"*And if it's not electronic, there is no trail to follow.*", that is not
necessarily true. It depends on the amount/value and type of whatever
non-electronic means were used.
If it was 10,000 credits in cash then you are correct, it's too small to
leave a trail behind it.
If it was 100,000,000 credits in cash that's a different ball game. It's a
large physical amount of cash it requires some protection in the form of
people (and equipment), some of which may be hired locally meaning there
are witnesses that can be interviewed/bribed to tell what they overheard
but were not supposed to know. It may mean an armoured vehicle needs to be
used for transport, most likely locally sourced which leaves a trail. The
receiver needs to verify it isn't counterfeit which means some local
expertise is required, again witnesses to bribe/interview. Correspondingly
the receiver of the cash needs a certain amount of security once they get
the cash in hand. The money may have been laundered via a local crime
syndicate by the buyer to try and anonimise it, but that means witnesses to
track down from that angle too.
Unless the buyer met the seller in the starport, did the transaction in the
ship's airlock and immediately dusted off, then there is potential for
witnesses and paper/electronic/people trails of the transaction, or it's
supporting activities, that the players could use.
At least that's my 2 cents worth. If I was DMing the game and I wanted the
players to have to work for it instead of only needing to find a single
electronic transfer stub to give them all the answers, then I'd get them to
go through the different sources of info and let the picture of who, where
and why come together.
necessarily true. It depends on the amount/value and type of whatever
non-electronic means were used.
If it was 10,000 credits in cash then you are correct, it's too small to
leave a trail behind it.
If it was 100,000,000 credits in cash that's a different ball game. It's a
large physical amount of cash it requires some protection in the form of
people (and equipment), some of which may be hired locally meaning there
are witnesses that can be interviewed/bribed to tell what they overheard
but were not supposed to know. It may mean an armoured vehicle needs to be
used for transport, most likely locally sourced which leaves a trail. The
receiver needs to verify it isn't counterfeit which means some local
expertise is required, again witnesses to bribe/interview. Correspondingly
the receiver of the cash needs a certain amount of security once they get
the cash in hand. The money may have been laundered via a local crime
syndicate by the buyer to try and anonimise it, but that means witnesses to
track down from that angle too.
Unless the buyer met the seller in the starport, did the transaction in the
ship's airlock and immediately dusted off, then there is potential for
witnesses and paper/electronic/people trails of the transaction, or it's
supporting activities, that the players could use.
At least that's my 2 cents worth. If I was DMing the game and I wanted the
players to have to work for it instead of only needing to find a single
electronic transfer stub to give them all the answers, then I'd get them to
go through the different sources of info and let the picture of who, where
and why come together.