As you know, the remnants of Jade Squadron have been absent from your midst for several years now.
Few among you knew of our mission, and we assure you that the rumors of our demise are untrue.
While at this time we cannot fully present the results of the operations which required our absence from Order space for so long, you should know that those operations were successful in the main, and the information that we acquired will be of vital importance to both the future of The Order and humanity at large. Further details will be released as soon as our operational debriefings are completed.
What we can reveal is that three years ago shadow squadron sympathizers within Order Intelligence brought to our attention developments that were discounted by many analysts as unimportant, but which were deemed worthy of investigation by those of us with a less inflexible view of interpreting events.
Due to the sensitive nature of the intel, details were only distributed within a very small cadre of Order pilots. It was agreed that an undercover operation was necessary to fully investigate the reports, and Jade Squadron's remaining pilots volunteered for the operation. We split into three cells, and dispersed to Liberty, Rheinland, and the Omicrons to infiltrate the targeted organizations and gather further intelligence.
We can report to you that our operations in Liberty and the Omicrons yielded superlative results. Our operation in Rheinland was compromised through means that are yet unknown and resulted in the loss of both members of the team. We promise you that their loss will be avenged and their betrayers will be rooted out and brought to justice.
With the loss of our Rheinland operation, the remaining two cells decided that events necessitated abrupt termination of the operations and a return to Order space. It is still unclear whether the betrayal of the Rheinland op has deeper implications for Order security or if it was simply a localized failure of operational security. The nature of the intel gathered so far convinced us not to take the chance of its loss to The Order through similar betrayal.
With dismaywe have learned of the recent events surrounding the scandalous attack upon an Order warship led by a demented Black Squadron junior officer. The guiding precept of The Order's internal conduct since its inception has been that no Order pilot ever engages in violence against another Order pilot. Our ranks are too few, and our mission is great to allow such frivolous and damaging loss of personnel.
Black Squadron's increasingly authoritarian dictates have arguably instigated this attack, and display a renewed aggressiveness in consolidating their control over all Order operations and personnel. When Jade Squadron left for our undercover operations, the longstanding state of passive tension between Black Squadron and the shadow squadrons seemed permanent, with Black Squadron tacitly agreeing not to further consolidate its control, and the shadow squadrons agreeing not to openly challenge Black Squadron's central and primary role in Order affairs. This tenuous peace now seems in danger of erupting into civil war. This must be avoided at nearly any cost.
We all know of the great danger presented by the ever-present Nomad threat against humanity, and the pivotal role that The Order has played in both the internal security of Liberty for nearly 800 years, and the recent Nomad War.
Let every member of The Order agree on this : The Order's critical importance and value to the security of all humanity must not be jeopardized by our own selfish pursuit of internal politics and authoritarian control over each other!
Jade Squadron returns at a critical juncture in the ongoing mission of The Order. New threats combine with old nemeses to present an increased threat to both the existence of The Order and the ultimate future of mankind in the Sirius Sector.
We return in hope, and bring with us a solid dedication to the vital mission of The Order : securing the freedom and prosperity of Liberty from threats both internal and external. Those threats are as great now as they have ever been, and all Order personnel must unite in one spirit to combat them effectively.
Since the Nomad War, Black Squadron has operated as the only formally constituted squadron of The Order while the shadow squadrons of The Order have operated independently of Black Squadron control to pursue The Order's objectives. Attempting to challenge or change this fragile arrangement now will only distract our collective resources from confronting the dangerous threats which are gathering on Liberty's threshold.
Jade Squadron will not renew or support any conflict with Black Squadron, but will also not surrender the independence of the shadow squadrons earned through our operational daring and the blood of our comrades. The shadow squadrons have earned the respect and support of The Order populace, and have earned the operational freedom to serve Liberty and The Order without interference from Black Squadron.
Jade Squadron is firmly committed to the following objectives :
1) the cooperation of all Order personnel against the internal and external threats to the Liberty house
2) the survival of The Order as an effective security force, operating independently of the fickle politics of the corporately dominated sham democracy controlling Liberty's governmental and military apparatus
All other considerations dissolve into inconsequential vapors by comparison.
Thus, Jade Squadron has no interest in either instigating or supporting further internal political strife within The Order against Black Squadron's preeminent position. Whether for good or ill, fate determined that Black Squadron survive the Nomad War largely unscathed, while the other squadrons of The Order faced decimation or complete annihilation.
