Syndicate

Note: This page is not yet approved. Any information contained within may not be official lore and is subject to change.

History

The first official public action taken by the Syndicate was the assassination of Viktor Iavarone, the CEO of Hephaestus Megacorporation in 2415. While the Trans-Solar Federation initially blamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Planets for the attack, it was the leader of the Gorlex Marauders, Euukho Zek'huil who ultimately took credit on behalf of the newly formed 'Syndicate'.

Over the next 5 years the syndicate claimed responsibility for over 4 dozen high profile assassinations ranging from CEOs of Mega Corporations, to political leaders within the Trans-Solar Federation itself. This culminated in the assassination of the president of the Trans-Solar Federation, Martin Dorneman in 2420. The resulting fall out led to a three-way conflict between the Trans-Solar Federation, the Syndicate and the Union of Soviet Socialist Planets. This conflict would come to be known as the Pod Wars.

After the Pod Wars ended in 2438 traces of the Syndicate vanished. Although no body was ever recovered, Euukho Zek'huil was declared deceased and the threat was seen as nullified. Remaining surviving Syndicate elite returned to the shadows, although members from high profile corporations, like Cyber Suns', hands remained clean and their business continued as usual.

Little is known about what, if any, activities took place in the years following the Pod Wars. Families associated with the Syndicate, if they were ever even known at all, faded into obscurity. By all rights the Syndicate had been defeated.

In 2475 the PMC Stellar Vanguard Solutions, which had been founded by disgruntled ex-NanoTrasen employees, struck a deal with NanoTrasen and began to convert to the organization that would become Central Command. Many members, including founding members of SVS viewed this as a complete betrayal and left the company. Embittered, a few of these individuals chose to take up arms against NanoTrasen and Central Command- so long as it remains associated with the Mega Corporation. Ironically, they took up the name of the 'Syndicate' to capitalize on the deceased organization's notoriety and branding. However, it wasn't until families from the Original Syndicate contacted them that the organization truly began to reform.

For the past 50 years the Syndicate have remained in the shadows, growing their ranks and biding their time. In present day although their activity has picked up the general public remains unaware of their return.

Organization

The syndicate exists as an organization of groups with some overlapping goals, namely the downfall of NanoTrasen. The modern day Syndicate includes staff with branches within the organization, not entirely unlike Central Command. Unlike Central Command they have little control over their 'workers' which consist of volunteers and various groups from professional military organizations to Cluwnes.

Structure

The Syndicate organization itself is held together by a loose structure of branches. These branches are not unlike CentComm's divisions, however they are called branches so they are clearly different and not a copy.

Syndicate High Command

Extremely powerful, clever, and petty each of the half dozen members of Syndicate High Command are a force to be reckoned with- they are the ones pulling the strings. Unfortunately, many of the strings they choose to pull are akin to each others' shoelaces. Their egos and distrust often end with them tripping over one another, while vying for the bragging rights of a successful mission.

High Command is composed of a medley of individuals, including members from the Original Syndicate, Stellar Vanguard Solutions Founders, and 2nd Generation Syndicates. As one can imagine tensions exist between the generations and old grudges remain with Stellar Vanguard members who played a prominent role in the destruction of the original organization including the assassinations of 2nd generation's predecessors. Due in part to their secretive nature little is known about many members of this elusive group. However, rigorous investigations conducted by the Central Command Intelligence Division have identified a few of these high ranking individuals. Aside from former SVS members little information exists on High Command members histories, and who is from the 1st or 2nd generation.

"The day that High Command graduates from Kindergarten may be the day that NanoTrasen falls"

- Previous SVS Member and Current CentComm Officer

Known members include:

• Carter Avrom (former SVS)
• Shalott
• Tristan

Status Unknown

• Euukho Zek'huil (former- deceased)

Branches

Branches are headed by Syndicate High Command, though not every High Command member is in charge of a branch. While on first glance the structure looks organized, anyone working with the Syndicate will tell you that it is anything but.

In-fighting between High Command members, and ambiguity regarding which branch is responsible for what creates a chaotic atmosphere. The organization has been through multiple restructures with responsibilities alternating between branches.

Intelligence

Responsibility	Duties and Powers
General Oversight	Oversight of the Intelligence Division, responsible for executing defectors and spies.
Communications	Code breakers, Syndicate encryption, espionage of enemy comms, etc.
Research and Development	Works in tandem with outside corporate entities to employ purchased or stolen tech, and develop their own.
Nullspace	In charge of coordination with and use of supernatural elements, such as Wizards, Cultists, Psionics, etc. In charge of preventing Bluespace attacks from CentComm.

Military

Focus	Duties and Powers
Gorlex Marauders	Oversight of the Military Division, sole command of Nuclear Operatives. The 'public' face of the Syndicate.
Nuclear Operatives	Nukies and LoneOps, sent to trigger nuclear devices on enemy positions
Army	Syndicate ground forces, a fairly small force used to guard planetary outposts and bases.

