{"data":{"id":16931,"title":"Portfolio: Otoni Group","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/16931-Portfolio-Otoni-Group","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16931","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16931","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Portfolio","images":[{"id":4201,"name":"GalacticGuide_Vann_Croshaw.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/kgfq9n61ei4rgr\/source\/GalacticGuide_Vann_Croshaw.jpg","alt":"","size":1893039,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2015-09-24T23:09:22+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/4201","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/4201\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"}],"images_count":7,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Portfolio: Otoni Group was published originally as a Subscriber Exclusive on January 9, 2019.\nIn over a hundred years of activity, the syndicate known as the Otoni Group has become one of the most enduring criminal organizations in Human space. From what leading researchers have been able to piece together, they have slowly and methodically expanded their operations to amass great wealth and substantial influence. This powerful and elusive multi-system syndicate has been implicated in almost every kind of illegal enterprise, from selling forged reg-tags to low-level outlaws to orchestrating the high-profile assassinations of corrupt politicians and criminal rivals.\n\nRecently, the Journal of Imperial Economics came under fire for placing the Otoni Group on their list of the UEE\u2019s most powerful corporations. Their experts conservatively estimated that the group\u2019s annual revenues put them alongside some of the empire\u2019s most notable and respected companies. While the extent of their political influence is unknown, government watchdog group Responsible Citizens United released a report in 2912 linking several elected officials and lobbyists to suspected Otoni Group members and business entities. With a massive untaxed bankroll that funds wide-ranging criminal activity and the ability to apply political pressure when necessary, it\u2019s of little wonder that the Otoni Group has managed to remain in operation for as long as it has.\n\nEditor\u2019s Note: This portfolio is not intended to glorify or validate the Otoni Group. Instead, it\u2019s meant as a sober assessment of their abilities and influence on the UEE. Only by understanding how such a massively successful criminal organization came to be can we determine how to dismantle it and prevent similar groups from being created in their mold.\n\nChild\u2019s Play\nAs with many underworld entities, various stories have circulated over the years about the origin of the Otoni Group. However, the Advocacy contends that the following timeline is most likely closest to the truth:\n\nThe group\u2019s origins can be traced to Croshaw in the mid-29th century. More specifically, to one of Angeli\u2019s most notorious city-run social houses, where three orphans came together to provide each other protection against the various gangs that operated within the facility. Arthur Mendies, Lauda Viscaso, and Tio Quast bonded out of a necessity to survive and quickly realized that they had complementary skills and dispositions that made life within the facility more manageable.\n\nArthur Mendies landed in Angeli\u2019s social welfare system following his mother\u2019s arrest and conviction for a litany of digital theft charges that resulted in millions of credits being transferred out of the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims. Mentored by his mother, Mendies proved to be technologically proficient with a knack for discreetly accessing a wide range of systems. Meanwhile, his aptitude for forgery and counterfeiting proved valuable in smuggling contraband past the social house\u2019s security scanners. Mendies honed his skills over the years to aid the Otoni Group in digging up dirt on enemies, smuggling vast amounts of goods between systems, and laundering their growing wealth through legitimate operations.