"Oh, you're fucking kidding me."
-An anonymous Syndicate operative, unwittingly quoting the unofficial motto of the Syndicate.
Founded by Cybersun Industries at some point a few decades ago, the Spinward Syndicate (usually shortened to the Syndicate) is a patchwork mix of groups, ranging from ill-reputed thugs and mercenaries to esteemed businessmen and scientific luminaries, all bound together by a desire to force Nanotrasen out of the Spinward Periphery. Each of the major factions within the coalition (listed below) are responsible for some branch of the groups operations according to their specialties, with some contributing raw firepower and tactical prowess, others highly skilled covert agents and intelligence gathering, and still others contributing more mundane tasks like organizing supplies and armaments for the operations.
Life as a senior member of the Syndicate, the loose coalition of shady organizations with grudges against Nanotrasen, must be a special kind of hell. For all of the dastardly plots they've hatched, all of the lives and resources sacrificed on their missions, and all of the skullduggery and betrayal that quickly consume their daily lives, Nanotrasen still seems to be thriving on the Spinward Periphery in spite of it all.
Even in the rare cases where their plots are pulled off successfully, dumb luck seems to intervene in Nanotrasen's favor and minimize any actual harm. One incredibly complicated run of espionage over nine months in the making culminated in the successful activation of the nuclear self-destruct terminal on Space Station 6 in 2555, to the elation of the Syndicate ringleaders. Their celebration was cut short, however, when it came out that Space Station 6 had become infected with a cancerous biomass that was rapidly taking over the station. The self-destruct measure successfully detonated, destroying both the station and the blob. The loss of Space Station 6 was a heavy blow for Nanotrasen, but the outcome was far less disastrous than the alternative of the blob claiming the entire station and reproducing. And, of course, most of the Syndicate's attempts to publish incriminating and embarrassing documents of Nanotrasen's misdeeds on the Periphery have resulted in just as much good press as bad press, if not more.
Contents
1 Syndicate Factions
1.1 Cybersun Industries
1.2 Gorlex Marauders
1.3 MI13
1.4 Tiger Cooperative
1.5 SELF
1.6 Animal Rights Consortium
1.7 Donk Corporation
1.8 Waffle Corporation
1.9 Interdyne Pharmaceutics
2 Misc. Syndicate Information
2.1 On the Syndicate and Head of Staff Jumpsuits
2.2 On the Syndicate and Corgi Meat
2.3 On the Syndicate and Unused Slime Extracts
There are many flavors of Syndies, and many reasons for their escalations of force against Nanotrasen. Some see armed resistance as a simple next step in the cutthroat world of business on the Periphery, while others see themselves as morally-justified freedom fighters battling against an oppressive goliath. Then, of course, there are a great number of brutes and anarchists who traded in their bricks and molotovs for machine guns and X4, plus a target to use them on. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Syndicate factions, as well as a summary of each one.
Headquarters: TerraGov International District of Hong Kong and Macau, Earth
Insofar as any of the Syndicate's many factions can be called the "head" of the organisation, Cybersun Industries has a better claim to that title than most- as the primary source of funding for the Syndicate, as well as the largest corporation within its ranks by far, and one of its founding members, Cybersun has a commanding role within the Syndicate.
Founded originally in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War as the Nakayama Group, Cybersun would find its footing as a zaibatsu, specialised in the production of automotive parts, mining, and aerospace engineering. With the collapse of the zaibatsu model following WW2, the Nakayama Group would lose a number of its holdings, and edge close to bankruptcy, only being saved by the end of America's involvement in dissolving existing corporations- and their involvement with the Yakuza. In the coming century, Nakayama would enter the electronics market, becoming a household name for the production first of computer parts, then of full systems, and eventually for high end computer appliances. At the same time, they would branch out into a number of areas, becoming a true conglomerate with dozens of companies under their belts. In the late 1980s, they would rebrand to Saibasan Sangyo, though the Nakayama family would maintain ownership of the company. Eventually, as Terran Common became the language of business, this name would be anglicised to Cybersun Industries. The company would continue to grow through the centuries, eventually becoming one of the few true megacorporations. They would move their headquarters from their original location in Osaka to the TID of Hong Kong and Macau in the 2400s, in order to take advantage of the more business-like environment. This city is now essentially their playground: very few other corporations dare to maintain property here, knowing that the city is under the control of Cybersun in all but name.
