Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Codify Elpsis' personal unit. As the unit has just been created ICly and is composed of trainees, it starts out pretty inexperienced, much like Elpsis is new to a command role. The intention is to have it grow with her.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Unit for Elpsis to lead into battle.
Permission: They can use Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers equipment due to Firemane gaining access to ARGH tech in this thread. Firemane obtained a supply contract that allows it to use Fire for Effect gear here. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. CD-X Cryptologic Key available for Firemane per this thread. Permission to use Tricks of the Trade submissions here.
Links: Adjudication, Rhea, After Darkness, Into Darkness, Communion, The Long Road, Annihilation of Csilla, Bastion Invasion, Ziost Invasion.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Inferno Platoon.
Affiliation: Champions of the Flame, Firemane Industries, Order of Fire, Young Flames, Elpsis, House Kerrigan-Alcori.
Classification: Force Infantry.
Description: Inferno Platoon is a new unit composed of Force-Sensitive warriors. It operates within the framework of the Order of Fire and Firemane's armed forces. The Order functions as Firemane's Force-using branch and is primarily a martial organisation. Inferno Platoon draws most of its members from the Young Flames, a sub-organisation of the Order of Fire. They are a paramilitary Force-Sensitive Group and cadet corps that provides training for Order of Fire recruits and young Force-Sensitives allied to Firemane. According to their holonet page, the Young Flames inspire young people to harness the power of the Force in a productive, team-orientated way and embrace their talents. This is supposed to turn them into productive citizens who have the skills to build their own future, and are able to harmonise individual ambitions with the good of the community. It is also preparation for a career in Firemane and the Order.
Following the Tephrike campaign, Elpsis has been put in charge of one of their training platoons. The members of the platoon are racially diverse and come from manifold walks of life. As a result, their experience and skill set varies. However, while they have been subjected to a harsh training programme, on the whole its members do not have a lot of field experience. Obviously the members of the unit have different motivations to be part of the group. Some want to pursue a career in the Order of Fire and become full-time employees of Firemane. Others are here as part of what might be considered an exchange programme.
These individuals belong to groups that are allied to Firemane and are spending some time with the group to learn new skills and provide services to the megacorp in return for aid it has rendered their people. These tend to be elves, but some of the recruits are Tephriki fugitives. A number of the latter have the goal of one day returning to their homeworld to fight its tyrannical rulers. Thus one can find humans, but also elves, Twi'leks, Nautolans and other aliens in the platoon's ranks. The core of Inferno Platoon is a squad whose members call themselves the Champions of the Flame. The name is self-bestowed, but has caught on. The self-proclaimed Champions have designed their own emblem in form of two crossed swords wreathed in flames.
Elpsis is the leader of Inferno Platoon. Indeed, the platoon derives its name from her affinity for all things fiery, as her pyromancy is bound to cause quite an inferno. Unsurprisingly, several members of the platoon have elemental fire abilities. Elpsis is battle-hardened and an extremely powerful pyromancer, but while she has a lot of field experience, she is new to command. A more experienced, older Sergeant has been assigned to assist the young Lieutenant and show her the ropes, so to speak. Her name is Lin Brakka, a Zabrak female who has served in Firemane's special forces units. Elpsis and her have some history, as Lin led a mission to steal a prototype plasma cannon from a corporation on Ession, prior to the Sith Empire's annexation of the planet. Elpsis participated in the operation and the two gained a mutual respect for one another. Lin ensures that the Lieutenant's orders are carried out, but also that they are feasible. Thus she is an important link between the enlisted and their commander and a rock for the latter to lean on.
She is assisted by Sergeant Vagt Bwi'kat, one of the squad leaders. He is a Bothan who thought blowing stuff up was more fun than being a spy or a scheming politician. He is a very tough disciplinarian of the nasty drill sergeant variety. Taeral Iarkian is an Eldorai male and another squad leader beneath Elpsis. He was one of the first males to apply for a top training academy in the Eldorai Matriarchy. He took them to court to overturn their sexist restrictions. Taeral graduated, but was soon forced out after being given a bad posting and facing constant harassment. When Kaeshana was evacuated, Taeral was one of the Forsaken, who had to stay behind on the ruined planet. He became a partisan against the First Order during and joined Firemane. He still does not like the royalists much.
