Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Firemane.
Image Credit: Here. Here. Here.
Role: Assault force. Auxiliaries.
Permissions: Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. ARGH gear available per this thread.
Links: Order of Fire, Casus Belli, Gravis Est.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Exemplar Legion.
Affiliation: Siobhan, Firemane, House Kerrigan.
Classification: Infantry.
Description:
The Exemplar Legion is a unit of shock infantry that act as auxiliaries to Firemane's regular forces. These are already diverse, but even so the Legionnaires are quite unique. This is because the entire unit is composed of renegade Stormtroopers, Sith and even a few Ren who defected from their masters or were left stranded when the regimes they used to serve collapsed. A good number of them were alienated by needlessly cruel and often self-defeating practices such as decimations, use of chemical weapons against civilians and purges. It is pertinent to note that while some of the Legionnaires turned their backs on their masters for moral reasons, many left out of sheer pragmatism. After all, even true believers often lose faith when the government they serve executes its own soldiers at random. Fear in place of actual morale is a poor motivation.
Even brainwashed child soldiers are still people deep down, no matter how much their conditioning tries to dehumanise them and turn them into automatons. Broadly speaking, one finds atoners, pragmatists and opportunists and individuals who fall somewhere in between these extremes. Quite a few of the former Stormtroopers were conscripted by their masters a young age. Needless to say their lives are freer now. For one, they get to choose their own names instead of only having unit designations, as was the case in some Imperial governments. Due to the humanocentric nature of many - though not all, Imperial regimes - humans are disproportionately represented in the Legion, though one can find a number of Chiss in their ranks. Firemane has a policy of making potential recruits serve under alien superiors and instructors for a while to test them. The Kerrigan family business makes a point of keeping them away from Eldorai troops though. They are also not used for riot control.
Crucially, former prisoners of war are not allowed to join. Instead people have to cross the line of their own volition, and then prove themselves by serving in a regular Firemane unit before being assigned to the Legion. The name Legion is a bit of a misnomer, as the unit is a lot closer to the size of a large company. However, though small in numbers, the Legionnaires are well-trained, tenacious and brave in a fight. They often still use Imperial-style gear, though they have updated their arsenal to include weapons commonly employed by Firemane. The Legionnaires wear Imperial-style armour, but use Firemane patterns and colours to avoid friendly fire incidents. Their training makes them ideal for close quarter combat, urban warfare and other high-intensity combat scenarios. Access to infantry fighting vehicles and armoured trucks allows them to fight as mechanised infantry.
For obvious reasons, Firemane monitors them closely. However, unlike regimes such as the Galactic Empire of yore, it does not use political officers to monitor their ideological purity. Moreover, Legionnaires do have the chance to rise in the ranks as they prove themselves. The pay is also solid. They are largely employed as a shock unit and have access to transport craft to get them in and out of a conflict zone as well as provide them with some support.
Rather than blind obedience, their tactical doctrine stresses initiative and critical thinking. After all, soldiers who do not think for themselves but unthinkingly obey the orders of their superiors are incapable of adapting to unexpected situations or when the chain of command is disrupted. The Legionnaires are commanded by Captain Arana Sallis. Born into a family of stage actors, she was conscripted into the Stormtrooper Corps of the first post-Gulag Virus First Order at an early age. Arana deserted shortly before the twilight of the Imperial government. She has experience fighting Jedi as well as Ssi-Ruuk and other alien species native to the Unknown Regions.
Arana is rather cynical when it comes to her old masters. In her view, they betrayed their ostensible ideals as well as the soldiers who had diligently served them on the battlefield. One of the reasons for her disillusionment was the First Order carrying out decimations after the first battle of Skor II, forcing soldiers to draw lots and turn their weapons on those who had drawn the short lot. Arana is loyal to those under her command, but slow to trust others. The fact that she was subjected to heavy indoctrination has left her wary of grand causes.
