Anchorage
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Anchorage is a city on a planet of which it shares and takes its name. Like its namesake it is entirely lawless with no real government or allegiance to any interplanetary state. It is home to a large indigenous population and is the location of many strongholds of criminal organisations. Anchorage is also a haven for those looking to escape law and order or to find an opportunity to make a profit...amongst other things.
Violence and murder are a daily occurrence with gangs and bandits running free across the city. Territory is controlled by Crime Lords the strongest of which are constantly vying for power. It is these Crime Lords or Warlords who run and maintain the city.
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Locations
Sector 1 - Downtown
Once a vibrant and pristine core of the city the area now known as Downtown was partially destroyed in a violent planetquake over twenty years ago. With the government unable to provide sufficient funding to rebuild the sector and private industries seeing no profit in renovating the derelict buildings, the area was abandoned to their own devices. Criminal elements seized the opportunity, moving into the area en masse and establishing a number of semi-legal businesses including gambling establishments, seedy bars and 'sporting' arenas.
Those who have a taste for high stakes gambling and bloodsports frequent a gladiatorial-esque arena called the Death Pit, where conflicts are resolved or prisoners are forced to compete against many things such as gladiators (criminals who have nothing better to do), droids, wild beasts or each other. Access to this place, and even its location, is by invitation only with only those showing a certain disregard for the law, and a large bank balance, being allowed inside. Those found trying to enter without permission are often turned into 'guests' of the resident gladiators, although usually not for very long.
For those whose tastes are geared more towards beauty than brutality there are a number of bars and clubs catering for whatever depths these tastes may descend to, such as the Seven Sins. Filled with music from a dozen different cultures and many exotic and scantily clad dancers - many of whom may perform other acts to please a client - the club was originally established by an old crime lord as his own personal pleasure ground. Since his assassination by an undercover officer disguised as one of his dancers the club has opened its doors to a wider range of clientèle, such as those who can afford the large entrance fee and obey the rules that Seven Sins have laid out.
Visitors to Anchorage who are less interested in pleasure, even those sordid and depraved pleasures available in the city, should consider one of the many bars who cater for almost any form of lifeform and can usually serve just about any beverage from across the galaxy. One of the most notorious bars, appearing at the top of the list for both the local "security" forces and the local hygiene regulatory commission, is called Purgatory. The name truly does speak for itself as it is a place of some disrepute and constant violence as indicated by the pockmarked main entrance.
Many of the city's more well-connected lowlifes frequent the bar and often the shadows are filled with dirty dealings and whispered plans from which some of the city's worse crimes have originated. There is a rumour that the city security forces have tried to infiltrate the bar on a number of occasions, and the fact that every new bartender to be hired by the owner and operator has soon been found dead proves the locals believe these rumours to be true.
Sector 2 - Business District
While Downtown has been left to crumble in the years since the big 'quake the Business District, sometimes referred to as Uptown, has prospered. Many of the high-brow companies who had previously been housed in the older section of the city relocated themselves to the newly opened up territories which the government was subsidising heavily to keep the organisations from simply leaving the planet altogether.
Along with funding the construction of new office buildings and support structures the government also funded the construction of a fully equipped space port capable of handling anything upto and including medium-sized heavy freighters. Recognising the opportunities the facility presented to the criminal elements of local society to carry out smuggling, black market trading and other questionable activities, the government decided to relocate the central police headquarters to the Uptown area. This move was criticised by a number of senior police officers as it made patrolling the rundown areas far more difficult.
Sector 3 - Mining Facilities
Located between the Business District and Downtown the Mining Facilities represent the only reason the Federation tolerate the existence of the feudal Anchorage society, rather than stepping in and pacifying the unruly independant planet. Beneath the planet's crust lies one of the richest mixtures of raw materials in the sector, including duron, adamantium and even dilithium in large and mostly pure quantities. With the independent consortiums operating the mine efficiently and productively the Federation have remained outside of the planet's internal politics, but the local government understand that should the supplies ever be threatened then Starfleet are likely to come knocking.
In response to the danger such attention may bring to the government's own authority, and profit making opportunities, security is extremely tight around the mines with heavily armed patrols being made by both the local police force and privately funded security operatives financed by the various corporations owning and operating the mines. While internal security of the facilities themselves is left in the hands of the corporations, anything which may be seen as a threat to the flow of merchandise soon attracts the government's attention.
Sector 4 - Wastelands
While Downtown may represent the roughest civilised area on the planet, out beyond the crumbling tower blocks lie the area previously used for farmland but now left to decay into a polluted and irradiated waste. With most of the old infrastructure destroyed as bad if not worse than that in Downtown by the great 'quake the sector fell into the hands of roving feral gangs, lacking even the level of sophistication present in Downtown. Many of these gangs provide the muscle to the gangs of Downtown, and beyond, with the harsh conditions acting as the perfect training ground for the youngsters who manage to survive long enough to attract the attention of the criminal organisations, who in most cases represent the only way out of the Wastelands for the gangers.
In recent years the central government has recognised the threat posed by the roving gang wars, with more and more members of the ferals making their way into the more heavily populated regions. As the gang wars make more and more of an impact on the profit generating sections of the city, particularly the mining facilities which the planet has depended on for their continued independence, the government first ordered the police to extend a presence into the ruined and ravaged area. Unfortunately it quickly became clear that the urban law enforcement contingent was ill-equipped and untrained for the duties required in the harsh environment.