Hazani Jai Bysara is the last team leader. Hazani is a gifted fire elementalist and the daughter of Sahali Jai Bysara, who was a hero to many Qadiri. Even in death, her mother casts a long shadow over her. Sahali led a coalition that opposed Firemane and their ally Semiramis. She was able to score several victories, but was betrayed and murdered by her allies after a battle they had pushed her into went ill. Disgusted by their actions, Siobhan executed the ringleader and sent the rest back to Sahali's loyal followers for punishment.
As part of the terms of the rather lenient peace treaty, Hazani becamea guest of House Kerrigan-Alcori. If you were feeling unkind, you would call her a hostage. Siobhan has treated her honourably but it is clear that she also intends to use her. However, the young Qadiri is an ambitious girl and determined to leave her own mark. Hazani believes that not all involved in her mother's betrayal have been brought to justice.
Elpsis expects the members of the crew to follow her instructions because she is the most experienced and battle-hardened. However, she is no martinet. Her leadership style is somewhere in between that of Kaida Taldir and Siobhan Kerrigan. Within certain bounds, she is willing to tolerate a degree of backtalk and take the time to explain her decisions. She has no tolerance for cowardice, looting, desertion or treason though. The same applies to unfair or abusive treatment of civilians. Elpsis' instincts are aggressive and offensively orientated, and this is reflected in the platoon's conduct on the battlefield. Suffice to say their nickname is quite appropriate. Furthermore, Elpsis is a strong opponent of the practice colloquially known as 'Paddy poking'. She regards it as not only extremely unprofessional, but as an abuse of power and thus refuses to indulge in it. This may also be because her adoptive mother Siobhan lacks these scruples. The two do not have the best of relationships, so Elpsis is eager to distinguish herself from the domineering matriarch. The young pyromancer is still adjusting to her leadership role. The fact that she is the adoptive daughter of Firemane's leader means she has to prove herself even more than a normal junior officer would.
The unit can operate independently, but functions as one of the platoons of the Lions of Gehenna, an infantry company named after the hellish world of Gehenna, where Firemane fought many battles against the Bando Gora. This means that Elpsis has superiors to answer to. She is responsible for the conduct of the Infernos and must ensure they are properly trained, equipped etc. As mentioned above, Inferno Platoon is almost entirely composed of Force-Sensitives. Aside from being taught the ways of the Force, its soldiers are also trained in martial abilities, marksmanship, demolitions and so on.
So far the Infernos have not received lightsabres. This is supposed to change in the future once they become more experienced, though even then many soldiers might prefer to stick with physical blades or just use guns. When soldiers are trained their instructors often give them heavier versions of the weapons they will be using. Thus the Infernos are trained to use Force Imbued Blades and Sarixi. A Sarix can deflect blaster bolts, but is less effective at doing so than a lightsabre. This teaches recruits to use common sense and not death charge into enemy blaster salvoes. Elpsis wields a single-bladed crossguard lightsabre, but her bladework is secondary to her Force abilities. Some soldiers have received training from Nyssa Vykaris. The Sith Pureblood is a capable duellist, but has a well-earned reputation for being a nasty drill sergeant. She is very proud of it. Nyssa was part of the rescue force that looked for Elpsis on Tephrike, and has been assigned to the unit. The two are friends, despite a rather rocky start that involved Nyssa fighting and trying to kill Elpsis. But what's a little attempted murder between friends?
Rhea, a Rattataki from Tephrike, has also joined. She was born in a collective farm in Dominion territory. Her parents were murdered by the Sith and after hiding in the wilderness, she was conscripted into a Dominion labour corps. She became a Jedi and was manipulated by the cruel Grand Inquisitor into becoming his servant. Abused and deceived, she was set free when Elpsis slew her master. Rhea is attached to Elpsis, but distrustful of Firemane. Her past experiences have left her with anger issues and strong hatred for Sith and Jedi. For now she travels with Elpsis and seeks to learn from her. But one day she wants to return to her homeworld to bring the oppressors to justice. Rhea is an aggressive fighter, using stealth to get close to the enemy so that she can unleash her full fury. She holds the rank of Corporal in the unit.
