At the end of the Jewel of Yavin heist it says if you've gone a certain path to end up with a stack of credits there are a few ideas to sink the money into for example one is pay of your ship or acquire a new one, however in the other example it says invest in a 'shipping enterprise' or start a smuggling ring that basically gives them a safe berth or a place to hold goods etc.

This got me thinking as to how you could do that in terms of operating your own area that is off known records aka a shadow port, so I thought the most ideal way to ask the community there ideas. I was wondering how you would do things such as the setting up and concealing of the area in a way that it is discreet and that no ones but you knows where it is, as well as the size and how many ships it can facilitate and how that would affect the set up and price of the endeavour.

This also open up question as the would you allow other organizations to have access to the site and how much and for how long, what happens if it's cover is blown, can it be relocated in such an event.

So yeah if any one has any cool ideas on this or ideas for an installation set up like and old mining area for example post away would love to hear ideas.

Star Wars gives us worlds that have (in)famous shadowports. These are more or less openly known to exist outside the law, but usually because the law is bought off. In any case, this type of shadowport is likely crawling with beings loyal to various organizations from the ISB to Black Sun to the Rebel Alliance. This makes it a great place to do some shady business, but don't fool yourself into thinking these places are going to keep your business secret because there are just too many eyes, ears, and mouths.

OTOH, small temporary shadowports set up on out of the way worlds (or in orbit of such) can be used for truly secret meets. Getting to this type of shadowport usually involves going through the first type to make the necessary connections. At these, you'll more than likely only have to worry about one organization (not that that isn't enough), but since they own the zone completely the risk factor is pretty high that they'll be dealing from a position of strength.

I'd suggest setting up the second type of shadowport and having connections at a few of the major (first type) shadowports to send business your way. Keep the whole thing mobile--a transport or three that can land to open a market and then fold-up and be heading into hyperspace within an hour is better than fixed structures.

As for the size of the organization, bigger size means bigger profits with less security. Optionally those profits can be put back into security, but then the shadowport isn't going to make money, so what's the point (unless the shadowport is really a Reebel base)?

Popular drink on Z'ha'dum

The Star Wars Essential Atlas lists several infamous shadow ports, but of course for every one that's known, a hundred exist that are better-kept secrets. I liken them to websites like the recently-deceased Pirate Bay, wherein everyone knows the name, what they do, but the powers that be can't/won't deal with them for some reason, be that bribes, a flourishing shadow economy, or expert location planning.

For example, I had a hollowed-out asteroid in the belt in the Geonosis system, protected from sensors by the composition of the asteroids and further masked by hiding in plain sight amongst mining operations. You had to know the correct frequency to "knock" to get in, and the people that ran it would sooner space the entire landing bay than endanger their operation by letting in those intending to cause trouble.

Talking about smugglers and shadowports...

"The dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

Jack Sparrow

"For certain, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways everyone would know where it was."

Captain Barbossa

ShadowPorts can also be alternate sites on existing worlds. For example, Corellia is known to have a few shadowports planetside, but these are quite different from a hollowed-out asteroid. They can be a broad category, and really exist as plots need them. Conventional ports with a high presence of Organized Crime can also be shadowports, because the right bribe can alter any shipping manifest or BOSS record.

Joking aside

Just let your imagination go wild. Shadow port could even be a cloud city, large space ship or the innards of a giant space whale. That last one was meant as a joke but why not; big worms need big bowels. Bigger and juicier the better.

Joking aside

Just let your imagination go wild. Shadow port could even be a cloud city, large space ship or the innards of a giant space whale. That last one was meant as a joke but why not; big worms need big bowels. Bigger and juicier the better.

Or, as Guardians of the Galaxy showed us, the head of a long dead celestial being can work as a shadowport.

Well, this is Star Wars where entire worlds are just one kind of thing. Hoth being a complete iceball. Kashyyk being a massive forest world. Tattooine a large, desert world. So, shadowports could even be places like Nar Shadaa, the smuggler's moon. The Empire doesn't control everywhere and since it doesn't take long to get places means that ports can be hidden outside of a given legal territory.

Well, this is Star Wars where entire worlds are just one kind of thing. Hoth being a complete iceball. Kashyyk being a massive forest world. Tattooine a large, desert world. So, shadowports could even be places like Nar Shadaa, the smuggler's moon. The Empire doesn't control everywhere and since it doesn't take long to get places means that ports can be hidden outside of a given legal territory.

While the Empire doesn't control everywhere, there's no one that can really stand up to them if they want to enforce their authority, so again consider that any publicly acknowledged shadowports (like Nar Shaddaa) exist only at the sufferance of Imperial authorities. The factor you mention--that people can get places quickly--means that just being in a remote location isn't a defense if that fixed location is known.

Someone like the Hutts have the means to defend their territory. Given that Nar Shadaa is in orbit of Nal Hutta, IIRC, it has a shield system and planetary defenses.