\n\nLauda Viscaso was abandoned as an infant and left adrift in a Freelancer outside Angeli. When local officials failed to identify her parents or next of kin, she entered the social services system and was adopted by an extremely religious family. At eleven, she ran away from their devout way of life. Though captured shortly thereafter, she refused to stay with them and kicked off an unending cycle of attempted escapes that eventually frustrated the family and landed her in social housing. Charismatic, intelligent, and fearless, Viscaso made friends wherever she went but trusted no one until she met Mendies and Quast. Her quick tongue, sharp mind, and high emotional intelligence made her a born criminal fixer who knew exactly what to say, or not, at the right time. Her ability to build working relationships with various outlaws and organizations was essential to the Otoni Group\u2019s survival and eventual expansion.\n\nTio Quast had a relatively normal and stable childhood compared to his compatriots. Born to a middle-class family, he landed a coveted scholarship to an elite Angeli private school thanks to his sataball skills. His fortunes took a turn for the worse when his parents and siblings perished after a catastrophic shield malfunction when their ship entered Angeli\u2019s atmosphere. Orphaned and alone, Quast relied on his physical prowess to survive the rough and tumble social homes and soon discovered that he was a born brawler. He became the Otoni Group\u2019s chief enforcer and most feared member of the founding triumvirate.\n\nReleased onto Angeli\u2019s streets at sixteen, the trio continued their successful allegiance. Their dealings with the different gangs within the social house taught them the essential skills to make their way through the vast underworld of the city. They began by running small-time criminal schemes to eke out an existence, but after building up a network of contacts, they discussed ways to enhance their position without angering established gangs. They decided to set themselves up as a freelance service agency that catered exclusively to criminals. Whether it was producing counterfeit IDs, procuring black market items, or acting as freelance hitters, the trio proved that they could deliver without questions or established loyalties. They quickly garnered a reputation for being patient, persistent, intelligent, and vicious. No one could have expected just how far those qualities would take them.\n\nDivide and Conquer\nThe 2840s proved to be a particularly tumultuous time for Angeli\u2019s underworld and Mendies, Viscaso, and Quast soon found themselves in the thick of it. The destruction of the Curved Blade syndicate splintered the established criminal dynasty into thousands of gangs vying for control. This sprawling criminal landscape provided the three friends with a constantly shifting and endless supply of clients.\n\nWith growing power and influence (and no longer afraid to upset a single, powerful criminal entity) Mendies, Viscaso, and Quast rebranded themselves as the Otoni Group \u2013 the name taken from the social house where they all met. Their powerplay for Angeli\u2019s underworld was cautious and carefully orchestrated. The group masterfully played warring gangs against each other to elevate themselves out of the slums and ensure that they never went back. To avoid attention from law enforcement officials, they carefully screened their clients and skillfully hid their illegal activities behind a myriad of shell companies. Soon the scope of their operations included drug production, smuggling, and even Human trafficking.\n\nLocal law enforcement was so distracted by the underworld\u2019s seemingly unending bloodshed that they deprioritized any ongoing investigation into the Otoni Group. By the time they realized that the Otoni\u2019s were becoming the planet\u2019s next major power player, it was too late. The group had expertly covered their tracks. Old leads led to dead ends and informants could no longer be found. The Otoni Group took control of Angeli and set their sights on the wider Croshaw system.\n\nThe Otoni Group slowly and methodically extended their control of Croshaw\u2019s underworld over the 2850s. By the late 2800s, the first reports of them appeared in a new system \u2014 Ferron. It is believed that this was the location of their first interstellar expansion, but it would be far from their last. The Otoni Group developed and refined a process for acquiring new territory. After first sending in scouts to assess the local criminal players, they would then quietly insert themselves into the black market, trading off their established reputation and eventually establishing a new \u2018franchise\u2019 of the Otoni Group permanently in-system.