Playing The Ministry
The Ministry is a complex military organization which many players understandably feel intimidated by the prospect of using in the RP. But since it is a vital aspect to City Of Unity's setting, we've included this section for the purpose of giving some basic guidelines on how to properly RP the Ministry, whether it's in the form of a player character, and NPC, or briefly describing the Ministry's activities in a scene.
For those of you seeking to make a Ministry character, be aware that just following the guidelines below are not enough to be qualified to play a full-on character in the Ministry. It's on you to demonstrate not only deep knowledge of what's on the website, but show us that you don't require the game staff to constantly supervise you or walk you through the RP, and show us that you can make reasonable assumptions in areas of Ministry-related RP that aren't explained on the website. When playing Ministry NPC's it's fine to do it by the numbers like explain on this page here, but actual characters require you to think beyond the letter of the law and understand the Ministry's character, what the limitations are for people who are Ministers, and what sort of unique possibilities there are within those limits.
Organization Of A Basic Ministry Platoon
How To RP Common Ministry Procedures
Organization of A Basic Ministry Platoon
Although the Ministry's foundation is set on basic military structure, it is a very fluid entity which will often forego conventional organization in order to accomplish its goals, hence one should not assume that every unit is structured the same. Some platoon-sized units tasked with a specific duty might have 50-60 Ministers in them, while others might have 10 or even less. During the RP it's rare that you'll ever have to go into technical detail about a Ministry unit's organizational structure. Often times it would be considered excessive or unecessary detail that is irrelevant to most RP scenes, or just plain boring, especially if you're playing the Ministry in an NPC role where we discourage going into describing "behind the scenes" workings, when you should instead focus on what the present characters would be able to see and react to.
But in case it ever does become necessary to refer to Ministry unit structure, we have a very basic textbook example here which can be used as a framework you can't go wrong with for a Ministry infantry unit. This is NOT how all Ministry units are structured - this is merely a default format to use for the basic Ministry ground-based unit if you don't feel confident making up a different structure.
Fireteam: Made up of 4 Ministers. Basic textbook configuration consists of the following:
Squad: Consists of 2-3 Fireteams. A squad is usually led by a Sergeant, and usually has one armored transport/fighting vehicle (terradyne, hoverdyne, or aerodyne) assigned to it that can easily carry the whole squad while providing supporting fire.
At the Squad level there is usually one designated Ministry Bladesman who fills in the role of a light, stealth-oriented scout. The Bladesman is primarily armed with a melee weapon, usually a powered or super-steel sword of some sort (ie: vibrosword, tesla-sword, mono-edged sword etc.), with a handgun as a secondary. They usually are suited in Light or Medium WhiteGear augmented with active camouflage and a IFF (Individual Force Field) which is neurally controlled. Because firearms can't be safely fired from inside an IFF while it's activated, the Bladesman would know that if he or she ever has to fire their sidearm, they would have to deactivate their IFF for the second or two they need to fire off shots, then quickly re-activate it. Due to the heavy use of the IFF and active camouflage, Bladesmen are at more of a disadvantage than other Ministers if affected by rare but possible EMP effects. But like all Ministers, they are trained in how to make repairs if possible, and to continue the mission and to succeed regardless.
Platoon: Consists of 3-4 Squads. At the platoon level, there is at least one medic/corpsman, and three to four HK-Drones who can provide roaming air coverage for the rest of the platoon. The Minister billetted as the Platoon Commander is usually a staff NCO such as a Gunnery Sgt, or an officer like a 1st Lieutenant. The Platoon Commander is able to monitor the vital signs and helmet-cameras of his or Ministers via a HUD.
Beyond that, the Ministry unit structure will not enter the RP much, and the higher command should be kept rather shadowy. The Platoon Commander is overseen by a distant Company Commander who is usually only interacted with via remote audio, sometimes mysteriously garbled but coherent video communication, and is presumably in a secure location such as a bunker, skyship, or heavy command vehicle. In turn, this Company Commander is remotely commanded and overseen by a Battalion Commander, and so on, resulting in a somewhat impersonal chain of command where the platoon-level Ministers rarely ever encounter their commanders in person.
Ministry terminology for anything higher than the Platoon level is usually referred to simply as "Command".
How to RP Common Ministry Procedures
Before reading this section, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Justice & Injustice page. You'll notice that a lot of things here call for making arrests and such, but no explanation of what kind of sentencing or punishment might come after that. This is all explained in which should be used to follow-up on any kind of arrests that happen to a character in the RP in order to determine what kind of punishment might occur, whether it's a mere roughing up and a few nights in a cold in-city prison, a more dangerous and long-term sentencing to a CLF, or outright execution.Justice & Injustice
Routine ID Check
Manual Body Search
Toride Check Point
MidCity Check Point
Finding Illegal Weapons
Finding Drugs/Narcotics
Finding Contraband Media
Arrests
Toride Interior Security
MidCity Foot Patrol
Interrogation
Wet-wiring (neurohacking)
Aerial Patrols
Aerial Insertion
Trials
Executions
Basic Room-Clearing
Lockdowns
Assassination
Hostage Situations
More procedures will be added to this list as time goes on.
Routine ID Check - ID checks occur most commonly at Toride gates and Midcity check points, in areas where the Ministry is searching for wanted individuals, or if the Ministry spots an individual or group who seem suspicious. In some cases they can occur on a purely random basis, if you wish for it to happen in a particular RP scene. Note that all individuals who legally entered Einheit City (prior to the Vorhang closing, that is), or were born and registered properly as outer class or UniClass citizens, their DNA signature will have been recorded in the Ministry's database, along with a citizen profile on them. In the ID check, there should be at LEAST two Ministry NPCs present in order to safely carry it out, though four is ideal. The individual to be IDed will be ordered to remain still with their hands above their heads, though purebreds will often be ordered to lay flat on their stomach and will be handled much more roughly. The Minister conducting the check will hand off his/her weapon to another Minister if possible, though it is also acceptable to sling/holster it onto their back so that it can't be grabbed. If the weapon is handed off to a second Minister, that Minister will holster or sling it on their body while keeping their own weapon at the ready. The unarmed Minister carrying out the ID check will then approach the individual with an ID Handheld, then quickly jab its short needle-prongs into at least two areas of exposed skin/fur/scales (sometimes by pulling aside clothing if there is any suspicion of fraudulent DNA masking). Obviously, this causes a minor amount of brief pain due to it having to puncture the skin to take a DNA sample.
While this is going on, at least one other Minister will provide inward-facing security, in case the individual being checked should resist or attempt to flee, while the other two Ministers present (if there are more than two), provide outward-facing security, ensuring that no outside parties attempt to interrupt the ID check. If the ID check occurs without incident and the individual being IDed is a registered UniClass or outer class citizen of Einheit City, they will be be free to go (though naturally UniClassers will be let go in a more courteous manner, whereas outer classers will often be shoved off).
Note that ID checks carried out in the MidCity may be followed up with a manual body search, if time permits (see Manual Body Search), though this is usually only done in areas near the Toride, where the Ministry would be more concerned about illegal weapons or explosives. If an individual being IDed is identified as either a wanted fugitive, an outer class hybrid, fraudulent DNA signature, or they were never entered in the citizenship registry, they should then be arrested. Refer to the Arrest section below for further information.
Although it is rare due to the fact that uniformed Ministers on duty work in teams, if for some unusual reason a Minister is alone or otherwise unable to have other Ministers provide security, and they encounter an individual who should be ID checked (ie: someone who is acting very suspiciously or is a hybrid outside the Toride that could possibly be an outer class hybrid), it is permissible to carry out the ID check, though extreme caution should be taken. The Minister should order the individual to lay flat on the ground with their arms out, preferably in an area where the Minister can carry out the ID check while keeping his/her back to an un-windowed wall or corner, to minimize the likelihood of being attacked from behind (however, all Ministers have conditioned, heightened senses to make such sneak attacks difficult in the first place). The Minister will sling/holster their weapon to their back in a way that would make it impossible to grab if the individual resists, and should carry out the ID check as quickly as possible, usually while keeping the individual pinned down. Even if dealing with a suspicious hybrid who might just turn out to be an eccentric but nonetheless law-abiding UniClasser, the Minister's safety takes priority over courtesy until it is confirmed that the individual is not a threat. Hence, the Minister would not be concerned with gentle handling or the individual's privacy in this instance. If the individual is IDed as a purebred with no outstanding arrest or, and no other immediate reason to investigate them further, the Minister will simply step back, re-arm, and order the purebred to move along. If it is a hybrid UniClasser with no apparent legal issues, the Minister will step back, re-arm, and politely (though within Ministry duty-speech regulations) tell him or her to carry on, as well as issue a brief, formal agnowledgement for the inconvenience, such as "THE MINISTRY RECOGNIZES YOUR CO-OPERATION, CITIZEN [[their name here]]. YOU MAY CARRY ON."
