Black Sun

The Black Sun's symbol.

> “*Nothing happens in this galaxy without the Black Sun knowing about it. From the backroom politics of Coruscant to the slave markets of the Outer Rim, our influence is felt. Only the brave, desperate, or truly foolish do not bow before us.*” - Dal Perhi, Black Sun Captain, to a young Tek’tran Rool
>
>

## Description

The Black Sun is a galaxy-spanning criminal syndicate that has recently fallen into chaos and infighting after the deaths of its leaders, the indomitable Underlord of the Black Sun and the nine Vigos (Old Tionese for “nephew”) serving under them. During its prime, the Black Sun shone upon every illegal and underground activity galaxy-wide. Their activities spanned from piracy and smuggling to con jobs and pyramid schemes. Many senators owed their success and continued survival to secret dealings with the syndicate, and its information network rivaled that of the Republic Strategic Information Service. With its many Captains, Agents, and foot soldiers, it was rumored that the Black Sun’s militia was the equivalent of a large planetary army.

## History

### Formation

The Black Sun first formed hundreds of years before the Clone Wars in the underbelly of Coruscant during a period of civil unrest. As Coruscanti Security Forces became overwhelmed by the rioting, looting, and general chaos, local gangsters seized the opportunity to take control of a number of neighborhoods on the lower levels of Coruscant. Given their situation, many citizens quipped, “better a black sun than none,” giving birth to the Black Sun. The organization quickly took advantage of the scattered CSF attention to begin smuggling operations, which eventually expanded off world and diversified into every illicit and profitable opportunity the galaxy had to offer.

By the time the CSF regained control of the lower levels of Coruscant a year later, the Black Sun had deeply entrenched itself into the criminal underworld, on world and off, and could not be disbanded. The founding ten members had dispersed, with nine of them heading off world to continue the Black Sun’s expansion into other galactic sectors, while the tenth slipped into the shadows of Coruscant to become its Underlord.

### Fragmentation

Over hundreds of years of cutthroat politics, both internal and external, the Black Sun had expanded to control criminal activities from the Core to the Outer Rim. Each of the nine Vigos controlled a chunk of the criminal empire, although they still pledged fealty to the Underlord stationed on Coruscant. For many years, the Black Sun’s operations continued smoothly, despite internal power grabs and competition from the Hutts and Falleen. Until three and a half years ago, when two Vigos turned up dead in one night, their heads cut off with a lightsaber and then neatly placed outside their homes to watch the sun rise. While suitably dramatic, the deaths weren’t bloody enough to be the result of infighting, and the remaining Vigos, despite swooping in to fight over the control of their dead compatriots’ sectors, doubted the supremacy of the Black Sun for the first time. Some outside, secretive force was at play, picking off Vigos and their Captains and Undercaptains. The assassin often didn’t strike for months and seemed to chose their targets for maximum psychological damage, often killing Undercaptains and Captains before a Vigo, or slaughtering a Vigo’s family members or favored courtesans before inevitably coming for the Vigo themselves. Whoever the assassin was, they held no fear of the Black Sun and left nothing but dead bodies behind them.

   The slow, methodical killing of Black Sun forces continued until several months ago. The current Underlord had called the remaining four Vigos to Black Sun headquarters on Coruscant for protection, and it was there the mysterious assassin struck for the final time. The entire command structure of the Black Sun was eradicated in one night. Some say that there was a smoking hole left in the Coruscanti undercity, while others say that no one realized the Underlord and Vigos were dead until their mutilated bodies were found arranged in the Black Sun’s symbol in a central courtyard of their founding neighborhood. Whatever happened left the once-grand criminal empire shattered and directionless, on the cusp of the greatest opportunity for profit the galaxy ever sees: war.

### Current Activities

Rumors abound as to what will become of the remnants of the Black Sun. Will its networks and resources be snapped up by the Falleen? Or the Hutts? Or will a Black Sun some day shine over the galaxy’s underworld once more?

