The Free Traders are a loose organization of independent spacefaring merchants operating within the Starweb and adjoining wormhole plexi.

Origins and History

The Free Traders started during the Second Interstellar Period as scattered bands of spacers who gradually coalesced into a larger union in order to gain protection and political leverage. They survived the violent end of that period and were pivotal in maintaining what small level of space travel remained in the Interstellar Dark Ages.

Structure

A self-governing organization owing no allegiance to any fixed state, the Free Traders are the amalgamation of the captains and crews of all ships counted among their number. Largely independent in their daily operations, the group as a whole is governed by the Captains' Assembly and Grand Council.

Captains

Commanding each ship's crew is a captain, a role requiring a great deal of leadership skills and business talent. This rank can be attained by being nominated by a current captain, either to command their ship after they retire, or a new ship under their oversight (giving over a portion of its profit until it is paid off), or by having command of one's own independent merchant ship and being invited to join the Traders.

Crew

Crewmembers' ranks are marked by what share they receive of the ship's profits from trading (quarter share, half-share, full share, etc.). Crew transfers between ships are possible and the transferee is entitled to keep his or her rank and shares aboard the new ship. Captains will sometimes make offers of increased pay or promotions to the crew of other ships in order to entice them to transfer, creating a sort of free market in crewmembers--they all are entitled to look for job offers with other ships. This system also serves to ensure the crews are well-treated and not held in debt servitude.
  A crewmember who quits and then signs on with a different ship, however, will have to start over at the bottom rank. Regardless, all crewmembers who leave the service are entitled to a free ride back to their home planet.
  Temporary crewmembers are sometimes hired from local ports when a job calls for an extra pair of hands, but these people are not considered part of the Free Traders unless the ship's captain offers them a permanent position.

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Pay and Shares

Free Traders receive revenue from the sale of their cargoes in port. This is used to pay the crew's wages and ship's maintenance, then the remaining profit (if any) is distributed to the crew according to a "shares" system:

• Double Share: Captain and Quartermaster
• Share and a Half: Pilot/Navigator, Petty Officer/Boatswain/Bosun (handles cargo loading), Armorer
• Share and a Quarter: Other officers (chief engineer, etc.)
• Full Share: Experienced and loyal crewmembers
• Half Share: Crewmen who have been with the ship for a few years, usually having specialized to work in a particular department
• Quarter Share: The lowest-ranked, most junior crewmembers, handling menial tasks

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