Kabukicho Depot

CLASS: Musashi

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

POPULATION: Unknown

Hogosha translates literally as "guardian" or "protector," reflecting the organization's rather romantic view held not only by its own members, but by a large portion of the Kusari population -- though by no means the majority. Far from protectors, the Hogosha are actually descendents of the organized crime syndicates that grow within the shadow of any sizable human society -- though the Hogosha have an oddly symbiotic relationship with both the government and Samura.

Their political connections would make any serious attempt to dismantle them an embarrassment to Kusari as any number of secrets and deals that had been kept out of the public eye came to light. However, neither do the Hogosha have a free license to operate. Arrests of low-level Hogosha operators who flaunt their activities are frequent and help keep up appearances -- very important in Kusari. "Hard" crime, such as drug smuggling, is not tolerated.

Individual opinions vary, but most police consider the Hogosha a necessary evil required for the smooth functioning of Kusari society. The government simply treats the Hogosha like any other large keiretsu. The Kusari population as a whole has a similar attitude: It is pointless to like or dislike the Hogosha; they are simply a fact of life.

The Hogosha handle Artifact and gun smuggling and the fencing of stolen goods. They also do occasional dirty work for Samura. They view the Blood Dragons as a major threat to their existence and have engaged in turf wars with them, mostly in the asteroid fields of Tokyo. The Golden Chrysanthemums are a new problem, as they have few qualms about dealing in the drug trade or its consequences. Since they have no corruptible leaders or long associations with Samura or the Kusari government and police, The GC -- like the Blood Dragons -- are dangerous to the Hogosha way of life. They view the Junkers as their only real competitors within the Sirius Sector, and their only obstacle to expansion into the other Houses. They have approached the Corsairs to assist them in their plan, although no concrete steps have been taken.

The Hogosha made a recent arrangement to purchase Artifacts directly from the Corsairs on the cruise ship Hawaii, a move that infuriated the GMG, who formerly served as the middleman between the two crime syndicates. It also raised the ire of the LSF, who applied pressure on Orbital Spa to deny landing privileges to the two factions.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Farmers Alliance
* Hogosha

## Commodities

* Water
* Food Rations
* Artifacts
* H-Fuel
* Pharmaceuticals
* Consumer Goods
* Light Arms

## Rumors

* We seem to have lots of weapons and supplies. We also have very accurate information on targets that need to be hit, and they aren't always Synth Foods. I don't know where our leadership gets the information -- it is not my place to know too much.
* The Kanto Field gives us a good position from which to launch attacks against incoming Synth Food convoys from Shikoku. We will be victorious and force them back to Liberty. I've heard, though, that some Alliance members are also attacking Kishiro ships, which puzzles me.

* We help the Farmers Alliance by selling supplies and weapons for their base across the Hole in Kyushu. They're not exactly an inspired lot. Seem to be pretty much spouting the company line, if you know what I mean.
* We know the holes pretty well in Kusari space. The Hole in this field goes to Kyushu, and then a quick jaunt gets you to Shikoku. In the other direction, it's pretty much a straight shot to Honshu through the Chiba Field. Watch out for those Blood Dragons, though. They can be nasty, especially if you're running Artifacts for us.
* We have a little deal with the police -- no drugs, no problems. Some of the young Bosozoku object to that. They usually get a one-way ticket out of a garbage airlock in short order. The Golden Cs are a different thing. We can't control those zealots. Misguided feminists, that's what they are.
* We are Samura's hired muscle. When something unpleasant needs to be done, we're the ones to do it. In exchange, they keep the police off our backs and make sure that Artifact smuggling is not taken too seriously in Kusari. We've had a long and profitable relationship and see no reason to change our ways.
* Our main business is Alien Artifacts. For some reason, the rich elites of Tokyo and Manhattan have always had a fondness for these toys. We used to get them from the GMG, who were the middlemen between us and the Corsairs. They got greedy, like they all do -- started charging too much. So when the *Hawaii* opened, we bypassed them and went directly to the source.
* We will never let the Junkers into Kusari space. For one thing, there is no junk. It was too precious for Kusari industry to ever throw away. The Junkers harbor many criminals that create problems for the other Houses.
* They're sending me on the Artifact run to Leiden tomorrow. I don't like going there. Those Lane Hackers are drug addicts, and the Liberty Rogues smell badly. The GC will also show up sometimes, which can be dangerous for us. There have been Hogosha "accidents" in the cloud near the base.
* The Blood Dragons want to restore the ways of the past. That is not the direction that Kusari should follow. The Hogosha is accused of many things, but we are just the messengers. Kusari society itself must change from within. That is difficult for our culture, where the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.
* The Kobe Maru was making its weekly Artifact run across the Shikoku system when it was ambushed by the Blood Dragons. The ship is presumed destroyed, and its whereabouts are unknown, although it’s been rumored to be drifting somewhere in the Shiun Cloud.