Unathi Crime And Enforcement

Law Enforcement

Under the normal traditions of Unathi feudalism, the laws are decided by the reigning monarch or Hegemon and their council - but the duty of enforcing said laws falls to local nobility. Over the centuries, this has developed into a robust system of law enforcement, though one that often varies in standard, training and skill across Moghes - particularly in regions that were not part of the Hegemony prior to the Contact War.

The City Watch

“The soldiers march to war, the nobles command them - but it is your duty to protect your home and your clan. The army may be the Hegemon’s sword, but we are his shield.” -Skalamar City Watch training video, dated 2442

The tradition of a City Watch dates back millennia, to nearly the earliest beginnings of Unathi permanent settlement. In any city or town of significance, the ruler’s Lord’s Claws will be responsible for the training, recruitment and upkeep of a watch - to ensure that the law of both the ruler and their liege is obeyed. Traditionally, the watch of a city is recruited from among commoners, with noble officers commanding them - a posting that often finds itself filled by the sons of prominent military clans, to gain experience as commanders in peacetime.

A watchman’s equipment varies greatly from city to city, though throughout history they have generally carried clubs, shields and other simple weapons, as well as crossbows - and later firearms - for cases where ranged combat or lethal force was required. Prior to the Contact War, the standard equipment of a watchman in the Hegemony consisted of a lightweight steel baton, a collapsible plastic shield and an armoured vest - with heavier armour and firearms being available in case of serious issues. During the Contact War, many Hegemonic watchmen were exempt from being called to service, though they were required to be constantly ready for the defence of their city. Many lords disliked having watchmen constantly armed - after all, a militia of commoners at a time when all the lord’s personal forces are away is just asking for trouble.

In the modern age, a watchman’s equipment in the Hegemony has changed significantly. Though some smaller and more rural areas may use more outdated equipment, the Hegemony has adapted well to alien technology, at first purchasing and later manufacturing many stunbatons, energy weapons and other tools used by human law enforcement. Today, the average watchman would be equipped with a stunbaton as well as a non-lethal energy weapon - tasers and disruptors being the most common. A lightweight armour vest allows the watchman to move freely, and a telescopic shield can provide protection against most opponents. In an emergency, watchmen tend to be equipped with laser rifles of Hegemony make, now that they are common enough to be affordable.

Typically, watch houses will be set up throughout a city, with some of the larger settlements having dozens. Each watch house is commanded by a watch-captain, who reports to the city’s Commander of the Watch - a position overseen by the Lord’s Claws. Generally, these watch-captains are drawn from nobility, though a few commoners have distinguished themselves and risen to the position.

Watchmen are not soldiers, and provide an essential service to a settlement’s infrastructure - as such, they cannot be called to military service as part of a levy, although they are required to fight in their city’s defence should it fall under attack. To this end, many hoped to become watchmen during the Contact War, in order to avoid being sent to the front lines. However, a watchman’s life is not necessarily something to envy - aside from clashes with criminals, the pay is far from exceptional, especially given that watchmen are forbidden by Hegemonic law from joining a guild or forming one of their own - as it would potentially provide a conflict of loyalty. Many former watchmen have since joined the mercenaries of the Fighters’ Guild or the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces, in the hopes of seeking better pay than a watchman’s meagre keep among the stars.

The primary duty of a watchman is to keep order - when crimes are committed, the watch will usually call on their own investigators if they have them - though smaller watches may simply lock up whoever looks guilty, and let the matter resolve itself at a trial. The watch of S’th in particular is known for its laziness, often arresting passers-by in the hopes of shaking them down for a few credits. Generally speaking, city watches will largely police commoners - to arrest a noble requires authorisation from the Lord’s Claws, and it is something most watchmen will not risk unless the evidence against them is truly damning.

Many watches are known to hire spies, when running horns-first into a dead-end case. These spies act as consultants, putting their skills to use to aid the watch - and though there is some judgement and distaste between the two professions, both begrudgingly recognise the other’s use.

The Zo’kaa (Spies)

“Though some call it a profession based on lies, I could not disagree more - the heart of any spy’s work is the pursuit of the truth, in all its purity.” -Hizoni Izweski, Hegemonic Spymaster

The title of “spy” conjures many images to the human mind, not many of them associated with law enforcement. For the Unathi, however, the title carries a different meaning - an ancient profession, codified by Not’zar Izweski. A traditionally feminine pursuit, spies act as investigators, private detectives and actual spies, seeking the truth of a situation in exchange for payment, and bringing secrets to light - or ensuring they stay buried.

Most spies work independently, uncovering secrets and solving mysteries in exchange for payment, though some are organised under spymasters - powerful women, usually of nobility, who run networks of spies, and rent their services to prospective clients. Working under a spymaster has its advantages, as work is generally more stable, but some professional spies would find the loss of independence distasteful.

Some professional spies are hired permanently by city watches or ruling nobility to investigate crimes committed under their aegis, though most tend to take work independently and on a case-by-case basis. A good spy, however, knows that a working relationship with the local watch is often the key to running a profitable business.

There is no formal guild of spies, with apprenticeships generally being a personal and individual matter - a spy will teach a young woman the tricks of the trade, in exchange for a cut of her earnings for some years afterward. Though many are eager to learn the trade, it is a difficult one to master - and a spy who cannot pick up on the dangers of a life trading in secrets is one whose life will often be cut short.

Not all spies are so clearly aligned with the law, however - criminal guilds will often hire spies to investigate their rivals, bury secrets or evidence of their deeds, or frame another for a crime the guild committed. Opinions on these illicit spies vary among their more legitimate sisters - some view the criminal guilds as simply another client, while others believe that working for such an organisation runs antithetical to the heart of the profession.

The life of a spy is often romanticised in Unathi fiction, and is a frequent aspiration for young Sinta women. Novels such as ‘Silent Streets of S’th’ and television series such as the long-running and wildly popular ‘Venom Hearts’ have led to a cultural touchstone of the spy as a hardened and independent seeker of the truth - though the reality is far less glamorous than portrayed in such media.