The most recent addition to the platoon is Diona. She is a former Jedi warrior of the totalitarian Dominion of Light. A clone, she was moulded from birth to serve the theocracy without question. She is dutiful soldier haunted by atrocities she committed during her homeworld's horrible civil war. Diona was the leader of the Inquisition team that captured Elpsis. In the camp, she was both tormentor and protector. Ultimately she turned on her masters and helped Elpsis escape. It remains to be seen whether she can be trusted and how her quest for atonement will play out. Her service in the platoon is part of her penance. Elpsis is under orders to shoot her if she steps out of line and turns traitor. She and Nyssa do not get on.
They are supposed to be Force soldiers, not space monks in robes, and thus wear armour, carry rifles, grenades and so on. By the same token, they are meant to integrate into the conventional military, work alongside regular soldiers and incorporate their Force techniques into the overall battle plan instead of death charging on their lonesome. This is particularly pertinent since the unit will often be deployed alongside the other platoons of its parent company, or other units. Thus discipline is emphasised over individual bravura. This is obviously something the soldiers are still learning. Several members of the unit already saw combat before being recruited, as many of them come from frontier worlds and grew up in harsh conditions. But with a few individual exceptions, the unit as a whole still lacks the experience of veterans.
Like the other formations of the Order of Fire, Inferno Platoon uses a dual rank system for its Force-users. Thus they have both a rank in the Order and in the army. They are expected to refer to themselves and their comrades using their army ranks though, as this makes everyone's place in the chain of command transparent. For instance, Elpsis would be addressed as Lieutenant, not Master or Mistress. Outside of the battlefield they wear Firemane uniforms with berets, as Order of Fire members only don robes on ceremonial occasions. Elpsis is known for hating robes. Joint training sessions with units of Non-Force-Users are common and more specialised Force-Users from other formations might be brought in to help the Infernos expand their repertoire or educate them about how to protect themselves against exotic techniques.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Trained
Equipment:
Armour:
- ACS-004 Olympian Battle Armor or ACS-004 Spectre Scout Armour. Commlink uses CD-X cryptologic key.
Sidearms:
- Shatter Pistol
- X7-B "Checkmate" Holdout Disruptor
- Cylix Bolt Pistol
- Last Whisper
- Vornskr Revolver
- Renegade Model 557
- Hold-out Bolter
- Uproar Blaster
- Reaper Plasma Shotgun
- MkI Bolter
- Magnetic Repeater
- ACS-205 Blackblade Modular Rifle.
- ACS-202 Vanquisher Light Repeating Blaster
- Shatter Rifle
- ACS-205 Advanced Dual Weapon System
- Lance Missile Launcher: Requires two-man crew; a gunner and a spotter/ammunition carrier.
- High Velocity Kinetic Shatter Boltgun
- Firedrake
- ACS-201 Executioner Slugthrower Carbine
- ACS-207 Aerosolblaster.
- ACS-207 Cryoban Gun
- ARGH Wrist Flamer
- Wrist Bolter
- ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer.
- APE Boltgun Ammunition
- ACS-301 YVH Probe Droids
- Grappling Gun
- Grenades, Detpacks. Devastator Multi-Purpose Mine. Firemane Force Suppression Devices.
- Yazgid IFV
- Bladesinger Combat Speeder
- Firedancer Landspeeder
- Bantha Class Armoured Transport
- They have access to two Ghoush transports for insertion into a combat zone. Alternatively they can use UT-65 Transports.
The platoon has access to Yazgid Infantry Fighting Vehicles, allowing it to function as a mechanised platoon 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.
Inferno Platoon is attached to a larger unit, the Lions of Gehenna Company. They are the company's fourth platoon. So they will often act in concert with their sister platoons, though they may be deployed independently. While the Force soldiers are mobile and well-equipped, this comes at a cost since they lack integrated heavy support. They are Force infantry, not bomber pilots, tank drivers or artillery operators. Thus they will require support in larger engagements. This is particularly pertinent since the unit is the size of an infantry platoon, and thus easily outnumbered in larger battles.
Typical Force powers used by members of the unit are Telekinesis and its sub-applications, Force Valour, physical enhancement and elemental Force abilities. Fire is the most common elemental power, but the platoon also has some terramancers, who can manipulate the earth. Both elements can produce very good combos. Several Infernos have varying levels of skill in Force healing. The Infernos are trained to incorporate their Force abilities into the overall battle plan. The benefits of using telekinesis to clear a path, perform crowd control or summon a protective barrier are obvious, but physical enhancement specialists can apply their talents to the benefit of the team. For instance, they can carry comm gear, demolitions, spare ammo packs, medical supplies, utilise the heavy weapons or remove obstacles. Someone who is good at using the Force to enhance their senses makes an optimal scout.
