Regions and Structure

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Core

The Core holds the oldest, richest and most crowded worlds. Cities cover whole continents, and stations crowd the sky. Everyone important has an office here. That includes the Authority council, company towers, embassies, banks, data brokers and courts. Travel is slow because of lines, checks and fees. A ship docking at a big Core port gets checked several times, and every office wants a fee.

Economy. Refined goods, medicine, ID records and good ship parts. Academies train officers, navigators and customs inspectors.

Law. Strict and slow. Appeals take weeks or months. The police protect insured cargo, big banks and company supply lines first.

Everyday life. Housing is small and expensive, and most people live in packed tower blocks. Fun is licensed, such as theaters, music halls and gambling dens. People still find street festivals, back-room jazz bars and union meetings.

In short. The Core promises order and delivers lines and bribes. To do well here, a crew needs good papers, spare cash and friends in offices.

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Mid

The Mid connects the Core and the Rim. Industry, trade and culture mix here. Some Mid worlds build ships. Some grow food. Some run schools or entertainment. Rim goods come in to be refined and sent on to the Core.

Economy. Factory belts make parts for ships and stations. Farm worlds ship grain, fuel and raw goods. Repair yards run from clean drydocks to patchwork hangars. Schools train navigators, mechanics and hired guns from every species.

Law. Uneven. Some ports run by Core rules. Others let syndicates collect tolls. Bribes, favors and "local fees" are normal, and the rules change from port to port.

Everyday life. People live in plain apartments, crew dorms and patched old domes. Food stalls from every species line the streets, next to gambling houses, cheap theaters and black markets. This is where mixed-species crews usually form.

In short. Unstable but profitable. If you know who to pay, you can move almost anything.

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Rim

The Rim is the frontier. The law is thin, routes are long, and nothing gets fixed. Syndicates run many checkpoints, storage yards and ports. Debt courts rule fast, usually for whoever pays the judge. Prison sentences turn into lifetime work.

Economy. The Rim has the raw goods. Mining belts, harvest seas and drill stations send ore, fuel, ice and food inward, sold cheap to Core and Mid companies. Salvage is big business. Old stations, empty colonies and wrecks get stripped for parts. Smuggling does well, and syndicates lend faster than banks.

Law. The law is whoever has the guns. Some worlds keep militias, but they are broke and crooked. Most arguments end with a bribe, a favor or a fight. In a lot of places, bounty hunters are the closest thing to police.

Everyday life. People live in prefabs, bunkers and old ship hulls. Medicine is rare and expensive. Most people get by on short jobs or syndicate work. Fun is loud and simple. There are fight rings, card games, and bars where the jukebox has one working song.

In short. Dangerous and raw. Money comes fast here, and so does trouble. Crews either get rich quickly or die in debt.

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Between

The Between is everything off a planet's surface. That means stations, depots, scrapyards, prisons, labs, farms and mines. Every long trip stops here for fuel, water or repairs. The galaxy needs these places, and they are some of the most dangerous in it.

Economy. Stations sell supplies, trade and repairs. Depots sell fuel and water. Scrapyards strip old ships for parts. Farm domes grow protein, algae and hydroponic crops. Prisons double as factories or mines.

Law. Nobody is sure whose law applies. Some stations have Core charters, some belong to companies, and some belong to syndicates. Many belong to nobody, but everybody still charges a fee. Pirates use hidden stations to resupply.

Everyday life. Station life is cramped. Air, water and waste systems need constant care. Many workers owe the station for rent, food and air, and cannot leave until they pay. Fights start fast in tight spaces.

In short. Crews cannot live without the Between, but most accidents, fights and double-crosses happen here.