Note that this is the basic, textbook way to carry out an ID check, and for obvious reasons not every situation permits an ID check can be performed by the numbers. So don't worry if you don't RP it exactly word for word as it is here.
Manual Body Search - Manual body searches are thorough pat-downs conducted whenever the Ministry is making an arrest or capture, or has reason to suspect that an individual may be carrying something that could pose a security risk. In the Toride, manual body searches are not that common, due to the low threat level there, and because full-body scanning terminals are installed at security check points for quickly searching UniClass citizens for any questionable items. In the MidCity they are a bit more common, and are done whenever an arrest is made on the spot, or when the Ministry forcefully enters a building for a search (or raid) and orders the occupants submit to manual body searches. Another scenario where a manual body search might occur as at a checkpoint where pedestrians are questioned about their business and searched before being allowed to pass through. Of course, due to the size of the MidCity, and the many ways one can use common sense to stay out of the Ministry's way, it is quite possible for purebreds to avoid these often degrading and abusive searches.
It is preferable that the Minister carrying out the search have Tesla gloves worn or built in on his/her WhiteGear, in case the subject attempts to flee or resist. Ideally there should be at least 2 Ministers present for this scene, so that one can carry out the search while the additional Minister(s) provide security. The individual to be searched should be ordered to SLOWLY remove any bulky external clothing (jackets, etc) or carried personal items (backpacks, packages, walking sticks, umbrellas, purses, etc) and set them down on the ground, then lay down on their stomach with their arms spread out and to not make ANY movements unless order to - Ministers are authorized to shoot if an individual makes any potentially threatening movements. The Minister conducting the search should move the removed items out of the individual's reach, then sling/holster their weapon to their back, or hand it to another Minister for them to sling/holster it, in order to prevent the weapon from being grabbed. The Minister conducting the search will inspect the removed baggage and external clothing while the other Ministers providing security keep the individual in their weapon sights. If nothing is found, the searching Minister will then commence a thorough pat-down of the individual, using a combination of physical grabbing, and twisting of clothing fabrics in order to detect any items that may be carried. Any items such as keys, wallets, portable electronics and such will be taken out and set aside for the duration of the search.
If making an arrest, or upon discovering anything illegal during the standard search, the Minister should do all of the above steps in addition to conducting a more detailed search which includes removing the suspect's footwear, medical bandaging, and cutting off as many clothing layers as necessary to perform a full search.
UniClassers undergoing these searches are treated firmly, but with bureaucratic courtesy, and the Ministers conducting the body search will not cause more discomfort to a law-abiding UniClasser than is absolutely necessary for maintaining the safety of the present Ministers. Outer classers however can come out of such body searches with bruises, cuts, and broken personal items from the Ministry's rough treatment due to the Ministry's disregard for purebred dignity, comfort, and personal property. But DO NOT be excessive about this - if a player requests that a certain item the character owns remain intact, you should balance it out by perhaps having the Ministry abuse or trouble them in some other way, so that it remains in character with the Ministry's contempt for purebreds.
As with the ID check section, not all situations permit a body search to be done exactly as described above. This is merely the by-the-book way to do it if circumstances permit.
Toride Check Point - Each possible point of entry or exit to the Toride is heavily guarded by the Ministry. This includes places like the gates to the MidCity, boarding platforms at Toride skyship bays or Toride metrorail stations... Anywhere there is any kind of incoming/outgoing traffic. The Ministry keeps a limited number of entry/exit points in the Toride in order to make it easier to minimize the chances of illegal entry (or escape for those unfortunate UniClassers who have an outstanding arrest warrant). Ministers on sentry duty at such check points usually wear Medium-Heavy and up models of WhiteGear, or lighter WhiteGear temporarily augmented by extra armor, in order to be more likely to withstand attacks such as vehicle ramming or bomb detonations, though there are usually a small number of lighter WhiteGear Ministers present, usually in the rear security or at a nearby monitoring station.
Whatever the location is, a Toride check point will always have some form of defensive fortification, such as a semi-portable bullet-proof wall or force field that can be used as a barrier, usually manned with a machinegun nest or two. These movable, redeployable defenses are usually backed by more permanent features such as heavy blast-proof doors which, depending on the threat level at the moment, may be open or closed. During low threat periods, the doors will stay open in order to allow for quicker flow of traffic. During higher threat levels, or at the less busy check points, the blast gates are closed and only open when those wishing to pass through have been properly cleared by the Ministry sentries manning the post. Multiple security cameras are found at all Toride check points and provide coverage for every possible angle with overlapping vision fields, and are always supplemented with flocks of roving AirCams which are certain to take close footage of every individual passing through.
For pedestrian check points or when exiting a transport aircraft at a Toride station, Ministry sentries must ensure that ALL citizens press their palms on a DNA-scan terminal which will confirm if they are registered UniClass citizens, thus allowing them to proceed to the body and luggage scan areas. Here, a citizen wishing to proceed will be required to state all goods they are bringing into the Toride, or taking from the Toride, and to present proper authorization for items such as medical supplies and weapons which require permits. Failure to comply will result in detainment (see the Arrest section). Sentries must also ensure that personally carried items (luggage, wallets, coats, headgear, electronics, food etc.) are placed on a conveyer belt which runs into a scanning machine, where a series of X-rays, residue-samplers and other devices monitor for any trace of weapons, explosives, contaminants, or narcotics.
While personally-carried items are scanned, sentries manning the check point will direct citizens to walk between two large screens running parallel to the entry-way through the check point. The screen sides facing inboard to the pedestrian walkway appear to be blank grey screens, though on the outboard sides facing the Ministry sentries monitoring them, the screens display X-ray footage of the individuals passing through. In order to expedite this process, the scanning machines are programmed to recognize certain shapes or elemental signatures (ie: firearms, explosives, questionable cyber-implants), thus allowing the Ministry sentries to concentrate on visually monitoring for more subtle items that a machine cannot be trusted to find. Unless stopped by the Ministry sentries, citizens may continue on to their destinations after passing through the walkway scanner and retrieving their personal items after they finish scanning.
For vehicle check points leading in and out of the Toride, the vehicle operator and all passengers will be required to press their palms onto DNA-scan terminals which are located beside the driveway (similar to a drive-through ATM). If the vehicle's layout does not permit this to be done easily, the passengers will be ordered by a Ministry sentry to get out and properly identify themselves in order to prove UniClass citizenship. After this is established, the vehicle operator will be ordered to state any cargo or passengers he or she is taking in to, or out of, the Toride, as well as any weapons or medical supplies, along with proof of authorization.
Due to the sheer amount of traffic coming in and out of the Toride, it's impossible for the Ministry to take the time to scan every single vehicle. For a suitable compromise, Ministry sentries use their sharp perception to single out vehicles to be ordered aside for scanning. This is done on a mixture of a sentry's own suspicion towards a certain vehicle and/or its occupants, and purely random selection, hence there is no surefire way to guarantee one can drive through a Toride check point without being ordered aside for a vehicle scanning. If a vehicle is selected for a scanning, the sentry will direct the vehicle to a nearby inspection dock, where it will be passed over several times by an array of linear scan arms which search the vehicle and its occupants for any suspicious signatures. The scan performed here is similar to a highly advanced X-ray like the one used for scanning pedestrians, able to view past the metals that vehicles tend to be made of, and to the passengers inside.
Once this is done and nothing questionable is detected, the vehicle is permitted to continue on to its destination.
Note that even though the Ministry possesses powerful machinery to aid in detecting smuggled items and individuals who are not meant to travel through these check points, machines cannot be trusted as much as a Minister's trained intuition and heightened awareness. Certain things that don't seem right might not be picked up by scanning and identification equipment, and for this reason, Ministry sentries will always closely watch everyone and everything passing through the check point.
