Intelligence Summary #16: Bongolaan's Brute Battalion

 

Stardate: Fiday, 104-130 ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector: Shannekam

 

Since his Imperial-sponsored New Year's Eve Coup, President Bunda Akhtar has rapidly consolidated power through legislation and executive directives.  However, Bongolaan's new leader has also employed more ruthless--and less legal--methods of tightening his control over the planet.

 

One scheme to circumvent the Imperial limitations on autonomous planetary militias within the Empire, Bunda Akhtar has raised several "civic organizations," for the supposed benefit of the populace.  One such group is the Citizens Against Counter-Revolutionary Activities (CACA).  However, the beings of Bongolaan have another name for this band of thugs:  The Brute Battalion.

 

CACA/The Brute Battalion is a paramilitary force that serves as President Akhtar's private group of bounty hunters.  So far the group has not yet been sanctioned by the Galactic Bounty Hunter's Guild and none of it's members get an official salary.  Instead, members receive payment upon job completion from various "concerned citizens," who've posted bounties against anyone on the Enemies of the State List--which continues to grow almost daily.

More than likely, the source of the bounty payments originate from Bunda Akhtar, or from his inner circle of planetary ministers.

 

 

The Brute Batallion is led by Roten Lardas, the tubby Trandoshan seen in the center of the above image.  While often refered to as "Rotten Lard Ass" by the Bongolaanian citizenry, no one laughs at this play on words. 

 

Those who are charged with committing minor infractions can expect to be sentenced to one year of forced labor on one of the planet's gabaki plantations.  They are discharged automatically upon completion of their sentence--provided they survived this stint of "community service."

 

Rumors have also spread throughout the subsector that indentured servitude is not the only punishment inflicted upon those who've earned Akhtar's displeasure.  There are unsubstantiated reports of victims being fed into gabaki shredders, similar to the one pictured below...

 

 

 ...or tossed into the Bongodile Pit, which was recently built within the Presidential Palace compound.

 

 

Those who perceive such a grisly fate is in store for them, put up a desperate fight and even commit suicide, rather than be captured by henchmen such as Lardas and his brutes.  Due to such firefights, it is said that the life expectancy of a Brute Battalion trooper is short.

 

While the members of the Brute Battalion have considerable combat skills, the group as a whole is not a cohesive fighting unit.  Garrisoned in maniple (company)-sized units throughout the major cities, the Brute Battalion is said to be comprised of malcontents ranging from those who supported former President Zeveg Bharzi, to anyone merely harboring anti-Imperial sentiments.  Whatever the reason, such individuals have probably been deemed a security risk and are unable to find work until they prove their loyalty to the People's Democratic Republic of Bongolaan and the Empire.  In addition to being a band of government contracted bounty hunters, the Brute Battalion also doubles as a penal unit.

 

So far, the Brute Battalion has limited its activities to the Bongolaan System.  This may change in the near future as the unit and its members gain more operational experience.  If this occurs, TIS operatives may be contacted by battalion members wanting to defect.  However, be aware of the possibility that such an individual may be a double agent posing as a deserter. 

 

GM's Note:

 

Roten Lardas is represented by the figure of Gha Nachkt in the Star Wars Miniatures collection.

 



After Action Review #3: Invasion of Vandalla Island

 

 

 

Stardate: Forday, 103-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

Planet: Zenya

Region: The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

After Action Review:  Bongolaanian Invasion of Vandalla Island;

Evening, Local Time

 

In the late afternoon, the TAg Market Island Security Satellite (Secsat) detected two task forces of grav barges putting to sea from Donmils and Havran Islands.  About an hour before local sunset, the task forces reached the northern shoreline of Vandalla Island.

 

 

According to the invasion plans, discovered by Diplomatic Security Team-Three (DST-3), this attack was not suppose to commence for another 18-36 hours.  The Bongolaanian ground force commander may have realized the plans were compromised and decided to launch the attack early.

 

The TAg Market Island Grav Patrol Boat Squadron, however, had a surprise of its own. 

 

 

 

Shortly after sunset, both naval task forces were attacked by GPVs 255 and 256. 

 

 

 Several guard vessels and grav barges were damaged and/or destroyed in the attack. 

 

 

 Unfortunately, GPV-255 was sunk with all hands. 

 

(Image derived from the album cover of Fast Attack Boats)

 

 

GPV-256, didn't fare any better.  The boat sustained heavy damage and over half the crew were injured, some seriously.  Lieutenant Commander Katzir managed to beach the shattered hulk near Ooverton and evacuate his surviving crew. 

