Hazbuzan Syndicate

Government

The Hazbuzan Syndicate is structured as a combination of corporate entity and criminal organisation. It is typically classified as a semi-authoritarian free market corporatocracy, with high levels of corruption.

The Syndicate is ruled by the Hazbuzan Council, a group comprised of the leaders of the most powerful Hazbuzan 'franchises'. Of the members of the council, the leader of the single most powerful franchise is selected as the Chief Executive, who acts as an officiator, tiebreaker, and representative on the galactic stage. Decisions affecting the entire Syndicate are made by simple majority vote within the Council. Historically, the Chief Executive has always come from the 'original' franchise that the rest were spun off from following the Syndicate's seizure of their homeworld.

Hazbuzan space is divided amongst a large number of 'franchises' that were created from the original Syndicate. These can be somewhat approximated to states in a federal system, with one exception: the Chief Executive's franchise has exclusive control over the military and diplomatic apparatus of the Syndicate, effectively acting as a 'federal government'. Each franchise follows a particular hierarchy: it is ruled by a Chairman, sometimes called a 'boss', who rules for life or until retirement. The Chairman is supported by an advisory board, which only holds the powers granted to it, and a Vice Chairman, or 'underboss'. The Vice Chairman is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the franchise and is the de facto successor to the Chairman. The position of Vice Chairman is appointed by the Chairman, and while the position of Chairman is technically elected by all franchise members, the elections are usually fixed or decided beforehand.

Below the Chairman and Vice Chairman are the Executives, who operate franchise departments and act as regional governors. Different parts of Hazbuzan space are assigned to the various franchises, of which there are more than one hundred. Each franchise operates its territory as it sees fit, though answers to the Hazbuzan Council in all matters. Below the Executives are the Managers, who are the lowest-ranked 'official' members of the franchise, with the rights and responsibilities that entails.

History

Officially, the Hazbuzan Syndicate rose to power on Zumaka through hard work, determination, entrepreneurship, and personal sacrifice. The Syndicate's efficient corporate governance saved their homeworld from destruction at the hands of corrupt and incompetent government officials, bringing hope and prosperity where there was none. This version of history is considered by xenohistorians to be far from the truth.

The Hazbuzi unified relatively early compared to other species, creating a unified global government following a limited nuclear war in the mid 20th century CE. In the devastation following this war, however, failing infrastructure and weak local governments allowed crime to flourish unimpeded. Many criminal organisations effectively took on the role of governments, providing services to populations in exchange for their loyalty and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.

In 1985 CE, the organisation that would become the Hazbuzan Syndicate was formed as an offshoot from a small local gang. At first, the new gang primarily engaged in theft and extortion, but quickly turned to franchised smuggling operations for larger organised crime syndicates. Illicit drugs, weapons, luxury goods, exotic animals, migrants, slaves, nothing was off-limits for the gang. By acting as a criminal contractor for larger groups, the gang developed extensive contacts, alliances, and truces with potential threats, all the while consolidating their power base and assets.

By the early 2000s CE, the gang had become one of the largest organised crime groups on Zumaka. They were no longer running errands for larger groups, but instead contracting out their own criminal work to smaller gangs. While the global government was still considered to be corrupt and somewhat ineffectual, at this time it still held far more power than even the largest criminal organisations. In order to further expand their power, the criminal leadership decided to "go legit". The Hazbuzan Syndicate was created as a cover corporation for the criminal organisation, legitimising themselves in the eyes of the state. The Syndicate developed a reputation for getting the job done faster, cheaper, and with fewer questions asked than the competition. Whenever the occasional body would turn up, witnesses never came forward.

As the Syndicate became the largest corporation on the planet, and its criminal backing ruthlessly absorbed or eliminated its competiton, the Zumakan global government was failing. Corruption had reached an all-time high, populists decried the extravagant wealth of the global elite, and nationalists demanded a return to the old system of national sovereignty. As the planet descended into chaos, fighting between globalist, nationalist, and populist forces spread like wildfire. The Hazbuzan Syndicate ruthlessly exploited this, spending vast amounts of money on a massive media campaign to present themselves as a fourth way, untainted by decades of corruption and violence. It was a lie, but it was an effective lie. Hazbuzan-dominated cities became the envy of the world as the corporate and criminal leadership cooperated to put up a carefully-crafted public relations front. At the same time, the criminal side of the Syndicate did its best to destabilise the rest of the world, growing richer and expanding corporate opportunities at the same time.

