StarCitizen:Covalex Shipping

Covalex Shipping is a StarCitizen:Human cargo transportation company founded by goods conveyor StarCitizen:Hanso Mallory near the end of the StarCitizen:Messer Era. Initially a smuggling operation, Covalex gained legitimacy when it became an official vendor of StarCitizen:United Empire of Earth (UEE) goods across all borders and military lines, and attained popularity when it smuggled arms to anti-Messer activists. It currently operates as the largest hauling company in the UEE.<ref name="galactapedia">Template:Cite RSI</ref>

Covalex has an enormous presence in the UEE, with hubs across dozens of systems, contracted transports hauling goods to almost everywhere else, and one of the largest fleets in the verse. This reach is the result of its policy of contracting with independent ship operators. Covalex has found that owners who fly their own ships are more invested in the success of the company, and that their commitment ensures a higher level of performance. In most systems, at any given time, a majority of the ships flying are working under contract to Covalex.

In addition to its hauling arm, Covalex owns a number of orbital platforms in a variety of systems. These platforms, while owned and operated by Covalex, act as transfer hubs for many other shipping companies as well. There is no additional charge or tax on non-Covalex companies that use these centers. Covalex views this as a means to expand its influence and as a way to give back to the Empire.

Some of the larger platforms have become tourist destinations. Shops, simulation arcades, and eateries line most of the available space not taken up by the shipping business. Originally developed as a way to entertain haulers between jobs, they have become a place to visit for anyone passing nearby in search of a hot meal and company.

Although Covalex is today seen as a stalwart company responsible for transporting a large amount of cargo across the Empire, the formula for its success remains as much a part of its identity as the many crates it uses: always keep the people happy.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite RSI</ref>

History

A rocky start

Near the end of the StarCitizen:Messer Era, the government, desperate to fund an ever-growing military complex, increased taxes on interplanetary shipments until off-world goods rapidly became unaffordable luxuries. With the UEE's tight control over the flow of goods, many had begun to rely on black market smugglers to provide the everyday things they needed to survive. Though extremely lucrative, smuggling was even more dangerous than it is today. The Navy was instructed to take extreme measures to protect this important tax revenue stream, and smugglers were dealt with harshly and with lethal force. Yet thousands of people, known at the time as "conveyors," braved jump points and blockades to secretly haul goods throughout the Empire.

One such conveyor, StarCitizen:Hanso Mallory, decided that there had to be a better way. If she could get an official transport license, she would be able to smuggle goods more easily than any of her competitors and be fast-tracked through the often risky scan stations. Unfortunately for her, only a handful of new licenses were allotted in any year, and earning one was a lengthy and costly proposition. Acquiring one through the normal means gave her little to no chance, but the normal way was never her way.

She figured that to acquire one of those licenses she would have to find something to ship that everyone needed but no one wanted to deal with. The answer came to her when a farmer, StarCitizen:Covantino Lexly, requested that she smuggle in a load of a fertilizer called moly-nitronese to the newly terraformed world where he was settling. He was at his wits' end trying to get it through normal trade, since most haulers refused to deal with the highly hazardous animal waste derivative. Although it was a better fertilizer for terraformed soil, there were cheaper and safer, if poorer performing, alternatives. The small boost in harvest gain was not worth the Credits it would cost to ship it all the way to the frontier, at least for a normal hauler.

With the Empire eager to encourage the development of these new planets, Mallory saw her opportunity. She sidestepped the StarCitizen:TDD licensing board and petitioned the StarCitizen:Agriculture Ministry directly for a special license to haul moly-nitronese. She named her company Covalex in honor of the farmer who inspired her. The fertilizer was by nature hard to scan through, and very few customs agents were willing to search the substance by hand. She had not only gotten her license, but had also found the perfect way to smuggle goods.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Going legit

With license in hand, Mallory began hauling fertilizer to systems far and wide. Never one to rest on her laurels, she realized that the terms of her license could be applied to sub-contractors as well. Soon conveyors across the Empire were paying Mallory to fly her colors. The only rules were that they had to carry the moly-nitronese and that they had to charge a fair price for the goods they were smuggling. She knew that the goodwill of the people was almost as valuable for safeguarding her livelihood as anything else. It was this longsighted vision that soon made a Covalex-flagged ship landing in a town something to be celebrated. These ships heralded the arrival of not only cheap fertilizer but, more importantly, black market goods at a reasonable price.

