Weather = Risk
Ships = People
Cargo = Crimes
Routes = Plans
Repairs = Lies
Fuel = Money
Silence = Danger
Clear Sky – Safe, no law or rivals
“Sky’s clear till morning.”
High Wind – Law enforcement nearby
“Winds are picking up.”
Red Weather – Violence likely
“Forecast says red weather.”
Rolling Fog – Confusion, misinformation
“Too much fog to trust it.”
Storm Break – Sudden opportunity after chaos
“Wait for the storm break.”
Black Calm – Something very wrong
“Too calm. Black calm.”
Good Hull – Reliable person
“She’s a good hull.”
Soft Plating – Naive or exploitable
“Client’s soft plating.”
Hot Engine – Aggressive, unstable
“Careful—hot engine.”
Cold Frame – Professional killer or enforcer
“Cold frame took the job.”
Ghost Ship – Someone who vanished or is presumed dead
“Thought he was a ghost ship.”
Flying Scrap – Desperate crew
“Flying scrap, but armed.”
Legal Freight – Actual legal goods
“Just freight.” (Means the opposite if stressed)
Soft Cargo – Easy theft or low resistance
“Cargo’s soft.”
Fragile – Kidnapping, VIP, or leverage asset
“Handle fragile.”
Live Crate – Person being moved
“One live crate.”
Rotten Cargo – Cursed, traced, or dangerous goods
“That cargo’s rotten.”
Heavy Boxes – Weapons or explosives
“Moving heavy boxes.”
Long Road – Complicated job
“It’s a long road.”
Short Jump – Simple hit
“Short jump, in and out.”
Dead Lane – Trap or ambush
“That lane’s dead.”
Side Drift – Backup plan
“We take a side drift.”
Broken Map – Plan has changed
“Map’s broken.”
Straight Burn – No subtlety
“Straight burn tonight.”
Patch Job – Temporary lie
“That story’s a patch job.”
Full Refit – Total identity change
“Needs a full refit.”
Paint Swap – Minor cover story
“Just a paint swap.”
False Hull – Fake alibi
“Running a false hull.”
Loose Bolts – Inconsistencies
“Story’s got loose bolts.”
Fuel Up – Get paid
“Fuel up after dock.”
Dry Tank – No money
“Tank’s dry.”
Extra Burn – Bonus or bribe
“Throw in extra burn.”
Clean Fuel – Untraceable money
“Fuel’s clean.”
Leaking Tank – Someone skimming
“Check the tank—it’s leaking.”
Tall Shadows – Marshals
“Shadows got tall.”
Bright Badges – Corrupt law
“Badges are shining too bright.”
Paper Storm – Warrants, legal trouble
“Paper storm brewing.”
Cold Dock – Impound, arrest site
“Don’t land—cold dock.”
Watching Stars – Surveillance
“Stars are watching.”
Gunmetal Rain – Shootout
“Gunmetal rain hit the port.”
Cut the Tether – Abandon someone
“We cut the tether.”
Vent the Cargo – Kill the target
“Cargo got vented.”
Burn the Chart – Erase evidence
“Burn the chart.”
Quiet the Engine – Silence a witness
“Engine needs quieting.”
Mind the Airlock – Don’t trust anyone
“Mind the airlock.”
Loose Seal – Informant nearby
“Feels like a loose seal.”
Eyes on the Glass – Being watched
“Eyes on the glass.”
Shared Fuel – Mutual trust
“We share fuel.”
Same Horizon – Aligned goals
“Same horizon, then.”
“Smooth skies.” – Goodbye / Stay clean
“Watch your gauges.” – Be careful / Don’t talk
“Till the next dock.” – If you survive
“No leaks.” – Keep quiet
“Fly light.” – Leave nothing behind
A speaker fluent in Reach Cant can:
Discuss murder over drinks
Arrange smuggling during weather chatter
Threaten someone with a smile
And if questioned?
“Just ship talk.”
If you want, I can:
Encode full conversations in Cant
Create Cant phrases per faction
Write a player handout version with hidden meanings stripped
Just say when.