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Rat Pack · (This post was last modified: 07-08-2017, 08:25 PM by Rat Pack.)

Faction History

The Rat Pack began as a result of chance meetings between three unlikely partners; Jimmy Fattore a convicted thief turned arms dealer, Tweaker Ted a former slaver turned smuggler and Katya Pimakhova a communist agent steadily turning capitalist.

It all began funnily enough with Jimmy being arrested.
A hold full of illegal weapons and a blind jump into Omega 3 had placed the hapless arms dealer face to face with a Coalition cruiser and surrounded by Auxesian fighters. With nowhere to run and no chance of escape Jimmy soon found himself in the custody of the Bretonian Armed Forces and bound for planet Sprague.
As fate would have it another freelancer witnessed the unfortunate arrest, Tweaker Ted.
Ted took notice of Jimmy’s situation and later used it to propose a trade; in return for a cut of Jimmy’s profits he would show him a route out of Rheinland and into Bretonia that would avoid another run in with the law. Distrustful yet curious, Jimmy agreed.

During the flight Ted revealed his recent betrayal at the hands of the Junker Marauders which had effectively ended his supply of slaves, forcing him to segway into arms dealing in order to keep himself afloat. A market he knew well enough but lacked direct suppliers, relying heavily upon the Junkers for his hardware. After more discussion the two decided to work together and cemented the partnership with a job from one of Ted’s contacts, the Sigma Junkers, much to Jimmy’s displeasure.
After the job was done it became clear that the combination of reckless deal-making and underworld experience was a formidable one, perhaps enough to muscle in on the arms blackmarket. However the criminal status shared by the duo prevented them for setting up in the legitimate business world, something that would change with the addition of a third.

Disgraced and branded a traitor to the revolutionary cause, Katya Pimakhova had fled from her former comrades to the safety of the Core worlds, eventually finding refuge at Barrier Gate station. For several weeks she hid in a stolen Coalition fighter isolated and jobless, calming her nerves by indulging in her favoured vice, cigarettes. Eventually her supplies dwindled to a single packet, unable to see herself continuing without them she turned in desperation to the ship’s database hoping to find a potential supplier.
After flipping through a dozen entries she found a recent report where a particularly bold smuggler had been intercepted by a cruiser while moving weapons into Omega 3. Thinking the pilot would clearly have no love for her former cause, Katya issued a contract for 20 units of tobacco.

As luck would have it Jimmy had just completed another contract and was in the Tau systems when the order came in. Deciding to accept it as a short job on his way home, he diverted to Ile-de-France and picked up the goods, a move that would impress Kayta when he delivered a short time later.
During their little chat, she used her talents in coercion to discover Jimmy’s and Ted’s plans, including how their criminal status was the only obstacle blocking their path. Seeing an opportunity, Katya invited Jimmy to discuss business over dinner on planet Curacao. Having never stepped foot on the planet, he instantly accepted and by the end of the second course Katya Primakhova had become the legitimate front and third partner of the Rat Pack.

The status quo lasted barely a year before the former Coalition agent and her yacht disappeared into the faceless masses of the Sirius sector, leaving the Pack a member short and out a place to conduct business. Fortunately it was not long until new blood appeared to fill the void, the artifact obsessed Jasper Saulder, who came out of the Rheinland underworld fresh and ambitious.
Sceptical of their first intended partner, Ted and Jimmy put him through two challenges to test his skills and worth as a member of the Rat Pack. The first was to gain a contract by himself and complete it, proving his abilities as a smuggler and second, to be caught moving something illegal.
Saulder passed the first with ease, earning a tidy sum and the respect of a powerful Outcast Overlord but final task appeared surprisingly difficult. For weeks he ran contraband through the colonies until Jimmy finally got fed up waiting, there was no doubt that Jasper had earned his nickname “The Ghost.”

Now back to their strength the Rat Pack has begun searching for new opportunities and somewhere new to launder their hard earned cash...

Faction Info

Tag: >\./<

ZOI: Defined by player rep.

ID: Freelancer

IFF: Freelancer

Tech: Civilian Freighters and Transports up to 3,600 cargo except the Pirate Line (Bactrian, Pitbull, Mastiff)

The Rat Pack is a select group of smugglers from all walks of life who, for one reason or another, have decided to pool their various talents and resources to make a play for a piece of the arms blackmarket. To do this the Rat Pack intends to develop a web of suppliers and customers from around the sector, using the diverse reputations of it's members to cover the range of alliances and factions that would otherwise be impossible to negotiate.
Due to the chaotic nature of the faction, reputation changes must be applied on an individual basis (SRP's or bribes) so earning the favour of the entire Rat Pack is a difficult and time consuming process yet those who accomplish it will have access to everything the Pack has to offer.

Though starting small and relatively unknown, the Rat Pack has grand ambitions and the drive to obtain it, the only limit is the funding. Cash is funneled in by a small due paid by it's members on the completion of every contract and by donations of groups seeking to curry favour, this leaves the day-to-day profits from smuggling and trading untouched so that members can pursue their own ends without complication, so long as they abide by the code.

The Code

~ Pay Your Due - 10% of your Contract profits goes to the Pack. This funds our operation and expansion, Sirius is a big place and we want to own a part of it.

~ Show Respect - We may work different angles but we’re all after the same thing so respect your fellow members, that means no bounties, undercutting or squealing.

~ Honour the Contract - Our word is our bond, if you take a contract you complete it. No excuses.

Failure to uphold the Code can result in fines, removal from contracts or expulsion from the Pack.

[Image: 1d1e3feb5db27718d611cdf0089ccf32.jpg]

Goals

~ Removal of the Junker stranglehold on illegal weapons distribution
The Junkers have been the go-to guys for almost everything illegal, it's made them powerful but thinly spread. We intend to rip the arms market right out from under them.

~ Establish control over the galatic arms blackmarket
War is good for business and the sector is rife with conflict, making those who hold the guns extremely wealthy.

~ Creation of a mobile headquarters
The best way to not be caught is to not be found, with a mobile headquarters we can go wherever the credits takes us.

~ Forge a connection to the Gallic blackmarket
Gallia is a powderkeg of revolution ready to blow, if we can get access to that blackmarket we'll be sitting pretty when all hell breaks loose.

Recruitment Process

Invitation only, those wanting to apply must seek a member out and prove their worth. This requires a well-rounded character plus completion of a Gauntlet to earn their nickname and acceptance into the Pack.

The Gauntlet itself is simple, comprising of two tasks:
First, to show you aren't dead weight or just a financial leech a prospective member must find and fulfil a contract from any of the unlawful or quasi-lawful groups. This must be done solo and without direct help from any of the Rat Pack, though name dropping is allowed if permission is given.

Second, you've got to be caught. Thats right to be part of the Rat Pack you need to be arrested carrying something illegal, doesn't matter what, where or by who all that matters is you get caught and escape. How you get away is up to you just make sure to keep it fun.