Though she flies Milandir’s colors, it's clear that the Shrike is rigged as a pirate ship, built and specialized for speed and clandestine missions. The crew is a motley lot, ranging from disgraced soldiers to exiled noblemen, petty criminals to pardoned pirates. The Shrike's sail bears a single arm holding a saber. That symbol has since become a kind of noble pirate cause, viewed by Freeport citizens as a pirate for a new era: a rascal on the outside but noble at heart.

The Shrike was captained by Baldric until he got the political itch to run for the Captains' Council. It's unofficially captained by Edward, who isn't doing much these days to propagate the ship's good name. This is intentional: Baldric wants to keep the possibility open of getting the privateer seat on the Council.