OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Shadow Knights.
Image Credit: Here. Image from Battlefront II.
Role: Tactical bomber squadron. Attempt to pierce the glass ceiling a bit.
Permissions: Permission for Alderaan Engineering stuff here. They can use Firemane equipment because I own the company.
Links: Kaida. Eldorai. Inspired by the historical Night Witches, but gender-inverted and renamed to account for the Eldorai's matriarchal culture, Shadow Knights (lore submission).
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Night Warlocks.
Affiliation: Court of the Shadows, Shadow Knights.
Classification: Combat Pilots.
Description: The Night Warlocks are squadron of Shadow Knight pilots. Their official name is the 588th Bomber Wing. Whether they are actually the 588th is another question. Like many rebel movements, the Shadows have a tendency of inflating their numbers a bit. One thing that distinguishes the unit is that it is composed solely of men. This is pertinent because the Eldorai are traditionally a matriarchal society, where women hold the power and men do menial jobs. Men were eventually allowed to join the military, but kept away from prestigious formations. However, many of the Eldorai's beliefs have been put into question by the calamities of the past two decades. They have had to endure invasion, exodus and the devastatation of their homeworld, to name the most important ones.
The Shadow Knights started as a group of rebels and exiles that tried to protect scattered communities on desolate Kaeshana following the planet's first devastation. Necessity rather than epiphany forced them to become more pragmatic. Sexism is still very much a thing, but most formations have been opened to men. Moreover, they are allowed to vote and run for public office in the Courts, the Council and even as Magister or Archon. It is a way for the Shadows to further distinguish themselves from 'reactionary' Eldorai factions. The majority of top jobs are still occupied by women though, and thus there is a glass ceiling. Conservative Eldorai continue to argue in favour of gender-segregated units, arguing that integration will cause disciplinary issues, men are too prone to emotion, and that women will feel compelled to protect them in combat. However, this has allowed the formation of the Night Warlocks.
Service guarantees citizenship in Shadow Knight society, and serving in the unit is quite prestigious. Using old, salvaged bombers, the Warlocks fly harassment bombing and precision bombing missions against their foes, such as pirates, rival Eldorai warlords, Archangel and eventually the First Order. Their craft are old and often acquired from the scrapyard, but they make it work. Being a group of hardened survivalists, they are used to making do with very little and getting the best out of their craft. Some of the Warlocks are motivated by patriotism, others a desire for revenge on those who wronged their people, others are happy about the better pay and security their job brings. The members of the squadron tend to be Forsaken. This is the name the Eldorai who were left behind on Kaeshana bestowed upon themselves, as in their view the Crown and Firemane had forsaken them.
Regardless of their motivation, they are veteran pilots. Though they have a support team, each pilot has skill in maintaining his craft. The award Hero of the Asurans has been bestowed upon several members of the unit. In a number of cases the decoration has been a posthumous one. This award entitles the recipient to a greater level of equality, such as priority housing and medical benefits. It also grants a pension with survivor benefits in the event of the death of the individual holding the title. Outside of their duties, the pilots will often socialise with each other.
In this day and age, the Shadows are a nomadic, spacefaring people. They usually travel beyond known hyperlanes, searching for a home in the remote corners of space and exploiting asteroids, gas giants and so on that they come across. Their society is centred on a nomad fleet, with most of their civilian population living on a worldship. This means they can only rely upon themselves. They lack the ships and manpower for protracted engagements, focusing on raids and rapid strikes instead. As a result, their fleet relies a lot on starfighters.
The Night Warlocks use their bombers to take the fight to enemy capital ships, acting in conjunction with starfighter squadrons, who protect them against enemy interceptors. They have also provided close air support during ground operations. They often work together with Banshee Squadron, a group of starfighter pilots and commandos. In terms of hierarchy, the Warlocks belong to the Court of War, the Shadow Knight body responsible for soldiers, pilots and other war related persons. The head of the Court, who bears the title of Magister, is indirectly elected by all the people the organisation is responsible for. They choose a group of electors, who in turn elect the Magister. In theory, the Night Warlocks are composed of three squadrons. Some of their sub-units may be below regulation strength though.
