Bestinium, otherwise known as "Hole in the Wall," is widely known for its lousy food, polluted air supply, poorly maintained facilities and possibly dangerous employees. Nonetheless, it has a loyal customer base which swears that decent, efficient repair service - combined with a decidedly interesting stay - is worth return visits. People claim that the station personnel's verbal abuse of anyone they consider to be "barking stupid" and their physical threats against all "obnoxious whining gits" cleanses he soul. Oddly enough, Bestinium has earned itself the reputation of being a center of creativity, and a growing number of itinerant poets, musicians and tarot card readers can usually be found there.

    For people who are offended by the smells and disorder common to repair stations, Craxath offers an alternative. Almost entirely devoid of people, this station relies on computer analysis and robot repair droids. There are no calendars sponsored by popular manufacturers with seductive women draped over the latest afterburners, nor do they give away stickers advertising their custom paint jobs. In fact, although there are neatly maintained sleep facilities, most people tend to remain on their ships during the repair process. It's cheaper, and the station's arid atmosphere tends to be uncomfortable.

    Manned almost entirely by retired marketing and sales people, Felos Repair Station offers knowledgeable help from the people who've sold the product line you're traveling in - or the brand of weapon with which you were shot. Felos is popular for all kinds of repairs, from tune-ups to complete overhauls. Customers are usually greeted in the landing bay, where they receive drinks of their choice and coupons for free meals at any on-base restaurant.

    The only complaint registered with the Felos Business Bureau is that ship repairs are completed late and at a higher cost than anticipated. The usual excuse is that this is due to "parts slippage".

    The employees of this family owned station have a reputation for honest appraisals and competent work - provided neither the ship nor any of its parts were designed or manufactured on Destinas. It is (and has been) their opinion that Destinas creates substandard products and that it would be a "crumblin' waste of time, solder and prayers" to work on them. This was at first a radical position to espouse, since Destinas used to be the industrial monarch of ship components. The Kaldon family must have turned away 98% of their potential customer base. Over time, however, they were proven correct. Destinas industries tattered dangerously before shifting to forestry and grazing, and Kaldon's reputation for quality soared.
 
 

    Some people may have qualms about buying Corsas equipment. As a station that specializes in the resale of salvaged items, a practical objection is that there is no guarantee on the quality of the goods. It might not hurt a shield generator to have drifted frozen in space for an unknown period of time, but then again, it might. Other people are also swayed by the "jinx" superstition of goods stripped from dead ships. Morally, of course, some customers prefer not to frequent an establishment that may be financing pirate endeavors - such encouragement might result in a flourishing, and dangerous, pirate population. Although the base was clearly established as a result of criminal activity, ask anyone who works there and they'll stress loudly that they've been "above board" for decades. Travel pamphlets, however, urge you not to ask about the equipment history too loudly.

    While in pre-docking orbit, you may notice that the humble station of Ferix vaguely resembles a hat of gigantic proportions. This station has undergone more transformation than a plastic surgeon's mistress. It was originally designed to be a trendy weekend resort over Hades, packed with fun-filled restaurants, quaint little clothing shops and slightly dangerous amusements. This venture failed.

    Next, the station was purchased by an entrepreneur who intended to rent it out near Leviatha for top-secret research projects. Under this management, the station was shot at for four months and promptly failed again. For a brief period of time, it was leased to a charity organization devoted to detoxing former Uncles of the Church of Hom, but that didn't last long either.

    Eleven years ago, the station was purchased by Ser Qwell Ferix and towed away from Leviatha. After much remodeling, it now is considered an adequate equipment station, with luxurious personal facilities, great security and a hidden still on every floor.

    Sarama is a not-for-profit station that prides itself on being the only ethical equipment retailer in the Tri-System. The parts they sell are guaranteed to have been built only by happy and empowered co-owners, using natural materials and traditional processes. All devices they receive as trade-ins are put through a Grade-A recycling system (no space venting) and are certified to be free of radioactive and electro-chemical emissions. On-base food is notoriously expensive, but is advertised with such signs as "Grown with Real Sunshine" and "Better Health Through Less Flavor."

    It is possible to buy a "membership" card, but benefits are uncertain and members are expected to crate their own purchases.

    Their motto, "If we have it, you can buy it here," is famous throughout the Tri-System. Starting out as a Mom and Pop business on Desolia, it didn't take the Stanton family long to figure out that they'd do a brisker business off-planet. They left Desolia in their rear camera view, and over time have built a thriving business.

    Time has only improved their reputation. They employ knowledgeable assistants who are notoriously soft on women who cry at the Complaints Counter. Friendly and helpful, their only flaws are their tendencies to take long lunch breaks, talk on the vid-phone, start marathon diary entries or run off and get married while they are supposed to be filling your order. Patience is a valuable asset in their customers.
 
