Crimson Dawn

"Once you're part of Crimson Dawn, you can't leave."

- Dryden Vos, to Han Solo

Crimson Dawn was a criminal organization led by Maul, who employed gangster Dryden Vos during the reign of the Galactic Empire as the public face of the syndicate. During its existence, Crimson Dawn quickly cemented a reputation for being ruthless. Qi'ra publicly served as Vos' top lieutenant, but later directly worked with Maul after Vos's death.

Prelude
During the Clone Wars, Darth Maul sought to supplant his former Master Darth Sidious, the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, who was manipulating the war between the Republic and the Separatists for his own ends. In order to challenge both sides, Maul gathered an army of exiled Mandalorian warriors, known as the Death Watch, and criminal organizations such as the Black Sun, the Pyke Syndicate and the Hutt Cartel into an enterprise known as the Shadow Collective. Combining their resources, the Shadow Collective seized control of the neutral world of Mandalore, establishing a power base for Maul to defy both the Republic and the Separatists.

However, a resistance movement on Mandalore led by renegade members of the Death Watch, who refused to bow to Maul's leadership, threatened the Sith Lord's position in the underworld. The Hutts abandoned the Shadow Collective and the absence of significant returns on their investments led the Pykes and Black Sun to follow suit. Sometime later, the Mandalorian rebels received assistance from the Republic and the Jedi Order to assist their liberation of Mandalore. Maul's hold on the world broke and he was forced into hiding as Darth Sidious established himself as Emperor of the regime born from the reorganized Republic.

Despite his defeat, Maul had established himself as a figure in the underworld during the Clone Wars and saw it as fertile ground to reestablish a power base in the wake of his failure.

Formation
Following the end of the Clone Wars, Maul was able to regroup and recruit some of his former allies from the Shadow Collective into Crimson Dawn. Much like in his previous rule of Mandalore, Maul elected to rule from the shadows rather than establish himself as the visible leader of his new syndicate. However, unlike the Shadow Collective, most of the rank-and-file of the organization did not report to him directly and few even knew his identity. Instead, Maul relied on a figurehead to serve as the executor of his will to his men. The public leader of Crimson Dawn in 10 BBY was Dryden Vos.

Behind the scenes
Solo: A Star Wars Story script writer Jon Kasdan stated that the name "Crimson Dawn" for the organization was conceived as a subtle way to hint Darth Maul's appearance in the film, in addition of the artifacts from Dryden's study and Qi'ra's use of Teräs Käsi.

Appearances

 * Most Wanted
 * Lando: Double or Nothing, Part III
 * Star Wars: Beckett 1
 * Han Solo - Imperial Cadet 1
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Meet the Crew
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: A Junior Novel
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * Solo Adaptation 1
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor
 * Last Shot
 * Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure
 * Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure