Characters will both buy and engage in the offering of professional services. These services, ranging from piloting a spacecraft to cleaning the floor of a diplomat’s rooms, allow individuals and corporations to access skills they might not ordinarily possess. Commercial services tie directly to most skills and especially the Profession skill. Characters may hire services as they would purchase any other item or contract on the open market. The cost of a service depends on the relative rarity of the skill and their effective skill level. Modestly difficult, commonly available skills cost very little to hire. Highly unusual skills cost quite a lot, especially at the high levels of craft such specialists display. The following section provides basic information about the services including: name, availability and the cost for contracting to individuals of varying skill levels. The cost given does not include the cost for materials. When offering up a service most providers must post a bond. The amount of this bond typically equals the service provider’s yearly gross earnings. If the service provider fails to provide services as contracted the bond is forfeit, in addition to any fees legal authorities impose for breaking the contract.

A character who is trained in the relevant skills for a professional service can attempt to find work with a Profession () check. The DC of this check varies, and success might not be possible in some situations. If the character succeeds in finding work, they earn the listed rate as pay for the work.

• Accounting – An accountant goes through profit and loss statements, expenses and assorted other issues to work out exactly what taxes and fees a business should pay. The accountant must spend one day working on the books per 100,000 credits the business earns per quarter. If he does so, the accountant may make a Knowledge (Business) check for the business to ‘set’ the books. The business may use the accountant’s Knowledge (Business) check as a default result when attempting to secure licensing or determine how much it must pay for fees and taxes.
  • Skill: Knowledge (Business) +8;Cost per hour: 48 credits; Cost per day: 380 credits; Cost per 100,000 gross per year: 1520 credits
• Appraisal – In a world filled with exotic goods a forthright appraiser rates alongside a skilled doctor or an honest drive mechanic. Appraisal requires one minute, although a good appraiser charges for one hour of service and prepares an ‘appraisal report‘ detailing the current market value, any defects the item might possess and its probable origin.
  • Skill: Knowledge (Art, Culture [<Species>], History [<Species>], Physical Sciences, or Planetary Sciences) +8; Cost per hour: 34 credits; Cost per use: 34 credits
• Apprentice Dockworker – Apprentice dockworkers have only the bare minimum training required not to hurt others. They work and play hard, struggling to make ends meet while not being crushed under the huge weights they haul around. Most also have some minor training in electronics and mechanics, so they can spot problems before they arise. Businessmen involved with shipping will often hire a handful of dockworkers in addition to those provided with docking services. These individuals may make any Profession (Dockworker) checks required to properly move or secure qoods.
  • Skill: Profession (Dockworker) +8; Cost per hour: 23 credits
• Apprentice Electrician – Apprentice electricians have completed the tests required to prove their competency. They are licensed to make minor electrical repairs or modifications to the station’s superstructure of their own accord with minimal supervision. They may not make changes beyond installing additional outlets or fixing a broken power feed without authorisation from a master electrician.
  • Skill: Mechanics +8; Cost per hour: 28 credits
• Arbitration – Individuals or corporations involved in a contract dispute may decide to enter arbitration rather than go to the courts or other legal authorities. All parties must agree to abide by the arbitrator’s decision and the arbitrator may recommend any remedy he wishes. Arbitrators generally have a great deal of experience both in business and law. They make decisions based on the wording of the contract, the intent of the contract and demonstrations made by the involved parties to live up to both. Arbitration typically requires between one and three days. Particularly complex issues make take up to a week to resolve. The party found in default on the contract must pay the arbitrator fees in addition to whatever remedy or restitution the arbitrator requires.
  • Skill: Knowledge (Civics) +14; Cost per hour: 88 credits; Cost per day: 700 credits
• Archaeological Translator – Xenoarchaeology requires considerable time, training and resources. Most people scavenging deserted planets have none of the above. Instead, they rely on a complex network of professional services to help them investigate objects. An archaeological translator is one such professional. Specifically, archaeological translators use their extensive knowledge of unusual dialects and forgotten languages to piece together the meaning of inscriptions and equations found on dead worlds. Each day they work on a particular inscription (equal in size to a thirty-character message in English) they may make a Intelligence check (DC 20). If they succeed, they translate the message. If they fail, they may try again the next day. If they have the language as one known, they complete the entire translation work in between one hour and one day of work, dependent on the length of translation required.
