NPCs by Sio

[Karrigan'Xalda]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"], [member="Laira Darkhold"], [member="Nima Tann"]


Some broad ideas for units:


1. Firemane:

Disciples of the Stone: A unit of Kar'zun sappers/engineers. Kar'zun are big, intelligent golems, so they ought to have an affinity for this. Obviously don't like Eldorai, what with the elves committing genocide against their ancestors and all that.


Maybe a Kar'zun mercenary company Sio coopted? Or maybe joined her because she ensured that the Kar'zun were not left behind on Kaeshana during the exodus. I figure Sio has given the Kar'zun ships and tech so that they can seek their own fortune in the stars without being trampled on by the Eldorai. Think they should have managed to increase their numbers again.


Either way, they excel at demolitions, breaching fortifications, laying or clearing mine fields, preparing field defences, performing repairs, construction etc. Not very mobile though since Kar'zun are big and slow. Committed to their work, follow the typical Kar'zun honour code. Kar'zun strength also makes them useful in melee. Less heavily armed than the Granite Guard since they're combat engineers, not assault troops. Ideal support unit.


Blades of the Blessed Dread:

More cray-crazy Xio zealots. Cult of assassins who used to serve the old régime. Believe that the universe is defined by pain, fear and struggle and that one achieves enlightenment through this.


They swore allegiance to Sio after she cast down the false goddess Mystra, proving that she was stronger. The fear she inspired caused them to admire her. Now they commit acts of fear and death in her name to become like her. See her as a mistress of fear and spread her 'gift' to her enemies.


Very small unit. Force-users who specialise in stealth, poisons and fear-inducing powers and ice/water powers. Have vibrodaggers, monofilament garrottes, shatter pistols, poison dart launchers, maybe also disruptors and Berserk. Loosely associated with Xalda's cult...but extreme even by their standards, which says something.


2. Vaena:

Lions of Dahomey:

Unit composed of Dahomian mercenaries. Specialise in fast attacks, getting in, hitting the enemy hard and getting out. Maybe an air cavalry type unit. Not good for slug fests, but mobile and hard hitting.


Their commander is called Serenity. Naturally she is not serene at all. Likes drinking, fighting, showing off and money. Group could have been founded some time after Dahomey was liberated from the slavers by Sio/Tegs.


Maybe worked with OP and the local government for a while, then went independent. Maybe the hard core of the group was composed of Dahomian resistance fighters. Extremely ruthless when dealing with slavers.


Hired by Vae to give her some muscle and help train her mooks. Maybe recommended to her by one of her Dahomian buddies from the non-PG-13 club she belongs to. It helps that she likes black. She's probably sleeping with some of them.


Ashiran/Valoran zealots: House Cadalthor is an extremely traditionalist house and while Vae is less reactionary than most of her relatives, she is still conservative and very religious.


So some type of unit composed of extremely devout believers would make sense for her. Maybe accompanied into battle by clerics. But what would their name and history be and what purpose should they serve?


3. Shadow Knights:

Banshee Squadron:

A starfighter squadron whose pilots have had their essence transferred into soul stones. Due to their piloting skills, they were enteched so that they can continue serving in death. Their experience and ability to directly interface with their starfighters makes them excellent pilots.


Could be the first wave of Shadow experiments with the spirit stones. Maybe have them be pilots who were orphans or who lost their loved ones in the cataclysm. Others could be revolutionary veterans too valuable to lose. They were lost in the big battle with AA, and were afterwards downloaded to the spirit stones.


This is obviously morally problematic, but the Shadows are more interested in survival than tender moral questions. To the Eldorai survivalists the Banshees are heroes.


4. Enyo:

Creeping Shadows:

A droid infiltration unit that takes advantage of the fact that unlike organics droids do not need to breathe, eat, move etc. Composed of IG-88s. Strong, agile droids. Small units of professional droid killing machines.


Use portable drills to dig underneath or board space stations/starships (employ space walking, in addition to boarding vessels). Armed with anti-personnel weapons such as vibrodaggers, blasters, shatterguns, poison dart launchers, flamethrowers and demolitions. Not equipped for sustained engagements, but ideal for surprise attacks and assassinations.


5. Tephrike:

Technically I could sub some Republican Guard and Dominion units. Undecided.

Rebellious prisoners in the concentration camp may also join Elpsis.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Karrigan'Xalda"]
I feel like setting up a Kar'zun colony somewhere rocky.

Regardless, I think for Vaena you could have some battle clerics who can heal. Alternatively they can wear heavy armour and try to get in close to the enemy with melee and close combat weapons. Either way could call them the 'Excoriators'

Good ideas.

 

[Karrigan'Xalda]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

I feel like setting up a Kar'zun colony somewhere rocky.

Sio can sponsor it. Maybe it's one of the conditions they have in return for providing her with soldiers.

Regardless, I think for Vaena you could have some battle clerics who can heal. Alternatively they can wear heavy armour and try to get in close to the enemy with melee and close combat weapons. Either way could call them the 'Excoriators'

Cool ideas. What could their history be and how would they have ended up in her service?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Karrigan'Xalda"]
We haven't mentioned the Kar'zun in 4 of a kind - I think they can have their own meeting (off screen or on depending) about them finding somewhere else to go and building a new utopia. And yes, they will provide warriors and resources in return for initial investment and tech.

I think they could be a neglected arm of the Ashiran church, fanatical clerics put back in the box after the Kar'zun were defeated...but now reactivated.

 

[Karrigan'Xalda]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


1. Works. Way I've been writing it, the Kar'zun had a nomad fleet of their own. The Granite Guards sent money back to their kin. So Sio can provide them with resources and capital. Frankly, they're a better investment than most elves.


2. Oh, that could work. Could have been created during the Time of Troubles. How would they have ended up in Vae's service then? And what should their element, if they have one, be?


3. In which order should I write the unit subs...

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Karrigan'Xalda"]
Agreed, will be a fun project for me.

Could have been a hereditary Cadalthor unit, or they might have gravitated to her because she was the only orthodox noble left who wasn't a nutter...though they're probably nuts in a different way.

Go Kar'zun first.

 

[Karrigan'Xalda]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

1. Sio's Kar'zun bodyguard could help facilitate contact.


2. OK.


Got suggestions for the history of the Disciples of Stone (the Kar'zun combat engineers/sappers)?


And an idea for their leader? Name, basic characterisation.


Steng's Talons

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Karrigan'Xalda"]

Zik'zarka
Quite old, son of a clan chief forced to submit in the war with the Eldorai. Has a long standing but very patient resentment of the Eldorai. Will not willingly work with them, and will not obey orders from them.

I'd say the Disciples would have been a group in existence for centuries. Perhaps they were at one stage a military force, but in the time of submission they could have fulfilled a role as civil engineers.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Laira Darkhold"], [member="Valiens Nantaris"]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Expand on the Republican Guard by giving it some flavour. Sub a unit for Mezha. This is a resubmission of an already approved unit.
• Image Credit: Here.
• Role: Partisans, Force hunters.
• Links: Tephrike, Into Darkness.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Viper Company, 14th Liberation Battalion.
• Affiliation: Republican Guard, Mezha Krazhmir.
• Classification: Infantry.

Equipment: OOCly they have access to Firemane equipment because I write the IC Owner of the Company, Siobhan Kerrigan. ICly Firemane has been equipping select units of the Republican Guard in order to utilise them as a proxy force in the Tephriki Civil War.

Armour:

• Cloak of Nuun or Storm Commando armour
• Villip with Oggzill attachment.

Melee Weapons:

• Talons.
• Tsaisi or Amphistaff.
• Garrote
• Talon Vibrodagger.
• Fire Spitter.

Rifles:

• MK2 Boltgun (with APE rounds).
• Verpine Sniper Rifle.
• FC-1 Flechette Launcher.
• MGL-1.
• Dart Gun (variable chemical payload).
• Outland Rifle.
• Thud bug launcher.
• Chitin carbine.
• Magnetic Repeater.

Support Weapons:

• PLX-1 (Rare)
• CSPL-12.
• Flame projector.

Sidearms:

• Cylix Bolt Pistol
• Verpine Shattergun.
• Adjudicator.
• Hard-sound gun.

Misc:

• Monofilament wire and net.
• Cyanide suicide pills.
• No-show.
• MM9.
• IEDs.
• Grappling gun.
• Spy Bugs.
• Vong projectile biots such as thud, blast, snap and razor bugs. Blorah jelly.