Strengths:
- Force soldiers. The Infernos have a repertoire of potent offensive and protective Force abilities, but are also trained as soldiers. This makes them quite versatile and allows for combined arms tactics that can give them an edge in combat.
- Bravery, skill and spirit are well-represented among the members of Inferno Platoon. The unit is fresh, but its members are motivated. They also have good gear and are very mobile.
- They are commandos above all and thus lack integrated heavy support and have only a few heavy weapons. Their toughest ground vehicle is an armoured troop transport. They lack artillery, bombers, tanks etc. They will need support forces in larger engagements.
- The unit is a single platoon, which means it is very small and easily outnumbered.
Inferno Platoon is a fairly young group, as they came into being shortly after the events of the Tephrike campaign. Thus their still brief history is closely tied to Elpsis. Firemane's Exploration Corps had set out on a mission to discover worlds that had been cut off from the rest of the Galaxy while it was being ravaged by the Gulag Virus. The goal was to find new trading partners, help them reconnect with the Galaxy and expand Firemane's influence. Tegaea Alcori, Firemane's founder, was in charge of the expedition. The crew of the Firemane exploration ship left the Arx with high hopes.
When Firemane came across Tephrike, they made first contact with the Dominion of Light, a totalitarian, Jedi-led theocracy that ruled most of the planet. While initial contact was hostile, the Dominion agreed to negotiate and seemed willing to pursue the path of accommodation. Unaware of just how bad things were on the planet, Firemane sent a delegation to the Dominion's capital. Elpsis secretly joined its security detail in defiance of her mother's orders, as she feared that she would be needed if things went south. At first all seemed to go well. Unfortunately, an extremist faction in the Dominion's government decided to sabotage the talks, viewing the outsiders as Sithspawn demons. The delegates were attacked by Dominion fanatics. Nearby Dominion soldiers, believing their people were under attack, joined in. Elpsis tried to pull off a rear guard action and ended up staying behind to cover the retreat. Though she fought valiantly, she was taken down by Dominion Inquisitors and imprisoned in a concentration camp.
There she was subjected to torture as well as brainwashing in order to mould her into one of their drones. She was eventually able to overcome her brainwashing and slay her tormentors, sparking a revolt that ended with the camp being put to the torch. In the meantime, Firemane had declared war on the Dominion and conducted a brief but intense campaign in the air and on the ground. To this end it allied with the Republican Guard, a rebel faction that opposed the Force theocracies. In the end a major Dominion fortress fell to their combined forces, the Jedi Temple was levelled and the Grandmaster of the Dominion was assassinated by his own Councillors. However, the Dominion reorganised under a new, saner government that vowed to continue the war effort. Unwilling to get bogged down in a war far from home and with an unwieldy ally, Firemane contended itself with having giving the enemy a bloody nose. It withdrew its forces after signing trade deals with the rebels, promising arms and medical supplies in return for resources, as the planet was rich in ores. The prisoners who had been rescued from the concentration camps left with the space people.
Elpsis had been saved, but the experience left her deeply scarred both mentally and physically. She was also a lot more goal-orientated and interested in pursuing leadership roles she had once eschewed. As part of her efforts to perform damage control, Siobhan commissioned a movie that extolled her daughter as a Firemane heroine, despite being privately critical of her. Elpsis really disliked the way she was being whitewashed, for the movie portrayed her in a purely heroic light. After being cleared for active duty again, she was put in command of one of the Young Flames' platoons, making her responsible for a mixed group of recruits. Some intended to pursue a career with Firemane, others were here for what amounted to an exchange programme. She enlisted her comrades Nyssa Vykaris, a Red Sith Warrior, and Natalie Dorne, a spy and terrorist from Ession, to help her set things up.
The platoon assembled on Arkas, a remote, tropical planet within the Firemane sphere of influence. There the recruits met their new leader and with the help of her companions she put them through a series of drills, including forced marches, live fire exercises and a mock battle with droids, where they were paired up and had to work together to overcome mechanical foes in melee and ranged combat. During the live fire exercise the students had to deal with stun traps that would be triggered if they lingered too long in an area, forcing them to move just as their targets did. Auto-turrets firing stun rounds and sonic projectors also harassed them.