It was not long before UEE administrators took notice of this positive reputation. With their own popularity waning, they were in need of a service provider they could trust to move goods through systems that had grown hostile toward their occupation. Covalex was approached by the Messer government and issued a charter to become an official vendor. Given clear access across all borders and military lines, Covalex ships were soon providing Messer troops with supplies and, for the first time, officially carrying something beyond fertilizer.

A smuggler at heart, and a prudent businesswoman, Mallory saw that despite this high-paying contract, times were changing and the tide was turning against the Messers. She decided to stick to her usual company motto of keeping the people happy. Covalex ships began to smuggle weapons to rebel forces while providing dry goods to the Navy, and their deliveries can in many ways be credited with fueling the success of the uprising.

When the revolution finally ended and the Messers were ousted from power, Covalex had firmly established itself as indispensable and a true company of the people, the place to turn to when something absolutely needed to reach its destination. In a short time, Covalex had become so profitable that Mallory decided the company should give up smuggling altogether and focus entirely on transporting legal goods.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Premises

StarCitizen:Xenia

Located in the StarCitizen:Baker system, Covalex Shipping Hub Xenia serves as a major cargo transfer hub for goods heading throughout the Empire and houses most of the permanent population in Baker.

StarCitizen:Yogi Station

Located in the StarCitizen:Oso system, this station is home to both OB Chimera and a Covalex Shipping Hub.Template:Fact

Gundo

Formerly Covalex's prime shipping hub for the StarCitizen:Stanton system, Gundo suffered a catastrophic accident that resulted in an explosion and the deaths of all the employees aboard the station. Covalex has since moved its operations to StarCitizen:Orison directly.

StarCitizen:Orison

This settlement on StarCitizen:Crusader has a Covalex Shipping Hub.Template:Fact

StarCitizen:New Junction

This settlement on StarCitizen:Lo has a Covalex Shipping Hub.Template:Fact

Accolades

• Top 10 Shipping Companies, Imperial Finance
• 2945 Most Trusted Transport, Delivery Digest<ref>Template:Cite game</ref>

Career ranks

Players are able to complete StarCitizen:missions for Covalex and earn StarCitizen:reputation with the company. The following careers are currently available:<ref>Template:Cite game</ref>

Courier

Level	Title	Perks
2	Runner	none
1	Junior Runner	none
0	Applicant	none

Hauling

Level	Title	Perks
7	Master	Access to master level contracts & Interstellar cargo contracts.
6	Senior	Access to Senior Rank contracts
5	Experienced	Access to Experienced Rank contracts & Large Hauls contracts Medium Hauls contracts Size increase Medium Hauls contracts max container size increase to 16SCU
4	Member	Access to member level contacts.
3	Junior	Access to Junior Rank contracts
2	Rookie	Access to Rookie Rank contracts
1	Trainee	Access to Trainee Rank contracts
0	Not Eligible	none

Hauling contracts

The contractor rank decides which contracts are available to a player. Every contract name describes and categorizes the contract.

The hauling contract naming pattern is Contract Rank, Direct (optional), Range/Distance, Size.

The contract rank (the rank of the chosen contract, not the player) changes the aUEC price, number of stops, SCU quantity, and maximum container size, as well as the reputation reward. A Rookie medium haul will have less SCU, smaller containers (maximum 8 SCU), and fewer places to deliver to than a Senior medium haul.

Contracts Distances

Keyword	meaning
Direct	Used for contracts with only 2 locations
Interstellar	Between gateway stations
Solar	Between locations at different planets
Planetary	Between locations located in the gravity well of one planet

Contract Sizes

Size name	Contains
Extra Small	Up to 10SCU in 1 SCU boxes
Small	Usually up to 24SCU, never over 26SCU. Max size is 4scu containers.
Medium	Up to Member rank up to 126SCU, in max 8scu containers. From Experienced rank, max SCU are between 200-600 and max container size is 16SCU.
Large	Over 600 SCU. In 32SCU containers.

References

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