...In addition, the Yaeger Imperium's largest research labs
have recently heightened security, in preparation for an unknown
project...
...The last report from agent Sigma-7 contain several
references to something termed "The Thanatos Project". It is
possible that the disease that killed him had already begun to
affect his mind, but some further investigation is recommended...
...In the last three months, security has heightened
remarkably throughout the Imperium, resulting in the loss of
numerous agents...Military research facilities were particularly
successful in picking up agents, and we are down to 4% of our
previous totals there....
...Star Destroyers Hammer and Autocrat
transferred to convoy protection duty... 4th convoy guarded may
have contained cloning technology, unable to confirm, as recon
flyby was intercepted and destroyed...
...Analysis of Imperial fund distribution reveals a much
larger portion going to scientific research. It is believed that
this is a result of a major bio-warfare project, tentatively
identified as agent Sigma-7's Thanatos project...
...Street prices of Cornic, a powerful stimulant, have
skyrocketed. It is believed that Imperial seizure of Cornic
refineries is responsible for these rises... It is important to
note that these plants are still running, and that being shipped
out in Imperium freighters, to locations unknown. The reasons for
this policy can only be guessed at...
...Increasingly large numbers of scientific personnel have
been reassigned to something termed only "The Thanatos Project"
over the last month or two... All attempts to get operatives into
this project have failed...
...Guruk System Yards has not retooled it's production line at
all in the last few years. Construction of the Imperial model Star
Destroyer Starclaw has continued at pace, and the
starfighter lines are continuing production of Interceptors and TIE
Advanced, to keep pace with combat losses.
...Sabotage attempt at the research facilities on Hyrbadies-7 failed. It is estimated that
security at that location is 1480% over the usual for facilities of
that type, with possible additional support which the sabotage team
did not encounter...
...Vulture Wing H9H reports
increased Imperial activity near Mithros-
B... Daemon Class CruisersShardis and Crane dispatched, captured Imperial Bulk
Freighter Ghevonis... Cargo Manifest includes: ...20
C-Factor 4 droids... Technological apparatus for the entechment of
human cerebrums...
...Daemon Class Cruiser Shardis lost with all hands in
Imperial counterattack...
...Imperial Attack of unknown origins has freed Dr. Manfried
Chase from the New Republic Correctional Facility on Shora
El'Daan... Dr. Chase was awaiting execution for crimes against the
galaxy stemming from his work in genetic engineering during the
reign of the Empire...
...Imperial Land Campaigns have been scaled down considerably,
resulting in major gains on Ilfthin, Omerion, and Yaeger Prime...
...It is the Yaeger ability to fade away quickly after a
strike that has given us the edge we need on the battlefield... It
is a fact of war that relatively few ships are lost during pitched
battles... It is when they are in disarray and confusion after
defeat or victory that they are most vulnerable. For this reason,
we must move beyond order, beyond structure... For an Imperial
counterattack to succeed in destroying Yaeger craft, they must then
dedicate truly excessive amounts of force.
From New Republic Criminal Justice Records:
CHASE, MANFRIED: Doctor of Biology, Corruscant Central
University, Doctor of Medicine, Imperial Medical Institute on
Corruscant, Winner of the Imperial Science Medal four times, for
work in Biology and related fields... Criminal Record: Violation
of Galactic law against experimentation on humans in numerous
instances, exposing randomly taken samples of the population to
biological contaminants... Violation of the Clone Treaty, in
flagrant violation of universal galactic law. Genetic modification
of humans, without pressing medical needs, without consent of the
subjects, in violation of galactic law. Related counts of murder,
545,918. Related counts of biological assault, 1,200,980. Death
Sentence to be carried out at earliest possible date.
Special Meeting of the Yaeger/New Republic
Security Council 9907/5/12 (Yaeger), 48/8/12 (New Republic)
Excerpts:
The first item on the agenda is the Imperium research push.
This push has been linked to Agent Sigma-7's "Thanatos Project" by
both New Republic and Yaeger officials...It's as good a name as
any, so I will continue to refer to it as such, though it must be
noted that there is as of yet little evidence linking the two....
