Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Firemane.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Special Forces.
Permissions: ARGH gear available per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. Permission to use Tricks of the Trade submissions here. CD-X Cryptologic Key available for Firemane per this thread.
Links: Qadiri, Tusken Raiders, Tygara, Tatooine.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Long Range Desert Patrol is the official name. Unofficially they are called Ghost Patrol.
Affiliation: Firemane Industries, House Kerrigan, Siobhan.
Classification: Recon.
Description: The Long Range Desert Patrol is a formation of scouts and skirmishers who, as the name suggests, specialise on operating in desert environments. Rather than engage enemy forces head-on, their mission profile consists of engaging in long-range reconnaissance operations, gathering intelligence and carrying out direct action operations. They often work together with other special forces units. Their expertise in navigating the desert can make them valuable to other informations, and so they often help special forces operators infiltrate or exfiltrate. For instance, they made guide a group of operators who want to infiltrate an enemy base to conduct a raid or assassination.
As one of its recruitments ads says, the unit is open for soldiers who can commit to a hard, strenuous life, where they can expect meagre food, little water and plenty of discomfort. The group seeks soldiers with determination, stamina and initiative. Unit size varies, as new recruits are brought in and veterans leave the unit due to death, transfer or retirement. But overall, it is a small unit organised into various squadrons called patrols. Each of these squadrons numbers between fiften and twenty soldiers.
Each patrol has a couple non-commissioned officers. These NCOs supply the technical expertise and are all veterans. Furthermore, each soldier has a specialisation, such as medicine, navigation, signalling, languages or communications. The Ghost Patrol does not have the manpower or firepower to prevail in pitched, front-line combat, but they make excellent irregular warfare specialists. However, their true calling is that of scouts. Their missions require a lot of mobility, so the Ghost Patrol makes use of a variety of vehicles, such as trucks, armoured personnel carriers and mobile speeders. However, sometimes they stray from that and conduct reconnaissance aboard durable animals that can serve as mounts. These are beasts that are well-adjusted to heat and have a lot of endurance. In a way, they can be likened to desert cavalry.
Like many special forces formations, the Ghost Patrol has a reputation for being somewhat lax when it comes to protocol. This is exaggerated, but not untrue. The unit wants professionals not cowboys, but there is little saluting in the unit and relations between officers and enlisted are more relaxed than in regular army units. This can lead to a bit of a culture clash if say an officer from the regulars is transferred to the unit or they have to work with them. The unit's emblem is a scorpion. It is claimed that an enlisted soldier designed the badge after a scorpion stung him. It is common for soldiers to wear a balaclava to shield themselves from the sand and grit. The motto of the unit is 'by guile, not strength'.
Many members of the unit are Qadiri. Ironically, quite a few have been recruited from the ranks of desert nomads who have clashed with Firemane in the past. These tribes has never been really subdued and thus retain a lot of autonomy from the 'sky people'. Firemane considers the Qadiri one of the 'martial races'. This categorisation is not free of racial stereotyping and gives the misleading impression that the 'sand elves' are a monolith rather than an extremely diverse race with a variety of cultures and customs.
They do have strong martial traditions though. Like many groups, Firemane has a habit of using native colonial troops to suppelement its regulars. However, it also allows the 'natives' to rise in rank and exercise command instead of always keeping them in subservient positions. Moreover, the methods of the Ghost Patrol are pretty close to how many Qadiri warriors are used to fighting. It is also beneficial that all Qadiri possess a form of internal compass, which is helpful for navigating the desert. It comes in handy when there is a sandstorm.
The unit does not limit recruitment to Qadiri. Various aliens who were well-adjusted to a strenuous life and extreme environments can be found here. An example would be Barabel. Moreover, the unit features a contingent of Tusken Raiders, also known as Sand People. It goes without saying that they are perfectly attuned to desert warfare. Moreover, they know sign language. Tusken are xenophobic and territorial, but keep their word and, contrary to the stereotype, are not savages who cannot be reasoned with.
Koyi Fortuna is the galaxy member who is there to oversee and provide direction to the commander. The Qadiri would chafe under what could be considered an equivalent of 'white officer' syndrome if a foreigner was put in charge, so the Twi'lek is there to advise and coordinate. She is the daughter of an engineer and grew up on Tatooine. There she was part of a group of frontier folk who later got recruited by Firemane. Koyi has a degree in engineering. While stationed on Tygara on leave, she explored the desert in a personal vehicle. She later wrote papers on the properties and motions of desert sand. She proposed the concept of the unit.
