The Ginko Family is a dynastic family from earth that basically put earth on the map for spreading earth technologies and brands. The family is suspected to be a part of a cult of wealthy families, and that is in some ways true.
The Family is close-knit and consists of very competitive and determined, yet also very disciplined people. They originally formed on earth when an influential Chinese family joined through marriage with a Japanese family. Over time, the family culture integrated both sides into their own special hybrid, and everyone in the family speaks Japanese as a second language.
The family was introduced to the legendary concept of the Ki-Knights, and sought to integrate Ki-Knight powers into their family.
Over many generations of intermarriage with people who exhibited Ki-Knight attributes, children were finally born who exhibited psychic abilities.
It then became tradition to appoint the most psychic children as future leaders within the family corporation. Leviathan reached out to the family on multiple occasions, but the family was so powerful it kept its business private and chose to train their children separately from the Leviathan training center.
Every ten years, they would have a group of possible Ki-Knight children train rigorously for a summer, teaching them meditations and martial arts to help the kids tap into their potential powers.
At the end of the camp, they would have the children demonstrate their abilities, and determine their futures.
Those with more ability and potential were given preferential treatment, and their parents would receive additional monetary support to continue their training. Those who showed no potential were sent back home in shame.
Jason showed close to the least potential in his training group. His parents were particularly harsh with him, as both his Mom and Dad only lived for success.
Later when he befriended Ryan, James recognized Jason as a Ki-Knight and gave him cybernetic enhancements so he could tap into his abilities and “rescue” Ryan.
When the greater family found out about his newfound strength, they re-evaluated him and put him on the fast track for a leadership role that was destined for his cousin, Yanako. Furious, Yanako attempted to have Jason assassinated, but failed.
Jason then challenged Yanako to duel him directly, during which, he used her own powers against her and hurt her pretty badly, winning and shaming Yanako.
Jason tried to apologize, but Yanako would not accept.
So he convinced James to perform a special surgery on Yanako’s legs so that she could walk again, and after that, she forgave him.
After that, Jason, Yanako, and Chizuru were set up to become the next heads of the corporation. However some members of the family didn’t like the change of plans, and set up a plot to murder all the current board members, framing Jason.
With the judge and jury paid off, Jason was convicted of the crimes even though the evidence was flimsy, and sent to prison on a distant planet.
A year and 8 months later, Jason was called to Centuri where the Empress herself evaluated him and appointed him as a member of the Royal Guard (though he wasn’t paid since he was still considered a ward of the empire / a prisoner).
Meanwhile in Atlas, Yanako and Chizuru had fought in secret to discover the truth. A whistleblower came forth and cleared Jason’s name.
The Empress invited Yanako and Chizuru to serve in the Royal Guard as well, and they left Atlas to join Jason in Centuri.
NOTABLE KI–KNIGHTS
Jigen (Jason) Ginko
Yanako Ginko
Chizuru Ginko
Robert (Bobby) Wheeler
Gina Wheeler
Roman (Red) Wheeler