Here is another in a series of informational essays about the terraformed Mars seen in “The Bride from Dairapaska,” “The White Elephant of Panschin,” and future books in the Steppes of Mars series.
There are plenty of organized crime syndicates on Mars, just as there are on Olde Earthe. They are (very loosely) aligned with the four great demesnes surrounding Barsoom: DelFino, Woo, Goryonov, and Song. These are the wealthiest and most powerful families on Mars. Woo and Song are bitter rivals going back to ancient days back on Olde Earthe.
Hēyde yègŭi
Hēyde yègŭi is associated with Woo. Headquartered in Barsoom, they are the best-known organization. When Mars was colonized, one of the smaller Chinese tongs saw their opportunity and made sure that their own people were included as colonists. Hēyde yègŭi is still very strongly influenced by their tong originators, far more so than the similarly founded Crouching Dragon.
Hēyde yègŭi is far more important on Mars than their originating Olde Earthe group ever was. Initially, they maintained some ties to their originating organization in China, but over time resentment grew on the Martian side. When Olde Earthe still visited Mars regularly, the Martian members of Hēyde yègŭi were treated as second class and second-rate compared to their Olde Earthe counterparts.
The decades-long interregnum pointed out to Hēyde yègŭi how little they needed Olde Earthe to maintain their control of their criminal networks on Mars and how much they resented those damned Olde Earthe bastards, visiting and lording it over them.
They are involved in all the usual criminal enterprises; extortion, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, money laundering, gambling, the slave trade, etc.
Hēyde yègŭi has branches in many of the free-cities on Mars, but not all.
Hēyde yègŭi is most closely aligned with Woo. They generally don’t work with Song (Crouching Dragon does that).
The Chinese word for boss is close to lăobăn. This is the term used for senior leaders in Hēyde yègŭi. It can be modified by adding honored or most honored in front of the term.
All Hēyde yègŭi members have the house insignia tattooed on their chest: the outline of a black ghost. As a member moves up in the rankings, more tattoos are added, nearly always of Chinese characters. These markings all have meaning within Hēyde yègŭi and they are earned and awarded only to members. These tattoos are inked only where they will not show when fully dressed, and they are rarely revealed to outsiders. Only an initiate of Hēyde yègŭi will provide these tattoos. In some neighborhoods, a heavily tattooed member of Hēyde yègŭi can clear a bathhouse pool just by entering the room.
Crouching Dragon
Crouching Dragon is associated with Song. Crouching Dragon is also of Asian origin like Hēyde yègŭi, but with a much stronger yakuza and Japanese element, which influences its structure and style. Despite being rivals, they are similar in many ways. They share the same criminal interests, the same method of marking the body with tattoos – although they never use the same designs. Members of Crouching Dragon use the yakuza style of full body pictorial tats as opposed to symbolism. Like Hēyde yègŭi’s tats, Crouching Dragon never tattoos where it will show. Crouching Dragon does do the pinky finger removal to show obedience. Like Hēyde yègŭi, Crouching Dragon despises their Olde Earthe originators.
Blue Sun
Blue Sun is associated with Goryonov. Their origins are Russian. Blue Sun is looser in structure and more overtly violent than Hēyde yègŭi or Crouching Dragon. They do not share style characteristics. Their tats are similar to Russian mob tats; idiosyncratic, symbolic, and pictorial. Blue Sun always has a single tattoo showing, usually on the hands or the neck: a small blue, unadorned circle. Otherwise, no tattoos ever show when fully dressed.
Blue Sun dominates Panschin but other groups try to infiltrate because of the sea of money washing over the free-city. The Panschin members of Blue Sun resent their Barsoom overlords. They don’t believe (and they are right) that the Barsoom leaders don’t understand the needs of the domed city and what lives beneath it. The head of Blue Sun in Panschin is traditionally from Barsoom and not a home-grown member hailing from within one of Panschin’s own districts.
Knights of Mars
Knights of Mars is very loosely associated with DelFino. Very little is known about Knights of Mars, and they prefer it that way. People who should know (members of the planet’s Internal Security department among others) argue among themselves as to how much control DelFino actually has over Knights of Mars. They don’t believe the connection is anywhere near as strong as Woo over Hēyde yègŭi or Goryonov over Blue Sun.
Knights of Mars’ culture believes strongly in remaining invisible. Information is shared only on a need-to-know basis. A member can be a stalwart member of the local community with a normal job, normal family life, and go to church services faithfully. No one, not even a family member, will know about the hidden life.
There are more overt members who fulfill the functions of intimidation. They become known to local law enforcement and to the other criminal organizations. Many, many people would be surprised to discover who is a member of Knights of Mars.