Explosives:

• FEX-M3
• Dioxis Grenade
• Frag Grenade
• Sonic Imploder
• Smoke Grenade
• 52-R high-yield thermite explosive
• Sapper Charge

Description: Viper Company is a force of experienced and, when the situation demands it, rather ruthless partisans in the service of the Republican Guard. One key characteristic of the unit is that every member is Force Dead. This makes practical sense because the Guard faces many Force-using enemies on Tephrike.


Viper Company is led by Mezha Krazhmir, a Yuuzhan Vong soldier. Mezha grew up in a Tephrik village that was conquered by the Disciples of the Vader, a fanatical Sith cult that worshipped Darth Vader as a Dark God, when she was very young. Forced to flee, she grew up in a refugee camp until pro-Dominion of Light militias carried out a massacre. She was handed over to the Jedi-led Dominion and subjected to experiments meant to discern what made her species tick. Radicalised by these experiences, she joined a partisan group affiliated with the Republican Guard after managing to escape. She eventually rose to become the commander of Viper Company after serving with them in many fights in which she proved her bravery, cool head and leadership skills.


Mezha has her own brand of justice that she tries to uphold, though she has a very ruthless streak in her personality. She has a strong sense of camaraderie with her comrades and encourages initiative. Her second in command is a Twi'lek female called Synthia, a descendant of former Sith slaves.


The unit is very dedicated to the principles of the Republican Guard. It is also strongly influenced by Vong traditions. This is no surprise since the unit was founded by Vong resistance fighters. It should be noted that the Tephriki Vong have deviated from the beliefs of their ancestors in many ways. For one, they are not technophobic. At the same time, they have thoroughly whitewashed their forebears' genocidal past. According to the beliefs of the Guard, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy to set it free from the manipulations of Jedi and Sith. A good number are refugees who fled from the iron grip of warlords or the Force theocracies to join the underground. Worship of the Yun'o is not uncommon. The Yuuzhan Vong language is often used as code.


While Vong are a prominent part of the Company, it is not limited to them. Members of other species are allowed to join if they possess the skill and dedication. However, non-Vong must undergo a painful - and very risky - process to become Force Dead. Not all make it, and so the unit only accepts volunteers who understand what they are signing up for. The Vipers include escaped slaves from Sith territory, former clone troopers who deserted from the Dominion's 'Grand Army' as well as veteran soldiers from the Republican Guard. This makes them very motivated fighters.


The group operates as a unit of special purpose operators, filling the role of a strike team and direct action force. While the official unit strength is that of an infantry company, its actual size tends to lie between a company and a platoon. Like many insurgencies, the Republican Guard likes to inflate its numbers a bit. They are also well-versed in carrying out what many outside observers might label as terrorist attacks. Such things are normal on Tephrike. The Vipers justify their actions by arguing that both the Dominion and the Vaderites are totalitarian hellholes where Force-Users trample on the rights of the common people. By contrast, the Republican Guard seeks to end the tyranny of Force-Users and create an egalitarian society.

COMBAT INFORMATION:

• Unit Size: Medium
• Unit Availability: Unique
• Unit Experience: Elite.

Combat Function:

Viper Company is composed of highly skilled, experienced partisans and Force hunters. They excel at raids, ambushes, hunting Force-Users and what some would call terrorist attacks. The members of Viper Company have a knack for stealth, being adept at blending into their environment. This is particularly apparent in jungle warfare. They are very skilled at setting traps, striking unexpectedly and then vanishing. Resources are scarce, so their training emphasises disciplined marksmanship over blazing away. They are often deployed ahead of more conventional forces to scout out enemy lines, set up an overwatch position and eliminate high-value targets, especially Force-Users. Once battle is joined, they will provide support for regular troops.


The unit is multiracial, with a strong Yuuzhan Vong continent. The members of the unit are trained to hunt and eliminate Force-Users, especially by sniping or ambushing them. All members of the unit, whether Vong or not, are Force Dead. This makes them a potent instrument against Force-Users, as they cannot be sensed in the Force or affected by most direct Force powers. Even a normally powerful telekinetic blast that is capable of launching an ordinary opponent off their feet at high speeds simply causes a Yuuzhan Vong either to stumble, or lose balance temporarily. Attempts to use the Force to predict their next course of actions are likewise futile. This is particularly pertinent since the two main opponents of the Republican Guard are the Jedi-led Dominion of Light and the Disciples of the Vader, a Sith cult. However, indirect attacks, such as chucking a boulder, obviously still work against them. Likewise, for unknown reasons Force Lightning and Force Net can be used against Force Dead beings. Another technique employed by Jedi during the Yuuzhan Vong War was to control the air in an attempt to increase the air pressure in order to, in effect, crush a Vong.


Viper Company is a commando unit and thus suffers in confrontations with entrenched fortifications and heavy armour formations such as tanks, heavy walkers and so on. Heavy weapons are only available in small numbers. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to air and artillery strikes, hence their focus on stealth and subversion. At best they might have portable missile launchers to defend themselves against aerial attacks. However, this is pretty variable and requires the aircraft in question to be close enough. Moreover, they only have a few available. The unit is also very small, which is an issue if they find themselves penned down by numerically superior enemy forces.


They forego heavy, tanky armour for more lightweight suits that give them mobility and help them remain undetected. This obviously leaves them more vulnerable to heavy attacks if detected, especially in protracted fights. Due to the nature of their mission and the fact that they often operate for an extended period behind enemy lines without access to a supply train, they often only carry limited amount of ammunition. While effective, their weapons also tend to be a bit dated because Tephrike has been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for a long time. Most of their firearms are slugthrowers or Vong technology. Due to their skills, Firemane has equipped them with more modern weapons such as bolters, but they are dependent on the corporation for ammunition etc.

Strengths:

• Stealthy light infantry unit whose members excel at raids, ambushes and especially hunting Force-Users. Highly mobile and motivated.
• All members of Viper Company are Force Dead.
• Cloaks of Nuun enhance their stealthiness, allowing them to blend in with their environment.

Weaknesses:

• Cloaks of Nuun do not grant true invisibility and are inferior to personal cloaking devices. Detection is still possible, such as through infrared.
• Being light infantry, they suffer in confrontations with entrenched fortifications and heavy armour formations. Heavy weapons are only available in small number. Their armour is light. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to aerial and artillery strikes. Require support in pitched combat.
• Being Force Dead does not translate to Force immunity. All the Force powers that work against Vong and other Force Dead beings work against them. Examples would be Force Lightning, Force Net and obviously indirect attacks, such as chucking a boulder.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

For many centuries, Tephrike has been a war-torn hellhole. The outbreak of the Gulag Virus caused the planet to spiral into chaos. The planet entered a long period of technological regression and isolation. Warlords, gangs, cults and remnants of Tephrike's old parliamentary government vied for power. The Jedi enclave sought to restore order, only to succumb to the very evil they sought to oppose while believing that they served the Light. They were opposed by the slavocratic, human supremacist Disciples of the Vader, a Sith cult, and the Republican Guard. Unlike many of the dominant factions, the Guard was controlled by Non-Force-Users. In fact, it positioned itself as the champion of the common people, regarding Force-Users as their enemy. In the eyes of the Guard, their powers were a sickness. True freedom could only reign after the Force cults had been overthrown. The struggle would be arduous, but sometimes freedom was never free. Sometimes the tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants.


Lacking a strong manufacturing basis and numbers, the Guard conducted a guerilla war against its opponents, striking from hidden bases in the jungle and beneath the ocean. They were backed by various alien races that had been marginalised by the new order, such as the Yuuzhan Vong, who faced persecution. Their Force Dead qualities made them particularly prized as warriors. Partisan units were established to strike at the Dominion and the Sith warlord states from the inside, performing sabotage, raids and terror attacks.


They would be directed by the Central Staff of the Partisan Movement, which maintained territorial commands to coordinate partisan activity and answered to the Republican Guard's military junta, which governs the liberated territories. Living off the land, these units learned to be self-sufficient, tough and ruthless. Blending in amongst the local populace, these underground movements would subvert the organs of Jedi and Sith control, until the day would come when the Guard could overthrow them and usher in a unitary, secular republic of Non-Force-Users by Non-Force-Users for Non-Force-Users. That has been the goal for a long time at any rate. Viper Company is one of the many units that have been established to this end.


