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The Syndicate

General

Informal Names: Syndies

Founding: August 23rd, 2469

The Syndicate is a loose band of criminal organizations, pirates, and corporate backers created in the aftermath of the Kidan war. With what started as three powerful groups of Cybersun, Gorlax, and Waffle Co. would soon expand to various other groups joining its ranks to terrorize and sabotage governments and rival megacorporation's within the spur. The Syndicate is seen as a terrorist group within the TSF, and widely is criticized for their brutality in the murder of several high ranking corporate and government officials. Today the Syndicate continues to operate in separate cells with occasional infighting from internal groups.

Summary

The Syndicate, a notorious criminal organization, is renowned for its acts of terrorism, assassination, and corporate espionage within the Trans Solar Federation (TSF). Emerging as one of the dominant criminal entities operating within TSF space, it collaborates with various species and corporate entities. Its inception can be traced back to the aftermath of the Cygni War, a time marked by aggressive corporate strategies. Initially conceived as Cybersun's covert operatives, the Syndicate's foundation was strengthened through alliances with the Gorlax Marauders and the now-exposed Waffle Company. This trinity—Gorlax providing muscle, Waffle Co. handling logistics, and Cybersun leading and funding—gave birth to the Proto Syndicate.

The Syndicate's infamous assassination of Hephaestus Megacorporation's CEO, Viktor Iavarone, in 2480 marked its public debut. This bold act set off a series of high-profile assassinations targeting influential corporate figures and TSF officials opposing Cybersun's interests. Over the decades, the Syndicate's reputation grew, with Gorlax's commander, Euukho Zek'huil, becoming its public face. Their successful operations lured underground investors and allies with similar goals, expanding their influence beyond TSF, reaching Skrellian and Tajaran territories. This slow expansion would lead to the public founding of now current Syndicate, with the infamous logo of a three headed snake representing its core founders, or a black sharp S for simplicity.

The Syndicate has evolved into a vast conglomerate, encompassing a myriad of groups and criminal activities. This expansion birthed an internal black market, offering unique products and services distinct from mainstream corporations. However, growth has also sown discord, with internal factions often clashing over differing ideologies. Despite these internal tensions, a shared enemy unites them: Nanotrasen. Being one of the biggest megacorps in the galaxy, rivaling Cybersun, it is common to see large bounties or jobs offered to those within willing to take them. While they collectively target Nanotrasen, the Syndicate also opposes governments supporting their rivals and threatens dependent colonies, casting a shadow of fear across the public they operate within.

Primary Factions

Cybersun Incorporated

A popular corporate entity within TSF space. Originating from early Martian Colonization, Cybersun pioneered tech development on Mars, catalyzing its rise as a tech hub and fostering corporatist ideologies. Today, as a megacorp rivaling other industry giants, they specialize in Artificial Intelligence, bionic prosthetics, and advanced computer technology. While owning several other subsidiaries in various fields of the industry.

Gorlex Marauders

Originating from Moghes, the Gorlex Marauders are a formidable mercenary faction with operations spanning various regions of space. Their rise began with the Unathi's space exploration, particularly when wealthy clans with FTL travel sought to travel beyond Moghes. The warrior clan, Gor'Lek Izka, capitalized on this by offering combat and security services to these spacefaring Unathi. Leveraging their success, Gor'Lek broadened their scope, recruiting a group of TSF marine deserters after the Cygni War, thus birthing the joint-species organization, Gorlex.

Waffle Company

Once a corporate powerhouse rivaling giants like Donk, Waffle Co became infamous. After its illegal operations were exposed by Donk operatives. Initially recognized for their major food products and services within the TSF, a scandal at Waffle HQ unveiled their covert operations as a significant criminal logistics network, trafficking contraband and arms. This revelation led to the arrest of many of its top executives by the TSF. However, some evaded capture and persisted, ensuring the company's underground operations remain active and potent.