MidCity Check Point - From time to time the Ministry will set up a check point in the MidCity. Usually these occur in areas where the Ministry wishes to arbitrarily increase security or restrict travel to or from a given area, mainly in the MidCity sectors near the Toride or on the outskirts of MidCity sectors with higher UniClass presence.
Equipment at the standard MidCity check point will usually be at least two armed combat/transport vehicles (usually armored hoverdyne or terradyne APCs), temporary barrier fortifications (ballistic shields, force fields, etc.), one or two machine gun emplacements, several AirCams, and possibly one or two HK Drones for the light aerial fire cover, if needed. The vehicles and temporary fortifications should be arranged in such a way that vehicles and foot traffic are forced to funnel through in limited numbers through the check point, regardless of how long it forces those needing to pass through to wait in the long lines that can result from these check points being set up.
If there is any line or delay caused by such a check point, UniClassers have priority over outer classers, and will be ordered to come to the front of the line to pass through first. Only after there are no UniClassers still needing to pass through will outer classers be called forward, which can mean anywhere from a minute to five hours.
Quick ID checks (basically people being quickly pronged and their ID confirmed, as opposed to the more in-depth Routine ID Check) are performed on ALL individuals requesting to pass through a check point, however, actual body and vehicle searches at MidCity check points are not conducted on absolutely everyone. Unless the Ministry is actively searching for someone or something in the area or wishes to make, only people who draw the Ministry's suspicion are pulled aside to be searched and questioned. What Ministry sentries will normally do is very closely observe everyone who goes through the check point - and remember that Ministers are conditioned to levels of heightened perception and awareness to detect unusual patterns in things. If anything out of the ordinary is sighted, the individuals or vehicles in question will be ordered to move aside (usually to a slightly boxed-in area shielded by temporary barriers) to be searched and questioned. Examples would be individuals who are concealed by heavy clothing, people who appear too nervous OR too calm, people who are carrying questionable luggage or bulky clothing which could be concealing illegal items. It is also entirely possible for people to be picked out on an entirely random basis by Ministry sentries at the check point, and ordered to step aside for search and questioning. This unpredictable strategy is what makes it impossible to have any guaranteed way of getting through a checkpoint unbothered.
It should be noted that purebred individuals who are carrying even permitted weapons and/or body armor, or appear to be "tough", unusually fit, powerful, or confident-seeming in a way that suggests some kind of fighting/combat capability are bound to be noticed and taken aside for searching and questioning. Although Chancellor Mara Kadesh nominally legal amnesty to Colonial veterans of the Species Wars who once served foreign powers but have since then renounced their hostility, the Ministry rarely follows this piece of legislation, and will often dig or provoke for reasons to abuse suspected Colonial veterans. In some cases the Ministry may provoke or aggrivate them to such a degree that it gives them reason to arrest or even kill them. However, you should NOT kill or arrest without good reason to another player's character. Only if their player wants it, or if their character is being truly, foolishly uncooperative or aggressive should you go to the extreme of arresting or killing them.
Refer to the Manual Body Search, Vehicle Search, and Hasty Questioning sections for instructions on how a street-level search and questioning is carried out. And if necessary, refer to the Arrest section.
After they have been ID checked by the Ministry sentries (to ensure that they are registered citizens in the Ministry database, and, for hybrids, that they are UniClassers) Individuals who are not pulled aside for searching and questioning may simply pass through and continue
Finding Illegal Weapons - Because this matter heavily ties into the Einheit City Justice & Injustice page, you should first familiarize yourself with the section there detailing how the Ministry handles weapon violations, since much of it is vital to accurrately RPing out this kind of scene.
If a UniClass citizen is discovered in any way (whether by surveillance or in-person discovery by a Minister) to possess an illegal weapon, such as weapons which require a permit which they do not have, or weapons which are illegal for civilians altogether, the Ministry personnel will order the individual to put down their weapons and then place them under arrest and seize all weaponry as evidence. If they resist in any way, the Ministers are authorized to use deadly force, however, live capture is much more preferable in order to properly interrogate the individual to find out from where or who they acquired the weapon, and due to the level of controversy that can be generated by publicly killing a UniClasser without having time to quickly set up some kind of elaborate media spin on the death.
If it is an outer class citizen discovered by Ministry personnel to be carrying a weapon categorized as illegal for outer class ownership, at the bare minimum an arrest would be in order. However, given that outer classers with illegal weapons are considered an immediate threat, it is wholly acceptable to kill them right on the spot, and this is the most common outcome due to the hassle and time involved with arresting an illegally armed outer classer.
There are SOME cases where the Minister should try to make a live capture if possible, like if the weapon is an unusually powerful one (ie: plasma rifle, laser rifle, heavy explosives, or some other sophisticated armor-piercing weapons, etc.) in order to interrogate the purebred to find out who supplied the weapons in the first place, or if the purebred appears to be a member of an organized resistance group who may be able to provide information the Ministry wants.
Note that if outer classers are discovered by remote surveillance or undercover Ministers to be in the possession of illegal weapons, the course of action taken by the Ministry is different than with the UniClass. In the UniClass, all detected weapon violations are punished. But because of the sheer size of the MidCity and Undercity, it would be impractical to try and seek out every illegal outer class weapon, and even despite the Ministry's power, they do not possess the troop numbers to keep the outer class from smithing new weapons. Hence, the Ministry acts if surveillance or undercover agents discover unusually powerful weapons, usually the sort that one might expect to find in the possession of organized resistance groups who intend to pierce Ministry armor. For example, a shootout between purebred gangs witnessed in some desolate MidCity sector by surveillance or undercover Ministers would generally not go interrupted or punished as long as no UniClassers were threatened by the event. In some cases there've even been use of explosives used by one purebred group against another, which the Ministry took little to no action against. The witnessing Ministry elements would certainly record the event for information purposes if it ever needs to be referred to, but otherwise no actual enforcement should be carried out.
The reason for this is that the Ministry indirectly uses the Underlords and their syndicates to destabilize the outer class, and turning a blind eye to certain weapons in certain hands allows the Syndicates to more easily oppress their fellow purebreds. The often racist nature of the Syndicates, their frequent turf wars, along with extortion and drug dealing, are what keep the outer class too divided and oppressed from within to unite against the Ministry, and in turn the Syndicates reap in the profits so long as they don't challenge the Ministry, which would be bad for business anyways. Because the Syndicates all have strict policies against meddling with UniClass matters, the Ministry allows them to thrive and turns a blind eye to their weapons possession, so long as they are not foolish enough to provide them to resistance groups or let themselves be caught illegally-armed in person by Ministry troops, who will then have no choice but to punish them accordingly.
Finding Illegal Drugs/Narcotics - Although drug abuse is technically illegal, with outer classers the Ministry simply does not care if they engage in the making, dealing, or use of nominally outlawed narcotics so long as they are not caught trying to provide them to UniClassers. When they are detected, you should play the Minister(s) involved as simply not being concerned or interested, instead being on the lookout for other things that are more worthy of punishment such as weapon or media contraband. However if the outer classer in question is caught using or possessing drugs in the close presence of UniClassers, the Ministry will usually arrest them on the grounds that they could be attempting to sell drugs to UniClass citizens. Refer to the Arrest section for information on how to handle this.
For UniClassers, there is a zero tolerance policy for being caught wth illegal drug use/possession, or abusing legal substances (painkiller addiction, getting high off household chemicals, etc). UniClassers caught doing this will be sought out with determination and arrested, and will be investigated to determine how they acquired the substances, and if there is another party to share the guilt. HOWEVER, UniClassers who come forth to the Ministry confessing their addiction will, in first-time offences, be granted amnesty in recognition for their honesty, and assigned to a good drug rehabilitation program/support group by the Minister(s) receiving them, as opposed to legal penalties. But the Ministry's forgiveness is not limitless here; second-time addicts who have been rehabilitated before but fell into their old habits again and come back begging for help should not exactly be arrested, but should be required to accompany the receiving Minister(s) to the nearest station, where they will be met by an investigative Minister who will review their case with more skepticism and scrutiny than in their first confession. It's likely that they will conclude the indiviual is a lost cause and may instead simply arrest them on the spot to remove them from society forever. For those who still show hope and are fortunate to be given a second amnesty, the same kind of rehabilitation they encountered previously will be assigned, along with a stern warning that there will not be a third chance.