Many nobles will also hire or appoint their own private spymasters, who will bring on spies who are, in theory, loyal solely to their liege - though as with all things involving the Zo’kaa, nothing is quite so simple. The most prominent of these spymasters in the modern day is unquestionably Hizoni Izweski - the spymaster of the Izweski Hegemony, and viewed by many as the ideal of one in her profession.

Bounty Hunting

When a criminal flees beyond the reach of the watch, some lords may hire mercenaries to track them down in the case of particularly egregious crimes. Most of these bounty hunters are licensed under the Fighters’ Lodge, though the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces have expanded aggressively into the business, particularly for those rare criminals who manage to flee offworld.

These hunters will roam across the Hegemony beyond in search of their quarry - and are one of the rare groups of non-military personnel allowed to bear weapons, so long as they carry with them a writ of identification authorised by a noble of the Hegemony. Since the end of the Contact War, many criminals seek to escape into the Wasteland - and hunters are sent to track them through the radioactive sands. For an Unathi warrior seeking to earn good money, the commander of Camp Integrity is always willing to pay for the hunting of particularly dangerous Gawgaryn, criminals who have fled into the sands, or Traditionalist holdouts.

Though most of these hunters are Unathi, not all are. K’laxan Warriors, Ouerean humans and Skrell, and even the rare Diona gestalt can be seen working in the profession - after all, there may be many differences between the species, but the language of credits is a famously universal one.

Law and Trials

When a criminal is captured, they are placed on trial before the local ruling noble, or one of their representatives. In smaller villages, this will often be a council of local clans’ leaders, whereas in larger cities the nobility will tend to have one or several “justicars” to act as their representatives, as a single person judging every trial in a city the size of Skalamar or Jaz’zirt would rapidly become unmanageable.

Though it is a common assumption that a noble has sole jurisdiction over sentencing, this is not the case - the Izweski Code of Law has contained mandated minimum and maximum sentences for a crime for centuries, and though some nobles in particularly isolated regions may ignore this, to flout it carries great risk - as a noble found to act against the will of the Hegemon may be severely punished, up to and including the loss of their titles, being made Guwan or even executed.

Within these restrictions, however, a noble may judge entirely as they see fit. Theoretically, any noble of the Hegemony may judge trials, though in practice it is reserved for the ruling noble of a region or a representative they explicitly appoint. There is no jury system in the Hegemony outside of Ouerea, or standards of legal representation - a Sinta is permitted to speak on their own behalf, and to call witnesses to their character or innocence, but they must do so themselves - and whether a witness is entertained is entirely up to the presiding noble.

When a noble is judged, their liege is required by law to oversee the trial, and Overlords will generally handle cases regarding their vassal nobility. In the extremely rare event where an Overlord is tried, the Hegemon himself is the judge - and his sentence is absolute. Twice in Unathi recent history has an Overlord been brought on trial - Overlord Yiztek of Ouerea, and Overlord Yizarus of Gakal’zaal. Both were found guilty, though Yizarus never returned to Moghes to face his sentence, dying at the hands of the Gakal’zaal Liberation Army.

The Izweski Code of Law is an enormous text, and scholars of the Hegemony pore over it tirelessly, but some of the more common crimes and their sentences are listed below. It is worth noting that prisons are uncommon in the Hegemony, being viewed as a waste of resources - though criminals are often sentenced to a period of hard labour, those deemed a significant enough threat to society to be given life imprisonment in other nations are usually executed. Of note, where ‘execution’ is mentioned as a sentence, the option to become Guwandi is provided to Sinta instead - viewed as a more honourable and delayed form of execution. In addition, some may choose to become Guwandi when faced with being named Guwan, in the hope of regaining their lost honour in death.

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

Crime	Minimum Sentence	Maximum sentence
Theft	Hard labour or payment equal to the stolen item’s cost.	The loss of a hand and/or being named Guwan.
Dishonourable Behaviour	A public confession of dishonour and apology towards the victim.	Being named Guwan.
Disturbance of Public Order	A week’s hard labour and an apology to the noble in question.	Six months’ hard labour and an apology to the noble in question.
Assault	One month’s hard labour, and payment to the victim.	Loss of the offending hand and/or being named Guwan.
Possession of Unlawful Materials	One week’s hard labour, and surrender of any contraband.	Three months’ hard labour, and surrender of any contraband.
Sedition	Six months’ hard labour.	Loss of the tongue and/or being named Guwan
Piracy	Being named Guwan & one year’s hard labour.	Execution
Murder	Being named Guwan and/or the loss of the offending hand.	Execution.
Rebellion	Execution	Being named Guwan, followed by execution

Ouerean Law

The law of Ouerea is very different from that of the wider Hegemony - though it does nominally fall under the Izweski Code of Law, Ouerea is largely permitted to govern itself for the most part. Several crimes and punishments are radically different there, with the punishment of being named Guwan being removed entirely, and a prison system having been established during the Sol-Nralakk joint governance.

The Ouerean legal system is much more inspired by human ones - any Sinta is allowed the right to representation in a court of law, and they are judged by a jury of their peers rather than a reigning noble.

Criminal Guilds

Criminal guilds are illicit underground guilds run by secretive clans of Unathi - similar to human or Tajaran mafias, these criminals have come together to operate outside the law. Notably, it’s known that these criminal guilds tend to recruit from the undesirable Guwan, using them as the major workforce of their organisations.

In these underbelly Guilds, Guwandi are seen as a weapon of ritualistic - and honourable - assassination. When a member of the Guild goes against the Guild’s wishes, they are assumed to have taken the mantle of Guwandi, making them a target for other Guwandi that wish to restore their honour and ‘return to the guild’. This method has helped keep snitching on the Guilds to a minimum.

Shortclaw Clan

An ancient organisation, the Shortclaw Clan or Shortclaw Guild is one of the largest criminal guilds in Unathi history. Dating back to the days of the Sarakus Hegemony, the Shortclaws are an organisation consisting primarily of thieves, fences and smugglers - spanning nearly the entirety of the Hegemony, from the packed streets of Skalamar to the distant settlements of far-flung colonies.

In 2459, the Shortclaws gained infamy from carrying out one of the largest heists in Unathi history - known by its members as the Day of Gold a mass theft spanning from Moghes to Ouerea and even beyond the Hegemony, with heists being reported in Tau Ceti. Primarily nobles were targeted, as well as the coffers of powerful or wealthy guilds, with untold thousands of credits’ worth stolen.

