Jobs and Contracts
Jobs and Contracts
Escort and Convoy
Overview. Bulk carriers and agricultural haulers are vulnerable when crossing rim and mid routes. Crews are hired to guard them through pirate-heavy sectors or Syndicate toll zones.
Tasks. Fly escort ships, check cargo seals at each stop, repel raiders, and handle toll negotiations.
Risks. Syndicate checkpoints may demand unexpected fees. Pirates target fuel tanks first. Insurers may refuse payout if proof of escort isn’t filed.
Examples.
Convoy includes a flagged vessel carrying contraband, endangering everyone.
A “protection contract” overlaps with another Free Company, sparking conflict.
Pirates may bribe escorts to look the other way.
Recovery and Salvage
Overview. Crews retrieve cargo and wreckage from derelict ships, storm-wrecked Serean habitats, or collapsed Caraphex tunnels. Salvage must be declared to avoid seizure by local courts or corporations.
Tasks. Identify wreckage, recover viable goods, restore manifests, and haul them back. Post salvage notices through a Data Guild or escrow node.
Risks. Rival salvage crews may contest claims. Syndicates may demand a cut. Wrecks often contain hazards: decompression, toxic leaks, or unstable fuel.
Examples.
Wreck carries valuable but dangerous biotech; authorities want it destroyed.
Salvage rights are disputed by two planetary governments.
Wreck is not abandoned; survivors are still aboard and hostile.
Water Logistics
Overview. Drought-struck worlds and stations rely on sealed water shipments. Vellari standards make fraud difficult, but counterfeits and theft are common.
Tasks. Transport sealed water tanks, check meter integrity, deliver to designated depots. Defend against raids and inspect seals to confirm authenticity.
Risks. Fraudulent seals void entire contracts. Crews may be blamed for theft committed by port officials. Syndicates target water as leverage against communities.
Examples.
Shipment includes forged seals; delivery risks blacklisting.
Desperate locals try to seize water during offload.
Rival crews sabotage tanks to frame the players.
Grid Repair
Overview. Many rim and mid worlds run on unstable power grids and reactors. Talarq parts keep them running, but installation requires escort and oversight.
Tasks. Transport replacement parts, guard engineers, and install them into failing grids. Protect workers until testing is complete.
Risks. Rim grids often collapse mid-installation, causing blackouts or radiation leaks. Locals may blame outsiders. Corporations may enforce harsh penalties for delays.
Examples.
Grid belongs to a Syndicate-controlled town; safety is ignored in favor of speed.
A rival company sends saboteurs to ruin the contract.
The part itself is defective, creating moral choices about disclosure.
Mapping and Audit
Overview. Keth auditors and surveyors provide safe-route data. They hire escorts to map unstable lanes, check bridge integrity, and expose false charts published by Syndicates or corrupt officials.
Tasks. Fly through dangerous lanes, record anomalies, compare with archives, and validate safe passages. Publicize findings through Data Guild channels.
Risks. Pirates watch survey crews for ambush opportunities. Publishing results that hurt a Syndicate’s toll profits may put crews on blacklists.
Examples.
A “false lane” is revealed to lead into a pirate ambush.
Data Guild disputes arise over who owns the published chart.
Survey proves a core authority report was deliberately falsified.
Clinic Runs
Overview. Worlds hit by outbreaks rely on fast medical deliveries. Shipments are valuable and often delayed by inspections, tariffs, or corruption.
Tasks. Transport sealed medical cargo, protect it from theft, and deliver to licensed clinics or aid stations. Bribery at checkpoints is common.
Risks. Cargo may spoil if delayed. Smugglers may mix counterfeit supplies with legitimate shipments. Military patrols may block entry during quarantine.
Examples.
Cargo includes a banned drug that is legal only in the destination system.
A rival aid faction attempts to redirect the shipment.
Players must choose between delivering cargo to the contract holder or to a desperate, unlisted community.
Data and Escrow
Overview. In a galaxy where records define personhood and ownership, escrow proofs and identity files are priceless. Couriers carry verified data through hostile ports and regions.
Tasks. Protect sealed data modules, deliver them to specific guild offices or escrow banks, and provide proof of authenticity.
Risks. Syndicates attempt to seize or alter data. Mega-Corporations may intercept proofs to bury rivals. Ports may hold couriers under fabricated charges until bribes are paid.
Examples.
The data courier carries records that could erase or reinstate a crew member’s legal identity.
A Synthborn client asks the crew to transport Right-to-Patch charters, illegal in the destination.
Multiple factions claim the same escrow module; players must decide who gets it.