Finding Contraband Media - Examples of outlaw media would be as follows: religious texts, underground newspapers printing anything critical of the Ministry, the UniClass, or Unity, music with dissident lyrics, footage or articles which paint the Ministry in an unflattering light (such as footage of the Ministry commiting human rights violations or other blatant injustices), historical documents with information the Ministry would want to keep silent... Basically, any kind of art, literature, film, photography, music, or media which appears to favor purebreds, religion, democracy, or dissident-thinkers, or in any way negatively portrays Unity, the UniClass, or the Ministry.
With the UniClass, if the Ministry catches the slightest hint of contraband media, they will act. With the outer class it's a slightly different matter. If remote surveillance observes one or two outer classers flipping through a banned book or watching illegal films without any obvious signs that it's part of an organized dissident effort, the Ministry generally will not bother with them. However if it were a Minister witnessing such things in person, or if remote surveillance revealed something like a big, organized effort to traffic or compile contraband media, then the Ministry will act.
Generally anyone caught with illegal media by Ministry personnel by the guidelines described above is simply arrested, and the contraband destroyed or taken as evidence. Ministers at the scene should try to make an arrest and keep the suspect alive so they may be questioned, especially if they are UniClassers who deserve a more thorough investigation. Outer classers should usually be arrested as well, however if someone playing an outer class suspect in this kind of scene specifically wants their character to be killed on the spot, is entirely within character of the Ministry to do that for some mysterious off-screen reason or other.
It should be noted that the Ministry has a sub-department specifically formed for handling this matter, called the Information Protection Bureau, though often ironically and informally referred to as "Firemen", due to the fact that their WhiteGear vaguely resembles a militarized version of a firefighter's protective gear. All Ministers would be familiar with the obvious signs of illegal media, but it is the Information Protection Bureau that handles the more in-depth cases, such as investigating intellectual works which on the surface appear harmless, but might have hidden agendas which are not obvious at first glance. In the event that the contraband media is an unusually large quantity, such as a dissident newspaper printing press, religious book printing press, an illegal library/gallery or anything else involving the production or distribution of the materials, the Information Protection Bureau will usually handle the matter in place of other Ministry departments, by raiding the location, killing any resistance (usually by use of flamethrowers, which are a favored weapon of the IPB), securing the survivors, and conducting brief inspections of remaining illegal media. IPB Ministers undergo lengthy and highly demanding training to have vast, memorized catalogues of illegal media to identify most illegal works on sight, and for anything they cannot identify themselves, their WhiteGear helmets have an extra lens which can scan suspected media contraband to compare it with any matching volumes in the Ministry's contraband media database.
In most of these raids, the Ministry will usually not kill EVERYONE involved right away, but will try to take a few individuals for questioning. In the event that the raid is carried out on UniClassers, or any hybrids are found present at a purebred-run operation raided by the Ministry, the hybrid(s) in question should be arrested alive if possible. Purebreds on the other hand are often incinerated along with their contraband media and the buildings which contain them.
Arrests - Arrests are one of the more common and easy to play Ministry events. Since the Ministry often conducts arrests without a warrant or due process, there is no reciting of a suspect's rights as they are apprehended, like the "You have the right to remain silent... etc" rights we're familiar with real life. Because the Ministry's arrests are often extrajudicial in nature and could cause excessive controversy among the UniClass if they appeared too publicly aggressive, the Ministry has devised several legal loopholes and doublespeak to make these detainments appear outwardly legitimate, namely by using the People's Rights Protection Act 101, which was passed in 23 ECE by Chancellor Mara Kadesh granting the Ministry emergency powers (essentially martial law, without it being officially declaredd) allowing it to carry out detainments on individuals caught collaborating with hostile Colonial powers without a formal warrant of arrest. The Ministry has since exploited PRPA101's deliberately vague terminology to allow it to carry out warrantless arrests for not just individuals guilty of treason, but to anyone it accused of in some way threatening Unity or hybrid rule of the the city-state.
For an arrest to be conducted, ideally there should be at least three Ministers present with a vehicle to transport the suspect. With multiple arrest targets, these figures should naturally be increased (more Ministers, and a vehicle with greater holding capacity). When the suspect is approached, the lead Minister (usually the most senior-ranking Minister) will be the one doing the speaking, and will have his or her weapon holstered/slung. Two or more other Ministers present will silently accompany the lead Minister with their weapons held at an alert position, and will provide security for the lead Minister, ensuring that the suspect or any bystanders do not attempt to disrupt the arrest.
Generally the Ministry will prefer to carefully track a target and wait until they are in a quieter location where there would be fewer witnesses, but will not hesitate to carry out the arrest in public if it's the only reasonable option. Whether the suspect is summoned by a knock at their door, pulled over by a Ministry patrol vehicle, or stopped in the street, after securing the individual's attention, the lead Minister will declare the following, usually in a rapidly-worded, bureaucratic manner: "GOOD EVENING CITIZEN [[name here]], YOUR VOLUNTARY CO-OPERATION IS REQUESTED IN PROVIDING INFORMATION RELEVANT TO MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE OF EINHEIT CITY. BY AGREEING TO THIS OFFICIAL REQUEST YOU ARE CONSENTING TO ANY AND ALL SEARCHES OF YOUR PERSON AND PROPERTY AND TO ACCOMPANY MINISTRY PERSONNEL TO ANY AND ALL FACILITIES RELEVANT TO THIS INVESTIGATION FOR ANY AND ALL REQUESTED LENGTHS OF TIME AND ARE AGREEING TO COMPLY WITH ANY AND ALL OTHER DIRECTIVES AS STATED BY EINHEIT CITY CIVIL OR MILITARY AUTHORITIES. PLEASE SIGN HERE."
The lead Minister will then hold out a digital screen with a stylus pen, displaying a very long, fine-printed document from PRPA101. Although very few people faced with this have ever had the chance to actually read the document, it basically is consenting to being detained by the Ministry. While in theory, citizens have the right to not sign this document, but in practical application, the way the Ministry uses it forces a catch 22 upon the suspect. By signing it, they are giving the Ministry legal consent to arrest them. By refusing to sign it, the Ministry will simply claim the individual is witholding information "vital to the security of Einheit City" and thus "enabling terrorists", and then simply invoke the emergency powers granted to them by Act 101 and forcibly detain the suspect.
If the suspect signs the document, the lead Minister will usually say "THE MINISTRY EXTENDS ITS APPRECIATION FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION, CITIZEN [[name here]]. PLEASE COME WITH US." and escort them to the transport vehicle. If the suspect refuses to sign, the lead Minister will usually offer them one or two last chances to peacefully comply, usually by being more forcefully insistant, like saying: "CITIZEN [[name here]], PLEASE BE AWARE THAT REFUSAL TO VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST IN THIS INVESTIGATION MAY INDIRECTLY ENABLE ANTI-CITIZEN ACTIVITIES TO THREATEN THE PEOPLE OF EINHEIT CITY. THIS MATTER IS OF UTMOST PRIORITY TO YOU AS A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN OF EINHEIT CITY, AND SHOULD YOU REFUSE TO VOLUNTEER IN ASSISTING IN THIS MATTER, THE MINISTRY WILL BE REQUIRED TO FORCIBLY GAIN YOUR COMPLIANCE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE PEOPLES' SECURITY."
If they continue to refuse, the lead Minister will then simply holster the tablet-screen, and step forward to forcibly subdue the suspect into handcuffs (while the other Ministers present provide security, continuously guarding against the suspect's escape or outside interference), and then drag them to the transport vehicle.
However, for an arrest of someone obviously on the run or detained during a raid, the Ministry won't even bother with the previously described illusion of formality, and simply subdue the individual and drag them off, assuming they even want to take them alive.
Toride Interior Security - Ministers on duty inside the Toride have a rather simple job. Although it is certainly less eventful than MidCity duty due to the overwhelmingly peaceful and orderly nature of the Toride, Ministers assigned to a period of Toride interior security duty will know to not let this easy atmosphere lull them into complacency, and to closely monitor the civilian masses for any signs of discord.
