Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Expand on Firemane and give Cross a unit.
- Image Credit: Here.
- Role: Special forces, wet work.
- Links: Firemane, Casus Belli, Denouement, The Rapture.
- Unit Name: Chimaera Squad.
- Affiliation: Cross, Firemane, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Siobhan Kerrigan, General Research Unit.
- Classification: Infantry.
- Spectre Scout Armour (storefront request here, permission here) Or AE-AS1 Ghostsuithttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/108247-ae-as1-ghostsuit/ with Energy Projected Helmethttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/117406-energy-projected-helmet/ (request here, permission here).
- Mark I Bolter, Magnetic Repeater. ACS-205 Advanced Dual Weapon System (storefront request here, permission here) or ACS-205 Blackblade Modular Rifle (storefront request here, permission here).
- CQC: Reaper Plasma Shotgun (replaces rifle/bolter).
- ACS-202 Vanquisher Light Repeating Blaster (storefront request here, permission here.). Squad Support Weapon.
- SR-1 or TS-Vonginator (for sniper/sharpshooter)
- Mission specific: Icebreaker.
- ACS-207 Aerosolblaster (purchase request here, approved here), Under-Barrel Sonic Blaster (storefent request here, permission here), ACS-207 Cryoban Gun (storefent request here, permission here).
- Wrist Bolter, ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer (storefront request here, permission here), ACS-208 Wrist Tensor (storefent request here, permission here). ACS-208 Wrist Charric (request here, permission here). ARGH flamer (Wrist variant). Two wrist weapons per soldier max.
- Magnetic Revolver, ARGH Shattergun or A280-CFE Blasterhttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/A280-CFE_blaster.
- Talon Vibrodagger, Multi weapon.
- Hold-out Bolter. Racket's Bite.
- Vac blade launcher.
- Shatterboltgun (limited).
- Flash-Bang Grenadeshttps://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Flash-bang_grenade, Frag Grenades, Smoke Grenades, Dioxis grenade, Sonic Imploder, Thermal Detonator. 6 grenades per soldier.
Misc gear:
- Taozin amulet, stealth field generator.
- Neural band.
- Devastator multi-purpose mine (mission-specific)
- No-Showhttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/No-Show | Hypnogaze.
- Grappling hooks, cyanide suicide pills.
- Thermite charges (mission-specific, for demolishing structures etc.).
- Mission-specific: Laser designator to designate targets for guided bombs, precision guided artillery munitions, missiles or orbital strikes.
- Access to ACS-602 High Explosive Specialty Ammunition for slugthrowers (request here, permission here). APE Rounds for Bolters.
- Commlink uses CD-X cryptologic key (available for Firemane per this thread).
- Access to ACS Modular Drop Pods (purchase request here, approved here)
COMBAT INFORMATION
- Availability: Unique. It's just one squad with 12 members.
- Deployment: Limited.
Strengths & Weaknesses: Highly capable special forces operatives. Ideal for raids, infiltration, sabotage and assassination or abduction of high-value targets. They are proficient in Teräs Käsi and have undergone an intense conditioning to resist Force-based mental manipulation, mind tricks and the like. They also have an arsenal of highly sophisticated weapons at their disposal to complete their missions. They have a knack for blending into their environment, striking quickly and then vanishing again. Members of the unit are not fazed by ethically or legally dubious orders, which makes them ideal for wet work. Aiborne insertion or deployment via drop pods further enhances their mobility. They are also trained to paint targets for various types of bombardment.
However, they are just commandos. Moreover, it's just one squad, in other words twelve soldiers. Thus they are obviously not meant to take on large numbers of enemy soldiers, storm fortifications or face hordes of tanks and walkers. They largely forego heavy weapons to stay mobile. This limits their anti-armour capabilities, a weakness further exacerbated by their low number. Thus they cannot stand up to forces of tanks or heavy walkers, unless they are able to lay a trap by mining the area. But this would require preparation in advance, as one does not normally carry anti-armour land mines around - or lay them in the middle of a fight. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to long range bombardment such as artillery and air strikes. They lack effective means to counter such attacks, aside from seeking cover or not being spotted in the first place.
Moreover, they are non-Force-Users and thus cannot compensate limited access to heavy ordinance through use of preternatural powers. Given their limited supplies, small unit size, and lack of supply train, they are forced in almost all situations to fight and retreat, never capable of standing toe-to-toe against mobilised QRFs nor well-executed counter-attacks. Bottom line, this is not the type of unit to take on an army and go death charging with. Likewise they are very vulnerable to flak if deployed in drop pods. These are particularly weak against starfighters and only have minimal guidance. While minor course corrections can be made, it is like turning around a Star Destroyer. When it comes to their personal armour, they forego tanky heavy armour. The Spectre armour offers good protection against blasters and slugthrowers and provides a degree of stealth in the manner of Storm Commando armour due to the use of Reflec, but is medium armour. The Ghostsuit is a stealthy, mobile suit for infiltrators, and provides very little in terms of blaster and slugthrower protection - about as much as a simple blast vest.
