Part A --- Privateers While completely legal, both Streele and the local governments on both worlds in Truane's Star have soiled their hands by effectively commissioning what could only be described otherwise as piracy. The officers entrusted with such contract have been given explicit instructions to leave any local TS vessel or business alone, any other incoming traffic is fair game. After all, the Mining Guild only taxes the locals, visiting merchants (particularly those under PGC contracts) are immune to the Guild.
As such any civilian ship owner who has grown tired of the taxation by the Mining Guild can find work with the governments of Pale or New pale, sanctioned of course by Streele, Incorporated. Tackling inbound craft and relieving them of their merchandise is a profitable business, more so when the bounty hails from any PGC craft...bonuses have been offered for such "acquired" merchandise.
Part B --- Pirates The down side to this, of course, is the romantic attraction to full fledged piracy. While the occasional freebooter can be encountered within Truane's Star, ultimately they are snatched up by one of the two pirate factions battling for this ripe territory: the Star Demons and the Lonely Knights. Of those two, the Demons are the dominant presence insystem, under the leadership of Lucifer "the Star Devil" Yurak. Not much is known concerning Lucifer, although reports have him aged somewhere between 70-90 years and augmented with bionic hardware and wetware alike to help stave off the effects of age. Members of his organization are readily recognized by a tatoo or arm patch featuring a red demon holding a pitchfork..some of which are also sporting rockers or banners above and/or below. While there has not been an established pattern to the rockers and banners, it has been theorized as signifying rank or seniority.
The other faction, the Lonely Knights, are a bit more "agreeable". While the Demons willingly attack any and all craft they encounter, the Knights live by the basic code of "leave the locals alone." Basically speaking, the Knights have gone from privateers that were rewarded for their obtained cargoes to getting full market value for the offworlder loads instead. While the planetary governments frown on this, at the same time it keeps the Guild at bay. While the traders willing to deal with pirates tend to low-ball the loads being offered by the Demons, they willingly pay fair market value to the Knights. Little is known about the leadership within the Knights, however one of their members has recently signed on as a privateer, being a former hot shot fighter jockey serving under the Lonely Knights and hired muscle under PGC prior to arriving in Truane's Star...Robert "Razor" Kitridger has just consigned a government sponsored vessel that recently began construction. He has spent some quality time behind closed doors at SI and government offices alike.
If the pirate's life is for you, you'll have little trouble earning a living with any of those three outfits.