Similar drills followed, as Elpsis sought to put the recruits through their paces and simultaneously earn their respect and get used to commanding. They were put through survival training on worlds such as Tygara and Terax. She was new at the job, but determined to succeed. She had seen the ugly side of the Galaxy and was determined to prepare them for the horrors of war. Many of the trainees came from rough backgrounds. Quite a few had grown up in poverty or slavery. A number of them came from pre-spaceflight civilisations such as the native cultures of Tygara, and this had to adjust to a very different world. This created avenues for bonding. Elpsis had gone through the school of hard knocks and did not share the prejudices some humans had when it came to the 'primitive' elves.
A squad-sized unit nicknamed the Champions of the Flame became the core of Inferno Platoon, consisting of some of its most notable members. This squad underwent its trial by fire during an operation on a former asteroid mining base at Kriselist, which had branched into building and supplying weapons for an Imperial remnant group. Due to the distance from Firemane's central headquarters, a full assault was not practical, but a small infiltration team was judged to be able to disrupt or destroy operations there. Firemane was interested in shutting them down because the Imperial remnant group was developing stolen Firemane technology, and was using enslaved Qadiri as workers. This made it important to secure or destroy all Firemane blueprints and prototypes as well as rescue the hostages.
The workers belonged to an independent Qadiri worldship, the Void Seeker, which was affiliated with the Stardriven. Hasana Jai Anhala, a Stardriven and Firemane officer, was given command of the operation. She and her Qadiri soldiers would free the slaves, while Elpsis' squad would hit the factory itself. The mission was complicated by the fact that the slavers had employed a cruel but effective technique to restrain their slaves. As was typical, they all had collars and had been told these contained explosives. However, the bomb was not in the collar. Instead the 'indentured assets' had sub-dermal implants and markers on the upper spine. This was a transmitter. At the press of a button, the slaves would be deprived of a neck. Fortunately, Elpsis' compatriots Natalie and Mara were able to design a device that would disrupt the signal.
Both teams infiltrated the asteroid base from two sides, using an old mining tunnel. The Firemane soldiers faced Imperial remnant stormtroopers, repurposed mining droids equipped with large drills and saws as well as a stompy war droid as large as an AT-ST. They also had to deal with the fact that it was their first mission as a unit and more than a few of them lacked experience fighting in the void. However, they were able to prevail through teamwork, coordination and last of all ferocity. With the exception of those believed to possess useful intel, none of the Imperials were spared.
As its first mission, Inferno Platoon as a whole saw action against a First Order remnant group that had gone rogue on the outer rim. To this end they worked together with a group of Resistance operatives. While the other squads were kept on standbye, the Champions and the Resistance team infiltrated a settlement by disguising themselves as mercenaries. What was believed to be a small group of Stormtroopers menacing local villagers turned out to be a large force, forcing the entire platoon into action. In order to gather intelligence, the Firemane soldiers pretended to want to work for the Imperial warlord.
As part of the ruse, Elpsis and her crew supported the Imperials' troops in a battle with the insurgents in the main town, while secretly undermining them. This required killing some rebels though, as they had to maintain cover, though they tried to minimise casualties by clandestinely sabotaging the Imperials. They were able to capture a rebel sniper and use him to make contact with his cormades. There was bad blood, but the two groups managed to join forces and take out an important First Order factory.
However, the factory had been the main reason for the imperialists to hold on to the place. The Ren in charge of operations deemed that the local warlord had failed to contain the insurgency and decided to make an example by bombing the city from orbit. When the entirety of Inferno Platoon as well as other Firemane and Resistance reinforcements had arrived in the system, they had to turn away, as they could not match the firepower he had at his disposal.
The team was able to escape. Since then Inferno Platoon has seen action on a variety of battlefields, including the second Battle of Bastion, for which the first squad was decorated by Firemane for its valour. At Ziost, the squad fought a horde of Sithspawn that had overrun a Galactic Alliance warship and was able to evacuate the few surviving crew members, though their Lieutenant was spaced during her fight with a dangerous Sithspawn and had to be recovered. The Champions also saw action during the apocalyptic Battle of Csilla. Endowed with these new experiences, the platoon is ready for future engagements.
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Approved!
