"The Union will do anything for money, if the price is right and shall rule the star systems through corruption"
-David Crystern
"The Second Crystern Union is not an ordinary crime syndicate. If they are not stopped anytime soon, they may become a great threat to my people in the future"
-Scolar Visari
"Please, I ask for your strength, your friendship, your body to help us fight the imperialists. We can win but the Union needs you first, only you can make that glories reality come true. Do you want the Helghast to control you? No. Do you want your children to die for a useless war that only helps the Empire's selfish power? No. Do you want freedom for every human life? Yes. Come, and join the Second Crystern Union, we will greet you with love and kindness. So please, join my union, and it will be your union also my brothers and sisters. And if you are part of the Empire, don't be afraid to leave the Empire to come with us, join the Union."
-Edward Crystern's speech
The Second Crystern Union (SCU) commonly known as the Second Union, Second Crystern or just Union was a powerful crime syndicate, though in latter years they became more of a militant group.
A Union riot on Vekta attacking the Helghast in 2399.
They are the successors to the First Crystern Union. The Union gained most of its technology through its affiliation with the black market (including Blackjack and Traders and Intergalactic Arms Dealers), capturing Helghast bases and raiding the Helghast and neutral territories' resources.
Some time after the Second Extrasolar War, it amassed considerable power and wealth, eventually becoming a major nuisance to the Helghan Empire for using extensive crime network to influence factions siphon their credits, and sabotage their operations when necessary. They are known for corrupting local militia on planets. The Empire always has a difficult time to locate their bases since when they do find a SCU base, it usually has no records or data and when it does it's heavily encrypted. The 2390s up to the 2430s is widely consered the Crime Syndicate Age mostly thanks to the Union's activities and size. They also hire bounty hunters to eliminate certain targets in order to further their influence in the galaxy.
They are led and founded by David Crystern until his death in 2414. Then his son Edward Crystern was in charge of the Union until his death in 2416. Today they are a former shadow of themselves after they lost to the Empire.
Headquarters[]
The location of the Union's main base of operations is unknown, even to the PLH. In 2415, there has been reports of heavy union traffic in the hercules constellation.
Size[]
The size of the Union is unknown. However, people speculate that the Union has over six million members with only 100,000 - 300,000 being loyal to the leaders and the rest are just in it for greed or was tricked by propaganda which would explain the constant civil wars.
The Union has bases scattered across the galaxy, most hidden in settlements, usually in small and poor ones. By 2417, the Union has stretched to more than 10 star systems, maybe even more.
History[]
"History is written by the winners in the blood of the losers"
-Edward Crystern
David Crystern formed the Second Crystern Union in 2351 on Trylon IV. David was already a leader of a large group of criminals to join the new Crystern Union. 3 years latter they left Trylon IV to built David's organization elsewhere. They stole ships and captured many bases from several factions since then.
In 2382 through 2385 they had a war with another powerful criminal organization, the Kenunstun Consortium. The Union won the conflict but with heavy casualties. The Kenunstun Consortium retreated to other star systems to rebuild their organization. This war was called the Syndicate Skirmish.
Since 2389, they been trading with Prime Legion Heaven.
Through 2394 and 97 the Union had a large civil war. The Crisis Union tried to over throw Crystern but failed.
In 2403, the Union was doing a secret experiment to create metahuman supersoldiers, Drake Kalaxen agree to be chosen for a secret experiment to imbued him with enhanced physical powers. Sometime after the experiment he deserted the Union but not go with out planting C4 in the metahuman lab and blowing it up for no one can be stronger than him.
In 2405, the Union hired Galonato Shard to get a blood sample from Drake Kalaxen on Akmir to continue the metahuman experiment. The contrack was a success.
By 2410 the metahuman experiment was a huge success. The Union could now create supersoldiers for their army.
In 2411, with the metahuman experiment, supersoldiers can now heal and regenerate certain body parts, however 1 of the Union's supersoldier that has this ability defied orders and killed every other supersoldier and personnel within the facility. He later used the experiment to improve his power. Few days latter he left with many chemicals when the Union came back for the experiment. He took every important chemical from the metahuman experiment. The Union had to almost restart from scratch.
Many of the Unions' leaders debated that they should halt the superhuman experiment and go after the traitor who took the chemicals from the experiment. David Crystern agreed to stop the experiment and hunt down the traitor.
During the Galactic Cold War, the Second Cystern Union was hired by the I.W.C. for military protection to undefended planets.
The Kenunstun Consortium invades Taru in 2411 and captured Prime Base. Many Union personnel was at Prime Base. So the Union helped PLH take back Taru. The Union and PLH won the war in 2412.
