XiC: Enforcement

 

As a main peacekeeping force, Xi's open police is named the "Xi Secret Security Service" (XSS), a covert organization tasked with policing the Xi population. They are composed of about 200 billion members throughout Xi and known to patrol for minor infractions and community peacekeeping.  Though considered a lesser entity of Xi state, XSS also have the ability to infiltrate and monitor criminal activities, as well as the ability to take-down minor and less dangerous criminal gangs and organizations, using their own special force divisions.

 

Criminal reform takes a decidedly unique approach. Rather than relying on traditional incarceration or punitive methods, the Empire's justice system incorporates a method known as Cognitive Realignment. This method, often misunderstood as "brainwashing" by the people, is actually a very effective form of psychotherapy and reformation, that seeks to modify the way a person thinks through the application of physical, mental and emotional torture- I mean treatment. CR-treated criminals often find themselves more amenable to the Xi state's rules and regulations, making them easier to rehabilitate. As a result, the criminal treatment system has seen great success in the Xi system, with criminals reformed and rehabilitated at a rate higher than the standard jail. The most common forms of CR-therapy include isolation for extended periods of time (often with the help of neural inhibitors), drugs, and sensory deprivation, in addition to the more advanced forms of treatment including the application of genetic manipulation, rubber therapy, and even psychic manipulation, which can be applied to criminal or non-criminal individuals for 'good citizenry reform'.

 

While the Cognitive Realignment program within the Xi system might show high success rates, it raises numerous ethical and moral concerns that warrant serious consideration. These implications should be considered in any discussion of the application and potential expansion of these methods.

SPARTA, short for Special Paranormal and Advanced Reconnaissance Tactical Agency, is a highly elite task force in the expansive galactic empire of Xi. Tasked with neutralizing paranormal and supernatural threats, SPARTA recruits are selected for their exceptional physical prowess, psychological resilience, and natural aptitude for handling the unknown. They undergo rigorous training designed to push them beyond the human limits. The result is a force of super-soldiers equipped with cutting-edge powered armor, granting them increased strength, speed, and resilience. Their daily duties can range from intercepting rogue alien entities to negotiating interstellar conflicts, always working under a veil of secrecy. They're known to utilize the underground hacker network of L.A.M.E. to maintain the agency's clandestine operations.

These stealth operatives are hand-picked from the main force for their exceptional skills in infiltration, espionage, and assassinations. Just like their Anbu counterparts, these agents often employ unorthodox tactics and are authorized to use any means necessary to ensure mission success. Operating from their heavily fortified starbase in the heart of the Xi galaxy, SPARTA maintains a constant vigil over the vast expanse of space. They are the shadow guardians of the cosmos, defending the galaxy from threats seen and unseen. SPARTA is one of the largest intelligence and security forces in the Xi empire, having vast range of connections within the blackmarket and underground of Xi. For their own self-security purposes, they do not disclose these illegal contacts, not even to the government that employs them. SPARTA's members are trained to fight in one of two ways. Standard operatives utilize powered-armor equipped with high-powered blasters, and are trained to defend against attacks. Advanced StarStrike agents utilize heavily armored powered armor that resembles a biological carapace, except that their armor is equipped with shields and armors that can absorb high-powered attacks and even withstand nuclear detonations and the extreme conditions of space.

The SPARTA members are divided into several groups of varying size and roles, the smallest being a "prowler unit" of two operatives composed of four-man spyteams, and the largest StarStrike forces, composed or 20-40 members suited with penetration gravity-emitter equipment to take down targets.

The first generation of SPARTA was born in secret on an uncharted planet in the Xi core system. It's original leader was Sandra, a highly skilled and charismatic leader who knew her way around a combat zone. Her SPARTA team grew with an unprecedented ferocity, fueled by a sense of duty and justice. Sandra's SPARTA unit gained fame as the best infiltrator and assassination force in Xi civilization. This unit was known as SPARTA-X. SPARTA-X was given full access to Xi state secrets in addition to the highest level encryption encryption protocols, and used their special ops forces to destroy political enemies of the Xi empire and topple corrupt institutions.