Varran Kray is a human male and a former Knight of Ren. He is still pretty young and was raised on stories of the nobility of the Imperial cause and the barbarity of its enemies when he was inducted into the Order. Fresh out of the academy, he was faced with the reality and found their practices immoral and harmful. His instructor was one of those who were killed during the Purge. Varran is reserved and a man of few words, but more idealistic and focused on honour than his commander.
Another prominent member is a Chiss female called Nast'rike'lvar. Her core name is Strike. She tends to go by it because her full name is difficult for humans to pronounce. Strike used to serve the One Sith. When the Sith came to annex Csilla, the Chiss lacked an external protector and did not have the means to successfully resist the occupiers. Her family were minor Chiss aristocrats, who served as stewards for a more prominent family. Their patron chose to resist and died, so her family decided to collaborate. Strike joined the One Sith's military, though she tried to help people as far as her rank allowed it, even providing aid to a few 'dissidents'. However, when the One Sith Empire collapsed, Sith fanatics implemented a scorched earth policy. Csilla was one of its victims. Strike turned on her masters, but was unable to remain on the Chiss homeworld and eventually ended up with Firemane. She is a good tactician but, contrary to the Chiss stereotype, has a formidable temper.
Force-wielders who join the unit are evaluated by the Truthseekers, and must go through training with the Order of Fire. The vetting process includes a thorough psychological evaluation. The reasons are obvious since they tend to be former Sith or Ren, though notorious individuals would not be accepted. After all, the thing about defectors is that they can easily turn against their new employer the moment things turn ill and they get a better offer. They must also renounce their old masters and beliefs. Force-Users and Non-Force-Users follow the same chain of command in Firemane's military. Force-Users can become officers but must acquire the necessary formal qualifications rather than simply being placed in command on the basis of their Force-Sensitivity. They are expected to comport themselves as soldiers rather than cultists.
Thus a former Sith who joins would start at the bottom and work their way up. If one of them tries to usurp command and intimidate a Force-Blind officer or NCO, they will receive a rude awakening. This obviously limits the recruitment pool, but ensures that those who manage to join are committed - or at least pragmatic enough to compromise. At the same time it it offers them security, since an underling who tries to murder a superior will be shot rather than rewarded. Equally, their new employers do not show mercy to traitors.
Some of the Force-Sensitive Legionnaires are still essentially misc. darksiders, others have totally broken with these beliefs and could be considered varying shades of grey or in a few cases even light sided. Firemane has a rather secularised understanding of the Force, so while its Force-using branch has some light side adepts or spiritualists, it is probably not a place to seek spiritual enlightenment in. It is, however, a good place for professional soldiers with no interest in religious wars and conclaves.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Veteran
Equipment:
Armour:
Rifles:
- ACS-205 Blackblade Modular Rifle
- Verpin Shatter Rifle
- MkII Bolter
- DXR-6 Disruptor Rifle
- ACS-205 Advanced Dual Weapon System
- Reaper Plasma Shotgun
- T-21 Light Repeating Blaster
- SE-44C Blaster Pistol
- Uproar Blaster
- Shatter Pistol
- A280-CFE
- FWG-5 Flechette Smart Pistol
- Cylix Bolt Pistol
- PLX-2M Portable Missile Launcher
- BB-23 Heavy Blaster Cannon
- D-93 Incinerator Flamethrower
- ACS-203 Hellstorm Blastercannon
- Model MGL-1
Attached Weapons:
Transports:
- Ghoush Class Orbital Landers
- TIE/es Assault Shuttle
- Yazgid IFV
- Firedancer Landspeeder
- Bantha Class Armoured Transport
Melee Weapons:
Combat Function: The Legionnaires are a unit of former Imperial Stormtroopers, ex-Sith and the like. They combine martial prowess with training, sophisticated gear and coordination. Many of them are veterans of various galactic conflicts. They perform well as shock troops in urban warfare and close quarter combat scenarios. For an infantry-centric force they have a lot of firepower, enabling them to punch above their weight despite their low numbers. They have access to jump packs to increase their mobility in the field and carry out surprise attacks. The Legionnaires can be deployed in virtually any environment.
