Stardrift Folk

Approximately a thousand years ago, there was a great exodus into space, not to any planet, but rather to space itself. No one knows why these nomads left their homeworlds, or who organized them into a people, but in time they became know as the Stardrift Folk. They have no homes other than their ships and a few enclaves at various space stations, including Kuat Freight Port and Zirtan's Anchor. For the Stardrift Folk, a planet is merely a place to barter, get a cargo, or pick up passengers.

The typical Stardrifter dresses in a basic ship suit or light flight suit, with a loose cloak over it. They were scarves around their necks and head, and they carry their personal possessions is a single spacer's chest and a large pack. They include a full spectrum of races, including humans, sullustains, duros and the occasional droid. Surprisingly, they treat their droids as equal members of the society.

Their fleet is scattered across the Empire, in a variety of ships, ranging from light scouts and couriers to medium-sized capital ships that have been stripped down for increased cargo space. This is not to say that they are not armed- they are. By the time a Stardrift child is old enough to see out the viewports, he is able to handle weapons ranging from blasters to quadguns with equal proficiency. They rarely need to use these weapon, however. Only a handful of pirates have been so bold as to go after the Stardrifters. To do so is to make an enemy of all their kind, and they will find, capture, try and sentence you in their courts. For similiar reasons, most bounty hunters steer well clear of the Folk, allowing them to police their own, which they do.

The children of the Stardrift Folk are an interesting aspect of their culture. Children are raised on the same ship as their parents, and take the same risks. As soon as they are old enough, they start learning who to fix and pilot ships of all types, bargain, and almost everything else. By the time a human Folk is twenty standard years old, he has a BOSS Ship Captain's Permit, speaks at least four languages other than Basic and Sullustian and/or Duro, and is a fully qualified starship pilot and mechanic. Many of their people go to the Institute of Starship Engineers or similar schools, but never the Academies.

No single family truly owns a ship. They are communal property, with a family that out grows a ship trading their old one in for a larger vessel. When a child comes of age, he joins one of the larger "tribeships", such a Rendili Neutron Star bulk cruiser or a rebuilt Invincible-class dreadnought, to finish learning the ins and outs of their lifestyle. After a period of typically five years, he is sent out on his own to trade and barter with a "familyship". When they finally find a mate, they form their own "familyship" and are given the appropriate sized ship, or join a "villageship", such as a bulk transport or an ore hauler, which contains several families. When they are older, if they so wish, they can leave the space lanes and join one of the enclaves or semi-retire to a "tribeship".

They refer to themselves as the Folk or the Family. Folk of the same generation as each other call each other "Brother" or "Sister". Children who are not your direct descendants are your "Nieces" or "Nephews", while Folk of the same generation as your parents are your "Aunts" and "Uncles". Those who have retired to the enclaves or the "tribeships" are given he honorific of "Grandfather" or "Grandmother". They refer to those younger than them as "Son" or Daughter", while those who are not yet old enough to leave the "familyships" are called "Grandchildren". Their marriage customs are even simpler. To be marry, all one must do is move into a ship owned by another, and announce it. Groupmarriages and multi-species marriages are not uncommon among the Folk. To divorce yourself, merely pack you trunk and your pack, and leave after notifying your old family and the Universe of your reasons. This reduces conflicts, and allows for a great deal of genetic variety. Even if you have no conscious memories of your parents, you know who your blood family are for at least the past four generations and marriages. With that in mind, almost all spaceport message centers have an area for the Stardrift Folk. It is thier custom to download it, and to upload new messages to the message board at their next stop, continueing the process across the galaxy.

The Stardrift Folk have a mixed reputation, being described as smugglers or free traders, depending on who you talk to. They have been called "baby stealers" in many ports, but this is not truthful. Anyone of legal age in his or her culture may join the crew of any "famliyship". The Stardrift will turn you in to the authorities at the next port if they find out you are running from, in their eyes, a just law, such as murder. If you are being hunted for political reasons, they will hide you, and place you on the first out-sector bound ship they can. If you are the demonstrable off-spring of a Star Drifter, even if raised and "dirtsider", you can join the tribes. Many of their new family members are retired mercs, smugglers and Imperial draftees who have served their terms.

Their total population is unknown, but estimates place them somewhere between one million and two hundred million. Only BOSS, and maybe the Empire, know how many ships theirs. They take no sides in a conflict, but they will shelter and heal the wounded from all sides. They will not deal with crimelords, and will accept people who are loan default with loan sharks and crimelords on two conditions: (1) you work to pay back the Folk (as they will pay your debt), and (2) it causes them no trouble with Black Sun. Only Black Sun, of all the underworld, could seriously threaten the Stardrift Folk.



Stardrifter Return to the Barracks
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