The Sun’s criminal and civilian factions are an inevitable part of life in an evolving community. Not everyone on the battle station is a soldier, a shareholder, or related to one of those; in fact, the majority are not. From filling in the many, many gaps in the Solar Free State’s public services to finding ways to profit in the shadows, civilians and criminals alike are just trying to survive. To what extent are they, too, culpable for the Solar Free State’s crimes?
The Sun’s criminal and civilian factions show up in season 2 of Stories of a Broken Sun: Specters of a Broken Sun.
Read more about them below:
Factions
| The Resistance A group of scofflaws and ne’er-do-wells who do everything in their power to oppose the Solar Free State and (almost) all of their policies. They have been operating since shortly after the Sun invaded the habitat. | The Solar Worker’s Union A constant thorn in the side of the Solar Free State and the Corporate faction, the SWU is quick to call bosses and leaders on abuses of worker’s rights, and are at this point the only group still trying to enforce anything like worker’s rights. A powerful lobby. | The Cult of Bacchanal A church that does what it says on the tin. Anyone can join, but hedonism isn’t cheap. | The Barnacle Brigade A large group of tenacious folk who set up safehouses, supply warehouses, and bases along the hull. They have so far resisted all the efforts of the Hull Patrol and Coaltrain PMC to remove them. They sometimes work with the Resistance, but more often assist the Solar Worker’s Union and smaller factions. |
| Diehard Battalion Military defectors. They are not all-in with the Resistance, but are at least fairweather allies. Their ranks seem to grow every year. | The Vile Lance They do violence. For anyone. To anyone. For a price. | Junkyard, Inc Spare parts, usually low quality, but always low-price. Where most people shop for replacements. | Mechambulance A company that will send a tow truck/ambulance to where your chassis has broken down to do a quick jury rig or tow you to a repair yard. |
| Umbral Investigations A group of private investigators. These PIs will take on jobs in surveillance, tracking, and general nosiness. Naturally most of their work involves investigating infidelity or embezzlement. | The Surface Liberation Front A group of “radical extremists” who advocate the cessation of all manipulation of the people living on the habitat and removing the Sun from the habitat entirely. Mostly people who have actually read the real histories and have basic empathy. It’s a small group. | The Pit Crew The Pit Crew are a group of volunteers who take care of infrastructure repairs in the outer layers. The SFS doesn’t bother with upkeep out there, so these concerned citizens have taken up the challenge. | The Scene Zine An underground news service that distributes news critical of the SFS and people in power. Their reporters tend to have a high respawn rate. Coincidence, no doubt. |