General Airen Cracken briefs operatives ahead of their deployment to establish a Rebel cell
Rebel cells were networks of Alliance operatives, agents, and informants active on a planet or in a star system. These cells often employed secrecy so that members of the network only knew a handful of other operatives at any time. The goal of a Rebel cell was to gather information and provide it to Alliance Intelligence, rally resistance elements, and to undermine the local Imperial presence.
Overview
Rebel cells were undercover Alliance units operating throughout the galaxy at the planet and system level. The Alliance relied on these cells of operatives to gather intelligence,[1] and to strike from hidden bases, deploying soldiers and starfighters to needed battle zones.[2] Rebel cells were often intentionally set up by the Alliance, deploying operatives to targeted systems to build the network from the ground up.[1] Many of the cell networks were under the authority of Alliance Intelligence's Sector Intelligence branch.[3]
Ahead of setting up a cell network in a star system, the Alliance provided the operatives with instructions on how to establish their cell. General Airen Cracken briefed some of these teams personally, imparting his knowledge and experience to the operatives. Although the Alliance attempted to give their operatives as much detail as possible before sending them into the field, the sheer number of systems within the galaxy made it impossible for up-to-date information and specific conditions to be provided for all systems. Because of this, the operatives were expected to thoroughly learn about their assigned system themselves and not to rely solely on the provided data. Operatives deployed to set up the cell were instructed to study the system's people, customs, and background. The Alliance knew that operatives would have difficultly attempting to operate in cultures that were completely alien to them so attempted to deploy their operatives to systems with a population that was similar to their own species.[1]
Cell operatives were not sent directly to their target system. Once they left an Alliance facility, they were expected to make their own way to the star system using commercial transport. Along the way, they were to conduct research as they travelled by visiting facilities such as libraries, communications centers, and travel agencies to gather information. This was to protect not only the Alliance as a whole and the operatives themselves, but also the system that the Rebels were attempting to establish a presence in. The Alliance was cautious of giving the Galactic Empire any hint that they were trying to build a network in a system as that would most likely lead to crackdowns that affected the local population. Information gathering included investigating the Imperial presence in the system. While the Alliance was sometimes aware of the reason that the Empire took an interest in a particular star system, it was more likely that they did not have solid information. The operatives were expected to learn all they could, commonly focusing on whether or not the system was home to valuable resources, or the location of a strategic port. Sometimes the reason was more tangential and potentially frivolous, such as the system being a favored vacation destination for important Imperial personnel, or that the local Grand Moff was fond of the wine produced there.[1]
Sleeper Cell V-16 member Berren Sid Té
Once operatives arrived in the system, they established a base of operations and began to integrate into society. They obtained jobs in businesses that allowed them to talk to the locals and get to know them, often in bars and shops. Eventually, some operatives set up businesses, but this was discouraged at the beginning of an operation due to the start-up costs involved.[1] For example, operatives such as Berren Sid Té, a member of Sleeper Cell V-16 on the planet Fabrillan, used his vast network of vendors to gather information for the Alliance.[4] Through these interactions, the operatives would seek out information about any local resistance, as well as the sentiment towards the Imperial presence in the system.[1]
Operatives were directed not to announce their presence or cause trouble soon after arriving in the system as that would trigger an Imperial response to hunt down the resistance and the Rebels. Once the operatives identified any resistance groups on the planet, they determined what type they were. The Alliance preferred to work with groups that bonded over common negative feelings towards the Empire and complained about it, rather than groups who were more inclined to bomb fuel dumps or assault Imperial patrols. While the Alliance knew that striking back against the Empire was the ultimate goal of the cell network, their most valuable contribution to the cause would be in providing information. Those groups composed of beings who talked rather than lashed out rashly were considered to be more capable of directing their efforts with greater effect. Blowing up a fuel dump was a fine goal in general, but doing it the day before an Imperial fleet arrived on a resupply run was far more effective.[1]
