I have a number of atypical Junker characters the Harvesters. Honestly we are useing the Junker ID because it is most suited for our RP. However, in RP the Junkers have attracted the attention of the Harvesters long ago and were recognized as the most practical and logical of the bio forms.
Thus we adopt the Junker Guard IFF and the Junker ID.
Anyway this is not about Harvesters as they are not good examples of the typical Junker.
What I am looking for here is, What do you think thier society is like? Are they educated? Do they have "Junker families" or is it just like minded individuals in an "occupation"?
If you would jot some thoughts down that you have about Junkers "in general". You can throw your faction/family/crew/gang/etc. in there if you want too but, please place the "ingeneral Junker first."
I'm talking Joe Six-pack.
My example.
I see Junker stations as a flee market with cantinas, and slaves in space. I see maybe hotels and such but no permanent quarters.
I think most of these folks are the cast offs from other worlds or just looking to get by and travel, some families trying to make a liveing. Some might be like the Sapranos, some might be like the South Bronx. Or some "Dirty South" gangstas. Some might be high spirited treasure hunters. Some just Some one getting by paying off thier habit. Some might just seem to be pirates that are more likely to barter.
The Junkers I see as organizeing into gangs. Some being even more organized than others of course. I see each Junkers rep list being very different. Some ships might be manned by families and hired hands. I am willing to say that more junkers live in thier ships more than anyother faction with the exception of MAYBE the Zoners.
Junkers always on the move. THose are my thoughts on the Junkers, just kind of shot out there brain storm style.
I've always seen (and I played my single Junker character as) sort of a nomadic, yet still civilized race of spacefarers. Perhaps they aren't as well educated as an LSF officer, (Think a single Bachelors Vs 5 or 6 Doctorates) but they're by no means unintelligent. They tend to build whatever they think of out of whatever they can find, tending to stick to 'what works' over 'what could work.' I never thought of the Junkers as spatial architects or engineers, and I don't think they ever could be perceived that way.
The few bases that they have, I think are more for central autonomy, if you understand what I mean by that. There are a few Junkers out of a thousand or so maybe, that will take turns guarding these 'scrap stations' that they have found and, in the typical Junker style, 'retrofitted,' but they don't stick around long. Like you said, maybe roving flea markets. They travel from one Junker base to the next, or wherever they can sell their goods for a day or a week, and move on. Their bases are simply something that they have, but don't see any major settling use for.
Socially, as I said, educated, but not overly so. Perhaps territorial, perhaps ganglike, perhaps there is even a Junker mafia (MY IDEA! No one knows.:P). Whatever their hierarchy happens to be, it probably isn't too much in the way of actual "you do this because we tell you to." Families answer to their family, and probably no-one else. Civilized, probably very sociable with their own kind, but still a bit, well, xenophobic.
Just what I see when I look at Junkers.
Junkers work individually or in small groups composed of friends or business partners - but they are not divided. If you cause enough trouble for one junker, you'll wind up dealing with the whole group.
Think of them as a union of sorts. Officially they're salvagers who retrieve valuable equipment from scrap fields and derelict ships that they come across - often that equipment can turn up a very good profit (weapons, secret data, etc). In that regard, as salvagers, they work alone for the most part - one salvager doesnt want another coming along and trying to compete with him, so they spread out and leave each other alone.
However, there's more to the group as a whole - the junkers run the single largest black market and smuggling ring in all of sirius. They cover almost every system in rheinland, liberty, and bretonia - they even exist in many of the omicron, omega, and tau systems. The only place that junkers arent found is kusari - because the hogosha and kusari government have banded together against them to keep out the 'foreigners'.
So you really have to look at junkers, overall, as a very large corporation. They all profit from the black market and smuggling trades, and they all participate in those trades. They work together and share the wealth - much like a company without a central head of operations. Each junker base has elected 'officials' that manage business on that base and make sure things dont get out of hand. If someone causes trouble for their business, these officials put an end to it - either through bribes, blackmail, or assassination.
EDIT:
As for how 'educated' they are... I'd say very, at least in the field of politics and subversion. Junkers are experts at manipulating people, and you have to be damn smart to do that.
I think of Junkers as Sirius' equivalent of Earth's gypsies, Robert Heinlein's Free Traders in Citizen of the Galaxy, Robert Jordan's Tinkers in The Wheel of Time series, or perhaps the Travellers in modern America. I see them as very clannish, apparently uneducated and simple but actually exceedingly crafty and guileful.
I think their organizational structure would be quite simple structurally, but extremely nuanced and subtle in the machinations involved in advancing through it. They would have no Sirius wide organization, but would instead organize around their various bases, who might communicate or cooperate for mutual gain. Very likely they would identify as "Yanagi Junkers", "Kreuzberg Junkers", "Rochester Junkers", etc, each group feeling superior to the rest.
They would lack formal education, but be extremely proficient mechanically and practically. They might not be able to write out calculus formulas, but they could navigate as well manually as most pilots could by computer assistance. They might not be able to read an engine schematic, but they could build an engine from spare parts.
They are suspicious of strangers, but warm and loyal to their friends and especially their families and shipmates.