\n\nThis specific leadership hierarchy allowed each branch of the Otoni Group to coordinate collectively, but operate independently. A methodology that proved extremely effective for eluding law enforcement. Anytime that the Advocacy attempted to crack down on the local leadership in one system, the trail would die at the jump points and the rest of the organization continued to survive. And in some instances, re-establishing a local chapter after only a short downtime.\n\nControlled Chaos\nStructured more like a corporation than a gang, crime is a professional occupation for the Otoni Group. They can be every bit as deadly as their local counterparts, but they just factor in risk assessment and financial impact when making decisions about Human lives. They are generally reticent to wreak violence as it always attracts the most attention, but if havoc and death provide them with a win, they will not hesitate to pull the trigger.\n\nTheir operatives are renowned for being overwhelmingly cold and calculating. They are almost completely indifferent when talking about their business, even in matters of life and death. A lack of standardized uniforms or colors makes them difficult to identify. They tend to favor more formal attire that not only signifies their status, but also their professionalism.\n\nOf the original founding members, only Arthur Mendies is still alive. Viscaso passed away from natural causes, and Quast died from complications during routine surgery. Even though their names and \u201calleged\u201d actions became widely-known in law enforcement circles, none of them were ever successfully indicted on criminal charges or spent any time in prison. Some considered this fact more proof of just how much political influence the Otoni Group wields.\n\nToday, the Otoni Group remains a major criminal player in numerous systems across the UEE. Attempts by the Advocacy and local law enforcement to eradicate or limit their influence, particularly in Croshaw and Stanton, have failed. Even with two of their three founding members dead, and Mendies rumored to be retired, many experts consider the Otoni Group to be more powerful than ever.\n\nFrom their calculated rise to power and careful expansion to the installation of a hierarchy that rewarded ambition but ensured that local issues wouldn\u2019t derail the entire institution, the Otoni Group is a modern business success story. Unfortunately, they operate on the wrong side of the law, and the UEE would be a safer place if they ceased to exist.","de_DE":"In \u00fcber hundert Jahren T\u00e4tigkeit hat sich das Syndikat Otoni Group zu einer der dauerhaftesten kriminellen Organisationen im Menschenraum entwickelt. Von dem, was f\u00fchrende Forscher zusammensetzen konnten, haben sie langsam und methodisch ihre Operationen erweitert, um gro\u00dfen Reichtum und erheblichen Einfluss zu sammeln. Dieses m\u00e4chtige und schwer fassbare Multisystem-Konsortium wurde in fast jede Art von illegalem Unternehmen verwickelt, vom Verkauf gef\u00e4lschter Reg-Tags \u00fcber niedere Gesetzlose bis hin zur Inszenierung der hochkar\u00e4tigen Morde an korrupten Politikern und kriminellen Rivalen.\n\nVor kurzem wurde das Journal of Imperial Economics in die Kritik gezogen, weil es die Otoni Group auf die Liste der m\u00e4chtigsten Unternehmen der UEE gesetzt hat. Ihre Experten sch\u00e4tzten konservativ, dass die Jahreseinnahmen der Gruppe sie neben einigen der bemerkenswertesten und angesehensten Unternehmen des Imperiums stellen. W\u00e4hrend das Ausma\u00df ihres politischen Einflusses unbekannt ist, ver\u00f6ffentlichte die Regierungsaufsicht Responsible Citizens United im Jahr 2912 einen Bericht, der mehrere Mandatstr\u00e4ger und Lobbyisten mit verd\u00e4chtigen Mitgliedern der Otoni-Gruppe und Wirtschaftseinheiten verbindet. Mit einer massiven unbesteuerten Banknotenrolle, die weitreichende kriminelle Aktivit\u00e4ten finanziert, und der F\u00e4higkeit, bei Bedarf politischen Druck auszu\u00fcben, ist es kein Wunder, dass es der Otoni-Gruppe gelungen ist, so lange in Betrieb zu bleiben wie bisher.