Wolfpack involvement with G. Dan Thrule investigation

[Jane Starborn]

The title pretty much sums up the purpose - for continuing discussion of what's been going on in PM.

So far we think the black ops team the Wolfpack will probably be sent to work with Jane Starborn and co. as they work to gather solid evidence against General Thrule. (I'm sorry, I hate calling him General Dan, its so... so... just ugh.)

What needs to be worked out is how Jane learns of the Wolfpack and how she contacts them. Estelle was mentioned, though I'm not sure how to connect her to Jane as the information Jane has on the General will probably be filed For Director's Eyes Only, on the highest level of classified.

So Grace Van-Derveld might point Jane towards them?

[Dasquian Belargic]

That would make sense to me.

Also, if Jane is going to be drafting the help of Intel agents with the 'quarantine' I guess it would be best for her to organise that through the Director too!

[Jane Starborn]

WHICH could be a way for Grace to bring Estelle into the loop.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Six degrees of Rebel separation ftw!

[Kyran O'Hurn]

As I mentioned in the PM.

Basically my thoughts would be that Jane would want to keep whatever it is we cook up off the books as much as possible, and thus want to use back channel methods to contact Kyran and his team.

Alternatively, while my initial suggestion was based around trying to root out some of the good General's plans/motives, this could also be changed over to fit more into the search for Laprovik.

The "who" get's plucked and the "what" in terms of what information that is trying to be extracted/collected will fit pretty easily into the framework of what I had in mind for the make up of the thread.

[General Dan]

I know it hasn't been RPed, but it would make sense for Phoenix Cell to at least have some kind of operational familiarity with a group like the Wolfpack, unless there's a reason they wouldn't? PC kind of exist to coordinate like-minded freedom fighters, guerrillas, and/or anti-Imperial terrorists, so they've always been kind of a networking group.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Well I'm not sure how much PC would know. At least operational details.

The Wolfpack is one of those units that is only know in true form to only a select group of the military leadership (and possibly compartmentalized only to SpecOps). Essentially they've been given a list of targets, and the alliance don't care how they go about removing them.

Obviously there is some sort of knowledge in the high ranking military, and probably the highest level of intel of an "asset" that is available for extreme covert operations that need to be kept out of the usual channels. But the who and the what that "asset" is would be very much need to know.

In some ways they actually operate like a merc team that have been hired. They get the job done discretely (usually) and don't ask any questions about what they are being asked to do. They just don't ask for money to do it.

So to answer this question. I guess the easiest way is that PC, Grace, and possibly Celest (in relation to this story arc) may know of something called "Echelon" (and not saying that's what to use, just first thing that popped into my head probably because of Splinter Cell) that is out there that may fit what they are looking for. The request for it's use would probably have to go through Grace to the proper handlers on the military side of things.

[Sanis Prent]

That's fine if there's a degree of removal. PC works in a double blind anyway so there's the "here's what Phoenix Cell is used for" line that's discussed by command, and then there's the stuff only Grace knows because the blowback would make the Alliance look very bad.

They basically are designed to get violent and unsavory people talking to and working with other violent and unsavory people, even those who may not even have compatible goals outside of anti-Imperialism.

Think Iran Contra, or Golda Meir's Israeli death squads.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Yeah Wolfpack is essentially one of those plausible deniability groups as well.

Your right though, as I think about it. PC might not know the proper name or how to get in touch with them, but they are probably going to know that someone is running around blowing up Imp instillations and taking out Imp targets, so at some point they are likely to have received some sort of advisory from Intel, even if it's just basically to say "ignore them".

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville is still floating around in SpecOps as well - she's on paper as a Force adept but no one knows how powerful she is as she is hiding her talent. That is, the Alliance knows she is a former Jedi padawan, but not that she got any further training after the fall of the Jedi when she was 6. Using her to help flush out Dan would be VERY cool (and in line with her true mission bwahaha).

Perhaps teaming her up with the Wolfpack to offer some small amount of Force assistance? When trying to figure out if someone is a darksider any small edge might help.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

I guess it would depend on who the target ends up being. My initial thought was that the Wolfpack would be tasked with kidnapping an officer under Dan's command to try and get information about then General, and any possible greater scheme. And possibly information about Laprovik, or at least confirmation that the General knew about the non-existent prisoner.