Koyi is an extremely curious woman with an interest in geology. As she puts it, curiosity is her main drive. As a child, she wanted to figure out how her toys were made, then when she was stationed in Tygara, with so many ancient and mysterious sites spread across the planet, she felt an urge to go and out all he could about them. She has a love for desert exploration and for the study of the process that led to the formation and spread of the desert dune system. She has a self-deprecating sense of humour and likes to say she would make a better scholar than a soldier, though she is formidable in both worlds.
Bahram Jal Zhengi is the Qadiri leader of the group. He is the second son of a Qadiri chieftain and signed up with the 'sky people' for the laurels and to what his people can do. He has strongly independent streak, something which characterises the whole unit. He is not big on spit and polish and uniforms or saluting, but a very tight-knit circle of honour and commitment to each other. The unit is a bit of an issue to handle for command, but delivers results. Plus any 'green thumbs', as they call non-desert folk who get assigned there, tend to end up transferring if they cannot fit in. It makes the Twi'lek a little remarkable as she's managed to earn their respect.
Nebit is a Jawa member of the group. He is a crafty mechanic who is good at keeping the unit's vehicles functional even under the most averse conditions. He is also very good with demolitions. He has an optimistic demeanour and is quite cheerful, as long as people do not mess with his tech. He is fond of cracking jokes, but cultural and linguistic barriers mean the other members rarely get it. It does not stop him trying though.
Yakza Zac is female Tusken Raider and one of the leading scouts. She seldom removes her mask and is rather taciturn, but competent and loyal. Her tribe sometimes traded with settlers to acquire guns and she has sought her fortune in the stars. She and Nebit have formed an unlikely friendship that arose during the shared of a shared struggle against the Hutts. She acts as a big sister figure of sorts to the Jawa. Koyi initially viewed her Tusken Raider tribe with deep suspicion due to the bad blood between them and many settlers, but this changed when they worked together against and she learned they were people with their own culture. Yakza is well-versed in sign language and has taught it to other Ghosts so that they can communicate nonverbally. She has bonded quite well with the Qadiri since while their species and language are different, their circumstances and methods are quite similar to those of the Tusken.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Rare
Unit Experience: Elite
Equipment:
Armour:
Rifles:
- SR-1 Shatter Rifle
- SR-2 Magnetic Repeater
- Model MGL-1
- DC-19 Stealth Carbine
- Outland Rifle with scope
- ACS-205 Blackblade Modular Rifle
- ACS-202 Vanquisher Light Repeating Blaster
- Last Whisper Suppressed Blaster
- A280 CFE Blaster
- Renegade Model 557
- Hold-out Bolter
- Sonic Stunner
- SSK-5 Icon Blaster Pistol
Attached Weapons:
Misc:
- Grappling Hooks
- Devastator Multi-Purpose Mine, Grenades, Detonation Pack.
- Survival Backpack, Electrobinoculars.
- ACS-301 YVH Probe Droids
- CD-X Cryptologic Key. Team leader may be equipped with a Enligtenment Stage 2 Communicator to stay in contact with another team, their superior or another special forces unit the Patrol is supporting.
Animal mounts:
Combat Function: The Ghost Patrol is a unit of scouts, raiders and pathfinders who operate in desert environments They carry out deep recon operations to spy on enemy troops and find new routes to traverse in the desert. This is also supposed to help allied special operations forces. Indeed, the members of the Patrol often act as guides, navigators and couriers, helping allied soldiers make their way through the desert. Aside from determining new routes, they also gather intelligence and survey the movements of enemy troops. In practice, this means that they will have to operate behind enemy lines and monitor enemy forces for a protracted period of time without being spotted.
This is called watching the road and is one of their most typical missions. It is usually carried out by two man patrols, who may be assigned to watch an area for up to twenty-four hours. They are very good at exploiting cover, even if it is just a desert scrub. A two-man patrol assigned to such a task sets up an observation post near the target area, with about a day's rations. Vehicles are painted to match the colour of the terrain or camouflaged.
