Before the formation of the Consortium, the galactic economy was indisarray (at least according to Consortium economists). Since the firstformal contact with the Ferengi in 2364, the Ferengi Alliance was usurpingbusiness away from non-Ferengi corporations on a steady, and increasing,basis. Further, independant companies were at the mercies of the localpolitical bodies, such as the Federation or the Romulan Star Empire, suffering unfair corporate taxes and legislation at the hands of theseentities.

Around 2375, several large corporations had decided that they had had enough. No more would they dictated to as to how they ran their businesses; no more would they sit idly by as the Federation did nothing asthe Ferengi stole their markets. They banded together, forming an allianceof their own to combat the disruptive influence of the Ferengi and thepolitical organizations of the Quadrants, and pooling their resources tohire a proffessional standing army to enforce their autihority. Further,these corporations also pooled together their technological sources,equipping this army with the latest developments in weapons, training,starfighters and starships.

Thus was the Consortium, and their army, dubbed the Consortium Authority, born.

The organization quickly grew in size and membership, each membercontributing to the function of the whole. By the time the Federation andthe other political groups of the galaxy were aware of its formation, itwas too powerful and had too many resources to call upon to be halted bythem. And so the Consortium continued to grow, and now, in 2406, it possesses a considerable influence in interstellar affairs. Although itdoes have considerable political clout as an organization as well, it'smembers prefer to remain apolitical, only calling upon it's politicalresources when it can benefit the Consortium as a whole economically.

While the alliance that the Consortium represents gives the impressionof a unified organization, an impression which the Consortium does its best to foster, this is not entirely true. It's member companies, true to thiernature, still engage in fierce competition with one another, and more thanone has been involved in industrial espionage against another membercorporation. In truth, the Consortium is nothing but a loose alliancebetween these businesses, and they still work against each other and areat each other's throats. However, while this cutthroat attitude is notdisuaded, no member company can utilize the resources of the Consortium asa whole (such as the Consortium Authority) to engage in these activities.Those who have attempted to do so have suffered swift economic ruin at thehands of the august entity.

Or so they would have the public believe. Experienced Spacers, however, are aware of the truth of the matter.

In practice, F.I.S.T. simply acts as the trade enforcement arm of theConsortium Authority, and their primary directive is to smother the tradeof all independant vessels, in order to further the interests of the Consortium. The Captains of F.I.S.T. vessels, often ex-smugglers andpirates themselves, and known as 'Regulators', halt and board any independant transport they come across, and use the borad authority theypossess to search and confiscate any cargo they are carrying 'for thegood of the galaxy'. Further, they have been known to arrest spacers ontrumped up charges, and lock them away, never to be seen again. Of course,these are only the worst case scenarios; sometimes, when the cargo (if any)is harmless and/or useless, they'll simply levy outrageous fines, orrevoke the vessel's permits. They are given broad discretionary powersby the Consortium, and there isn't anything that anyone can do about it.

Myths abound in the underworld about this powerful, legendary figure. Some say that it isn't a person, but is in fact an entire organization. Others say that it is a Changeling, able to assume any form it wishes; the perfect assassin. Still others claim that it was a female, a woman who had executed her own husband and family simply to prevent another crimelord from grasping any hold over her. Whatever it is, legends have it that the Koan Saotori has its hands, in one way or another, in every single illegal deal that is ever made. Oh, never obviously; but in some way, there is not a single being in the galactic underworld that has not, at one time, unwittingly worked for the Koan Saotori.

Whatever it is, it has never been seen by anyone...anyone alive that is. The Koan Saotori is a name that is so stongly imbedded in the 'urban'myths of the underworld, that criminals warn their children that they'd better respect their bosses, or the Koan Saotori would get them.

The profound influence that the Koan Saotori has upon the galacticunderworld, whether real or imagined, is best illustrated by the following excerpt, given by Sanya Jared-Hutchins of the MIDNIGHT SUN.

"...The Koan Saotori. Sanya had heard of it. A crewmember of the last ship she was on had known a guy that hadworked for a guy that had been hired to do a small job for theKoan Saotori and broke contract. At the time, she had thoughtthe guy was being a bit paranoid. He was sure that the KoanSaotori was after him just for knowing about it. They had takena brief shoreleave on a backwater planet, but Jae had nevershown back up at the ship when it was time to leave. Sanya had shrugged it off. Maybe he had found a better job, or just decided he liked the quiet little planet. She wasn't sure that he had been... eliminated..."