Logistics

Subgroup	Responsibilities	Duties and Powers
People	Coordination	Managing money, resources, and manpower. Handles PR, recruitment efforts, and fundraising.
	Relocation	Moves supplies between locations, smuggles goods through enemy space, etc.
	Human Resources	Moves people between locations, smuggles them through enemy space, etc. They are in charge of outfitting agents with false identities and paperwork when they are deployed to an NT Station.
Materials	Manufacturing	A small group. Manufactures bulk supplies such as uniforms, plating, tools, etc. Anything not advanced enough to be R&D's job.
	Engineering Branch	Construction and maintenance of shuttles and outposts.

Notable Companies

Cybersun

A Megacorporation known for their pens and bureaucracy, in edition to other products. Their involvement in the Syndicate is only known to a select few. Afterall a company that sells pens trying to destroy the corporate behemoth that is NanoTrasen is ludicrous!

CyberSun is the Syndicate's largest benefactor. While they do not provide people, they finance most of the Syndicate's ventures and keep the organization operating.

Interdyne

Does chemical and biological experiments. NT refuses to be associated with them due to the ‘disgusting’ experiments they partake in.

They are responsible for chemical and biological terrorism. The Syndicate provides Interdyne with funding for their experiments. Past experiments include the synthesis of romerol, and the creation of terror spiders.

Note: There are previous reports of Central Commands Central Intelligence Division working with Interdyne, quid pro quo, to carry out projects vetoed by the Central Research Division. Thankfully the Central Intelligence Division has investigated these reports and found them to be entirely unfounded.

Waffle Co.

Originally a waffle franchise, Waffle Co has substantially diversified over time. With funding through Cyber Sun they also make guns now. They serve as the Syndicate's primary non-biological weapons R&D group.

DONK

Known for their signature DONK pockets product line, the company is primarily associated with snacks and fast food. Under the surface however they are struggling financially as NanoTrasen continues to push them out of the market. Early in their company's development Nanotrasen acted as an angel investor, in exchange for a contract to supply Donk Pockets to NanoTrasen stations. The contract contained no end date and no room changes in payment. While the deal was once profitable centuries of inflation, and legal battles have brought the company to near financial ruin as it continues to lose money with every shipment to NT stations. In 2475 DONK released a waffle DONK pocket as a limited edition item. They have been in a silent war with Waffle Co ever since.

Additionally DONK features a rather popular children cartoon, "The Brothers DONK", which features two brothers who become superheroes upon the consumption of delicious DONK pockets. Plot generally consist of the brothers fighting evil- but often feature novel weapons, or even plans currently in development at Waffle Co. Distrust remains at an all time high between these two companies as Waffle Co tries to protect its intellectual property and plan, while DONK does its best to not need to think of new plot ideas.

Reviews on the Brothers DONK are mixed, particularly among Central Intelligence Division Operatives who are required to watch all new episodes.

JONK

A knockoff of HONK Co. that gifted cluwnes to the universe. This section is often left out of Syndicate networking events and parties.

Central Command Clones

These are clones of CentComm workers who were sent to NT stations and defected under extreme circumstances. Some of these are the only survivors of a station-wide slaughter at the hands of the death squad. They are unable to ever return to their previous lives. Most of these clones join the Syndicate. Either because they truly want to bring down NT and CentComm after what happened to them, or because they have no where else to go and the Syndicate offers some ‘witness’ protection.

CentComm will never outwardly admit that these individuals exist as it would discredit them. However, the Central Intelligence Division continually tries to locate these individuals. If one is located, information is given to the Central Special Operations Division who ensure that they are eliminated.

Associations

Revolutionaries

• Syndicate recruits extremists and revolutionaries willing to take on what many would consider to be a suicide mission.

• Syndicate implants a device into head revs’ brains. This device interacts with flashes (available on station). When the user flashes someone a secondary flash is sent simultaneously, this secondary flash penetrates the target’s mind and brainwashes them if there is no mindshield present.

Revenents

• Revenants are summoned by dark priests following a ritual. The Syndicate will coordinate to get dark priests onto a station.
• One dark priest will die during the ritual (It is random. Oftentimes many priests will partake in a ritual to get a reputation for completing a ritual while minimizing their chance of dying. Ie if there are 10 involved in a ritual each has a 10% chance of dying (and becoming a revenant which is pretty cool), or a 90% chance of showing their abilities, hurting NT, and getting some sick bragging rights)

Initial infected

• Interdyne developed Romerol/ the Zombie virus
• Syndicate finds/ recruits volunteers willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Syndicate gets them added to the crew manifest/ on station, and infects them. Their families are compensated.

Terror Spiders

• The Syndicate funded Interdyne’s genetic experiments on xenomorphs. Somehow, whether a stroke of genius or a mislabelling of tubes, xeno and spider DNA was mixed creating the terror spiders. The Syndicate cannot control them, however they have some colonies and may purposely infest NT stations.

Wizard Federation

• The Wizard Federation is it's own wave, and unfortunately the Syndicates are sometimes just along for the ride. Occasionally Wizards may find their way to Syndicate outposts or stations, and board to show off their supreme powers of annoyance. Syndicate personnel will generally do anything within their own, non-magical, power to convince Wizards to visit the nearest, more populated, NanoTrasen Station instead.