Carriers' Mutual

Who they are

Where it came from

When Hale & Ostrander pulled out of the frontier routes to cut costs, they left the independent haulers who worked for them stranded: no contracts, no insurance, no one to come for them when pirates did. Twenty-eight captains met in a station bar, pooled what they had, and agreed to three rules: share the risk, share the work, and come when called.

The Co-operative granted them a charter, partly out of principle and partly to annoy Hale & Ostrander. The Mutual is now everywhere with a government: one member, one ship, one vote.

What it does

Ordinary freight at fair rates. Members share insurance (a lower excess), answer each other's distress calls, and vote on everything, slowly. It's the first outfit most new commanders fly for, and the one most of them come back to.

What people say

• The Mutual is honest, and broke, and always arguing.
• A faction of members wants to take on Hexon. Another wants Hexon's contracts. Both have a point.
• The twenty-eighth founder was never named. Every Mutual station keeps an empty chair for her.

Its ship: the Garter

Named for the garter snake: common, harmless and everywhere. (Original class.)

• A cheap, rugged starter hauler the Mutual sells to new members at cost.
• Small hold, easy to fly, simple to repair at any station; slower than a Cobra but forgiving.

Not built yet. Design it.

From the trading companies, the canon. Their liveries, story hooks and concept-art prompts are there.