Hyperion Crime Ring

"There is a delicate balance we've discovered necessary in dealing with the Hyperion Crime Ring; every time we eliminate a major base of operations, it's a sure bet that the Three Suns Paradisio will move in and pick up the slack. They have to be combatted together or not at all, as one weakening strengthens the other, and we wind up chasing our tails for half our budget."
— Primal Agent, Terran Homestar Intelligence

Origins of the Hyperion Crime Group

The Hyperion Crime Group (HCG) emerged from the ashes of a pharmaceutical startup on the moon Hyperion. When a Rigelian ship attempted to establish a secret base in the sector, much of the startup's leadership died and the rest were quickly hired out by various pharmaceutical groups, leaving behind farmers and blue-collar workers. These refugees, possessing intimate knowledge of Combat Stims, turned to manufacturing black-market knockoffs to survive. Initially calling themselves the Ghosts of Hyperion, they found surprisingly little resistance from established pharmaceutical companies, which saw them as useful competitors. The HCG's founders leveraged their expertise to create a network of illicit chems, stims, and medicines, filling a gap in the market.

Methodology and Expansion

The HCG's success hinges on its adaptable methodology. To protect their interests from rival groups and especially the Three Suns Paradisio, they hired muscle from street gangs and thugs across various worlds, paying them in Combat Stims. This strategic move enabled these gangs to punch above their weight, creating a loyal network of affiliates. Smugglers also work freelance for the HCG, supplying materials and delivering goods to hard-to-reach markets at significant markups. By decentralizing operations and leveraging existing infrastructure, the HCG built a resilient and flexible organization. Taking cues from their enemies in the Three Suns Paradisio, they replicated this model, creating a robust distribution network that continues to evade law enforcement.

Current State and Law Enforcement Dilemma

Today, the Hyperion Crime Group presents a complex challenge for law enforcement. The PSC's efforts to combat the HCG are hindered by the need to balance actions against Three Suns Paradisio, lest one organization exploit the other's weakness. Local defense forces bear the brunt of fighting both crime syndicates, often without sufficient support. The delicate balance between combating the HCG and Three Suns Paradisio has become a resource-intensive cat-and-mouse game. As Primal Agent, Terran Homestar Intelligence, noted, eliminating a major HCG base only creates an opportunity for Three Suns Paradisio to fill the gap. This stalemate forces law enforcement to prioritize strategic, coordinated strikes, while hoping for timely interventions to prevent local crises from escalating into disasters.

Structure

The rank structure is fluid and more based on seniority and respect than anything formal, but law enforcement has categorized the tiers by generally unflattering labels. Internally, they don't have labels (that would make the leadership more vulnerable to interrogation)

At the top are the Grannies, a council of the most powerful and influential bosses. There is no invitation to join, one sits on the council when the others aren't strong enough to stop them.

Boss - These are the ones that run networks of crime, usually at least spanning an entire moon. They typically only have bodyguards and accountants and do very little of the actual crime themselves, they just move resources around to ensure that their individual cells have a better chance to succeed. This justifies their percentage, which varies from boss to boss based on how scared their men are of them.

Toadies - These are the ones that run the individual cells, typically kissing up to the boss all the while (hence the name.) Their cells get resources from the boss based almost entirely on patronage. That is to say, based on how much the boss likes them. It's a large part of their job to keep the boss happy. This means that if a cell were to go rogue, all other cells in the same network would be only too eager to hunt them down. Every Toady dreams of being a boss.

Minion - These are the Toady's most trusted associates. They lead the actual on-the-street criminal activity. Depending on the cell's function in the organization, that means Minions lead heists, command hit squads, captain smuggling craft, etc.

Mook - These are the 'foot soldiers' or expendable grist. These are the lowest level of actual member. Most Mooks are young, stupid, and are either desperate enough to turn to crime or they're dreaming of being a Granny one day.

Bootlick - Some Bootlicks think they're Mooks, some are drafted for an individual crime by either a tempting bribe for the cut or by the threat of coercion. Either way, the Minion or boss that took them on doesn't intend to keep them and sees them as either only valuable on a temporary basis or as entirely expendable. Street gangs hired for extra muscle fall into this category as well.

There are rumors floating around both the law enforcement and the HCR circles that there IS an overboss, one will that sits over the council. To House of Helicon investigators, it's the only thing that fits the algorithm. A group as sprawling and disparate as the HCR, as decentralized and diverse, should have broken up due to infighting. The ambitious, amoral members should have carved out little piecemeal empires for themselves and break up. But they don't. For their entire careers, they are only kept in check by fear. Why, then, when they're on the council, when they have nothing left to fear above them, do they stay in line? The council infighting gets intense and often personal, but never violent. Even if it was fear of the other bosses that kept them in check, there should have been room for a triumvirate or conspiracy. But as far as anyone can tell, this has never happened. Only a strong overboss accounts for this kind of unity among such amoral scum.