\n\nAnmerkung des Herausgebers: Dieses Portfolio ist nicht dazu bestimmt, die Otoni-Gruppe zu verherrlichen oder zu validieren. Stattdessen ist es als eine n\u00fcchterne Bewertung ihrer F\u00e4higkeiten und ihres Einflusses auf die UEE gedacht. Nur wenn wir verstehen, wie eine so massiv erfolgreiche kriminelle Organisation entstanden ist, k\u00f6nnen wir bestimmen, wie wir sie demontieren und verhindern k\u00f6nnen, dass \u00e4hnliche Gruppen in ihrer Form entstehen.\n\nKinderleichtes Spiel\nWie bei vielen Unterwelt-Einheiten haben sich im Laufe der Jahre verschiedene Geschichten \u00fcber die Herkunft der Otoni-Gruppe verbreitet. Die Advocacy ist jedoch der Ansicht, dass die folgende Zeitachse der Wahrheit am ehesten entspricht:\n\nDie Urspr\u00fcnge der Gruppe lassen sich auf Croshaw in der Mitte des 29. Jahrhunderts zur\u00fcckf\u00fchren. Genauer gesagt, in einem der ber\u00fcchtigsten Sozialh\u00e4user Angelis, in dem sich drei Waisenkinder trafen, um sich gegenseitig vor den verschiedenen Banden zu sch\u00fctzen, die in der Einrichtung operierten. Arthur Mendies, Lauda Viscaso und Tio Quast schlossen sich aus \u00dcberlebensgr\u00fcnden zusammen und erkannten schnell, dass sie \u00fcber erg\u00e4nzende F\u00e4higkeiten und Dispositionen verf\u00fcgten, die das Leben in der Einrichtung \u00fcberschaubarer machten.\n\nArthur Mendies landete in Angelis Sozialsystem, nachdem seine Mutter verhaftet und wegen einer Litanei von digitalen Diebstahlanklagen verurteilt worden war, die dazu f\u00fchrten, dass Millionen von Credits von den Bankkonten ahnungsloser Opfer \u00fcberwiesen wurden. Unter der Leitung seiner Mutter erwies sich Mendies als technologisch kompetent mit einem Gesp\u00fcr f\u00fcr den diskreten Zugriff auf eine Vielzahl von Systemen. Unterdessen erwies sich seine F\u00e4higkeit zu F\u00e4lschung und F\u00e4lschung als wertvoll, um Schmuggelware an den Sicherheitsscannern des Sozialhauses vorbeizuschmuggeln. Mendies verfeinerte seine F\u00e4higkeiten im Laufe der Jahre, um die Otoni Group bei der Suche nach Schmutz \u00fcber Feinde, beim Schmuggeln riesiger Mengen von Waren zwischen Systemen und bei der W\u00e4sche ihres wachsenden Reichtums durch legitime Operationen zu unterst\u00fctzen.\n\nLauda Viscaso wurde als Kind verlassen und in einem Freelancer au\u00dferhalb von Angeli ausgesetzt. Als es den lokalen Beamten nicht gelang, ihre Eltern oder Angeh\u00f6rigen zu identifizieren, trat sie in das System der Sozialdienste ein und wurde von einer extrem religi\u00f6sen Familie adoptiert. Mit elf Jahren lief sie von ihrer frommen Lebensweise weg. Obwohl sie kurz darauf gefangen genommen wurde, weigerte sie sich, bei ihnen zu bleiben und startete einen endlosen Zyklus von Fluchtversuchen, die die Familie schlie\u00dflich frustrierten und sie in Sozialwohnungen landeten. Charismatisch, intelligent und furchtlos schloss Viscaso Freunde, wohin sie auch ging, vertraute aber niemandem, bis sie Mendies und Quast traf. Ihre schnelle Zunge, ihr scharfer Verstand und ihre hohe emotionale Intelligenz machten sie zu einer geborenen kriminellen Fixerin, die genau wusste, was sie zur richtigen Zeit sagen sollte oder nicht. Ihre F\u00e4higkeit, Arbeitsbeziehungen zu verschiedenen Gesetzlosen und Organisationen aufzubauen, war f\u00fcr das \u00dcberleben und die sp\u00e4tere Expansion der Otoni-Gruppe von entscheidender Bedeutung.\n\nTio Quast hatte eine relativ normale und stabile Kindheit im Vergleich zu seinen Landsleuten. Geboren in einer b\u00fcrgerlichen Familie, erhielt er dank seiner Sataballf\u00e4higkeiten ein begehrtes Stipendium f\u00fcr eine elit\u00e4re Privatschule in Angeli. Sein Schicksal verschlechterte sich, als seine Eltern und Geschwister nach einer katastrophalen Schildfehlfunktion starben, als ihr Schiff in die Atmosph\u00e4re von Angeli eindrang. Quast verwaiste und allein, verlie\u00df sich auf seine k\u00f6rperliche Leistungsf\u00e4higkeit, um die rauen und st\u00fcrzenden Sozialheime zu \u00fcberleben, und entdeckte bald, dass er ein geborener Schl\u00e4ger war. Er wurde zum Chefvollstrecker der Otoni Group und gef\u00fcrchtetes Mitglied des Gr\u00fcndungsdreigestirns.