SHADOWS ANGELUS III

XSWAT OVERVIEW

XSWAT Seal

A Brief History

XSWAT was created in 2093 after an incident which devastated a great deal of the city and created Omega Sector. This event was named the Van Goren Incursion—a great deal of deaths and property damage occurred, so much so that the city council ultimately agreed to fund a special division to handle special circumstances that the normal police units were ill-equipped to deal with.

As Angelus grew, the city attracted more and more unusual denizens—Espers, Magicians, Cyborgs, Clades, Pirates, and more. XSWAT was deemed to be the best answer, especially as programs were developed to recruit unusual agents of their own to even the balance. Special protocols and gear was developed to assist XSWAT in protecting the island. Thanks to the Treaty of 2088 (see below), XSWAT swiftly became the closest equivalent to a standing military force on Angelus.

Purpose

The public stated purpose of XSWAT is to defend Angelus and enforce the rule of law. Left unsaid is that XSWAT's higher calling is to keep the citizens of Angelus safe from unusual enemies like cyborgs, power armored pirates, and Entities. The existence of the Entities alone is a good reason to have XSWAT around, and many XSWAT officers consider dealing with Entities the highest priority. This attitude is not universal—some officers have a particular threat they consider to be the most pressing, while others focus on "to serve and protect."

Important Personnel

Director Alice Cadbury: No one single person has put more effort and passion into XSWAT than Alice Cadbury. Cadbury has no records of ever serving in any official capacity—but rumors of all kinds circulate as to how she achieved her position as head of the elite organization. Cadbury spends a great deal of time convincing doubters that XSWAT is needed now more than ever as well as soothing ruffled feathers from civilian contractors, normal police, and foreign ambassadors or dignitaries who may have encountered some of the more unusual XSWAT officers. Thanks to Cadbury, XSWAT has the autonomy and funding it needs to remain effective.

Captain Alexander Richards: (Precinct 13) Alex Richards is a powerful esper and among the most experienced XSWAT officers on the force. Around since the initial formation of XSWAT, Richards has seen and dealt with nearly every possible situation that crops-up in this unusual city. Rather than leaving him jaded, his tenure within the department has made him more protective of the officers under his command—sometimes to the point where he'll intervene using his abilities even when it is unwise to do so. Richards is devotedly loyal to Cadbury, but of late, he has begun to question his dedication to a city where espers like him are not considered trustworthy.

Standing

XSWAT is seen by most citizens of Angelus as an extension of the normal police—an "elite" force to handle unusual crime and criminals. Therefore, the average citizen considers XSWAT "pretty cool" but also "kinda weird." Media coverage generally portrays XSWAT in a positive light (unless a personal agenda is involved or a major screw up occurs), and politicians are generally favorable towards XSWAT Officers. Normal police, firefighters, and other civil servants have a somewhat lower opinion, mostly due to the fact that XSWAT creates a LOT of work for them and seems to "get away with anything."

Authority

In Angelus, the head of state is the city's Coordinator, David Hunter. Below the Coordinator, elected City Council representatives debate issues and implement directives. The City Council holds great political power and acts as a balance to the Coordinator and the High Justices (Angelus' version of the Supreme Court).

The XSWAT chain of command begins below the City Council level—Director Cadbury sits on the Council as a non-voting member.

As mentioned elsewhere, XSWAT Officers have authority over all other civil agencies within Angelus (with the exception of direct agents of the Council or Coordinator).

Jurisdiction

XSWAT's jurisdiction extends to the entire city of Angelus and to a distance of 10 nautical miles around the city's physical boundaries. In addition, XSWAT may operate throughout the Pacific Ocean in cooperation with INTERPOL. However, XSWAT must respect national borders of any sovereign nation.

The Treaty of 2088

Angelus is wealthy in many resources—heavy industrial complexes, high technology research and development, advanced mega-corporations, and a large concentration of sorcerers, espers, cyborgs, and clades. Such a prize is too valuable to the world at large to become a bargaining chip in any territorial dispute, or so the United Nations decreed under the terms of the Treaty of 2088. The Treaty stipulates that Angelus is a sovereign city-state, but places strict limits on Angelus' civil defense. No standing military force is allowed to exist under the terms of the treaty, although there are gaps in the treaty's language that allow for an extremely well-armed and well-equipped police force. The Treaty of 2088 effectively bars Angelus from forming its own army and restricts the city to hiring mercenaries or relying on its police forces for protection and defense.