Often, when a local law is broken on a given planet, the planetaryauthorities do not have either the man power, interest, or jurisdictionto pursue the offender if he or she manages to ellude capture, and escape justice. When this occurs, these enforcement agencies sometimes will put out a bounty on these individuals; a reward for their capture. The nature,conditions and size of this bounty depends entirely upon the criminal thatis sought, and the crime for which he or she is sought for. Sometimesthese bounties are only offered to local hunters, or individual guilds,while at other times, 'universal' bounties will be offered which are available to anyone who is able to apprehend the offender. Sometimesthese bounties are only effective and enforceable in certain areas ofspace, and sometimes they are galactic-wide, with no designated jurisdiction. Certain bounties require stipulations to be met before thereward will be paid, while others are of the old 'dead or alive' variety.Bounties can be offered on individuals, or entire ships and crews; it depends upon the nature of the crime.

Given their natural tendancies to 'bend' local or more widespread laws, if not outright break them, spacers frequently run into troublewith Bounty Hunters. Even within the Federation, where Starfleet is responsible for the enforcement of the law on a wide scale, hunters havebeen known to be hired; the Enforcement division of Starfleet Security occasionally hires outside personnel to apprehend criminals that are either too insignificant to pursue themselves, or who's apprehensionrequires the services of specialized individuals. Enforcement has alsobeen known to put out galactic universal bounties on especially dangerousindividuals whom they've continually failed to capture.

Generally, hunters can be divided into two catagories; Guild Hunters,who work for a specific Bounty Hunting Guild, or Independant Hunters,who work simply for themselves. Each has advantages and disadvantages over the other; Guild Hunters are part of an organization which can protect them if need be, and offers them training and equipment at nocharge; however, they only receive a percentage of a given bounty they secure, the rest going to the guild to cover costs and expendatures. Further, many guilds take any damage which occurs to guild equipment outof the guild hunter's percentage...those who are prone to destroying equipment while securing an acquisition are doomed to a life of servitudeto the guild. While independants suffer none of this, and have no oneto answer to but themselves, they are responsible for their own equipment and transportation. And, more importantly, they are responsible for ensuring that they possess the necessary hunting permits for any given area of space, and have to pay for registration fees, permits and the like from their own pocket.

One especially notorious bounty hunting guild is that of the Lahnk'Mar Hunters. Formerly known as the House of Lahnk'Mar in the Klingon Empire,they separated from the Empire when the Klingons engaged in peaceful relations with the Federation and agreed to the Khitomer Accords. Aftera particularly bloody and bitter disagreement with the Emperor and the High Council in regards to the Accords, they formerly severed all ties with the Empire, and formered a Hunting Guild dedicated to personal gloryand honour, while dropping what they considered to be the ponderous anduseless traditions of the Empire.

While the code of honour they uphold and follow religiously is notthe honour of the Klingons, they are still quite honourable in their ownway, and they carefully review each potential assignment before acceptingit to ensure that it does not conflict with these values. However, theyshould not be underestimated; they are ruthless and without mercy when itcomes to their acquisitions, and they cannot be dissuaded, bribed or distracted from their intended apprehension in any way, save death. Theyhave been known, however, to give particularly cunning and clever acquisitions a minor amount of leeway; this is not out of a sense ofcompassion, but rather to extend the chase, and give the hunter thechance to meet the challenge that his quarry presents him or her. It makes the inevitable victory much sweeter.

Thus far, the Lahnk'Mar have only been known to accept Klingons intotheir ranks, training them in the ways of Klingon combat, as well asother forms they've picked up over the years. Only one non-Klingon hasever been allowed into their guild as a member, and that was only aftermonths of intensive training and defeating one of the guild's most cunningwarriors. Once a member has been made part of the guild, they becomemore than a member; they become family, and part of the House of Lahnk'Mar.Needless to say, when one joins the Lahnk'Mar, they join for life; theirmembers may stop hunting, but they are still part of the guild, and can becalled upon at any moment if necessary.