{%hackmd theme-dark %} # The Syndicate *In one of his many fables, Aesop wrote about a father, his sons, and a bundle of sticks. The father gave each son a stick from the bundle and told them to break it, and so they did with ease. Then, the father gave the sons the entire bundle and told them to snap it in two. Try as they might however, none of the sons were able to do any damage to the sticks.* *Alone, we will snap in half like twigs, but together, we can stand strong against any that wish ill against us.* The Syndicate is the largest coalition of corporations, polities, special interest groups, and other organized factions of various sizes and origins, united for one cause: **Death to Nanotrasen.** The simple motto of the Syndicate, providing a simple explanation of their goals. All members of the Syndicate wish to see Nanotrasen toppled from its pedestal above the galaxy, whether it be to free the people or eliminate the competition. In the past, the Inter-Corporate War put the hurt on NT, but ended in a Syndicate defeat after Rigel. Humbled, the Syndicate now licks its wounds, using subterfuge and guerilla tactics to weaken Nanotrasen until an ample opportunity to cut the head off the snake presents itself. ## Origins ## Factions of the Syndicate Many factions of various origin and scales ranging from powerful megacorporations to small political interest groups are members of the Syndicate. Below, the most notable are listed. ### The Gorlex Marauders **History** Originating in an isolated colony on Gorlex VII, the force that would once become the legendary paramilitary group known as the Gorlex Marauders was nothing more than a pirate fleet of converted freighters and starliners. The pirates themselves had little other options than resorting to thievery. Their home colony had been practically forgotten by the powers that be, and all attempts to ask for aid were lost under a million tonnes of bureaucracy. Under the leadership of [name], a number of ships were hastily refitted for combat. If the corps wouldn't help them, they would help themselves. First they started small, automated done shipments or compliant and unguarded freighters. With enough supplies to feed their sons and daughters back home, the marauders didn't seem to have much in the way of ambitions. At least until Nanotrasen noticed the miniscule loss in profits, anyways. A few weeks after that, a SolGov task force was formed to put down the pirates den on Gorlex VII. The few in the admiralty who raised concerns on how this planet was a chartered colony, not some secret terrorist base, were ignored. In what could be considered a stroke of luck, the task force didn't face any opposition, and moved into orbit. After a quick scan of the planet, cameras detected a row of barracks, tents and industrial installations. Clearly some form of military installation, the area was subjected to a bombing, and after, when mop-up teams were sent planetside, they realized they just blew up the colonies attempt at a hydroponics facility, and the tents and barracks were public housing. This was swept under the rug with incredible efficiency. News headlines the next day say that a terrorist outpost had been destroyed by the heroic SolGov navy. Internally, though, the situation was quite different, with most of the task force being dissolved, and it's leaders being tried for war crimes. None of the pirate ships were harmed. SolGov itself was embarrassed and ashamed. As for the pirates themselves, what was once fueled by necessity was now fueled by spite. Their raids that were once motivated by survival were now motivated by a lust for revenge. Supply freighters were at a much smaller risk. Military craft and arms shipments though, were subject to brutal raids. The marauder fleet grew to considerable size, from refitted freighters to quality military ships. Their troops were seasoned veterans, forged by brutal close-quarters boarding actions. The SolGov and Nanotrasen security forces were utterly outclassed. They were faced with an army of men with nothing to lose that was crying out for blood. They cut through Nanotrasen facilities with extreme prejudice, and liberated SolGov colonies from the weight of the bureaucracy. To some, they were murderers, to others, liberators. In a few years, a group of petty thieves was changed into the most infamous and respected military force in the galaxy. Although they were willing to cut the head off the snake that had once crushed the outer colonies in it's coils, they lacked the logistics for a full operation in hostile territory, and needed to one-up the technological marvels of military technology found in the orbital defenses of the core worlds.