Work In Progress Marauders of Io

[The Battalion]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To make an elite Sith Unit

• Image Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/chaosemperor971/art/Purge-Saber-Trooper-907209659
• https://www.deviantart.com/thescifiartisan/art/Sith-Loyalist-Imperium-Emblem-112121599
• Role: To serve as Elite Sith Warriors trained to specifically hunt and kill other Sith Warriors on the Orders of House Io's Upper Leadership
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: N/A

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Marauders of Io
• Affiliation: House Io
• Classification: Elite Unit of Sith Marauders trained by The Battalion
• Description: Marauders of Io are Force Sensitive Citizens of the House singled out for the strength of their Force Sensitivity and hatred of the Sith Empire of old. Their obsession with killing Sith they see as representatives of the empire that fell almost a decade previous has consumed them, creating beings with unusually prolonged and long lasting Force Rages that become stronger and stronger as a duel prolonged itself, making them extremely difficult to defeat and injure in close range combat, and extremely resistant to Telekinetic attacks reliant on the Dark Side as well as certain mental attacks. They favor triumph only with the Lightsaber and eschew Force Powers beyond the bare minimum needed to accomplish certain objectives barring very rare circumstances or to enhance their melee assaults and resistance to damage. They dawn Purge Trooper of Inquisition like Armor

Unit Symbol:

Motto: "For the Glory of the House, and the Dark Side!"

COMBAT INFORMATION: These warriors are rare, and The Battalion's cruel standards mean not many pass the trials required. A single Marauder is a brutal engine of destruction when unleashed on a battlefield, skilled enough to engage multiple Sith on their own terms, or leave a trail of Destruction through whole swarms of standard soldiers

• Unit Size: Semi-Unique (Small Group of three dozen at any time)
• Unit Availability: Rare
• Unit Experience: Veteran
• Equipment: [ If your unit possesses any specialty equipment (weapons, armor, combat tools, star fighters, landing ships, etc.) list them and provide links here. Check the table below for production level and affiliation of any Factory submissions based on the unit's size and availability- those that are inappropriate will need to be changed. The unit may use equipment of the listed production or higher production values, but not lower. ]

Melee:

Lightsabers

Armor:

Sith Armor (Alchemized)

• 
• Combat Function: They are sent to specifically eliminate enemy Sith Lords who stand in the House's way of achieving it's objectives. They go out of their way to reach them butchering any who would fight beside them or prove an obstacle, very rarely using anything other than a Lightsaber
• Force Abilities (Force User Units Only):

Force Rage (Grandmaster Level)
Force Choke (Grandmaster Level)
Kinetite (Knight to Master Level)
Breath Control (Master Level)
Force Speed (Knight Level)
Force Leap (Knight Level)
Telekinesis (Knight Level)
Force Resistance (Grandmaster Level)
Force Sense (Grandmaster Level)


Strengths:

• Duelists: These warriors are classically trained Sith Marauders, subjected to cruel, brutal training to weed out the weak (House Io citizens who join the academy these warriors are trained in sign a waiver approved by a judge that their life is potentially forfeit upon becoming a student of The Battalion's training course) and create powerful, unforgiving, but also cunning lightsaber duelists who can potentially punish almost any mistake a given opponent could make. These Warriors are trained in every style the Battalion herself uses (Though for obvious reasons, the Marauders themselves may only focus on one or two specific styles...very rarely will a single Marauder display mastery of all of them)

Given Styles used:

Form One (Relied on by Marauders in open battle)

Form 2 (Heavily studied by All Marauders. Most Marauders display at least knight level skill with this style)

Form 5 (All Marauders have at least Padawan level experience, for the sake of redirecting attacks like blaster bolts)

Djem So (The Style most heavily utilized by the true masters)

Form 7 (The second most heavily utilized style by Master Marauders)

Strong Style (Watch out if a Marauder displays knowledge of this technique; it is almost certain that they know and have mastered every other Lightsaber Technique taught by The Battalion. Often known to only one or two out of an elite unit)