It is believed that this push is primarily in the area of
biological warfare, with the possibility of contamination of
illegal materials, such as Cornic. It was initially thought that
the outbreaks of red fever on the Imperial world of Tyronis were
the initial tests of the new disease or diseases, but further
investigation has indicated that these outbreaks were not
artificial in nature. This data is not incontrovertible, and
further monitoring is taking place...
It is to be feared that the recent military gains against the
Yaeger Imperium are in the nature of gambits, and that the initial
release of contaminants will be in these territories. For this
reason, decontamination procedures have increased in sophistication
in the last few months, especially in newly recaptured regions...
A routine sabotage attempt on the research labs of Hyrbadies-7
revealed a remarkably heightened degree of security there.
Immediately after the attempt, the Imperial 4th fleet moved into
position near the system, preventing the immediate military strike
proposed by Admiral Bau. Attempts to lure the fleet from position
have failed (though they have resulted in corollary gains, as
targets in the area have been hit with virtual impunity). It is
believed that whatever the Imperium had been working on was
centered in the Hyrbadies-7 facility, though it may have moved from
there since then. The Imperium only has four other facilities
capable of conducting a project of this one's apparent magnitude,
but due to recent purges in the Research divisions of the Imperium,
they may have constructed or expanded other facilities without our
knowledge...
Attempts are being made to get further data on the Hyrbadies-7
pullout. It is hoped that agents will be able to get tracking
devices on essential components. A full scale military attack
against those facilities that we are aware of is being considered.
However, there are a number of objections to that plan. This
Thanatos project could very well be a red herring, designed to lure
the combined fleet into a trap. In addition, actions of this scale
cannot be concealed effectively, and it is should be taken for
granted that the most essential personnel will be successfully
evacuated, to continue their research at even more secure
locations.
For this reason, no military action will be taken until we
have specific information on the nature of this threat, and a
specific plan of action to end it. Our recommendation is that the
combined fleet will be put on Amber Alert until this situation is
resolved. In addition, a request will be put to New Republic
Central Command for additional bio-warfare experts, decontamination
units, and espionage agents. Furthermore, recon sweeps of Imperial
space will increase in frequency, and special attention will be
paid to freighter traffic, and in depth scans of previously
undeveloped and underdeveloped worlds.
Yaeger Imperium Documentation:
WARNING! ALPHA ONE SECURITY CLEARANCE ONLY!
THE THANATOS PROJECT
WARNING! ALPHA ONE SECURITY CLEARANCE ONLY!
Unauthorized viewing of this document qualifies as High
Treason, and is punishable by any penalty up to, and including,
immediate execution without trial. Unauthorized reproduction of
this document qualifies as High Treason and Espionage, and is
punishable by any penalty up to, and including, immediate execution
without trial. Retention of this document past the destruct time
qualifies as High Treason and Espionage, and is punishable by any
penalty up to, and including, immediate execution without trial.
THE THANATOS PROJECT
From: Preceptor Aren Grei, chief of operations, Imperium
research and development.
Priority: A1.0 Personal courier, 1 registered holodisk copy
only per authorized recipient. Disintegrate on completion.
Gentlemen.
One of the weapons in the glorious Imperial arsenal that has
never quite lived up to it's apparent potential is the Enhanced Stormtrooper. This combination of
powered armor, and hormone alteration has always been limited by
the fragility of the humans enhanced. An attempt has been made to
bypass that limitation through the limited use of cybernetics.
While this project, the Enhanced Stormtrooper II, was partially
successful, it has been limited by unreliability of cybernetic
components after extended wear, difficulty and expense of
cybernetic implantation, and the unavoidable fact of the eventual
failure of the human subject's systems.
Another element must be incorporated into the project. For
this reason, we have rescued Dr. Manfried Chase, the galaxy's
leading expert in biological engineering, a four time winner of the
Imperial science medal, who was sentenced to be destroyed by the
brutality of the Rebels, despite his obvious scientific genius. I
shall let the doctor continue from here.