History & Culture

The Shortclaws date back to the Sarakus Hegemony, formed from a small group of Guwan pickpockets in S’th. Over time, they expanded operations, recruiting more and more thieves into their number. Though individual ‘chapters’ of the Shortclaws are greatly divergent, they are all still part of a larger organisation, and owe tribute to their guildmaster - whoever it may be.

Though the Shortclaw guildmaster’s identity is unknown, their title is one that echoes in the underbelly of Unathi society - the self-proclaimed “Hegemon of Thieves”. It is said that this guildmaster has an elaborate and ornamental crown, and that whoever manages to steal it from them through their cunning or guile can take control of the entire syndicate. Whether this is truth or legend is uncertain, as like with most things about the internal hierarchy of criminal guilds those who know are bound by a code of silence.

Though the nature of the Shortclaws’ work requires secrecy, they often can be identified by their fellow members with one of a few signals - a wooden ring on the little finger or short-clipped claws being the most common.

Operations

Theft is the primary trade of the Shortclaws, dating back to their origins - but as the organisation expanded, so too did its needs to both sell those stolen goods, and to work with other criminal organisations. To this end, the Shortclaws also work extensively as fences, offloading their ill-gotten goods to other gangs and criminal guilds on the black market, as well as smuggling illicit goods throughout the Hegemony. Following first contact, the Shortclaws seized on the opportunity presented by interstellar travel, expanding their operations into trading with offworld smugglers. As time went on, this led to the guild acquiring some ships of their own, which frequently travel across the Spur carrying various ill-gotten gains. Following the rise of the Silver Scales, however, this operation has largely been cut back, as the other guild has a massive advantage due to its origins in the Merchants’ Guild.

Pirate fleets are frequent customers of the Shortclaws, selling their loot to the criminal guild, who can offload it onto customers elsewhere. While this relationship is an old one, and well-established, the Shortclaws are not pirates, and not considered as such - no Shortclaw has ever been permitted to visit Ha’zana.

Outside of the Hegemony proper, the Shortclaws have a presence on Gakal’zaal, though a small one - often trading or exchanging information with the Tajaran smugglers who dock at the Free Gakal’zaal Station. Despite the conflict between the two species, the Shortclaws maintain ties with their Tajaran counterparts, and often act as fences for Tajaran smuggled goods in the sector. Shortclaw thieves can also be found further afield, primarily in the Republic of Biesel and the Coalition of Colonies - though their operations remain centred on Uueoa-Esa. They will occasionally trade with the Unathi underground in Tau Ceti or Mictlan, and have been known to steal from the megacorporations in both Biesel proper and the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.

The Shortclaws are known to have ties to some of the Hegemony’s nobility - most notably Lord Karkatus of S’th, known for his corruption and ties to criminal syndicates. Given the organisation’s deep roots in the city, some have suspected Karkatus of being a member himself, or even the guildmaster - though these accusations are likely unfounded.

Membership

To join the Shortclaws, one must first be recruited - an existing member of the guild has to take notice, and vouch for the recruit to the local chapter master. The prospective recruit will then be assigned a series of jobs to test both their skill as a thief, and to scout them for any signs of ties to local law enforcement. Though the Shortclaws are thieves rather than murderers, those among them found to be undercover operatives or spies can expect no mercy, and the waters of the Moghresian Sea are littered with those unfortunate enough to be found out.

Should these tests be passed, one is named an apprentice of the guild, working under a full-fledged member who takes a majority of the profits from their apprentice’s thefts - an incurred debt of sorts for their membership and education. When this is paid, another test is arranged, usually involving a high-risk heist of some variety. Traditionally, this heist is rigged if possible, with local guards on the guild’s payroll informed if possible - or guild members disguised as guards acting, if not. This test is designed to tell if the apprentice will break under pressure and turn on their fellow guildsmen - and those who do are cast out, if they are lucky.

Journeymen of the guild keep the majority of their personal take, save for a cut for the chapter master - who in turn, sends a cut of their chapter’s profits to the guildmaster. Succession of chapter leadership is a simple matter, with representatives of the “Hegemon of Thieves” deciding which of the chapter’s journeymen is worthy.

Exile from the Shortclaw Guild is reserved as a dire punishment - for those who steal from their fellow guildsmen, those who inform on the guild, or those who fail to perform the requisite services to the organisation. In some chapters, this exile is marked by severing the little finger of the former member’s main hand - so they may never again impersonate a thief of the guild. Exiles are monitored closely, and should they seek to inform on their former guild they are swiftly dealt with.

The Shadow Service

The Shadow Service is one of the larger underbelly guilds that does not use Guwan - instead, using hidden members of society or Guwandi who wish to regain their honour in a noble assassination duel. Utilising a form of Unathi Breacher Suit, they are rumoured to be capable of using active camouflage to be completely invisible. It is frowned upon by the Shadow Service to use this stealth capability for battle, and the enemy should always know they are being hunted by a member of the Shadow Service, and for what reason.

History & Culture

Little is known about the inner workings of the Shadow Service - though the earliest rumours of the guild date back thousands of years, to the days of the First Hegemony. Whether this is the same guild, having carried out its services all this time - or simply a chain of them trading on the fame of their predecessors - the Shadow Service have done their work for nearly as long as Unathi civilisation has existed, and have grown into a legendary status for it.

The organisation is one shrouded in absolute secrecy, with little known to outsiders - those few assassins who have ever faced captivity have remained absolutely silent, even in the face of execution. From this, it can be inferred that the Shadow Service has an extremely strict code of the ‘Assassin’s Honour’, and that to breach it is considered a fate worse than death. This is further supported by their means of killing.

What little is known is that the assassins of the Service are highly trained and highly dedicated, as well as having access to various advanced and alien technology. Whether this was purchased from other criminal guilds, or taken as payment from the nobles who hired them, none are certain.

Hiring the Shadow Service is a difficult procedure, which is largely done through word of mouth - someone will let slip that they seek an assassin, whether personally or through a retainer for wealthier nobles - and the Shadow Service may well answer. Usually, they work through intermediary fixers - rare and trusted individuals who know how to contact the Service, and can pass along the details of a client following an investigation to discern if they are trustworthy.