Finally, the Ghost Patrol can carry out direct action operations to harass enemy troops. This can take the form of eliminating enemy scouts, setting up mine fields on roads and sometimes launching a small raid to say blow up a fuel depot or an enemy convoy. However, they are not the type to go in blasters blazing. For the most part, they focus on acting as a general's eyes and ears. Their focus is on long-range reconnaissance patrol, not on sneaking into enemy bases to plant explosives and take out high-value targets. There are other special forces units for that. However, the Ghost Patrol often facilitates raids like this by making sure the operators get to their targets and keeping them abreast of any surprises. When they are part of a larger raid, the Ghost Patrol's members will play a support role rather than being the main force. Aside from acting as scouts, they often provide the vehicles.
A few members of the Ghost Patrol are Force-Sensitive. However, they are a minority in the unit. A few of them are skilled in telekinesis, especially the manipulation of sand. Moreover, they are skilled in the use of various Force Sense abilities. Indeed, these adepts can use an equivalent to Theran Listening, which helps them spy on enemy troops, and Force tracking. Force Sustenance is also a power cultivated by them because it cuts down on their consumption of rations. Finally, some adepts can accelerate their healing or that of a comrade. Overall, these Force adepts are few in number and many of their powers are more about anticipating dangers, gathering information and support than performing extraordinary fears in combat. However, this also means that the Force is more of a supplement for their natural skills than the core of their skill set, which means they are not slavishly dependent on it.
Strengths:
- Fast, mobile and stealthy operators.
- Desert recon, navigation and raiding specialists.
- Lightly armed and armoured. Not equipped for pitched, front-line combat. They are scouts, not assault troops. Their vehicles are fast and good infantry shredders, but cannot stand up to tanks.
- Vulnerable to long range bombardment, air strikes and the like.
The Ghost Patrol has its roots in tribes of Tygaran nomads who live in the deep deserts called the Zenghi. They are based on a group of Qadiri who fought in the deserts and would paint their faces white before attacking at night. Called the 'Spectres of the Bleak Desert' they were a terror to their enemies in night raids. They even employed Force-Users who could manipulate fire and wind for added chaos. They have had to do away with raiding for slaves and plunder, which has been a significant cultural shift, but overall they have adapted quite well.
The Ghost Patrol came into being as part of a campaign against Qadiri rebels on Tygara. Siobhan falling into a coma after her fight with Darth Soteria had led to a period of instability. With the 'Skyqueen' out of commission, some Qadiri leaders sensed opportunity to throw off the velvet choker of foreign dominance and reassert their independence. They correctly believed their 'benevolent' overlord had been weakenened. Although they had not known of spaceflight until the coming of the 'sky people', the sand elves had adapted well and taken advantage of the new technology they had received through trade with the outsiders. Some Sepoy troops deserted to the rebellion.
When Firemane responded in full force, some bent the knee, but others fled into the deep desert to continue the struggle. There they allied with tribes who resented the intrusion of the humans. With their knowledge of the terrain, they had the home field advantage. Meanwhile, Firemane lacked dedicated desert troops. Regular line troops were inadequate and its many special purpose formations lacked the training for it.
This allowed the rebels to carry out lightning raids and then retreat into the deep desert. The solution was to recruit heavily among the nomadic tribes as well as non-humans well adapted to a desert environment. The newly constituted Ghost Patrol acquired a grim reputation, adapting the tactics of the raiders and using them against them. Equipped and led by Firemane, these native warriors were essentially auxiliaries and considered part of the Sepoys. Mobile and quick, they were free of the long baggage train that slowed down line formations.
They carried out raids, tracked enemy troop movements and guided allied troops through the desert. Their actions tied down enemy troops and their road watches provided Firemane with information. Often they were out of contact with command and had to operate independently for an extended period of time. The unit was disbanded after a long, gruelling counter-insurgency campaign. However, it was reconstituted and put on a more permanent, formalised footing when Firemane found itself fighting an Imperial warlord faction on a desert world on the far rim. The planet was desolate and would have been utterly uninteresting if it had not been rich in minerals. Firemane wanted to secure a mining concession, but found itself fighting battles far from home and with a limited supply basis.
In the words of one of its founders, the Ghost Patrol was reconstituted to commit 'acts of piracy on the high desert'. Using old Qadiri tactics, the group functioned as a reconnaissance and skirmishing unit. Sometimes they were dispatched to eliminate specific targets, such as assaulting convoys or fuel depots, but their primary role soon became one of deep reconnaissance. The Ghost Patrol was soon brought under the umbrella of Firemane's Special Warfare Command, which was responsible for supervising the various special operations forces.
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