Viper Company has its units in a group of Yuuzhan Vong partisans who resisted the attempts of the Disciples of the Vader, a Tephriki Sith cult, to exterminate their people. Baanu Rass, a Vong settlement named after one of the oldest Yuuzhan Vong worldships to survive the trek from their galaxy to the known Galaxy, was razed by the Sith at the behest of Darth Oppress, an apprentice of the Dark Master of the cult. Oppress was a particularly vicious Sith. After the settlement had been sacked, prisoners were rounded up and massacred. However, a few survived the mass killings. Retreating into the wilderness, they swore to avenge their murdered kin. Thus they fought their own war as partisans, becoming adept at hunting and eliminating Force-Users. Darth Oppress himself was ultimately assassinated by them when they ambushed him with land mines and snipers. In time, the partisans entered an alliance with the Republican Guard, a resistance movement that had been formed to resist the Force theocracies that laid claim to Tephrike. Like many of their fellow Yuuzhan Vong, the vengeful guerillas joined the Guard. They distinguished themselves in many fights, focusing on terror attacks, assassinations and targeted strikes against Force-Users from both the fundamentalist Jedi-led Dominion and the Sith. It achieved renown for infiltrating and blowing up a Jedi academy.


As the older generation died off or was moved to other positions in the command apparatus, the newly christened Viper Company opened its ranks for new recruits. For obvious reasons there was a preference for Vong, especially those who had lost people to the Force cultists. However, the unit eventually allowed members of other races to join it. This was in keeping with the egalitarian beliefs of the multispecies Guard. But while the unit opened its ranks to Nautolans, Twi'leks, Quarren, humans and other races, it expected all its members to be Force Dead, regardless of race. Those who were not Vong would have to submit to a complex – and dangerous – procedure involving the application of Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology. Not all those who submitted to the process survived, which was why the unit would only accept volunteers. Despite the risks, the unit's reputation and actions would ensure that it did not lack for recruits.


Needless to say the members had to go through an extremely rigorous, gruelling training programme. Among other things, it involved endurance, jungle survival courses, the embrace of pain, hand-to-hand combat, demolitions and marksmanship training. Every member of the unit carries a cyanide suicide pill, which is to be used in case of capture. The Republican Guard is a secular group, but supports freedom of religion, provided the faith in question does not promote discord or Force use. Due to the strong Vong influence, some members of the unit believe in the Vong deities. Here it should be noted that the faith of the Tephriki Vong has diverged from that of their ancestors, who invaded the Galaxy centuries ago, in a number of ways.


Mezha Krahzmir, a Yuuzhan Vong refugee who had escaped from a Dominion prison camp, eventually ended up joining the unit after proving her worth among Republican Guard-backed partisans in enemy-held territory. Over time she rose to become Viper Company's commander. The unit played a prominent role in the so-called Hundred Days' Offensive. This was a military operation conducted by the Guard against the Dominion, which had been weakened by the Netherworld Event, as the Force was thrown out of balance. Deployed deep inside Dominion territory and working alongside local partisans, Viper Company did its part to throw Dominion forces into disarray.


A number of prominent members of the Windian Jedi Order were assassinated by the rebels. The unit also performed bombings, sabotage and attacks on Jedi installations. This involved utilising improvised explosive devices in civilian locations to target Jedi or alleged sympathisers, aiding in unleashing chemical weapons on enemy troops or Jedi strongholds, and helping disable factories that supported the Dominion war machine. One of their most prominent victims was a Jedi Council member. However, the Dominion fought back, applying a scorched earth policy. Eventually the Republican Guard offensive petered out and Viper Company was forced to retreat to escape the wroth of the Dominion. Vanishing into the wilderness, the partisans continued their war against the theocracies. When, after centuries of isolation from the rest of the Galaxy, foreigners arrived in Tephrike's orbit, the Republican Guard took note.


It soon transpired that the outsiders belonged to a group called Firemane. At first they attempted to negotiate with the Dominion, but soon open warfare broke out when an extremist faction in the Dominion attacked the Firemane negotiators. Some Firemane-allied pilots, led by Laira Darkhold, were shot down. Pursued by Dominion militia, they had to seek refuge in the wilderness. Viper Company operatives and normal irregulars, led by Mezha, followed the outsiders. When the pilots were being swarmed by Dominion militia, the rebels came to their aid. Ultimately this led to Firemane and the Republican Guard entering an uneasy alliance. It helped that Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, the adoptive daughter of Firemane's boss, had been captured by the Dominion.


The Guard shared intelligence on Dominion forces and strongholds with the outsiders. In return, Firemane provided them with food and medical supplies. Eventually it decided to equip select rebel units, such as Viper Company, with some more advanced weapons. Viper Company played an important role in the battle for Fortress Purity, a joint assault on a major Dominion base and a key breastwork on the road to Nexus City, capital of the Jedi theocracy. The Republican Guard had tried to take the fortress in the past, but always been repulsed. Viper Company had suffered heavy casualties in the assault during the Hundred Days Offensive. Thus the mission was personal for them.


Here, the Vipers faced one of their hardest fights. Per the battle plan, the Guard would provide the bulk of the manpower. Firemane would support them with small elite groups of special forces operators and shock troops, air and artillery strikes. There was strong distrust on both sides, as each expected betrayal from the other party. This mind set extended to Viper Company, as the partisans were suspicious of their allies. Nonetheless, this was their chance to deal a serious blow to the Dominion.


Taking advantage of the intense bombardment Firemane subjected the fortress to, the Vipers used a secret tunnel to get close to the Dominion positions and bypass their first line of defence. Their infiltration was a success. However, the Dominion was determined to make the invaders bleed for every inch of ground they seized. Kamikaze fighters attacked the Firemane transports and bombers. Intense fighting raged across the forest. Moreover, the Dominion activated a weather control machine, gravely weakening Firemane's ability to carry out air strikes or land troops in the combat zone.


Viper Company was about to eliminate Dominion emplacements when suddenly power armoured soldiers dropped down from the sky, landing close to their position. They were Reaper Squad, and their commander was Sergeant Freya Solveig. Both units teamed up, with the Reapers providing the hammer and the Vipers the dagger to slip through Dominion lines. Amidst fierce fighting, they overpowered a Dominion artillery crew. Freya and Mezha worked together to take down the Jedi Commander. Then they turned the mortars on Dominion positions. However, a vicious Dominion counterattack forced them to retreat. Traps, the Reapers' heavy firepower and the Vipers' sharpshooting took their toll on the Dominion clone troopers, but the Rebels and their allies were cornered. They held off a wave of enemy attackers, even destroying a Dominion super tank.


When all seemed lost and they were about to be overrun, Firemane's Mirage Squadron carried out an air strike, giving the Republican Guard time to deploy reinforcements and stem the tide. Indeed, Mezha and Freya were saved from being rolled over by a tank when the Squadron's Qadiri pilots blew it up. They were reinforced by Rebel assault troops, who saved them from being overrun. The line had been stabilised, leaving the situation a stalemate. But the Dominion hammered the allied forces with attacks. Republican Guard and Firemane troops were almost overrun. The rebels had to swallow their distrust of Force-Users and fight along side the Order of Fire. When morning came, the allied troops counterattacked. Viper Company was among the first units to enter Fortress Purity. In the last stage of the battle, the Dominion sought to cover its retreat by sending a brigade of Younglings to their deaths. Fortress Purity fell and the Republican Guard hoisted its banners upon the ruins. However, the cost of victory had been steep and the Republican Guard still had a long fight ahead of it.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

First sentence of historical info is missing a word or two.

Rest looks solid. Good work.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Expand on Firemane's forces and the Qadiri.
• Image Credit: Here. Image search only gets me a link to Twitter. Artist is Triplebrick.
• Role: Fighter squadron.
• Links: Qadiri, Into Darkness, Four of a kind.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Unit Name: Mirage Squadron
• Affiliation: Firemane, Jazan Jai Khalal (Squadron Commander).
• Classification: Fighter Pilots.

Equipment: They can use Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers equipment due to Firemane gaining access to ARGH tech in this thread.

Armour:

• AE-AS2 Specter Flight Suithttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/108402-ae-as2-specter-flight-suit/ (purchase request here, permission here).

Starships:

• Drake Class Elite Fighter.

​
Sidearms:

• Magnetic Revolver
• Racket's Bite.
• RSIC-11 "Suncrusher" Blaster Pistol, (purchase request here, permission here).
• Renegade Model 557 (purchase request here, permission here).
• SSK-5 Icon Blaster Pistol (purchase request here, permission here).
• Holdout Bolter
• Shatterpistol.

