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THE
CABAL
CABAL
[fancybox2]Project SALIGIA, the Church of Nirvanism, the GenoHaraden, Czerka Corporation Special Division CZ-7, Operations, Viden Enterprises (formerly Viden Scientific Limited), MantiCorp, Industrial Defense, G-Labs, the Vejalic Cartel (former; ended with Gorme's death), Cult of the Chosen One, the Coterie, The Old Man's network
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Cabal
Operations
Projects
Nirvanism
History
Faction Roster
Assets
Intent
Thread Tracker
[fancybox2]The Cabal[/fancybox2]
The Cabal is a network of illegal experiments and para-military forces, a coterie seeking power and influence over the galaxy through corruption, sabotage, assassination, military expansion, religious indoctrination, and economic advance. It cares indifferently towards the Republic and the Sith's ruined kingdom, but profits from both sides through their eternal struggle, fanning the flames. Once Czerka Corporation Special Division CZ-7, the off-the-books division of Czerka's illicit activities, it has since evolved into something else. For years it remained tied with Czerka, pretending to be the ever-obedient dog of Czerka while secretly paving its own economic and political power, building up a network of powerbases and a military force, centered around the Cabal-created Church of Nirvanism. When the Republic assimilated Czerka Corporation, Czerka Special Division CZ-7 officially broke ties with Czerka Corporation (though secretly has connections with former allies inside the company, feeding in funds when needed). Pretending to have dissolved as its members went their separate ways, the organization instead has gone underground, out of Czerka's watchful eye to rebuild and restore supremacy.The Cabal operates in an interconnected and disconnected network, all controlled by The Old Man. It is largely comprised of three core components: Projects (the unofficial moniker used to refer to the illegal experiments and corporate projects/fronts), Operations (the majority of the Cabal, which comprises of its armed forces, assassins, and other on-the-ground activities), and the Church of Nirvanism, a religion created by the Cabal as a means to recruit Force users and obtain funding through donations to the church. The Projects tend to be more separated, while Operations tend to work together often. However, not all members of the Cabal are aware of the connection with Nirvanisms nor and even fewer Nirvanists realize Nirvanism is secretly controlled by the Cabal.
The Cabal is led by an individual named The Old Man, a faceless eccentric who has an iron-gripped control over the Cabal, a person many black market profiteers and customers believe to be a normal information broker. In reality, the Old Man is the name of the ruling council, whose name was propagated to give the impression there was only one leader. Many members of the Old Man masquerade as regular operatives, or speakers for the Old Man, such as The Corellian. Among the Old Man include "Xim" (who many of the assassins and spies of the Cabal hypothesize as either the Old Man's second-in-command or the Old Man's secret boss) and The Dowager, the codename of the Special Executive who founded Czerka Special Division CZ-7 thirty years ago.
[fancybox2]Operations[/fancybox2]
"Operations" is the term used by most members to refer to the armed forces of the faction, sometimes for the entire faction itself, as the Cabal rarely refers to itself as the Cabal. Operations comprises of the multiple operations and campaigns, usually through armed intervention and undercover raids. The group is largely spread out, resources pooled together generally when an operation is in effect (which is where the group obtained its name by members). Tasks generally include execution of missions and fortifying future powerbases. Not all operatives of Operations are soldiers and mercenaries. They can also comprise of assassins, saboteurs, criminals and pirates, smugglers, envoys, and Force users, usually either Judges or Chevalier (See Nirvanism). From time to time, members of the Cabal-oriented Nirvanists and Projects will partake in Operations. Task-forces can vary in size from two to hundreds. Once Operations hosted two thousand souls, back before its agents were scattered into cells. However, after the Tragedy of CZ-184 and the Battle of Gyndine, more than half of the Cabal's forces perished. Since then Operations has worked to operate more in the shadow, using disposable covers during assignments. With the exception of elite operatives*, few agents know of other operatives, or how many. Even then, most elite operatives know the identities of the Cabal's spies and assassins, who sometimes masquerade as regular run-of-the-mill operatives. Recruited through many different avenues, many are indoctrined with an almost fanatical loyalty to the causes of the Cabal. Most elite operatives however are above such zealotry, operating as they deem fit.
Operations includes a few spies and assassins, rumor having it that the latter was expanded in just the last couple years. According to gossip, the Old Man and a man named Xim took over a consortium of assassins. However, the most prevalent rumor is that the assassins don't just seek out targets outside the Cabal, but also monitor internally, seeking out and destroying dissidents. In truth, such monitoring doesn't exist, but the notion is fed secretly by the Old Man.