Operations

The Shadow Service is one of the most gender-inclusive Guilds in Unathi society, with a perfect 50/50 split in men and women. As men harming women is seen as disrespectful, dishonourable, and downright terrible, the Shadow Service contracts women to kill women, and men to kill men. Depending on the situation required, the Shadow Service is said to send in a 'noble Assassin' to complete the task. If the target is believed to be honourable, the assassin must act honourably - however if they have shown any signs of dishonourable act, they are open grounds for all out hunting. Acting honourably does not mean giving a fair fight, however - and many of these duels have been known to end in a single blow from the assassin.

Publicly, 'assassins' are known to exist - and tales of the Shadow Service circulate similar to the human 'Illuminati' or the Skrell 'Secret Council'. Peasants would have nothing to fear - with some even idolising the stories of 'honourable assassins' that enact righteous justice through heavy-handed, forced duelling. Richer noble clans would have a different view - one of fear, dangerous enough to warn their children about. It is said when a nobleman expects a visit from the Shadow, they will receive warning beforehand to allow the target to prepare to join the ancestors. When a woman is targeted by the Shadow Service, a female assassin will be sent instead. With killing women, they are held to a higher standard, and their body should be left 'presentable' enough for a proper traditional Th'akh funeral.

When an assassin of the Shadow Service makes a kill, the Guild’s sigil is left upon their body or at the scene of the crime - a stylised Sinta eye, pupil-less. What this sigil means has been the subject of countless theories and speculations, though none but the assassins know for certain. One thing that is known, however, is that the Service does not tolerate imitators - to use their sigil for your own killings is to invite immediate and brutal retribution. The last known response to this was in 2382, when a Guwan in Skalamar drew their symbol upon a wall in a rival’s blood, seeking to intimidate his rivals in the underground. Within a week, his body was left in the streets of the city, with the symbol of the Shadow Service drawn on a piece of paper and nailed to his chest.

Recently, the Service has expanded its operations offworld, with several assassinations having been carried out on Ouerea and in further-flung colonies - though it is believed that outside of the larger colonies, assassins will largely travel to fulfil a contract themselves rather than remaining there permanently. The Shadow Service has been reported to operate as far afield as Tau Ceti, though the vast majority of their operations remain concentrated on Moghes.

Membership

How does the Service recruit? None know for certain. It is believed that they train their operatives from youth, and tend to recruit from the orphanage guilds - training them until adulthood in every form of killing known to Unathi. No member of the Guild has ever spoken on this matter, though those captured have often been unidentifiable by law enforcement, with no records save for paper-thin false identities. Some stories say that the Guild operates its deadly ‘schools’ in the mountains to the north of the Heartland, training orphaned and forgotten Unathi into hardened instruments of death - though none have ever uncovered any evidence of this.

There is no exile from the Shadow Service. To betray the Guild is met with death, without exception. Once you are a member, you are a member for life, or so the legend goes. If assassins grow old enough to retire, some say they are simply killed - while others say that the Guild provides them with money and land on which to settle down, and live out their last days in peace.

The identity of the Shadow Service’s guildmaster, if there even is one, is entirely unknown. No information has ever been uncovered on the guild’s leadership, structure or means of succession - and if those among the Hegemony’s mightiest know who may lead the guild, they have as much motivation to keep silent as anyone else. After all, an assassin is just one of many tools to maintain power in the games of the nobility, and losing such a valuable thing would benefit no one.

The Silver Scales

When the Merchants’ Guild went bankrupt, the economy of the Hegemony very nearly collapsed entirely - with only the intervention of Hephaestus Industries saving it. However, though the Guild itself was defunct, its members were still around - many of them now finding Guild assets that were essentially up for grabs. Rather than wait for the Guild to sell them off to the highest bidder - likely Hephaestus - many of these Merchants chose to act, stealing Guild property and assets and absconding, forming a network of smugglers and brokers to rival the Shortclaw Clan themselves.

Though a recent arrival, the Silver Scales’ operations stretch across the Hegemony, taking advantage of the Merchants’ Guild’s former contacts and trade routes through the Orion Spur. In a short amount of time, these former merchants have re-established a fraction of the power they once held, acting as interstellar smugglers and information brokers. The Hegemony has declared them as thieves and outlaws, and Hephaestus seeks to crush the last remnant of a potential rival - but the Scales persist, working to restore the financial dominance they once held.

History & Culture

The history of the Silver Scales is a short one, with the organisation having formally formed in late 2465. It is believed many of its members already held criminal ties during their time as guildsment of the Merchants’ Guild, however - engaging in illicit trade with pirates, alien smugglers, and criminal guilds to sidestep the Hegemony’s strict trade regulations.

The organisation largely operates as smugglers, taking advantage of the Merchants’ Guild’s trading fleet to smuggle across the Orion Spur - from the wreckage of the former Human Wildlands to Gakal’zaal to Tau Ceti. Though still far diminished from the heights of the Merchants’ Guild, the Scales have surged to wealth and prominence since their inception, and already have become a fixture of the Hegemony’s underground.

The Scales are known to favour silver rings and jewellery as a form of identification, though the nature of their work means that many of them prefer to remain inconspicuous when trading in the Hegemony. Some of them are even rumoured to have coated their horns in silver, though this is viewed as extreme even among the Guild.

Operations

The Silver Scales’ operations range across the Orion Spur - the Merchants’ Guild had contacts and trade routes nearly everywhere, and their criminal remnants have made excellent use of that. Aside from the Hegemony’s criminal guilds, they frequently trade with pirate fleets - many of whom their members already had relations with, having paid them to ignore their own vessels or attack their rivals’.

Vessels of the Scales also range further afield - trading with Tajaran smugglers and criminals on Gakal’zaal, human pirates in the Badlands and remnants of the Wildlands, and insurgents in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Their vessels are known to dock on Valkyrie, and they will frequently trade with both Unathi and alien criminal organisations there. In the Coalition of Colonies, they have been known to deal with various criminal syndicates on Assunzione and Xanu Prime, and there are rumours of their vessels doing business in the Empire of Dominia as well. In the brief time since they came to exist, they have carved themselves a niche in the interstellar black market, and this shows no signs of slowing down.