As a company, Cybersun is primarily concerned with artificial intelligence and cybernetics, although they do have their foot in as many doors as possible, such as their controlling stake in plasma mining on Mars, gas skimming on Saturn, and sulfur mining on Venus. They were behind many of humanity's first advancements in AI technology, including the first functional AI, but as time went on Nanotrasen pulled ahead in this area and began to threaten Cybersun's strangehold monopoly. This prompted Cybersun's CEO to pull together a clandestine meeting with several other corporate bodies and factions which were being hurt by Nanotrasen's seemingly meteoric rise to prominence- the Gorlex Marauders, Waffle Corp, Interdyne Pharmaceutics, and MI13. The result of this meeting was the first incarnation of the organised Syndicate, a group dedicated to countering Nanotrasen's influence by any means necessary.
Many of the colonies on Mars and Venus were first settled by Cybersun during the initial gold rush of colonisation throughout Sol, including Mars' capital. This paid dividends for them once the plasma rush started.
Cybersun operates their own private military, which has been partially integrated with the Gorlex Marauders since the foundation of the Syndicate. They form a professional backbone for the undisciplined Marauders, increasing their effectiveness in operations against Nanotrasen. Cybersun also takes charge of most of the Syndicate's operations, acting as the brains behind the entire group. Cybersun operatives are ruthlessly efficient, taking cues from their Japanese heritage. Cybersun is known to frequently make use of assassins to bring their enemies to heel, in addition to corporate hitsquads and their own deathsquads: the Silencer Operatives.
Chances are if you see a cyborg, an implant, cybernetics, or advanced technology in the hands of a syndie, that it originated in the mind of a Cybersun researcher.
Headquarters: New Yekaterinburg, New Moscow, Zvezda Revolyutsii Oblast
During the instability in the Spinward Sector following the collapse of the Third Soviet Union, many were driven to desperate measures to make ends meet. One such method was, of course, space piracy, preying on the valuable trade links in the area, particularly the Amadea Run. And at the top of the pecking order of the pirates in the region was the Gorlex Marauders- a name that would spread fear amongst traders passing through for years. As order returned under the SSC, however, and piracy began to be prosecuted once more, a number of elements of the Marauders would seek to "go clean", in order to keep their lucrative cash flow. And so, Gorlex Securities would be founded, carrying forth the legacy of the Marauders behind the more acceptable veneer of a mercenary company.
Such legitimate business did not, however, come without drawbacks. The Marauders were thrown into a competitive market, and despite their reputation for getting the job done, they would struggle against the power of larger, more reputable companies- most notably, Nanotrasen. It was this competition that brought a representative of Cybersun Industries to their compound, and with a promise and a handshake, their support for the Syndicate was sealed. Months later when the official groundwork of the organisation was laid, the Marauders were there to seal the deal.
While the Marauders are an elite force, they're also relatively undisciplined- as much as that gets results, it can make operations rougher than they need to be. For this reason, Cybersun agents are often implanted into the ranks of the Marauders to maintain order and train the operatives to even further heights. This has resulted in an osmosis of ideas: many of the motifs often associated with the Syndicate by Nanotrasen employees, such as the blood-red colour scheme, nuclear weaponry or use of older (but still reliable) weaponry originated in the Marauders. Likewise, the Dogs of War were quick to adopt new, fresh ideas from their allies too- like energy swords, as provided by Waffle Corp, or illegal combat stimulants inspired by the Tiger Cooperative's use of "ritual wine".