*All PCs are considered elite operatives.
[fancybox2]Projects[/fancybox2]
The Projects is the name given to the remains of the original form of Czerka Special Division CZ-7, namely its scientific and corporate elements. During its early conception and operation under the management of The Dowager, CZ-7 served as a coalescence of Czerka's illegal and morally-questionable projects and experiments, along with creating ways to funnel those experiments to the black market and governments without it being tied back to Czerka Corporation. During that time The Dowager carved an empire for herself, making connections so that if Czerka ever sought to toss CZ-7 to the wind, she had other options. Over thirty years she built the Cabal, with the Projects at its core, used to enhance and arm her newly-formed private military, which became the modern Operations. As the Cabal migrated more into a coterie for power, a shadow force of such, the Projects became an element of the Cabal rather than the core, though no less important. The Projects, in addition to carrying out technological and biological experiments and research, is also the creator of ever-demanded fronts, especially after losing its Czerka Corporation connection (though that has not stopped the Cabal from masquerading as Czerka Corporation from time to time). Other times Projects has taken over legitimate businesses in order to serve as its public hands, such as Industrial Defense and Viden Enterprises.
Multiple laboratories and facilities are controlled by the Projects, most small and temporary, lacking any decent security. However, the main facility is The Necrohol, the secret massive complex underneath the Nirvanism temple. The primary factory for the Cabal is the MantiCorp wing of the Gyndine Shipyards.
The most famous of the Cabal's projects is Project SALIGIA, which is actually a series of separate experiments focused on human enhancement and modification, along with brainwashing. The common MO for obtaining subjects, in not just Project SALIGIA but all projects, is kidnapping of homeless individuals or orphans from orphanages who "get adopted".
More projects will be added as they are revealed or created by members or events.
[fancybox2]Nirvanism[/fancybox2]
Twilight Cipher, holy symbol of Nirvanism. Full credit goes to Jojiro and myself.
The Church of Nirvanism was The Dowager's first pet projects created outside Czerka's jurisdiction, spawned thirty years ago. The religion was started as a means of spreading influence and obtaining Force users, both for recruitment and experimentation. It also serves as a major source of income of the Cabal, through "donations to the church" and affiliated 'charitable' organizations, all tax-free. Unlike Projects and Operations, most of the Church is unaware of the Cabal except for a few key members. The church's leader, a position called the Omniarch, is viewed by members of the Cabal as subservient to The Old Man, but in reality the Omniarch is a member of the Old Man.
Nirvanism is a religion focused on the Force. It believes not in the Cosmic Force or the Living Force, but the Balanced Force, believing that the universe is comprised of balances, that everything has an opposite. Whereas the Jedi view the light side as balance, Nirvanism instead interprets the Light Side as harmony and stagnation, that the Force is comprised of and in fact requires a balance between the Light Side and the Dark Side. This has led to a few fanatics into attacking Sith and Jedi, easily disowned by the Church for political reasons. Force users are exalted in Nirvanism, with the religion accepting the practice of both Dark Side and Light Side (though teaches that while one must seek balance, one cannot embody both sides equally at the same time). The church employs Force users for its purposes and the Cabal's; these agents are donned with the titles of Judge or Chevalier depending if they use the Dark Side or Light side, respectively. Internal conflicts between the Judges and Chevalier have sparked over the years, usually put back into place by the Omniarch.
Nirvanism originates on Cyrillia, which houses the Nirvanism temple. Underneath the temple lays the secret Cabal research facility Necrohol. Smaller temples and shrines have erected on other planets, most without influence or power.
Nirvanism was not the only religion created by the Cabal. Ten years ago a member of The Old Man who became known as The Prophet created the Cult of the Chosen One, meant to solicit individuals who refrained from Nirvanism and seek out additional resources. However, power corrupted The Prophet, who began to believe his own propaganda. A religious war soon broke out between the two religions. With aid from the Cabal, the Cult of the Chosen One was crushed, with The Prophet eventually killed during the Grand Hunt.
More details for Nirvanism will be added at a later time. Nirvanism is largely a NPC component. Members can join as Judges and Chevalier, though they'd largely be serving in Operations. Any PC is free to believe in Nirvanism without being a member of the faction.
History
Thirty years ago Czerka Corporation colonized planet CZ-181, site to several illegal projects, came under investigation of the Republic. Seeking a new home for its experiments, the CEO of the time initiated Czerka Special Division CZ-7, put under the direct supervision of a Special Executive know referred to as The Dowager. Its first task was to transfer the illegal projects and data of CZ-181 off-world. The data and several specimen and projects were transferred before The Dowager caused an experimental Kyber power core to go critical and explode, destroying the unstable planetoid. CZ-7 spread the extracted projects across the galaxy, keeping them separate and hidden.