  • Skills: Intelligence 18, Known languages as normal for their species plus 9 more; Cost per hour: 72 credits; Cost per day: 575 credits
• Bodyguard – A good bodyguard knows how to fight, how to avoid a fight and how to spot a fight before it happens. They will fight when paid to do so but generally try to avoid such entanglements. Professional bodyguards must register with most security authorities and are legally liable if anything happens to their charges while under their watch.
  • Skills: Persuasion and Perception +11; Cost per hour: 39 credits; Cost per day: 315 credits
• Cleaner – Diplomats, executives, and the people who just work hard every day all share one thing in common: quarters that become disordered when lived in. A cleaner is a bonded agent, responsible for tidying up after the great, powerful or merely harried. They hire on by the hour, but most prefer to take a contract involving one cleaning day a week over a several month period.
  • Skill: None; Cost per hour: 4 credits; Cost for four cleanings a month: 20 credits
• Commercial Psion (scan) – Hiring a bonded commercial psion to engage in a scan requires considerable resources. The psions available for this service are generally 5th level or higher, allowing for deep scans if needed. They typically charge for a minimum of three hours and bill additional hours over that at a normal rate. If the experience they must scan is particularly traumatic they will charge an additional 10% ‘trauma’ fee.
  • Skill: Psionics +15; Cost per hour: 94 credits; Minimum charge: 282 credits
• Commercial Telepath (truth reading) – Hiring a commercial psion to engage in surface scans while two or more businesspeople negotiate has become a standard business practice across much of the galaxy. Bonded psions of any species work for about the same cost, although exceptionally-skilled telepaths could demand higher prices if they wished to do so. Commercial psions charge for a minimum of two hours work, even if they only spend five minutes with both clients.
  • Skill: Psionics +10; Cost per hour: 63 credits; Minimum charge: 126 credits
• Computer Programmer – Sometimes, the only way to get a program exactly suiting the client’s needs is to have it custom written by a professional. Fortunately for the client, computer programmers come at a credit a dozen in most areas. For double the usual rate most computer programmers will also take on hacking or security breaking jobs as well. Hunger does a lot to wear away at the moral fibre of sentients who pride themselves on being smarter than everyone else. A simple custom program (eg. a script) to perform a single information or computer-related task requires one day to code, test and debug. A more complex program involving many interrelated functions may require far more of work from a team of dedicated programmers.
  • Skill: Use Computer +9;Cost per hour: 36 credits; Cost per day: 285 credits
• Computer Repair – Computers, whether of human or alien origin, remain finicky and somewhat unreliable things. Repairing a computer from run-of-the-mill failures caused by poor maintenance or cosmic rays requires a Mechanics check (DC 10) and one hour of work.
  • Skill: Mechanics +8; Cost per hour: 34 credits
• Courier – A professional courier hand delivers messages or packages from the sender to the recipient. They take responsibility for whatever they carry and work hard to avoid the attention of anyone who would interfere with the delivery. A courier’s employer is expected to pay reasonable travel expenses in addition. to the courier’s hourly fee. Most couriers work in a relatively isolated geographic area (e.g. a city or a space station) but some work on an interstellar basis.
  • Cost per hour: 18.75 credits; Cost per day: 150 credits
• Data Analysis – A data analyst sifts through the infinite amounts of data available on any given subject, trying to discover the reality behind the patterns. Good data analysis involves both research and inference from the discovered trends. It orders information from most important to least important based on the client’s priorities, points out details missed by casual viewers and points out the interactions between this data and outside influences. Characters may hire data analysts when they need to sift large amounts of data for a specific person, pattern or piece of information they know must be there but cannot seem to find. Data analysis takes at least a day. Depending on the DC assigned by the Games Master, it may take ten or even 20 days (if the analyst must take 10 or take 20).
  • Skills: Endurance, Perception, and appropriate Knowledge +8; Cost per hour: 45 credits; Cost per day: 360 credits
• Data Entry – Any reasonably active commercial area generates vast amounts of information about every transaction. Automation and scanning technology, not to mention RFID tags, have gone a long way towards reducing the mountain of paperwork. Fortunately for the unskilled, for every innovation government regulations require four more pieces of entered data. Data entry covers these requirements, giving characters a +2 bonus to their Knowledge (Business) skill checks when audited. Characters must hire at least one day of data entry for every 100,000 credits their business processes in order to get the bonuses.
