I could probably brief a mod on how to NPC the Satraps. I hope I could because the Satraps don't even show up until half way through book two, so it'd be a fair amount of reading for NPCing purposes. I figure you got enough of burning through stuff you don't care about to NPC guys at UG.

Pepper would probably join up with whoever found him for a while, then switch sides whenever it suited his purposes. He's at least honorable enough that he wouldn't switch unexpectedly in the middle of fights or at other awkward times.

So Independent.