ISB Tactical

ISB Tactical was a task force within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau. Its agents acted as the agency's military and policing wing, being tasked with conducting raids, serving warrants, and guarding high-value targets.

In 1 BBY, agents from ISB Tactical were tasked with arresting and later guarding Axis network leader Luthen Rael while he was recovering from a suicide attempt on Lina Soh Hospital. Later, an ISB Tactical unit under Sergeants Gharial and Benzi was deployed to raid the Axis network safehouse where Kleya Marki was hiding. The team was ambushed by K-2SO, Cassian Andor, and Ruescott Melshi who had arrived to extract Marki, suffering heavy casualties.

History

Hunting Axis

A tactical agent looks on as Luthen Rael is evacuated to the hospital

The ISB Tactical^[2] task force^[1] was an active division within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau^[2] by 1 BBY.^[4] During that year, ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero called in a raid on the Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest after discovering that the store owner, Luthen Rael, was actually the enigmatic "Axis," leader of the Axis spy network. ISB tactical agents and stormtroopers covertly surrounded the store, while Meero entered alone to confront Rael herself.^[5]

The raid however went awry, as Rael managed to stab himself with a Nautolan bleeder he had presented to Meero during their talk. Tactical agents and medics from the ISB medical team rushed to the store and managed to stabilize the rebel leader to be transported to Lina Soh Hospital's Concentrated Care unit on board an Imperial ambunaut. After Rael was evacuated, the agents secured the building and started searching the premises, uncovering Axis' fractal radio unit and Rael's hidden Fondor haulcraft.^[5]

During Rael's confinement on Lina Soh, tactical agents and stormtroopers secured the building's nineteenth floor, keeping it off-limits for medical personnel and guarding all entrances and exits. Despite their precautions, Rael's assistant and adoptive daughter Kleya Marki managed to infiltrate it dressed as a nurse, and after creating a distraction by blowing up three^[5] ISB transports with slap charges,^[3] she killed Rael by disconnecting his life support to prevent him from revealing Rebel secrets.^[5]

Dismantling the network

A team of tactical agents looks on as Supervisor Heert scans the building for the Axis safehouse

Rael's botched arrest and death was seen as a massive blow to the ISB's reputation, with Dedra Meero being placed under arrest by an ISB Marshal and Supervisor Avril Heert taking over the Axis operation. During his investigation of the attack on the hospital, he identified Marki as the sole perpetrator and began looking for her. Following an imprisoned Meero's advice, he had a communications officer monitor the fractal radio on Rael's shop, waiting until Marki called on the Rebel Alliance for help and tracking her down to the Axis network safehouse. After uncovering her location, Heert commandeered two tactical teams led by Sergeants Benzi and Gharial to raid the safehouse, deploying from the ISB Central Office on Coruscant. Team One was to perform the raid and arrest accompanied by Heert, and Team Two would maintain the perimeter and guard their tactical shuttle, TAC 171, for immediate extraction.^[3]

Upon arriving at the building, the teams split up and Heert used a tracker to locate the safehouse apartment. Unbeknownst to the teams, however, two rebels—Cassian Andor and Ruescott Melshi—were already in the safehouse, having received Marki's message.^[3] The two engaged the agents in a firefight, which along with a surprise attack from Andor's reprogrammed KX-series security droid K-2SO who ambushed the Tactical teams from behind, resulted in most of the agents being killed, including the Sergeants. Andor and Melshi ultimately escaped Coruscant, along with Marki who had been injured by a stun grenade launched by the agents, and returned to Yavin 4.^[2]

Equipment

When deployed on the field, Tactical agents wore the battle armor and helmet favored by Imperial land-based forces, along with shin and shoulder guards. The armor was colored white, to display their allegiance to the Imperial Security Bureau. Agents also wore black Imperial kepi hats and goggles, similar to Imperial Army troopers.^[2]

Tactical agents carried a variety of equipment during their missions. Those included shoulder-mounted tac comlinks, scanners,^[3] stun grenades,^[2] and tactical backpacks.^[5] They were transported via tactical shuttles.^[2]