Rimward Corridor
The Rimward Corridor is a corridor of exploration toward the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, maintained by the Solomani. It is about three sectors in width, extending due-rimward from the Solomani Confederation's rimward border and ultimately proceeding toward the Galactic Rim.
This is the region through which all expeditions further rimward have to pass, and into which the Confederation will presumably expand at some point. The Aslan Hierate to spinward and the Hive Federation to trailing are also interested in the rimward fringe of Charted Space, and the Confederation considers it important to keep the corridor open for future expansion.
No need is perceived to directly annex territory in the Rimward Corridor so long as the route isn't seriously threatened. Trans-border trade with systems within around 10 parsecs of the Confederation border is commonplace, and information about them is readily available in public databases. Beyond this narrow zone, data is harder to come by, and those in the know prefer to keep their advantages.
Merchant vessels and supply ships using this route are well-armed by the standards of civilian craft. They are often paid a subsidy to engage in limited exploration of the unknown.
Locations[edit]
The first significant Confederation presence is in the Lubbock Sector, around 100 parsecs from the Confederation border. The primary route is fairly direct to rimward through the Hanstone, Holowon, and Lubbock sectors. The main arm of Solomani traffic continues rimward and slightly to spinward into Mithen and Hadley, whilst another branch swings across to trailing as it enters Kruse Sector. This is largely for astrographic reasons, as the Ruthless Veil and Darkly Veiled sectors contain a number of known time-space anomalies, including jump shoals and jump reefs.
The trailing side of the Solomani's rimward frontier is considered of lesser importance than the spinward. Short-range exploration and trade missions push out from the Confederation border as far as the middle of RimReach Sector but rumours of the Valkyrie threat and astrographic obstacles prevent further progress. A forward base in Strange Sector is tasked with supporting cautious research into the region.
The Corridor extends to the vicinity of The Spinner, more accurately known as the Orion Rift.