 

(Image derived from the Movieland Wax Museum Exhibit of PT-109)

 

 While neither of the Bongolaanian landing forces sustained serious casualties, it appeared to have delayed the advances on Vianda and Ooverton. 

 

 

 By midnight local time, the battledroids of the 7th and 8th Cohorts of the 599th Droid Infantry Legion (599 DIL) appeared to have assumed a defensive posture against another possible counter attack. 

 

 

 

This respite allowed the Vianda and Ooverton Constabulary Battalions to muster up to full strength, while initiating the evacuation of non-combatants in both cities. 

 

 GM's Notes

 

The ship counters in the map pictures were borrowed from Command at Sea, while the infantry units are from Star Viking--which is a free download!

 

 

After Action Review (AAR) #2: Tarsan Pre-emptive Strike, Phase-II

 

Stardate: Forday, 103-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

Planet: Zenya

Region: The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

After Action Review: Pre-Emptive Strike Against Surface-to-Orbit Artillery (SOA);

Afternoon, Local Time 

 

In addition to destroying most of the Crimson Aces fighters on the ground, the TAg Market pre-emptive strike also served another purpose:  It pinpointed the location of the Surface-to-Orbit Artilllery (SOA) the Bongolaanians had smuggled on to some of the nearby islands. 

 

Once the sites activated their sensors and scanners, each site was spotted by the TAg Market Island Security Satellite (Secsat) in geosynchronous orbit above Pierson Station.  Targeting data was downloaded to the Grav Patrol Boat (GPV) squadron.

 

 

Four of the squadron's six vessels (GPV's 251-254) raced to their launch points. 

 

 

 

 Meanwhile, the two remaining X-wing fighters were re-armed and refuelled.  They had one more mission to perform:  Shoot down the Bongolaanian security satellite.  Once the fighters were ready, two of the squadron's most experienced pilots, captains Malakhi and Natali, hopped into their cockpits and took off.

 

 

 However, this mission turned out to be more than a "milk run."  Before leaving the atmosphere, they were bounced by the two remaining TIE fighters of the Crimson Aces.  (This was contradictory to typical mercenary behavior and the pilots may have been on a personal vendetta). 

 

 

Malakhi's top, port-side laser was damaged, but the veteran pilot and his wingman managed to turn the tables on the TIE fighters. 

  

 

Both TIEs were destroyed in the fight and neither of the pilots ejected.  Unfortunately, Malakhi's fighter sustained too much damage in the dogfight and he was forced to crash land on the forest side of Jamasp Island. 

 

 

 

(Image from:  Ulrichvb)

 

Once Natali ensured her flight leader survived the crash, she blasted into orbit to intercept her target.  Even without TIE fighter cover, Natali had to dodge a barrage of blaster fire from the satellite's point defense system.  The fusillade inflicted moderate damage to her fighter.  However, she managed to destroy the satellite's positioning thrusters.  It's orbit immediately began to decay and the Bongolaanian "eye in the sky" plummeted into Zenya's atmosphere. 

 

 

Once the boat crews received the "scratch one spy satellite" message, they fired off salvos of concussion missiles at their assigned targets. 

 

 

 

All the SOA sites were destroyed in the attack. 

 

 

Due to the damage sustained by her fighter, captain Natali was forced to make a hard landing at Pierson Station.  The last of TAg Market Security's X-wing was now out of commission. 

 

Post Strike Assessment:

 

Despite the loss of all the X-Wings at Pierson Station, the mission was a success.  The threat to the Station's entry corridor has been removed--for the time being. 

 

While Pierson's Station's supply vector has been secured against Bongolaanian interdiction, it is unknown at this time if the Zenyan Mainland United Government (Z-MUG) will remain neutral in this planetary brush war.  If the Z-MUG Parliament sides with the People's Democratic Republic of Bongolaan in this matter, then Z-MUG space forces could easily blockade Pierson Station.

 

Except for local militia, the Tau-Taus are currently preparing for a military operation against the Sith Mutants on Gadnek Island.

 

GM's Notes:

 

The top photo is of a NASA spy satellite, while the second space image is an artist's illustration of the destruction of the Japanese H-2 Transfer Vehicle.   

 

The TIE and X-wing fighters, along with the Hailfire Tank, are from the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures collection.  The "GPV" is a military boat from Micro Machines.

 

The explosions bracketing the Hailfire Tank are blast markers from PaperTerrain.