While Tau-31 was considered infeasible for development by Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing (BMM), the smaller Independent Mining Guild (IMG) -- eager to exploit areas in which BMM feared to tread -- was quick to establish Holman Outpost to mine the large quantities of pure Water and Oxygen ice in the system. Water and Oxygen are then shipped to Harris in partnership with Planetform. The IMG and Deep Space Engineering also use the station to supply their respective operations in the recently opened Tau-23 system.
Infocard
- LOCATION: Tau 31 system
- OWNER: Independent Miners Guild
- CLASS: Ellison
- GRAVITY: Complete
- DOCKING: Yes
- AMENITIES: Yes
- POPULATION: 250
Commodities For Sale
- Construction Machinery - $400
- Consumer Goods - $360
- Food Rations - $90
- Gate and Lane Parts - $980
- H-Fuel - $240
- Mining Machinery - $480
- Niobium - $320
- Oxygen - $10
- Pharmaceuticals - $400
- Water - $30
Guns For Sale
Turrets For Sale
Missiles For Sale
- Slingshot Missile - Class 3
- Windstalker Missile - Class 3
- Sweeper Missile - Class 4
- Catapult Missile - Class 5
- Moonstalker Missile - Class 5
Shields For Sale
- Cuisse Fr. Shield
- Cuisse H.F. Shield
- Cuisse L.F. Shield
- Adv. Cuisse Fr. Shield
- Adv. Cuisse H.F. Shield
- Adv. Cuisse L.F. Shield
- Pourpoint Fr. Shield
- Pourpoint H.F. Shield
- Pourpoint L.F. Shield
- Adv. Pourpoint Fr. Shield
- Adv. Pourpoint H.F. Shield
- Adv. Pourpoint L.F. Shield
Torpedo/Cruise Disruptors For Sale
Mine Dispensers For Sale
- Razor Mine
- Tadpole Mine
- Wardog Mine
- Driller Mine
Other Equipment
- Adv. Countermeasure Dropper
- Advanced Thruster
Rumors
"If you want to be a successful IMG miner, you have to know the locations of Jump Holes. There are two in this system: the Hole to Edinburgh is in the southwest corner of the system, and the Hole to Tau-29 is due north of this base just beyond the parallel of the sun." - Isaac Boulder, IMG
"This system is relatively safe for the Border Worlds. Sure, there are all kinds of criminals here, including Outcasts and Gaians, but the Bretonian Military still sends patrols into this area from its battleship in Edinburgh. There are Bounty Hunters here, too, curbing the criminal presence a bit." - Bernard Goldwell, IMG
"The IMG brings Niobium to this base from our station in Tau-23. That is a dangerous piece of space, but we get regular shipments from Java." - IMG Sales Rep Edgar Thorpe
"This base was established because we could make a living outside of colony space mining Water and Oxygen in this system. Basically, we became a trading hub in this part of space. All types of Commodities flow through here headed deeper into the Border Worlds." - Holman Bartender Nicholas Eggerley
"This is the first of the Border World systems north of Bretonian space, and from here it gets crazier the farther you go. I like it here because it isn't too dangerous, but you still get away from colony control. Mining Water and Oxygen isn't easy, but it is a good job. Sometimes we are contacted to pull asteroids out of the Trade Lanes, too." - Isaac Boulder, IMG
"Basic supplies are brought here from Bretonian space, and then we take them to other IMG operations in the Border Worlds, including our operations in Tau-37. If you like danger you might give that a try, but you must be very careful not to give Falkland's location away to the Outcasts." - Holman Bartender Nicholas Eggerley
"Being an independent miner isn't a picnic, but at least we don't have to answer to some corporate task master. That's why we can expand more quickly than the larger corporations, like BMM. They paid tremendously for Jump Gates to Tau-23; we used Jump Holes and got there first, and that's why the Niobium is ours." - Bernard Goldwell, IMG
"The Water and Oxygen we mine in this system is highly desirable in Leeds. They have Water and Oxygen there already, but ours is exceptionally pure and clean. Many people don't trust the Water you can get from Leeds, and I wouldn't either. It is brownish in color and smells rather foul." - IMG Sales Rep Edgar Thorpe
"Mining and Construction Machinery make their way to this base from Leeds. It's that machinery that makes all of the industrial labor in this part of space possible. People will pay well for it. We take the Mining Machinery to our own base Java." - Isaac Boulder, IMG
"I used to work for BMM until I discovered that they didn't care about me. That's why I joined the IMG -- to be my own boss. I get paid for the amount of Water and Oxygen I mine -- not some set salary that is always going to keep me under someone's thumb." - Bernard Goldwell, IMG
"I used to be stationed at the BMM base in Tau-23. It was hell. You never knew when the Outcasts were going to attack. I guess we have the same problems here, but there are fewer Outcasts attacking us, and the military patrols this system." - Bobby Harris, Deep Space Engineering
"The Whetstone never completed its scheduled run from Holman to the Tau-31 Gate Construction Site. The cargo of Construction Machinery is likely still intact -- not valuable enough for the Outcasts to haul away. It most likely lies somewhere in the system's northwest quadrant." - Bobby Harris, Deep Space Engineering
"DSE uses this base to supply our operation in Tau-23 with the necessary commodities that keep it running. Most important to our success are the Trade Lane Parts and Construction Machinery we ship there from here." - Bobby Harris, Deep Space Engineering
"Those Outcasts in Tau-23 keep attacking our construction sites, which requires us to replace or repair components from the Trade Lane and Jump Gate Rings. The first step in that process is shipping Trade Lane Parts to this base from Waterloo in New London." - Bobby Harris, Deep Space Engineering
"The abundance of Water and Oxygen in this system made Harris a prime candidate for Planetform's magic. Those bloody Gaians certainly have made things more difficult than they should have been. Thankfully, the Bounty Hunters we hire kill more of them every day." - Planetform Sales Rep Jeff North
"Soon our terraforming operations will be complete in Harris. We plan to meet our estimated time of completion in 820 AS. That will be a joyous day for Bretonia and all of Sirius. You might think of purchasing real estate there while the prices are still low." - Planetform Sales Rep Jeff North
"With the exorbitant price of terraforming, you would think that the Bretonian government would crack down harder on the Gaians and the Green Front. The Gaians shouldn't be that difficult to destroy. They are a small, disorganized band of left-wing activists that could easily be purged from the ranks of the Bretonian populace." - Planetform Sales Rep Jeff North
"Most of the supplies that keep this place running are brought in from [[Bretonia] by Gateway. Bowex might prize itself on shipping through the Border Worlds, but it is Gateway that gets the job done. We bring this base Construction and Mining Machinery from Leeds." - Gateway Shipping Rep Ross Parker
"The IMG gets its hands on a lot of Niobium out here. It is Gateway's responsibility to ship it back to Kensington, where it will either be used for ship building components or anodized and made into Luxury Goods." - Gateway Shipping Rep Ross Parker
"Some of the Niobium that we pick up here is not hauled to Bretonia. We have a contract that requires us to ship Niobium to Narita in New Tokyo. That is an exciting run, but the Kusari people aren't very friendly." - Gateway Shipping Rep Ross Parker