They have competed with various other criminal guilds, though mostly preferring to make friends rather than enemies - after all, why fight someone when you can simply pay them off? They have something of a rivalry with the Shortclaws, who operate in a similar market - though this is not an outright feud, and the two groups are known to trade and occasionally cooperate.

Membership

The Silver Scales primarily consist of former guildsmen of the Merchants’ Guild, and this is where the bulk of their upper ranks are drawn from. They are also known to recruit lower-ranking members from Wastelanders, Guwan, and former guildsmen of other guilds, in order to provide the needed skills and services to operate an interstellar smuggling ring.

While none of these newer recruits have risen to higher positions in the guild hierarchy, in theory there is nothing preventing it - though individual captains and chapter masters prefer to choose and train a successor early, ideally one with enough scruples to not decide advancement at the point of a knife is a good idea.

Unlike most criminal guilds, the guildmaster of the Silver Scales is widely known - a Sinta by the name of Akhna Razi, a relative of the former guildmaster of the Merchants. Razi is a young woman, but a highly capable one, who was able to band the remnants of the Merchants together and persist through the near-total collapse of their guild. Despite her relation to Hizoni Izweski, the two are not close and, as far as Hizoni has publicly stated, have never spoken beyond cursory introductions. Whether or not the Silver Scales hold deeper ties to the Izweski Spymaster is a matter of some speculation, though, as with most questions relating to Hizoni Izweski, few concrete answers have ever been found.

The Jhakal Syndicate

Many Unathi have left the Hegemony, whether in flight from the Wasteland or in pursuit of a better life among the stars. The Jhakal are an example of the former, having once ruled over the Jhakal Kingdom, a member-state of the Traditionalist Coalition. When the Kingdom fell to Izweski forces, the remnants of the Jhakal clan were forced to flee, eventually finding passage offworld with the assistance of human smugglers and setting course for the Republic of Biesel.

Over the years, the Jhakal have expanded operations across the docks of Valkyrie - gaining control and influence over the illicit trade running through the moon through a mixture of cunning, bribery and occasional spots of violence. For those smugglers and criminals seeking to do business in Tau Ceti, especially on Valkyrie, the Jhakal have become a fact of life - and one that is far better to have as a friend than an enemy.

History & Culture

The Jhakal Kingdom was never one of great importance or power, but managed to maintain its independence both from the Izweski and rival kingdoms. When it was captured by the Izweski, some of the ruling clan fled, including the ruling king. They were able to escape via human smugglers, fleeing for the Republic of Biesel - though King Jhakal would not survive the journey, having grown ill over the clan’s desperate flight offworld.

Arriving on the docks of Valkyrie with but a few loyal retainers, the remaining Jhakal might have quickly fallen to infighting, if not for the leadership of Lady Islek Jhakal, sister to the late king. She quickly took control of the remnants, bringing those who would bend the knee under her and disposing of the rest, before setting her sights on Valkyrie. The reputation of the Unathi as violent brutes worked in their favour, as she began renting the services of her clan’s warriors out to the gangs and syndicates of Valkyrie, beginning to accumulate credits - all the while plotting her ascent to power. Over the years, more and more of the rival smuggler syndicates fell, brought down from without or within, and as more Unathi came to Valkyrie, more of them found that the Jhakal offered good payment for only moderately dishonourable work.

Though they remain exclusively Unathi, the Jhakal have expanded far beyond their original clan, and are informally known as the Jhakal Syndicate - or sometimes the Jhakal Queendom, depending on who you ask. In the modern day, the Jhakal keep a tight grip on the docks of Valkyrie, and a vast majority of illicit trade that flows through the moon is under their supervision. Though they have achieved wealth and power in human space, this is in no small part due to the cunning leadership of Lady Islek - and when she dies, many of the organisation’s members fear all they have worked for could be undone.

Operations

The Jhakal primarily operate through their control of the docks - taking cuts from smugglers, paying off guards and inspectors, and ensuring that illegal trade can flow smoothly through Valkyrie. Outside of that, they deal in the sale of those smuggled goods both on Valkyrie and Biesel proper, dealing in drugs, weapons and smuggled luxuries from far-off worlds. They have good relations with those pirate fleets that operate in the Republic of Biesel, and are an often source for fencing of ill-gotten goods.

Outside of that, they frequently run protection rackets on Valkyrie - taking fees from local businesses to ensure that both their own people and other criminal organisations leave them alone. These fees are carefully calculated - enough to be profitable, but always just under the line of outright extortionate - the exact point where they are preferable from the alternative. If one doesn’t have the money to pay the Jhakal, they always accept debts and favours, with Lady Islek having built an elaborate web of debtors across the moon’s surface.

Expanding on this, many gambling dens and bars are also run by the Jhakal - capitalising on addiction or runs of bad luck to bring more and more into the clan’s debt. They have extensive influence among many of the Hephaestus workers and managers on Valkyrie, and this fact is a large contributor to their avoidance of the law.

Membership

Aside from those members of the clan who originally fled from Moghes, any Sinta may earn membership in the Jhakal through dedication and service. A large number of Unathi and, more rarely, aliens, work under the syndicate without bearing the Jhakal surname - though they are employees, they are not afforded the protection that being a member of the Jhakal proper imparts, and many will often take on dangerous jobs in the hope of earning a place within the ruling clan.

Marriage is also a traditional approach to joining the clan, though this method is less common and does not confer as much authority as rising through the ranks would, unless the clan member’s spouse is capable of earning that authority themselves. To date, the only Sinta known to have married into the syndicate is Lady Islek’s late husband Bezhak Rizek, a high-ranking Hephaestus dock manager who perished during the Solarian invasion of 2462.

Islek herself remains the uncontested leader of the clan, suffering no rivals even as she enters her twilight years. In public, she presents herself as a kindly and almost grandmotherly individual, a prominent citizen of the Valkyrian Unathi community known for her generous charitable donations and commitment to improving the lives of the working Sinta of Valkyrie. Behind this mask, however, she is a woman known for her cunning, willpower and absolute ruthlessness - respected and feared by rivals and underlings alike. She has ruled with an iron claw for nearly twenty years, and though in her advanced age the prospect of succession is increasingly discussed none would dare to suggest she step down. Though she claims no noble title beyond the traditional “Lady”, there is another title which has been bestowed in whispers upon her nevertheless - the “Queen of Valkyrie”. A dramatic name, but one not so far from the truth.