Misc:

• U20 Field Wrist link.
• Grenades.
• HK-Killer Spike Rounds.
• Hypnogaze.
• BCC BC-11 Comlink (purchase request here, permission here).
• Graph 18 Surface Locatorhttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Graph_18_surface_locator
• Talon Vibrodagger.
• Fighters are equipped with Anti-Ion Emission Tracers

Description:

Mirage Squadron was formed from the ranks of Qadiri corsairs who traded their seaships for starships and entered Firemane's services, seeking adventure, plunder and opportunities for advancement. They are led by Jazan Jai Khalal, a renowned corsair and daring pilot. All members of the squadron are Force-Sensitive Qadiri. Like their commander, they are all children of the sea who graduated to space. Rather than having the flashy powers normally associated with Force-wielders, they have specialised in abilities that boost their piloting skills. This is in line with Jazan's own skill set.


Moreover, the squadron was equipped with Drake class elite starfighters, one of the newest additions to Firemane's arsenal. Created to fill the need for an elite fighter, the Drake takes advantage of Phrik deposits to become both heavily armed and well equipped. To give it some punch, the Drake has been equipped with Deathstrike concussion missiles. Equipment purchased from Alderaan Engineering increases its resilience by giving it better countermeasures and shields.


The Mirages have a reputation for skill, daring and more than a little cockiness. At first more than a few Firemane naval officers scoffed at the idea that 'sand babies' could pilot. Until the Qadiri showed that they were not just as good as humans, but in a number of cases a lot better. Though life in space has been quite an adjustment, the Mirages have adapted well. They liken the void of space to a sky-ocean, with each planet being one of many islands. While the Mirages no longer traverse the seas to raid coastal cities and merchant ships, they are proud of their maritime roots and consider it a matter of principle not to lose touch with them. Hence members are expected to know their way across the waters, use a proper compass and handle themselves under hazardous conditions. Tattoos with an air or maritime theme are common. They still communicate among themselves in their Qadiri dialect. Its obscurity makes it better than any code on the battlefield.


It is pertinent note that before they joined Firemane, the members of the squadron were pirates and sellswords, the bane of the seas and oceans of Tygara. Jazan herself is a cheerful and personally friendly, if a bit arrogant, but also thoroughly unrepentant about her past. She gave up her reaving ways because she, unlike many of her fellows, realised that they were no longer practical and she wanted to see the stars. She is opposed to unnecessary death and destruction, but in favour of 'necessary' death and destruction. She is a very ambitious woman and intends to work her way up to a senior command position. For the time being she sees her place in Firemane and intends rose in its hierarchy. However, she is not wedded to the corporation and may seek out other options if they seem more beneficial to her. Admiral of the Void Ocean has a nice ring to it. She is respectful to Firemane's leaders, but not in awe of them. They are simply the bosses she happens to work for at the moment. Her bravery, confident, can-do attitude and skill have won her the respect of her fellow squadron members. Jazan came late to literacy and is still rather book-shy. Nonetheless, she is an intelligent woman with a fairly rational outlook on the world.


The Mirages are a military squadron, so they are stationed wherever Jazan happens to be posted and go wherever Firemane needs them to be. They often operate out of a Nest Class Carrier Corvette called the Zanghazi or the Tipharazon, an Argent class carrier. Ports of call or posts of note are the Great Scarlet Flame or the Scarlet Destiny. The squadron has the following members:

• Mirage One, (Commander) Jazan Jai Khalal
• Mirage Two, (Lieutenant Commander) Bahana Jai Vahrana
• Mirage Three, (Lieutenant) Amaya Jai Kazemal
• Mirage Four, (Lieutenant) Fahrad Jal Jahangir
• Mirage Five, (Second Lieutenant) Javad Jal Homayoun
• Mirage Six, (Second Lieutenant) Jaleh Jai Avesta
• Mirage Seven, (Pilot) Zhila Jai Khorasanal
• Mirage Eight, (Pilot) Arash Jal Rahbar.

COMBAT INFORMATION:

• Unit Size: Small
• Unit Availability: Unique
• Unit Experience: Elite.

Combat Function: Mirage Squadron is a starfighter unit. They are equipped for combat in the atmosphere and in space. They can perform dogfights, attack runs, raids, rapid strikes and escort missions. Moreover, all pilots are Force-Sensitive Qadiri. The Tygaran natives have an inherent knack for navigation that can be described as an internal compass. This is a great boon for piloting, especially under hazardous conditions.


In terms of Force power, they are specialists rather than generalists. All their powers are meant to enhance their piloting abilities. To elaborate, they specialise in Force Reflex, instinctive astrogation, Force Meld, telepathic and precognitive abilities. Force Reflex allows them to enhance their reflexes and effectively slow down the world around them. Drawing on this power allows them a few moments of heightened reactions, while everything slows down around them. Force Meld allows them to join their minds together through the Force, drawing strength from one another. In doing so, they enhance their coordination and boost their efficiency by acting as one. Jazan, as squadron commander and the most experienced member of the unit, acts as coordinator.


However, the enhanced power brought by Force Meld works both ways: a great disturbance in the Force could overwhelm the melding participants as they receive the pain through their enhanced senses. If the pain is caused by the minds the melding participants are touching, it will bring devastating effects to the participants, sometimes to such a degree that the participants will lose control of their own minds and become ignorant to other threats. Finally, instinctive astrogation boosts their navigational and piloting abilities. For one, it allows them to find safe routes through hyperspace without using a navigational computer or astromech droid.


Situations where preternatural navigational talents can be of use include reasonable strategic and tactical manoeuvres, like making precise jumps from the outer reaches of a system, improved survivability in say dense asteroid fields, making safe blind jumps when necessary, finding safe short cuts around blockaed routes and getting safely to her destination in the midst of battles, meteor storms and so on, assuming she is not the main target. To a degree, it helps with following others through hyperspace, though this requires great focus.


However, because the Mirages' Force training has been so focused on specialisation, they lack most of the powers commonly associated with Force-Users. If they find themselves engaged in ground combat, their enhanced reflexes and precognitive abilities will give them an advantage, but they will be unable to chuck boulders, shoot lightning from their fingertips or summon force fields. Being combat pilots, they are lightly armed and armoured. If they are shot down over enemy territory, their best bet is to try to stealthily make their way to friendly lines or, if this is not feasible, hide and try to contact their allies. Engaging in thrilling duels, taking on large groups of enemies or in general drawing attention to themselves would be a foolish move. The Mirages are former corsairs and are a tough lot, but they do not carry heavy weapons or lots of ammunition on their person. Thus they lack heavy firepower and have only a limited ability to contend with swarms of enemies.

Strengths:

• Elite starfighter squadron.
• All squadron members are Qadiri. Their people have an inherent knack for navigation. Moreove, every pilot is a Knight level Force-Sensitive, specialising in Force Reflex, instinctive astrogation, precognition and a Force meld between them that allows them to co-ordinate well in battle.

Weaknesses:

• The Force meld can backfire. A great disturbance in the Force could overwhelm the melding participants as they received the pain through their enhanced senses. If the pain is caused by the minds the melding participants were touching, it could have very negative repercussions for the participants.
• Outside of their starfighters, the pilots are only lightly armed and armoured. This is a problem if they are shot down and find themselves stranded in enemy territory. They lack classical offensive Force powers.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Hailing from the remote - and now abandoned - world of Tygara, the Qadiri have only entered into contact with other races recently. Historically Tygara has been completely isolated from the outside galaxy. The Qadiri, interestingly, had a long tradition that there were other people living out amongst the stars. However, their image of benevolent deities was nothing like what they actually got when slavers from the sky came down upon them. These marauders preyed on the Qadiri people, though Shahbânu Semiramis, their mightiest ruler, was able to score victories over them.


Later the Qadiri came into contact with Firemane and the Eldorai Matriarchy. Ultimately these groups helped the Qadiri uplift themselves and venture into the stars. However, the historically fractious Qadiri have never been united under one government, so it no surprise that many strayed from the exodus fleet, determined to seek out their own fortunes elsewhere. A good number of those who remained entered into Firemane's services.


Though new to spaceflight, the Qadiri had some qualities that helped them find their way in space. Qadiri are almost all extremely good navigators. They seem to have an instinctual internal compass. This makes them good sailors and travellers, but also pilots. Mirage Squadron is one of the many units Firemane has formed to take advantage of these qualities. It was founded by Jazan Jai Khalal, a Qadiri who was born as one of the Khaimari. These were coastal folk who alternated between being subsistence farmers/fishers and corsairs depending on the situation. Like many of her people she became a corsair, gaining renown as a skilled navigator, commander and raider. She fought in the Xioquo War and later gave up her piratical pursuits when Firemane's 'Clear Seas' policy made them unprofitable. The corsair group she was part of and a leader in called themselves the Seazors. After gaining renown as a terror on the seas of Tygara, the most progressive-minded of them took to the stars and adapted modern tech. From now on they were known as the Skyrazors.


