Desdemona Venturi

Background:

Desdemona is the daughter of Galen Venturi, a Politeian sent to the Kraken's Maw as part of Operation Odysseus. When her father was murdered by the Corsair Review Board (CRB), who controlled the nebula at the time, Desdemona considered returning to Politeia to report the failure of her mission.

Her life was changed by a chance meeting with Grace Hoffman. With the advice and protection of the former gladiator, Desdemona was quickly able to gather a following, on Merton Creed space station, eliminate some of the gang leaders operating there, and purchase a ship. What followed was a war against the CRB that, depending on who you talk to, lasted between two and seven years. In any case, the CRB ceased to exist as a governing body by 4376, and Desdemona began to expand outside the boundaries of the Kraken's Maw nebula under the banner of the Venturi Cartel.

The governments of the Barataria star cluster were initially receptive to Desdemona's expansion. Her first steps upon expanding to a new world were to violently remove the worst of the local gangs. In numerous assaults, assassinations, and bombings, the Venturi Cartel enforcers were scrupulous to avoid harming bystanders. It was only after the remaining gangs "bent the knee" to the Venturi Cartel that the governments realized their peril. Desdemona was a different kind of criminal: smart, educated, and resourceful, she not only took control of the star cluster's informal economy, she started to compete with more legitimate businesses and her meticulous attention to legality and operational security made it difficult to slow her down, until an internal dispute brought her into conflict with Zack Lancestrom and his crew in 4387.