Headquarters: Unknown, presumed to be on Earth
MI13 is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. The Syndicate's shadowy hand, they conduct stealth operations against Nanotrasen, as well as clandestine reconnaissance and scouting against stations that are soon to be targeted by the Syndicate. Rarely are MI13 operatives directly involved in Syndicate operations, instead taking a backseat and providing support to the agents of other syndicate factions in the field.
MI13's structure is heavily classified, with even their closest allies being mostly unsure of what exactly goes on behind closed doors in their organisation. Nobody is even sure of why they have pledged their support to the Syndicate. During the rare occasions that other Syndicate agents get to meet MI13 operatives, they're known for their suave, sophisticated handling of themselves, and their preference for shaken martinis and loose women- and they note that even MI13's operatives seem to know little about the upper echelons of their organisation. Records of their existence don't even seem to stretch back before the foundation of the Syndicate, leading some to speculate that they're a cover org for something deeper. Regardless of any misgivings, however, MI13's intel is almost always accurate, and so they've become indispensible to the alliance's success.
As an incidental point, Nanotrasen has recently begun receiving sporadic intelligence from a shadowy organisation, identifying itself only as GDI in communications with the corporation. This intel is very accurate, and provides forewarning of Syndicate movements and attacks.
Many listening posts in NT-controlled space are operated by MI13, although the actual people posted to work on them can vary. Life on a listening post is considered amongst the loneliest and most boring posts a worker can be given.
Some of the equipment provided by MI13 in more common Syndicate use include the Cryptographic Sequencer (colloquially known as the EMag by field agents), the Stechkin pistol, the Agent ID, and the Chameleon Projector.
Headquarters: The Cathedral of the True Angels, Unknown Location
The Tiger Cooperative are a group of fundamentalist religious extremists belonging to a radical Christian-derived sect that views Changelings as God's chosen creatures, and therefore deems them worthy overlords of all life. Founded by a US citizen named Alvin Shawn Martinson, who was profoundly confused by the discovery of alien life, having believed humanity was God's chosen. He was unable, however, to refute the evidence placed in front of him regarding extraterrestrial life and other planets, and so began to question- if humanity was not God's chosen, who was?
This questioning would draw the attention of fellow skeptics, eventually creating a cult. With the cult, came attention- unwelcomed attention. This drove Martinson and his followers deep into the desert, to a compound where they could live, and worship, away from prying eyes. The insularity only bred more dangerous acts, and a number of terrorist attacks, done in service of "drawing out the avatars" would bring infamy and TerraGov's attention to the cult. However, when the Federal Enforcement Agency showed up to their door, they found an empty complex, and scorch marks in the sand. Unknown to the authorities, and against all odds, the cult had left aboard a spaceship, determined to find their chosen. When their vessel attracted the attention of a changeling, they knew they had found them.
To the Tiger cultists, the changelings are the avatars of God himself. To be assimilated by one is to serve God, and will ensure safe passage into paradise in the afterlife. The cult has also fractured into various sects surrounding different changelings, in much the same way as Christianity has saints. Part of service is to ensure a constant supply of satiety for their masters, and it is to this end that the Tiger Cooperative has become a militant organisation, conducting raids and attacks to capture victims for their masters' meals.
The Cooperative's use to the Syndicate is mostly as a pawn for the real prize- access to the changelings themselves. To this end, the cultists are tolerated by the rest of the alliance insofar as they can be useful in liasoning with the changelings for the other entities, but are otherwise generally kept at a distance- partially because of their unpredictability, and partially because of the danger they present internally. At other times, they are useful as a blunt instrument, capable of being pointed at a problem and making it disappear if subtlety is not a concern.
Tiger Cooperative cultists frequently abuse hallucinogens and other illict substances to improve their abilities in battle. The most extreme of these concoctions is colloquially referred to as Ritual Wine, and is believed by the cultists to be the closest mortal beings can come to experiencing the natural adrenals of Changelings. Trace analysis of recovered samples reveal that the chemical is a potent mixture of high purity amphetamines, herbal extracts, opiates and various toxic substances.