Their skills impressed off-worlders so much that they were hired for missions, ranging from raids and covert operations to recon, boarding actions and escort duties. Eventually Jazan joined Firemane, taking several of her comrads with her. She recruited some of the most able into Mirage Squadron. The proved itself in battles against pirates and Kraal raiders. They also flew escort missions to protect the space habitats and arkships that constituted the exodus fleet after the evacuation of Tygara.


Eventually it was assigned to the Scarlet Destiny, Firemane's exploration ship, as an escort on its shakedown cruise. Commanded by Tegaea Alcori, the Destiny was supposed to go boldly where no Firemane had gone before, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations. However, as is often the case, the plan did not survive first contact. The Firemane exploration corps came across the world of Tephrike, which had been cut off from the rest of the Galaxy due to the outbreak of the Gulag Virus. It soon transpired that the Dark Age had never truly ended on the planet, for vast swathes of it had been turned into a wasteland and riven factions fought for dominance. One of them was the Jedi-led Dominion of Light, a totalitarian theocracy. At first Firemane attempted diplomacy, but an extremist faction in the Dominion attaked the foreign delegation. In response, Firemane declared war. However, though primitive, the Dominion proved to be a dangerous opponent.


At first, Firemane initiated a surgical bombardment of key military, communication and Jedi facilities in and around the Dominion's capital, Nexus City. The city had a shield generator, but Firemane used magpulse torpedos to disrupt it. This gave Mirage Squadron an opening to slip in. Jazan personally led the strike, blowing up the generator. Thereafter the Scarlet Destiny levelled the Jedi Temple with its Harbinger cannons.


However, the Dominion had deployed nuclear missiles and now targeted the Firemane fleet. Through alchemical manipulation, these nukes were far more potent and a serious danger. A Dominion faction that opposed the war course and feared Firemane would retaliate by levelling the city, was able to stop two missiles from being launched. However, the other two were fired. One hit a Firemane corvette. Producing an effect akin to that of a small-scale thought bomb, it consumed their souls. The other missile had targeted the Scarlet. However, Jazan and her crew were able to use tractor beams to capture it and hurl it into the sun.


Now Firemane deployed ground troops to take a key military installation, Fortress Purity. Heavily guarded, it was a vital military base that protected access to the capital. Because Firemane only had a limited amount of troops in the theatre and lacked knowledge of the lay of the land, it entered an alliance with the Republican Guard, an anti-Force-User faction that idealised the Rebel Alliance and had a strong Vong contingent. These rebels would supply most of the manpower, but mutual distrust made the alliance a tenuous one. The Dominion attacked Firemane transports with kamikaze fighters and used a weather control machine to summon a storm. This disrupted communications between the ground troops and the fleet and made it hazardous to land reinforcements or conduct bombing runs. Firemane and Republican Guard troops soon found themselves engaged in fierce, brutal combat with the enemy. A good number of Firemane gunships crashed. The Dominion made ample use of Force-Users to compensate for its technological weakness.


But Mirage Squadron came to the rescue of a group of Firemane and Republican Guard special forces that were being overrun by Dominion troops after conducting a foray into their second line of defence. When Reaper Squad and Viper Company were being flooded by Dominion infantry and armour, the Mirages sprang into action. Their Force-enhanced coordination, preternatural and inherent navigational skills made them some of the few pilots who could fly into the hot zone despite the raging storm. Firing missiles they destroyed Dominion armoured assets and relayed targets to Firemane artillery. This bought the Republican Guard time to deploy the Andorian Guard, thereby forcing a stalemate. However, intense combat continued on the ground. Eventually the allied forces were able to overcome the defenders and the Republican Guard planted its standards upon the Fortress, but the cost was high.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Spoiler

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

Intent: Expand on Tephrike. Codify a major player on the planet.
Image Credit: Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
​Links: Tephrike, Nexus City, Into Darkness, Republican Guard, Disciples of the Vader, Palmyra's Wail, Diona, Elpsis, Firemane, Archangel.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Organization Name: Dominion of Light.

Classification: Totalitarian Jedi Theocracy.

Affiliation: Mahtara, Jedi of Tephrike.

Organization Symbol:

Description: The Dominion of Light is a fundamentalist, Jedi-led theocracy that controls most of Tephrike. It came into being as a result of the civilisational brought about by the Dark Age. When the Gulag Virus ravaged the Galaxy, Tephrike descended into chaos. Millions died from disease or factional infighting. The nominally democratic federal government proved incapable of resolving the crisis, so the Jedi led a coup to remove it from power and impose a junta. What started as a temporary, emergency regime soon degenerated into a repressive, totalitarian dictatorship. The Jedi were corrupted by their power and the horrors of war, as they were forced to make increasingly ruthless choices. They became the very thing they sought to destroy, while still believing they served the greater good. The Dominion is opposed by the Republican Guard and the Disciples of Vader. Recently it has clashed with Firemane Industries.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Headquarters: Nexus City.

Domain: The Dominion of Light is the governing body of most of Tephrike, with Nexus City as its capital. It exercises a totalitarian control over its subject population, using fear, terror, propaganda, economic and social incentives to keep its people in line. However, its rule is not unconested. Several dissident factions and warlords oppose its claim. The two most prominent ones are the Disciples of the Vader and the Republican Guard. While the Dominion is the strongest faction, it has been unable to fully subjugate them. Firemane's arrival on Tephrike and the fall of Fortress Purity to its forces have weakened the Dominion, but it still remains a formidable foe.

Notable Assets: Aside from Nexus City, the Dominion controls several Tephriki cities, industrial facilities, mines and forced labour camps.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

Hierarchy: The Dominion is a religious theocracy. The State and the Windian Jedi Order are one, with the former being subordinate to the latter. In theory there is a Senate. Indeed Nexus City has a Senate building that resembles the one the Galactic Senate used to convene in on Coruscant. However, it has never seen use because career politicians are regarded as venal and corrupt. Instead power is vested in the Jedi High Council and the Grandmaster. In practice, the Grandmaster has been a puppet of the army for decades. This state of affairs came about after the military put an end to the Cultural Revolution and placed the Grandmaster at the time under house arrest. Recently, the Grandmaster and the Inquisition conspired to retake power, fomenting a war with Firemane in the process.


War broke out, but the Grandmaster was toppled by a coup. Today the High Council has been eclipsed by a committee of Jedi Generals and high-ranking Clone Commanders. It is led by Jedi Battlemaster Mahtara, a career officer and the only Jedi who still remembers the days before the Dark Age because she is of the same species as Yoda. Key offices are that of Battlemaster, Grand Inquisitor and Barsen'thor.


Beneath this level of administration, the government is organised into various ministries, each responsible for a field of policy or aspect of life. The most important ones are the Ministries of Harmony, Health, Enlightenment, Plenty and Peace. Harmony is responsible for ensuring ideological purity and controls the police force, including the religious police. Health regulates all aspects related to healthcare, which includes the mandatory harvesting of eggs and sperm and the growth of new citizens in nursery complexes. Enlightenment is responsible for the media, propaganda and education. Plenty controls the centrally planned economy, assigns citizens to their jobs and doles out coupons, Peace runs the Grand Army of Light. Every ministry is run by a Jedi, though the bureaucracy is staffed with Non-Force-Users.


In rural areas individual landholdings have been organised into collective farms. These are run by the Peasants' Labour Army. In the cities, each habitat has a habitat warden, who is responsible for ensuring the good behaviour of the inhabitants. Several habitation complexes form a Circle, supervised by a Circle Warden, who in turn reports to a District Warden. Mayors and governors are appointed by the central government. Some Jedi Masters are awarded the title of Jedi Lord, exercising direct control over crucial provinces. These tend to be border areas, newly incorporated regions or those that have strategic resources.