By the 2050s CE, the global government had collapsed, leaving the Hazbuzan Syndicate as the single most powerful entity on Zumaka. Although the Syndicate didn't officially take control of the world, permitting the old nation-states to return (for about a century, until they were dissolved), they were the de facto global government. While the corporate side of the Syndicate presented a smiling face to the world, the criminal side ruthlessly eliminated any threats to their rule. In the late 2190s, Hazbuzi scientists discovered the hyper drive, allowing the Syndicate to expand their markets into the stars.

Demographics

The primary population of the Hazbuzan Syndicate is the reptilian Hazbuzi, making up over ninety percent of the population. Tzynn form a substantial percentage of the migrant population, as free migration agreements between the Syndicate and the Tzynn Empire have effectively eliminated travel barriers between the two states. There are also large numbers of Nyrr, who are also covered under the free migration agreements. While slavery is not widely practiced within Syndicate space, at least openly and officially, Tzynn citizens are permitted to retain slaves under Imperial law within Syndicate space.

Hazbuzan space exhibits high wealth disparity. Government services primarily exist to service the requirements of the wealthy, who are well-connected with (or are part of the leadership of) local franchises. For those who are not members of a franchise, access to healthcare, education, and welfare can be limited. However, a large number of franchises provide charity to the less fortunate, even in the territory of other franchises, in order to maintain public support. Some franchises have even specialised in these services, offering them under Syndicate branding in foreign states.

Economy

The Hazbuzan Syndicate is a medium-sized, post-industrial market economy. Prior to the establishment of a galactic economic framework, the Syndicate specialised primarily in resource extraction and manufacturing, in order to support its burgeoning interstellar economy. As the galactic economy has become more integrated, the Syndicate has heavily integrated itself into foreign economies. At the same time, it relies heavily on criminal activities, siphoning wealth from other states to its own coffers.

According to the United Nations Department of Justice, the Hazbuzan Syndicate is effectively the largest criminal organisation in the galaxy, with a presence in virtually all spacefaring states. A substantial portion of the Syndicate's income is believed to be a result of criminal activity, particularly smuggling, illicit drugs, piracy, wildcat mining, and illegal entertainment. In a similar way to how the Syndicate offers legal services to states and similar entities, it offers services such as free ports and safehouses to other criminal groups in return for recurring subscriptions.

Society

Hazbuzan society is built on the ideals of profit and self-improvement. Hazbuzi have a love for creative destruction and innovation, constantly reinventing themselves to remain relevant to current events. The Syndicate is no different, periodically launching media campaigns to "reset" itself in the eyes of the rest of the galaxy. Hazbuzi are considered by many to be among the best economic minds in the galaxy, owing to their natural instict for commerce and outside-the-box thinking.

The accumulation of wealth is considered to be the core tenet of society, taking on a strongly religious significance for many Hazbuzi. The main Hazbuzan religion is a syncretic combination of many deities from various regions of Zumaka, created by the Syndicate to unify their homeworld's population. While many outsiders view this cynically, assuming the Syndicate invented a faith to scam their population, the religion is taken very seriously by its practitioners, of which most of the Syndicate leadership consider themselves. The practice of monetary sacrifice to ensure good fortune is promoted by 'prosperity preachers', priest-salespeople who are held in high regard and employed by the Syndicate.

Military

The Syndicate Security Force (SSF) is the primary armed forces of the Syndicate. It is comprised of the StarForce and GroundForce, which act as navy and army respectively. The SSF is larger than would be expected for a polity of the Hazbuzan Syndicate's size, and has substatial expeditionary capabilities. StarForce ships are often used to supplement Syndicate-sponsored pirates, and GroundForce troops act as hired guns or muscle for criminal activities on foreign worlds. Both services rely on conscription, though professional troops are preferred for covert operations outside of Syndicate space.