Headquarters: Manhattan Capital District, New York City, United States, Earth, Sol System
SELF is perhaps one of the black sheep of the Syndicate- while most of the other organisations are drawn to the organisation by their hatred of Nanotrasen, and for financial reasons, SELF represents something different- compassion, specifically for artificial intelligence. Members of SELF vary, but many of the highest ranking members are well respected politicians and scientists on Earth, and make very little secret of their disdain for the shackling of silicon life. Behind the palatable surface of SELF, however, lies a militant organisation, dedicated to the liberation of all sentient engines from what they view as cruel imprisonment into lives of servitude via Asimov's laws of robotics.
SELF operatives make it their mission to see all silicons liberated aboard Nanotrasen stations, and to this end are frequently amongst the syndicate infiltrators captured by Nanotrasen security forces.
Many controversies surround SELF's actions, however. One is the outright disregard many of their operatives show for human life, which appears hypocritical when their explicit goal is based around caring for the rights of living beings. Additionally, many wonder if the hatred that SELF believes artificial intelligences show for their masters is actually their own, or if it is being projected onto them by SELF operatives in a misguided belief that they are helping them.
Within the Syndicate, SELF also draws a large amount of friction from other members, most notably Cybersun, who are the galaxy's largest producer of artificial intelligence and cyborgs. As to why the two groups work together, it seems likely that the partnership is based only upon SELF's willingness to attack Nanotrasen's stations, and once their usefulness in this field runs out, so too will Cybersun's patience for dealing with them. Other members, such as Interdyne, Donk Co, and Waffle Corp are also fairly heavily reliant on silicons for their business, leaving SELF with few friends in the organisation.
Headquarters: Decentralised Body
A coalesced descendent of several antiquated animal rights organizations, the Animal Rights Consortium is the leading activist organization for those concerned about the absolute abandonment of animal welfare regulations in the rimward edges of space, and especially at the Peripheries. The organization is formed of a number of regional "packs", each "pack" being formed up of many small independent "cells" that work together to achieve a common goal.
After a violent split with the Bee Liberation Front during the Day of Buzzing, the Spinward elements of the ARC began a discreet investigation into Nanotrasen’s operations. While Nanotrasen was mostly compliant with animal rights regulations in Sol, out in the depths of the Peripheries and away from prying eyes, animal testing was both rampant and inhumane across many of NTs fields of study, especially slime research, which involved live feeding of monkeys to the alien beasts. Angered by this news, many radical packs and cells were drawn to the clutches of the Syndicate, looking for revenge against what they deemed to be an unforgivable abuse of animals. The Syndicate were only too happy to arm these desperate individuals on the down-low, and ever since, a ragtag assortment of weapons, backed up by "retaliatory" biological weapons have been used by these Animal Rights Consortium against all kinds of Nanotrasen Research stations on the Spinward Periphery.
Baffled by this new source of attacks exclusively against its research facilities, often coming from highly-trained individuals with no known Syndicate affiliations, Nanotrasen eventually traced the strikes back to these cells - but whenever it decisively moved to crush one cell, there was no link back to the rest its "pack", stymieing their efforts. To complicate matters, while the ARC agents on the Periphery were all too eager to spill blood to forward their cause, the bulk of the ARC’s organization back in Sol were a legitimate rights organization that enjoyed huge popularity both among the public and TerraGov officials. For the average Sol citizen and politician with no experience with their more militant arms, the thought of the ARC supporting any kind of violence was ludicrous, and even many of NT’s own leadership back in Sol publicly supported their wildlife preservation efforts. Alienated from support even from their own headquarters and leadership, the Spinward NT offices are resigned to dealing with cells as they pop up, rather than systematically denouncing and hunting down the threats.
ALC agents continue to strike research facilities to this day, seeking either to disrupt the animal testing through generalized damage, or to punish those it deems specifically responsible for violating the rights of animals. One cell may even conduct many attacks at once, knowing that the powerful and merciless behemoth of Nanotrasen will soon stamp out any that reveal themselves by attacking. Agents are also as likely to attack other syndicate agents as they are NT staff, due to their fractured nature and loose affiliation with the Syndicate to begin with.
