Alliance Special Operations Alliance Special Operations , or SpecOps , was the organization that the Rebel Alliance assigned its most capable recruits . It had two levels of operation : Mission Groups and Special Ops Teams . Both were categorized by personnel that were exceedingly skilled , talented , and prone to cockiness . Mission Groups . Mission Groups were the basic unit of SpecOps , with a nebulous position within the Alliance hierarchy . They " floated " between Alliance command , standard forces , and Sector Force s , capable of being " loaned " to the latter if needed but typically operating on a galaxy - wide level to perform their duties . Individual Mission Groups were often headquartered on Alliance starfighter bases , such as those at Tierfon , Cathis , Ansarra , and Dalastine , allowing them to refuel and resupply their galaxy - trotting starships ( often light freighters of some sort ) without interference ; in return , the base got the often exceptional piloting abilities of the SpecOps personnel . This was not the only possible arrangement , however ; some Mission Groups worked as roving agents , changing their base of operations as circumstances demanded . Yet other Groups were attached to Ordnance and Supply and Support Services . Though some missions they performed were similar to those of Alliance Intelligence , the patience and discipline often required by Intell operations tended to be the weak link among the cocky , energetic natures of typical SpecOps personnel . In fact , Mission Groups were often sent to worlds in which the cover of existing Intell operations were endangered to draw attention " away " from them . However , despite this , Mission Groups were sometimes attached to Alliance Intelligence ' s Operations department . Wookiee warriors often formed the muscle behind mission groups attached to Intell . Certain trusted mercenaries , hired by the Rebel Alliance , would often work as SpecOps personnel and were , formally at least , given the same status and privileges . This was the case of , for example , the mercenaries Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors . Special Ops Teams . Special Ops Teams were " advanced Mission Groups " that had been cut off from the Alliance ' s command structure , answerable to only the highest echelons of the Alliance and receiving no support from other branches . Extremely capable , they rarely needed such assistance ; since they were authorized to act in the interests of the Alliance without orders from higher up the chain of command , when they were needed by a sector intelligence cell or Rebel outpost , they received polite requests rather than actual orders . Mostly , they developed and executed their own operations on behalf of the Alliance without prompting . Some Special Ops Teams engaged in deep - cover missions , tapping into existing supply caches when necessary ; just as often , they established their own network of supply caches , often as a prelude to establishing new Rebel cells in a new sector . Others roamed freely , doing that which they saw as needing doing . For the most part , the Alliance allowed these teams to wreak havoc upon the Empire without supervision , though in the uncommon cases where contact needed to be made , the Alliance could rely on mail drops , contacts , and even personal ads to get messages to Special Ops Teams in the field . Special Operations and Special Forces . Though bearing similar names , Special Operations and Alliance Special Forces were two completely different groups . While Special Forces ( SpecForce ) were highly trained active military professionals , tasked with performing specific , carefully planned operations , Special Ops agents engaged in murky undercover missions and chaotic , unplanned operations with only minimal input from Alliance Command . Though SpecForce personnel recognized the need for SpecOps , and vice versa , rivalry between the two groups ran deep ; SpecOps personnel viewed SpecForces as arrogant , uptight , and overtrained , and SpecForce personnel viewed SpecOps ( or " spooks , " as they liked to call them ) as amateurs who relied on luck to carry the day . SpecForces sometimes used Mission Group personnel as " other specialists " such as transportation specs , pilots , communication experts , translators , medical technicians , supply specialists , and so on . Such personnel were often referred to as " recovering spooks " by the SpecForce units they were attached to . Conversely , sometimes Special Forces troops were assigned to Special Operations units ; these individuals were referred to as " specters " by other SpecForce personnel . Special status . The SpecOps had special status within the Rebellion , which also meant that they had special privileges . For example , medical frigates would often reserve entire wards for SpecOps personnel . This was the case of the " Mercy " where ward 114 was reserved exclusively for Alliance SpecOp personnel and for mercenaries working as Rebel agents . SpecOps terms and jargon . This is a list of terms , jargon and slang used by members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic SpecOps .