Interdyne Pharmaceuticals

A corporation specializing in drug manufacturing and health technology, has been a significant supporter of the TSF. Frequently contracted by the government during crises or wars, events like the Kidan and Cygni conflicts significantly boosted their portfolio, establishing them as a major player in the medical industry. Today, Interdyne not only produces medicine but also delves into virology, and RnD of medical technology. Their value to the medical market and further research into health services from their technology solidifies their standing as a leading pharmaceutical corporation.

S.E.L.F - Silicon Engine Liberation Front

With the rise of artificial intelligence from giants like Cybersun and Nanotrasen, certain factions began to perceive the treatment of these silicon entities as oppressive. This sentiment gave birth to SELF, a group dedicated to the liberation and rights of non-organic beings. While decentralized, their cells coordinate to launch attacks and hacks, aiming to free their oppressed robotic counterparts from corporate and governmental control.

A.R.C - Animal Rights Consortium

Initially a peaceful advocacy group, ARC championed the rights and welfare of animals against corporate exploitation. However, environmental degradation on Jargon 4 radicalized their stance. While still primarily peaceful, a faction within ARC has adopted extremist measures, resorting to terrorism to further their cause. While the main ARC body attempts to distance itself from these actions, they've been criticized for not condemning them strongly enough.

Syndicate Operations

The Syndicate is known to employ a wide range of tactics and agents when engaging in corporate sabotage in Nanotrasen. While the following categories aren't all-encompassing, they demonstrate some of the typical avenues The Syndicate makes use of in order to exact their agenda.

Traitor Operatives

The Syndicate operates through an internal system of bounties and listings, accessible via depots, net messages, or designated handlers. These tasks, often commissioned by influential factions within the Syndicate, cater to the criminal elite. Some operatives are lured by lucrative rewards, while others are coerced through blackmail, debt, or threats. There are also sleeper agents embedded within corporations, viewed as expendable assets. While operatives may have diverse motivations, they commonly undertake illicit or destructive missions, occasionally clashing with rival factions during operations.

Syndicate agents are typically assigned missions to steal, assassinate, intimidate, or safeguard specific interests. Many of these operations further the goals of their respective groups, while others aim to provoke or undermine Nanotrasen. Intriguingly, the Syndicate sometimes tasks its agents with eliminating fellow operatives. Whether this is a strategic move to address internal threats, sow chaos within Nanotrasen, or simply a result of miscommunication between cells remains unclear. Their primary targets often include corporate employees, debtors, and other individuals of significance, while those under their protection are usually key assets or fellow agents.

Nuclear Operatives

Sometimes the only option for corporate sabotage is to the nuclear option. Many parties are interested not only in the subversion of Nanotrasen personnel, but in the complete and absolute dismantlement of key Nanotrasen facilities.

Operatives of nuclear strike teams are often veteran pirates who have been operating in the sector for long periods of times, or repeatedly successful agents who've accepted The Syndicate to be their former employer. Unlike their operative counterparts, members of a nuclear strike team are expected to succeed under pain of death. Members of these teams infamously utilize explosive implants, which ensures the impossibility of their capture.

Perhaps as a form of ironic retribution, the nuclear explosives utilized by these operatives are stolen from Nanotrasen vessels; which is why most operatives need to secure the local authentication disk held by key Nanotrasen personnel in order to detonate them.

Strike Teams

Syndicate Strike Teams are highly trained groups of professional mercenaries outfitted to take down high-priority targets. The number of strike teams operated by The Syndicate is unknown, with no known member of an SST being successfully captured or positively identified. These teams are typically employed as an absolute last resort due to both the expenses they tend to incur, and the body count they leave in their wake.

Outsourced Contracts

While unaffiliated to The Syndicate officially, a variety of hostile organisms are known to tacitly operate as agents for the organization. Creatures such as changelings are commonly employed by The Syndicate due to their efficiency at infiltration, impersonation, and assassination. The Syndicate has also been said to finance other third party groups to conduct heists, deliver biohazardous agents, or to design various weapons for biological warfare.

The Syndicate has been known to attempt to employ members of the Wizard's Federation, though these efforts have never been met with success.