The Hunger awaits
Intent: To revamp the Personal Elite guards of House Nargath
Image Credit: Made with Bing AI
Role: The Valkan Guards exist with the sole duty of protecting and safeguarding the Noble House Nargath, Marquisate of Valkan and either Co-rulers of the Eriadu System or outright Rulers depending on the strength of the Marquisate opposite the Planetary Council and the other noble houses. The Valkan Guards protect both the central powerbase of the family and each direct line, main branch descendant of the house is given a detachment for their safety.
Links: Valkan Citadel
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Valkan Guard
Affiliation: The Marquis of House Nargath
Classification: Elite soldiers [expected to be top of their class in infantry duties, military strategy and logistics]
Description:
The Valkan guard can be described as a veteran to elite force, a legion of the most hardened and most dutiful warriors one could possibly find, keeping themselves to a code of conduct one would only find in the most elite troops of any given army. They are meant to be both physically and mentally strong, are given grueling training and rigorous education to understand the most complex military strategies, scouting and tracking techniques, mechanical and electronic basics with optional specialization and so forth.
They are traditionally adorned with a white, plated armor and generally have a preference for heavier weaponry. Their armor could, depending on their rank and the Nargath member they protect could be marked with a plethora of symbols usually in gold or silver, pauldrons with additional detailing and a headcrest.
They have Four ranks in total, being that of trainee, who will always wear pristine white armor and have to go through a training period which could last up to one year for direct recruits from academies and the N&Z security division to Three years for those that have come through other means. Above trainee, there is the legionary or legionair, who are the experienced rank and file, having fullfilled their training and now belong to the bulk of the legion. Then there are the Centurions, members of the Valkan Guard who have had long careers and have seen combat, these are the captains of the Guard, and it is from among these few Centurions that an Adjudicator is chosen to serve for a term of two years. The adjudicator is the one who runs the Valkan Guard in both logistical and operational sense and has command over all the guards aside from the Head of House Nargath and the Marquis of Valkan.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
The Valkan Guard is separated in five legions, each totalling at around four hundred legionnaires four of which are lead by a Centurion Maximus, with the elite core legion being lead by the Adjudicator who is the essential commander of the entire Valkan guard. Each legion is further divided in four Divisions with each ranging up to one hundred guards and each lead by a centurion. Each division is then further divided in Sqaudrons which may vary from time to time, but never range more than ten men in total, lead by a decenturion. Though in most cases various squadrons work together in unison as a Limes Squadra usually lead by the senior decenturion or the centurion of the entire division.
Unit Availability: Rare
The Valkan guard have a stringent training regimen and usually only employ the best in their fields of deployment. This somewhat curtails their numbers and refreshment rate, but they do have the advantage of being based upon one of the most military planets within the known galaxy, where military doctrine is a pride rather than a sin and thus allows for more access to able bodied men and women willing to serve.
Unit Experience: Veteran to Elite
Equipment:
- LHEA Mk II/N: standard Armor specifically made for the Valkan Guards
- Vibrostaff : Long handle, single blade, main melee weapon
- NZ CPA-ExM (Collapseable Plasma Axe) : Centurions only, main melee weapon
- NZ HLR 330 Main ranged weapon
- NZ/BP-45 Heavy Blaster Pistol 'Pistis' Secondary ranged weapon
- NZ RF-600 Rotary Blaster Canon Optional weaponry
- NZ M7-350MM Multipurpose Launcher Optional Weaponry
- Various Vehicles and ships:
Combat Function:
- By themselves: Though primarily functioning in the role as enforcers and protectors of House Nargath, the Valkan Guard functions as an elite division to the common Eriadu military complex in times of crisis, usually as the last line of defense for important assets and people. Though the majority of the Valkan guard are at the very least versed in both infantry and naval combat, there are some specialized members used for more covert tasks such as information gathering, reconnaissance, infiltration, etc.
- In conjunction with Eriadu Military: The Valkan guard acts as an elite division and last line of defense for the Eriadu military in times of crisis, though they will at all times prioritize the safety of House Nargath and the security of its assets above that of other houses or institutions on Eriadu. In times of peace, they generally outrank the military when it comes to House Nargath related issues, though even with House Nargath now essentially controlling the entire planetary system, they resort to letting the local authorities and the military handle all non-House Nargath related issues as per agreement between the Viceroy and the military|local authorities.
Strategems: Versatility is key when it comes to the strategies devised by the Valkan guard. They adapt to any situation at an uncanny rate, though may sometimes prove to be a bit impetuous. Their core strategies always pertain to the safety and security of their liege lord and his assets first and foremost. Under leadership of the Centurions, in crisis situations, the legions under commond of the centurions will be split up into detachments and battalions under command of temporary decurions, which are chosen among the best rank and file legionairs among the specific Centurions' legions. This temporary battlefield promotion allows for a more centralized chain of command without this centralization endangering the swiftness and adaptability of the Valkan Guards.
