The Barrett Commission is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Night Stalkers. These hunters are dedicated to protecting positions and places of power throughout companies and the government. They tend to target vampires the most in the process.
History[]
Tracing its roots back to the late 18th century, the Barrett commission started as an attempt to find where funds meant for the federal government were disappearing in Delaware. Col. Shaun Barrett was charged with the investigation by John Adams. Also bringing aboard banker Alfred Bredelmeyer, and Bredelemeyer's niece, Elizabeth Ducat, they found that the funds were not going to the governor, but completely bypassed him. Investigating further, they found a corpulent and rich vampire at the center of the missing funds. The trio destroyed it and burned its manor to the ground, vowing to inform the government of what had happened. Unfortunately, Col. Barrett was shot on his way to Washington with his findings, and Bredelmeyer killed as he vowed to "investigate every major family from Boston to Savannah". Only Ms. Ducat, in possession of the evidence and a list of trusted associates of her uncle, could carry on the fight against the vampires. Unable to get official government backing, the group decided to operate in secret, fighting vampiric influence as best they could.
Purpose[]
The purpose of the Commission is simple: to prevent vampires from gaining control of US government and business. This is easier said than done, since vampires have wealth and connections going back decades, if not centuries. Despite this, the compact has striven to rid the higher echelons on the country of the vampiric threat. They are not street hunters like the Night Watch or Union, however. They hunt in the boardrooms and meeting halls, using a compound force of pressure from all directions to take a vampire's power base to the ground. This does not mean they are not able hunters, however, and cases have shown that the Commission is more than able to go toe to toe with the vampires.
Organization[]
A relatively small compact, the Commission possesses a huge power base, from Forbes 500 corporations to Senators. Influence in the compact comes not only from skill in dispatching vampires, but also from how successful a person is in business or a position of power. In the organization itself, there are mainly three types of Divisions:
Suits are the business leaders, the CEOs and Company presidents who force financial pressure on the vampires. Though accused of having too much focus on their own profit, they still provide needed funding for the Commission's operations.
Quorum members work the governmental angle, from the UN building in New York to the halls of the US House of Representatives. Working in the background, the Quorum uses the politicians it backs to make the blows against the vampires, rarely taking up political title themselves.
Five Stars are a small but growing part of the Commission. Made of military leaders, these hunters are able to root out the vampiric influences in the military bureaucracy.
References[]
- HTV: Night Stalkers, p. 89-92