It wouldn't be easy to build a shadowport on a planet with a good control system (like Coruscant or Corellia) at least not without it being an unofficial part of the real port(s) as the controllers would have to direct traffic to/from those areas and either wipe the records or alter them. Better for most worlds to work in the real port in other ways. Think about how to smuggle goods in/out of a country nowadays. Pay off the right customs person, a few longshoreman and containers can just vanish from a port as legitimate goods. The same would be true of Star Wars smugglers. They might be picking up from some illicit place, but those goods have to go somewhere where they aren't allowed, else they wouldn't be illegal and wouldn't need to be smuggled in.

Someone like the Hutts have the means to defend their territory. Given that Nar Shadaa is in orbit of Nal Hutta, IIRC, it has a shield system and planetary defenses.

The Hutts during the current era don't focus on military might and lack central authority. The Empire could easily devastate Nar Shaddaa if it felt the need. However, numerous Governors, Moffs, and military personnel receive incentives for allowing the Hutts to go about their shady business. There are limits, of course, so if Nar Shaddaa were to be shown to be hostign a Rebel base and offering supply and shelter to the Rebel Alliance, chances are pretty good that the Empire would waste the moon.

Hutts do have some military capability, but it's largely sequestered back at the Bootana Hutta throneworlds. They were unable to stop the Empire from pushing them out of the Periphery, and the Empire could have taken Nar Shaddaa at the same time if not for the influence of Hutt politics (not Hutt military strength).

I say feel free to go crazy. abandoned colonies or asteroid mines, corpses of space worms, perhaps collections of old ships from ancient battle zones welded together, or space stations in areas that interfere with sensors. Our plan for our starting shadowport my group's next privateer campaign is one of the old Intergalactic Banking Clan space stations outside the galaxy which was converted to a shipyard for small and midsize capital ships (Sil d5 or 6) during the Clone Wars

Could the general definition of a shadow port be "a starship docking facility that allows one to dock unfettered by the laws of the Bureau of Ships & Services" at its very core?

Could the general definition of a shadow port be "a starship docking facility that allows one to dock unfettered by the laws of the Bureau of Ships & Services" at its very core?

Go more basic. A shadowport is a starship docking facility that allows one to conduct trade unfettered by any formal laws or regulations.

Go more basic. A shadowport is a starship docking facility that allows one to conduct trade unfettered by any formal laws or regulations.

Surely the locals would have SOME sort of rules and regulations, but this is definitely closer.

Go more basic. A shadowport is a starship docking facility that allows one to conduct trade unfettered by any formal laws or regulations.

Surely the locals would have SOME sort of rules and regulations, but this is definitely closer.

Eh, not necessarily. A local strongman might demand a cut to do business in his territory but that's hardly a formal law or a regulation. Mos Eisley probably has Imperial edicts on the books but without a strong military or police presence they don't mean anything.

I hate to use the word "anarchy" as it's a loaded term but it's the closest thing I can think of.

Eh, not necessarily. A local strongman might demand a cut to do business in his territory but that's hardly a formal law or a regulation.

Yeah, at this point we'd just be splitting hairs. The rules could be as simple as "if you pull a blaster in my station I'll space you" or the like.

I liken them to websites like the recently-deceased Pirate Bay, wherein everyone knows the name, what they do, but the powers that be can't/won't deal with them for some reason, be that bribes, a flourishing shadow economy, or expert location planning.

I wouldn't say "deceased", given that the entire database for the site fits in about 150MB and was up again in a matter of hours.

However, Pirate Bay does fit the definition, in that there are some highly well known shadowports, they are usually too big to be taken down by the authorities, and in the chance they are, they just pop up a few days later somewhere else, none the worse for the police raid.

I wouldn't say "deceased", given that the entire database for the site fits in about 150MB and was up again in a matter of hours.

True, it is a hydra's head after all. But isn't that true of all good shadowports?

I think a shadow port is a little bigger than 150mb , The ideas have been awesome thanks a lot awesome forumgoers... I'll work on that. How would you treat that mechanically in EOTE, I though using starship sizes and prices would make sense if you wanted a hangar in space as they are essential made of the same stuff just empty inside with costs varying for the silhouette. With maybe some obligation in some ways to the people who built it to keep it hidden or some such, however I'm not sure about anything larger or anything mobile. Any one have any ideas or recommendations

Depends on what type you are going for. If you are going for a hidden space station or one of the ones composed of a giant wrecked ship or a bunch of wrecked ships welded together your idea should work fine. Fr one on te ground I would suggest maybe using the homestead and colony rules from Far Horizons Asteroid based ones could asily mix parts of both.

While wrecked ships are an option, large operational ships are even better. Old Bulk Cruisers can be adapted with hangar space for a dozen light freighters and still have several cargo bays to use as markets.

Old Bulk Cruisers can be adapted with hangar space for a dozen light freighters and still have several cargo bays to use as markets.

For example, Cartol's Emporium by forumgoer Jegergryte.

I don't consider fully mobile ships, even cruiser or Star destroyer size ships that offer services to underworld craft to be shadowports myself. They serve much the same role but one of the key points of a port is it sticks in the same area.