Shantyworld

In a distant place and a distant time, there is a galaxy dominated by trade cartels and ritual wars, with powerful factions in conflict over trade, trade routes, and territory on the unclaimed periphery. That there are already people living in this unclaimed space is irrelevant, after all, they’re members of lesser species and their deaths are a price of acquisition and war.   All of this is adjudicated by an unseen power, the Governors. The only thing known about the Governors is that they make and enforce the rules of commerce, imperialism, and war. There are many stories of Governor power, there are no stories of someone successfully defying a Governor-made law.   Our story focuses on a small inconsequential world. It’s not even a planet. It’s one of over a dozen moons of a medium-size gas-giant orbiting a super bright F2 dwarf star. And for reasons known only to them, the governors have terraformed it and put four of their starports there, making it one of the few truly neutral safe havens in local space. Who would care about a place like that? Other than it being a Governor-established port on the periphery… The result is this world is a haven for adventurers, refugees, dissidents, and squatters. They gave their new home and transit hub the sardonic name of Doozy Sack and built a sprawling city around the starport. This multi-species and multi-cultural conglomeration of structures, in the eyes of the galaxy, makes this A Shantyworld.   Recently the governors have ordered an audit of the imperial and corporate fleets contesting the region. Their attendance is mandatory. Suddenly this shanty-world is the center of attention, and with imperial ships gathering at the port, mercenaries, camp followers, and other opportunistic beings have joined the population – simultaneously the risks and possibilities for all of this world’s inhabitants now seem endless.