Orion Syndicate
The Orion Syndicate is a criminal organisation with interests and influence across Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Its name refers to its origins in the Orion Colonies and the significant number of Orions in its ranks and particularly its leadership, but by the 25th century, the Syndicate is a diverse organisation, with members and leaders from many species and centres of operations on many worlds and in many regions.
The Syndicate’s criminal activities includes, but is not limited to, piracy, assassination, gambling, extortion, and slave-trading. A heavily decentralised organisation, its overall leadership is shrouded in mystery. Regional groups of the Syndicate can vary greatly from each other, differing on matters such as their primary criminal interest, their proximity to Orion leadership or culture, and their levels of brutality. Some groups may operate with something approximating a code of conduct, maintaining a stable underworld that avoids drawing undue attention from local authorities, while in some regions, particularly more fringe parts of the galaxy, Syndicate members can be little more than brutal thugs.
As of the 25th century, the Syndicate is in an unprecedented era of factionalism, with different pockets of the organisation acting increasingly independently, and sometimes even in conflict, or at least rivalry, with one another.
History
The Syndicate’s origins are murky, with the organisation’s existence reaching back centuries. There are records of the early Orion space-farers engaging in acts of slavery and what their neighbours deemed piracy since they encountered other species. The developing galactic community of the 21st and early 22nd century, however, began to solidify opposition to these activities. The governments of Orion worlds such as Orion itself and particularly Vondem began to curb or even legislate against them, their leaders fearing major military reprisals from the likes of the Klingons, Andorians, or Vulcans. This did not bring a halt to these enterprises, however, particularly with different Orion worlds continuing to support them. The Syndicate emerged as the most powerful pirating and slave-trade organisation on the independent Orion colony world of Kolar, a planet steeped in ancient Orion traditions and hierarchies. On Kolar, it could embed itself in the world’s aristocratic culture and enjoy the support of the ruling elite, while continuing to operate with impunity.
By the mid-22nd century, the Syndicate retained a primarily Orion membership, and acted as a paramilitary organisation on behalf of Kolar on an informal basis. At this time it became traditional for young members of aristocratic Orion families of Kolar to work within the Syndicate, getting them experience of business, combat, and the wider galaxy. Its criminal influence stretched across the region known at the time as the ‘Borderlands,’ near the coreward border of the Klingon Empire. It was here that Earth first encountered it, the Enterprise NX-01 attacked by Orion raiders in 2154, with several of her crew taken captive. The Enterprise’s immediate and decisive rescue mission set the tone of relations between the Syndicate and the burgeoning Starfleet for centuries to come.
Over the next century, as the galactic community of the Alpha Quadrant grew with the birth of the Federation, the Syndicate solidified as less of a paramilitary wing of Orion aristocracy and more as the criminal organisation it is known as today. In the mid-23rd century, the Syndicate was powerful enough to attempt to sabotage the admission of Coridan into the Federation, though was ultimately unsuccessful. The strong history and backing of Kolar allowed the Syndicate to establish itself as one of the most powerful groups in the underworld, but this also led to changes in the Syndicate’s culture. The group became more fractured and factionalised, with operations in different regions needing different approaches. More non-Orions joined the Syndicate and even became major figures in the leadership, more familiar with and able to move more freely the further the Syndicate’s reach extended from Kolar. Unafraid to operate in Klingon or Federation space, despite the risks, the Syndicate became more covert, and while it was willing to adapt its culture to survive, this also led to the retention of certain Orion traditions to maintain order, security, and loyalty, and set it apart from its rougher rivals in piracy and crime.
The emergence of the Ferengi Alliance on the galactic stage was hoped by Starfleet to stymie the Syndicate, but the Syndicate quickly established more of a rivalry than an enmity. The Ferengi brought more order and stability to the underworld, prepared to engage in all manner of criminal enterprises but much less willing to get their hands dirty. Clashes between the Syndicate were thus more likely to end in the Syndicate being bought off and reaching a business accord, and the only positive for the Federation was the Syndicate’s piratical operations shifting further to the fringes. By the late 24th century, the Syndicate had shown itself unafraid to influence major corporations, and even infiltrated Starfleet.
The Syndicate suffered a major setback with Vondem’s admission to the Federation shortly before the Dominion War and the closer relations between the Federation and the Orion Colonies in the aftermath. There was significant pressure in the early 80s for the colonies to cooperate with the Federation, but this unprecedented chance to cut the Syndicate off at the knees was lost with the Attack on Mars in 2385. Starfleet withdrew heavily from the borderlands, and the Syndicate went only from strength to strength.