Description:
Chimaera Squad does not exist. Officially at any rate. Despite suspiciously specific denials, the unit has been part of the Firemane for quite a while. It has its roots in the cataclysmic events of the Netherworld Crisis and the Eldorai Exodus from Kaeshana. Though both events are unrelated, they occured shortly after one another and had a profound effect on Firemane. First trillions of people vanished. Among them was one of Firemane's two directors, Tegaea Alcori and their adoptive daughter Galina. Siobhan followed them into the Netherworld to find them. Many Eldorai believed that the rapture was a harbinger of the end times, so fighting broke out across Kaeshana between royalist forces and various fundamentalist rebel groups. Firemane installations and personnel were targeted targeted by terrorists. For a while contact with remote outposts broke down, and the ones on Gehenna and Bespin were lost altogether. Self-serving employees tried to take advantage of the chaos and the Bando Gora experienced a brief resurgence. Sergeant Freya Solveig, temporarily in charge at Firemane's Kaeshana HQ due to the disappearances, formed the squad as an ad hoc measure to clean house by any means necessary. Following her return, Lady Kerrigan legitimised their actions and kept the team around.
Unlike many ad hoc formations that came into being in this time, the squad was not disbanded after the crisis had passed. Firemane had a new emergency to deal with due to Kaeshana's impending destruction by a huge asteroid. While the corporation worked diligently to save as many natives as possible before the planet was devastated, Chimaera Squad performed its duties in the shadows. It would also see action on Tygara, where it got involved in the Xioquo War.
In the aftermath of the annexation of Atrisia by the Galactic Alliance, it cooperated with the ancient war droid Six-O in a war against the Reki. Said war against villainous crime syndicates, meant to prevent the Reki from taking advantage of the power vacuum on the planet, was characterised by precise brutality, surgical strikes and liberal application of what can only be called enhanced interrogation if only really loves euphemisms.
It was also present on Kaeshana during the battle between the forces of the Galactic Alliance and the First Order. There it organised and directed Eldorai partisans. Later Lieutenant Cross, the unit's eventual commander, assassinated the Duchess of Caladan, an Eldorai noblewoman suspected of being part of Tarissa Cadalthor's plot to purge all non-Eldorai, topple the Star Queen and assume control of Tygara. Following this event, Chimaera Squad was assigned to GRU as one of the agency's special operations units.
The members of Chimaera Squad are chosen for their professionalism, willingness to get their hands dirty and unwillingness to ask awkward questions. To make sure they have incentives, they are compensated very well for their services. If things go awry, Firemane will disavow them. They are one of several black ops units fielded by GRU, a Firemane military intelligence division. The present CO of the unit, Lieutenant Cross, used to serve in the Republic army and fought in the One Sith War. Once an idealist who took up arms to defend freedom, the horrors of war brutalised her, turning her into a ruthless, cynical operator. Court-martialled by the Republic army after her actions went beyond the pale, she escaped prison and became a gun for hire. She joined the Company shortly after the Battle of Atrisia, distinguishing herself by fighting the life of Vice President Kaylah Danton from assassins. Lady Kerrigan keeps her on call for when she needs an operative known for brutal competence.
Committing acts of sabotage such as the destruction of vital communications logistics centres, and the possible assassination or abduction of high-value targets is part of their portfolio. Ideally, they will be deployed well in advance of the official commencement of hostilities. Of course, infiltration operations will also deprive them of external support. The unit can also provide training to militias, manage logistics or provide tactical advice to allied commanders. Thus they can provide support and tactical leadership to the side Firemane happens to favour in a conflict zone. Naturally things get awkward when today's friendly insurgents decide to turn their guns on you tomorrow, which is why it is vital to choose them with care and make sure they remain amenable to the corporation following the conclusion of hostilities. Or have contingency plans to make sure they do not become a problem.
Unsurprisingly, the selection process and the training the members of the unit have to undergo is very brutal. The curriculum includes, forced marches at full kit in harsh environments, training in CQC, weapons handling, rappelling, explosives training, marksmanship, counter-insurgency, airborne training, hand-to-hand combat, climbing (alpine rope techniques), diving, underwater combat, emergency medical training, communications, small unit tactics and long distance recon. There is also has a strong cultural component. This includes language training. Firemane forces often operate on remote worlds in the Outer Rim or Wild Space, so it is important that the soldiers have a degree of familiarity with the ecosystem and culture of the planets they might be deployed to. Furthermore, they are taught the necessary skills to survive in an unconventional warfare environment. Raevana and Terax, both very harsh, untamed worlds, are among their preferred training grounds. Finally, a Survive, Evade, Resist and Extract course is part of the training programme. Recruits also go through a ruthless mental battery with Order of Fire mentalists such as Quas'Ziru and Siobhan's adoptive daughter Elpsis to learn how to steel their mind against Force-User wielding mentalism or severe forms of torture.
The team consists of 12 operatives, with the commander being a Lieutenant and each operative having a specific function - though cross-training is part of the curriculum to make sure the unit is not screwed if one or two members get killed or captured. If need be the squad can split into two six-man elements, as there are two soldiers for each job, such as two communications specialists/slicers, two medics and so on.