The Van Goren Incursion

On October 31st, 2093, a major Entity incursion was detected in Kappa Sector, a residential area formerly known as a peaceful region within the city. The origin of the incursion is believed to be Dominic Van Goren, a powerful sorcerer and resident of the sector. The epicenter of the incursion was first detected at Van Goren's home and expanded outward at an alarming rate. Evacuation procedures were initiated, but civilian casualties were high. Police and other emergency services coordinated in a large-scale operation to seal off Kappa Sector and keep the incursion contained. Although all the major Entities involved in the incursion were destroyed, many lower-level Entities remain within the boundaries. The region was reclassified as a no-go restricted area and designated Omega Sector. The public story is that a low-yield nuclear device was detonated, making the region dangerously radioactive and poisonous to human life.

Omega Sector

Formerly Kappa Sector, Omega Sector was overrun during the Van Goren Incursion and has since been sealed off with high concrete walls and automated defenses. Inside the Omega Sector, the buildings and businesses seem empty and silent. A large number of Class 1 and Class 2 Entities make their homes here and wander about searching for any intruders. Satellite imagery allows XSWAT to update maps of the area, but such maps are notoriously inaccurate—the alleys and buildings within Omega Sector have a regrettable tendency to change when no one is looking. XSWAT have posted warnings everywhere (mostly radiation warning Trefoils) and have guard patrols. In spite of these efforts, occasionally someone will manage to get inside. So far, no one has ever returned after setting foot inside Omega Sector.

Internal Affairs

XSWAT is far more concerned with results than regulations due to the special nature of its duties. Nevertheless, its officers have a wide variety of unusual abilities and skills—therefore, XSWAT keeps a close watch on itself. The Internal Affairs Division of XSWAT is a small but well-funded department that keeps an eye on every precinct and squad in the city. Under the provisions of the Treaty of 2088, any internal investigations and trials are conducted according to military structure and are, in fact, a courts-martial. Only the most serious problems reach this level, however—XSWAT IAD attempts to remain invisible to the average officer and saves the greater efforts for "bigger fish."

XSWAT Operating Guidelines and Policies

  1. XSWAT exists to defend Angelus from incursions by Entities. This duty has been expanded to cover dealing with crimes committed by espers, sorcerers, cyborgs, and similar beings or threats that pose unacceptable risks to normal police forces. All other criminal activity is to be handled by the regular police. Regular police forces can call in XSWAT for backup at anytime. XSWAT is able to do likewise. In cases where XSWAT is called in by regular police forces, they can assume command immediately—if the situation warrants such measures. In all cases XSWAT's responsibility ends with the elimination or containment of the immediate threat; clean up and such is handled by regular police forces.
    [The reason for this is simple: each XSWAT Squad numbers 6-8 officers. There aren't enough officers to waste time with clean up, traffic control, court duty, and such. Written reports are deemed sufficient. Smart XSWAT officers will try and avoid abusing their powers, irritating regular police forces doesn't help XSWAT's already "elitist" reputation.]