SPARTA's second generation is led by Captain Elora. Her team is called SPARTA-C. The unit was born shortly after the fall of SPARTA-X, with Sandra gone and the group in need of reform. They became mercenaries for centuries while Xi languished in chaos, until a new era of peace and prosperity rose up with the help of the Xi galaxy's new government, ushering in the Xi revival. The new government, which includes SPARTA-C's members, wanted to take a different approach to the war-making and the new world ushered them in. SPARTA-C was tasked with helping the government in any way possible, including helping to bring down any Xi criminal threats. However, Elora also kept tabs on her old unit, using them for missions or as a covert means to topple corrupt institutions and maintain the balance of power in Xi. Sandra's current edicts keeps SPARTA-C on a tight leash as far as their operations and maintains moral ordinances, much to the ire of Elora. The new captain has been known to get into arguements with Sandra about 'going too far' and feeling the Xistress has failed to allow SPARTA to act with impunity like 'good old days', feeling the organization has largely been toned-down and de-fanged since the old days.

In allegiance and combination with ATLAS, ex-members of Sparta have formed SPARROW, one of Xi's most elite combat units, often taking the lead in Xi's covert operations. It is modeled after the old SPARTA-X regiment. Their mandate is a mix of intelligence gathering and counter-insurgency, and includes a wide variety of operatives such as agents, covert operatives, and infiltration specialists, along with highpowered strike teams. Their mission is to provide intelligence and strategic planning support for ATLAS first and foremost, including secrets mined from Xi Intelligence, Military and security services. This is often accompanied by information sharing between SPARROW and ATLAS after the former obtains the intel. Critics have called them 'The only spy organization by a corporation, hired to spy on the government it works for.'

The SPARROW group was formed as a response to an uptick in Xi security threats during a time when Xi was seeing an increase in internal dissent and dissent between parties and militas. The new threat of terrorist attacks by external entities was also at an all-time high, coupled with an unprecedented increase in the size of the Xi navy and other military forces. The initial SPARROW force was tasked with establishing covert agents and other specialists that could help track down dissidents and protect Xi state. Their operatives include scientists, engineers, and a wide variety of specialists with skills that help them track down corporate dissidents and supernatural threats to company hegemony. SPARROW is known for a number of things. They are known for their 'no mercy' policy, with the only exception being potential recruitment protocols. If an infiltration goes bad, it will often be followed by SPARROW agents intending wipe out everyone involved. They're known to use any brutual means necessary to take out the threat. They also have a strong focus on virtual-neural simulation training, with a very high standard for trainees and persistent reconditioning to enforce loyalty to ATLAS and SPARROW.

They also keep their skills in infiltration, hacking, and other cyberwarfare, making the SPARROW group an extremely hard-to-discredit opponent. They've been known to target political groupst that advocate against ATLAS's interests to maintain supremacy in Xi. SPARROW is highly secretive and its operations are mostly opaque, with members being largely un-authorized to speak out about their affiliation, especially while their mission is active. SPARROW operatives are trained for the long-term, being trained to maintain their loyalty, even to the point of killing fellow operatives in to protect their employers, even if that means destroying loved ones and people they know. SPARROW's operatives are heavily vetted to ensure their loyalties to their employers remain intact, background checks are done for all new recruit's family members and they're often put in special 'protection protocols' which involve reprogramming said members into part of the ATLAS family, complete with aesthetic reconfiguration.

Their faces are often heavily guarded as well, with heavily shielded holo-masks and built in sensors monitoring over their bodies. SPARROW members are trained to keep their appearance as much alike as possible. Their bodyguards make sure they're always covered with their armor, and often carry them. Most SPARROW operatives, despite their job duties, usually prefer to remain in full body armor and powered armor, and many work within the underground L.A.M.E. and use various cybernetics and neural implants for enhanced strength and endurance. Their primary weapon are NT-Ion Penetrators, an energy-firing blade-like-projectile that shoots plasma-based energy in a spearlike fashion directly through hard materials. Their wrists are equipped with a multi-spectrum energy based grenade launcher, a built-in neural interface, and other assorted weaponry. This powered armor is powered with an energy generator that has access to the Xi gravitational systems to allow floatation both inside stations and ships, and thrusters outside the abyss of space. While this armor can be destroyed, it can be repaired with nanite-particles at the cost of the operator's personal energy reserves. These nanites not only keep the data of the suit's specs but the neural analyzation of the agent wearing them, backing up their psyche and genetic imprint. When a member is felled, the unit can be replaced with no more than two hours of neural-training time at the behest of a SPARROW genecore operator, simply with another subject to reprogram and genetically imprint.