Thank you. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for
what you have done for me, and once again pledge my eternal
diligent service to the Galactic Empire.
As Preceptor Grei explained, the organic component has always
been the weakest link in the finished Enhanced Stormtrooper, just
as a lack of human flexibility has always been the weakest link in
battle droid projects. The solution presented to me is to change
the human component. Bioengineering can give you organisms capable
of withstanding the stresses that the chemical excitation places
upon them, and better utilize the benefits that the excitation
provides.
In addition, the cybernetic replacements, used in the Enhanced
Stormtrooper II only to compensate for the organic component's
weaknesses can now be used to further enhance the combat unit's
abilities. Genetic engineering allows us to create organic
elements designed to accept such cybernetic enhancements as 50
terabyte data banks, internal jumpjets, weapon linking directly to
the nervous system, and suchlike.
Finally, the organic/cybernetic component will be encased in
a suit of powered armor, which also will be linked to the whole
through both organic and cybernetic connections. This mechanical
exoskeleton will allow the addition of other capacities above and
beyond those supported by the isolated organic/cybernetic
component; A sensor array, a communications array, and heavy
weapon mountings. The exoskeleton will also provide protection for
the unit, an important factor, considering it's cost.
Which brings me to my next point. Cost. This was the primary
factor limiting the earlier Enhanced Stormtroopers, and I imagine
that you are all wondering how much more this far more advanced
version will require. The answer rests in the beauties of Genetic
engineering. The compounds used to increase activity can probably
be produced within the unit itself (with several exceptions.
Purely mineral compounds, such as Thieasos and Cornic cannot be
produced by organisms, and must be introduced, at least until
substitutes can be found). In addition, some of the more delicate
cybernetic installations can be handled by properly primed organic
systems (see my work on humans prepared for artificial heart
instillation, and on Quarren gill adjustment for examples). So,
while these units will be somewhat more expensive than the existing
models, they will not be that much more expensive. And the
improvement in performance should more than justify the increase in
cost.
In fact, these units should be the most effective combat units
ever made. Using bioengineering, chemical stimulation, and
cybernetic enhancement in one unit, with fluid and complete
interaction between the three will produce the ultimate warriors,
almost by definition. Therefore, the Thanatos Project, as we are
creating veritable Gods of Death.
Given that the Thanatos Stormtroopers are all that I have
outlined, certain issues must be addressed. If these units could
be subverted, or decide to disobey orders on their own, it would be
almost impossible to contain them. Traditional responses to
threats of this sort include building in automatic self destruct
and remote destruct components into the unit. The problem with
this strategy is that it creates a weak point in the unit,
something that can be exploited by opponents, and something that
must be avoided at all costs.
My response to this problem is to hardwire a loyalty hierarchy
(The Empire as a whole, the chain of command, etc.) into the
Thanatos unit's brain. This has been achieved through introduction
of designed neural pathways in both the cerebellum and the cerebrum
of the units (something previously thought impossible due to the
lack of sufficient complexity in the cerebellum. Previous, purely
cerebral adjustments, have broken down when the target is enraged,
or otherwise purely emotional) a feat accomplished through use of
some truly remarkable local technology, Mithros-B Cerebellum
entechment. I would recommend that the planet be sterilized to
avoid rediscovery of this procedure, but I have been assured that
it is a strategic impossibility at this point. As I mentioned, the
Cerebellum is though to be too simple to allow such adjustment, and
it is. I have merely burned out the areas that direct emotional
behavior. If it would be possible to enrage the Thanatos units,
they might very well act out of the loyalty hierarchy, but they
simply cannot act on their rage (physiological arousal remains, as
the Thanatos units do have extremely sensitive arousal systems).
Thanatos units are purely rational, and are completely incapable of
irrational behavior, an ideal state for a combat unit.
Reproduction of the Thanatos units will be through repeated
artificial twinning of the initial modified cells. Despite the
popular objections to artificial twinning as a form of cloning, the
Raad-Berios multiple generation decay responsible for clone
insanity does not factor in artificial twinning of the type
proposed.
