ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Rachel, Sirius, and Remus

[alt_alice]

We need a viable strategy for taking New London definitively.

We’re chipping away, but at this rate, it will take years, and they’ll only become further entrenched.

The general populace is slow to warm to us as we’re former ‘traitors’ asking for a great deal of change, and in very short order we will need to move our non-magical population into integrated communities without leaving them completely bloody defenceless. We need time without constant fear of attack.

Yes. We’ve just lost one of our own to the enemy, which is devastating and heartbreaking, but Merlin above, Brighton was a blow that cannot be repeated, and we will not be able to move forward if we spend all our time focusing on how to respond to the capture of one person. I hate that Ginny is in their hands, but the best possible way we can move forward is to hit them hard and finish this.

Enough.

An all-out attack would be costly – and they could scatter and regroup – but we can muster significant numbers if need be. Would this be a viable approach? Are they too deeply buried in Buckingham? Can we bomb the hell out of them, or put a null zone around them? Can we cut them off from the rest of New London, or pull them out into a fight? Use their tactics from Dover and clear a perimeter around their headquarters, pin them down with anti-apparation wards?

Rachel, what could you do with a hundred wands? Between the fighters Frank’s trained in the free zones and Sherwood’s remaining members, you’d have a fairly disciplined group – and we could double or possibly triple that number with less experienced fighters if we send out the call.

Comments

[alt_rachel]

I think I could level Buckingham with a hundred wands.

Mind you, I don't think we could take out everyone in it, and it's the people who are the problem, not the building itself.

I'd have to think about productive goal I could accomplish. And how many of those hundred I could expect to bring home.

[alt_alice]

Yes. I'm not expecting an answer tonight, mind. Some analysis would be to our benefit.

Merlin knows, significantly reducing their numbers in one sweep would be useful even if it didn't take down everyone all at once -- but I wouldn't want an utter slaughter on our side for the chance at twenty of theirs.

I'm not averse to using a more subtle approach either.

[alt_rachel]

We've been whittling away their numbers, one at a time. It's going to take a while this way, though.

[alt_alice]

Yes.

What about strike team of six or so who could do significant enough damage to make it worth what would most likely be a one-way trip?

Or not.

Never mind that.

Bloody hell, I need a drink.

Private message to Alice

[alt_rachel]

Does drinking help?

I've been thinking about taking it up.

Re: Private message to Alice

[alt_alice]

I'm married to someone who's trying very hard not to, because when he did, it proved rather massively unhelpful all round, really.

Smoking an occasional spliff can do wonders, though.

Re: Private message to Alice

[alt_rachel]

When I was undercover I didn't dare drink, I was too afraid I'd let something slip, or not be able to defend myself when I needed to. Or off myself, if it came to that.

Now... now I'm too busy.

This is an absolutely terrible job, you know. Managing a bunch of teenagers who've been trained to kill, but not trained to think, at least one of whom has a death wish. A passel of turncoats who spent years torturing people on command. The only person I'd managed before I came here was Jason Montague. I am completely unqualified and really not very good at this.

Re: Private message to Alice

[alt_alice]

Welcome to my world, love.

I spent an odd decade taking care of dozens of babies, and got very good at growing kale and animal husbandry.

Believe it or not, you are the best possible person for this, because you can bridge the divide with the former turncoats and bring them into the fold, and those surly teenagers actually will listen to you for the most part, because they know you've sacrificed and respect you for it.

You are the only person who could've brought in our asset on the inside.

You are doing an amazing job with what you've been given, which hasn't been much at all.

Every single other person who's ever lived would have a difficult time managing it all. This is an utter pile of dragon dung, it's awful and unpredictable, and we're hanging on by our fingernails.

[alt_rachel]

I asked Jason if he could let us know before the next false Phoenix attack. No dice. He says he wouldn't have time to write, he doesn't get enough notice.

I also asked him what they're planning to do with Ginny. He didn't know that, either, but he saw her today with Dolohov. She was terrified, but found his presence reassuring. I think he's probably the 'nice Auror,' but I don't know any more about what their actual goal is. I have some theories and they're all awful.

[alt_alice]

They are a particularly imaginative lot, aren't they?

Perhaps we could have locals keeping watch in communities of a certain size -- designated volunteers who are prepared to at least put up a bit of a fight until we can get there?

I fear it wouldn't buy us much in the grand scheme of things, though. The button network is a fast alert system, and even that wasn't much use with Brighton.

[alt_rachel]

From the reports we've gotten, you'll likely fall victim to the false Phoenix attacks if you've gotten on the wrong side of the DEs somehow. So maybe we could try a lure. Work with someone who's willing to make themselves bait.

[alt_rachel]

That would be small potatoes, though. Not like what you're talking about here.

[alt_alice]

I think a small scale victory is just that -- a victory -- and could be quite good for public relations by continuing to pull the masks off of the attackers. One small mercy is that we've been able to spread the story about the false Phoenixes from Ginny's attack -- that's done some real good.

Large scale action takes time to properly plan out -- we can have multiple cauldrons in the fire, as it were.

[alt_rachel]

Well, I'll talk to a few others about likely targets of our imitators, and see what we come up with.

Private Message to Rachel

[alt_alice]

...I know you're beyond over extended.

I know I've been asking a lot of you, and this adds more to your plate.

If you need to delegate, know that Frank and Davidson are completely at your disposal.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Oh, they are?

Okay. I'll bear that mind. I've been having fantasies of getting hold of a time turner so that I really could be a dozen places at once.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_alice]

Yes, please, lord, take these men and order them about.

I do it all the time. They're very good at listening and going off and doing what you tell them without the need for follow-up.

And if you need to plan a full scale invasion of New London, Davidson would be particularly useful at tactics.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Okay. Let's set up a meeting with Davidson and figure out what a full scale invasion of New London would look like. We can't break this stalemate without shifting the Death Eaters out of control there; it's too important to the Protectora Albion. There are certainly places where we COULD get a foothold, and should consider doing it, like St Mungo's. Draco's been doing reconnaissance, and his next report might give me some more thoughts on this. The fundamental problem is that London is big. You know? It's just a big place. And our allies are thinner on the ground than a month ago because Order sympathisers have headed out to more congenial locations.

I'm going to talk to Frank today about what happened with Nick Dyson, see what his thoughts are. One of the complicating factors with Dyson was that the Unbreakable Vow suicide method is a hard one to see coming. Especially since he also carried poison, mostly so that captors could confiscate it and would be off their guard. I don't know if that's standard these days? There are workarounds, obviously, but I'd prefer not to over-rely on Hydra to interrogate people.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_alice]

Good.

Keep me informed as you go.

[alt_rachel]

Sally-Anne just came by my office. You might have seen her PM Dolohov earlier this evening; apparently she asked him what's being done to Ginny, and to what end. He claims she's been well-treated, 'has suffered no lasting harm,' and offered up for bona fides a message from Ginny that at least makes it clear she's still alive as of a few minutes ago.