\n\nMit sechzehn Jahren auf Angelis Stra\u00dfen ver\u00f6ffentlicht, setzte das Trio seine erfolgreiche Loyalit\u00e4t fort. Ihr Umgang mit den verschiedenen Banden innerhalb des Sozialhauses lehrte sie die notwendigen F\u00e4higkeiten, um sich durch die weite Unterwelt der Stadt zu k\u00e4mpfen. Sie begannen damit, kleine kriminelle Machenschaften zu betreiben, um eine Existenz aufzubauen, aber nachdem sie ein Netzwerk von Kontakten aufgebaut hatten, diskutierten sie Wege, ihre Position zu verbessern, ohne etablierte Banden zu ver\u00e4rgern. Sie beschlossen, sich als freiberufliche Serviceagentur zu etablieren, die sich ausschlie\u00dflich an Kriminelle richtet. Ob es sich nun um die Herstellung gef\u00e4lschter Ausweise, die Beschaffung von Schwarzmarktartikeln oder die T\u00e4tigkeit als freiberuflicher Hitter handelte, das Trio bewies, dass es ohne Fragen oder etablierte Loyalit\u00e4ten liefern konnte. Sie erwarben sich schnell den Ruf, geduldig, hartn\u00e4ckig, intelligent und b\u00f6sartig zu sein. Niemand h\u00e4tte erwarten k\u00f6nnen, wie weit diese Qualit\u00e4ten sie bringen w\u00fcrden.\n\nTeilen und Erobern\nDie 2840er Jahre erwiesen sich als eine besonders turbulente Zeit f\u00fcr Angelis Unterwelt und Mendies, Viscaso und Quast, die sich bald im Zentrum befanden. Die Zerst\u00f6rung des Syndikats Curved Blade spaltete die etablierte kriminelle Dynastie in Tausende von Banden, die um die Kontrolle k\u00e4mpften. Diese ausgedehnte kriminelle Landschaft bot den drei Freunden ein st\u00e4ndig wechselndes und endloses Angebot an Kunden.\n\nMit wachsender Macht und Einfluss (und keiner Angst mehr, eine einzige, m\u00e4chtige kriminelle Einheit zu ver\u00e4rgern) haben sich Mendies, Viscaso und Quast in die Otoni-Gruppe umbenannt - der Name stammt aus dem Sozialhaus, in dem sie sich alle trafen. Ihr Machtspiel f\u00fcr Angelis Unterwelt war vorsichtig und sorgf\u00e4ltig orchestriert. Die Gruppe spielte meisterhaft gegeneinander k\u00e4mpfende Banden, um sich aus den Slums zu erheben und sicherzustellen, dass sie nie wieder zur\u00fcckkehrten. Um die Aufmerksamkeit der Strafverfolgungsbeh\u00f6rden zu vermeiden, haben sie ihre Kunden sorgf\u00e4ltig gepr\u00fcft und ihre illegalen Aktivit\u00e4ten geschickt hinter einer Vielzahl von Scheinfirmen versteckt. Bald umfasste der Umfang ihrer Aktivit\u00e4ten die Drogenproduktion, den Schmuggel und sogar den Menschenhandel.\n\nDie lokale Strafverfolgung wurde durch das scheinbar unendliche Blutvergie\u00dfen der Unterwelt so abgelenkt, dass sie jede laufende Untersuchung der Otoni-Gruppe entzog. Als sie erkannten, dass die Otoni's zum n\u00e4chsten gro\u00dfen Machtakteur des Planeten wurden, war es zu sp\u00e4t. Die Gruppe hatte ihre Spuren fachm\u00e4nnisch verwischt. Alte Spuren f\u00fchrten zu Sackgassen und Informanten konnten nicht mehr gefunden werden. Die Otoni-Gruppe \u00fcbernahm die Kontrolle \u00fcber Angeli und setzte auf das breitere Croshaw-System.\n\nDie Otoni-Gruppe erweiterte langsam und methodisch ihre Kontrolle \u00fcber die Unterwelt von Croshaw \u00fcber die 2850er Jahre. Ende des 28. Jahrhunderts erschienen die ersten Berichte \u00fcber sie in einem neuen System - Ferron. Es wird angenommen, dass dies der Ort ihrer ersten interstellaren Expansion war, aber es w\u00e4re weit von ihrer letzten entfernt. Die Otoni-Gruppe hat ein Verfahren zur Akquisition von Neuland entwickelt und verfeinert. Nachdem sie zuerst Sp\u00e4her geschickt hatten, um die lokalen kriminellen Akteure zu beurteilen, schickten sie sich dann leise in den Schwarzmarkt, tauschten ihren etablierten Ruf aus und bauten schlie\u00dflich ein neues \"Franchise\" der Otoni-Gruppe dauerhaft im System auf.\n\nDiese spezifische F\u00fchrungshierarchie erm\u00f6glichte es jedem Zweig der Otoni-Gruppe, sich gemeinsam zu koordinieren, aber unabh\u00e4ngig zu agieren. Eine Methodik, die sich als \u00e4u\u00dferst effektiv erwiesen hat, um der Strafverfolgung zu entgehen. Jedes Mal, wenn die Advocacy versuchte, gegen die lokale F\u00fchrung in einem System vorzugehen, w\u00fcrde die Spur an den Sprungbrettpunkten sterben und der Rest der Organisation w\u00fcrde weiter \u00fcberleben. Und in manchen F\u00e4llen auch die Wiederherstellung eines lokalen Kapitels nach nur kurzer Ausfallzeit.\n\nKontrolliertes Chaos\nStrukturiert eher wie ein Unternehmen als wie eine Bande, ist Kriminalit\u00e4t eine professionelle Besch\u00e4ftigung f\u00fcr die Otoni-Gruppe. Sie k\u00f6nnen genauso t\u00f6dlich sein wie ihre lokalen Kollegen, aber sie ber\u00fccksichtigen nur die Risikobewertung und die finanziellen Auswirkungen, wenn sie Entscheidungen \u00fcber Menschenleben treffen. Sie sind im Allgemeinen zur\u00fcckhaltend, Gewalt anzurichten, da sie immer die gr\u00f6\u00dfte Aufmerksamkeit erregt, aber wenn Verw\u00fcstung und Tod ihnen einen Sieg bescheren, werden sie nicht z\u00f6gern, den Abzug zu dr\u00fccken.