 

    Quality goods and reasonable prices are Dexros' goals, and by and large, it accomplishes its objectives. However, most people's first impression of Dexros itself is one of confusion. The station was designed on the premise that the longer people stay on base, the more money they spend. That has not actually proven to be true. However, major renovation of the station's architecture is not considered cost efficient.

    As it stands, some of the corridors in Dexros look longer than they actually are, and many end in unexpected cul-de-sacs. Rooms are built at odd angles to each other, floors are laid out in identical patterns (so as to disorient wanderers) and color schemes change abruptly as you turn the corner (ranging from vibrant hues to subdued beiges). The overall effect is manic and disconcerting, to say the least. Be sure to print out a color-coded floor map at any information kiosk before heading off to find a restroom.

    Lironas is considered both the safest and most dangerous station in the Tri-System. This paradox is due to the fact that Lironas has the largest assassin population of any known "city." Depending on your business at the station, you are either completely safe or a sitting duck.

    Two decades ago, Lironas suffered from an outrageously narrow margin of living for its inhabitants. This was primarily due to ongoing price wars designed to keep the intersystemic economy stable, but was further aggravated by an unusually high cost of living. In those days, getting off your ship was hazardous to your health, but staying on board meant risking having your externals stripped. Trade dropped to a deadly trickle, whereupon the Lironas Board of Commerce hired laser-armed assassins to find and eliminate threats to customer security - preferably before any damage was done. The assassins have been scrupulously successful, and business has regenerated and prospered. And the station's second largest industry is now  the sale of souvenir jackets emblazoned with the Death Squad motto: "Lironas Justice - Regular or Extra Crispy?"

    One of the youngest and fastest-growing space stations in the Tri-System, Pletirat is proud to claim that other commodities stations must hold weekly meetings to discuss how to win their customers back. Its success is generally attributed to the Pletirat CEO, Ser Banyr Breyen, who says that he encourages his staff to "Plan, Communicate and Empower proactively to buy the Best Commodities Direct from the Source TSM, whereupon they should utilize teamwork for Expeditious Mobility."

    "Quality" says Ser Breyen, "is our corporate statement."

    Pletirat employees are generally considered the best in the business, recognizable by the early hours they keep and the rugby shirts (in true Pletirat colors) they wear.

    There are two remarkable facets to the overall culture of Reva station. First, there is its business sense, which is ruthlessly exact and uncompromisingly straightforward, with no room for negotiation. Revans pride themselves on having everything that a ship owner could need, without insulting their customers' intelligence with such things as brand-name competition, bulk discounts or fashion colors.
 
 

    It is unusual for a spaceport to have an atmosphere of pragmatic patience, but Curium personnel seem able to float above the chaos of a super station, oblivious to the usual adrenaline-drenched panic. Weekly station news bulletins may have the latest on equipment availability; prices and economic trends, but the headline news covers more mundane topics, such as in-depth articles on the re-carpeting of Level 9 or a viewer comm-in forum on plans for a new station logo.

    A victim of unfortunate reputation, Tersa has been viewed as a "hostile port" ever since an insane gunnery crackshot broke into a defense turret and fired for eight consecutive hours on all incoming vessels. Base security was eventually able to break into the turret - killing the gunner in the process - but the damage was done. Five incoming ships were destroyed with all hands onboard, thus earning Tersa the nickname of "Customer Killer." In truth, however, Tersa is a higher-end port capable of meeting all of a discerning entrepreneur's needs. A wide variety of commodities are available, ships are efficiently and expertly repaired, and station hangars are usually stocked with the latest models. Despite its tarnished history, Tersa is a safe port, and well worth including in your itinerary.
 
 

    Kastagan is unusual in that it was specifically designed as a safe haven for illegal activities. The corridors are wide and well-lit, the walls in public access areas are made of nearly transparent, impact- absorbing blocks, and color schemes are calm and relaxing. Bins placed throughout the station contain foam balls, plastiform and Springies (TSM) to amuse and pacify guests. The technology is awe inspiring: biogenetically engineered furniture, hands-free computer interfacing and mind-massage booths. For a station where the most dangerous elements in the system regularly congregate, the occurrence of violent outbursts inside the station are extraordinarily rare.

    It was inevitable, really, that Draknor would become a pirate base. It had always been a linchpin jump point on the Erie Charnel Trail, until plans for the Jump Gate bypass got underway, shifting merchant routes and leaving Draknor to molder into dust. But what was bad for business proved fortuitous for the Chirichans, who had been wandering about homeless for decades. The abandoned station was a dream come true, and they have been doing a thriving business there ever since.
 
 

    What supplies you get here are either second-rate or come with "and understanding" that you'll do what you promise on schedule. Failure means demotion, and death is the only thing lower than where you already are. This illegal, underground operation exudes remorseless greed and desperation. The very walls seem organic and diseased, and no records have been found that document its original construction.