polemos:campaigns:city_and_tower:events:mission_03 [Earth Sphere]

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====== Mission 03: Operation Soaring Wheel ======

====== Briefing ======
**Bishop Five**> ...while the cipher was invalidated at 1100 Lambda, we were able to decrypt the cell's messages for about 3 hours. We've started an org map and for now codenamed the cell handler as 'Black Knight' until identity can be established. While analysis is ongoing our triage AI was able to spot an ongoing operation, hence the scramble order. Meet Franc'Beulix, partner in the Blan'queli syndicate. Right now he's in the middle of an armed standoff with Commonwealth Organized Crime police at the residence of a rival syndicate. It looks like a kidnapping-gone-wrong, but our intel dump contains the payment details meaning the USC is footing the bill. Pyrkagian syndicates seeking outside help is not news, but we need to know if this association is just to stir up trouble, or a more strategic relationship. Gustav has the tactical details.

**Knight Six**> Organized Crime has the building surrounded and confirmed that no hostages are involved - all non-combatants were murdered prior to their arrival. They're currently only negotiating, though, and show no signs of planning an take-down. Given COC's usual reputation for shooting first and letting God find the guilty, we suspect that Mr. Beulix may have dirt on local authorities, who in turn are holding COC back. If political pressure succeeds and slips the noose we lose our only lead on Black Knight, so we'll secure the residence ourselves. Make every effort to bring Mr. Beulix into custody alive, but standard assault rules of engagement apply otherwise. Oh, and we've taken a marker out with RANGECOM and have ranger [[polemos:8th_age:characters:char_zal_haulen|Noir]] on-call. He's a member of the locally feared Giant squad and an ethnic Pyrkagian so should be able to invoke an emancipation on the parish government without triggering a riot...if that becomes necessary.

====== Infiltration ======
  * INOC quick-reaction transport will carry fireteams to Fla'que'Fora Parish Airport.
  * Security Contractor will provide ground transport to Curyoux residence.

====== Objectives ======
  - Secure Curyoux residence.
  - Arrest Franc Beulix.
  - Secondary: Obtain evidence to charge or clear Fla'que'Fora parish authorities for corruption.
  - Secret Secondary: "Kill" Franc Beulix

====== Exfiltration ======
  * Security Contractor will provide ground transport to airport.

====== Logistics Phase ======
  - Cyclone Team - Bureaucracy
    - The Commonwealth Organized Crime task force shares an operation report uploaded by the commander with data from the first report of the break-in to about an hour into the stand-off. They say any reports after that are 'still being analyzed.' The report shows the initial kidnapping was done using a home invasion. The target family were able to flee to a panic room in the house, but the invaders had brought plastic explosives, apparently anticipating this move. They miscalculated the amount, however, killing everyone in the panic room from the over-pressure. Private security hired by the family, hearing the explosion but unaware of its results, made a counter-attack. After taking several casualties from fully automatic gunfire they fell back to a perimeter and called COC. The report puts the hostile count at 9 total, with 1 already KIA in the fight with private security. COC took at sonar scan of the walled residence on arrival, and the report includes images of 2 floors, a basement, and a roof-top.
    - The Parish government shares the police file on Franc'Beulix which includes biometric data but shows only a short stint in prison for a domestic charge, though some of the known associates listed are famous Blan'queli syndicate members. The parish also sends a pledge to assist your work in any way possible.
    - FEDSEC sends their file on Beulix and the extensive intel on Blan'queli. The Blan'queli are a subsidiary of the infamous Phyrin syndicate that ruled the area during the Agathonian Civil War. They acted as one of the many enforcer groups for the Phyrin, but cut ties on the FPU's invasion, likely due to their then-leader's radical unionist ideology. Post-integration the Blan'queli have gone through multiple leadership struggles and took to overt political terrorism for a short time. The most recent boss, Clari'So'Alcean, widow to an earlier boss, has generally focused on quietly rebuilding the organization and making alliances over open warfare. There's no plain indication that Franc'Beulix is acting outside his authority, however, as kidnapping wealthy businessmen is a recent Blan'queli MO.
  - Quake Team - Tactics - Whether Franc'Beulix is the cause or not is unknown, but there's definitely no tactical reason for COC to not have assaulted the residence at this point, and the delay only allows more outside actors to influence events (including INOC). Franc and his team definitely benefit from the delay, however, as the situation can only get more complicated as more eyes are put on the situation. One possibility is Franc is actually trying to surrender, but fears COC will find some excuse to execute him, and so is stalling until assurances can be arranged.

====== Mission Results ======
Site secured. Franc Beulix was arrested and dosed with a drug to simulate death provided by King Five. All other hostiles were eliminated.