Galactic Independents

The Galactic Independents (GI) is an intergalactic organisation or guild founded around the principle of stimulating the market of interstellar trade. GI members are viewed in the same light as pirates or bandits, despite the fact that all actions enacted by GIs are in accordance to rules and conventions agreed upon with all major marketing partners.

GIs scout out business opportunities all across the galaxy, this may mean discovering planets rich in ore, establishing mining stations, scavenging materials from battle debris, utilising products of nature, assisting primitive communities and securing them economic security, and generally creating the building blocks of business. The established business is then sold to the most appropriate investor.

The Guild
Application processes are considerably simple, and often considered too flexible by some. If an individual wishes to join a GI crew by him/her/itself it must either go to a space station and look for the nearest GI enlisting help desk. Many major space stations will have at least one such feature, and from this point the individual will be told the departing times GI shuttles will be leaving for the nearest GI stations. Already formed and equipped crews who simply wish to benefit from the licensing privileges of being a GI simply need to download the co-ordinates of GI stations.


 * Derd, often located around the D23 system. A system of 7 planets, one inhabited by a tribal species known to the GIs as 'Derdies'. The planet given it's tropical nature has been converted into a resort for high paying customers.
 * Heafortana Cosri, a station that primarily harvests the natural gases of the Gas giant system G3-32, and the nebula outside the system.
 * Mant, seen just outside of Fotri, a 3 planet system controlled by the Folrr.


 * Daldoc, frequently in limbo between the star system Drot-i and Nebula Risken2.
 * Malid, The only station to be in permanent orbit around a star. Located in solar system Mal-32 along with 5 other planetary bodies.
 * Drsh Iffen, built into a larger asteroid in the asteroid belt of the red dwarf star Goanta.
 * Dorlcon, the largest is a regular space port owned by the Galactic Independents guild. This is one of the most successful recruiting centers out of all four as it maintains a growing population of citizens. Often such citizens will see joining the GI as an escape and an opportunity to see the galaxy. This results in a steady flow of healthy young crew.

Organisation
It is said that most organisation of the guild is done individually by each station. Acting as headquarters for independent GIs, the crews recieve either clients or some sort of job via a constantly updated notice board. Many a GI will never seek out a contract or any such job, rather they will go out and produce business in their own manner. Stations will provide crews with the equipment or funding they require to carry out missions. Once given a ship or an allowance, a crew will have to pay back double it's worth, as well as 75% of any profit gained from a mission. All GIs will have to undergo this fee until gaining a 2nd tier membership, at which the fee decreases to 40%. The organisation for bigger more personal projects, such as the construction of new GI stations, is handled by a meeting of representatives. A select few of each station's council will communicate and discuss the best course of action. Often a new station is commissioned by this council to be produced by one of the better tier two GIs.
 * Tier one -75% fee on profit- GI crews will be allowed low range equipment, specifically in weapons and smaller space vessels. Exceptions can be made however, and multiple GI crews are encouraged to pool resources to gain larger assignments. Benefits for pooling, aside from larger teams to manage difficult tier one assignments, include variation on the fee of profit
 * Tier two -40% fee on profit- GI crews will be allowed high end equipment, including terraforming tools, or anything for long term projects. Industry based developments are fundamentally the aim of all tier two GIs. Often tier two members will concentrate on long term projects. They will remain GIs until they pay off all debt, at which point, they may choose to continue working on other missions supplied by the organisation, or become independent and self funded.

Controversy
Given the collosal nature of the galaxy and the divisions between empires and societies, there is no single code of ethics or trade company that manages all business interaction. As a result the methods of some GI are seen as less than 'ethical' in the eyes of certain species/cultures. Some such actions involve slavery, planned mass extinction, terraforming planets with civilisations on them, planet cracking, and other actions considered 'common banditry'.

Another complication that arises is each GI's license of trade. Which is presented and worn as a badge of authority when a GI crew is being questioned or asked to leave a sector of space.

License of Trade,

authorises all actions

and bestows upon this member

the right to pursue trade

in all its facets

The unfortunate wording of this primarily ceremonial license has created a very vague sense of what 'trade' actually is. As a result, GIs have been known to abuse these words, taking advantage of the naivety of all manner of people.

Origin
While little in known about the exact personage responsible for forming the GIs, the Mortribons, the Klax, and the destruction of Leka are all said to be major elements. Given the huge number of Dorlaks (7 million) that had been 'saved' from Leka, the Klax were eager to make use of their new source of cheap labour. An asteroid mining facility was constucted, ships were supplied and a large portion of the Dorlak were happily employed. Drsh Iffen, was the name of this facility, and was the first station of the GIs. Seeing the potential of the scenario, a number of Mortribo investors suggested another station to be built around the gas rich system G3-32, which would come to be known as Heafortana Cosri. The Mortribons suggested a business plan that allowed anyone to do the same that the Dorlak were doing. While they would have to pay for a vessel, they would get a small profit for what they brought in. 1880 was the year that this all started, and 700 years later little has changed. The organisation is no longer completely controlled by the Klax, rather it is run by a diverse group of individuals from different species. While crew and investors are far more varied and stations are much larger and more numerous, the intrinsic principles remain the same.