The Dowager, ambitious as she was to one day claim the seat of CEO, decided to build up her powerbase. Czerka viewed CZ-7 nothing more than the new management for the projects of CZ-181, but The Dowager had other plans. She conceived the plan to expand the Special Division's research and purview. Project SALIGIA was planned by The Dowager and several elite scientists, but one roadblock stood in her way. Czerka was audited several times a year by governments hoping to uproot corporate corruption, and to stay one step ahead the company did multiple internal audits to insure proper doctoring of files and information to hide any illicit funds and laundering. As such, a secondary source of revenue was required.
The answer came from Dr. Yuubi, who had envisioned an experiment to spread a cult and study the spread, so it could be used to brainwash a society. The plan was modified to encompass an entire religion, which the final product would be Nirvanism. The Church of Nirvanism was first erected on Cyrillia by Yuubi himself, who was already a renown forcologist. Becoming the first Omniarch, he spent the next decade spreading the word of Nirvanism across the planet and nearby planets. The temple took four years to build, supposedly from low funds, but in reality was due to the massive research being constructed underneath the temple, a complex that would become known as the Necrohol.
Nirvanism flourished in an environment where people were wary the plights of the Jedi and Sith would lead to renewed war. CZ-7 used Nirvanism's name to create several charity organizations. In reality, money pooling into those charities, and "donations to the church", were fueled into the Special Division, with the Church turning into the perfect tool to launder money. Several temples and shrines, though not as elegant and grand as the Cyrillian temple, were constructed, supposedly costly endeavors that were actually cheap thanks to cheap materials from Czerka and droid construction droids, despite official papers claiming humans were the laborers. As Nirvanism flourished, so too did Project SALIGIA and other projects flourish.
Within ten years CZ-7 held an empire twice as big as perceived by Czerka Corporation, albeit largely in Projects. Realizing the future need for their own military presence past the typical Czerka security, The Dowager and two of her lieutenants known as The Corellian and The Mandalorian set out to build an army. It was slow at first, as not only did they need to recruit individuals who could operate in the shadows, but also instill a sense of fanatical loyalty to the group, using parts of Yuubi's research as a stepping stone. The name "Operations" was coined soon after, with The Mandalorian at its head. CZ-7, which was beginning to self-identify as the "Cabal" around this time (fed through the zealous loyalists), began operating more forcefully, guising as pirates and anarchists to sabotage rivals and enemies.
Twelve years ago Czerka Corporation began to court Gyndine and its shipyards, paving the road for future partnership and control. CZ-7 rode this wave to establish connections with Gyndine under the guise of MantiCorp. A year into settlement heralded an attack by Pirate King Setano, captain of a barbaric crew of ex-Brotherhood soldiers, flying in the War Leviathan Promethean. CZ-7, seeking to oust the pirate problem, sent half of its armed forces at the pirates. The bloody Battle of Gyndine saw many of its operatives killed. However, in a daring last effort, The Mandalorian led a strike team aboard the Promethean. The War Leviathan was seized though Pirate King Setano managed to escape. Saving not only MantiCorp's assets, but also Czerka's, Czerka Corporation rewarded Czerka Special Division CZ-7 with additional funding, which The Dowager used to feed her hungry empire and begin rebuilding its devastated army. The Dowager worked her way into gaining control over testing site CZ-184, which would become headquarters of Operations. The Cabal took Promethean for its own, claiming it too damaged for repairs and metal salvaged.
Ten years ago, while on a business conference on Reytha, a bomb detonated close to The Dowager. To Czerka and the Cabal itself, she was reported to have been killed. In reality she survived, hiding her status in order to fool her would-be assassin. Never caught, she became paranoid. Her replacement was a man named Zwein Zerone, who pretended to dismantle most of CZ-7, and thus bring more of the Special Division out of Czerka's hands. Soon after Zwein Zerone disappeared and came the arrival of The Old Man, who took helm of the Cabal. Claiming to be the mastermind behind The Dowager and a single entity, The Old Man was actually a council comprised of The Dowager and trusted lieutenants. Every-wary of possible traitors who could have committed the bombing or aided the bomber, the Old Man began to spread rumors of a loyalty gestapo. The Old Man never centered around any main Cabal facility, instead moving its base of operations every few weeks. The Prophet, one of the Old Man, set out to create a second religion, the Cult of the Chosen One, to fuel funds that the rest of the Cabal would be oblivious of. Years later, the Prophet would be corrupted by his own propaganda and his murder orchestrated.