\n\nIhre Mitarbeiter sind daf\u00fcr bekannt, dass sie \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigend kalt und berechnend sind. Sie sind fast v\u00f6llig gleichg\u00fcltig, wenn es um ihr Gesch\u00e4ft geht, auch in Fragen von Leben und Tod. Fehlende standardisierte Uniformen oder Farben machen es schwierig, sie zu identifizieren. Sie neigen dazu, formellere Kleidung zu bevorzugen, die nicht nur ihren Status, sondern auch ihre Professionalit\u00e4t zum Ausdruck bringt.\n\nVon den urspr\u00fcnglichen Gr\u00fcndungsmitgliedern ist nur noch Arthur Mendies am Leben. Viscaso starb an nat\u00fcrlichen Ursachen, und Quast starb an Komplikationen w\u00e4hrend der Routineoperation. Obwohl ihre Namen und \"angeblichen\" Handlungen in Strafverfolgungskreisen weit verbreitet wurden, wurde keiner von ihnen jemals erfolgreich wegen strafrechtlicher Verfolgung angeklagt oder verbrachte eine Zeit im Gef\u00e4ngnis. Einige hielten diese Tatsache f\u00fcr einen weiteren Beweis daf\u00fcr, wie viel politischen Einfluss die Otoni-Gruppe aus\u00fcbt.\n\nHeute ist die Otoni Group nach wie vor ein wichtiger krimineller Akteur in zahlreichen Systemen in der gesamten UEE. Versuche der Advocacy und der lokalen Strafverfolgungsbeh\u00f6rden, ihren Einfluss zu beseitigen oder einzuschr\u00e4nken, insbesondere in Croshaw und Stanton, sind gescheitert. Selbst wenn zwei ihrer drei Gr\u00fcndungsmitglieder tot sind und Mendies ger\u00fcchteweise in den Ruhestand gehen, halten viele Experten die Otoni-Gruppe f\u00fcr m\u00e4chtiger denn je.\n\nVon ihrem kalkulierten Aufstieg zur Macht und ihrer behutsamen Expansion bis hin zur Einrichtung einer Hierarchie, die den Ehrgeiz belohnte, aber sicherstellte, dass lokale Themen nicht die gesamte Institution in Mitleidenschaft ziehen w\u00fcrden, ist die Otoni Group eine moderne Erfolgsgeschichte. Leider operieren sie auf der falschen Seite des Gesetzes, und die UEE w\u00e4re ein sicherer Ort, wenn sie nicht mehr existieren w\u00fcrden.","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Portfolio: Otoni Group was published originally as a Subscriber Exclusive on January 9, 2019.\nIn over a hundred years of activity, the syndicate known as the Otoni Group has become one of the most enduring criminal organizations in Human space. From what leading researchers have been able to piece together, they have slowly and methodically expanded their operations to amass great wealth and substantial influence. This powerful and elusive multi-system syndicate has been implicated in almost every kind of illegal enterprise, from selling forged reg-tags to low-level outlaws to orchestrating the high-profile assassinations of corrupt politicians and criminal rivals.\n\nRecently, the Journal of Imperial Economics came under fire for placing the Otoni Group on their list of the UEE\u2019s most powerful corporations. Their experts conservatively estimated that the group\u2019s annual revenues put them alongside some of the empire\u2019s most notable and respected companies. While the extent of their political influence is unknown, government watchdog group Responsible Citizens United released a report in 2912 linking several elected officials and lobbyists to suspected Otoni Group members and business entities. With a massive untaxed bankroll that funds wide-ranging criminal activity and the ability to apply political pressure when necessary, it\u2019s of little wonder that the Otoni Group has managed to remain in operation for as long as it has.\n\nEditor\u2019s Note: This portfolio is not intended to glorify or validate the Otoni Group. Instead, it\u2019s meant as a sober assessment of their abilities and influence on the UEE. Only by understanding how such a massively successful criminal organization came to be can we determine how to dismantle it and prevent similar groups from being created in their mold.