The Watanabe Clan, or as traditionally referred to - 'Watanabe Kazoku' is an ancient family lineage boasting patrilineal descent from one of the original exiled Royal Guards of the deposed Hideyoshi Shogun. Over the centuries, they've slowly built up and reinforced their status within the Blood Dragon society, evolving from a small nuclear family, to an extended clan-like organization with considerable resources and manpower. Focusing primarily on technological innovation, engineering and reconiassance, the Watanabe primarily operate in small, well-trained commando units. As such, the use of capital vessels, though not unheard of, is traditionally kept to the bare minimum.

Having risen to visible prominence after the Nomad War, their climb to power culuminated in taking control of the Kyoto Shogunate in 821 A.S, coinciding with the five-hundred year anniversary of the Sakura Festival Coup. Their grasp on power, however, was tenuous and the then rulling Shogun - Watanabe Hirotada abdicated in favor of some new generation. Afterward, the family faded from public sight, and remained mostly inactive over the following years, until the year of 825 A.S. With the rise of Kohaku Hideyoshi, and the renewal of Dragon influence in Kusari, the Watanabe decided to swear renewed fealty to the Shogun in official capacity. Watanabe Hirotada was thereby named 'Daimyo', and granted Hikone Base in Honshu as the clan's assigned holding where he keeps a tenuous balance between the various factions in the area.

Currently, the clan is supportive of the reigning Shogun, and uses its faculties to extend the Shogunate's power into the Sigma and Omicron clusters. To this end, they use Hikone's facilities to manufacture ship components and repair and upgrade their own strike and reconiassance craft that depart on raids into Kusari, or scouting missions into the neighboring Sigma Cluster. To expedite this process, they hope to restore and further develop their renowned 'Seeker Drones', artificial intelligence cores used to pilot and coordinate larger ships, usually transports, that depart to dangerous corners of the universe, hauling goods or otherwise charting unexplored space. The end goal of the Drones' mission is the discovery of resource-rich nebulae or asteroid fields, or ideally an uncontested colonizable planet.

The clan's structure, as simplified in recent times, is organized in a top-down fashion, with the Head of the Kazoku, now Daimyo presiding over the clan. He is surrounded by his council of 'Hatamoto', one of which is elevated into the position of 'Roju', serving as the Head's right hand, deputy and closest advisor. Beneath them are the 'Ashigaru', who represent uninitiated retainers and recruits. All members fall into one of these two categories, regardless of their professional occupation or status.