Currently, her son, Khariz Jhakal seems the most likely choice to inherit leadership of the organisation - though he is inexperienced, and often allows his temper to get the better of him. This has led to several arrests on both Valkyrie and Biesel, as he has been involved in several brawls and minor crimes, all of which his mother and her lawyers have managed to keep his name clean of. Whether he is worthy of following in his mother’s footsteps, or whether her rivals will see his ascent as a chance to strike - only time will tell.

The Hammertail Smiths

While black markets may be common, the concept of a “black factory” is much rarer, the idea of an entire industry producing and selling in illegality, generally to other criminal elements. The Hammertail Smiths are just that, an organization of engineers, scientists, machinists, and industrial workers whose ingenuity, and occasionally deranged inspiration, is fueled and funded by eager clients, from pirate fleets and other Unathi criminal organizations to individual actors, may they be in the Hegemony, or on the other side of the spur.

The Hammertail Smiths, both due to their talent and to their business being very powerful on the black market, got to expand rapidly since their creation in 2433, to the point where they own several sites and stations across the Spur to do their research and production. Over the years, they became a well-known group all over the Spur, producing some popular pieces of equipment such as the infamous Crimson Voidsuits and Hardsuits series.

The symbol of the Hammertail Smiths adorns all of their creations, making it a common sight in countless black markets.

History & Culture

The Hammertail Smiths group was formed around 2433 as Hephaestus Industries, and to a lesser extent Zavodskoi Interstellar, started to win over a part of the population. From the get-go, the motivations behind the group’s members were diverse, but they all united under the same goal, providing Unathi-made alternatives to the advanced alien gear and equipment the corporations would provide Moghes with and prevent the creation of an alien monopoly. Doing so meant reverse-engineering this equipment of course, and this meant acts of theft, espionage, and other criminal acts, which led the Smiths to illegality very early. Between their small numbers, the need to avoid authorities, and the difficulties and dangers of acquiring corporate technologies, the first years of the Hammertail Smiths were generally unproductive, though their many experiments in these years would prove formative. With the Contact War approaching, members of the Traditionalist Coalition managed to come in contact with the Smiths and hire them to create advanced weaponry that could rival the Hegemony’s. Though they managed to do so, the Smiths lacked the means to produce them in high quantities, and barely dozens of beam rifles, along with armor prototypes, were produced before the Nuclear Exchange. Still, this would also prove formative and would lead to the Hammertail Smiths finding their specialty in weapon and armorsmithing.

After the Nuclear Exchange, the Hammertail Smiths, those that survived at least, seemed to have found a way out of Moghes as they were then found in Ouerea’s criminal underbelly, among the burgeoning pirate fleets of the time, who became their main clients. It’s during these years that the Hammertail Smiths began to truly grow and master their art. With more members, their ability to produce more increased, which in turn led to more attention and even more recruits. When Ha’zana was discovered, they were invited to move there, and so they built one of their largest facilities near Iz’iz, manned by thousands of workers. Their greatest installation, however, is rumored to be a massive, hollowed-out asteroid somewhere in the Badlands going by the name of Site 90-12, whose location is kept secret to all, even their client. By 2460, the Hammertail Smiths also had installations outside of the Badlands and were recruiting more than just Unathi (though they still remain overwhelmingly Sinta.)

By now, arms and armor by the Hammertail Smiths can be found in the hand of any criminal, wherever they are, so long as they can afford them, or get their hands on it in another way. Most nations consider them criminals, and the SCC treats the initial members of the Hammertails as corporate spies as best, and their members are arrested on sight for association with a criminal organization at the very least. Despite it all, they continue to grow, produce, and sell all over the Spur.

Operations

The Hammertail Smiths delve into various types of activity to fuel their business. These activities can be split into four branches: development, production, trade, and operations.

Development refers to researchers and testers, those who work on creating new technologies to produce and sell. Hammertail Smiths researchers, even today, can hardly rival today’s main powers when it comes to making the most advanced pieces of technology, but they don’t have to. Instead, they enhance already existing technology, try to make it cheaper to produce, easier to use, more reliable, and so on. These only work in the few main facilities of the Hammertail Smiths, such as on-site 90-12, in their facility on Ha’zana, and other large installations hidden across the Badlands.

Production is the backbone of the Hammertail Smiths. Though their ability to create advanced gear is what made their initial success, what allowed them to grow so much to this day is their ability to answer to the demand for their creations, and then some more. Factories belonging to the Hammertail Smiths can be spotted across the Spur, though the further they are from the Badlands, the less likely they are to actually be Unathi-made and are instead generally just reclaimed installations. The Smiths are mostly known for their weapons and armor, but they can also provide other types of goods to their closest allies. The wealthier Unathi Pirate Fleets, for instance, can afford to occasionally ask for Hammertail-made modifications for their ships, and even occasionally entirely new spacecrafts made for specific missions.

Trade isn’t just about Hammertail merchants selling their wares on the black market, but also the many smugglers of the Hammertail Smiths, as an organization of their size requires an important logistics network, one that very often has to remain concealed from authorities.

Finally, Operations would be the smallest branch, it would also be the most varied. From the few corporate spies they could send out to gain knowledge of the Spur’s main powers’ gear, to their very own security forces when they cannot hire local thugs or pirates for this work.

