Codex: Black Void

One of the galaxy's most notorious criminal syndicates, commonly called pirates after the high seas-era brigands of Terra. The Black Void has been operating for at least three centuries, growing out of hundreds of different crime empires on several worlds during the last planet rush. Operating on the very fringes of galactic society, the vast fleets of pirate ships are able to raid the newly settled colonies with virtual impunity, beyond the reach of U.G.C. law enforcement.

Indeed, the utter lack of response the Void's piracy has merited from Confederate officials has led many to suspect that the organization has corrupted key officials, though no proof of this infiltration has ever surfaced.

In the core worlds, the Void has a strong influence in vice to this day, though not as strong as it once was. With millions of worlds, even the largest organizations must give way to local syndicates and crime lords, though many pay "respects" to the Black Void. The area where the Void most excels, as far as core-world crime goes, is slavery: most crime groups refuse to deal in it, or don't have the resources to manage a full slaver ring, but the Void dominates the market. While the pirates capture slaves on the fringe, the prisoners are cataloged and shipped to the core, where they're sold in underground dens, usually as deep-space laborers or as pleasure slaves.