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Roberts Space Industries ®

Vagabond Mercantile / VGBDMRC

  • Organization
  • Casual
  • Role play
  • Transport
    Transport
  • Trading
    Trading

Welcome to our Org Profile. Feel free to browse the member list and check our Recruitment section if you wish to join us.



History

The Old West was the ever-expanding frontier of 1800’s America, and in those entrepreneurial times there was one company that established itself as leading logistics bravely into the new world. In a modest San Francisco shop front, in the sunny western state of California, the Bridges Family founded Vagabond Mercantile. Initially a general store, the booming success of the outpost rapidly spread the word across the frontier, and soon Vagabond Mercantile expanded into importing specialized goods requested by the local populace, rare commodities and other goods deemed luxuries by those of distinguished tastes.

As the Old West gave way to a more modern era, Vagabond Mercantile went from strength to strength, even during the difficult “Great Depression” of the 1930s, widening their scope to country-wide imports and exports for shareholders, private citizens, and corporations alike. Commissioned by the American Military when U.S. Forces entered World War II, Vagabond Mercantile was honored to be trusted with critical supplies such as munitions, heavy equipment, rations, and medical supplies across the European theatre, which in turn set the foundation for the company’s first international concern in Toulouse, France. Post-war, with the keys to the gates of Europe in their hands, the Bridges Family elected to expand their trucking and shipping empire into logistical aviation services, and before long, Vagabond Mercantile had established itself as a Global Enterprise.

As the 2075 technological breakthrough of the emerging Quantum Core Engine Technology allowed humankind to traverse the corners of our solar system with relative ease, Vagabond Mercantile followed suit and was instrumental for planting the first foundations of Earth’s future among the stars.

Becoming a subsidiary of Roberts Space Industries in 2113, the Bridges Family finally let go of their legacy, selling Vagabond Mercantile for a substantial sum of Global Economy Credits. With RSI now at the helm, it was believed that Vagabond Mercantile would know no limit to their prosperity. Fate, however, had other plans.

The Economic Crash following the Mars Terraforming Tragedy of 2125 saw the Roberts Space Industries owned Vagabond Mercantile fall into desperate times. Realizing that the subsidiary had spread its wings too far, built a fleet too large, and whose focus was far from the original ideals, Vagabond Mercantile filed for bankruptcy in 2131. A long and prosperous era had ended. The name then fell into obscurity for over 200 years. Perhaps fate had a change of heart, or perhaps it was just blind luck, when Harold Bridges, a far and distant relative to those founding Bridges of the Old Western San Francisco, stumbled on the shipping concern while searching ancient family archives. He was amazed by the centuries of tales of the daring transportation firm that built itself up from the smallest of starts, to a premier conglomerate of the pre-interstellar travel Old World.

Pooling what he could of his family’s fortunes; Harold resurrected his family’s birth-child, buying back the company for a meager fraction of its true value, restoring Vagabond Mercantile to the practices that the company was originally built upon. Reducing its shipping footprint, choosing smaller, easily crewed freighters over the behemoths of the earlier incarnations, Vagabond Mercantile once again became a prominent trading cartel, by brokering deals and linking companies, organizations, military and security forces, and private citizens alike, across the rapidly expanding Human Colonized Space. By the time of the formation of the United Nations of Earth in 2380, it was clear that Vagabond Mercantile was back and better than ever.

Now, almost 600 years later, Vagabond Mercantile continues to thrive and live by its doctrine, as established by the Founding Family. Vagabond Mercantile is well known throughout Human Colonized Space and has a good standing with the current ruling democratic empire, the United Empire of Earth. Under the Stewardship of the current CEO, a distant relative of the original Bridges bloodline, a citizen known by the name of Pariah13, Vagabond Mercantile offers efficient and competitively priced logistical shipping and transport services, with a fleet of smaller cargo vessels and expanding their operations to include resource procurement as well as security services.

In addition to always being on the hunt for like-minded freighter pilots, the company also seeks medics, miners, fuel refiners, escort pilots to provide additional services to its members. Today, Vagabond Mercantile has etched out a place among other trading organizations with a strong fellowship of members focused on making a fair deal and turning a fair profit.

Vagabond Mercantile – Bringing the Universe to You.

Manifesto

As a trading consortium, Vagabond Mercantile believes in open and fair trade among the stars. To this end, members are expected to handle clients with respect and honesty in their dealings. This extends to buyers and sellers as well as shippers and receivers. This includes escort pilots that fly as convoy guards, refueling ships that provide support, repair facilities that maintain their ships among others. The founding family that first opened the storefront that first bore the name Vagabond Mercantile believed whole-heartedly in making a fair and honest profit. This tradition has seen the organization through good times and bad – from its near collapse to its rebirth in its current incarnation.

With our focus being on fair trade, Vagabond Mercantile takes a very aggressive tone with those that would usurp the moving of goods – namely pirates. Like most vermin, these are to be avoided when possible and eradicated when necessary. We do not actively seek out pirates for conflict but we are not hesitant to engage when they are encountered. Pirates are a bane to businesses and should be taught the error of their ways.

Charter

Vagabond Mercantile is a casual coalition of traders, merchants, transport pilots, and other support personnel. We strive to represent the working class and in so doing we agree to abide by the following.
1. All members will deal fairly in all merchant related activities.
2. All members will support each other, coming to assist other members as needed with the expectation of fair compensation for services rendered.
3. Griefing other citizens – whether members or not – will not be tolerated. Any member found harassing, extorting, or engaging in unlawful or immoral behavior will be judged by the Executive Council and could face expulsion from Vagabond Mercantile and its communications channels.
4. Vagabond Mercantile respects and adheres to UEE Law. CrimeStats interfere with the company’s interests and should be avoided. To this end, should a member receive a CrimeStat they are required to resolve it immediately.
5. A deal is a deal – once it is made, members do not go back on that deal.
6. Members will offer other members the best deal. Members will not take advantage of each other for profit (see rule #2)
7. Lives are worth far more than the cargo carried and will be protected above all else.

This charter will be amended as time goes by to suit the needs of Vagabond Mercantile at the sole discretion of the Founder. Suggestions may be forwarded for consideration.