Body guard detachments operate within the ideology of knowing everything before taking action. If their target comes under fire or is on the move, the Valkan Guards will be mindful of their surroundings, preparing their schedule or their battle tactic with calm and calculated strategy, which generally yields a high success rate in neutralizing opposition even if it takes more time and may prolongue the danger and the threat. However, while they act calm and considerate most of the time, when in true battle, the Valkan Guards can be insanely ferocious, as it is their duty not just to protect, but also to project power. Their standing elevates the standing of the one they serve and as such, they can be found in the thick of battle without reserve. It is known that the Valkan guards' demeanor in combat greatly depends on their charge or asset.
Habits: The Valkan Guard has a separate wing within the massive Valkan citadel solely devoted to their own use. In here they have barracks, mess halls, training areas, learning auditoriums, conference rooms and even various forms of entertaintment and recreation which can be used and visited during off duty hours. There is even a chapel for those wishing to pray to their beliefs and it also functions for those who found somethingmore than companionship within their ranks. The wing also provides them with a central command center with state of the art communication with assets abroad to maintain a full watch on matters that concern their job and duties.
Extra Information: At all times will there be at least one division present when the leader of House Nargath is not planetside. The Valkan guard has the authority to commandeer ships and install their own divisions on board military vessels whenever they deem it necessary in order to protect their liege lord. Though such occasions are rare given the fact that the esteemed Testudo Fleet already flies under the House Nargath banner to signify its unique position within Eriadu's defense forces.
Strengths:
- Highly trained and versatile force: The Valkan guard is to be considered a top of the line combat force able to deal with almost if not simply all situations befalling them.
- High morale: Thanks to the fact that these men and women live and work side by side almost the entirety of their life after enlisting and passing the strict training regimen of the force, they are known to be hard to break in both body and mind, further strengthening their reputation on a galactic scale as true soldiers and proper warriors.
- Impetuous: The Valkan Guard at times may prove to be overzealous and as such discomfort their liege lord. At times they may also ignore conventional methods and overstep their jurisdiction when it comes to protecting their liege lord, not always with the best kind of backlash from either the public or their own liege lord they serve.
- Lack slicers within their ranks: Despite their best efforts, the Valkan guard can't show any true specialty in the field of electronic warfare and cyberprotection, relying mostly on outside sources for these jobs.
The Valkan guards see their origins in the history of Eriadu, the House of Nargath and in particular the teritory which had gone from a small outpost, to a kingdom to the Marquisate it is to this day. The Valkan Guard itself sees its origin in the standing, professional armies the old Valkan kingdom employed in the brutal wars of conquest on Eriadu, but when society changed and the kingdom turned into the later Marquisate of Valkan, standing armies began to pose a problem when a unified Eriadu was building up its own strength. Under the agreement of 1634 BBY, the House Nargath relinquished any and all standing army personel to the Eriaduan military, but managed to obtain the concession to run a private elite force for the sake of safeguarding the family's assets, homes and members.
Through the many centuries which followed the Valkan guard saw their numbers grow from a mere onehundred to a force over six thousand strong. Effectively showing how the House Nargath managed to circumvent the concession which the Eriadu Council had made to them. Alas around 182 bby the Valkan guards were curtailed when a dispute among the great noble houses lead to a civil war which lasted for naught but the span of a single year, at which point House Tarkin had seized power and curtailed the power of the rival houses by enforcing limitations upon the number of personal guards they were allowed to have, thus in effect ruining everything the House Nargath had worked so hard for. It is as such that the Valkan guard was reduced to a mere two hundred between 181 bby and 20 bby.
It was around the time that the renowned and revered Willhuf Tarkin became Governor of Eriadu that House Nargath managed to consolidate its power base by marrying with prominent members of the tarkin family and ensuring close family ties. This began the new era of gradual expansion for the Valkan Guard. Around 20 aby they yet again managed to reach around four thousand strong, but the subsequent collapse of the galactic empire saw their power and number again diminish as the Eriadu system was in disarray with the presence of various rival factions springing up out of the empire's remains.
Finally, around 200 aby, House Nargath managed to buy out all other house in Eriadu's greatest asset: the Eriadu Manufacturing shipyards and as generation after generation, the House's power, wealth and influence grew exponentially, so did the Valkan guard. Yet this time, the House had limited itself to a strict number of two thousand at all times, relying more on superior skill rather than number. So it came to be that at the present, the Valkan guard numbers up to two thousand permanent members, though it can boast double that number when counting in prospects and retired members in times of crisis.
In later years, the second great hyperspace war had further cemented the need for proper guard units in high society, allowing for House Nargath to significantly improve the quality of the Valkan Guards, but also to diversify their use and expand upon their duties. Where they used to be solely reponsible for the head of the House Nargath and the territory and assets the family had within their portfolio (bar the N&Z locations and assets which were under the jurisdiction of an internal division), they now also were given the duty of having at least one detachment of guards assigned to any and all members of House Nargath up to the third grade (cousins twice removed) as long as they were part of the main branch of the family.
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