Later in 2312 the Union captured 10 Consortium cruisers.
In 2413, PLH allowed the Union to build many space stations around Eden.
In 2414, near Kolasi, the Union (in disguise as the 10 Consortium cruisers that they hijacked) attacked 2 Helghast cruisers both containing 4 MAWLRs. The Union manege to capture the cruisers so they can frame the Consortium. This was later known as the Consortium MAWLRs Accident.
After the accident, the Empire Immediately cancelled their alliance with the Consortium. The Empire then attacked and destroyed all Consortium bases in their star systems. After losing the political and military backing of the Empire, most Consortium bases outside Helghast territory were hunted down by the Najenmik, CCSCIA and Sirens, eradicating virtually the entire organization.
The Union now plans to invade Zuhause and finish off their rival for good.
By 2415 the Union never found the traitor, so they returned to the superhuman experiment. The Union hired the PLH to find and eliminate him.
In 2416, the Prime Hunter Zeelnos killed the traiter. A few days latter the Union finds out the traiter's name was Damian Hoover and that he was working for Krieg Armaments.
The Union contacted the KA for answers. The KA responded "Damian Hoover was also a traiter to us. We apologize for this confusion. We also had nothing to do with this situation."
In May 2nd, 2416, the Union lauched an attack on Zuhause. This was known as the Intergalactic Syndicate War. In 2 days, the Union destroyed Romiogekses' defences and captured the moon bases. The Union's cruisers then headed towards Kaizoku.
On May 4th, the Conquest of Kaizoku begun with the orbital defences destroyed.
Sometime in the 1st month of the Intergalactic Syndicate War, a rebellion calling themselves the Ture Union was formed and so begun a civil war within the Union. The Ture Union attacked the dwarf planet, Ladex in Eden. The Second Crystern Union failed to defend Ladex and many PLH mercs were killed in the battle. The PLH blamed it on the Second Crystern Union and questioned if the Union can be trusted.
In the next day, the PLH and the Second Crystern Union Immediately took back Ladex. The Ture Union retreated to Zuhause to ally themselves with the Consortium to help them in the war. The Union hired the PLH to help them take care of the Ture Union. The Ture Union attacked Union ships obove Kaizoku. PLH and Union back up came to help the Union from the counter attack from the rebellion. After the rebellion was destroyed, the Union asked the legion for help. PLH refused, saying that "We had enough paying blood for your mistakes and greed".
On June 28th in the same year, Second Crystern Union conquered Zuhause. The rest of the Consortium retreated like they allways have. The Union hired bounty hunters to hunt them down and so ends both the Intergalactic Syndicate War and most the Kenunstun Consortium.
On April 5th, 2417, the Union army marches over 1,000 Light Grunts to Bludki, the 3rd largest city on the planet. PLH Rangers and many other PLH mercs line up to defend the city. The Union stopped near the city. A PLH commander went to the Union army and told them to leave. Before he could get an answer a Union sniper shot him and a battle begun. After 4 hours the PLH won the battle. All over the planet, PLH camps and bases are attacked by the Union. The Prime Master declare war on Edward Crystern when hearing the news. Taru was also having many skirmishes around it's land.
On April 9th, Edward Crystern stopped the short war by contacting the Prime Master saying that the attack of Bludki was from his rebels and ordered his men to stop fighting PLH.
May, 18th, another rebellion is formed, the Free Union, however most of it's battles are fighting the Union in not-well known star systems. Thus not too many factions are paying attention.
2 weeks latter the Union started abducting people from Kaizoku and other neutral territories to experiment on for the superhuman project. The Union secretly build camps for these people.
On July 29th, 2417, 2 Union concentration camps are build on Kaizoku.
KA hired by the Helghast, try's to destroy Union bases in October 10th, 2417. On October 16th, KA reports Union concentration camps. Since the Helghast government did not respond to this report, KA chose to inform PLH about these concentration camps. PLH gives KA their thanks and took over the concentration camps to free it's people and use it as bases.
The Galactic Terror War[]
After the Third Extrasolar War, the Helghast attacked many Union bases as an act for revenge for all the raids the Union gave them. The Empire still had a hard time finding the right union bases since they tend to hide in settlements all over the galaxy but event eventually the Empire found their leader and killed them. The war is somewhat still ongoing.
Characteristics[]
"They are too ambitious and I take a great displeasure from their presence in Eden. Our alliance with them will not last forever. I know they will provoke the Empire enough to make them come to Eden. If that time comes, we will have to fight with the Helghast Empire"
"... I know... your right... hope the others can battle along side the Empire.."