Notable Creations

• The HSHS-37, or Crimson Hardsuit. Strangely, the crimson hardsuit borrows next to nothing from its industrial or military counterparts, such as the Vampire and Breacher hardsuits from the Sol Alliance and Izweski Hegemony respectively, instead housing a purely homebrew circuit board and miniaturized shielding system. What makes the HSHS-37 appealing is no doubt the flexibility and universal usefulness to any race, doubly so the integrated shields charged by way of well-positioned capacitors that rapidly turn on and off when physical trauma is detected. Among other things, it supports practically any hardsuit module, with backwards compatibility for older prototypes and by default harboring combat leg actuators and a chemical dispenser. The naming convention of Hammertail armors follows the highest recorded number of rounds that could be shot center of mass without fully puncturing the suit.
• The HSVS-19, or Crimson Voidsuit. The HSVS-19 aims to be the best of both worlds when it comes to armor and pressure-proof apparatuses, and while it lacks the modular design of the HSHS-37, it sports armor as fair as a plate carrier with little to no speed reduction, making use of similar shield-capacitor technology mentioned in the HSHS-37. It was manufactured by human members of the Hammertail Smiths from one of their installations in Valley Hale, and thus was built around the Human body first, but has seen refitting in recent years.
• The HSS-02, or Double-Bladed Energy Sword, is a prototype within the Hammertail Smiths. It has seen little use in combat because of the extremely high skill floor required to use it effectively. Masters of bladed quarterstaffs or spears have found themselves dead or permanently maimed, with limbs dangling uselessly or severed entirely with one wrong turn or twist. The double-bladed energy sword, when used correctly, can deflect or absorb lasers, sear ballistic rounds and cause them to splinter or shatter before hitting the user, thus lessening their effectiveness, and generally be used as a whirlpool-blender to turn whoever opposes the user off. Its downside stems from the nigh-impossible techniques to replicate and follow in order to use it safely, and its tendency to explode when exposed to electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). It was named not after the number of blades it has, but instead the amount of high-capacity power cells required for it to function.

Membership

Due to their wide range of activities and sheer size, the Hammertail Smiths hire from a wide range of people. Members of all species, origins, cultures, and religions are welcome, as long as they respect rules, for both safety and secrecy’s sake, and that they actually work enough.

Low-ranking members are generally not allowed to know much about other sites, creations, and blueprints aside from those they work on; this is both to counter spies and to ensure recruits they might need to fire will not be able to tell much about the Smiths if they ever dared to do so. Higher ranking members get to know more, but this comes with more responsibilities, and these very often stay here for their whole lives; as they cannot be allowed to be fired and risk telling about various Hammertail installations to authorities (or even just be caught and interrogated), the Smiths taking much inspiration from the pirate “dead men tell no tale” threat. Aside from that, punishment within the organization works much like typical Unathi punishments; hard labour, loss of a hand in the case of some thieves or aggressors, and so on.

Those that work enough, and are loyal to the Hammertail Smiths are paid surprisingly well enough, salaries being comparable to most corporate workers of the same level of responsibilities, though that can differ the further away the workers are from the Badlands and from Hammertail leadership.

The Champions of Moghes

Though many groups throughout the Izweski Hegemony were opposed to the presence of Hephaestus in the economy even prior to their mass acquisition of guilds, the events of 2465 changed that significantly. Though many among the Izweski nobility were opposed to Hephaestus - as were the workers of the Hearts of Industry and the cultists of the Aut’akh - this opposition rarely escalated into what one might call open warfare.

The Champions of Moghes are a new organisation - one who claims to be dedicated to keeping the destiny of the Sinta people in Sinta hands, by any means necessary. Though little is known about their membership or hierarchy, their membership is believed to come from many places - former guildsmen of Hephaestus’s new acquisitions, members of the Hearts of Industry, Wastelanders, lingering Traditionalist supporters and even the occasional Aut’akh or Si’akh cultist. They are a group with many ideologies and beliefs, united solely in their hatred of Hephaestus and Hegemon Not’zar for allowing them to grow as they have.

The Champions came to prominence in October 2465, after a prolonged campaign of sabotage against Hephaestus cost the megacorporation hundreds of millions of credits, culminating in an assassination attempt on Titanius Aeson which came dangerously close to success. They were uncovered by a Hephaestus investigation, and promptly released a video claiming responsibility for the attacks and stating their goals for a Hegemony free of the influence of Hephaestus.

Despite their membership often being conflicted, and the wide range of individual cells, the Champions are well-equipped and well-trained, capable of an extensive campaign against Hephaestus which has already cost the corporation enormous amounts of money. This has led to speculation about their funding and equipment running rampant - with some believing that nobles opposed to Hephaestus are supplying the terrorists, though no proof of this allegation has ever been found.

Others look further afield, believing that Hephaestus’s rival corporations are using the Champions as a means by which to break the company’s stranglehold on the Izweski economy. Zavodskoi Interstellar and NanoTrasen are the two names usually mentioned here - and while no explicit proof of this has ever been uncovered, it would be nothing out of the ordinary for the power struggles between corporations.

Structure and Strategy

The Champions of Moghes operate in cells. These can range in size from a few to dozens, scattered throughout the major population centres of the Hegemony. Though specific details about the organisational structure are scarce, it is known that cell leaders report to someone above them, though their superiors’ identities are usually unknown. Secrecy is their greatest weapon against Hephaestus and the Hegemony, and they wield it well.

Generally, the Champions recruit from those already opposed to Hephaestus - the refugee settlements in the Untouched Lands are often prime targets for embittered Wastelanders and former Traditionalists, as are the cities of Ouerea. While one would think that the Guwan might make for prime recruitment candidates, the opposition of most other Sinta to working with them plus the fact that many Guwan are able to seek more opportunities with Hephaestus than elsewhere means that there are few Guwan among their number.

They tend to focus swiftness and surprise in their attacks - favouring bombings, assassinations, hijackings and other acts that are widely considered dishonourable. Their tactics are reminiscent of those the Tajaran resistance on Gakal’zaal used, which has led to some speculation by Izweski law enforcement that veterans of that campaign are highly positioned within the Champions. They are equipped with an odd mix of Unathi-made and alien weapons, with one raid on a Champion cell in S’th finding several human-produced laser rifles and Tajaran surplus ballistic weapons.

Despite their motley assortment of equipment, however, the Champions operate with surgical precision when they do strike, a highly coordinated and efficient insurgency. This further supports the theory that former military personnel make up some of the organisation’s leadership, as well as that they have some form of hidden training camps to drill their members in these tactics - though none of these have been uncovered thus far.

They are known to have some form of space capability, as several Hephaestus vessels disappeared during their campaign of sabotage - though whether this was internal theft by agents within the company, an attack by a Champion-equipped vessel, or a deal with one of the more anti-Izweski pirate fleets, no one is sure. Regardless, though they are concentrated on Moghes, attacks from the Champions have been reported across Hegemony space.

