Pagaton lies beyond the Imperial border, in District 268. It is a pleasant enough world, with 90% water coverage and a standard atmosphere, whose 900 million or so inhabitants are divided among a great many small nations and enclaves. The average Tech Level is 4, with some areas a little lower and some higher. Some imported technology is available at the downport but there is little money to pay for it. As a result, items rather than cargoes are bought and sold at the port, and trade volumes are very low

It is not clear exactly when Pagaton was settled. There are claims that Imperial settlers from Deneb took over some of the world’s many island chains and some sources state they found an existing population. There are those who believe the original population were refugees from the Sindalian Empire in the Trojan Reach, whilst others claim a human population was placed on Pagaton in the very distant past. Whether this was in the early days of the Ziru Sirka, a transplanting of humans by the Ancients or some other circumstance depends upon the source.

What is clear is that Pagaton never had a very high population and since usable land is spread out as island groups and microcontinents there was room for newcomers. It is possible some new arrivals integrated or were absorbed by existing populations and that other groups never noticed anyone was here before them. What little research has been carried out has located several settlements dating back hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, along with evidence that there was once a higher-tech civilisation on Pagaton. In all likelihood this is the remains of the colony missions, none of which managed to retain its technology in the longer term.

One reason for this regression is a deepening ice age. It is in its early stages at present, with pack ice spreading and some of the world’s few mountain ranges seeing increased glaciation. This has in turn affected ocean currents and weather patterns, making some areas less fertile than they once were. If Pagaton seemed a promising garden world in 400, by 800 it was obviously destined for collapse. External funding was unavailable and as a non-Imperial world Pagaton could not hope for intervention from the Scout Service or Colonial Office. Its nations had to chart their own course and there was only one possible destination

Conflict is on the rise as Pagaton’s small nations compete for resources. Fishing in particular has been heavily disrupted and clashes between armed trawlers or improvised fishery protection vessels are now common. Some nations have begun attempting to build real warships in anticipation of an expansion of conflict, whilst others are resorting to minor population movements as landgrabs or infiltration by way of small boats. Many areas are as yet quite peaceable, especially near the equator, but even there climate disruption is driving an increase in tensions. Pagaton’s Class C starport consists of a mooring beacon for larger ships and a tiny highport created out of old freighter fuel tanks linked by gantries. This rickety-looking contraption is kept in a stable orbit by an equally cobbled-together collection of old starship manoeuvre drive components. The setup works well enough and is only needed for the occasional orbital adjustment. All the same, starfarers used to more salubrious installations sometimes ponder the wisdom of going aboard. A couple of shuttles provide a service to the downport, where most of the facilities are located.

The downport is a small town located on an island in the Giplenn group. Four hundred years ago this was a fertile and attractive island chain with extensive wildlife and room for arable crops. Today it is bitterly cold, battered by frequent storms and subject to long, harsh winters. The local staple diet has changed from cereals and farmed meat to cold-water fish and various vegetables, and most of the former arable land is now cold grassland or being reclaimed by taiga forest.

The downport can handle several ships at once, a capacity it has never really needed. One side of the landing area has a passenger and light freight terminal whilst the other backs onto a maritime port frequented by local shipping. Ice is becoming a problem, to the point where the port staff have repurposed two steam-powered tugs as icebreakers. They are powerful enough for the role but too light, often jabbing away ineffectually at an ice build-up or becoming stuck and requiring rescue. Sometimes the other tug is sufficient but increasingly explosives are used to free a stuck vessel. Maritime trade is greatly impeded and clashes between ships waiting to enter the port are not infrequent.