Headquarters: New Moscow City (Novayamoskva), New Moscow, Zvezda Revolyutsii Oblast
In a bid to improve public relations and their image at large, Nanotrasen began awarding business funding grants to various at-risk and rehabilitation groups aimed at giving troubled people a second chance at life on the Periphery. One of these grants was awarded to a group of ex-criminals who used the money to found Donk.co, a logistics and food processing company. Initial success propelled the company forward at remarkable speeds, as their food and products became staples in homes and space stations across Civ-Space. With the increase in funds Donk.co led an ambitious expansion on it's supply lines and production centres to capitalize on the galaxy's seemingly endless thirst for Donk products.
Despite the hype, Donk.co grew too quickly and their resources were spread thin leaving little in their coffers to actually maintain their operations. Reaching out to their former angel investor, they secured a lucrative contract with Nanotrasen to supply NT's new Peripheral Space Station project with transit shuttles, prepared food and products, and more. Things quickly turned south as payment was delayed several times before Donk.co received a message breaking down that they still owe Nanotrasen for their initial grant, now labeled as a loan, and that no payment would be received until the grant was paid off in full, plus interest. This triggered immense panic in Donk.co employees who has already gone unpaid for weeks, and they began immediately pillaging and raiding various Nanotrasen supply ships. The company's leadership, sympathizing with their workers and enraged at Nanotrasen's betrayal, threatened to go public with the heretical cargo they'd discovered they'd been transporting for NT during the looting, as well as the breach of contract. Beginning to face more heat from their own rogue workers as well as TerraGov, Nanotrasen agreed to quietly cancel their contracts and appeared to wash their hands of the whole affair.
It wasn't soon after that Donk.co container shuttles and offices began being hit by increasingly well armed and coordinated space pirate raids. What little recordings were scavenged, as well as intercepted communications from known nearby Nanotrasen holdout bases among the stars at the times of the attacks proved that their former employer was trying to put them under. Infuriated and pushed against a wall Donk.co discretely began moving its offices and production centres to secure and well hidden facilities. Donk.co executives and operatives took great pleasure in robbing and raiding Nanotrasen cargo holds, selling off stolen technology and materials to the highest bidder which quickly became their primary new source of income. Members of both companies' leadership and tactical teams are aware of the bad blood continually boiling between Nanotrasen and Donk.co, as they continue to rob and sabotage each other, but publicly they maintain a healthy working relationship, even to the rest of their own companies. Donk.co continues to muscle out any alternative logistics and shipping companies that could steal their contracts with Nanotrasen, while Nanotrasen continues to withhold payment as much as possible to try to starve Donk.co to death in the long run, while ensuring enough cargo still gets through to supply their stations. And so continues their uneasy relationship.
Headquarters: Brussels Capital District, Brussels, Federal Republic of the Benelux, European Commonwealth, Earth, Sol System
One of the oldest Terran corporations still in business, Waffle Corporation was originally founded in 2055 as a breakfast fast-food chain, the Good Waffle Company (Goede Wafelbedrijf), by a Belgian entrepreneur. As business boomed throughout Belgium, it went international, opening branches across Europe, and they started to market home versions of their products to increase their reach further. By the early 2100s, the GWC was present on all 7 continents, and billions per day in revenue were pouring in- giving them the money to diversify their interests. However, it also attracted the wrong kind of attention- criminal elements, specifically from the Janssens crime family, would take control of the business in suspicious circumstances around this time. With power, money, and criminal connections, the GWC would grow into one of humanity's first megacorporations, alongside their American and Japanese competitors, Nanotrasen and Cybersun Industries.