I'm not sure how to tie De'Ville into that, though I'm open to a change in the mission that the Wolfpack would be given and I'd be okay with working De'Ville in, so long as she was basically told that she was working with another asset that had been arranged by Intel, and not told that they were alliance affiliated.

If IC she didn't believe that they were mercs or an intel team or whatever fine, but she would have to make that assumption on her own, she wouldn't have the "need to know" to have been officially told that they were a part of the Alliance.

Also it might add some drama as Kyran wouldn't be too happy working with an adept.

[Jane Starborn]

Well, we can bring her in later, or not in conjunction with Kyran's team. We'll see. It was just a thought that occurred to me, having a Force adept of any amount of skill affiliated with specops and not working with the Jedi.

On the other hand, that may actually just throw suspicion on her, as a possible Darth Acera. O_o Which is actually pretty likely. A Force user who isn't a Jedi in the Rebellion just as a Sith is revealed?

:uhoh

[Dasquian Belargic]

Twists within twists! :o

Who do you want me involved as, btw?

[Jane Starborn]

Well, Dashiel, as he's one of the inner circle right now. We'll probably need him to go to the Wheel to conduct some of the 'medical screenings.' I bet there's a promotion in it for him if we take down Dan. ;)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14927 in this thread Serena Laran shows Intel how to test a being's blood for midichlorians - so all the Wolfpack has to do is get a sample of Dan's blood straight from a vein, and test it.

Deceptively simple. ;)

[Kyran O'Hurn]

That's an intriguing mission, though there are a few logistical things I'd have to figure out in my head before proposing an idea for a thread, assuming that Charlie would agree to it being done.

However, given that the test would be an option for Intel, would it not be easier to get the blood sample from a medical exam? I would assume that like in the real world, that the Alliance would insist on all of their high ranking officers to undergo yearly physicals to make sure they weren't going to keel over via a heart attack in the middle of battle.

Though that being said, Dan being a Sith on par with Palpatine it would be easy enough for him to mind control the doctor into thinking that he had given him the exam and that everything was in the green. The result being that there would be filings of the yearly reviews, but no record of blood samples being tested or stored.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Well yes, but we can assume, and I think charley would agree but I will run it by him, that Dan knows Intel can test blood for midi count and has substituted 'clean' blood for a very long time. Or what you said. :)

So it would be essential to know the blood came from his arm and then was tested.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Or a combination of the two. I guess in my mind I skipped by the idea of him substituting blood to find the easiest plot tool that would flag Intel when they actually looked at it closer that something wasn't quite right.

ie. As far was the Alliance infrastructure was concerned, the medical reports were filed on time and with no issues being present and so they would not be flagged for review. But when Intel went and looked at them, they would notice that there was no blood work ordered but that the reports indicated that the blood tests came back with no issues.

The assumption could be made by Intel that he had possibly substituted clean blood to be tested and that they should try and get a verifiable test done, but it wouldn't be an obvious flag that something was amiss.

Meaning that it would be a greater leap to question the reports with a substituted clean blood sample being tested, then it would be for there to be inconsistencies with the report in relation to blood tests that were never actually done despite the report saying they were.


Now if we go with this idea, getting the sample to be tested is a whole different ball game... Have to think on that one...

[Kyran O'Hurn]

I'm working on thinking up a possible idea for a mission.

However as I was writing some things up, something struck me that someone might want to include in a post if/when this mission goes off, and only bringing this up as something that would likely be discussed IC with the decision making group.

That being, that despite the lack of proof of the accusations there would have to be some discussion about why they should keep the mission from b being an assassination mission rather then one to recover some blood.

Because of that there would probably be a "if this guy is as bad as we think, why are we letting him live?" moment in a meeting someplace.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Okay starting to form an idea.

Quick question. Didn't have a specific amount state in the thread where the test is explained, but guessing that in that thread it was a standard blood sample vial give or take.

But is that correct? Like how much blood is needed to do the test?

[Jane Starborn]

A little more than a pin prick. After all this is the same test that Qui Gon gives Anakin in TPM. Its like testing your blood sugar, only... midichlorians. :lol

The equipment is from before the Clone Wars, of course, at least Serena's was, but if the Alliance reverse engineered any from what she gave them then they could be slightly different or more modern.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Ok I know it's like months ago, but is there the possibility that the Wolfpack is still up for doing this? If not other plans need to be made :)

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Uh.... Not sure... it was really just me and Hera, and both of us have obviously MIA to some extent.