"We will see Zack, I hope for the best my friend"
-Galonato Shard and Zeelnos
The Union is known to be anti-imperialism but most of their goals and motives are unclear. Relations between Union factions is a complex web of
Union Advance Grunts.
alliances, deals, betrayals and power struggles. The Union claim to be liberating oppressed peoples from imperialists thus they do not consider themselves to be a crime syndicate.
The Union's military doctrine involved using stealth, surprise attacks, speed as their main war tactics. They also use biological and chemical weaponry.
The Union excels at guerrilla warfare, especially hit-and-run tactics, as its forces are highly mobile. They also employed ambushes, disguises and traps. Camouflaged soldiers may attack out of nowhere, skilled vehicle hijackers may suddenly appear, a hidden Demo Trap may suddenly detonate, and a friendly Tank may turn out to be a Union Bomb Truck. The Union will do anything and everything that is necessary to win.
The armoury of the Union consists primarily of lightly armoured, fast vehicles with average firepower, which can outmaneuver and flank the opponent. Long-range weaponry is also prevalent, including the surface-to-surface missile launchers or large caliber artillery designed to deliver immense amounts of punishment to the opponent without exposing themselves.
The Union also engages the enemy through the media and propaganda to create militia on planets. This is mostly thanks to their extensive crime
Union Light Grunts.
network.
They also have spies within the Empire to be 1 step ahead and to kill certain Helghast that might be a threat.
Since the Union's technologically inferior to the Helghast Empire, they steal other factions' hardware, modified for their use. They often kidnap scientists from factions who conducted (sometimes unethical) research to improve their arsenal. But they still rely on scavenging spare parts from the battlefield.
The Union is also known to take over smaller PMCs and crime organizations to build their syndicate.
Criticism and views[]
Many think of the Union as terrorist, most notably the Helghast. A large majority civilians of the C.C.C. and I.W.C. criticize their government when they make deals with them.
Though they claim to free people, in reality, civilians were often the victims of Union aggression. In fact, collateral damage was of little concern to Union leaders as they believed in the absolute righteousness of their cause. Civilians receiving foreign aid were dismissed as 'sheep' to be killed if necessary. When the Union attacked or took control of an area, civilians would almost certainly be caught up in the fighting. The Union also committed atrocities such as testing their biological weapons on civilian populations deemed sympathetic to their enemies. In short, civilian casualties are considered necessary to sacrifice for the noble cause.
Crystern Union gangs[]
The Union controlled many secret gangs around Vekta since the late 2370s, however they weren't discovered by the Helghast until 2392 where the Empire finally hunted them all down. They were mostly used for smuggling drugs and weapons for the Union.
Relationships[]
Helghast Empire[]
"The Higs are our tools for the Union's war machine."
-Edward Crystern
The Union and the Empire are extremely hostile to each other due to the Union constantly raiding the Empire's bases and stealing their credits with the Union's extensive crime network.
Independent Worlds Coalition[]
"The successors of the ISA, their cause is the same, thus they can help us to deal with the Empire."
-David Crystern
There has not been too many interactions between these two factions. The most noticeably is when the Union was hired by the I.W.C. for military protection to undefended planets in the Galactic Cold War.
Prime Legion Heaven[]
"Just a bunch of morons who thinks pride and shit is everything. They lost againts the hunters so we can help them to recover so they can protect us for now, but will they return to the Helghast? I don't know."
-Edward Crystern
Their Relationship was excellent intil the rebellion, the Ture Union took over Ladex. PLH blamed this attack on the Union for the PLH lives that was killed in the battle.
Confederation of Conjoined Colonies[]
"Idiots, just like the ISA was and the Higs are, perhaps we can make a deal with them... or we could just take what we need from em. But that again their pretty powerful."
-Edward Crystern
There has been rumors of the CCC selling weapons to the Union. None of the less, the Union tends to stay away from the CCC.
Trivia[]
- Many of the Union soldiers referred the Najenmik as "The Empire's Hunters" or just "Hunters" probably out of fear due to the Najenmik's ability to destroy hundreds or thousands of Union soldiers.
- Some call Corde Detrick a "monster" or a "demon" due to his cybernetics and appearance.
- They are also known to call the Helghast legions the "Imperial Legions" or "Hig Legions" and the Helghast Divisions the "Hig clubs" to mock them.
- The Union fears Kolasi for being the most brutal prison in history.
- The Union had many civil wars in it's time.
- Some believe that the Union's goal is create a new empire of some kind.