Moreover, they are a good mix of Non-Force-Users and Force-Users. The latter are a small minority, but the combination allows for the use of combined arms tactics. The Force adepts among the Legionnaires tend to use Crossguard Lightsabres. They are trained as Force warriors, but are taught how to integrate their wizadry into an overall battle plan rather than charge off on their lonesome. The Force adepts in the unit tend to focus on techniques such as telekinesis and its various sub-applications, accelerated healing and control pain. A few have a talent for Force Lightning.
However, although their name would imply a large unit that is about the size of a division, the Legion is actually fairly small. Thus they are easily outnumbered by superior enemy forces and have to rely on their training and tactical cunning rather than force of numbers. Moreover, they lack heavily armoured fighting vehicles. As a rule, the Legion is not deployed in a vacuum, but in concert with other Firemane troops. This is also an insurance policy, just case any of the Legionnaires decide to defect again. The Legionnaires are all veterans and particularly motivated when fighting misc. Sith or Imperial groups. The reason for this is simple. In one way or another, all Legionnaires are turncoats who turned their back on the Imperial flag they once served, though their reasons for this vary. They know if they get captured by their old side they are for the chop.
The Legionnaires have access to Yazgid Infantry Fighting Vehicles, allowing them to function as a mechanised infantry unit should the situation demand it. The Yazgid is well-armed and can transport troops more quickly around the battlefield than if they were on foot. Furthermore, it provides an impressive amount of firepower to support an advance. It also allows the soldiers to enter battle more lightly-equipped, as they can leave non-critical gear, such as supplies aboard the vehicle.
It also allows the infantry to keep up with tanks. However, the vehicle is vulnerable to anti-tank weapons and air strikes. Its armour cannot stand up to the main weapon of a tank. Should they be engaged in combat while inside a Yazgid, the soldiers will usually dismount and fight. Technically the Yazgid has gun ports so the soldiers inside can shoot out, but this is not that practical. Visibility from inside the vehicle is poor and while small arms and blaster fire is no problem, should an anti-tank missile score a good hit, everyone inside is dead.
Strengths:
- Crack soldiers. The Legionnaires are well-trained, tough and mobile. Bravery, skill and tenacity are characteristics well-represented among members of the unit. They attack fast and hard.
- Unit incorporates Force-Users and Non-Force-Users. Mixed force model means that both sides complement each other and allows combined arms tactics.
- Yazgid IFVs are fast and mobile. Their armour and weapons allow the vehicles to act as fire support platforms. They are ideal against infantry and light vehicles.
- Small unit that is easily outnumbered by more numerous foes. Moreover, they lack integrated heavy support such as tanks, attack craft etc. Force adepts can act as force multipliers, but the unit has a small number.
- Ghoush transports, while heavily armoured and fast, are big and not very agile. They cannot do much in the way of dodging. Moreover, they are undergunned.
- Against a tank’s main weapon the Yazgid’s armour is insufficient. Its one-shot anti-tank missile is its only real defence against them. The Yazgid has only limited defence against air attack, limited to a scrambler and a chaff launcher along with a single shot missile.
There have been many Imperial and Sith regimes since the dawn of the hyperspace age. Some rose to become great powers, others were minor warlord polities. Some were controlled by Sith or other dark cultists, while others were more secular in nature and tended to be a military junta of some form. All of them have been dictatorial.
The Exemplar Legion is a unit composed exclusively of former soldiers of various Imperial governments. These include veterans of the legions of the One Sith, the first post-Gulag Virus First Order, and various Imperial Remnant style states. One can find deserters among their ranks, but also conscientious objectors who left for ideological or moral reasons as well as professionals who were simply left without an employer after their respective regime expired, like every government does at some point. Firemane has a history of fighting Sith regimes and, to a lesser extent, Imperial regimes. It participated in battles against various Sith Empires as well as the First Order. Ideological opposition is paired with a healthy degree of self-interest. Siobhan's extreme hatred of anyone tangentially connected to Sith also plays a role since she is Firemane's paramount leader.
