Brethren Court

"As he who issued summons, I convene this, the Twentieth Brethren Court!"

- Jack Sparrow

The Brethren Court, also known as the Order of the Brethren, Pirate Conclave or Pirate Council, was the formal organization of the Pirate Lords and their followers, intended to serve as a ruling council for pirates across the galaxy in matters of emergency.

Structure
"There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime." "And I owe them all money."

- Nicole Kroger and Jack Sparrow

The Brethren Court was led by the Pirate King, chosen by popular vote by the Pirate Lords, each lord hailing from a different region spread across the "Four Corners of the Galaxy". This system of election was known to be flawed, as the pirates would commonly vote for themselves, making a decision difficult. The title was non-gender specific, though Leia Organa was believed to be the first female Pirate Queen.

Pirate Lords were required to each carry a piece of eight, signifying their status as a member of the Brethren Court. It was initially suggested that the Pirate Lords carry actual silver coins, though the pirates, finding themselves short on money, opted for holding various items and trinkets that would be instantly recognizable and linked to the individual Lord.

Meetings of the Brethren Court were convened by means of a "call" intended to draw all of the Lords to a single location. This call took the form of a sea shanty, Hoist the Colours, known to all pirates.

Pirate King/Queen
The Pirate King, also referred to as King of the Brethren Court, was the elective monarch and leader of the Brethren Court. The Pirate King or Queen was to be holder of great amount of power, he/she would lead the pirates around the galaxy. To be elected Pirate King or Queen, the plurality of the Pirate Lords were required to vote on a single candidate. This process was fraught with difficulty as it was common for each Pirate Lord to vote for themselves.

The Pirate King was given authority not available to Pirate Lords, such as the ability to declare war and parley with adversaries, as stated in the Pirata Codex. Leia Organa Solo was declared Pirate King during the twentieth meeting of the Brethren, after Jack Sparrow and Nicole Kroger seconded Elizabeth's own vote, while the remaining Lords voted for themselves. Leia was the first Pirate monarch to be elected since the thirteenth Brethren Court. The Pirate King is shown to have far more power than the Pirate Lords, as seen when Organa traded Cole Kroger for Jack Sparrow after the Pirate Lord was captured by the Empire, against Nicole Kroger's wishes. Nicole managed to rescue her husband before he could be transported to Imperial held Coruscant for execution.