Mandible Reach

At a glance

World Type: Industrial rim hub
Primary Role: Ship-breaking capital of the Caraphex constellation; escrow and neutral arbitration for salvage, scrap, and recovery claims
Constellation Link: Caraphex (Ravel labor clades → Shardplain tools → Pitchmire hydrocarbons → Mandible Reach ship-breaking/escrow)
Reputation: Efficient, hazardous, rule-heavy; respected for clean escrow execution and clear salvage chains
Key Institutions: Yard Authority, Neutral Escrow Board, Salvage Courts, Occupational Safety Office, Beacon & Hull Registry Annex
Primary Imports: Decommissioned hulls, derelicts, tug parts, cutting gases, refinery reagents, food staples for workers
Primary Exports: Certified scrap, reclaimed drives and avionics, refined alloys, escrow-cleared salvage lots, black-box data under court order

Role in the galaxy

Mandible Reach is where ships end service lives or return as recovered hulls. Crews bring hulks under tow, register claims, and enter escrow. Licensed yards cut, sort, and certify outputs. Salvage Courts decide ownership and liens when records conflict. Neutral escrow makes payments conditional on weight, grade, and verified serials. Many carriers procure refit parts here, especially legacy components no longer manufactured in the core.

History and USD markers

USD 0027.0: Named the Caraphex constellation’s official ship-breaking and escrow world.
USD 0045.2: Recognized corridor node for Syndicate toll pressure; Yard Authority adopts bonded-convoy rules for inbound tows.
USD 0064.1: Mixed-crew and mixed-ownership salvage templates introduced (separate pay channels, serial lists, lien splits).
USD 0085.2: Beacon collapses and drift zones increase derelict traffic; Escrow Board scales fast-track dispute handling.
USD 0106.2+: Free Companies hired as standing escorts for high-value wreck convoys; yard perimeter protocols hardened.

Government and law

Yard Authority (YA): Licenses yards and cutters, assigns break berths, enforces safety, and audits weight tickets.
Neutral Escrow Board (NEB): Runs escrow contracts tied to lots, verifies delivery metrics, and signals release of funds.
Salvage Courts: Rule on finders’ rights, abandonment, black-box custody, lien priority, and hazardous cargo obligations.
Beacon & Hull Registry Annex: Confirms hull IDs, transponder histories, and prior liens before cutting begins.
Occupational Safety Office (OSO): Certifies suits, cutters, cranes, and vent protocols; can halt a yard on violations.

Law style: Evidence-first. Every lot needs a chain of custody, a weight certificate, and a serial roster. Unauthorized cutting, venting, or movement of black-box modules triggers immediate seizure and fines.

Economy

The economy runs on yard fees, lot premiums, escrow service charges, alloy refining margins, and resale of reclaimed components. Price depends on alloy grade, contamination level, and demand for specific legacy parts. Seasonal spikes follow convoy cycles and major conflicts near unstable lanes.

Common deal types:

Whole-hull breakup: One claim owner; straight escrow release by weight and grade.
Consortium salvage: Several owners; split escrow by serial tree.
Hazmat-flag lots: Extra fees for venting and neutralization; escrow includes compliance holdbacks.
Refit exchanges: Old drives swapped for certified refurbs; escrow holds until test-bench logs pass.

Ports and industrial districts

Tow Gate Array: Berths with reinforced moorings for derelict convoys; quarantine lanes for unknown cargoes.
Cut Yards A–F: Heavy cranes, thermal rails, plasma sheds, coolant trenches, and sealed sort lines.
Refinery Row: Smelters and reclamation plants with alloy-grade testing labs.
Escrow Concourse: NEB offices, bonded counting houses, dispute rooms, and data-vault interfaces.
Salvage Courts Complex: Hearing halls with evidence docks for black-box, serial plates, and transponder logs.
Safety Quadrant: OSO test stands, suit calibration, cutter certification, and emergency medical blocks.
Parts Exchange: Verified vendors for reclaimed avionics, drives, heat exchangers, and structural members.

Ship-breaking procedure (for visiting crews)

Pre-arrival: File tow manifest, hazard declarations, hull IDs, and escrow intent.
Berth assignment: Receive yard and break window; unknown cargoes go to quarantine.
Registry check: Annex confirms IDs, lien status, and beacon history; conflicts route to court intake.
Escrow open: NEB creates contract tied to lots and serials with clear release conditions.
Cut authorization: OSO inspects equipment; YA issues cut permit per hull section plan.
Sort & certify: Weighing, contamination tests, serial scans; lots sealed with tamper tags.
Escrow release: Payments clear per milestone; disputes hold only the affected lot, not the entire hull.
Departure audit: Confirm no open citations, no unaccounted black-box modules, and no loose hazardous stores.

