Cold Trade - History: The worthies in Port Wander are fond of saying that when Humanity first encountered the alien, their first reaction was to kill it; the next was to see what profit might be made from the remains. This defines many of the transactions in the Koronus Expanse. Rogue Traders are among the few authorised by the Imperium to have any dealings with the xenos other than through the barrel of a bolter, and these dealings, whether from trade or clandestine archeological digs, are the source of much profit and power.However, the essential part of gathering said profit and power requires dealing with sources and agencies in the Calixis Sector, where possession of most if not all xenos goods is heretical and illegal. There are thrones to be made though, and enough buyers in the sector desirous of these artefacts and baubles for amusement or hidden needs they dare not reveal.These goods can range from anything from weapons and vehicles to simple textiles and foodstuffs, from dangerous fuels and energy supplies to common building materials -- if something is of alien origin there is likely a market for it amongst the jaded or degenerate wealthy of the Calixis Sector. Exotic drugs and arcane technological wonders often fetch the highest prices, though connoisseurs of alien art and music are always ready to bid high. Radical Inquisitors and Hereteks are also steady customers, ready to study and utilise the devices of Mankind's enemies against them, while the fighting arenas and death-pits demand continual stocks of fresh alien beasts.Explorers who can fulfil these desires become part of the Cold Trade, the secretive exchange of alien wares for Imperial gelt that goes on between the Calixis Sector and the Koronus Expanse. It is an underground economy of untold thrones and a source of riches in both regions, but also a source of untold miseries and threats to the very existence of Mankind. Some Rogue Traders may be fully charted to conduct dealings with any xenos they choose; others may only contact them but not engage in trade. Others still have no warrant whatsoever for any involvement at all. But where there are thrones to be made, there are ways to get around anything.The Cold Trade has existed in the Calixis Sector in some form or another long before the sector's official beginning, for there have always been Humans covetous of alien materials. With the coming of the Inquisition came the strictures against dealing with the xenos and their wares, lest the Human soul be contaminated by such unholy devices. As the rule of the Lex Imperialis became more and more firm across the sector, the trade shrank, with only the most prosaic and unassuming alien items still to be found (except in the hands of elite collectors or Radical Inquisitors).It was the opening of the Maw that brought new life to the Cold Trade, with a dazzling number of fresh opportunities with each star system discovered. It seemed each solar day new artefacts were uncovered and new weapons unleashed to fuel the grasping avarice of Calixian merchants. Dead Worlds divulged their secrets to skillful excavators, and new worlds were willing (or made willing) to offer their goods for the enrichment of Rogue Traders. These were the "Open Years," when Port Wander's authority was only a step above lawless Footfall.Anything could be trafficked with little care as to who might be watching, with the Inquisition and planetary Enforcers overwhelmed by the deluge. Endless tonnes of truly foreign goods moved openly through the Maw and into the Cailxis Sector, with little care for any dangers they might represent. Iridescent weaves of soul-rending colours, primordial artefacts of untapped power, flowers with exquisite and poisonous scents; all these and more made their way into the parlours of many a Calixian noble house.These were also the years of open warfare between many of the larger trading fleets as they fought over trading establishments, Warp routes, star system accesses, and the other foundations of their prosperous livelihoods. Such conflicts ranged from subtle assassinations to planetary bombardments. While vast fortunes were still being made, the violence and unpredictability were impacting more and more upon profits.During the worst of the violence, Port Wander became barely more than a platform for a series of deck battles and devious betrayals. Sources were drying up, fearing retribution from rival traders. Novices without proper warrant or sufficient skills attempted to enter the Cold Trade and found armed resistance, or worse fell to xenos fleets for which they were wholly unprepared.Such a state of affairs could not continue if reliable profits were to be had (and lives maintained long enough to enjoy them). Just as the situation became untenable, WAAAGH! Gulgrog's massive Freebooter fleet surrounded and besieged Port Wander in 422.M41. Rogue Traders, including many in the Cold Trade, abandoned the port in droves, and it was left up to the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Navis Imperialis to lift the siege. In the wake of Port Wander's near-fall, the Calixis sector governor gave in to petitions from the Imperial adeptas and certain noble houses, returning the station to the control of the Navis Imperialis. Within several solar decades, the Navy restored order with iron authority.Interestingly, this actually had a stabilising effect on the Cold Trade. Some of the most dangerous players in the trade were caught and executed, and the remainder found they had to take their conflicts underground to avoid attention. As a result of Port Wander's resurgent stability, the second major event in the Cold Trade's history followed. Five of the most powerful remaining criminal consortiums and illicit organisations in the Cold Trade gradually came to an agreement. They began to work together, driving out the irritants of lesser traders, and carving up the lucrative trade in xenos artefacts and goods. In time, they would be known as the "Quintet."For many standard centuries this system has maintained xenos trading to the betterment of all, but of late there are cracks in the cartel-alliance. Forgotten rivals are gaining power, finding new sources of alien goods and new Warp routes. Calixian buyers are attempting to pierce their near-monopoly and deal directly with welcoming xenos merchants. Increasing Inquisitorial attention has crushed long-standing trade agreements and killed others as they were coming to fruition. The members of the Quintet themselves have begun small raids on each other, testing for weakness. In such a time, Rogue Traders looking to enter the Cold Trade can certainly smell new opportunity.