  • Skill: Use Computer +2; Cost per hour: 15 credits; Cost per day: 120 credits
• Driver – Readily available public transport, as well as widely available private vehicles, makes hiring a driver a luxury rather than a day-to-day affair. A driver may be hired for a single evening, for a short trip or on an extended contract. In any case the driver often receives security training as part of his preparations for going into business.
  • Skill: Pilot +9 (Ground Vehicles); Cost per hour: 36 credits; Cost per night (four hour trip): 144 credits
• Diplomatic Psion – A diplomatic psion is the perfect universal translator, at least when dealing with species that are not immune to psionics. They pay careful attention to idiom, inflection and connotation to insure the message comes across successfully. The diplomatic psion may also accompany characters when they need to speak with high-level officials who do not share languages with the character.
  • Skills: Psionics +15, Perfect Telepath talent; Cost per hour: 100 credits; Cost per day: 800 credits
• Diplomatic Translator – A diplomatic translator works with his employers to create documents and speeches in a specific language. They pay careful attention to idiom, inflection and connotation to insure the message comes across successfully. The diplomatic translator may also accompany characters when they need to speak with high-level officials who do not share languages with the character. Diplomatic translators are cheaper than diplomatic psions, but they are far less flexible.
  • Skills: A specific language and Persuasion +10; Cost per hour: 50 credits; Cost per day: 400 credits
• Enforcers – These criminals make a living by intimidating people into doing what their bosses wish. Generally they try to avoid actual physical contact with the target. Standing around being intimidating is not illegal; inflicting real harm might result in charges of at least battery and potentially attempted murder. Criminals are not well known for taking care of one another. An enforcer expects to pay for his own legal fees and any fines levied against him out of his own pocket.
  • Skill: Persuasion +8; Cost per hour: 68 credits; Cost per day: 540 credits
• Engineer – An engineer possesses extensive training in the construction and repair of complex technologies. He also knows how to apply existing technology to previously unsolved problems. Characters may hire an engineer to repair their equipment or solve a particularly thorny technical puzzle.
  • Skill: Mechanics +10; Cost per hour: 50 credits; Cost per day : 400 credits
• Entertainment – This broad category of services covers everything from street buskers to professional exotic dancers. Characters can usually find general entertainment fairly easily. Finding a specific kind of entertainment (e.g. exotic dancers for a party for a diplomat) requires a Gather Information check (DC 15).
  • Skill: Profession (Entertainment Type) +8; Cost per hour: 23 credits or more; Cost per engagement (four hours) per performer: 90 credits or more
• Exclusive Entertainment – The above entertainment category assumes the character hires a relatively unknown act for a short period of time. Hiring a ‘known’ or named act with some level of popularity is considerably more difficult but hardly impossible. After all, entertainers make money by performing. It is in their best interests to be accessible.
  • Skill: Profession (Entertainment Type) +14; Cost per hour: 53 credits; Cost per engagement four hours) per performer: 210 credits
• Expert Appraisal – An expert appraisal involves all of the elements of the less expensive appraisal service. Expert appraisal also involves detailed historical research on the object in question, information about similar objects found and sold in the last decade and detailed scientific analysis of the materials composing the object. An expert appraisal generally takes one to four days (roll 1d4 if the Games Master has no opinion).
  • Skill: Knowledge (Art, Culture [<Species>], History [<Species>], Physical Sciences, or Planetary Sciences) +14; Cost per hour: 70 credits; Cost per day: 560 credits
• Expert Data Analysis – Expert data analysis can spot patterns and trends that would elude even the most sophisticated data mining and pattern matching software. Highly skilled data analysis can produce patterns from ambient noise and detect the truth hidden in a storm of irrelevant data.
  • Skills: Endurance, Perception, and appropriate Knowledge +14; Cost per hour: 88 credits; Cost per day: 700 credits
• Expert Pilot – Highly skilled pilots, especially those with deep space experience, can usually find work easily enough. Most of this work is relatively dull: hauling cargo, flying transports and similar work involving nothing more complex than handing off the controls to various Command and Control groups during the trip. However, these talented individuals truly earn their pay when the dangers of the galaxy rear their ugly heads. A skilled pilot can be the difference between almost losing a cargo to raiders and never hearing from the ship again. Contrary to the romantic imagination of entertainment producers, most pilots do not own their own spacecraft. They primarily lease or rent ships or fly ships owned by larger commercial concerns.