Nonetheless, over the years the megacorp has received its share of Imperial defectors. Firemane is not a Jedi Order and takes a fairly cynical view of people claiming they have turned a new leaf. The fact that Sith are fond of infiltrating and many a Jedi group or Republic has been undermined by lax policies plays a role here. Nonetheless, a select few have been allowed to join the ranks. Those deemed most reliable have been inducted into the dramatically named Exemplar Legion. The fact that turncoats are far from the most trusted group of people and the thorough vetting process they are subjected to kept the unit small. Significantly, former prisoners of war were not allowed to join, as their reasons were deemed too opportunistic to give them weapons. Instead only soldiers who had crossed the line of their own volition and proved themselves in a regular Firemane unit were allowed to join.
The unit was founded by Lieutenant Arana Sallis, a former officer in the (first post-Gulag Virus) First Order's Stormtrooper Corps. After many years of diligent service against enemies of the Order such as Firemane, the Galactic Alliance and the Silver Jedi, she went rogue close to the twilight of the Imperial government. Her desertion was preceded by defeats at the hands of the Outer Rim Coalition and a purge within the ranks of the Knights of Ren. She did not do a 180, but these experiences left her disillusioned with the nation she had once served.
She and a small group of her comrades deserted. Pursuit by their former masters whittled down their numbers, and they went underground. Amidst all this, the First Order collapsed after the Ssi-Ruuk managed to overrun it and take its capital. Imperial warlords and remnant groups sprung up. Arana and her group turned to mercenary work to sustain themselves. This brought them in contact with Firemane, which was fighting warlords and taking advantage of the situation to advance its interests. Natalie Dorne, a freelance rebel contracted by Firemane, was brought in to question them and they were vetted by the Truthseekers. The former Imperials were met with distrust, but provided intel on a warlord they had once served under. This helped Firemane execute a successful raiding operation.
There was a thorough vetting process, but Arana was put under contract as an auxiliary. Deserters and defectors from a myriad Imperial groups were eventually brought into the fledgling unit over the course of the next few motnhs. Bringing in former members of different factions produced friction, but would also make it more difficult for their leaders to plot. Siobhan was sceptical when the programme was proposed to her, but reluctantly agreed to give it a trial period. For a while the ex-Imperials were distributed among other units to instruct Firemane regulars and auxiliaries about technology and tactics employed by their former superiors. A former Knight of Ren called Varran Kray and a Chiss operative by the name of Nast'rikel'var were among the new additions.
Initially, they were given Firemane officers to answer to. The Exemplar Legion was given greater autonomy and less outside supervision after it proved itself in several engagements against First Imperial and Sith warlords and cults. The knowledge that their former masters and those like them would rightly regard them as traitors made them particularly zealous when fighting them. The Legionnaires were integrated into the Firemane Auxiliary Corps. For obvious reasons, they were generally kept away from Eldorai troops, though they worked more closely with Firemane's Qadiri Sepoys. They helped suppress rebellions on Tygara after Siobhan fell into a coma following her duel with Darth Soteria. Ironically, the Exemplars acquired a reputation for their very scrupulous, fair treatment of prisoners of war. Whether this was due to epiphany or simply pragmatism or a bit of both was another question.
During the course of the demise of the Sith Empire in the wake of the Third Imperial Civil War, the Exemplars were deployed in mop-up operations in the eastern rim to help deal with Remnant groups. The collapse of several Sith governments has opened up new recruitment opportunities, though the criteria for admission remain strict to prevent the unit from being infiltrated and subverted from the inside. The Exemplars have recruited a number of Chiss who managed to flee Csilla prior to their homeworld's destruction.
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