Relationships With Other Groups

Aside from their opposition to Hephaestus, the Champions do not have firm stances on most groups within the Hegemony - every principle is flexible in pursuit of their ultimate goal. However, some interactions have been recorded, and captured members of the Champions have been able to provide some intelligence on how their organisation interacts with others.

Izweski Hegemony The Hegemony and Hephaestus are closely tied, and naturally this makes the nation an enemy of the Champions of Moghes, with their official proclamation having declared Not’zar Izweski an unworthy Hegemon. However, some within the Izweski nobility are opposed to Hephaestus, and many of these nobles have been suspected of aiding or abetting the Champions’ actions in some way. Overlord Hutay’zai has frequently spoken out against Hephaestus, and though he officially disavows the Champions many among them think well of him, and would be satisfied to see his clan take the leadership of the Fourth Hegemony.

K’lax Hive The K’lax are closely tied to both the Hegemony and Hephaestus, and as such are enemies of the Champions. Though some among the Hive dislike the level of power the corporation now wields within the Hegemony, the K’lax Queens are united in their disavowal of the Champions, and their Warriors have frequently been on the front lines fighting against the terrorist group. To most of the Champions, the K’lax are alien invaders, the same as Hephaestus - and though they do not carry the same level of hatred, there is little love lost towards the Hive from their membership.

Ouerean Confederation The Ouerean Confederation has officially denounced the Champions, and many of their membership would find the idea of Ouerean multi-species democracy laughable - but many Ouereans hold a deep distaste for Hephaestus, and the Champions have recruited extensively from the planet. It is suspected that some more radical members of factions such as the Warriors of Liberty have provided funding or information to the Champions - after all, the fall of the Hegemony is their desired outcome.

Aut’akh Communes The Aut’akh of the Hegemony are opposed to Hephaestus, and some of their number can be found among the Champions. While many of the Champions’ members would have strong distaste for the cybernetically-enhanced cultists, they do share a common foe, and some of the undercity communes have been known to provide information or aid to the Champions at times. They are not allies, and many other communes on Moghes and Ouerea have disavowed the Champions’ tactics for the innocent lives lost in their attacks - but they share a common enemy, and if nothing else, that means the two groups can come to be loosely aligned at times.

Si’akh The Prophet Si’akh has not spoken on the matter of the Champions, though some of his followers can be found among their number, seeking to tear down the corruption of the Izweski Hegemony. Though Si’akh is not explicitly opposed to Hephaestus, the faith’s radical stance on the Hegemony and its nobility mean that they are prime targets of recruitment - though rarely trusted with information, as it is known that should the Prophet take a stance against the Champions, his followers will turn on them too.

Pirate Fleets No official relationship has been recorded between any of the known pirate fleets and the Champions of Moghes, though some speculate that the Champions made some deal to leverage pirates into attacking Hephaestus's assets.

Other Criminal Guilds The Champions of Moghes are known to work on occasion with both the Silver Scales and the Shortclaw Clan, purchasing weapons, equipment and information. Beyond that, however, the relationship is minimal - an association of pragmatism, rather than one of ideology. The Champions have no recorded interaction with the Shadow Service, preferring to carry out their assassinations themselves when necessary.

The Gawgaryn

Though many Wastelanders have turned to raiding and banditry to survive, none are more infamous or more feared than the Clan Gawgaryn - the Punished of the Wasteland. Across the radioactive desert, the Gawgaryn will kill, rob and maim to survive another day in the ruins of Moghes, and their name is cursed by many of those who would seek to travel through those harsh lands. More information on the Gawgaryn can be found here.

The Aut’akh

While not a criminal guild, many of the Aut’akh communes of Moghes work closely with organisations such as the Shortclaw Clan - and are hunted by the law for their deeds. As such, they are worthy of a mention here - with many of the Undercity Communes operating similarly to other criminal guilds, stealing from their rivals and enemies to sustain themselves and their people. More information on the Aut’akh, and the criminal communes in the underbelly of Moghes, can be found here.

The Hearts of Industry

While a legitimate guild, the expansion of Hephaestus saw the Hearts of Industry’s power broken, with many of its members hanging up their mantles in favour of the benefits provided by the megacorporation. Those who remained were found without legitimate work, and have frequently turned to, if not crime for its own sake, agitation against the megacorporation. Their acts often toe the line of sabotage, public disorder and other minor crimes, as Hephaestus pressures the Izweski to crack down harder on the Hearts - perhaps in time they will become a criminal guild in their own right. Many guildsmen angry at Hephaestus’s ownership of their former guilds have since joined, and the Hearts maintain a small presence in both the Southlands and Ouerea. More information on the Hearts of Industry can be found here.

Pirate Fleets

Though space piracy is a new phenomenon for the Unathi species, it is one that has rapidly spread in the past few decades, with fleets of Unathi pirates roaming across nearly the entire Spur.

Though Piracy is punished harshly; the nebulous nature of Unathi piracy, the fleets that make up this field, and their politics makes it more complicated than one would assume. The Unathi that engage in piracy directly against the Hegemony and its people, as well as its allies such as Hephaestus are punished harshly - but those that do not generally stay out of trouble, or at least are not punished for piracy. They may be punished for any other crimes such as smuggling, theft, or murder, however.

Additionally, Unathi pirates, may they be alone, part of an independent crew, or used to be in a fleet, can return to the Hegemony and swear fealty to the Hegemon. There, their crimes are forgiven, assuming they were not too egregious, and they are allowed to keep their ships so long as they used their assets, skills and experience in the service of the Hegemony, bolstering its fleet as privateers. These pirates are often treated poorly and paid very little, but to some, it is a better option than risking getting caught, or spending one's life among pirates. Naturally, these pirates are not allowed to swear fealty as they are caught and/or judged, they have to do so on their own volition.

Alternatively, some other fleets can work with Hegemonic clans and colonies in need without swearing fealty directly to the Hegemon. These fleets and pirates tend to already be in relatively decent terms with the Hegemony and its people in the first place, of course, and this allows them stay on the Hegemon's better side while still retaining some degree of independence.

More information on Unathi pirate fleets, their customs, and their way of life can be found here.