  • Skill: Pilot +14 (One specific vehicle type); Cost per hour: 70 credits; Cost per day: 560 credits
• Expert Scientific Analysis – The vast array of forgotten technology littering the countless worlds of the galaxy has created a booming business in artefact analysis. Characters truly serious about discovering the functions of  an artefact may have to hire one of the big names in the field, an expert to do the work for them. This scientist posts a bond with the local authorities to prove he will not steal the items or information submitted to him for analysis.
  • Skill: Knowledge (appropriate) +17; Cost per hour: 84 credits; Cost per day: 699 credits
• Facilitation – Sometimes negotiations break down due to misunderstandings, mutual hostility or just simple unwillingness on one party or the other to make concessions. A facilitator works to overcome these problems, using his own persuasive power and sensitivity to work through the problems between the negotiating parties. Many groups, proud of their own ability to resolve conflicts, do not call in a facilitator until things have degenerated almost to the point of no return.
  • Skill: Perception and Persuasion +15; Cost per hour: 78 credits; Cost per day: 625 credits
• Forge Documents – For every legitimate transaction entered in the books, most people assume that an illegitimate transaction of equal size has occurred. All of this illegal activity requires carefully forged documents ranging from identification card to entire falsified corporations. The skills required to pull these documents together are available if you know where to look, but everyone involved runs the risk of alling afoul of the law. It takes about one hour to forge an identification card or create simple authorisation forms. Creating more complex documents can take days, months or even years depending on how complex an undertaking the characters wish to conceal.
  • Skill: Deception +11; Cost per hour: 79 credits; Cost per day: 630 credits
• Forge Identity – Creating an identification card involves making a handful of computer records capable of withstanding a casual investigation. Forging an identity requires far more than that: the new identity must have a carefully fabricated history, credit lines, bank entries and a host of little details capable of withstanding close scrutiny. It takes at least one day to forge an identity.
  • Skills: Deception, Hackcraft, and Use Computer +15; Cost per day: 750 credits
• Investigation – Hiring an investigator to find items, people or information remains a viable business option. Investigators spend their time developing contacts in addition to honing their ability to sort through the vast data streams generated by everyday transactions. Investigators typically charge an hourly or daily fee in addition to passing on any travel or materials costs to the client.
  • Skills: Gather Information +10; Cost per hour: 63 credits; Cost per day: 500 credits
• Journeyman Dockworker – A journeyman dockworker has proven he can handle himself, his cargo and a small group of other dockworkers. He can fill in for a foreman if necessary. Additionally, he receives training in the  complex regulations surrounding docking procedures and the control of the docking queue.
  • Skill: Profession (Dockworker) +11; Cost per hour: 41 credits; Cost per day: 330 credits
• Journeyman Electrician – A journeyman electrician proves his ability to work independently by passing an increasingly complex set of tests. He cannot legally certify work, but he can work on his own without direct supervision.
  • Skill: Mechanics +10; Cost per hour: 50 credits; Cost per day: 400 credits
• Labourer – A labourer possesses no marketable skills other than his strong back and willing hands. Labourers stand ready to help with any task requiring muscle and sweat. Most are hard working men and women who simply cannot find better work.
  • Skill: None; Cost per hour: 4 credits; Cost per day: 35 credits
• Master Dockworker – A master dockworker long ago demonstrated competence at basic tasks. He then moved on to acting as a foreman and professional advocate for his fellow workers. Master dockworkers are also certified in zero-g operations.
  • Skill: Profession (Dockworker) +14; Cost per hour: 70 credits; Cost per day: 560 credits
• Master Electrician – A master electrician achieves his position by passing a set of extremely difficult technical tests. He must also log at least 20,000 hours of electrical work as both a foreman and a direct line worker. Once he passes both of these requirements he may certify electrical work as well as act as a supervisor for one or more ‘gangs’ of electricians. Master electricians generally may take their pick of work, but only find work at their level approximately 20% of the time. The rest of the time they get journeyman’s wages.
