The Chain of the Void is a pirate cult, reports of which go as far back as four millennia prior to present day. The cult is centered around the worship of Sith and their respective artifacts, more specifically a Sith Lord called Darth Avarc. The exploits of Avarc are the stuff of legend, as this particular lord eschewed the typical political machinations of Sith for the sake of conquering the galactic underworld, and numerous troves of treasure and Sith artifacts were hidden across the galaxy, which the modern cult hunts relentlessly.

The title of Darth Avarc is passed along from one pirate overlord to the next, leaving some debate as to whether or not the actions of the Avarc of legend were actually the work of several individuals over a longer period of time. For the Chain, their god and their leader are technically one and the same, even if they know the person who has taken the throne. They discard their old identity and live as the god-monarch Avarc, which is why the character is known to have so many various traits. The only requirement necessary to be eligible for Avarc’s position, as well as to lead a Link, is to be Force sensitive and exceptionally so.

The Chain’s sizable fleet is divided into quarters, the makeup of each varying in size. These links are known as the Link of Hunger, Link of Chants, Link of Lords, and the Link of Greed. The emblem of the Chain is representative of these links, with Hunger’s link dripping with blood and bone, Chants’ link wrapped with prayer beads, Lords’ decorated with medals and other various adornments, and Greed’s covered with jewels and precious metals. Sometimes the emblem is painted onto ships, other times sewn onto flags and the flesh of its crew, complete with all the decorations adorning each link.

The Link of Hunger serves as the forward forces of the Chain, and they tend to operate autonomously in raiding and scavenging small military and civilian craft. Their fleet consists of a few small destroyers and blockade runners, generally held together by scrap and running dangerously hot. The dregs of Hunger are considered to be the most expendable of the pirates, which is something that they have worked into their status as the most zealous cultists of Avarc. Extreme to suicidal tactics are generally considered the norm in encounters with Hunger. They are led by a scrappy Aleena, Tabor Choi, who has served the longest tenure as admiral in the history of the Link of Hunger, surviving a year and a half thus far. His longevity can be attributed to factors such as his fast tactics, quick Force enhanced reflexes, and a fair amount of luck. While Choi gleefully dreams of becoming Avarc, much like the grandiose afterlife promises his very supportive Link receives, his reckless methods would likely drive the Chain into the ground in a matter of weeks.

The Link of Chants is the most subtle of all of the Chain’s fleets, and they adopt a versatile array of tasks. They serve as religious leaders and guides to the rest of the fleet, researchers and archaeologists for the purpose of recovering any of Avarc’s treasure, and occasionally inquisitors to root out insurrections that weaken the Chain as a whole. Their fleet consists of a number of cruisers outfitted with more subtle armaments like defensive countermeasures and cyberwarfare suites, designed to confuse and put enemies into disarray more than anything else. Political infighting runs high among Chanters, and their system of priesthood is almost indecipherably convoluted. Their highest clergy, in this case a Zeltron priestess called Barah Dabos, made her way to her position through a successful career of manipulation, backbiting, underhanded deals, and an assassination or two. She is described by her colleagues as the most “progressive” high priestess that the Chain has seen in decades. It might be a commentary on her odd fit for the position, given the reputation of her species and her own less-than-pious tendencies. Whether “progressive” means more or less extreme demonstrations of faith is up in the air, but it does appear that Barah has designs upon Avarc’s throne, and her ambition will likely put her there one way or antoher. Barah’s Force sensitivity complements her natural affinity for manipulation, allowing her to compel and control those around her into doing her bidding.

The Link of Lords is the home of the Chain’s decorated veterans, and it is where the dregs of Hunger aspire to go if they are to achieve glory within their lifetimes, and where the acolytes of Chants wish to go to provide greater demonstrations of their sway and power. It is the most heavily armed and best equipped out of all the fleets, employing at least one dreadnaught alongside several destroyers. The Lords are deployed to support the other Links when they are tackling a difficult raid, but they generally stay out of the limelight to keep the Link of Greed safely hidden away. They are led by a grizzled, middle aged Zabrak known only as Stukrun, and his long and storied career has made him a legend in his own right. Despite a prosthetic arm and several cybernetic organs, age and injury don’t seem to have slowed Stukrun at all, and he has the deep respect of his crew for it. While he has no personal interest in rising to Avarc’s station, he has stated before that he will resign himself to the will of the crew should the time come. Stukrun’s Force sensitivity grants him exceptional control over his body functions and great strength, as well as an acute talent for short and long term prescience.

Finally, the Link of Greed is the nerve center of the entire fleet. It is the home of Avarc and all the riches that the Chain of the Void has accumulated thus far, and thus the fleet is rather small. It consists of only dreadnaughts and treasure galleons, and no one knows on which it is that Avarc lives and works. Each ship is crewed by a small but exceptionally trained honor guard and a skeleton crew on each ship, which is supplemented by the Lords in emergencies. The identity of the current Avarc is unknown, but it is rumored that he or she is ailing in some way, and that a power struggle may be coming very soon in the future of the fleet.

As for why they are a threat to Tyrant Sword, the Chain of the Void is the galaxy’s oldest pirate empire, and they plan to keep it that way. In addition, the extreme nature of the faith drives them to follow a particular doctrine quite stringently; none but the chosen of Avarc are entitled to the gifts that the Force bestows. The upstarts on the *Broken Blade* have Clan Arcona behind them, and once the Chain gets wind of them, things will start to get messy.