    In general, XSWAT is far more concerned with results than procedures and paperwork. Accomplishing the task at hand should come first – warrants and other legal complications are important, but take second place to protecting citizens or the welfare of the city as a whole.
  2. Officers are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Off duty officers are expected to have their badges with them at all times (their communicators are built into them). Carrying your sidearm while off-duty is not required, but XSWAT weapon permits allow it.
  3. XSWAT's jurisdiction covers any and all cases involving the following: Entities, cases involving human/Entity contact, cyborg criminals, power armor, cases involving the use of sorcery, cases involving esper involvement, and any other threat deemed too powerful for normal police forces (such as any military or terrorist action of sufficient magnitude).
    1. Entities are to be terminated with extreme prejudice . Due to the size and power of such creatures, XSWAT officers are allowed to use any means at their disposal to do so. It is a recognized fact there will be property destruction (sometimes a great deal of it) in any battle with Entities. Such destruction is deemed an "acceptable loss" in the face of the deaths and suffering one of these creatures can cause if allowed to operate unchecked. XSWAT officers should not use these allowances as an excuse to utilize "excessive" actions in the course of resolving a case.
    2. Power armor or combat cyborgs are handled in a similar manner to Entities. Termination or other removal is the most desirable result.
    3. All other cases are to be handled as officers see fit. Human sorcerers and espers are to be arrested if at all possible. If this is not possible, then the officer should opt for the most expedient solution to the problem.
  5. It is forbidden to use magic on a human opponent. [This rule has been amended since inception. Magic can be used in any situation where magic is being used against an officer. Preemptive strikes are frowned upon unless the target is a supernatural being or a proven sorcerer. Esper abilities fall under the same restrictions. One can "cross" powers, i.e., an officer with esper abilities can use his or her powers on a known sorcerer, while a magic-using officer could use his or her sorcery to fight a powerful esper. In all cases the use of "defensive" powers is allowed, especially when they are used to protect fellow officers and civilians.]
  6. It is forbidden to use maser weapons on a human opponent. [The term human means just that, any physically normal human being. According to this rule clades, power armor, vehicles and the like, are not humans; sorcerers, and espers are. Cyborgs are usually considered human targets. Whether a target is considered valid for maser weaponry is usually left up to the discretion of the officer on the scene and is rarely questioned. However, incidents that ARE questioned are investigated quite thoroughly and with great risk to the officer’s career if he or she is found to have acted inappropriately.]
  7. Patrols are to be conducted by teams of two officers. These teams are instructed to call for XSWAT back-up when dealing with any Entity greater than Class 1. Any encounter with an Entity of Class 2 or greater is to be avoided until the entire XSWAT squad can be assembled to deal with it.
  8. Patrols are conducted by two person teams, unless the designated officer has proven his or herself capable of dealing with most entities single-handedly.
    1. All patrols, whether single or two-man, are to report to dispatch at regular, agreed-upon interval. Intervals for single officers should be shorter than those for two-person teams.
    XSWAT spinner patrolling the night sky of Angelus
  10. Spinners are for official XSWAT use only. No private use is allowed.
  11. All officers are to wear the designated uniforms while on duty. [There are two uniforms. One is the better known field uniform with its coat, armored boots, and such. The other is the office uniform, which looks like any standard police officer's uniform. Exceptions to this rule (undercover work, etc.) will be judged on a case-by-case basis.]
  12. The existence of Entities is considered a high-priority secret. XSWAT Officers are expected to do everything within reason to maintain the illusion Entities do not exist when dealing with the general public. XSWAT Officers are allowed to reveal the secret of the Entities’ existence if absolutely necessary to save lives. (This is another judgment call left up to the officer on the scene).
  13. The Omega Sector is a Restricted Zone. It is illegal for anyone to trespass within this area. It is a known haunt of Class 1 and Class 2 Entities, any and all appearances by such creatures are to be dealt with immediately.
  14. XSWAT Chain of Command
    The following chain of command is by rank only. Since the actual composition of XSWAT can change rapidly, the names of individual XSWAT officers have been left out.
    1. Alice Cadbury - XSWAT Director
    2. XSWAT Chief (of a specific office)
    3. XSWAT Captain (this person is the officer's actual commander)
    4. Squad Leader (the sub-chief's most experienced/capable officer, generally sergeants)
    5. Dispatch Officer (this person is usually stationed at the XSWAT office full time, taking calls and coordinating the actions of other officers, generally corporals)
    6. Patrol Officer (the people who actually go out and fight Entities on a regular basis)
  16. Due to the nature of XSWAT's responsibilities, inner-office tensions need to be resolved in an expedient manner as possible. If problems arise between officers, they should be brought to the attention to the officer's superior immediately.
  17. It is recommended that officers engage in periodic activities designed to further officer "closeness" and understanding. [A rough translation - XSWAT officers have a written excuse to go out and get really smashed together. Honest, it's in the regs. Actually, these activities usually range from group dinners, to trips to the beach, to pretty intense drinking parties (complete with talent contests and assorted insanities).]

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