As reproduction will be wholly artificial, and as the Thanatos
units will be capable of receiving nutrient solutions through
cybernetic intakes, the reproductive and digestive systems will be
replaced with other components. The membanks mentioned earlier
will be installed in the mid-torso regions. The entire Imperial
war library will only take up around ten percent of these high
capacity components. Tactical maps, threat evaluation and
identification programs, and other war droid information will be
included. A direct neural link will enable the units to
incorporate this information immediately and easily whenever
necessary.
Further technical information is available, of course, and
will be given on request, and at the demonstration of the first
generation of the Thanatos prototypes which will be conducted in
ten days. Thank you.
WARNING! ALPHA ONE SECURITY CLEARANCE ONLY!
THE THANATOS PROJECT
WARNING! ALPHA ONE SECURITY CLEARANCE ONLY!
Unauthorized viewing of this document qualifies as High
Treason, and is punishable by any penalty up to, and including,
immediate execution without trial.
Priority: A0.0 Personal courier, 1 registered holodisk copy
only.
Your ideas for the improvement of the Advanced Stormtrooper
project have borne some early fruit, but I must caution you against
pushing this forward too quickly, as numerous variables must be
taken into consideration. In addition, excessive reliance on this
project could prove fatal if it falls apart.
That said, the Thanatos Project looks to be a valuable asset.
The Rebel victory on Rhilos-7 proves that they have reached near
military parity with our forces in the sector; If we can no longer
win battles that we have committed ourselves to winning, we may
have to reconsider our strategic objectives. The Thanatos troopers
seem to be the piece we need to regain military supremacy.
Their tremendous expense means that they will never replace
the standard human troopers fully, at least for mass attacks, but
the array of abilities that the Thanatos troopers demonstrated
yesterday has convinced me of their superiority to even our most
experienced and enhanced Special Force units. I would like some
field footage as well, before we commit the resources required for
a full production run.
Game Information:
The Thanatos Project is the adventure that I will be running
next... It's sort of a stopgap to carry me over until next fall,
when I will be starting on the final Chapter of the first Yaeger
Sector Campaign, The Brennai, something of a cross between a good
old Alien Death Fleet of Doom Bringing Death type campaign, and a
deep and introspective attempt to deal with the results of
extermination on an interplanetary scale...ideally, that campaign
will bring one of the PCs over the edge to insanity and destruction
(I'm putting my money on the jedi...).
Anyhow. Stats on Thanatos Stormtroopers are not immediately
forthcoming, as the first few missions of the campaign will involve
getting the PCs down on Hyrbadies-7 and getting those monitoring
devices on the freighters (probably there will be a great big
diversionary space battle, with Rear Admiral Lance in command.)
Then, another briefing, better intel. tidbits, and a roundtable
discussion on what to do next... Maybe they'll see a prototype
walking up a ramp into one of the ships, from a long way off, but
that's as close as they are getting.
Using the stuff given: This is designed for a rather high
powered group (most characters have at least one skill over 11D,
jedi has skills dice at 7,7,9), and is extremely significant in the
events of the sector. It takes place in my Good Guys (or close
enough) campaign, well after the New Republic and the Yaeger
reached something of an alliance. It would require some work to
adapt this for other campaigns. (An Alternate Timelines book is
being considered for the boxed set... Anyone running a Yaeger
campaign, I would be rather interested in hearing about it)
The intel reports are what the group gets if they are given
full access to the NR and Yaeger reports, and they roll really well
on an investigation roll (combining skills allowed here). Less
successful rolls will cause clues to be missed, and useless
information to be introduced. The other sources and excerpts from
the security council briefing should be fully available. The
imperial stuff should not become available unless they already know
most of what's going on, they have a slicer with godlike abilities,
or they manage to burst into Rulduk's office while he is watching
the video (although if they did that, they probably would be best
off just shooting him.)
Well, that's all for now, and while the Force may be with you,
THANATOS IS COMING! (details will continue to filter in, after
some things get done in my life...like papers and midterms.
bleah. One might note that details failed to filter in due to the
failure of my SW Campaign, but that would just open up old wounds...)