Six years ago, a biological virus being constructed on CZ-184 broke out, spreading across the Cabal base. Most of the operatives on the planet at the time were killed. The planet was quarantined, for fear of spreading the virus. Since then all viral research was exported out of Necrohol and sent to smaller disposable facilities as to not repeat such a tragedy, to suffering another blow to its armed forces. The War Leviathan Promethean, whose plethora of cannons were no longer operable, became the new, and mobile, headquarters of Operations.
After years of investigation, the assassin from Reytha was tracked down. The assassin was part of an order of assassins. The Cabal tracked down its leaders and assimilated the assassins into the Cabal. The Cabal then became more active in assassinating rivals and enemies, including the former Senator of Mandalore and the leader of the Jal Shey.
Over years the Cabal has spread its wings into more and more endeavors. It fueled the Vejalic Cartel as a business partner to Gorme to Hutt, though the Cartel crumbled after Gorme was killed by a smuggler. Several small companies were taken oven, including Industrial Defense after the death of its executive, Sago Avaris. It even orchestrated the assassination of Aren Krass, whose newly formed stance on anti-corruption on Corellia was a threat to the Cabal. But these advances were not enough. Before the Tragedy of CZ-184, the Cabal had obtained its taste of power. And even with the Czerka assimilating into the Republic and the Cabal cutting ties with Czerka, it continues to this day to rebuild its power, and go beyond.
- The Corellian (@Dmitri) - Old Man in charge of Projects
- Athal Onn/"Xim" (@Ecclessey) - Old Man in charge of Operations
- Jason Fleming (@Andrewza) - spy/assassin
- Dr. Dolor Morbus (@KrakenDaWhip) - Scientist
- Aria Deece (@Relent) - Judge
- Finn Simmons (@FinnSimmons) - Chevalier
- Lola Day (@Marf) - Operative/Gunslinger
- Aria Diruno (@RedneckLoves) - Soldier
- David Blue (@dblue095) - Mercenary
The Cabal has multiple facilities, most of them temporary small laboratories for Projects. At the current time, there are three main facilities. On Cyrillia is the first Nirvanism temple, the pharos known as the Ruh Burj. Underneath the Ruh Burj was the main complex for Projects, known as the Necrohol. On Gyndine the Cabal controls one of the factories in the Gyndine Shipyard. Traveling all over the place outside any routine flies the War Leviathan Promethean. It also has two mid-sized frigates used for transportation services. A dozen starfighters are split amongst the three vessels. The Cabal has a plethora of small vessels, largely personal ships.
Due to the Battle of Gyndine and Tragedy of CZ-184, the Cabal has lost operatives, including from other operations. At this time Operations is comprised of 400 able-bodied souls, including Judges and Chevalier. Projects consists of 50 scientists. The Cabal has 25 agents seeded in the Church of Nirvanism and employees 25 personnel at the Gyndine Shipyards.
Intent
The Cabal is something I've been considering for a while now, and only got around to doing it. Originally I was just going to put any ideas I had for this in Czerka Corportion, but with it being absorbed by the Republic faction, I decided to create this as a quasi-offshoot of Czerka. The use of Czerka in this write-up has been approved by @Nor'baal. It seeks to fill the now-empty niche of corporate intrigue, along with expanding in a more hostile independent of sorts, who seeks not to be fully friendly with any one side (and instead pretends to only partner with one side while secretly fanning the flames of war). Not only will it be seeking to gain control over the grid O-12, but also allow members to create different projects, which there aren't as many opportunities (such as I had done last timeline with Project SALIGIA). I may use a few as plot devices occasionally.
People are free to have PCs who believe in the Nirvanism faith or be former experiments without being members of this faction.
The Cabal is something I've been considering for a while now, and only got around to doing it. Originally I was just going to put any ideas I had for this in Czerka Corportion, but with it being absorbed by the Republic faction, I decided to create this as a quasi-offshoot of Czerka. The use of Czerka in this write-up has been approved by @Nor'baal. It seeks to fill the now-empty niche of corporate intrigue, along with expanding in a more hostile independent of sorts, who seeks not to be fully friendly with any one side (and instead pretends to only partner with one side while secretly fanning the flames of war). Not only will it be seeking to gain control over the grid O-12, but also allow members to create different projects, which there aren't as many opportunities (such as I had done last timeline with Project SALIGIA). I may use a few as plot devices occasionally.
People are free to have PCs who believe in the Nirvanism faith or be former experiments without being members of this faction.
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