Ministers in this role will usually be in Light WhiteGear and carrying a pistol-type sidearm and a nonlethal melee weapon, such as a baton, stun-gun, or tazer. Typically they will patrol in pairs through an assigned area, such as a business sector, entertainment district, parks, residential blocks, college campuses, and any other public area of the Toride. Generally they will use a small patrol/combat vehicle for transportation, usually an aerodyne with light armament that can seat the both of them, as well as transport detained individuals. Patrols may be done in-vehicle, or carried out on foot within a short distance of the stationed vehicle in case they are called upon to report elsewhere.
The mission of a Minister on Toride internal security duty is simply to maintain an alert Ministry presence, be ready to react to calls in their designated area, and to be on the lookout for any unusual activity. Ministers on duty should NOT engage in casual, everyday interaction with other UniClassers. However they are expected to assist UniClassers with common public service duties such as first aid, securing a vehicle accident scene, or providing directions when approached for help.
MidCity Foot Patrols - Vehicles cannot go everywhere in the MidCity's cramped, cluttered environment or always allow for the up-close view of street-level things that the Ministry needs to have in order to establish the desired level of security. Because of this, Ministry squads will often conduct patrols on foot. Ministers in this role are suited in whatever WhiteGear they normally wear according to their job specialty, and armed with whatever their weapons specialty is.
Foot patrols are usually conducted with a squad or platoon-sized element through several kilometers of MidCity territory. Movement should be done at a walking pace in a staggered two-column formation, with roughly 7 paces in between each Minister to minimize damage in the event of an explosive attack. While moving, each Minister will visually scan their outward surroundings, and frequently check the Minister in front and in back of them in order to maintain visual contact at all times.
NCOs or officers in command of the patrol usually walk between the two columns near the front. Field medics or corpsmen also usually move up and down between the two columns so as to be able to react quickly if a Minister goes down. Usually there are at least one or two HK Drones accompanying the patrol, roving around the general area in order to provide aerial surveillance and fire. Combat vehicles such as APCs or aerodynes might also be present to provide additional cover, usually one per squad.
Interrogation - Before going into this section, know that while the Ministry does frequently use torture and other unethical methods of interrogation, they do NOT do it out of sadism, but out of protocol. Fear is one of the Ministry's main social weapons, and torture is simply a form of ammunition for that "weapon" - not something that Ministry personnel do for pleasure. There's a very fine line between torturing a prisoner because it would be the best, and torturing a prisoner because you derive sadistic/sexual pleasure from it, and Ministry personnel are strictly monitored to ensure they don't fall into that latter category.
There are two types of interrogation. For the sake of simplicity they are categorized as Blunt Interrogations and Precise Interrogations.
Blunt interrogations are simple, straightforward demands, followed by threat, followed by torture, both physical and psychological. Blunt interrogations are not conducted for the purpose of extracting vital information, but more for breaking the prisoner's spirit or getting them to admit to made-up crimes or sign false confession statements. Generally the interrogation would start off with simple verbal demands and visual threat (ie: simply holding a knife or some other weapon while making the demands/questions) with the prisoner physically confined, and will escalate from there into actual physical torture until the individual breaks in the manner the Ministry desires. Blunt interrogations can go on for anywhere from a few minutes to hours, or be spread out over days or weeks in some cases, depending on how the Ministry wants the prisoner to break. Deprivation of sleep, food, and water is standard. Some examples of basic torture methods would be waterboarding, sonic torture, electrical pain-amplification, sensory disruption, driving needles under the prisoner's claws/fingernails, removal of claws/fingernails, or simple physical beating. If the Minister has any experience in more effective forms of torture, he or she should apply it as needed.
Precise interrogations are carried out when a prisoner has information the Ministry desires, and cannot rely soley on brutality to gain compliance. Normally, the Minister conducting a Precise Interrogation should be a Minister who is an officially billeted or specialized interrogator. If one is not available and time is short, most veteran Ministers in some position of leadership or with years of tested experience would can conduct a suitable Precise Interrogation if there is not an officially-designated interrogator available.
Ministers qualified to conduct Precise Interrogations are highly experienced in psychology, are capable of reading EXTREMELY subtle signs from prisoners, and are incredibly hard to mislead. In basic terms, it's almost impossible to lie to them and for them to not know when you're lying. If you are RPing the Ministry in a scene where someone else's character is the prisoner, make sure they know that there is little chance of them being able to mislead their captors without it being noticed, and that as the one playing the part of the Ministry, you have the responsibility to RP the Ministry as having the proper levels of heightened awareness and perception of their character's emotions and thoughts. The only prisoners who would have a realistic chance at fooling a Precise Interrogation are highly conditioned individuals with some kind of prior training in interrogation/torture resistance.
This is one of the few cases where it is ethical to use metagame knowledge in the RP, since realistically, a Ministry interrogator would be able to notice subtle signs that we as average human beings wouldn't, even if the other player is RPing their character as being supposedly cunning and smart. This doesn't mean the Ministry is reading their mind yet (that would be Wet-Wiring), but it does mean they can usually tell when they're being told the truth or they're being fed misleading/fake info, and that you would be wrong to NOT play the Ministry as being as ahead of everyone else.
Rather than going straight for torturing the prisoner, Ministers conducting a Precise Interrogation will quickly gather all information possible about their prisoner that could be used against them. Going straight for torturing or threatening the prisoner can cause them to give inaccurrate information, like if they're just desperately blurting out what the Ministry wants to hear in order to stop the pain, or because they're actually trying to throw the Ministry off. For Blunt Interrogations, where the goal is more to just get quick compliance, this isn't really an issue, but with Precise Interrogations, following up on bad information can be dangerous for the Ministry.
A more efficient way to get reliable information would be to apprehend the prisoner's family, and threaten to torture/kill them if he or she does not talk. A toughened, ex-military prisoner or hardened fighter who is able to keep silent while having their own nails pulled out with pliers is very unlikely to keep silent while one of their children is having it done to them a few feet away. The basic idea of a Precise Interrogation is to find what really makes the prisoner tick, what motivates them, what they hold dear to them, what they fear more than anything else, and how to exploit it.
However there are still times where an individual proves to be so hard to crack that the Ministry has to resort to the next step of information extraction; Wet-Wiring.
Wet-Wiring (neurohacking) - Wet-wiring is something very difficult to actually RP out due to the fact that so much of it occurs literally inside a character's head. Still, there are a few aspects of it which can be RPed out.
Wet-wiring occurs when the Ministry needs to extract information from a prisoner who has either proven too resilient to interrogation tactics, or the prisoner is for some other reason unable to provide the information the Ministry thinks they might have somewhere in their mind. It is also used sometimes in criminal investigations involving the UniClass or possible misdeeds by actual Ministry personnel, where the Ministry needs to be as thorough as possible and be totally certain of a person's guilt or innocence. Wet-wiring is also used to some degree when a purebred undergoing artificial hybridization, in order to wipe out certain undesirable memories of their purebred life, such as old friends, family, or other obstacles to making a better UniClass citizen.
For a brief behind-the-scenes explanation, wetwiring, also called neurohacking, is a rightly feared form of black science the Ministry engineered with the help of top-secret Architect technology, essentially allowing them to surgically link up to an individual's brain and access it as if it were an organic computer. The simplicity of it all ends there. Due to the years it takes to condition and train a Ministry neurohacker, the Ministry has limited numbers of personnel with the knowledge and ability to hack a person's mind and read the scrolling miles of tiny digital symbols representing neural signals flying by their eyes, and how to trigger those desired neural signals.
This kind of scene probably won't be RPed much due to it being a relatively "quiet" kind of event, though there are still possibilities for this being an intriguing RP session. First, the individual to be neurohacked will be restrained in a chair which will immobilize them with a series of mechanical clamps. Then comes the neural uplink, where a mechanical arm inserts a complex array of needles into the lower-rear portion of the subject's skull, and a pair of sensor pads are clamped around the temples. The process requires that the individual be fully conscious at this time, hence it is common for many subjects to experience tremendous pain and terror for the first few seconds of the uplink process. After about 5-10 seconds, the wetwire uplink is completed and the subject is put into an artificially induced sleep, and is ready to be hacked.
