Volturnus Connection

Dragon magazine once posted an article giving one possible backstory to the Volturnus series.  I really enjoyed reading it but one thing has always bugged me, why was a civilian passenger liner traveling to an uninhabited planet?  Why would there be other passengers on board when Volturnus is not on the way to any inhabited systems?  Sure the fist fights onboard the sirenna dawn were one of the best parts of SF0 but why not send the PCs onboard a small assault scout class ship--it could still be attacked and crash on the planet?<br /><br />I know SF0 is a classic and I have a special place in my heart for this one but the rational behind sending a passenger liner into pirate territory has always left me scratching my head.