The Thanatos Project

New Republic and Yaeger Intel Reports: Excerpts

...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 Cruisers Shardis 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...

Other Documents:

From the Ien Yaeger Tactical Manual, by Admiral Nathan Bau:
...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.
Authorized Recipients: [CONFIDENTIAL LIST]
Security Coding: Alpha-1-1A, Authorized recipients only.
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.
THANATOS PROJECT EVALUATION
From: Minister Alan Dirain, Warfare and Security
Authorized Recipients: Sector Moff Alehedrin Rulduk Only
Security Coding: Alpha-0-0A, Authorized recipient only.
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...)
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