the Unclaimed Zone

     The so-called “Unclaimed Zone” is a no-man’s-land, of a sort, lying between Aligned and/or Coalition territory, and Kiravai Imperial space. The worlds within it have insufficient natural resources and mineral wealth to attract the Kiravai into making an official claim on them, but for their part the Coalition fear that making a claim would be tantamount to an invitation to war with their neighbours. (Plus, there are very few Coalition individuals who want to live with Kiravai on their doorstep – a little buffer, as formed by the Zone, is a somewhat comforting idea.)

     There are an unusual number of Kiravai living and working around Unclaimed Worlds – usually the more “rebellious” and/or warlike individuals, as there are a lot of “seedy” establishments and less honourable individuals of other species around who are always willing to sell information.

     The Kiravai are seen by most on these worlds as rich and stupid and willing to pay outrageous amounts for information, but most “rich and stupid” Kiravai are rather more shrewd and their double-games are usually more clever than they appear. (It is usually the informant selling the information that does not have their eye on the future.)