During this time the Ministry neurohacker present will work in silence, peering through an eyepiece where they observe the textual representations of the subject's neural signals, carefully manipulating the controls of the wetwiring equipment to search for certain signals, and to manipulate those signals into responding in a decipherable manner. For example, if the neurohacker were trying to find out what the subject knows about a certain name or place, the neurohacker would search for the "signal" representing that memory, close in on it, and then carry out a series of tests and triggers, then recording and interpreting the neural reactions.
Ministry neurohackers can trigger a subject's mind into "replaying" a specific event or time frame from their memory in the form of audio-visual output in their viewing scope, whether it's conscious or subconscious memory. In theory, they can treat the subject's mind like an organic tape recording that can be rewound, played, paused, and fast-forwarded. However, even with Architect technology, this stage of neurohacking is very complex and time-consuming. Neurohacking is still a new form of science, and is not yet fully understood, and Ministry neurohackers themselves are scarcely understood by their peers. When RPing a Minister neurohacker, keep in mind that you should play them as being extremely alien to the surrounding world, often speaking in very confusing or indirect terms (if they even speak at all), and having a somewhat ghastly, unnatural aura to them.
Wet-wiring does have its limitations. If an individual's brain has been damaged through a head injury or some other trauma, the chances of recovering information from it are significantly lowered depending on the severity of the damage, similar to what would happen to a damaged hard-drive.
Aerial Patrols - Ever seen a police helicopter fly overhead with its searchlight sweeping an area, maybe putting its searchlight on you for a few seconds and then moving on to whatever else it's looking for? That's usually how a Ministry aerodyne patrol making routine rounds will appear. A slightly heavier variant of this would be if an actual Ministry skyship were cruising low over the city, sliding between the MidCity skyscrapers and sweeping its many searchlight beams around the area.
For the most part, Ministry air patrols are just aerial vehicles en route to other duty areas, and are simply making cursory sweeps of the buildings and streets below for anything blatantly out of the ordinary warranting a closer look. Aerial patrols are a very easy and effective way to convey an oppressive Ministry presence during a MidCity RP, without having the Ministry actual get involved in the scene.
Aerial Insertion - This one is easy. Just picture how it usually occurs in the movies, where a SWAT or special ops team is dropped onto a rooftop by rappelling down ropes from a helicopter, then moving into position to sweep the building. Just replace the helicopter with a Ministry aerodyne, and there you go.
A heavier variation of this that would occur in times of heavy combat would be if a Ministry dropship were to detach from a larger skyship higher up above the city, then landing on a rooftop or street to deliver its on-board Ministry team, then quickly dusting off and providing aerial fire cover.
Trials - Trials usually come after an individual is arrested and the Ministry has extracted any information it needed to get from them. These are practically always kangaroo courts or sham-hearings which more resemble a military tribunal rather than a court of law. Trials are presided by a senior Ministry commissioned officer acting as the judge and a commissioned officer of lesser grade acting as the prosecutor, before a small audience of a few Ministry NCOs, and a scribe recording the hearing. If you are the one playing the Ministry in this scene, be sure to describe the Ministry NPCs as being semi-formally suited in Light WhiteGear with long, high-collared, ankle-length white military coats worn over their armor, and service caps worn on their heads (note that with Light WhiteGear the head and face-covering portions are very streamlined, hence making the wearing of service caps practical). A courtroom scribe is usually not an actual Minister so much as a UniClass civilian who's worked with the Ministry to where where it's sapped them of their humanity. If the scribe is described (which is not that often, since they say nothing, and do nothing except type during the hearing), he/she should be portrayed as a thin, souless hybrid wearing some kind of cable-laden goggle and audio-enhancing apparatus linking them up to their recording machinery, and seeming to only live for the sole purpose of recording what occurs in these grim tribunals.
There are very few differences between trials for UniClassers and outer classers, since by the time a trial occurs, the Ministry has already done its investigation and come to a pre-determined verdict, and the trial itself is a mere formality done for record purposes, or to make a public example.
There are two types of trials. Public and Secret. In most cases these trials are disturbingly quick, no more than a few hours each usually. This can be a complex but extremely dramatic scene to play out, but players should keep in mind that this is an often very one-sided courtroom drama, and there is often no hope for the accused by this point. But this does also mean that it could make for a very memorable and thrilling way for a character to be sent off to their end.
For both types of trials, the build-up to the actual hearing is the same. The accused individual will have already been arrested and detained, anywhere from a night or two, to perhaps even several months (depending on what you want for the RP scene). During their detention/imprisonment, the accused will have undoubtedly been interrogated (if they have any useful information) and tortured, or coerced in some way or other to sign statements of confession for whatever crimes they committed... Or that the Ministry simply says they committed. Obviously, not all individuals break to this pressure, but the trial will proceed regardless. The reason for forcing prisoners to sign statements of confession is that it expedites the trial process for the Ministry and makes it quicker and easier for the court to "prove" the accused's guilt, but even those who don't sign the documents will be put on trial anyways.
Secret trials are done when the individual being sentenced is someone too insignificant to make a public trial of, or is someone who's fate the Ministry would want to keep secret. Examples of this would be a largely unknown, average outer classer arrested for trying to sneak a large stash of religious books past a Ministry checkpoint, and is nobody who's an infamous opposition leader or anything influential like that. Other examples would be UniClassers caught committing some kind of dissident or criminal activities and the Ministry doesn't want to publicly expose UniClass corruption unless it absolutely needs to. Most of the time the Ministry prefers to enforce the illusion of the UniClass being a perfect, harmonious single-mind and single-goal society by making dissidents and other unwanted hybrids simply disappear without a trace, though this is not always possible, and will be discussed later in the Public Trials portion of this topic.
Since the trial is in secret, the Ministry does not need to put on as much of a display as it would for a public trial. Hence, secret trials are usually nothing more than the accused's crimes being listed out by the prosecution and the event being recorded by a scribe. If the accused signed a statement of confession, the hearing will go by much quicker, and will consist of the prosecuting Minister simply reading the signed statement papers before the "guilty" individual, usually in the form of "I, Citizen [full name], plead guilty to the following crimes committed against the people of Einheit City: [[detailed description(s) of the crime(s) they "confessed" to]]. Signed, [[the accused's name here]]."
If the accused did not comply with signing a statement of confession and continued to resist throughout their imprisonment and investigation, the trial will go on regardless. The difference is that the prosecution Minister, instead of simply reading a statement of confession, will describe a list of charges brought against the accused, and then ask them how they plead. If they plead guilty, then the senior officer Minister acting as judge will simply carry out the sentencing (see below). If they plead innocent, then the prosecution Minister will call forth various evidence, such as surveillance footage, witness statements, forensics, etc. to "prove" the guilt of the accused (note that this evidence can be exaggerated or entirely fabricated). The Ministry "judge" will then declare that the accused lied in a court of law, and thus find them guilty of obstruction of justice in addition to their aforementioned charges - this could mean a sentencing which would've been a few years in a Correctional Labour Facility would now be double that length, or simply be outright execution.
Whether a statement of confession was signed or not, this will simply be followed by the presiding senior Ministry officer acting as the judge issuing a sentence, and declaring the court to be adjourned. Refer to the Einheit City Laws page for information on how various crimes may be punished.
Although secret trials are kept secret, they are still recorded by the courtroom scribe's video machinery for archival purposes, in case the Ministry needs to refer to them at a later point, or for some reason decides to release footage of a previously classified trial.
Public Trials are similar in format to Secret Trials, yet are usually done for select individuals, intended to either publicly discredit them, demoralize their sympathizers, or to simply make an show of what happens to "Enemies of The People". Outer class examples of this would be captured purebreds who took an influencial or leading role in some kind of resitance activities or organized dissenter groups, where it would be beneficial to make a show of their defeat to their sympathizers out there. UniClassers are rarely put on public trials, but when they are, it's usually individuals who were too widely known for the Ministry to just vanish like the average citizen, such as esteemed educators, corporate CEOs, or some other widely known hybrids. In that case the Ministry will devise an elaborate list of charges and evidence (expertly fabricated, if need be) to utterly destroy the accused's reputation as much as possible.
With public trials, the Ministry will generally make the crimes of the accused seem much greater in scale than they truly are (if any crimes were committed at all). For example, someone who'd been organizing peaceful protests or other nonviolent opposition might suddenly find themselves faced with charges of aiding terrorists, communicating with the Nightlanders, plotting a train bombing, or some other tremendously villainous acts.
