Spys, Assassins and Trackers

Martha

Spies, Assassins and Trackers (SAT)

A SAT team consists of a Spy, an Assassin and a Tracker. They are generally taken to the vicinity of their objective by a Reconnaissance Patrol, dropped off and picked up once the mission is completed.

Once the SAT drops off they are more or less on their own. More or Less, is defined to mean, within a psychic monitoring distance of the patrol, however, if the team encounters difficulties the SAT is expected to elude, and find their way to a rallying point, thereby giving the patrol time to respond. Backing up the patrol is the Ranger Platoon and the platoon a Forward Operating Company. The fundamental principal is “Backup.” Nobody is expected to go into covert combat without some insurance. While teams and patrols are sometimes lost there is always this tether, the possibility of rescue, lurking somewhere about. This concept lies at the core of Special Operating Force (SOF) operations and without its strict adherence; sane men and women would not repeatedly go into harm’s way. As a consequence, whenever a SAT team is deployed, there is a huge investment of clandestine resources committed to everyone’s safe return.

A SAT team or less commonly, a Combat Patrol is the muscle behind the Diplomatic And Intelligence Corp (DAIC). The DAIC operates in cities throughout the Occupied Lands, arming resistance forces, providing financial assistance, gathering intelligence, making drops and conducting covert operations. This includes assassinations. The SAT team is the primary physical interface between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of State. The DAIC conceives and develops the operation and the SAT carries it out.

A SAT team generally consists of three personnel. These include the Spy, the Assassin, and the Tracker. The chain of command follows the same order. All three are cross-trained in one another’s expertise. Sometimes career progression allows these experts to move up and change fields but this is more the exception than the rule.

The Spy:

Heading up the SAT team is the “Spy.” The Spy is the interface with the DAIC contact on the ground. When these two make contact the mission is received and the details are provided. Typically the mission is to take an action deemed too dangerous for a Diplomat. Examples include information extraction (torture), weapons transfers, intelligence gathering (Inside high-risk facilities) and assassinations. Most missions end with an assassination. The Spy is the front of the mission and is shadowed by the assassin and the tracker. The assassin covers the Spy’s back and the Tracker keeps an eye on the back door.

The Assassin:

Normally the assassin serves as the Spy’s backup and shadows the Spy’s movements and activities. While the Spy is conducting business the Assassin assesses all who come within a dangerous proximity. The Assassin can be either a male or a female. It usually depends on the mission. In urban areas it is usually a female while in rural areas the role is often assigned to a male. The sexual orientation of the mark can also influence an assassin’s gender. A male target tends to be more vulnerable to a female and vice versa. When the mark is a homosexual the orientation of the hit person is adjusted accordingly.

The assassination mission was initially a tool used by the Empire who introduced it during the War of Confederation. So successful did it prove to be that it was soon adopted by the Alliance who carried its execution to a new level.

The Tracker:

Again the sex of the tracker depends on the mission. In Urban areas a woman is generally used, often a Blue Blood. This is because of the psychic presence they bring to the mission. The Tracker finds people, focuses on the back door and in emergencies has the inner city and outdoor skills to get the team home. The tracker locates the drops, provides backup muscle, plans evasive courses of action, and activates the beacon for crossing the border.