Kato Araro, the commander of the Warlocks, was an elector during the last election cycle after being injured in the line of duty. He is a Rationalist, the party of science and revolutionary progress. Kato originally left Kaeshana as a slave, but managed to free himself and achieved success as a freelance captain, explorer and prospector. He came across a stash of Y-Wing bombers adrift in deep space during one of these excursions. Wanting to do his part, he volunteered to form a bomber unit for the Shadow Knights. He holds the rank of Commander in the nomad 'fleet'.
Thalan Praeth is another prominent member. He is the former 'chauffeur' for a wealthy noblewoman. He flew her transport, but then when she bought ticket off planet she left behind the 'less regarded' staff. Thalan lost family due to her callousness, as they were stranded on Kaeshana when the asteroid impacted. He made his living during the exile flying transports and freighters, but when given the chance he got the hell off Kaeshana. Understandably, he hates nobles. Thalan was an early recruit to the unit and acts as second-in-command. He is reserved, and seen as cold by some, but tough.
Kasalan Tyade owned and ran a fishing boat in the remote coastal regions, fortunately a long way from the cataclysm. His community was not even considered for exodus as they 'lacked applicable resources', such as money. Afterwards he virtually created his own little enclave, using fishing to support them. He fought against the First Order, who took over his enclave, and joined the resistance, flying sorties against them. During a smuggling run he helped the smugglers by flying a ship when the pilot was killed. He got recruited and made his way to the Shadows.
Manas Veel is somewhat renowned for being the first male lecturer at one of the more conservative universities. He had to put up with a lot of sexism and chauvinism, but that just made him fight harder. His topic was actually engineering, and unlike others he elected to stay behind during the exodus so he could put his knowledge to use and help those who had been left behind. One of those areas of knowledge was piloting and so he departed Kaeshana with Firemane, but found their alliance with the Matriarchy distasteful, so he switched to the Shadows. Manas was more well-off than several of his peers in the squadron, but has earned the respect of the low class members because he stayed behind to help out when he could have easily departed with the exodus fleet and lived in comfort.
Harkan Aeral is a non-Forsaken, but only just. He left Kaeshana with his rich family in the exodus, but was so disgusted by the policy to prioritise the 'best, brightest and richest' that he went rogue, stealing one of their ships and deserting to the Shadows. The fact that he was given a place on the exodus fleet due to his background, while those without such privileges were less fortunate, has caused feelings of guilt, which he strives to make up for. Harkan has a good singing voice. This was seen as a useful trait to attract a potential wife and fulfil his duty to his house. These days he likes to sing Rise against Tyranny. His parents would disapprove. There is some tension between him and Thalan, who dislikes nobles on principle, though he has mellowed somewhat when it comes to Harkan. For his part, Harkan likes making jokes about snobbish nobles.
Nazaq'Shiza is a Xioquo and thus the token Tygaran member of the squadron. Xioquo society is, sadly, even more misandrist than traditionalist Eldorai one, and that says something. In the old days the Xioquo also practiced slavery. Shiza had the misfortune of being a slave. His mistress noticed his skill with machines, so he was used as a test pilot for the Xioquo's steam-powered gyrocopters. In those days they were accident-prone, which made it a good idea to use an expendable slave, and a maleling at that. However, he was not allowed to fly them in combat. Shiza was able to steal a plane during Firemane's assault on the Underealm and bomb some Xioquo. Firemane congratulated him, but he did not want to be part of the new order and went his own way, taking his gyrocopter with him. He tinkered with the engines of scrap starships and eventually found an offworlder who taught him how to pilot.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite.
Equipment:
Armour:
Starships:
Ranged Weapons:
- Magnetic Revolver
- Sonic Disruptor
- Verpine Shatter Gun
- A280-CFE
- Adjudicator
- E-11D Blaster Carbine
- MSD-32 Disruptor Pistol
- ELG-3A Blaster Pistol
- Renegade Heavy Blaster Pistol
- DC-15S Blaster Carbine
- Grenades
- Ghostwave Comlink
- Talon Vibrodagger
- Suicide Pill
- R2 Astromech Droids
- Anti-Emission Tracers for starships
The pilots are well-trained and experienced and have good coordination. One particularly useful feature of the Y-Wing is its ability to paralyse enemy craft with ion cannon fire without destroying them. This was unique at the time the fighter-bomber was introduced. This has long stopped being the case, but the Shadow Knights find it useful since they acquire many of their ships by stealing them or appropriating those of the enemy. The bomber model they use is several centuries old and thus dated by modern standards. However, they are very good pilots.