\n\nChild\u2019s Play\nAs with many underworld entities, various stories have circulated over the years about the origin of the Otoni Group. However, the Advocacy contends that the following timeline is most likely closest to the truth:\n\nThe group\u2019s origins can be traced to Croshaw in the mid-29th century. More specifically, to one of Angeli\u2019s most notorious city-run social houses, where three orphans came together to provide each other protection against the various gangs that operated within the facility. Arthur Mendies, Lauda Viscaso, and Tio Quast bonded out of a necessity to survive and quickly realized that they had complementary skills and dispositions that made life within the facility more manageable.\n\nArthur Mendies landed in Angeli\u2019s social welfare system following his mother\u2019s arrest and conviction for a litany of digital theft charges that resulted in millions of credits being transferred out of the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims. Mentored by his mother, Mendies proved to be technologically proficient with a knack for discreetly accessing a wide range of systems. Meanwhile, his aptitude for forgery and counterfeiting proved valuable in smuggling contraband past the social house\u2019s security scanners. Mendies honed his skills over the years to aid the Otoni Group in digging up dirt on enemies, smuggling vast amounts of goods between systems, and laundering their growing wealth through legitimate operations.\n\nLauda Viscaso was abandoned as an infant and left adrift in a Freelancer outside Angeli. When local officials failed to identify her parents or next of kin, she entered the social services system and was adopted by an extremely religious family. At eleven, she ran away from their devout way of life. Though captured shortly thereafter, she refused to stay with them and kicked off an unending cycle of attempted escapes that eventually frustrated the family and landed her in social housing. Charismatic, intelligent, and fearless, Viscaso made friends wherever she went but trusted no one until she met Mendies and Quast. Her quick tongue, sharp mind, and high emotional intelligence made her a born criminal fixer who knew exactly what to say, or not, at the right time. Her ability to build working relationships with various outlaws and organizations was essential to the Otoni Group\u2019s survival and eventual expansion.\n\nTio Quast had a relatively normal and stable childhood compared to his compatriots. Born to a middle-class family, he landed a coveted scholarship to an elite Angeli private school thanks to his sataball skills. His fortunes took a turn for the worse when his parents and siblings perished after a catastrophic shield malfunction when their ship entered Angeli\u2019s atmosphere. Orphaned and alone, Quast relied on his physical prowess to survive the rough and tumble social homes and soon discovered that he was a born brawler. He became the Otoni Group\u2019s chief enforcer and most feared member of the founding triumvirate.\n\nReleased onto Angeli\u2019s streets at sixteen, the trio continued their successful allegiance. Their dealings with the different gangs within the social house taught them the essential skills to make their way through the vast underworld of the city. They began by running small-time criminal schemes to eke out an existence, but after building up a network of contacts, they discussed ways to enhance their position without angering established gangs. They decided to set themselves up as a freelance service agency that catered exclusively to criminals. Whether it was producing counterfeit IDs, procuring black market items, or acting as freelance hitters, the trio proved that they could deliver without questions or established loyalties. They quickly garnered a reputation for being patient, persistent, intelligent, and vicious. No one could have expected just how far those qualities would take them.\n\nDivide and Conquer\nThe 2840s proved to be a particularly tumultuous time for Angeli\u2019s underworld and Mendies, Viscaso, and Quast soon found themselves in the thick of it. The destruction of the Curved Blade syndicate splintered the established criminal dynasty into thousands of gangs vying for control. This sprawling criminal landscape provided the three friends with a constantly shifting and endless supply of clients.