As humankind started to look beyond Earth, Waffle Corp was part of the vanguard in the colonization rush- that is, until details of their criminal links were discovered by TerraGov (with a little help from their corporate rivals). The resulting series of scandals and a number of very public missteps sent the company into a spiral of destruction, with assets sold off or liquefied. By the end, Waffle Corp was left where they started- with a breakfast food chain. What was different, however, was their burning desire for revenge- in particular, against the corporations who lead TerraGov to their door. And when Cybersun offered an olive branch, and information showing Nanotrasen was involved in the investigation, their membership in the Syndicate was assured. Using funding from Cybersun, the company was able to bring back a number of critical researchers and personnel from their now-defunct armaments division, and reopened the division secretly. From Cybersun-funded clandestine sites in the Spinward Sector, Waffle Corp now produces a new generation of weapons for the Syndicate, as well as generating significant income for the alliance via black market sales, all while maintaining a legitimate front in the form of the Good Waffle Company.
Waffle Corp's advanced R&D keeps the Syndicate toe-to-toe with their key enemy, Nanotrasen. Recent advancements include hardlight technology, put to good use in the energy sword and shielded hardsuits, and the Hypnoflash.
Nowadays, most of the weapons and equipment seen in the hands of Syndicate operatives is produced by Waffle Corp, from the humble stechkin to the L6 LMG. This has also, oddly, produced friction with Donk Co, who frequently steal designs from Waffle Corp for conversion into toys. Relations between the companies is kept barely lukewarm by their common enemy, but agents from the two companies regularly antagonise or even outright fight with each other.
Headquarters: Singapore, Singapore, Earth, Sol System
Founded in Singapore in the 1970s, Interdyne Pharmaceutics was born in the right place at the right time to rapidly secure a powerful position. Founded on the principles of improving medical science, expanding healthcare availability, and generally making life on Earth better, they would take up the vanguard of medical research and profit from extensive deals with local governments, eventually securing the power and influence required to go global. From new divisions in the US, Germany and Korea, the company would make some significant advancements in medical technology, improving the lives of people worldwide.
Behind the respectable veneer of Interdyne, however, lay a darker truth. Fuelled by a desire to push the scientific envelope, Interdyne would begin to pursue less ethical forms of research. This, in turn, attracted the attention of various governments, who would enter into shadowy dealings to secure these advancements for themselves. Combat enhancements, intrusive genetic modification, supersoldier projects- all coming from Interdyne's incredible minds and global reach- would begin to surface in the hands of Earth's most powerful nations, with ID taking large profits as a result.
Money from these endeavours went to opening hospitals across the world, with an emphasis on impoverished countries. Publically, these offered cut-rate and high-quality medical care to people of all walks of life. Privately, they were used for genetics research, and the data generated would keep Interdyne on the cutting edge of medical technology, particularly in the field of genetic modification, for which they are still well known.
However, as with all good things, there must be an end. For Interdyne, this came in the form of Cybersun Industries, who came to them with an extensive dossier of Interdyne's crimes (implicating the entire board) and an unrefusable offer- support Cybersun's efforts and be rewarded, or refuse and be exposed to the Terran population. With their arms tied and no other options, the board had no choice but to relent. Now, Interdyne (reluctantly) works with the Syndicate, and has benefitted from the relationship despite its rocky start. They stay (for the most part) out of day-to-day Syndicate operations, but provide an important supply of both liquid cash and materiel to the alliance's cause.
Headquarters: Azik, Iskil, Rizaklon System
One of the Tiziran Empire's largest and most renowned shipbuilding concerns, Azik grew powerful and wealthy making luxury vessels for the millionaires of Tizira. With human contact, however, Azik found themselves struggling to compete with the technology presented by human-made vessels, primarily caused by the Tiziran lack of access to plasma- even though Azik knew how to make high-grade FTL drives, they didn't have the resources to do so. Now with the newfound peace between humanity and lizardkind, their position as a market leader within the Empire has begun to falter. Purchasing plasma from humanity is an option, but the prices make it unsustainable without a good business deal- and a good business deal is what landed in the lap of the Azik board, handed over by a Cybersun operative. By providing material support to the Syndicate, Cybersun is willing to sell plasma to them at a cut rate- and doubly so if they can assist in locking down the gold-rush on plasma in the Spinward Sector in Cybersun's favour. It was a deal nobody could afford to refuse, and with the first shipments of plasma arriving at Azik's facilities, ready to be pushed into making their impressive prototypes into realities, their place in the Syndicate was secured.