Frequent delays: missing serial rosters, disputed lien histories, hazmat mislabeling, or incomplete vent logs.

Society and culture

Mandible Reach is direct and rule-driven. Shifts run long but scheduled. Crews eat in yard canteens between cut windows. People keep personal safety gear in good order and respect hazard lines. Off-shift activity centers on repair stalls, bargaining, and training for better yard certifications. Caraphex labor clades hold many technical roles; off-world specialists rotate in for niche systems.

Languages: Trade Common, Caraphex work-cant, and enough Keth technical terms for beacon and serial work. Basic Synthborn interface terms are common in data-vault tasks.

Factions and power players

Yard Authority Directorate: Assigns yards and enforces standards; neutral in commerce.
Neutral Escrow Board: Controls trust; blacklisting by NEB can end a firm’s business across multiple sectors.
Cutters’ Guild: Trains and certifies professional cutters, riggers, and sort chiefs; maintains exam standards.
Refiners’ Syndic: Sets alloy testing norms and negotiates energy allotments.
Towmasters League: Coordinates long-haul tugs and forms convoy compacts for defense.
Parts Exchange Council: Screens vendors, grades reclaimed components, and handles recalls.
External Brokers: Human finance firms and Serean chemical buyers maintain offices for steady lines on metals and reagents.
Syndicate Proxies (covert): Seek early access to high-value lots; targeted by stings and escrow traps.

Relations with other worlds

Ravel: Supplies trained labor clades and trainee cohorts for yard expansion.
Shardplain: Provides cutting tools, rails, and spare assemblies for cranes.
Pitchmire: Ships fuels and reagents for torches, smelters, and neutralization.
Kedra: Confirms liens and resolves complex ownership disputes; issues binding release orders.
Slipwind (Keth): Updates beacon logs and route proofs used in salvage claims.
Brightline (Synthborn): Hosts mirrored escrow compute and serial-verification services.
Mistral Gate / Brackenfeld corridors: High-risk tow routes; common need for escorts and bonded convoys.

Security and crime

Threats include tow hijacks in approach lanes, forged serial plates, false lien filings, and black-box theft. Yard Authority patrols and Free Companies guard the outer lanes during heavy traffic. On-world, most crimes are paperwork fraud and safety bypasses. Penalties escalate fast: yard closure orders, escrow freezes, and sector-wide blacklists.

Technology and standards

Serial Integrity: Each reclaimed unit scans against Annex tables; mismatches trigger holds.
Lot Sealing: Tamper-evident bands and trace chips; removal logs auto-post to escrow.
Hazard Protocols: Mandatory venting and neutralization before hot cuts; OSO audits are unannounced.
Data Custody: Black-box modules move in sealed chains with dual witnesses and time stamps.
Test-Bench Certification: Drives and avionics require bench logs before Parts Exchange listing.

Notable locations

Berth Nine Quarantine: Intake for unknown or unstable cargoes; extended vent bays.
Cut Yard C (Heavy Frames): Specialized in capital-frame spines and reactor shrouds.
Fine Sort Hall: High-precision alloy grading with independent labs.
Escrow Tier-One Vaults: High-value contracts and mirrored compute cells with bonded couriers.
Courtroom Delta: Salvage class actions and multi-party lien disputes.
Towmasters Dispatch: Convoy formation, route briefings, and escort hiring.

Life on Mandible Reach

Housing sits close to yards. Transit is simple and durable. Training centers run night classes for cutter grades, crane licenses, hazmat handling, and escrow clerk tracks. Health services focus on fumes, heat stress, joint strain, and eye protection. Public notices track incident rates by yard and publish weekly compliance scores.

Risks and pressure points

Inbound route attacks: Tows are slow targets; insurance and escort costs can erase margins.
Hazmat surges: Reactor residue or illegal cargo increases OSO shutdowns and throughput loss.
Serial fraud: Plate mills and firmware spoofs threaten trust in reclaimed parts.
Energy rationing: Refinery output drops if allotments tighten; alloy prices spike.
Court backlog: Multi-party disputes can stall lot releases and lock cash in escrow.