Though officially answerable to the central government, some have described the Inquisition as a state within the state. It runs a large number of black sites, prison camps and penal colonies across the Dominion, most often in desolate or remote areas. Its convict labourer have supplied a lot of the labour force for gargantuan engineering projects. Canal digging to maintain the Dominion's crippled agricultural system is extremely common, acting as a supplement to the more sophisticated techniques used by the Ministry of Plenty. The Windian Jedi Order maintains a hierarchy similar to the classical Jedi order: Initiate, Padawan, Knight, Master and Grandmaster. However, many Knights and Masters also have military ranks. Ranks include Jedi Commander, Jedi General and Jedi High General. The highest rank is that of High Marshal, which is reserved for the Battlemaster.


The Inquisition's primary role in fulfilling this mandate is as a state security force, responsible for supressing dissent against the dictatorship of Light. The Inquisitors are believed to have an enormous network of informers across the entire Dominion. They also maintain their own military forces separate from the Grand Army. However, recent events have weakened the Inquisition. The Grand Inquisitor's intrigues sparked a war with Firemane, and he was later slain by Elpsis. Many Inquisitorial armed formations and 'special purpose units' have been disbanded or absorbed by the Grand Army. The agency is in the process of being reorganised. This has been accompanied by a purge. However, certain Inquisitors have refused to follow orders from the new administration.


Membership: In principle all the people of Tephrike should be members of the Dominion. This is obviously not the case, as the planet is divided between various riven factions that include revolutionaries, Sith cultists and warlords. The Dominion claims to be the planet's sole legitimate government and regards the areas that resist its rule as rebellious provinces. However, because they are seen as having been corrupted by the Darkness, people who live in territories that are conquered - or liberated, dpending on one's point of view - by the Dominion must undergo a lengthy process of reeducation before they can be considered full citizens of the Dominion. People born in Dominion territory are obviously members since the theocracy - quite literally - grows them in laboratories, educates them and determines their lives. Force-Users are conscripted by the Windian Jedi Order. Ideally this occurs in infancy, before they can form attachments.


The Dominion is multispecies and, in fact, extremely opposed to racism. While the Windian Jedi are responsible for many unpleasant or frankly insane policies, they are not racist. After all, Tephrike's first Jedi Lord, Zaras Dant, was a Duros, and her successor Tiyan Kree was a Devaronian. This contrasts with the human supremacist beliefs of the Vaderites. However, there is one species that has no place in the Dominion's utopia: Yuuzhan Vong. The Dominion regards them as abominations, as they have no presence in the Force. The same applies to anyone else who is Force Dead. The Jedi theocracy also treats both males and females as equal.


Climate: The climate is characterised by paranoia, isolationism and religious fervour. Siege mentality is an accurate description. The people of the Dominion believe that they are the last bastion of Light in a Galaxy that has been consumed by Darkness. Because of the near-constant war against the Republican Guard, an anti-Force-User rebel group, and the Disciples of the Vader, a fanatical Sith cult that worships Vader as a god, the nation is on a war footing. The appearance of Firemane and the destruction of the Jedi Temple of Nexus City has only intensified this.

The Dominion strives to control every aspects of its citizens' lives and to mould them into obedient, productive subjects. Indoctrination goes hand in hand with control over the media, a secret police and campaigns to mobilise the citizenry. Citizens require a permit to change their workplace, residence or simply to travel. Reproductive rights are nonexistent and reproduction is controlled by the state. Dissent is ruthlessly squashed by the secret police. An individual's education, profession and place of residence is determined by the state.


The citizen lives in a habitation complex assigned to him by Dominion bureaucrats. In more well-off places such as Nexus City, said compley will be fully-furnished, hae power, be free of construction defects, actually exist and be ready for immediate habitation. It will house his entire section and be located close to his workplace. Close is, of course, a relative term in some cases. It should provide him with everything he needs, thereby freeing him from the need to use precious coupons to buy a bed or a table. Kitchens and bathrooms are communal on every floor. Hoarding is considered a serious offence.


Within his habitation, the resident has access to entertainment channels, but these are all provided by the Ministry of Enlightenment. Furthermore, he has a channel specifically dedicated to his work and job. It keeps him well-informed about the Windian Jedi Order's vision of a brave new world, the Dominion of Light's victories, and how dark the world outside of the Dominion is. Needless to say he is constantly monitored. Citizens must be careful about what they say or who they confide in, lest they be denounced for heresy and arrested by the religious police.


Every habitat has a habitat warden, who is responsible for the conduct of every inhabitant. Under the supervision of the habitat warden, residents regularly meet for faith sessions in the communal room. They watch patriotic movies, proclaim their faith in the Dominion of Light and perform self-criticism. Every resident is encouraged to produce a statement detailing his or her ideological errors, no matter how minor those might be, and reaffirm their renewed belief in the Jedi.


Citizens who show exceptional commitment to the Light or manage to exceed production quotas at work are rewarded with economic and social benefits. They receive more valuable coupons, preferential habitation, promotions or access to rare goods. The government keeps track of these Heroes of the Light. Any privileges it grants its citizens can be easily withdrawn. There are shortages in many basic consumer items, leading to rationing. Besides the built-in shortages caused by planning priorities, shoddy production of consumer goods limits actual supply. Shortages mean either empty shelves or long waiting lines. The bureaucracy that manages the Dominion has grown so large that even its theoretically ominpotent leaders have difficulty controlling it, let alone getting an accurate idea of what it's actually doing on a day-to-day basis.


From early on, young citizens are taught to dedicate themselves to what is considered to be the one true faith. Jedi healers perform miracles, thus proving that the Light cares about the faithful. On the flip side, those who oppose the order are not merely enemies of the state, but also unbelievers, darksiders and heretics. Great monuments have been erected to glorify the Jedi heroes of Tephrike and their equally glorious forebears, and most art serves propaganda purposes. Within the Dominion's cities, the benign visage of the Grandmaster can be seen on propaganda posters that cover the walls of public buildings.


Indeed, every citizen is advised to put a portrait of the Grandmaster in the living room of his or her apartment. Likewise, pilgrimages to giant statues are encouraged. Not everyone in the Dominion is evil. Indeed one finds plenty of soldiers and Jedi in the lower ranks who earnestly believe they are doing what is best for their country and their people. However, the upper ranks are filled with fanatics or cynics who use ideology for their own ends. There is no tolerance for dissent. Particularly extreme deviants undergo a Force-induced memory wipe. Stripped of their original personalities, they are meant to be docile labourers who serve the order without question, for an empty mind is a pure mind. Others are sent to forced labour camps.


That said, average subject of the Windians receives a limited education, but he receives one and, provided he pays lip-service to dogma and does not break any of the many, many laws, he has a high degree of job security, a social safety net and is reasonably safe in his life. His life is dull and there is little to buy with his coupons, but he is largely safe. Provided he does not get caught up in a terrorist attack or get sent to the frontlines. By contrast, the average subject of the Vaderites is an illiterate slave. But there are so many laws that must be obeyed and many are arbitrary in practice.


Many of its citizens know nothing except the Dominion and regard it as a stabilising force, especially compared to say the chaotic, slaveholding ways of the Vaderites. As a result, the government does have popular support. Offworlders will be greeted with suspicion and generally be regarded as demons or dark side worshippers. Thus foreign travellers who somehow find themselves in Dominion territory can expect to be questioned by the secret police. Recently, Battlemaster Mahtara, the Dominion's de facto military dictator, has implemented some pragmatic reforms to make the regime more functional and less self-destructive, but on the whole it is still a very unpleasant place to live in.


Reputation: Tephrike has been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for centuries. Its isolation came to an end recently when Firemane made first contact with the planet. Thus very few people outside of Tephrike would have an opinion on the Dominion. Firemane initiated diplomatic negotiations with the Dominion. But an extremist faction within the theocracy, led by the Grandmaster and the Grand Inquisitor, sabotaged the talks by orchestrating an attack on the Firemane delegation. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, the daughter of Firemane's bosses, was captured in the attack and interned in a concentration camp, where she was subjected to torture and brainwashing. As a result, Firemane declared war on the Dominion. The extremists were latter toppled by a faction opposed to the war course, but by then the damage had been done. Hence Firemane's view on the Dominion is extremely negative.


Closer to home, both the Republican Guard and the Disciples of the Vader oppose the Dominion. The Guard does so because it regards the Dominion as oppressive tyranny and wishes to free Non-Force-Users from the control of Force-Users. They also regard the Force as a curse and prohibit its use. By contrast, the Vaderites are Vader-worshipping Sith who believe it is their destiny to eclipse the Light and bring about the rebirth of their god. Thus they wish to destroy the Dominion. Its worship of order is anathema to their Social Darwinist ways. Within the Dominion itself, there are many dissidents who regard it as oppressive, but it also has a significant degree of popular support. Supporters include true believers, but also pragmatists who find the alternatives to be more abhorrent and believe the Dominion alone can assure stability.


