The VOC / DEVOC

In the wake of the Messer era’s collapse and the slow rebirth of the UEE’s outer colonies, a group of post-corporate traders, rogue financiers, and ex-naval logistics officers convened on Borea with a vision: to build a new trade empire, inspired by the fierce independence and profit-driven ambition of an ancient Terran institution — the Dutch East India Company.

Thus, in 2839, the VOC was reborn. At first, it was nothing more than a name and a handful of repurposed hulls running backchannel trade routes between Magnus and Cathcart. But with the collapse of major shipping lanes during the Kieren Blockade and the chaos surrounding jump point collapses in fringe systems, the VOC found opportunity in instability.

2840s–2860s: Rise Through the Shadows
The VOC made its name during what later became known as the “Quiet Expansion.” While megacorps like ArcCorp and Crusader Industries competed for UEE contracts, the VOC slipped into the cracks — supplying frontier settlements, salvaging forgotten wrecks from Vanduul raids, and establishing hidden waystations throughout Nyx, Pyro, and Leir.

Rumors of under-the-table deals with outlaw factions like Nine Tails and even covert Xi’an brokers persisted — but nothing was ever proven. The company maintained a thin but effective legal façade through shell corporations registered in Terra and Ferron.

2873: The Magnus Accord
A pivotal turning point. After securing a long-term resource transport contract with Drake Interplanetary — itself emerging from the fringe — the VOC relocated its headquarters to Lorona, Magnus II. From here, it expanded rapidly, building a fleet of fast-haul ships, retrofitted Cutlasses, and private security wings.

The VOC adopted a semi-legal corporate charter, skirting UEE oversight while remaining just clean enough to avoid formal blacklisting. A culture of pragmatic opportunism took hold — half legitimate corporation, half syndicate.

2890s–2920s: Expansion and Entanglement
During this period, the VOC diversified into mining, rare mineral logistics, and even jump point mapping. Small exploration crews under the VOC banner mapped unstable or dormant jump points, often selling this data on the black market or trading it with the Banu.

But success bred attention. A 2917 Senate inquiry into “non-corporate resource operations” in the Oberon System nearly triggered a full UEE audit. However, key allies in the Trade and Commerce Division stalled the investigation — possibly in exchange for favors or “donations” traced to anonymous Terra-based accounts.

Modern Day: A Legacy Among the Stars
Today, the VOC is a name whispered in the same breath as Musashi and Drake — not because of its size, but because of its reach. It operates across dozens of systems, has its own fleet security, and remains fiercely independent. Its crews are known to fly everything from Retaliators repurposed for cargo escort to stealthy Heralds for data-running.

To many on the frontier, the VOC represents opportunity — not bound by the stifling bureaucracy of the UEE, nor fully surrendered to lawlessness. To others, it’s a shadowy remnant of the past, a ghost company hiding behind archaic flags and half-remembered oaths.

But one thing is clear:
Where there is risk, there is profit.
And where there is profit, the VOC sails.irectors will unveil our official corporate statements soon. Please come back for updated information.