RUPPERT'S CROSSING BEGAN IT'S LIFE AS A COLONIAL SPACE FLEET LISTENING POST DESIGNATED ST-011 THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED FOUR LIGHT YEARS FROM THE XIN QUARANTINE ZONE AS AN EARLY WARNING STATION TO ALERT THE COLONIES IN THE EVENT OF SHI'AN INCURSION. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE STATION OPENED THERE WAS ENGINEERING ACCIDENT WITH A FAULTY REACTOR THAT LEFT THE STATION ABANDONED AND WITHOUT POWER. FOUR YEARS LATER A GROUP OF DEEP SPACE TRADERS APPROACHED THE ALLIANCE TO ACQUIRE THE ABANDONED STATION AS A LONG RANGE TRADING OUTPOST AND RESUPPLY DEPOT. THE ALLIANCE GOVERNMENT AGREED TO SELL THE STATION TO THE GROUP OF COMMERCE INVESTORS WITH THE ONE STIPULATION THAT IT CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A DEEP SPACE LISTENING POST TO ALERT THE ALLIANCE OF ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN THE XIN QUARANTINE ZONE. SINCE THE INVESTORS HAD NO INTEREST IN MILITARY MATTERS THEY ALLOWED A SMALL CONTINGENT OF SPACE FLEET RANGERS TO USE THE STATION AS A BASE OF OPERATIONS AND FULFILL THE STIPULATION OF THE SALE. AFTER THE SALE THE STATION WAS RENAMED "RUPPERT'S CROSSING" IN HONOR OF THE DEEP SPACE MERCHANT LOGAN RUPPERT WHO WAS INSTURMENTAL IN DEVELOPING THE KHLASTAN CORRIDOR AS VALUABLE TRADE ROUTE BETWEEN THE COLONIES. WHILE RUPPERT'S CROSSING IS NOT A PARTICUARLY CONVIENT STOP ON ANY TRADE ROUTE ITS OUT OF THE WAY LOCATION AND PROXIMITY TO THE QC MAKE IT A WELL KNOWN STOP FOR SMUGGLERS AND TRADERS WHO DON'T LIKE TO GO BY THE WELL TRAVELLED TRADE ROUTES.

THE STATION ITSELF IS CONSTANTLY IN STATE OF DEVELOPMENT AS NEW MDOULES ARE ADDED TO FACILITATE NEW COMMERCE ACTIVITIES. THE STATION IS UNARMED AND PROTECTED ONLY BY A REPULSOR FIELD GRID. BUT IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A SENTEL CLASS WEAPONS PLATFORM THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE STATION BY THE SPACE FLEET RANGERS BUT IT'S CONTROL IS RESTRICTED ONLY TO THE RANGERS AND THE STATION'S CONSTABLE.

SINCE THAT STATION IS A FREE TRADE ZONE IT IS NOT UNCOMMON THAT KHLASTAN PRIVATEERS OFTEN FIND THEIR WAY ON TO THE STATION AND IT IS RUMORED THAT SOME OF THE INVESTORS THAT HELPED PURCHASE THE STATION MAY ACTUALLY BE PIRATES THEMSELVES. WHILE THE RANGERS WORK TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE ON THE STATION THEIR PRIMARY MISSION IS MAINTAINING A VIGIL ON THE QUARANTINE ZONE... SO MOST LOCAL CRIMINAL MATTERS AND EVEN REPORTS OF PIRACY ARE HANDLED BY THE STATION'S CONSTABLE AND SECURITY FORCES.