## Structure

The Black Sun split the galactic underworld into ten sectors, with the Core Worlds being controlled by the Underlord, while the nine Vigos commanded networks and resources within their own galactic sectors. Each Vigo commanded three Captains, or Yios (old Tionese for “son”), which further divided the sector, and these Captains had six Undercaptains, or Paidi (old Tionese for “child”), following their orders. While a Vigo or Captain held responsibility for multiple planets or trade routes, Undercaptains were stationed to maintain control of Black Sun networks on individual planets or solitary space lanes. Of course, each rank of the command structure had many slaves, foot soldiers, and agents at their service, and while they preferred to keep jobs “in the family,” they weren’t above hiring free-lancers.

Above is the best estimate, based on rumor and conjecture, of the separation of sectors between Vigos and the Underlord, with the Underlord controlling the sector circled in black and each red circle containing the areas of space under the purview of the nine Vigos.

## Culture

In its prime, the Black Sun spanned the entire galaxy and enlisted the service, willingly or not, of millions of sentients. While they had no shared home world, many of those who willingly joined the Black Sun considered the organization their family. It was common for underlings to call their superiors some variation of “patre,” the old Tionese word for parent, or to substitute an equivalent word in their native tongue. Loyalty to the family was valued above all. To strike at another member’s family was considered taboo, and even when vying for power, Black Sun members kept the interests of the organization as a whole at the forefront of their minds. They all stood under the same black sun, and none of them could ever hope to escape its shadow.

Betrayal, which included trying to leave the organization, was heavily punished, most often resulting in swift execution for the accused. Members of the Black Sun were known to be particularly bloody and brutal in both their punishments and hits, further striking fear into those who dared to oppose their iron grip on the galaxy’s underworld. It was rare for anyone to live for long after shirking their service to the “family.”

The Black Sun also held many superstitions surrounding luck, given the fickle nature of their business. The number nine and its multiples were considered highly lucky, and it was common for Black Sun members to request payment in nine sums and to hold onto the ninth credit they earned as Black Sun. It was bad luck for the sun to rise on a deal, while the inverse was true if the sun set. Old Tionese artifacts were also highly prized as good luck charms, as the original Nine and One were refugees from the Tionese diaspora.

These cultural values and superstitions may have differed from Black Sun sector to sector, but most members adopted at least some traditions of “the family,” whether for luck or to please their superiors.

## Terminology

Underlord - the head of the Black Sun, stationed on Coruscant and controlling the Core Worlds.

Vigo - one of the nine leaders under the Underlord, each controlling their own sector.

The Nine and One - used to refer to the Underlord and their Vigos.

Yio - one of the three Captains commanded by a Vigo, helping run parts of the sector. Plural, Yios.

Paida - one of the six Undercaptains commanded by a Yio, usually in charge of a planet or shipping lane. Plural, Paidi.

“Better a Black Sun than none” - common saying used to reference the benefits of cooperating with the Black Sun.

The Family - used to refer to the Black Sun.

Familial Obligation - a job given by the Black Sun.

Reunion - Black Sun slang for an interrogation or punishment. E.g. “They organized a reunion for Tek’tran,” with the named party being the person interrogated or punished by the subject of the sentence. Alternatively, “They organized a reunion between Tek’tran and Dal,” typically meant the subject was a bounty hunter who had procured the first named person for the second person named to interrogate or punish. Can also be used in future tense, such as, “I’m planning a reunion.”

Get-together - slang for a shake-down or intimidation. E.g. “We’re planning a get-together with that Neimodian in a few days.” If the get-together is specified to be “low-key,” it means no visible bruising. “Hope it doesn’t get too wild,” implies that everything short of permanent maiming is on the table.

Went out for dinner - slang for a hit or assassination. Saying, “I didn’t like the food,” implies the target got away. “The food gave me indigestion,” implies a body in need of clean-up. “I have left-overs,” denotes the body was disposed of. “We went to the bar afterwards,” means there were witnesses.

You missed my (family member)’s birthday party - slang for needing contraband moved. “Younger sister,” means slaves, “younger brother,” means weapons, “uncle,” means drugs or spice, “grandmother,” means fake credits, and “auntie” is for exotic animals. How long ago the party was denotes how quickly the speaker requires the goods moved. Referencing needing to send that family member a letter means the speaker will provide a way to contact them further about it, while referencing where the party was means that the goods are at that location.