The pilots have access to R2 units, which act as co-pilots. This increases the efficiency of their craft. While their name implies that there is something supernatural about them, most of the Night Warlocks are Non-Force-Users. However, a select few are Force-Sensitive. Their powers tend to focus on improved reflexes, aim and accuracy. Using Force Reflex, they can effectively slow the world around them, heightening their reflexes and perceptions. Moreover, Force-Sensitive pilots have been taught how to create very realistic illusions to confuse, deceive and terrify foes.
Their primary role is as pilots, so the Warlocks are vulnerable on the ground. They wear light, stealthy armour that cannot withstand heavy attacks well, though it allows them to stay mobile. They are armed with personal defence weapons such as sidearms and carbines as well as a few grenades per pilot. If they find themselved behind enemy lines, their best bet is to hide, try to get in contact with allied forces and escape rather than engage in foolhardy action. They can defend themselves, but will obviously be easily overwhelmed by superior numbers and more heavily armoured foes. In short, they are pilots not assault troopers. However, they are good at sneaking and evading.
Strengths:
- Elite pilots.
- Y-Wings are tough and pack a heavy punch. They are very durable and ideal for cracking capital ships, but can also bomb ground targets. It can also perform in a starfighter role, though it is slower than a space superiority fighter.
- Vulnerable outside of their craft, as the pilots are only lightly armoured. Moreover, while well-equipped for pilots, they are limited to personal weapons and lack heavy support. Lacking heavy equipment such as missile launchers, squad support weapons and so on, they are not a good unit for pitched frontline combat or storming a fortified position or armoured vehicles. This ties in with their overall small size.
- Y-Wings are tough and have a lot of firepower, but are slow compared to space superiority fighters. The wing is best supported by starfighters and interceptors.
Though the Night Warlocks are a relatively new formation, their name refers back to an old unit formed several centuries ago during the crisis of the Kar'zun war. In that day and age, the Eldorai Matriarchy was on the brink. Exploiting the internal divisions of the Eldorai, the Kar'zun King Arz'alor had led his people on a campaign of conquest, seeking to end the centuries-long feud between the two species in favour of the Kar'zun Empire. The Kar'zun went from strength to strength, scoring several victories over the Eldorai. However, a reaction a rose in form of Ariane Saedaris, a brilliant Eldorai general. Seizing the throne, she preached a veritable crusade against the Kar'zun, bringing Ashiran zealotry to new heights.
With the situation dire, the Eldorai Matriarchy needed all hands on deck. Everything had to be dedicated to the war effort, so they conscripted even males to fight. This was controversial, as Eldorai society was traditionally matriarchal, much like many off-world societies were patriarchal. Thus men were second class citizens who did menial jobs. Men were initially not allowed to serve in combat roles. However, Faelyn Ravarora, the first Eldorai male to become a navigator, was able to successfully petition the Queen to obtain permission to form male combat units. This led to the formation of the 588th Bomber Regiment, a unit composed exclusively of male pilots. The 588th had to make do so with very primitive bombers. They lacked a hyperdrive, though that part was not really relevant since all the fighting took place on Kaeshana, and their armour was a joke.
However, the pilots were tenacious and made themselves a name as precise bombers. Their baptism by fire consisted of slowing the enemy advance by bombing river crossings, amidst withering flak fire. They distinguished themselves through daring night raids on Kar'zun supply lines and troops. Impressed by their valour, the Kar'zun started calling them the Night Warlocks. Their bombers were supposed to be used as training aircraft, not frontline craft, but they made it work. Some of the pilots were Force-Sensitive, having served in the Eldorai Sciiac Reserve Battalions before being recruited for the Night Warlocks. When the Eldorai forces went on the offensive, the Night Warlocks provided close air support. After the failure of Operation Ashira's Fury, they assisted in the breakthrough of an encircled Eldorai army group. They served with distinction during the final battle between Eldorai and Kar'zun, when the latter were broken. They participated in the Eldorai's follow-up operations, right up to the sack of the Kar'zun capital.
