Automated Trade Station

The Automated Trade Stations, or ATSs are small Parasitic Space Stations (PSSs) operated by the Interstellar Trade Guild as part of their mantle as facilitators of intergalactic trade between the countless corporations that sit on their board. The stations themselves are found exclusively outside of other space stations, or in rarer cases close to asteroid mining operations. They operate completely autonomously, with no crew provided by the Guild.

This autonomous operation is made possible through a complex network of bluespace-connected bidding warehouses, with the cargo often being sold before it has finished transition into realspace. The maintenance, protection and insurance of the stations is the responsibility of the host-corporations, and they also generally pay for their construction and transit. This allows the Guild to keep operating costs low, and fees on use to a minimum, as per their mantle.

While the cost of trading via an ATS are still higher than moving it on a large interstellar freighter, the confidentiality and speed that the Guild's bluespace network provides is invaluable to its users.