• You wouldn't like me when I'm Angry: The Marauders are selected specifically from Force Sensitive Citizens victimized by the Sith Empire in the past. They are taught to enhance their hatred of Imperial Sith to extreme levels, and this manifests in the form of unusually intense and prolonged Force Rages that make them an absolute terror in battle, growing stronger and stronger the longer a battle goes on, making them potentially extremely difficult to defeat at close range or in a raw contest of saber skill. Seeing enemy Sith enrages them into a feedback loop that is potentially extremely difficult to disrupt. In the grip of these rages, a single Marauder can slaughter crowds and crowds of soldiers firing on them from every angle. Even full on Jedi Masters must utilize maximum caution, even if they are highly skilled in the Force...it often only take a single, relatively minor mistake in combat for the Marauder to turn the battle in their favor
• Why Won't You Die: Marauders are clad in fully alchemized Sith Armor, that provides exceptional protection from a variety of attacks, including lightsabers. Blasters are almost totally ineffective unless the bolt being fired is explosive. And they are greatly adept at defending themselves against nearly every offensive Force Power, via the use of Force Resistance (Marauders know this ability at Grandmaster level ALWAYS: It is the very first Force Power they are taught after Force Sense) making them particularly deadly to those who rely on the Force more than a Lightsaber

Weaknesses:

• Force Light: The one offensive Force Ability all Marauders display any real weakness too. Force Resistance can block a great deal of its damage but not all of it, and it's difficult for them to use Force Rage for a few minutes after exposure
• Soresu: Soresu users frustrate their fighting ability immensely and they are more prone to mistakes against true experts of the style. Even a Padawan Level practitioner can buy themselves some time using this style
• Myopia: Against an enemy Sith, their focus on crushing and defeating them is so great they often ignore potential threats for the sake of killing a Sith opponent quicker. Even Jedi do not elicit this level of hatred from an Io Marauder, and a Marauder may not feel the same level of passion fighting a Jedi as they do an enemy Sith. This has even led to Marauders ignoring a chance to kill Jedi in favor of killing a Sith, or even outright offering to let a Jedi or Light Side user outright escape them simply because in their eyes, a Jedi is not as big of a fish to fry as an imperial Sith. Their reliance solely on their lightsaber in combat is also a weakness, as they lack any ranged skill that does not involve use of the Force or their own bodies as weapons
• Double Bladed: Marauders almost exclusively use single bladed fighting. Staff or Jar Kai users may enjoy more success in combat against one, as the Marauder may get confused by the combat pattern. It should be noted that even these latter types of warriors should show extreme caution. Io Marauders are not stupid.
• Replacement Issues: Cultivating such skill takes a long time, and the organization if it suffers significant losses will be extremely difficult to build up again. Thus, Marauders are employed sparingly, for only the most critical operations

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

House Io's most common form of refugee citizen are those who have suffered at the hands of other factions. These particular citizens are screened for Force Sensitivity, hatred towards Imperial Sith, AND emotional volatility, with people who match the House's criteria being approached by a member of The Cult of The Brain Demon and offered the chance to be given classical Sith Marauder Training from no less than The Battalion herself. Citizens are made fully aware of the risks, and are free to reject the offer without Ill will from the Cult or The Matriarch, but those who accept must obtain a legal waiver from a House Judge, and they are informed before signing it, their lives are potentially forfeit. Those who sign are whisked away to House Io's hidden capital planet of Khemost, and subjected to brutal standards by the Battalion over long, daily training that often doubles as outright physical and psychological torture that pushes their bodies and sanity to the limits. In competition against dozens of other candidates over the course of months who they are required to triumph in open combat against, slaying them to earn the Battalion's approval. Subterfuge to kill a rival is forbidden: Only death in open combat by lightsaber is acceptable.

Those who survive the Battalion's cruel training emerge as Dark Side Warriors of terrifying skill and strength, with a laser like hatred of all Imperial Sith they come across, but otherwise eagerly killing any enemy the Battalion points her finger at....