However, after the war they became inconvenient. The Matriarchy returned to normalcy and the idea of the unit was quickly shelved. Males should be subservient, after all. They were fit for the militia and garrison duty, but not true warriors. Thus the unit was disbanded and it eventually vanished from the history books. Flash forward several centuries, and the Eldorai found themselves in dire straits. In the meantime, the Matriarchy had opened up to the rest of the Galaxy and changed its form of government from totalitarian, theocratic monarchy to 'enlightened' despotism. However, then they learned that Kaeshana would be destroyed by a massive asteroid. With the help of Firemane and the Silver Sanctum Coalition, the Eldorai launched an exodus. Prior to collision, they were able to evacuate the vast majority of the Eldorai.
However, some had to be left behind. Most of them perished during the impact and the impact winter that followed. But some survived. They called themselves the Forsaken. Resources were scarce, gangs, warlords and cults vied for power in the land of ashes. The Shadow Knights, a group of Eldorai exiles, former soldiers of the crown and insurgents who had fought against it, were formed to wrest order from the chaos and protect the surviving Eldorai communities. Some of the Shadows had more progressive views on gender roles. Moreover, many old notions had to be abandoned to survive in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. This led to the rebirth of the Night Warlocks.
Kato Araro was an Eldorai male who had left Kaeshana as a slave, but managed to free himself. Having found himself in a Galaxy all but unknown to most Eldorai, he made a living as an explorer and prospector. In this capacity, he ended up finding a stash of Y-Wings bombers in deep space. The bombers had been meant for the Rebel Alliance of yore, but the Rebels had never come. The convoy had been damaged in an attack and jumped into hyperspace, but with their systems fried they could not call for help or move. They had moved on sublights until they gave out, but their cargo of Y-Wings had not been able to flying themselves, leading to the deaths of the crew. 800 years of drift had pushed it close enough to be detected by a routine sensor sweep. In space with no air they were still perfectly useable once the engines were repaired.
Kato was an activist who wanted to do his part to help his people. So he approached the Shadow Knight high command. There was resistance, of course. Indeed, some just wanted to take the Y-Wings from him. But he received permission from the Archon to set up a squadron that eventually grew into a wing. Thus the Night Warlocks were reborn. They recruited their members from among the Forsaken, as the Eldorai who had been left behind called themselves, as well as Eldorai exiles with military experience. The pilots were soon thrown into combat. Indeed, they had quickly man their bombers and protect them from an Aspirant attack, for the Ashiran reformists were at war with the Shadows. Eventually the two factions made an uneasy treaty, for pirate attacks and Archangel raids forced them to band together. The Night Warlocks battled the droid hordes of Archangel in the skies.
The HRDs at the head of the machine cult desired new processing material and saw the Eldorai as a convenient source. At first they infiltrated the local population, masquerading as fellow elves who wanted to help their people. However, their gifts came at a price. Hostilities broke out once the Eldorai wisened up, but Archangel had far greater firepower. During an Archangel assault on a settlement, the droids deployed a large battleship to rain down destruction after meeting stiff resistance. The Warlocks launched a daring assault to destroy the cruiser while evacuation took place. They were able to get through the enemy's defences and destroy the warship, but suffered severe casualties.
The Warlocks also participated in raids to obtain ships and supplies. Their ion cannons came in handy, as they could paralyse ships without destroying them. The Shadows' activities did not differ much from piracy, but the situation on Kaeshana was a desperate one. When the First Order came to Kaeshana to annex it and clashed with the forces of the Galactic Alliance and Firemane, the Shadows formed an uneasy alliance with the latter. The Night Warlocks were deployed in the Battle of Kaeshana, strafing ground targets and fighting in space. However, though the Alliance managed to secure control over both of Kaeshana's fortresses and occupy parts of the ruined capital, it was ultimately forced to retreat.
The Shadows staged an evacuation of their people with the help of Kaeshana, though some cells remained. The Warlocks continued fighting in the war between the Alliance and the First Order, even after they were dislodged from Kaeshana. Though attrition thinned their ranks, the squadron would win many accolades from the Shadows. With the Shadows establishing a nomad fleet to safeguard their people, the Night Warlocks also clashed with Archangel and Kraal raiders. In the aftermath of the First Order's demise at the hands of the Ssi-Ruuvi, they have started participating in raids and retaliatory strikes against Imperial warlords.
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