  • Skill: Mechanics +13; Cost per hour: 84 credits; Cost per day: 675 credits
• Negotiator – A professional negotiator studies the art of the deal in order to better serve his clients. He tries to secure the best deal legally possible using any means necessary. He posts a bond which he forfeits if a client can prove he had a conflict of interest or did not fairly represent them during the negotiation process. Simple negotiations may take as little as one hour. Complex negotiations involving multiple parties and/or governments may take several days or months.
  • Skills: Persuasion +10; Cost per hour: 50 credits; Cost per day: 400 credits
• Pilot – Pilots, both atmospheric and space, can make a decent living by hiring on to fly cargo vessels, transports, private aircraft and couriers. They do not generally own the craft they fly, although a handful do.
  • Skills: Pilot +9 (One specific vehicle type); Cost per hour: 36 credits; Cost per day: 285 credits
• Private Doctor – A private doctor works in a public practice, legally sealed to prevent others from interfering with the doctor-patient relationship. He will treat anyone who can pay, assuming he can legally practice medicine on them. Private doctors do not generally have facilities for long term-care, but can provide short-term medical treatments or administer drugs.
  • Skill: Knowledge (Life Sciences) and Treat Injury +11; Cost per hour: 53 credits
• Private Security – Private security forces abound anywhere there are people willing to take money to fight. Bonded security agents can provide crowd control and organisation at public or private events. Most are reasonable combatants (Soldier 2 or Nonheroic 8) but try to avoid any action that will cause them to lose their bond.
  • Skill: Perception +6; Cost per hour: 20 credits; Cost per day: 160 credits
• Private Tutor – A private tutor works one-on-one with his student on whatever subjects he knows. Each session lasts for one hour. Most tutors see their students at least twice a week. Private tutors can also be used to help a character learn a language, filling the requirement for a native speaker of the language being learned. The cost for one 4-hour session covering language instruction is the same as a one-hour session for other subjects.
  • Skills: Any three Knowledge skills +14; Cost per hour: 58 credits
• Researcher – Researchers specialise in retrieving complete information from public records. They build reports that may be later used for data analysis, giving the analyst a +2 bonus to his skill checks to detect patterns or ferret out information. Preparing a typical research report requires one day of work.
  • Skill: Use Computer +7; Cost per hour: 21 credits; Cost per day: 170 credits
• Scientific Analysis – Basic scientific analysis requires access to a lab and knowledge of science. It covers technological and compound identification, basic genetic scans and forensic analysis of previously gathered evidence. This analysis requires at least eight hours of dedicated work.
  • Skill: Appropriate Knowledge skill; Cost per hour: 48 credits; Cost per day: 380 credits
• Secretarial – A secretary answers messages, sorts files, does basic office management and provides a certain level of decoration.
  • Skill: Gather Information, Knowledge (Business), Perception, Persuasion, Use Computer +4;Cost per hour: 18 credits; Cost per day: 140 credits
• Ship Engineer – Spacecraft (usually) do not repair themselves. They require highly skilled technicians to work them over, repairing and refinishing parts until the systems work once more. Repairs can take days or weeks, depending on how badly damaged the ship was when it limped into dock.
  • Skill: Mechanics +8; Cost per hour: 38 credits; Cost per day: 300 credits
• Space Hand – Able-bodied spacemen can usually find work on any ship. They live a hard life, crewing ships the authorities should have pulled out of service decades ago but still somehow manage to limp along. These atrocious and dangerous living conditions do nothing to deter the romantics who want to join the ‘spacing life’, although it does thin their ranks over time.
  • Skill: Mechanics +8; Cost per hour: 23 credits; Cost per day: 180 credits
• Translator – Professional translators work with documents or on the spot communications. They translate information from one language to another. Most try to convey the meaning behind the words as well as the literal translations, but when pressed for time they will likely allow such nuances to slip through the cracks. Translating a piece requires one hour per five pages of written text.
  • Skills: Speak any four languages; Cost per hour: 27 credits; Cost per day: 212 credits
• Teacher – A teacher instructs a class of between ten and thirty pupils in a given skill. He may or may not actually practice the skill professionally on his off-time. Running a class requires three hours of preparation for every session. Each session requires between one and eight hours, depending on the subjects covered and the purpose of the class.
  • Skill: Knowledge (any three) +8; Cost per hour: 23 credits; Cost per day: 180 credits