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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Masada" data-source="post: 1806263" data-attributes="member: 19339">Posted at C. Baize's request.  A sample Fringe Space system.Numos The <a href="http://206.222.222.86/forum/files/numos-system.jpg" target="_blank">Numos system</a> is served by a jump gate located just beyond the ninth planet of the system.  But despite being a “gated system”, Numos does not possess enough resources to be a major hub and is regarded as Fringe Space.Fringe Space isn’t quite controlled by the prevailing governments.  Each planet tends to be its own government or many governments.  Rulership is often decided by militia or war lord and usually only extends in to orbit.The Numos system rarely sees vessels larger than “Light” size and few of these are true military vessels.  The prevailing progress level is 7.Oassen Roughly the size of Saturn, Oassen is also a ringed gas giant planet. Gas mining is relatively profitable and is the primary legitimate industry on Oassen. The planet itself is uninhabitable, but a number of city-stations have been built on Oassen I (the greatest moon). These stations exist underground as the surface averages a frosty -400 C. The Demosid crime family "owns" Oassen I and most of the mining operations on the gas giant itself. The few operations they don't run still pay tribute to the Demo's or fail mysteriously. Recently rumors have come in claiming that the Demosid’s have a Light Frigate.  This would be the most powerfully armed vessel in the system and will destabilize the power structure.Saresad Similar in size to Oassen, Saresad (SAIR - ah - sad) is denser. This makes gas mining both more dangerous and more profitable. The Saresad Mining Guild has formed a light militia to keep the Demosid family at bay. The miners on Saresad are typically rugged and honest. They work hard, fight hard and make a respectable living for folks this far from the Core. These profitable organizations are probably the only reason the Numos Ainniq remains guarded. Saresad imports a fair amount of goods, including some PL 7 products. They rarely require PL 8, but pirates still dream. Freighers bound for Saresad are prized targets, but are usually well guarded by the Saresad Militia and the Telos Navy. The militia is primarily made up of fighters and light starships. Pirates and the Demosid family are not tolerated within 500,000 miles of the planet. However, Saresad is not without criminal elements. There are ports of harbor here where a low profile pirate can refuel (at black-market prices). The best medical facilities in the system are here. Caliban "There has never been a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Caliban has breathable atmosphere, but extreme temperatures between day and night (roughly 36 hours). Ranging from near boiling during the day and -80 at night, the outdoor traveller must be prepared. Even so, well sheltered settlements and cities dot the surface of this desert/tundra planet. The few living creatures native to the world are fierce and prized as hunting trophies. Many crime families operate from Caliban and blood feuds are common. Drug production provides powerful wealth and motivation to the wealthy. Slavery is common. Caliban ships are typically light, stealthy and very fast. Pirates are regarded as "contractors" to hired to haul cargo, fly protection or assist with attacking other shipments. The pirates maintain their neutrality by following a strict code of negotiation and barter. Once a contract is "signed", the pirates are bound to follow to the letter. This allows a ship to fight one side in one conflict and still work for the other side in a later conflict. Caliban is rumored to have ruins of another civilization. Most scientists feel that this must be the remnant of a lost human culture. Although some claim these finds are xenoform (alien).Faltz Mining Op #4047 Faltz is owned by LightWave Industries. As a corporate property it is a sovereign nation. LightWave has forbidden the use of any weapon that can reach beyond the wielders hand. No firearms, no grenades, nothing exotic like gas or biological agents. However, swords, daggers, knives, saps and the regular brawl are all “allowed”. Undo or unprovoked harm is still prosecuted, but not always severely. There are inspection stations at every dock and throughout the operation. Violators are executed, exiled or fined so heavily that they are forced in to mining (at the directive of the facility manager). The station is located on the surface of a small planetoid at the edge of the Numos asteroid belt. The rock itself has mostly been mined out and is now a maze of tunnels and complexes where the masses of miners live. The main facility includes the main factory, merchant district, entertainment district, agriculture dome, arena, the Executive sector and supply depot. The miners sweep out and collect valuable smaller rocks to be processed at the main base. These types of operations are called “dust mines” both because of low profits and because of the way the miner sweep in small asteroids. Mining “ships” have no weapons or armor. These vessels are little more than stripped mecha--some are equipped to drill for ore onsite—others are designed only to tow back rocks to Faltz. This process creates ship fuel, rare silicates and occasionally precious metals or gems. Faltz station receives regular transports of supplies from the ainniq. These transports in turn carry the mined products back coreward. The Numos pirates avoid these transports. #1 the convoys are usually well armed and #2 the pirates don’t bite the hand that feeds them. The facility manager keeps the pirates well informed of the stations shipments to avoid confusion. Similar transports come in to Caliban, Saresad and Oassen. Felix usually knows of these schedules, but only shares them for a price. Part of the profitability of Faltz station is the engineered population control; or lack of it. The local Vice President of Operations (Felix Redback) has discovered a clever way to make extra retirement money--slave trading. Not real slave trading, but as close as he can get. Felix has stopped adding birth control to his local water supply. He does not update company records about population and only enough resources are sent for mid-sized operation. The rest must be bartered from pirates, Saresad or the crime families. This creates large masses of unsatisfied souls that will pay anything for “permission” to leave Faltz. Typically a LightWave employee must pay everything they have to Felix as a means to buy out their work contracts (life contracts are established at birth, by LightWave policy). Few of the regular population believe that Felix is doing anything illegal. Most folks agree that he is inept and “corporate”. The life of miner on Faltz is hard. You’re born, you receive training from LightWave to operate needed equipment, and then you begin work. Your medical bills right from when you are born are held against your account, as is your education, food, clothes, lodging, tools, etc. You begin indebted and most miners remain that way until they die. A few find ways to pay off Felix to “free” them. This usually means being sold in to slavery of one sort or another. Felix calls it “transferring a contract.” There is a small caste of elite corporate officers on Faltz. These individuals run the facility and have virtually no restrictions on their behavior save that it must not affect profits. They are all hand picked by Felix. Challenges undoubtedly occur, but very few on the street know to what degree they have been successful. There are a number of “accidents” in the mining business. There are six notable pirate companies in this small area of Fringe—Captains <a href="http://206.222.222.86/forum/files/captain-holger.jpg" target="_blank">Holger</a>, Margrave, Rogers, Quezada, Landau and Commodore Frawley. All of them hold to a loose code of non-aggression, unless there is profit on the line. When the battle is joined, it’s every pirate for them self. Typically, captains will only cripple a rival pirate’s ship and leave, but deaths do occur. The one universal neutral ground is the Faltz mining station and the one “holy ground” is Ralts’ Tavern. Ralts’ place is throwback bar from a bygone age. It is a strange mix of cutting edge and ancient antiques. It is a spacers bar. Miners come here to meet the men and women that might someday carry their children off this hopeless rock. Entry to Ralts’ isn’t free (unless you’re a spacer) and miners don’t make much money. It’s always the same hard luck story. The spacers know the story—some care, some don’t. But none of them have the resources to take on more greenhorn miners. But occasionally a captain needs crew and the dream to escape comes true, so the miner continue to come and hope. Otherwise, the pirates come here to relax, swap stories and here news of upcoming convoys. Behind the counter is Ralts himself, highly modified with more cyberware than seems possible. There are rumors that the cyborg was once a ship captain himself, but he routinely denies it.</blockquote>

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