BASE SOP
The first thing to remember is that your own life, and the success of our mission, is entirely in your hands. There are spots where this base is literally only centimeters away from discovery by the WEC. Our only hope for survival and success rests with everybody on the base keeping security foremost on their minds every moment of every day. There can be, and there will be, no tolerance whatsoever for any compromise or carelessness when it comes to questions of base security.
Avoid loud noises at all times. Excessive noise is grounds for disciplinary action. General cleanliness and sanitation is not just a matter of good discipline and good health, but a security concern as well. An infestation of vermin, or even an unusual odor, could draw the attention of the WEC to this facility, This applies equally to pleasant and unpleasant odors, therefore cooking is strictly prohibited except in designated kitchen areas. If an area is marked as a "light security area," bright lights are strictly forbidden in that area, and whenever possible it should be left with no artificial light whatsoever.
No personnel are to leave the base at any time for any reason except on official missions. There are no passes, and all time off must be spent on base. Command recognizes that this enforced isolation poses unique problems of morale and readiness. However you have all been chosen for your discipline and mental toughness, and you are expected to bear up under these pressures and not let them interfere with your duties.
All breeches of base security protocols will be reported directly to the CO , or to an officer directly appointed by the CO to receive such reports. Such breeches will be punished based on their nature and the degree of danger they represent to the installation.
DISCIPLINE AND MILITARY JUSTICE
This unit is considered to be under battlefield conditions at all times. This means that the NCOs and officers have broad discretion in matters of discipline and military justice, including the powers to restrict privileges and impose extra duty.
The base commander has, in addition, the power to order summary execution. Remember, there are no dishonorable discharges in the Resistance. Any personnel found to represent an incorrigible risk to the security or mission of this unit or the Resistance at large will be shot! Capital crimes include murder, rape, assault, with intent to harm or kill, and all counter-revolutionary activities, including espionage, profiteering, looting, desertion and sabotage.
It is the duty of any Resistance soldier on this Installation, regardless of rank or position, to arrest and detain any officer or enlisted personnel whom he has probable cause to suspect of counter-revolutionary activity, or any activity that presents a hazard to base security. (Note, however, that any spurious exercise of this authority is itself cause for disciplinary action.) Officers and enlisted personnel under arrest may be restrained or held at gun-point until command personnel can be summoned, but should otherwise continue to be treated with all military courtesy normally due their rank, until their case has been decided.
RECREATION AND COMMERCE
Because of the highly dangerous and isolated nature of duty at this Installation, the Resistance provides recreation facilities on-base. These areas exist for your benefit, and it is up to you to treat them with respect and maintain them in good order. As previously noted, excessive noise or mess is not only a detriment to morale and discipline, but a direct threat to base security, and will be treated as such. Any deliberate vandalism of recreational facilities will be grounds for corporal punishment.
Recreational gambling among base personnel is permitted, but officers and NCOs are authorized to curtail any such activity which they believe may present a threat to morale or discipline. Any cheating will be regarded as theft, and treated accordingly.
Any attempt to construct a device for the production of distilled spirits is strictly forbidden. Such devices represent a hazard to health, discipline and base security through fumes, explosions and poisoned or intoxicated personnel. Any attempt to construct such a device will be grounds for corporal punishment.
Provisions and equipment for this base are provided by civilians sympathetic to the Resistance, who provide such services at great personal risk. Whenever possible these provisions include luxury items for the benefit of morale, such as recreational equipment, games and reading material, special foodstuffs and beverages. These items are available because somebody is risking their life to provide them - base personnel are expected not to complain if the beverage dispenser sits empty for a couple of days, or the latest issue of their favorite magazine doesn't show up.
In addition, the Resistance sometimes allows base provisioners to offer certain items (including non-standard munitions and luxury items) directly to the troops in return for financial considerations. These items are to be offered for fair market value, plus a reasonable profit and consideration for risk involved in obtaining the product. Any suspected incidents of price-gouging on the part of independent suppliers should be reported to the chain of command.
SOLO OPERATIONS
by Sgt. Shannon Brooks
When most people think about military operations they think of tanks rolling down the road, bombs bursting in air, cavalry charges and all that other iffie crap. Well I'm here to tell you that that's not how we do things in my Resistance.
I'm writing this so you have new recruits have some idea what it's like in the field, and so you Consortium defectors get some idea of the difference between what you've used to and guerilla-style operations. Of course, there's no way you'll ever really know what it's like until you actually hear a WEC bullet whistle past your ear, but before that happens, it's a good idea to get acquainted with some general principles. That's what this manual is for.
This is a commando unit using guerrilla tactics. Any soldier needs to be an effective part of a team, but a guerrilla also has to be able to function effectively solo. The secret to survival on a solo mission is to think globally - you have to be alert in 360 degrees and three dimensions, because nobody's watching your back. Battlefields are noisy places by nature, but that just means you have to make even more of an effort to sort out the noises that come from outside of your line of sight. Watch for shadows that don't belong - I've caught more than one would-be sniper or ambusher who hid his body but forgot about his shadow. Use all your sense - a stray whiff of powder or ozone can tip your off to a concealed enemy.
Guerrillas don't engage the enemy on an open field. Traditionally, we crawl across the open field on our belly until we get behind the enemy lines, then we engage him in his own trenches, camp or base. Today, our methods of getting behind the enemy are usually more sophisticated than the good old-fashioned low crawl, but the same basic principle applies. We're not interested in "fair fights." We want the enemy dead before he even knows we're there. If you see an enemy between you and your mission objective, take him out as quickly, quietly and thoroughly as possible.
