Like cracks in a great building’s foundations, the flaws in the Sirius Coalition’s methodology started small, but could only grow over time. Many saw the deviations from the accepted way as inevitable, even if they limited their resistance to little more than silent disapproval - but there were some who thought to do more, even in the face of the State Duma’s all-seeing, ironclad control.
One of these men was Liu Jing. The son of a shipyard worker on Mykolaiv, Jing had never seemed likely to follow in his father’s footsteps. His path saw him attending one of Omega-52’s most distinguished universities, aboard the very same research station and manufactory his father had welded ship components together on, and following the completion of his studies, many had pegged the young prodigy as a shoe-in for a governmental post.
He would defy them all, though. Jing declined the offers he was made, instead choosing to go into a more civil career, overseeing the management of limited agricultural and hydroponics efforts aboard Zvezdny Gorodok. It wasn’t until many years later, when the predictions so many had made began to take form - Jing began to pursue a political career, something so many had thought was inevitable. None of them, however, would have expected Jing’s eventual political ascension to have gone outside the norm. Worried by the onset of more and more deviations, inconsistencies, and perceived corruptions that Jing saw taking root in the State, he began to push back. It wasn’t long before he published his first paper, Red Lotus - a critical, almost radical treatise on how the current trend could be reversed, before it became too late. The material would have been inflammatory, almost suicidal, had it come from anyone else - but coming from Jing, it was an eye-opener to many.
Slowly but surely, the man began to amass followers. Paper after paper left his mind to become reality, and his popular support only grew with each new indictment he wrote. As his popularity grew, so did the government’s attention to this new critic of the Duma. Morale for the People’s Republic was at an all-time low due to the awful living conditions of the average man in the Coalition. The bombing of New Moscow (Omega-52) and a general deficit of goods had made many people begin to take notice of the marked difference between the news telling them that “all is fine” and the stark reality of their plight.
Scholars and intellectuals, or people who were interested in literature and innovation eventually found Liu Jing’s work, and more than a few found their thoughts aligning with the critic’s words. The Ministry of Truth began censoring his creations, outright denying publication of certain works that the Ministry found overly critical and likely to incite disillusion of the government.
Over time, Jing was warned that if he continued trying to inspire rebellious ideas, there would be a more serious reprisal than merely censoring and denying publication of his work. However, that didn’t stop him from continuing to implement hidden idealism, desire for political rework and general displeasure in the way things went within the People’s Republic in his new works and papers.
One day, Jing was approached by one of his followers, who introduced himself as one of the workers for the Ministry of Truth. The man warned the author that enough was enough for the Ministry, and that they would likely start issuing harsher punishments - imprisonment, seizure of property, or perhaps the capital punishment itself.
Fearing the inevitable backlash, Jing soon began working towards his eventual departure from Omega-52. The only saving grace for him was that he had no family ties to speak of - as the only child of two parents long since dead, he had no fear of reprisals hitting out at his loved ones in response to his flight. Only his closest and most trusted allies were allowed to know of his plans, with the fear of discovery growing greater and greater. They had begun to refer to themselves as the Red Lotus Society - the name taken from Jing's first and most influential paper - and just as they had finally sought to unite formally, they found themselves planning a permanent escape from the only home they had ever known.
The eventual flight, when it came, passed off with remarkably few hitches. The ragtag bunch of dissidents fled Coalition space with whatever personnel they could trust the most, and with little more than the ships they flew and the clothes they wore. Their destination was the Barrier Gate - a haven for outcasts and criminal elements of society, far-flung enough from the Coalition to shield them from potential reprisals. There they settled, renting long-term accommodation and hangar bays from the station authorities while planning their next moves. Unfortunately, the mostly political line of thought underpinning the group was to become corrupted through these long years of inactivity.
Present Day
Today, the Red Lotus name belongs to something entirely different from Jing's vision. The years and months aboard various Freeports and freelancer stations have taken their toll on the once idealistic movement, turning it from a primarily politically motivated enterprise to a more practical, realistic one. The Society was born from Jing's followers, with little resemblance to the initial movement. A man called Zhang Wei saw an opportunity in the demotivated, disorganised band of Coalition escapees, particularly as the majority of them were of Chinese descent. Disguising his plans initially as simple methods to ensure more cashflow and boost the movement's manpower, it wasn't long before Wei's true motivations began to creep further and further into the movement's original goals. The process was slow and gradual, but inevitable, and soon the Society as a whole began to slide down the slope towards outright criminality. Now, at the culmination of Wei's slow ascension to power, the Society has become the Society, more akin to a spaceborne triad than an ideologically-backed entity. Criminal thought and profiteering has almost completely won out over seemingly fanciful goals of returning home to implement real reform.
From their meagre holdings at the Border Worlds, the Society has begun to amass an off-station presence for the first time since their arrival. The ships and equipment they brought with them are being pressed back into service, with more Borderworlds models being bought by the day. Recruitment is being stepped up, with the neutral stations serving as a reliable source of new blood.
Goals
1. Building influence within House criminal sectors.
2. Support, taxation, and upkeep of the smuggling parties.
3. Staking a claim on Society space to maintain order.
4. Generating income through piracy and extortion.
5. Restoring the true ideals of the Revolution.
Diplomacy
ALLIED N/A
FRIENDLY N/A
NEUTRAL-FRIENDLY N/A
NEUTRAL Gallic Brigands, Liberty Rogues, Lane Hackers, Outcasts, Mollys, Smugglers, Slavers, Golden Chrysanthemums, Independent Miners Guild, Junkers, Zoners, Blood Dragons, Red Hessians
UNFRIENDLY Parties affiliated with Coalition governement, Gaians, Hogosha, Farmers Alliance
The leader of the Red Lotus Society. Given the small size and centralised nature of the Society, he wields total control over every last area of its operations.
二路元帥 | Deputy
Second only to the Dragon Head himself, the Deputy acts on those Society matters not worthy of his personal attention. He will be the successor to the Dragon Head, and may act with his authority in the event he is indisposed.
紅棍 | Red Pole/Enforcer
The eyes and ears of the Dragon Head, the Red Poles keep the rank and file in line. Criminal organisations such as the Society are not renowned for their natural discipline, and as the triad expands the role of the Red Poles becomes ever more important.
四九 | 49er/Member
A Red Lotus member who has passed his or her initiation ceremony. Some element of trust has been built up between the individual and the triad itself, but their exact standing within the Society's ranks can vary greatly. The men and women at this rung of the ladder can be anything from relatively fresh-faced to long-standing, distinguished members. Some are more important than others, but all are considered family.
藍燈籠 | Blue Lantern/Uninitiated Member
Mercenaries, new recruits, and other associates of the Society fall into this category. Their loyalty to the triad is secondary to their usefulness; people here are either hired thugs, business associates, or new faces still hoping and striving to prove themselves to the Red Poles and Dragon Head.
![[Image: XTF1d6x.png]](https://i.imgur.com/XTF1d6x.png)