Curios: All-new born citizens receive a tracking chip so that the state can monitor them. Citizens are encouraged to wear a portrait of the Grandmaster on a badge pinned to their chest. Wearing cheap, Force imbued talismans, good-luck charms and other enchanted items is also common. These items are supposed to ward off dark spirits and protect the wearer's mind from Dark Side temptations. The members of the Windian Jedi Order carry Force-imbued blades, halberds, pikes and so on. Lightsabres are incredibly rare on Tephrike. In contrast to classical Jedi, the Windian Jedi also commonly wear armour, often imbuing it with the Force.


Rules: The Dominion of Light follows an extremely warped interpretation of the old Jedi Code:

"There is no emotion, there is calm.
There is no ignorance, there is obedience.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is order.
There is no death, there is the Light."


This is the code every Dominion citizen learns from an early age. Their mind set has been shaped by the economic, political and social collapse brought about by the Gulag Virus. Tephrike descended into lawless chaos, as riven factions squabbled over resources and millions died. The Jedi took control to restore order, but their good intentions were soon corrupted. They came to believe that the Collapse had been a Dark Side conspiracy and that only Jedi, who acted in accordance with the will of the Force, could rule the planet.


To be keepers of the peace, Jedi could not be at the beck and call of politicians. They had to take control and shape society in accordance with what they considered to be the will of the Force. As a result, their rules and beliefs are more than a little bizarre. Though they idolise Jedi such as Yoda and Mace Windu, they have more in common with the likes of the Jedi Covenant, Atris and Joruus C'baoth. The Dominion's beliefs are collectivist, totalitarian and fundamentalist. Believing that the Jedi had failed in their duty to protect the innocents of the Galaxy, they resolved to never let the Dominion fall. This became a convenient rationalisation of the fact that they had created an enormous prison camp the size of a country.


From birth, all new-born children are communally raised in nursery complexes owned by the benevolent Windian Jedi order, without ever knowing their progenitors. The enlightened Jedi consider sex even inside marriage to be sinful, for lust is a cardinal sin. They suggest all males and females register for mandatory sperm and egg harvesting, before having permanent operations to prevent such sin occuring.


Thus the miracle of life can occur in a medically sanctioned way without putting citizens at risk of being seduced by the Dark Side. A tracking chip is implanted into every new-born. In keeping with the abolition of family units, there are no family names. Instead every citizen receive an occupational surname upon being assigned a job. An example would be Mara Technician or Eeth Soldier. Jedi forego surnames entirely. Diona, a Jedi Knight, would be called Jedi Diona. This is supposed to combat selfishness. Every citizen is part of the community of Light and should have no attachments outside of it. The greater good of the community takes precedence over the individual good.


The nurseries raise the new-born, then they are sent to an educational complex, where they are taught to become loyal, hard-working citizens. Naturally the state will decide their profession via a standardised test, and their entire education will be all about excelling in the particular field the order has chosen for them. This enlightened caste system ensures that every citizen knows his place in society. Moreover, their accommodations are chosen for them, because all common citizens are assigned a spot in a habitation complex. There they live in urban communes, under the watchful eye of the order's monitors. It should be noted that these edicts are far more difficult to enforce in remote settlements far away from the centre, meaning that enforcement is not universal.


In the glorious Dominion, there are no natural births - officially, at any rate. Sexuality is criminalised, for passion and lust lead to the dark side. Family bonds are viewed as selfish, for each individual should devote themselves to the community and the propagation of the Light. The Dominion clones those who were useful and had good skills, not really understanding that the process could not create a complete copy. This especially applies to Jedi, elite soldiers, technicians, researchers and others who possess skills that make them valuable to lose.


The Dominion opposes capitalism as it promotes greed and gluttony by glorifying wealth and consumerism. This is a reaction to stark class disparities and corruption in old Tephrike society. To combat materialism, currency has been abolished. It is not possible to use credits in the Dominion of Light. Instead, every citizen receives a fair share of coupons. These coupons determine exactly what they can be traded for. From each according to his ability to each according to his needs. Private ownership is considered a great evil because it leads to greed - and thus the Dark Side of the Force. The order provides everything a citizen could ask for - education, an apartment, clothes, food and drink. So there is no need for money. Businesses, farms and so on have been nationalised. There is a universal labour duty and strikes are forbidden. The Dominion believes that it has a duty to care for its citizens, and so it has implemented free healthcare. However, in actual fact it is pretty bad most for the most of the common people.


Worship of the Light is the only accepted form of religious expression. All other religious faiths and Force cults are prohibited. This not only encompasses dark side cults, but also alternate light side ones. The Jedi of the Dominion believe that the Jedi failed by being unable to prevent the outbreak of the Gulag Virus. Hence they are in a way motivated by guilt. Their great role model is Mace Windu, the Jedi Master who led a failed coup to topple Chancellor Palpatine and thus prevent the Sith from taking over the Republic. Because the Dominion believes that only Jedi can commune with the Force and thereby divine its will, all top positions are occupied by Jedi. The Dominion regards Jedi as warriors of the Light who have the duty to smite those who serve the Dark Side. They are scornful of more pacifist interpretation. Indeed, they believe that Jedi who reject the path of the sword are not Jedi at all, for their passivity helped the Darkness ascend.


Goals: To destroy the invaders, infidels and Sith. To unite Tephrike under the banner of the Dominion of Light. To protect the faithful from the Darkness and be the guardians of peace and justice on Tephrike.

MEMBERS

Master Mahtara is the most senior official in the Dominion and its new leader following the death of Grandmaster Aegus. The Jedi Master is a Yodaling. Her long life span means that she was alive when the Gulag Virus was unleashed and remembers the old days. Deep down she knows that the Dominion has strayed from the Jedi Code, but believes the old ways failed. Freedom produced chaos and so she chose order. The madness and zealotry of her peers forced her to take control after trying to mitigate the damage their actions caused. It was she who destroyed Palmyra, an act that causes her a great deal of guilt. However, she prioritises ends over means.


Mahtara is a formidable duellist, focusing on Ataru. She is a powerful practitioner of Battlemind, Protection Bubble, Dampen Force and Severe Force. She specialises in buffing herself and her allies and negating or severing the Force powers of her enemies. She is also an experienced battlefield commander and strategist. Time will tell whether her skills will be sufficient to ensure the survival of the Dominion and perhaps its transformation into something better.


In the aftermath of her coup, Mahtara reshuffled cabinet a bit. Given her troubles with the late Grand Inquisitor Antonius, she wanted someone reliable in charge of the religious police. An outsider who can administer Commissar justice where needed, but it also not a nutcase. Her choice was Jedi Master Bekk, a male Zabrak. He disdains informants and refuses to reward them without proof. If they rumour monger they get punished. The new Grand Inquisitor has pulled the plug on many of the Inquisition's vanity projects, such as the construction of a huge canal, independent businesses and most of the brainwashing camps. Instead he has reemphasised its role as an internal security force and punitive organ.


The Ministry of Enlightenment is headed by a Twi'lek called Sivron, a Non-Force-User. He is an old oligarch and power broker put there because there because Mahtara needs to get the old elite on side. She personally dislikes him because he is conniving, venal and slimy. It is convenient for him that this is a position with relatively little danger.


Ganodi is the Chief Healer of the Order. The female Rodian genuinely cares for her flock, albeit in a rather patronising way. She has a habit of referring to the clones as her 'single spirit broods'. Her attitude annoys Mahtara a bit, but she is good at her job. She supervises the Ministry of Health, overseeing the entire healthcare and cloning infrastructure of the Dominion. She is a formidable healer, with an affinity for Force Slow, Malacia, Crucitorn and an impressive knowledge of anatomy.


Eeth Soldier is one of Mahtara's closest allies. He is, in fact, a clone of the long-dead Kozon Bok, a grizzled Zabrak soldier who was Mahtara's mentor and taught her how to think tactically and strategically. Eeth rose through the ranks of the First Legion, a unit exclusively composed of Kozon clones, to become Mahtara's right hand. A natural and practical leader in the clone army, he is a good fit for Mahtara, to whom he is particularly loyal. His keen ability to strategise, combined with his steady nerves and fierce combat style in the heat of battle, have earned him the respect of his fellow clones.