I'm contemplating trying to get back into writing, but I haven't seen Hera around in months.

I have no problems re-working the story a bit to say that her character was temporarily assigned duty someplace else, and thus not with the team.

Let me re-read all those PMs and stuff and try and put my head back in this universe where I haven't been in almost a year...

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Okay, I think I have my head back around what I proposed.

Anyway I'm up for it if you want to bounce some ideas around.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Well, whatever you had planned is probably fine! Doing it in public will probably be the best idea as he can't Sith-out and attack you for it. Paper cut, perhaps?

:) if you need another person on your team, just let me know. LD is outs she's got another part to play, and Jane Starborn would just tip him off right away if she showed up, due to her prior involvement.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Here's something for y'all since my opinion was asked.

First: Keep in mind that while Dan is an unbelievably powerful Dark Lord, he's also bound by the rules of his situation, which basically don't let him use those powers in a public setting when he's disguised. He can't exactly throw you across the room, belt you with lightning, or cleave you with a saber. It would give him away. If you use this to determine how you approach him, it will make your job a lot easier.

Second: He's a public figure. He has business on the Fourth Fleet, but also frequently on Dac and Bothauwi and other locations. While he'll have guards, he'd never have the sort of grandiose paranoia squad the Emperor had because that would be absurd in the Alliance.

Basically, he's assuming that nobody's gonna get that suspicious in the first place. Of course by now he's starting to realize the balance may be shifting.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

well the original idea I proposed wasn't going after Dan as much as it was going after one of his inner circle of commanders.

The idea was more to focus on the coup/revolt/turn against the alliance.

At least that's what I originally proposed, so really Ky's team wouldn't have any interaction with Dan directly, so it wouldn't really matter.

At least that's what the original idea was...


Hollie, not sure what you mean by paper-cut, may just be something going over my head.

In terms of other people, just need to figure out how Jane knows about the Wolfpack, and then would need someone to NPC a Captain or Admiral that Ky's team kidnaps from Dan's forces (however that's decided to be done). After that, if someone wants to come on board as a member of the Wolfpack they are more then welcome, otherwise I can just NPC them.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

What I meant was that in order to prove that Dan is a Sith we need a blood sample straight from the source to test. I thought that was what you were going to do but maybe I'm wrong? ^_^;

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Oh right... apparently totally missed that part of the thread when I re-read it...

I think it should be one or the other. I guess the question is... What answers would Jane be asking for... would she want intel on his intentions, or would she rather want to try and figure out if Dan is a force user?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

We have to, first and foremost, determine if he's a Sith or not. The blood test is the simplest way to see if he's a Force user. Intentions are secondary, but finding out that would be nice :)

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Okay. Give me some a day or two to come up with an idea. I kind of remember one idea that was tossed around (I think between Hera and I), but it was somewhat elaborate have to figure out if it would still work.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

I haven't forgotten about this, but been tied up with my last few projects.

Here's what I have so far in my head in terms of an overarching story.

Dan is on planet X (could be Dac or Bothauwi), at some point there is an attack by what outwardly looks like a Imperial hit squad (or local group if it's a planet with turmoil). Attack could be a bombing of a building, an attack on Dan's motorcade, whatever.

But of course it's a cover to ensure that Dan is caught in it and needs medical treatment. Members of Wolfpack disguised as medics arrive at the scene to treat the wounded, including Dan, at which time they get a sample of his blood.


I know it's a little vague, but wanted to leave the fine details open for other opinions. Also, I was wondering about having 2 teams, maybe with Phoenix Cell acting as the attackers while Wolfpack handles the clean up, but wasn't sure from a logistical standpoint both IC and OOC if that worked.

Feel free to comment, make suggestions or point out flaws. I'm not 100% on where the Dan story is going so there might be something I missed or need to add that I didn't remember.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

This rules. I am down 100% because false flag shit is great.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Okay now that I'm home and sort of got my life organized I'd like to try and get moving on this.

I'm fairly oblivious to who's who in a lot of cases, so who would I talk to about PC involvement?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Charley plays Dan, Christin plays s'Ilancy, I'd talk to either or both. :)

Oh and I play Jane Starborn. :)

[Kyran O'Hurn]

Who plays one of the characters in Pheonix Cell? Want to see if they want to be a part of it, or if it'll just be the Wolfpack as the only team involved.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Charley plays Eluna, one of the (the only one?) Phoenix Cell characters.