\n\nWith growing power and influence (and no longer afraid to upset a single, powerful criminal entity) Mendies, Viscaso, and Quast rebranded themselves as the Otoni Group \u2013 the name taken from the social house where they all met. Their powerplay for Angeli\u2019s underworld was cautious and carefully orchestrated. The group masterfully played warring gangs against each other to elevate themselves out of the slums and ensure that they never went back. To avoid attention from law enforcement officials, they carefully screened their clients and skillfully hid their illegal activities behind a myriad of shell companies. Soon the scope of their operations included drug production, smuggling, and even Human trafficking.\n\nLocal law enforcement was so distracted by the underworld\u2019s seemingly unending bloodshed that they deprioritized any ongoing investigation into the Otoni Group. By the time they realized that the Otoni\u2019s were becoming the planet\u2019s next major power player, it was too late. The group had expertly covered their tracks. Old leads led to dead ends and informants could no longer be found. The Otoni Group took control of Angeli and set their sights on the wider Croshaw system.\n\nThe Otoni Group slowly and methodically extended their control of Croshaw\u2019s underworld over the 2850s. By the late 2800s, the first reports of them appeared in a new system \u2014 Ferron. It is believed that this was the location of their first interstellar expansion, but it would be far from their last. The Otoni Group developed and refined a process for acquiring new territory. After first sending in scouts to assess the local criminal players, they would then quietly insert themselves into the black market, trading off their established reputation and eventually establishing a new \u2018franchise\u2019 of the Otoni Group permanently in-system.\n\nThis specific leadership hierarchy allowed each branch of the Otoni Group to coordinate collectively, but operate independently. A methodology that proved extremely effective for eluding law enforcement. Anytime that the Advocacy attempted to crack down on the local leadership in one system, the trail would die at the jump points and the rest of the organization continued to survive. And in some instances, re-establishing a local chapter after only a short downtime.\n\nControlled Chaos\nStructured more like a corporation than a gang, crime is a professional occupation for the Otoni Group. They can be every bit as deadly as their local counterparts, but they just factor in risk assessment and financial impact when making decisions about Human lives. They are generally reticent to wreak violence as it always attracts the most attention, but if havoc and death provide them with a win, they will not hesitate to pull the trigger.\n\nTheir operatives are renowned for being overwhelmingly cold and calculating. They are almost completely indifferent when talking about their business, even in matters of life and death. A lack of standardized uniforms or colors makes them difficult to identify. They tend to favor more formal attire that not only signifies their status, but also their professionalism.\n\nOf the original founding members, only Arthur Mendies is still alive. Viscaso passed away from natural causes, and Quast died from complications during routine surgery. Even though their names and \u201calleged\u201d actions became widely-known in law enforcement circles, none of them were ever successfully indicted on criminal charges or spent any time in prison. Some considered this fact more proof of just how much political influence the Otoni Group wields.\n\nToday, the Otoni Group remains a major criminal player in numerous systems across the UEE. Attempts by the Advocacy and local law enforcement to eradicate or limit their influence, particularly in Croshaw and Stanton, have failed. Even with two of their three founding members dead, and Mendies rumored to be retired, many experts consider the Otoni Group to be more powerful than ever.\n\nFrom their calculated rise to power and careful expansion to the installation of a hierarchy that rewarded ambition but ensured that local issues wouldn\u2019t derail the entire institution, the Otoni Group is a modern business success story. Unfortunately, they operate on the wrong side of the law, and the UEE would be a safer place if they ceased to exist."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":36,"created_at":"2020-08-05T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"5 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 22:37:42","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16930,"next_id":16932}}