The Van

Little is spelled out about the elders as physical presences; they function in the story as a collective body rather than distinct individuals. Through the middle of the twenty-first century the council seats are held by Wang Long, Sou Long, and Ping Long.

As the syndicate's supreme authority, the Van guard their position warily. They keep a close eye on Vicious's mounting ambitions, openly voice suspicion when Mao Yenrai turns up dead, and place value on the breaking of a subordinate's pride, insisting that a captured Vicious first learn humility before any execution.

The council brokered a ceasefire with the White Tiger syndicate in 2071 and had Mao Yenrai put his name to the truce, then discovered the rival ship had been blown up with Mao aboard; their unspoken conviction that Vicious was behind it met a flat denial. When he requested clearance to close a deal on Callisto, they granted it and dispatched Lin alongside him. A fortune-teller's warning that Vicious meant to mount a coup prompted the elders to bait him and his New Guard into an ambush in their own chamber, while sending killers after everyone tied to him, Annie, Julia, and Spike Spiegel included. They caged Vicious to be put to death once his arrogance had been humbled, but loyalists still hidden in their ranks sprang him loose first. Vicious cut the elders down himself, sneering that leaders too feeble to fight were of no use, and took sole command of the Red Dragon.