Out of desperation the government announced an open bounty on all feral gangers, paving the way for bounty hunters and mercenaries from across the galaxy to move in and take care of the problem. With the privately trained and comparatively well equipped individuals and small operational units arriving on planet a casual military force was arranged, with mercenaries given deputations in the law enforcement agency. Furthermore a blind eye was turned on their methods in exchange for their protection of the civilised sectors of the city from the feral masses.
Sector 5 - Private Estates
On the outskirts of the city, private individuals with the finances and resources to afford them, have set up a string of estates equipped as personal habitations, private mining facilities or even military fortifications, depending on the individual's own needs and purposes. While technically these estates fall under the protection and authority of the city, and the law enforcement of the local police force, most of them are manned by their own security forces. Indeed some are equipped just as well, if not better, than the police themselves.
While the estates are required to report their activities to the central government, especially when it concerns any profit-making which may be generating taxable income, mostly the estates are left to their own devices. They are expected to operate and defend themselves independently except in extreme circumstances.
A number of these estates house criminal enterprises, and most operate their own space ports in order to circumvent the security restrictions in place at the central facility housed within the main city. While this is officially looked down upon by the central government most officials have been coerced into ignoring the practice and often make use of their connections with the criminals to have their own black market goods brought planetside without too much publicity.
Factions on Anchorage
Five main factions on Anchorage are currently the main players in the city and the surrounding area, each faction has a headquarters within the city centre.
Elcore
Lead by a rather corpulent Yridian called Drebin, the Elcore control the central and most prominent parts of Anchorage within the city centre. They are also known to have affiliations with the criminal mastermind Cyrus Grissim. With operatives in many key locations throughout the city the Elcore have the greatest political power among the gangs and practically own the local police force. While they may at first seem to have the smallest membership of any of the gangs this is merely because the majority of their operatives work underground within the city's infrastructure.
The Elcore's primary business is information brokering, and make it their mandate to possess and sell any and all information they can for a price.
Blue Sun Corporation
Run by a Vorta called Covar, the Blue Sun prefer to dabble in high technology crimes which are often either hard to detect or difficult to link to a known perpetrator. The highest profile of the gangs, the Blue Sun operate a large corporate front in order to disguise their offworld dealings. So far the Blue Sun have shown themselves to be the most cooperative gang when it comes to Starfleet operations, but this may only be due to the fact that each of these operations have left the Blue Sun in a stronger position than before.
Orion Syndicate
Unusually for the Orions, their operation on Anchorage is lead by a female Orion called Amora, a femme fatale who basks in her own seductive nature using it to aid her cause whenever and however possible. The local arm of the Orion Syndicate is the most militant of the gangs, with large numbers of hired muscle at their disposal. The Syndicate prefer to rely on strongarm tactics and displays of force to keep the other gangs in line. Their main interests lie in slave dealing and weapons technology and with their long reaching supply chains the Orions are the gang most likely to win should an all-out war ever be declared.
Ferengi Commerce Guild
Run by a Ferengi by the name of Breg, the Commerce Guild are interested in any enterprise which promises profit. Dealing in illegal drugs, weaponry, technologies and resources the Guild are just as willing to deal with any faction on Anchorage as much as the others and their perceived neutrality has kept them relatively safe. They're simply too useful to kill off, even when dealing with the competitors.
Medusa Clan
Run by a Vulcan by the name of Valar the Clan are a group of slicers and telepaths who deal mainly in information warfare. Using their abilities to plant false intelligence in their enemy's computer systems and minds, as well as stealing the secrets held there, the Clan are the all-seeing eyes of the Anchorage underworld with very little occurring without their knowledge. Their prime competitors are the Ferengi Commerce Guild, whose predominantly Ferengi membership are resistant to the Clan's mind games.
Iron Fists
The Iron Fists are a group of cybernetically enhanced crooks operating in Anchorage and the nearby town of Hooper Bay. Led by a male human called Lars Dampier, a man in his mid-thirties the gang has managed to claw together a sizeable amount of resources in the small town and have begun to increase their area of operation into the main city.
Lars is a cold calculating, intelligently brutal individual who tends to give the outward impression that he is nothing more than a mindless thug. It is however merely a ruse to lull people into a false sense of superiority which has often lead to fatal consequences for his enemies. Lars also has a natural ability to know things which he shouldn't, gaining information about an object, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses. Most people attribute this to his maternal grandmother being Betazoid, giving Lars what appears to be a partially clairvoyant sense of the world around him.
At the pinnacle of human physical ability and a superb fighter and martial artist, Lars is driven to improve himself further. As such his right arm has been completely replaced with a cybernetic mechanism giving him some measure of enhanced strength. All of this combined makes him one extremely dangerous individual who is not to be underestimated.
The Iron Fists are mainly involved in racketeering, armed robbery, illegal mining, piracy, hijacking, drugs and prostitution. Iron Fists employ brute force and intimidation to get their way and are seemingly one of the most aggressive gangs based on Anchorage, though they are nowhere near as violent as the bandits that roam the Wastelands. They prefer leaving their victims alive so they can return to "exploit" them again in the future. The Iron Fists do have a HQ in Anchorage City but their main stronghold lies in Hooper Bay.