Bounty Hunting
Overview. Planetary governments, Mega-Corporations, or Syndicates post bounties on fugitives, deserters, or debt evaders. Free Companies and freelancers compete for the contract.
Tasks. Track targets across ports, confirm ID, capture alive (or kill, depending on terms), and deliver to contractor. Must file proof with escrow or local law.
Risks. Targets may be protected by Syndicates, or secretly on a Mega-Corporation’s payroll. Rival hunters may ambush or fake captures.
Examples.
Target is a former crewmate of the players.
Multiple factions issue conflicting orders about what to do with the same fugitive.
The bounty contract itself is counterfeit, meant to lure hunters into a trap.
Debt Collection
Overview. Debt drives everything. Crews are hired to collect unpaid dues, enforce indenture contracts, or seize collateral.
Tasks. Track debtors, negotiate repayment, repossess goods or ships, or deliver debtors to a labor court.
Risks. Debt collectors are hated. Crews may be attacked by communities protecting one of their own. Courts may seize collateral and deny payout.
Examples.
Debtor offers players a bribe to falsify repayment records.
A Mega-Corporation demands enforcement of a lifetime indenture contract.
The debtor is innocent; records were forged by a Syndicate.
Smuggling and Contraband
Overview. Syndicates, desperate governments, or even aid groups hire crews to move banned goods: weapons, illegal tech, unlicensed meds, or blacklisted data.
Tasks. Conceal cargo, forge manifests, bribe inspectors, and deliver without detection.
Risks. If caught, crews face seizure, imprisonment, or forced indenture. Rival smugglers may expose competitors to secure routes.
Examples.
Cargo turns out to be alive and unwilling.
A bribed inspector changes sides and demands double.
Cargo is desperately needed by a local community but contract demands delivery elsewhere.
Hostage Retrieval
Overview. Syndicates, pirates, or rival factions often take hostages for ransom. Crews may be hired to negotiate, exchange, or forcibly recover captives.
Tasks. Locate hostages, arrange terms, or mount a rescue operation. Deliver proof of life and ensure safe transfer.
Risks. Captors may execute hostages if threatened. Ransoms may be counterfeit or intercepted.
Examples.
A ransom demand is deliberately inflated by intermediaries.
The “hostage” is complicit in the capture, using it as cover.
Multiple factions try to claim the same hostage for leverage.
Relic and Artifact Recovery
Overview. Abandoned stations, derelict colonies, and dead worlds hold old stockpiles, dangerous tech, or cultural relics. Data Guilds, Mega-Corps, or Faith Networks hire crews to retrieve them.
Tasks. Enter hazardous zones, secure artifacts, record authenticity, and deliver them intact.
Risks. Sites may be toxic, unstable, or occupied by squatters. Rival recovery teams may stake claims.
Examples.
The artifact proves politically explosive (e.g., a lost registry exposing past crimes).
Faith Networks demand relics be turned over to them instead of contractors.
A Synthborn faction claims the artifact as evidence of machine origins.
Hazard Containment
Overview. Ecological disasters, reactor leaks, or uncontrolled machines can spread rapidly. Crews are hired to contain hazards and protect nearby settlements.
Tasks. Quarantine zones, destroy runaway equipment, shut down reactors, or assist evacuees.
Risks. Containment jobs are underfunded and high-risk. Crews may be left without backup if things collapse.
Examples.
Hazard spreads faster than expected, stranding crews.
A Mega-Corporation covers up the source, ordering crews to suppress evidence.
Hazard cleanup reveals valuable but unstable tech.
Political Leverage
Overview. Planetary governments or Mega-Corps quietly hire crews to deliver bribes, steal records, or sabotage rivals before negotiations.
Tasks. Move discreetly, carry sensitive packages, deliver to specific targets, and ensure no evidence traces back.
Risks. Exposure can brand crews as Syndicate assets or spies. Rival operatives may frame them.
Examples.
A bribe delivery is switched with counterfeit currency.
Target refuses payoff and threatens to expose everyone.
Players must choose between honoring contract or exposing corruption.
Passenger Transport
Overview. Wealthy travelers, political exiles, or religious pilgrims often need discreet or secure passage. Crews take them across dangerous routes.
Tasks. Protect passengers, maintain secrecy, avoid ambushes, and deliver them alive.
Risks. Passengers may attract Syndicate interest, or secretly be fugitives. Disputes between passengers and contractors are common.
Examples.
A passenger is secretly a wanted criminal with a bounty higher than the transport contract.
Rival factions attempt to intercept passengers before arrival.
A passenger is dangerous or unstable, threatening the crew mid-journey.