The Sundow Group
The Sundow Group is no government or state, but it may just be the most powerful organization in the entirety of the civilized galaxy. Sundow is, by far, the largest corporate conglomerate in the Chord, with a hand in every industry. They own stellar cedar farms on both Carolus and Concordia. They own the water world of Erebo in Joshua* as an outright corporate holding, monopolizing the main source of water in the region. They have contracts even with the Yaoren, and have a 45% stake in the Cedar* expedition.
It is estimated that the Sundow group owns approximately 28% of all wealth in the known universe.
The Group is run by the Six Dynasties, six influential business empires in their own right. Each of them has their own business fiefs independent of the Group, but they work in tandem for the good of each. There is the disgraced Sundow family, who founded the Vinell Arsenal in 2nd century Concordia and for whom the Group is named. The Group has been chaired by the Mulholland Dynasty, with their ties to Bellum* and Joshua*, since Neptune's coup in 899. His nephew Mercury took his uncle's chair in 828, and he has ruled the Group ever since.
The other four Dynasties are the Malikoi, the wealthiest private citizens of Kiluru*; the Valcour, creole political elites in the decadent Daughter Confederate of Bourbon, southern Carolus; the Yehe with their ties to the throne of Yaodai; and the Bolivar, a Concordian family in Huitzli* that can trace their lineage to the Liberation.
Structure
The Sundow Group is compromised of myriad smaller subsidiaries, all feeding into one another in the most complex supply chain in human history. In many ways, its inner workings are a black box, which the Group keeps hidden at all costs.
Assets
The Sundow Group itself owns approximately 28% of all wealth in the galaxy, and the Six Dynasties own another 21% between them. If taken together, just the Group and the Dynasties own 49% of the Chord.
History
The Sundow Group traces its roots back to the Vinell Arsenal in 2nd century Concordia*. Due to quirks of orbital mechanics, the shipyards and drydocks of Vinell - owned by Andrew Sundow and his Sundow Corporation - always stayed just out of the Ameselan's reach all across their invasion. Through the decades of invasion, Vinell became the backbone of the Concordian navy, and as the system suffered, it grew to be one of the largest corporations in Cocnrodia*. As the largest functioning arsenal by the end of the invasion, Vinell was in a unique situation to consolidate it's power. For the century of liberation, Vinell armed the cause of Concordia and Free Mankind. All for a fair price, of course.
In the coming centuries, through company negligence and Concordance overreach, Vinell experienced its own fall from grace. During the expansion of the Pax Concord, Vinell failed to leverage its monopoly status into new power, and soon found itself only one titan of industry among many.
This sorry state of affairs continued into the 9th century, until a dynamic leader of the Sundow Dynasty took charge. Johnathan Sundow I made bought out and arranged alliances with 5 of the most prominent business empires across the Chord, forming the modern Sundow Group with the Six Dynasties at its head.
Military
The Sundow Group began its life as a defense contractor in the Ameselan invasion of the 2nd century. That history is not lost on the modern Group, and today, it contains many thousands of private military companies under its large umbrella, operating all across the civilized galaxy. While the total number of PMCs under Sundow's control is ever changing, a few PMCs with long ties to the Group have gained renown.
The most famous of Sundow's PMCs is the Nautae Fortunae, and by a large margin. While not as old as the 3rd Fleet or Surpluseers, Nautae Fortunae made a name for themselves during a bold attack on an Ameselan colony in Spruu* in 853. They are beloved across the Chord for their Ameselan hunting operations. Their fleet consists of four wings, each containing a capital ship carrier and 3 escort frigates. Nautae Fortunae prefer the use of strike craft swarms supported with railgun artillery.
Another is the 3rd Fleet, but don't let the mundane name fool you. The 3rd Fleet is the oldest mercenary group in the Chord. It is a descendant of the Concordance's 3rd Fleet during the Century of Liberation. When the Ameselan threat was believed to be destroyed, the 3rd Fleet was disbanded. While the ships were slated for the salvage yards in peacetime, some of the ships were bought out by the combined wealth of the veterans who served on them at auction. The 3rd Fleet founded its reputation on the Ameselan wars, and continued that tradition by protecting new colonies as the Chord expanded. It is said that the 3rd's dreadnaught, the Theseus, was one of the ships that bombarded Pelagia, more than 600 years ago.
Founding Date
872
Type
Corporation, Conglomerate
Alternative Names
The Group
Leader
Government System
Corporatocracy
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Controlled Territories
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