Crimson Dawn

"Whatever would the Empire do without crime lords like us to take care of the underscum?"

- Qi'ra

Crimson Dawn was a criminal syndicate led by the former Sith Lord Maul by proxy through Dryden Vos.

Early history
Crimson Dawn was a criminal gang of raiders. Maul established himself as a crime lord on Dathomir and the head of Crimson Dawn. Dryden Vos, once a merciless enforcer, came to serve as the face of the emerging criminal syndicate. Dryden's word was law in the organization. He employed over a hundred crew and courtiers aboard the First Light, a Kalevalan star yacht that served as his traveling headquarters and residence. He lived in luxury, offering glamor and elegance to his concubines and concierges but still making sexual demands of them.

Tobias Beckett cultivated a fierce reputation as an outlaw gunslinger among gangs including Crimson Dawn.

Recruiting Qi'ra
"I knew there was a thoroughly ruthless Corusca gem inside you, simply waiting to be polished."

- Dryden Vos, to Qi'ra

Dryden purchased the Corellian scrumrat Qi'ra from Garris Shrike as repayment for a deal gone sour, and brought her into the organization. She endured a year of hell, taking beatings and making escape attempts until she eventually killed a guard to reach an escape pod. Vos, seeing her potential as a killer, came to an arrangement with her, forcing Qi'ra to make a deal to survive by becoming his top lieutenant. She quickly proved her worth by helping Vos deal with the Black Hole Gang, and was invited into Dryden's bed as a suitable sexual trophy. She served as Vos's moll aboard his star yacht, soothing him after fits of violence and learning the art of Teräs Käsi from him. She encountered and seduced galactic big-shots.

Dryden hired Twi'leks Boshti Anilee and Hado Gwin to perform a sapphic variety of the Dance of the Twi'lek Slave Girl for him, and expected Qi'ra and concierge Margo to partner up as well. Crimson Dawn came into conflict with the marauder Enfys Nest and her Cloud-Riders, who began interfering with their Norulac pirate allies after skirmishes with the Black Hole Gang. Nest tangled with one of Crimson Dawn's subsidiary gangs at Munt Ondal.

Vos and the First Light came to Taanab as part of the ongoing conflict with the Cloud-Riders, where Dryden negotiated with Imperial administrator Diles Anevi and sent Margo to handle the transaction with the Bank of Aargau. He joined Qi'ra in the yacht's dojo for a Teräs Käsi sparring session.

BoShek boasted of stealing the Dancing Green Goddess of Godo for Crimson Dawn in the period before the Battle of Yavin.

IG-88 attempted to apprehend Qi'ra for Crimson Dawn, defiling her on Garel alongside Hondo Ohnaka. However, Qi'ra evaded the pair.

Qi'ra encountered and seduced Lando Calrissian in the Oseon Belt.

Dryden's fall
Beckett embarked on a heist on Vandor with Val, Rio Durant, and Han Solo that led to Val's death. Beckett consoled himself by cavorting with Dryden's glamorous lackeys, and Solo was reunited with Q'ra. The gang embarked on a mission to steal coaxium from Kessel, recruiting Lando. Crimson Dawn had a confrontation with Enfys Nest's Cloud-Riders on Savareen, where Qi'ra fought and killed Vos with his own Kyuzo petar in a confrontation that earned Han his freedom. In an attempt to free himself from debt to Vos, Beckett double-crossed Han but was gunned down by his protege. Qi'ra positioned herself as Vos's successor, though Maul lured her into his service, summoning her to Dathomir for an intimately close relationship.

Later history
Maul became trapped on Malachor, and ultimately died in a brief final duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. Dalmun Hess worked as a bounty hunter and assassin for Crimson Dawn before it went nova.