Accused individuals put on public trials will usually undergo the worst possible pre-trial torture to utterly and completely break their spirit and to get them to not just sign statements of confession, but to beg punishment for heinous crimes they're accused of. Obviously this might not be possible with every single case. If for some reason the accused was too difficult to break into signing statements of confession or commit to other self-damning routes, the Ministry will continue with the trial regardless, and simply follow the format described previously for conducting a Secret Trial with the accused being allowed a brief chance to speak their side of the story, then being "proven" wrong by the prosecution officer's evidence. As mentioned before, investigation findings, witness accounts, and other evidence might be greatly exaggerated, or even entirely fabricated in order to make it utterly impossible for the accused to be found innocent.
Aside from the generally increased level of drama of public trials, and the Ministry being more selective about who's hearing it makes public, the format the trials follow are the same as secret trials.
Due to the risk of something going unexpectedly wrong in the hearing, public trials are usually not televised live, but are recorded a few hours prior, and then falsely said to be airing live, in order to allow for any video editing the Ministry has to do in order to fine-tune its portrayal of the trial's events as needed. The grim irony of this is that many of the individuals seen in these public trials throughout Einheit City television are in fact already dead by the time their "live" trial is made public.
However, do note that the Ministry cannot always rely on defaming someone in the UniClass public's eye by staging a public trial. See the Assassination section for what the Ministry might alternatively do.
Executions - For a list of violations which can be punished by execution, see the Einheit City Justice & Injustice page.
There are two types of executions: Judicial and Extrajudicial.
Judicial executions occur when an individual has been found guilty by an official Ministry trial and sentenced to death. Generally, Judicial executions are conducted with some degree of formality for the event, though rarely respect for the condemned. For the most part these executions are not televised publicly, unless the condemned was someone who was a prominent leader in a resistance movement and it would be beneficial to make an example of them. During the final years of the Species Wars when the Ministry's tyranical nature was more obvious it was common for footage of executions of condemned individuals accused of collaborating with the Colonies. However, the Ministry is usually careful about which executions it releases footage of because of the adverse public reactions it may cause, hence most executions are carried out "off camera" after the trial has been concluded and the sentence issued.
Judicial executions are fairly simple and impersonal: a bullet to the back of the head, usually in some dark, dirty cell, with the body disposed of by incineration.
Extrajudicial executions are what they sound like; executions which are carried out on the spot, without any official judicial process. Normally, the decision to make an extrajudicial execution should be made by the most senior-ranked Minister present, who will then either carry it out themselves, or assign a junior-ranked Minister to carry it out. Typically these are what happens in the MidCity for crimes where the Ministry has captured someone guilty of a crime punishable by death, but it would be a simply unecessary or inconvenient waste of time and manpower to arrest, detain, and then later put them on trial. Often times these executions are mistakenly referred to as "off the books", when really they are in fact recorded by the Ministry, just in different, less-talked-about "books" than judicial punishments. This can be the preferred method of lethal punishment for outer class "malignants" guilty of Major Violations, who are of no longer of any use to the Ministry. UniClass offenders, however, are not usually given extrajudicial executions due to the fact that the Ministry will want to more thoroughly investigate them before executing them. However there are some cases where the Ministry already knows all it needs to about a hybrid condemned to death on the spot, and in such cases an extrajudicial execution is acceptable within certain parameters. UniClass hybrids who've become outlaws, for example, are commonly given extrajudicial executions due to the fact that their "treason" is already well documented, and unless the Ministry believes they may be involved in some greater organization or conspiracy, they will usually be disposed of in this manner.
This type of execution is generally not reported in the media or publicly announced, but are not kept entirely secret either. Usually they are conducted in such a way to allow the news to spread through rumors and street talk that circulates through the outer class, and the few UniClassers who talk with the outer class. This lets the Ministry convey a brutal message to the opposition and their sympathizers without disturbing the peaceful bubble surrounding the majority of the UniClass. Even then, the UniClassers who do hear about these executions are usually the ones who may be spending more time around the outer class than the Ministry would advise them to in the first place, which in turn sends a message to *them* in particular to think twice about sympathizing too much with their purebred surroundings.
Here is a common example of an extrajudicial execution. An outer class character who has been organizing a resistance group and spreading anti-Ministry flyers throughout parts of the MidCity was spotted by the Ministry and was caught while unsuccessful trying to escape. The player(s) RPing the part of the Ministry, be they NPCs or PCs, conduct a manual body search on the character for any hidden weapons or items of interest, tie the character's wrists behind their back, then take the captured character to a dark alley, a nearby abandoned apartment, an empty warehouse, or a desolate street, then kill them with a shot to the head. The key is to kill them somewhere that's not a busy area, but somewhere the gunshot might be heard and body eventually be found. Sometimes the Ministers who carried out the execution will staple to the body a pre-made page declaring the dead individual to be an Enemy Of The People guilty of aiding/committing terrorism, sabotage, conspiring with the Nightlanders, or any other usual anti-establishment offences, regardless of what they were actually executed for.
You might be wondering "Wait, why would the Ministry execute someone on the spot without interrogating them for more information?". In the real world, this would be a valid concern. However the Ministry is far beyond the limits of real-world military/police organizations, and should be played as capable of acquiring the information it needs through unspecified, off-screen, shadowy means, even if they just killed someone who might have that information already. Unless the plot you are involved with specifically needs the captured offender to be taken alive or he/she alone has the information the Ministry needs, you should not rule out extrajudicial execution.
Extrajudicial executions, much like the disappearances of undesirable Uniclassers, are a somewhat taboo subject among the UniClass. Although the media and Chancellor Kadesh's government simply side-step the issue and act like doesn't exist, many Uniclassers who regularly visit the Midcity know the Ministry commits these acts, but few dare to openly talk about it.
Basic Room-Clearing - Although there are many different methods the Ministry can use to clear a room during urban combat or a building raid, here we will describe a very basic textbook example on how to conduct one.
Clearing a room requires one standard Ministry Fireteam outside the doorway. Ideally they should position themselves close to the wall outside the door, with the lead Minister providing forward-viewing security, the second and third Ministers providing outward security, and the fourth Minister in the rear. This arrangement is known as a "stack". While they should try to stay close to the wall, they will though avoid touching it, since scuffing up against the wall could cause enough noise to give a Minister's presence away to the room occupants.
If the door is not already open, it should be simply blasted or kicked open. A flashbang grenade should be thrown in, though lethal grenades are ideal if it's a heated combat situation where there'd be less concern for outer class civilian deaths. After it explodes, the entire fireteam will very rapidly enter, usually within 2-3 seconds. The first Minister (who, ideally, should be the most heavily armored Minister due to the fact that they're the most likely to be shot) will then enter, ordering anyone present to immediately get down and surrender, and firing upon anyone who presents a threat, while moving to the nearest right or left corner of the room. Meanwhile the second Minister will follow immediately, though move to the opposite side as the first Minister in order to secure that area. While the last two Ministers are entering and following a similar pattern, the first two Ministers will advance in order to allow the last two to enter.
Once any immediate threats from the occupants are neutralized, the fireteam should conduct a brief scan of the ceiling and other parts of the room for any threats that may've not been immediately visible during the initial entry, such as a bomb taped to the ceiling, which would be justification for making a very rapid withdrawl from the room.
If there are any occupants present and additional rooms to clear, it would be wise for the lead Minister to grab one of them - preferably someone who may be of high importance to the other occupants - and force them with one hand to walk ahead for additional room to clear, while using the other hand to aim a firearm above their shoulder. Ideally this serves as a deterrent towards the other occupants who may intend to fire upon the Ministry fireteam, or an extra layer of shielding if rounds *are* fired. Since most buildings and apartments consist of more than one room, this process should be continued for whatever connected rooms there are until the building or apartment is officially cleared.
Once it is cleared, the fireteam will exit, though leave a marker on the doorway for any other Ministry teams in the area to know that it's been cleared. Usually this is done by leaving a quick spray of invisible paint on the doorway that shows up on Ministry WhiteGear goggles.
