Bretonian Secret Service - Faction Information

[Bretonian Secret Service]

BRETONIAN SECRET SERVICE

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HISTORY

The Bretonian Secret Service is the main intelligence organisation of Bretonia, tasked with defending the realm from both inside and outside threats, that cannot be handled by the armed forces.

Founded after the Gallic war, the Secret Service is a relatively new organisation in the overall intelligence branch, given the task to protect it from every kind of threat, as well as to aid and push the House both territorrially, and technologically. To achieve this goal, the Secret Service conducts both industrial espionage in other Houses, as well as to cause as much disruption to Bretonia's rivals, as possible.

To evade suspicion in those cases, the Secret Service employs an extensive stock of contractors to achieve plausible deniability. These contractors are rewarded handsomely, however if they get captured, the crown will certainly deny any connection to these groups and individuals.

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GOALS

INTERNAL STABILITY

Thorough political manipulation ranging from pushing in-House policies to better serve the whole of Bretonia to outright blackmailing and bribery, the Secret Service wants to eliminate Bretonia's problems at the source; Various political models clearly present the simplest solution for internal problems like the Gaians and Mollys, are reforms.

TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERIORITY
Industrial espionage, and analysis of technology by other Houses, or even those of alien in origin, the Secret Service is keen on keeping Bretonia on the cutting edge. Their more ambitious projects include the analysis of Gallic Jumpgate and trade lane technology, both thorough the scattered remains found within the Taus, and by the recovered pieces from the New London Gate Construction Site before the station was taken over by Ageira.

EXPANSION OF BRETONIA, AND IT'S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
Learning from the failed Planet Sydney project, the Kingdom learned that without a strong support, claiming already settled space is troublesome at least. Unsettled space however, doesn't have that problem. The Secret Service sent out a number of survey vessels to chart the area to the Galactic West, as well as repositioned some space-based telescopes to survey potential canditates.

This is a slow project, given that survey vessels need to find a path to the designated systems, and once they're discovered, there needs to be a way to easily reach these systems.

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TECHNOLOGY

BIO-CYBERNETIC WEAVE

BSS agents sport a bio-cybernetic weave directly grown in their brains, in order to enhance the individual. The weave sports several microprocessing units in order to enhance memory, reflexes, and in an indirect way cognitive functions, and vision. The cybernetic parts are self-assembling, and they usually get into the body thorough a nanobot capsule.

Supplementing this system, Agents receive a set of hormonal glands, which provide a variety of hormones to help the Agent whitstand pain, release excessive amounts of adrenaline for a short burst of increased strength, or even kill the Agent via releasing neurotoxins. The hormones are controlled via a subdermal implant placed in the agent's palate, which could be controlled by one's tongue.

PROJECT JANUS

Originally Project Janus started out as an experimental project to reform the prison populace in Bretonia, using modified Holo-tainment bands to plant various suggestions in the subject's brain. Officially, the project was scrapped over financial and moral concerns, but the Secret Service was quick to see the opportunities it presents. So far, the project results in moderate success, with 4 subjects out of 10 failing to complete, in extreme cases resulting in the subject's death. Successful conversions however resulted in excellent sleeper agents, and a number of subjects are conditioned to be Agents in the Secret Service

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THREATS

MOLLYS - INSIGNIFICANT

While the Mollys have been a thorn in our side for a long time, the Gallic War took a toll on their numbers as well. With the loss of Leeds, they also lost the main source of recruitment.

This threat is best handled by social reforms, and laws that protect the Kingdom's workers better against corporate abuse.

GAIANS - INSIGNIFICANT
Another problem that could be solved with better enviromental regulations, the Gaians main supply of recruits came from better learned circles than the working class. While both them and the Mollys are dangerous as pirates, their overall threat to the Kingdom at large is almost nonexistent.

HESSIANS - LOW
Mainly operating in Rheinland and the deep Omegas, the Hessians at first glance doesn't seem to be our problem.

However, they have the ability to effectively block trade between Rheinland and Bretonia, making them more dangerous than they look.

Recommend leaving them alone, unless they threaten us, or our interests. Who knows, if we need someone to wreak havoc in Rheinland, they could be useful.

COALITION - LOW
The Coalition's threat level massively dropped since we've left Gran Canaria alone. Still a potent threat however, since their alliance with the Hessians, and friendly relations with the Mollys.

They could cause problems, but their limited number, and their homeworld's vulnerable nature, they know their place for now.

Coalition equipment seem to find it's way to many of Sirius' black markets, and renegade groups. They would make decent supplies to select groups.

ROYALISTS - LOW
The Remains of the former Gallic Royalist and Enclave forces represent a minimal danger overall, with no allies in the Taus, and little practical support from Gallia itself. However, they mostly consist of the worst offenders of the Gallic War, so arresting, and bringing the loyalists to justice (which in this case would involve the liberal use of headsmen) is of some priority.

CORSAIRS - MEDIUM
Corsair activity increased in recent months, and so did the threat they represent. Their hatred towards us seems to be uniform, so there is really no chance to reason with them.

By abandoning Canaria, we gave back to them an important location to resupply, although the setting long winter on the planet will prevent them to use it as farmland again.

Captured Corsairs and their equipment must be turned in to the Secret Service, for questioning, and analyzing.

OUTCASTS - MEDIUM
While the Outcasts themselves rarely launch large-scale offensives in House Space, they remain dangerous, even from afar. Cardamine addiction is a problem in Bretonia, and whether officials would admit it, or not, the estimated number of cardamine users in Bretonia alone is between 40 and 60 million individuals.

The main threat in this case lies in the cardamine smugglers in Bretonia, mainly affiliated with Junkers; Recommend more serious punishment for those involved with transporting, and distrubuting cardamine, while threating users with rehabilitation. However, dealing with the source of the problem is the only sure way to get rid of this problem.


KUSARI - MEDIUM
Our goals with Kusari align... for now. There's a lot of bad blood lost between our peoples, but we seem to agree on crucial things, including Gallia.

The recent conflict left their naval forces depleted, which means reduced chance for a sudden assault like they did on Gallia, and the internal conflicts present means the chances of directly attacking us, or our assets, are negligible.

GALLIA - HIGH
Dealing with Gallia always was a headache. Fortunately for us, their naval status is similar to Kusari, and with the Maquis gaining ever more popularity, they cannot launch an offensive in the Taus as they did in the opening days of the Gallic War.

If we want to strong-arm them, now it's prime time to do so, with their weakened status, and internal conflicts, they have little chance to fight.

RHEINLAND - HIGH
With the civil war recently settled, Rheinland took the path for unification once more. However, with the reunification, the constant political moves to get themselves into our side of the Omegas returned as well.

With their Sigma campaign a failure, and Saarbrucken taken over by the Hessians, they may set their eyes on Sprague, or even Cambridge if they're bold enough.

Gallia and Rheinland moved closer to eachother ever since before the end of the Gallic War, which places them firmly in their sphere of influence. Keeping them content and in-place may be a tricky move, but a necessary one.

LIBERTY - HIGH
Our longest ally, and also our biggest loaner, Liberty's a tricky one. They were always at our side in need, but it's enough to just think of recent corporate moves, like Ageira seizing the New London gate site in Leeds, to say they will anchor us at every turn.

A War with Liberty would be suicidal, not for their skill in warfare, but for their production capabilities. That war however may be inevitable, if we'll keep pursuing certain paths.

In case of that, isolating ourselves, and influencing strong anti-war public opinion in Liberty may be our only move: Politicians are ready to throw anyone under the train to save themselves, afterall.

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