When you enter a room, always take out the cameras first. It take the cameras a couple of seconds to lock on to you, and if you get it before it spots you, it won't have time to set off an alarm or even take your picture. Also keep moving when you enter a room with cameras (it takes longer for the camera to lock on a moving target). A lot of Consortium electronic security gizmos are actually pretty stupid if you know what to do. Electric eyes are a good example- they're small, but easy to spot once you learn what to look for Wall guns are dangerous, but not smart. I've been able to take out a pursuing enemy by tripping an electric trigger at the right time and place for the wall guns to target him and not me. This is a dangerous tactic, and not recommended when other options are available, but it can be done.
Once a room is secure always look for an active data monitor. Lots of people leave themselves logged into a terminal all the time, and once they're out of the way it's easy to use their access to get useful information like door pass codes and valuable intelligence.
Always focus on your mission objectives. You want to get in, do the job and get out with possible wasted effort. If the enemy isn't in your way, don't waste time taking him out just because you don't like the Consortium - corpses attract attention. You want to be as close as possible to your final objective before you initiate hostilities - and if initiating hostilities is not itself part of the objective you don't want to open fire at all unless you have to. If your mission is to download a file from a data terminal or rescue a prisoner then that's what you want to accomplish - you don't need to worry about blowing up the building or killing all the guards, unless you have to in order complete your real mission.
On a commando mission, there are no lines of supply. What you have in your hands when you go in has to be enough to accomplish your mission, then get you back out again. Making sure this is the case is called RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, and it's the most important thing a guerrilla has to know. Don't waste precious ammo blasting through a door that you can get through some other way. Not only is that a waste of ammo, but you never can tell who you're alerting to your presence on the other side. On the other hand, sometimes time is more precious than ammo, and if blasting the door is the quickest way to the other side, that's what you need to do. Knowing which response is appropriate is the difference between the two kinds of guerrilla - the fighting kind, and the dead kind.
But even if you can't get re-supplied by your own unit, you can still get re-supplied by the enemy, if you keep your eyes open. We use WEC weapons just like the enemy does. If you're getting low on ammo, check to see if an enemy casualty can give you what you need. Look for weapons lockers or research labs where they might store weapons better than the stuff they hand out to the grunts. The other side of this is don't get greedy - don't grab so many battlefield goodies that you start weighing yourself down or the equipment gets in your way. When you're scavenging, don't let it distract you from the approach of new enemies, or delay you from completing your mission objectives. The purpose of battlefield scavenging is to get you to your objective and out, not to create a nest-egg for the future.
Shields are wonderful things, but in high-tech environments they can bite back . Some high-power equipment can trigger a power-spike when it comes into contact with a shield that will leave your shield (or you) fried. That's why you might want to think twice before poking around in a room with industrial equipment when your shield's on.
I have sign hanging over my bunk. It says, "There are very few problems that can't be solved by an appropriate application of high-explosives." If you can't take a fire team in with you for back-up, the next best thing is a good supply of demolition equipment. It's always a good idea to carry a detpac or two, for those times when you need to get through a door real fast. They also make good instant ambushed (drop a 'pac by the door, duck around a corner, wait until the enemy comes through and hit it. Limpet mines are handy any time, but my favorite place for them is right next to a teleport pad that might be bringing in some enemy reinforcements (just make sure it's not a pd you might need to extract yourself (that could become an embarrassing situation)). Spider mines are great for ambushing ambushers. If you spot a bunch of enemy waiting for you around the corner, and they don't spot you, send Citizen Spidy over to say "Hi."
Don't ever pass up a chance to bring an Inhibitor along when you might be going up against servomechs. But if you are carrying an Inhibitor make sure you've got a nice heavy projectile weapon on you. Inhibitors burn up so much battery juice that you might find yourself with no charge left to zap the servomech you just scrambled. Personally, I always like to watch what a Reaper does to a confused servomech.
The fundamental difference between a commando and a regular soldier is that the soldier carries a weapon and fights with it. The commando takes his whole environment and turns it into a weapon. You have to be aware of your environment not just because you're looking for ways to make it dangerous for the enemy Suppose you detect an enemy booby-trap. Do you really want to disarm or destroy it? Maybe you do, if you have buddies behind you, or if it's a hazard to your escape route, or if that's the only way to get past it. On the other hand, maybe there's some way to quickly and effectively modify thee trap so that it's now a threat to the enemy rather than you. OR suppose you're being pinned down by two enemies concealed behind chemical storage drums. Ask yourself what's in those drums. Is it something that would go up if you shot it or dropped a grenade next to it? (Of course, you also want to consider whether you're far enough from the blast to avoid getting caught yourself.) If you're pinned down in an industrial or lab area, look around for valves, panels or switches. Maybe they do something that will take the enemy by surprise and return the advantage to you. I was once pinned down by three enforcers with assault weapons and all I had was an empty handgun. I twisted a little valve near my head and when I looked up the bad-guys were boiled like lobsters from the super-heated steam I'd zapped them with.
We're engaged in a tough, dirty war with an enemy that can outgun us, outnumber us, and outspend us. That enemy doesn't just want to beat us, it wants to exterminate us. The only advantage we have is our wits, allowing us to turn the very strengths of the enemy against him. Learning to make the best use of that secret weapon - your brain - is the only way we have any hope of surviving and winning this war, as an individual, as a unit, or as a movement.