JohnnyTightlips: Is it Normal that you get a Factory but no Laboratory or anyone to trade with in The Targatelli Affair?
Semi not normal I'd say. I fired it up just now and played it for thirty minutes and while you start with a Factory and no Laboratory, as soon my station was set up, Arona visited me with the typical goods he tries to sell you at the start of most missions (Love Nest, Sick Bay, Laboratory, Comsensor, Star Port, Power Boosters, Recycler, Cargo Holds and what not) and as soon I had the Comsensor and Star Port running and manned, I had the typical traders, tourists, ambulances and penitents contacting me to get on board.
Essentially the mission is meant to play like a typical, normal sandbox mission, except with Targatelli racketing you every bunch of minutes until you piss him off, and as far as I remember, the mission was meant to be kind of like a Mission 11, with all the features and all the gameplay mechanics being allowed. So if you grab a Star Port and Comsensor from Arona and get them running, merchants should contact you to trade goods. If it doesn't work like that, I'd suggest maybe resetting the mission.