In cases where there was no organized resistance in the system, the operatives were directed to find groups that could form the core of such an effort. However, the process was slow and the operatives were directed not to reveal too much information until they were sure of the local loyalties. In general, however, if the Empire was present in a system doing what it usually did, then resistance was likely. In rare cases where the arrival of the Empire appeared to benefit a system, the Alliance left the system alone but watched it carefully. A Rebel presence on the world could be seen as the enemy, and Alliance officials were confident that eventually the evil of the Empire would assert itself, turning the population into eventual recruits.[1]
Cell organization
A diagram showing a cell network organizational structure with links to Alliance command elements
Rebel cells were organized in a similar manner, with each network composed of many smaller cells that were connected by individuals. This organization was intended to make it harder to compromise the entire network if a cell operative was captured and interrogated.[1] Each cell network was assigned to a case officer, a member of Alliance Intelligence typically based at Sector Headquarters. The case officer was responsible for maintaining the network once established, and ensuring that it did not become compromised due to infiltration. Case officers collected the information gathered by the cell network, passing it on to the Operations branch and keeping the local sector commander informed. The case officer was also tasked with using the cell to prosecute the war against the Empire.[3]
The Rebel operatives deployed to the system formed the first cell in the network. As they integrated into the system and found other like minded individuals, each Rebel would separately make contact with other resistance groups but would not pass on that information to the others in their cell to keep the information compartmentalized. Eventually, a sprawling network of cells was formed, with each member knowing only the members of their own cell and one or two other members of the overall network. If an individual was caught, they could not betray the entire network since they simply did not have that information. They could betray their cell and one or two individuals, but that was it. While the Empire could eventually trace the entire network by following the leads,[1] the case officer used the time to reorganize the network either by reshuffling the structure and disbanding cells as required. In extreme cases, such as the network being infiltrated by the Empire beyond repair, the case officer would disband the entire network and start over with new recruits.[3]
Each network had a leader who was the highest ranking individual in the cell network. The network leader was responsible for the network's day-to-day operations and reported in to a case officer. Being based in the system, the network leader was at risk of capture in the event that the network was compromised, but their presence in the system allowed them to respond quickly to any developments. Network leaders were able to efficiently disseminate information to their subordinates in the network, but they maintained only "blind" communication with their case officer and did not know the location of Sector Headquarters to protect the Alliance.[3]
A diagram of a small section of a cell network, focusing on a handful of operatives and related cells
Under the network leader were a number of area coordinators. Each had responsibility for a portion of the overall network and took guidance from the network leader, organizing tactical operations when necessary. In situations where multiple cells were required for an operation, the area coordinator took command in the field and coordinated the effort. The discovery and capture of an area coordinator carried the risk of taking down a large portion of the cell network and endanger the network leader. Area coordinators were trained to fight to the death instead of be captured, and many of them carried suicide pills to ensure they were not taken prisoner.[3]
The vast majority of the network's operatives ended up being normal citizens, recruited from the local population and working undercover as Imperial subjects. Each cell member was at constant risk of discovery, and many had connections in the local community such as friends and family that could be put in danger if the operative was uncovered. The Empire was known to execute entire communities if they even suspected Rebel activity was taking root. Cells were built with anonymity in mind, and members of the network were generally only aware of the identities of a small number of individuals, namely their own cell and possibly a member of another cell if they were connected. It was not uncommon for operatives to be completely unaware that their friends or family members were also part of the network, albeit operating in a different cell.[3]
Cell networks were built so that information could be passed quickly up from any operative to Sector Command, but at the same time, safeguards were in place to protect the Alliance in the event of Imperial infiltration in the network. Communication between individual cells, or from cells to the network leader was essentially "one-way." Those at the "bottom" of the network often could only contact the network leaders through methods such as a drop point, transmission frequency, or scrambled code.[3]
Sources
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
- Star Wars Gamemaster Kit
- The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Premiere Limited Card: Rebel Reinforcements (backup link)
