While the Hutts once ruled over Tatooine’s spice trade and monopolized it, The Crimson Serpents specialized in spice production, weapons trafficking and slave trafficking. They had a strict hierarchy:

The Grand Viper (Leader)

• Makes final decisions.
• Identity hidden from most of the organization. Only the inner circle knows.
• Enforces control through fear and secret spy networks that go up to the galactic senate.

The Inner Circle (The Five Serpents)

• The five highest ranking commanders. Each control a branch of the cartel that spread around Tatooine.
• Each has absolute authority, but must report the viper.
• They oversee smuggling/trade, assassinations, enforcers, corruption, politics, logistics and money laundering.

Serpents Lords

• They act as 'captains' of a district or an area.
• They report to the inner-circle but act as warlords in their respective territories.
• Each of them has a squadron with members working under them.

The Strikers (Regular Cartel Members)

• Soldiers with little to no power. They only obey their boss.
• They act as enforcers and assassins, their goal is to rise through the ranks and clinch the top seat.

The Vassals (allies)

• They are not the regulars as these haven’t been inducted into the cartel, these may include senators, corrupt law enforcement, and so on.
• They work for mutual benefit, often playing both sides of the coin.

• Lorad Zindar, Pyke cartel second in command.

• Tavos Reshkan, Black sun cartel leader.

• ? ? ?, Crimson Serpent Leader

The deal was simple, split the outer rim’s spice trade into three so that no one group could assert full dominance. Everyone came unarmed trusting the sanctity of the deal.

But the serpents were not interested in sharing power.

At 16:44 standard hours, the meeting’s hall room doors were sealed, trapping every attendee inside. Within seconds, electricity was cut. The entire room was plunged into darkness. Neurotoxin gas flooded the room, killing every Pyke and Black Sun member inside within minutes.

By dawn’s break the crimson serpent had taken control of 50% of the spice trade in the outer rim. A message was sent to every planet in the rim

“The Serpent does not strike in anger nor in fear. It hides in shadows, patient, ntil the moment arrives. By then, it is too too late. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will never see us coming. We wait.”

“The fire lasted for 5 days and 4 nights. It wasn’t an attack, it was a statement.“

The SBI worked with corporations and launched a massive crackdown against the crimson serpents, seizing serpent-run operations in the lower levels of coruscant. In a huge influx, members were arrested. Their supply lines were cut. For the first time ever, the serpents bled.

They responded coldly.

At exactly 18:00 standard hours, five freighters loaded with explosive and flammable gas detonated at Coruscant's docking sector 14, an area used for the shipments of trade and arrival of goods from other planets, as well as military weapons from outer space. The explosion set the entire sector to fire, crippled trade routes and killed over 400 people. To maintain the explosion, it took the republic 5 days and 4 nights.

The SBI labelled it an act of terrorism, The senate passed a bill to declare The Crimson Serpents as an enemy of the republic.

Following the attack, corporations withdrew their subsidiaries in the outer rim and brought them closer to home leading to the outer rim becoming more and more filled with lawless men. Corporations began secretly allying themselves with serpents, paying them bribes in fear of another catastrophe.

“Defy the hand of judgment, and be cast into the lake of fire.”

Drifter’s haven–an infamous trade hub in the wild space where traders, smugglers and bounty hunters could come without any fear of syndicate wars.

The massacre began in the darkness of night. Unbeknownst to the haven’s inhabitant, Serpent informants had been operating within the station for months. Then, when the time was right, the Serpents struck.

At 03:00 standard hours, the lights of the lamp post flickered. An explosion set off through the docking bays of the hub, trapping hundreds inside the station. Panic spread like wildfire, but before anyone could do anything, shadowy figures emerged from the darkness executing those who tried escaping.

By dawn the station became a graveyard, markets stripped bare, houses dead silent, bodies hanging from the top. From that day forward, the story of the drifter’s haven became a ghost story. Few dared to venture forth. Those who did only saw skeletons floating around the planets.

“And so it was written; the wicked shall wander the wastelands, seeking refuge when none will be given. They will be tormented by fire, the abyss will know their name no more, only the faithful shall endure.”

It started as a whisper—silent discontent, quietly moving through the rank, poisoning everyone. Brothers turned enemies, loyalty lied where the most power was.

The Death of the last Grand Viper “Vero Melne”, the last undisputed ruler of the crimson serpents, destroyed what fragile unity remained. His would-be-successors fought one another for what remained of the syndicate–they turned on one another, igniting a war that would consume the outer rim in blood and fire.

In the wake of Melne's death, alliances shifted like sea tides. The various crime factions once united under the banner of the crimson serpents now fought for their survival and to consolidate power.

At the heart of the conflict was the battle between “Valo Arkiss” and “Kul Dene” ; they fought to lay their hands on a special artifact–known as the “serpent’s venom”. An artifact so powerful that could destabilize the galaxy.

The battle raged for 10 days and 10 nights until eventually no clear winner was to be seen. The Artifact lost to time. In the aftermath the once united and powerful crimson serpents were now shattered, realizing the power each had sought was no longer attainable the crimson serpents had collapsed.

Through the ashes arose the new ones–fledging factions, each carving out their own dominion.

The Old Order had vanished and in its place stood a lawless outer rim with smaller factions each fighting another for control.

Notable Factions:

• The Golden Horn
• The Iron Hammer

Nothing lasts forever.