another part of the Pirate's Code specified that a captain could lay claim to only one vessel at a time.

Around 9 ABY, the Pirate's Code was invoked by Jod Na Nawood when he challenged Captain Fern of the Skeleton Crew. Threatened with death, Fern proclaimed that she yielded, at which point Jod assumed the position of captain and had the pirate droid SM-33 under his command. Some time later, the Code was cited by the pirate Chaelt during Jod's trial. Notwithstanding his comrades' enthusiastic reaction, Captain Brutus had apparently passed a verdict without respecting equal time and the Right of Last Appeal. Following Chaelt's complaint, Jod was allotted his speech time in line with the Code and allowed to make his defense until an hourglass operated by Brutus ran out.

Later, after pulling the Onyx Cinder aboard his pirate frigate and killing Brutus to regain his leadership over his pirate crew, Silvo laid claim to the Onyx Cinder. However, SM-33 pointed out that Jod was already the captain of the frigate. Although Silvo denounced his right to the pirate frigate and quickly claimed the Onyx Cinder, Fern called unclaimsies to revert Silvo's claim and claimed the ship for younglings only. While Silvo believed the procedure would not work like that, SM-33—who concurred with him—noted that claimsies was close enough for Fern to reclaim the starship.

Text and facts from the “Pirate's Code” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.