Day 23 and Day 24-What are the major exports and imports of the region?
As you can see, I am running over in March. February was just such a wild month for me that I didn't have the time or energy to complete my own Challenge within the 28 day period, regardless of how much I really wanted to. I will be completing it however, hopefully within this first week of March.
I had originally planned to make this one post but as I tried to fill out the entire 28 days of the month of February, I found I was short an idea for an entry and so I separated exports and imports into two sep
arate posts. As I am already running into overtime on the Challenge, I thought it best to combine them once more.
"The Tango Super Sector is unusual in that it is considered the frontier; a wild and untamed place far from the civilized ways of the Federation's core member worlds, yet even out here trade and commerce are a vital and powerful aspect of the lives of those who dwell in the region. Whether you find yourself in Sector 001, the Old Colonies of Romulus, or Sector Tango-9 at the edge of known space, an exchange of goods and services remains the lifeblood of sentient society."
The most commonly encountered civilian and commercial
starships in the Tango-8 and Tango-9 Sectors.
Here are the key exports and imports that matter most to the Tango Sectors and its people:
Major Exports
Andorian Ale
As mentioned already, Mozinphar's Planet, orbiting Mozinphar's Star at System GL 667, is an agricultural marvel that raises, among a number of other crops popular with the Andorian people, Thaldrisil - the light blue barely-like grain used to make Andorian Ale.
In addition to the many farms established by the families of the Clan of Provisions, including the nobile and extremely wealthy Endilev Family, there are a least a dozen breweries producing, packaging, and shipping their famous beverage back to the UFP.
Mined Materials
Metals, minerals, natural chemicals, and gases from minig operations are both the most common and the most lucrative products to be found, sold, and traded. This is in spite of the fact that Dilithium finds are very rare. Instead, more common materials are far more abundant and easy to extract. There are some rarer elements that have been found in notable amounts but their retrieval often requires extra effort and specialized equipment.
Miners from the Janus Mining Corporation at Asteroid M3 in the Maw Asteroid Field
The Janus Mining Corporation, the second largest such operation in the region after the Andorian Mining Consortium, has brought a number of Horta with them to assist in the excavation of key claims in the Maw Asteroid Field. This is part of a 'Pilot Program' to expand the working relationship between Federation Miners and the Horta of Janus VI.
One additional note; While Dilithium is difficult to locate out here, Dilithirite much less so. Dilithirite is an inferior form of Dilithium often found in and around Dilithium deposits. In fact, when cutting away impurities in a Dilithium Crystal formation, those impurities are, very often, largely composed of Dilithirite.
(L) Pure Dilithium and (R) Dilithirite
For the most part the material has few commercial uses. Under normal conditions, the more energy applied to Dilithirite the more unstable it becomes, eventually building to critical mass and exploding. Not a very good stand in for the traditional Dilithium Crystals used in Warp Drive mechanics if they can potentially blow up your ship. It probably comes as no surprise that Dilithirite is sometimes used in the construction of low-yield explosives, mostly by mining corporations funny enough.
In theory, while you can not recrystalize burned out Dilithium, many theorize there might be a way to filter out the impurities of Dilithirite, repeatedly, and compress the remaining crystals into a Dilithium substitute. My own people, the Cheronians, have a process by which the structure of Dilithirite can be modified by bombarding it with nuclear radiation, resulting in a low-grade Dilithium alternative that they use in their starship auxillary batteries for back-up and emergency power. Recently, with the difficulty in developing and maintaining their New Cheron colony, the survivors of Cheron have resorted to trying to perfect this process so as to be less dependent on imported Dilithium.
Major Imports
To continue with the conversation we were just having, Dilithium Crystals are much in depend, hard to come by, and especially rare in the Sectors of Tango-8 and Tango-9. Dilithium is a vital component of starship operation and Warp travel and there really isn't any way around that.
Another very necessary mineral that needs to be imported into the region is Ryetalyn, the only known cure for Rigelian Fever and a number of other, similar bacterium based illnesses.
Nurse Santos displays Ryetalyn raw and in liquid form.
Ryetalyn is incredibly rare in the Tango-9 Sector and much in demand by the Blue Orions, Federation Colonists, and New Cheron Colony at Xices. Blue Orion Pirates often attack medical shipments bringing Ryetalyn into the area in hope of reselling some of it while keeping the majority portion for themselves.
Starfleet has stepped up convoy escorts and is investigating potential new local sources on as yet unexplored planets in the sector.
"All this talk of commerce; imports, exports, and free trade for all! Hmm...that gives me an idea! Let's go shopping!"
AD
Barking Alien