Perhaps shaken by the possibility that it could not trust its Orion roots, the Syndicate became increasingly factionalised in the last decade and a half of the century. By the early 25th century, the Orion Syndicate is well-established as a diverse organisation with influence stretching across the Federation and beyond, and interests in almost every kind of organised crime imaginable. It is particularly dangerous, Starfleet Intelligence warns, because of the unpredictable nature of its groups and members. Some may be traditionalists, adhering to Orion culture; others may prefer less violent crimes; others still, particularly on fringes far from the old borderlands, may be little more than dangerous and aggressive thugs and pirates operating under the Syndicate’s name.
Organisation
The Orion Syndicate is a decentralised and heavily factionalised organisation. Starfleet do not know who its formal leaders are, though suspect there to be aristocrats on Kolar who assume the title; regardless, it is impossible to know how much influence they exert on the average Syndicate member by now. Each faction of the Syndicate is best taken on its own terms, treated as distinct as any other pirate group - but backed up by the resources and information network of a galaxy-spanning organisation.
Some factions are well-organised affairs stretching across a sector, with a strong hierarchy and sense of identity. Others may be mere clusters of ships roving and acting as they please. Despite this disparity, the Syndicate will almost always support its own against outsiders, often taking punitive action quietly once an affair has ended. Any Starfleet ship encountering the Syndicate should know that whoever they deal with could well call on the weight of the whole group, if necessary.
Membership
All members of the Orion Syndicate have been vouched for by a current member to earn their place. This has maintained a strong sense of identity and order despite the group’s factionalising. The Syndicate uses these behaviours to keep maintain loyalty to the group; everyone in their ranks should be presumed trustworthy on this basis. Loyalty is also kept with both force and favour. For example, the family of any member who dies for the Syndicate will be taken care of, provided with sufficient wealth or work to support themselves. Likewise, any member who betrays the Syndicate will see their family killed.
While the Syndicate began its existence as an Orion organisation, by the 25th century its members are of all manner of species and culture.
Culture
The Syndicate’s origins lie in Orion aristocracy. Some groups have little closeness to these traditions, and while they adhere to the Syndicate’s rules they behave much like any other criminal group. Others are steeped in the traditions and ritual of Orion society, particularly if they are led by members of the Orion aristocracy. This can lead to some factions being highly regimented, with strong deference to their leaders. These tend to be among the more restrained and subtler groups of the Syndicate, though there is nothing in Orion tradition which stops them from being bloodthirsty pirates; they did birth the Syndicate, after all.
There is clearly some correlation, however, between a Syndicate faction’s willingness to engage in brutal violence and its distance from Orion traditions. Nevertheless, there are many non-Orion factions of the Syndicate who vehemently follow the rules and have a strong sense of belonging and identity.
Activities
There is almost no form of criminal activity in which the Syndicate does not involve itself. Regional groups tend to be as bold as local opposition will allow them to be; in under-defended fringes far from any law enforcement, the Syndicate are often found to be pirates and raiders. Deeper into the heartlands of any government, they will take on subtler crimes of corruption, blackmail, extortion, targeting local government officials and leaders of corporations to maintain influence. Borders are targets for piracy and smuggling.
Pirate groups are often well armed and well equipped. The more lucrative pirate groups enjoy support from the richer elements of the Syndicate, given resources, ships, and weapons. This not only allows for a free flow of illicit trade, but it benefits the whole organisation if the name ‘Orion Syndicate’ strikes fear into the hearts of others. Successful raids and violent activities maintain that reputation.
Even the most well-armed Orion Syndicate pirate group is still barely a paramilitary force. They are accustomed to going toe-to-toe with freighters and local law enforcement, not serious military opposition. When confronted by enemies such as Starfleet or the Klingon Defense Force, they will rarely stand their ground. If they are forced into prolonged engagement, they will employ subtler tactics such as hit-and-run strikes, sabotage, or laying traps to try to deter their opponent or weaken them so they can be finished off. It is less rare today for a group to try to openly murder Starfleet officers; once, this was deemed more trouble than it was worth, but the more violent factions of the Syndicate may not balk at such a move today.
In Play
- The Syndicate is involved in almost any kind of criminal activity that can be found in or near Federation space. Some groups may be violent pirates, while others prefer more subtle means of operating.
- Pirate groups are not capable of going toe-to-toe with a Starfleet ship without a lot of luck or significant planning. Consider how your ship might be weakened, undermined, or tricked if you want to write a fight with Orion Syndicate pirates who won’t run away.
- The Syndicate has close ties to Orion culture and is very important on some colony worlds - but not all. The Syndicate and the Orion peoples are not synonymous and should not be treated as one and the same. Likewise, there are many non-Orions in the Syndicate’s ranks, even at a high level.
- Remember when depicting Syndicate slaveryto be mindful of the Bravo Fleet Content Policy, particularly as it relates to sexual violence. Notably, sexual slavery can only be depicted at rating 2, and therefore cannot be depicted in spaces such as Starbase Bravo. The canonicity of sexual slavery perpetrated by Orion criminals does not trump this policy.