The strategic situation around Bretonia doesn't look any better than a puddle of piss. The entirety of the rules of war have been neglected by both our Gaian allies and some of the major Corsair factions. Allowing a wounded enemy time to get back up and recover is a fatal overlook, and its consequences won't be too late to show up. The least that the Black Sails can do is a desperate attempt to force the hands of the Gaians to become at least in some degree useful to the Empire, and to their own selves. The Black Sails believe that a brutal wake-up call is needed, and it starts at once, without any prior warning. If any further negotiations are fruitless, they will become a prime target for piracy, providing valuable goods to the Corsairs, and maybe in the long run, make them reconsider their late approach.