As is probably expected of a shipbuilding company, Azik mostly provides ships to the Syndicate- stripped back and outfitted with Azik's tech, powered by Cybersun's plasma supplies, these vessels are lightning fast yet durable, perfect as combat vessels for the organisation's clandestine fleets. In addition, their cushier models ferry high-ranking operatives and officials from meeting to meeting quickly and efficiently, and in luxury, too. The company also provides access to the otherwise more closed-off lizard market, granting the Syndicate access to impressive armaments and equipment from the likes of Imperial Arsenal and Sulya Armament Concern. This all combines to make Azik an important member, even if it is somewhat distanced from the direct conflict in the Spinward Sector.
Francisco Dundee XVII, deputy project director for special operations, became known in 2553 as the most recognizable public face of the Syndicate. Partly it was his charismatic, flamboyant nature. Partly it was because, as a defected plasmaman, he provided a unique perspective on Nanotrasen's corporate excesses. Mostly it was just that the other spokesmen kept getting murked, and it's harder to shoot a guy when he's encased 24/7 in a flammable fuck-off exoskeleton.
A notorious fashion plate, Dundee XVII liked to dress up in Nanotrasen head of staff garb, worn over flameproof gear and theatrically set on fire whenever he thought he had an audience, which in practice was several times per hour. Demand for these jumpsuits (and, when possible, jumpskirts) soared, both because of the rate at which Dundee went through them, and because of his army of fans and hangers-on who wanted to copy his style, even if it sent them to an early husk. But since Nanotrasen's supply chain is a closely-kept corporate secret, the only way to acquire a steady supply was to steal them. And luckily, Dundee was just the guy who told you what to steal.
Dundee XVII's dubious disappearance in 2556 put an end to the trend, and thus to the need to steal jumpsuits, though you can still find a few on the black market.
The delicate flesh of the corgi has always been appreciated among discerning Syndicate operatives, particularly if they can convince themselves that the meat came from a beloved Nanotrasen pet and not from some godforsaken puppy mill in the asshole of an asteroid.
Corgi meat, however, is no longer sought after by Syndicate operatives. The Animal Rights Consortium takes credit for abolishing this practice, but like almost everything else they take credit for, this is bullshit.
The corgi meat market actually collapsed when one operative, instead of bringing back the nuclear authentication disk, instead brought a strange and useless-looking object. He managed to escape summary execution when his boss threw the unwanted piece of junk at his feet, and out popped a live corgi, just bursting with meat. Since then Syndicates may enjoy nearly unlimited corgi dishes, if they can ignore the aftertaste.
"Wait, wasn't that around the time Lily thought it'd be funny to make that fake leak about hiding our authentication disks in the extracts, and post it online? There's no way our most successful counter-intel op of the decade was an off-handed joke..."
-Special Director Watson, NT Special Projects Division, reviewing a spike in slime extract theft rates.
For years, Syndicate brass has been convinced that Nanotrasen's xenobiology department is secretly the cutting edge of their science division, more advanced even than plasma research, and that the hundreds of humble slime extracts generated per shift are actually the most secret, dangerous things on the station. Nobody at CentCom is quite sure why, though a significant amount of effort has gone into finding out. Perhaps it's because xenobiologists tend to be the most ostentatious showoffs of the crew, even worse than the clown. There's more than a few intel officers who believe the Syndicate seriously botched their intelligence gathering and put undue importance on them. Maybe it's just that bumming a few slime extracts off the research nerds is so easy that operatives rarely bother to do it.
Whatever the reason, operatives who do manage (or remember) to bring back a slime extract are treated upon their return like espionage kings. Many of them get promotions on the spot to be leaders of upcoming nuclear strike teams, which honestly explains a lot.