They would have very strong social taboos that would substitute for formal laws, and punishment would consist of social reproof, fines, and corporal punishment. Imprisonment would be non-existent and seen as a tool of "civilization" (which would be practically a curse-word among Junkers).
Superstition would play a very large role in practical affairs, and would even be the deciding factor in even major decisions. I see spiritualism in the form of occult-like superstitions being the dominant form of "religion", although it could hardly be called religion in any positive sense. Mostly it would serve as negative reinforcement against social taboos.
I think they would have the outward appearance of cowardice, but actually be quite bold when they see the opportunity for gain, and extremely shrewd in any financial matters. The Junkers would probably have rivals only among the Hogosha when it comes to negotiations and bargaining.
As orvidos has said, and I'd like to highlight their incrowd/outcrowd dynamic and lack of formal legal structure as a reason why many less than junker undesirables (such as the darling Sophie Richthofen, slaver, addict and saddist) find their way into a junker base and build thier networks and connections through them. Once you get a single 'in' you can form many many connections as part of an incrowd, and be allowed to pass without much scrutiny.
As far as the education, of course no formal schooling, generally, but a very high cultural common knowledge of ship systems and such, with a sort of apprentice system for much else.
A sort of shifting sands culture, gypsy like in parts, and entirely different in others, with a rather solid possibility of an underbelly where someone could buy whatever they desire.
Like Xoria I see them as gypsies but without any religious overtones. Junker live by their wits and a few I think have taken the time to become more organized and educated. These are the junkers that have built the bases dotted around Sirius and probably the ones that have their fingers on the pulse of Sirius.
The Junkers may make nice and cow tow to the Corsairs and Outcast lot but there is a real inner strength there and iron will that no one suspects. They would band together to defeat a foe if pushed but would prefer to solve things with money and perhaps assassination.
Overall I think the Junkers enjoy their life and the fact that they are free from any iron fisted tyrant or delusional king. The Junkers like their individuality and at the same time have a great need to be around family.
My one is a tinker. Not an expert in anything really, but is mostly liveable by trial and error.
It's taken my Junker a long time to figure out comm boosters.
Genius, but eccentric. A bit weird.
Loves his Junker family and is totally loyal to them. But wants space to do his own thing.
Is generous to other Junkers, and snobs (without being rude) people who aren't Junkers.
Loves machines and prefers junk and junk yards to being in other peoples company, but still needs human contact.
He had a university diploma in art, but after he left Manhattan wandered for awhile until another Junker befriended him. Since then he's stuck with the Junkers and likes their lifestyle.
I see Junkers as space gypsies, like Xoria but also with the drop outs from the great houses. From discredited scientists to petty criminals.
I daresay, theres an element of 'not-so' petty criminals as well, like everywhere else.
They have the technology, have the expertise/knowledge or can 'find' just about anything. It may not be cutting edge technology but it works and thats all that matters.
Each Junker base is distinct from the other Junker bases, simply by having the different influences from the various house systems they are in. They are however all 'diirected' from a single base back in their home/gaurd system. These are only directives, not the same as orders. Things like the war with the Hogosha etc and politics with the non-Junker part of Sirius. This makes each base highly independant and self supporting whilst giving the Junker nation direction and a face.
Anyway, thats just my take on it
I overall like Xoria's description for completeness with the exception of the religion analysis. Junkers could be as he says but are just as likely to not have much use for "deep religion".
In the 1800's we had what's referred to as a "Great Awakening" where many people began to make serious commitments to the Christian faith, prior to that, with the exception of some segments of society, most common, working class farmers, etc. saw no use for any practice of religion. They didn't see value in it or have the time for it. Neither of these states were universally true but in general, your working class American then believed in "God" but had no use for "religion".
Junkers would very much fit that role and mindset.
I think summarizing it:
1) Junkers would be cosmopolitan--able to "fit in" wherever they went by virtue of their skills. Keeping their own identity but smart enough to pick up useful traits from the societies where they lived. They would know how to "act the Roman when in Rome".
2) Not necessarily a strictly "by birth" society but an assimilative one with a strong familial background at its roots. This would give it cultural and intellectual diversity and tradition would give it unity.
3) Definitely individualistic.
4) Also an "emerging society"--Junker affluence has rapidly expanded and it brings all sorts of change in. Fast growing cultures usually take pride in their growth and expansion. I think many Junkers would be "progressive" wanting accelerated change while others would be "traditional" and suspicious of too much too fast.
5) Adaptable
I patterned the Junker Congress idea roughly after "Gypsies"--who, by the way, have their own international congress. And like the Junkers, not all gypsies take part or are even aware of it. Their congress is an idea that the minority 'practice" in the hope that as a people they will "grow into it". That was my concept as well.
In my pov Junkers are very pragmatically, smart, clever, educated and most of all very good informed about all ongoings. Information and relations are the basic keys Junkers benefit from. The most might be individualistic, but all in all Junkers are a complete gray zone society, including families.
My Junker char is a serious person with great portion of sarcasm and irony, who likes to manipulate and collect credits. Freedom is the most valuable good he has and will defend.
AoM