Lockdowns - Lockdowns occur when the Ministry needs to heavily secure a particular section of city, usually the size of a few blocks or less, and cease all incoming/outgoing travel. Although similar to your standard building raid, lockdowns call for a much more secured three-dimensional perimeter, whereas a basic building-seizing raid can be conducted on very short notice. Although it sounds complex, a lockdown is surprisingly simple to RP as long as you don't focus on unecessary or excessive behind-the-scenes details, and instead focus on reacting to the characters and NPCs affected by the lockdown.
Lockdowns are done for two reasons. The first is when the Ministry has located the whereabouts of a highly wanted and highly dangerous group or individual. These are not done for your run of the mill back-alley insurgents, who normally do not require as much resources to eliminate, but for the occasional enemy who the Ministry has reason to believe is exceptionally deadly or cunning.
The other time a lockdown is done is as a tactical exercise. Yet it should be noted that these "tactical exercises" are for all practical purposes identical to the real thing since they are conducted in the MidCity upon seemingly random outer class areas, and no warning or explanation is given to those unfortunate enough to be caught in the lockdown. In basic terms, it's the Ministry using the outer class as a practice dummy, and punishing whoever they might "just happen to come across" in the exercise area that is found guilty of a legal violation. Normally they will not use deadly force unless there's a good reason to during a lockdown exercise, though it isn't unheard of for there to be injuries, damaged property, and the occasional death of some unfortunate purebred who mistakenly appeared to be hostile. Otherwise, "exercise" lockdowns are the same as the real thing, and will occur as explained below.
A lockdown is simply establishing a three-dimensional perimeter around a designated area, usually somewhere that has been identified as a resistance holdout and there are a large number of armed hostiles suspected to be present. The Ministry will first draw up all blueprints there are of the area to be locked down and use x-ray footage and sonic pings to detect any ports which may not show up on the blueprints. Once this is established, the lockdown is executed. All possible points of travel are closed off by the Ministry hacking electronic doors in the area to prevent escape, securing the ground level with combat terradynes/hoverdyne vehicles, snipers at higher-story windows, Ministers placed in any underground escape routes (ie: an old maintanence shaft linked to the Undercity or a sewer hatch), and aerial/rooftop coverage provided by aerodynes or gunships. Electrical power, E-Fluid flow, and communications to the area will be cut as well.
Other things that should be described as surrounding the lockdown would be massively bright floodlights mounted on vehicles pointed at the lockdown area, which would be switched on when the Ministry has all points of travel blocked. Be sure to also describe loudspeakers blasting commands to those within the lockdown area, something simple and forcefully straightforward like this would be ideal: "OCCUPANTS OF [[address, building, or block name here]], THIS IS A MINISTRY SECURITY LOCKDOWN. YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ALL ANGLES, AND WILL BE SEARCHED. ALL INDIVIDUALS ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE, TO DISARM IF ARMED, AND TO DECLARE ALL CONTRABAND WHEN YOU ARE SEARCHED. RESISTANCE, EVASION, OR ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL BE MET WITH IMMEDIATE LETHAL FORCE."
At this point the Ministry has the perimeter secure. Usually the lockdown area will be given a cursory sweep by several AirCams in order to get a closer view on what's going on inside, like searching for any obvious signs of weaponry or fortifications, getting an updated estimate on occupants in the lockdown if previous intelligence is unreliable, determining if the occupants appear compliant or defiant, or any other final visual/audio scans that could provide updated intelligence. Once this is completed (or the AirCams shot down, if the occupants are not compliant), squads of Ministers (usually 2-3 squads per each average 100+ storey MidCity building) who would have been in stand-by during this time will then be inserted to the lockdown area. Ideally they should NOT enter over a bridge or some other path that could too easily be booby trapped, but preferably by aerial insertion onto the rooftops, through the windows, or by laser-sawing through a wall.
Ministry teams conducting the lockdown sweep will then clear all rooms they come across. Unless the Ministers sense anything unusual about a room warranting a closer, more detailed sweep, on average it only takes about 20 seconds for a single 4-Minister fireteam to clear the average empty outer class 1 bedroom apartment. Use that as a loose guideline to play from; if there are occupants in the room who need to be assessed, or there are more rooms/larger rooms to sweep, then obviously it will take more time. Unarmed, compliant-seeming occupants are simply commanded to get down and remain still. Naturally, anyone who the Ministry is looking for will be taken, and any seemingly non-compliant individuals may be killed.
This process will go on for however long it takes for the Ministry to determine that the area is secured and objectives are met, which often means an hour or more of tension or outright terror for the outer class civilians caught up in it. As mentioned before, injuries of civilians and damage/destruction of propert is common, it isn't unheard of for some people to be killed due to unintentionally appearing hostile or noncompliant. Note, though, that like with all Ministry RP situations, you should NOT use the *possibility* of death as a reason to unecessarily kill other people's characters - that's what NPCs are for. Now if they brandish a weapon at the Ministers conducting the exercise or attempt to run off like they have something to hide, or their player specifically wants them to die, then it is acceptable to kill them. See the Random/Incidental Ministry Harm section for more information on this.
Once the area has been thoroughly swept by the Ministry search teams and roving AirCams, hostiles killed/captured, contraband seized, and the lockdown's objective is met the Ministry will announce that the lockdown is lifted usually in this manner: "OCCUPANTS OF [[address, building, or block name here]], THE MINISTRY SECURITY LOCKDOWN ON YOUR ZONE HAS BEEN LIFTED. YOU MAY NOW CARRY ON AT THIS TIME." The Ministry will then simply retract its perimeter and disappear from the scene.
Nominally, outer classers are allowed to bring claims to the Ministry for damaged/destroyed property, wrongfully detained or killed family members, and theoretically the Ministry will recompensate them for their losses. However this practically never is followed up on, and the only claims which go recompensated are ones made by purebreds who are either informants, or confirmed candidates in the artificial hybridization queue.
Assassination - Assassination is often used on UniClassers who are in good standing with society to a point where publicly punishing them would jeopardize the UniClass public's loyalty to the Ministry. Sometimes it is used on outer classers as well, though first we will cover the UniClass side.
Ministry assassinations are conducted in deep secrecy, with very limited records about the operations kept. Typically what will happen is that a Ministry assassin will eliminate the target, while a separate Ministry group carries out a cover-up, diversion, or public manipulation to make the killing appear like it was committed by whoever the Ministry wants to frame for the act.
A common example would be this: a prominent UniClass professor at an esteemed Toride college has been getting friendly with the outer class... A little too friendly for the Ministry's liking. There's some evidence of her having a critical attitude towards the Ministry, but nothing severe or solid enough that the Ministry can simply arrest her due to how excessively harsh it would appear to the rest of the UniClass. This professor is smart enough to keep from running her mouth too much, and cleverly covers her tracks while in the MidCity to make it difficult for the Ministry to prove her as guilty of any actual crimes. It's a case where the Ministry knows that someone is very subtly spreading dissent on a level that most civilian UniClassers wouldn't really notice or be suspicious of, and the professor knows how to balance her act just right so she can't be judicially punished.
Unfortunately for her, she hasn't taken into account the extrajudicial lengths the Ministry will go to eliminate dissent. While she is out in the MidCity, an undercover Minister (who has undergone cosmetic surgery to resemble a purebred) is given orders to eliminate her. The undercover Minister appearing to be a purebred wearing a green armband with a symbol used by a known purebred freedom fighter group guns her down in front of her vehicle and makes a getaway. The event is captured on a security camera, and the Ministry "investigation" into the "crime" concludes that this particular group of purebreds was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of an innocent hybrid, and declares that those responsible will be brought to justice. The Ministry hunts down the purebreds this professor was friends with, arrests them, puts them on trial, finds them guilty and executes them, thus "solving" the case.
Another slight variation of how this might be done is that instead of an undercover Minister, a Ministry sniper using active camouflage might be dispatched to assassinate the target. Although the sniper would unquestionably make a killing shot, he or she would also deliberately take a few extra, slightly erratic shots to make it appear more like it was done by a less experienced hand rather than the expert marksmanship of the Ministry.
Hostage Situations - Taking hostages against the Ministry is a notoriously unwise thing to do, for every Ministry sniper is more than capable of shooting the captor while leaving the hostage unharmed (though usually splattered in blood), or using thermo-x-ray scopes mounted on a laser rifle to shoot through several feet of solid steel or concrete. Hence, hostage situations are resolved very, very quickly with the Ministry.