Law and Enforcement

Core Law

The Core has the most police and the most rules. Every ship that docks at a Core port goes through several checks. Officers check the ship papers, the cargo list, every crew ID and the customs fees. It is slow. A missing form can hold a ship for weeks.

You can appeal a ruling, but you need a lawyer and a lot of patience. Appeals take months or years. Big companies can wait. Small crews cannot. Bribes work here too, but getting caught costs both sides their licenses.

Authority police patrol the Core. Some are honest. Many take bribes. Fights between crews usually go to court, not to guns.

• * *

Mid Law

The Mid enforces the law when it feels up to it. Ports have police and inspectors, but they are underpaid and short-staffed. Bribes, favors and your name matter as much as the law.

A rush fee can save a cargo from seizure. An officer who owes you a favor may skip the inspection. Honest officers exist, and some are proud of it, but they never have enough people or gear.

Violence happens behind closed doors. When two syndicates fight over a port, there are sudden shootouts in docking bays and crew members who go missing. Local militias protect local industry and company property, not travelers.

• * *

Rim Law

On the Rim, the law is whoever has the biggest gun or the best lawyer. Disputes end in hours. Bribes are expected, favors are demanded, and violence is normal.

Courts exist, but most of them just turn debts into forced work. When money is involved, the ruling comes fast. The cargo is taken, a fine is set, or the debtor is sent to work. Nobody appeals.

Many Rim ports hire private enforcement crews. They are police, debt collectors and muscle all in one. Their job is to keep the money moving and the local boss happy.

• * *

Common Charges

The same charges come up everywhere.

• Flying without papers. Carrying people or cargo without ship papers.

• Ice jacking. Hijacking Vellari tugs or stealing their ice. The Grand Council posts big bounties for it.

• Cargo theft. Opening cargo on the way and selling part of it.

• Skipping out. Running from a debt or a work contract.

• Claim jumping. Stripping a wreck that another crew already claimed.

• Fake charts. Selling false lane charts to mislead rivals.

In the Core, charges mean fines, seized cargo or a lost license. In the Mid, they mean fines, bribes or a blacklist. On the Rim, they mean a beating, forced work, or losing your ship.

• * *

Courts and Bounties

Customs courts (Core). These courts handle fights over customs fees, locked cargo and seized ships. Authority judges favor big companies, who can pay for lawyers. Small crews rarely win.

Debt courts (everywhere). The most common court in the galaxy. They turn unpaid loans into forced work for the lender. In the Core the work has an end date. On the Rim it can last a lifetime. Many crews fear these courts more than pirates.

The bounty system. The Authority's patrols are too thin to catch everyone, so it posts bounties and lets freelancers do the catching. Bounty offices in most ports list the wanted, each with a face, a name and a price. Bring the target in alive and you get full pay. Dead often pays less, or nothing. Companies and syndicates post bounties too, and not all of them are legal. Most bounties are small. A few are big enough to change a crew's life.

• * *

Who Enforces the Law

• Customs officers (Core). They can seize ships and cargo over any problem. The Authority backs them.

• Authority police. They patrol the Core and the big lanes. Some are honest. Many take bribes.

• Militia and port guards (Mid). Paid by local governments or companies. They work for whoever pays their wages.

• Enforcers (Rim). Syndicate muscle or private crews working for the local boss. Fast, rough and light on paperwork.

• Bounty hunters. Freelancers who catch wanted people for the reward. Some are ex-cops. Most are broke.

• Aid group advocates. Some aid groups send people to speak for poor debtors in court. They get threatened for it.