In 832 an Imperial astronomical observatory, Starbase Orion, first observed
a rather pronounced drift to the spinward exhibited by the stars within this
subsector.  This led to the subsector name currently carried in _The_Standard
_Starbook_of_the_Imperium,_Blue_Volume,_LXVII_(Revised_Edition_1066)_.  Since
that time, additional data have revealed that the so-called spinward
deviations were, in fact, distortions caused by the influence of the
fluctuations of Delta Cephei upon the original observations.  All efforts
to change the name of the subsectorhave failed in the face of bureaucratic
and cultural inertia and it remains the Spinward Drift.

Today, the name may be more than apt.  There has been a marked tendency for
pirates, mercenaries, and fugitives from both the Imperium and IDES to drift
into this subsector.  In all of Beyond, more spacecraft have disappeared here
than in all the other subsectors combined.  Travellers are advised to avoid
the Drift it at all possible.

The Spinward Drift has 10.57 billion sentient inhabitants on 24 worlds.  Its
highest tech level is C at Turricremata, and its highest population is A
at Albazar.
