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The citizens of Crete are set to celebrate a momentous occasion as the planet enjoys its steepest decline in famine since first contact with the colonies.
A merciless world of jagged mountains and windswept plains, planet Crete would be considered as barely habitable by modern standards. Its bleak surface and poor soil support very little vegetation. Though rare pockets of land are suitable for farming, the unforgiving Cretan weather takes frequent toll upon the harvests.

This uncertainty has forged an outlook as unrelenting as the planet itself upon the populace, one that has been further compounded by over-population. The harsh reality of their home has forced the people of Crete to see life as a chance rather than a right. If a person dies from disease or starvation it is considered an inevitability within Corsair society and ultimately one less hungry mouth to feed.

Few options exist for the able-bodied Cretan to prosper in the face of such adversity. The most common choice is to enroll within the Corsair military which provides its troops with improved living standards at the cost of service in defense of Crete and her empire, but also in criminal acts, most notably piracy. These raids, which usually target transports hauling commodities such food and medicines, are often one way trips for unseasoned pilots. Those who successfully return from their missions are seen as earning their right to live through skill in combat and are honored accordingly.

The other alternative is to enter the shadowy Artifact trade that runs deep throughout the colonies. While not viewed with the admiration of the military, those who deftly ply the illicit trade are considered the backbone of the Corsair economy and arguably play a more prominent role in the prosperity currently enjoyed by the Cretan people.

By using a vast web of allies and independent smugglers to distribute the highly prized xeno-archeological relics, the Corsairs are able to acquire a stable influx of supplies from around the sector whilst amassing sizable wealth and influence in the process. Such is the level of growth experienced by the comparatively isolated world that leading economists have begun to speculate that of one or more corporations are directly involved in the Cretan market.

Thus far no evidence of external trade has been uncovered that could implicate active trade between the Corsairs and any House company. Yet the marked increase in growth remains unexplained. Regardless of the how, the people of Crete are experiencing much improved living conditions and greater longevity, sparking a miniature renaissance of arts and letters all of which will be celebrated in true Cretan fashion during the coming weeks■