While we do not agree with or support the subsequent attempts of Black Squadron to centralize all Order operations under their provincial and sometimes improvident control, we will not support any actions that result in a disruption of The Order's effectiveness against the threats arrayed against us. Internal strife benefits no one but the enemies of freedom and it must cease!
At the same time, the shadow squadrons must unite among themselves to effectively counter the numerous threats that have targeted The Order and Liberty.
Jade Squadron is prepared to lead by example in the unification of The Order, but utterly refuses to attempt assumption of mandatory or even titular control over the remaining forces within the shadow squadrons of The Order.
The shadow squadrons have instinctively resisted any such attempt at formal control in the past, and Jade Squadron will not lead or participate in any such effort now. In fact, we believe that nearly two decades of the lack of centralized authority over the shadow squadrons has promoted competitive advantages in tactical prowess, strategic analysis, and the ascension of authentically qualified leadership that is denied to the centralized, politically motivated command structure created by Black Squadron. History has proven time and again that rigid military command structures are prone to survivalist mindsets and narrow thinking that undermines overall strategic effectiveness when confronting unorthodox threats and challenges.
Make no mistake, the threats headed our way must be confronted with the flexibility, daring, and the unswerving commitment that the shadow squadrons have consistently demonstrated.
Jade Squadron will not impose upon or dictate to the remaining forces of the shadow squadrons, nor will we engage in endless bickering over authority with Black Squadron. Black Squadron may pursue the objectives of The Order as it sees fit; we shall likewise not be dissuaded from doing the same.
Jade Squadron will lead by example, first into the breach, last to fall back, ever vigilant to the dangers that we confront.
Jade Squadron will accept the assistance of the remaining pilots of the other shadow squadrons and will accept those pilots as they are. The pilots of the shadow squadrons have earned their rights to their reputations, ranks, and ships through boldness and tested demonstrations of skill, not through political double dealing and meaningless promotions due to survival instead of prowess. Jade Squadron respects the positions of officers within the shadow squadrons and will do nothing to change them. Pilots who join Jade Squadron do so voluntarily and retain the titular ranks that their feats have earned along with the privileges of ship deployment involved.
Since the disastrous impact of the Nomad War upon The Order's squadrons, Jade Squadron has operated on a volunteer basis rather than a command basis, and while tactical orders are issued as a necessary means of unit cohesion and operational effectiveness in combat, strategic decisions are more democratic than autocratic.
Tactical command during patrol is granted with the agreement of the members of the squad according to demonstrated leadership skill, not titular ranks. Emphasis is given to the development of leadership and command skills by all squad members through the actual experience of command.
Strategic decisions are made on a cooperative basis, utilizing the full skills and unique abilities of every member of the squadron.
The regulations of Jade Squadron are simply the overarching operational orders of The Order itself. Nothing less, nothing more.
The Executive Officer (XO) of Jade Squadron for the purposes of administrative efficiency is Lt. Commander Ivor Fade. Overall titular command of the squadron has not existed since the loss of its commanding officer Commander Dirk Elliot during the Nomad War, nor has Lt. Cmdr. Fade ever sought typical military control over the squadron.
The mission objectives of Jade Squadron are :
* The further investigation and disruption of Nomad research being conducted among the houses, especially focusing on the Liberty Security Force and the Rheinland government's infiltration by The Wilde [font=System]
* The targeted assassinations of Liberty operatives engaged in conduct deemed harmful to the welfare of Liberty and/or the security of The Order
* The elimination of Liberty Navy and Liberty Security Force installations in the Alaska system, and the freedom of all prisoners at the Mitchell and Fairbanks prison stations
* Espionage against the Liberty government targeted at uncovering intelligence critical to the furtherance of The Order's objectives * Offensive operations against the Bounty Hunters Guild Core in the Omicron systems
A quantum communications array has been established from our base of operations in order to provide a means for other Order pilots to communicate their assistance in attaining Jade Squadron's mission objectives. In memory of The Order's revered commander Casper Orillion, the pilots of Jade Squadron greet you, our comrades whom we have long been separated from, and invite the pilots of The Order to unite in one spirit with us against the onrushing dangers to Liberty and The Order, and to join in offering all pilots of The Order assistance, cooperation, goodwill, and a renewed infusion of Jade Squadron's unyielding resolve to achieve victory, even at the cost of our own lives.
Briefing Concluded.
|Delta Transmission Completed| |Encoding-algorithms on Standby| |Scrambling Target Vectors| |Stabilizing Quantum Signal| |Transmitting Security Clearances| |Quantum Communications Array on Standby|