His knowledge and skill on the battlefield have earned him the rank of Clone Marshal Commander, the highest rank a clone can achieve in the Grand Army of Light. Eeth served as a field commander during the Netherworld Event, rallying fragmented clone units and helping repulse the Republican Guard's offensive. When the Grandmaster ordered the First Legion to march to Fortress Purity to defeat the combined forces of Firemane and the Guard, he chose loyalty to Mahtara over his oath to the Grandmaster. Later he helped his mentor take control.

Eeth Soldier works under Jedi Karros, a human Jedi General. A hard-bitten military man, he is missing an eye. He is nicknamed Sith Slayer due to his accomplishments, but this is a nickname he does not encourage. He prefers a steady, attrition approach. Karros sees himself as prudent, just and devout. His detractors consider him severe, arrogant, bigoted and cruel. He is a coarse man who cares little for philosophy, learning or the finer things in life. No one disputes that he is very effective at doing his job. Physically strong and imposing, the Jedi Guardian is a formidable duellist and tank. Karros gained his monicker by routing a Sith army at the Battle of Kleidion, taking many Sith prisoner. At his command, captives who refused to repent were blinded - all of them. Then sent back home. In his words: "If the Dark Side is your strength see your way home." He then had those who collapsed or strayed from the path shot.


Diona is a human Jedi Knight of the Dominion and a former agent of the Inquisition. Born as a clone of the martyred Jedi Lea, she was inducted into the Order and trained as a warrior. She served the Dominion in many battles. In the process she committed horrible actions, forcing herself to suppress her conscience and become a living weapon dedicated to defending her country by any means necessary.

Eventually she joined the Inquisition. It was she who captured Elpsis and served as her jailer. Over time the two bonded. Unable to continue serving her masters, Diona rebelled and helped the Firemane operative escape. Her future is an uncertain one now, and she finds herself adrift. Diona is a capable duellist, with a particular affinity for Force Meld, Stasis, Force Weapon and Vongsense.

Diona's remaining clone siblings still serve the Dominion. The fact that she is a traitor to her sisters weighs heavily on Diona, as she is loath to fight them. One of them is Desma, a devoted Jedi in the Grand Army of Light who is loyal to the government and regards Diona as a traitor who brought shame upon their siblings.

Diana has the same template as Diona, but is a bit younger. She was injured by Elpsis during the initial fighting, suffering nasty burns. The clone used to look up to her sibling, who was once a model Guardian. Now she is dedicated to removing this stain from her line. In contrast to the more conventional Diona, Diana has spent a long time studying the mysteries of the Force. She has a similar skill set to Diona, but takes a more aggressive stance with a focus on all-out offence.


She works alongside Kostis, a clone 'brother' of a formidable Jedi warrior called Kenth. Nicknamed Hammer by his comrades due to his prowess in battle, Kenth led the Dominion search party that pursued Laira Darkhold and a group of Firemane-allied pilots who had been shot down. When the pilots were cornered, Laira faced Kenth in a fierce duel, but was able to slay him. Upon death his body vanished.

Kostis is determined to make his brother's death matter, feeling vengeful. He also feels pressured to live up to fill Kenth's shoes. Whereas his brother was a warrior, Kostis is a scientist, healer and alchemist. Though the Dominion condemns Sith alchemy, it has its own brand of alchemical practices. Officially it is 'Light Side Alchemy', though it is probably closer to the practices of the enemy than the Windian Jedi Order would like to admit.


HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Originally Tephrike was colonised centuries ago in the days of the Old Republic. The Jedi set up a small enclave to mediate disputes between corporate interests and alien settlers. When the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire, the Imperials occupied the planet, purged the local Jedi enclave and established a human supremacist regime. Though the colonial regime was short-lived, its policies left scars on the planet. But this was the distant past. However, all was not well. Tephrike's democracy was unstable, characterised by short-lived coalition governments, political and economic polarisation as well as racial strife. But this was nothing compared to the horrors that would be unleashed when Zero committed his insane terrorist act.


The pathogen was brought to Tephrike by the crew of an Alderaanian merchant ship, who'd contracted the virus. Thus it was an accidental import. By the time people began to drop like flies, contact had been lost with the Galactic Alliance. Like on so many other worlds, entire Tephriki cities descended into chaos and panic. Security forces, medical doctors and Jedi to make sense of the crisis and hold back the storm that was sweeping across the planet. In some towns, the unrest coincided with outbreaks of racial violence.


It was in this situation that the Jedi decided to assume a protective stance. They were, in their own mind, the only body that could be considered neutral and objective. Furthermore, it was their duty to protect the people. Having lost all contact with the rest of the Order, many of them feared that they might be the last Jedi left.


By then the Tephriki had lost contact with Coruscant. Emissaries were dispatched to find out what was going on. Most never returned. Panic broke out. Desperation drove people to do desperate things. Rumours that there was a cure but the rich were hoarding it spread like wild fire. There was no cure, but people wanted to believe in one. The result was violent unrest. Blood flowed in the streets. As the situation worsened, doomsday cults arose. The federal security forces and the Jedi Knights found themselves beleaguered, forcing them to carry out harsh crackdowns. Isolation soon led to shortages.


Many common people flocked to the Enclave, believing that the Jedi could offer them protection and healing. It was hoped their mystical powers could cure the sick. However, Jedi healers were just as baffled by the plague as medical practitioners across the Galaxy. Soon the enclave was overflowing with refugees and the Jedi were forced to turn people away, for they could not risk an outbreak. When some civilians tried to storm the enclave, force had to be used to drive them off.


Tephrike's situation kept deteriorating. A Grand Coalition government, composed of five parties, took power and ruled through emergency decrees. The strongest party in the Coalition was the National Liberal Democratic Party of Tephrike. Detractors said that it was neither national nor liberal nor democratic. It was led by Guy Aybel, a Duros politician.


The political landscape had already been polarised before the outbreak. Now party militias clashed in the streets. Groups such as the Gungan Homeland Movement, the Quarren League and the Pan-Human Front raised their own private militias and fought over scarce resources. Desperate measures were taken in an attempt to stem the outbreak. Areas were cordoned off and the houses of infected were often sealed. Entire city districts were turned into no-go areas. Lynching became common. The Jedi tried to meditate between the riven factions, but were drawn into the fighting. Disconcent grew in their ranks, as they felt the politicians were using them for their own selfish gain to suppress rebels who had legitimate grievances.


It was an incident called Bloody Sunday that broke the camel's back. On this day, unarmed demonstrantors, led by a priest who was ironically a police agent, were fired upon by Yuuzhan Vong government troopers as they marched to Parliament. The soldiers would later claim that the protesters had been violent and that shots had been fired from within the crowd. There is a grain of truth to this. However, there is no doubt that the vast majority of the protesters were unarmed civilians. A few young Jedi had come to see the rally. When the protest reached a pitch, and the soldiers opened fire many around her were killed, including Younglings, recalling the famous massacre committed by Clone Troopers and Vong Warriors centuries ago. One of the injured Padawans was a young Jedi called Mahtara, the future Battlemaster of the Dominion.


The government appointed a committee to conduct an investigation. A number of low-level soldiers were punished, but few changes took place in the upper ranks. This incident was the catalyst for the Jedi coup. A radical Duros Jedi Master called Zaras Dant acquired many followers when she proclaimed that it was time for the Jedi to do their duty and save Tephrike from itself. Only they could see the bigger picture and look beyond race, class or party. Centuries ago the Jedi had failed the people by not recognising Palpatine's true nature and stopping him from destroying the Republic. Now they had failed the Galaxy again by not preventing the outbreak. For all they knew, they might be the last surviving Jedi. They could not stand by and let Tephrike tear itself apart. Nor could they continue being stooges of corrupt politicians.


Her beliefs were extremely controversial. But Zaras got her way, though the council vote was a close one. At first the charismatic Jedi Master seems to have intended to hand over power to an elected civilian government once the crisis had passed. Hence a number of members of Tephrike's parliament gave their tacit consent to the coup. She gathered a following among the Tephriki Jedi, but also members of the security forces who had grown disillusioned with the system. On the day of the coup, the putschists cut Palmyra's lines of communication with the outside world, seized its garrison, broadcasting studios, parliament building and government ministries. In concert with disgruntled soldiers, the Jedi stormed Government House, the residence of the Prime Minister.


It was Young Mahtara who arrested Gul. When it all came crumbling down, the Prime Minister sickened her with his cowardice. He was found by her hiding inside a cupboard. He promised to make her rich if she helped him escape. Disgusted by his craven attitude, she hit with the pommel of her lightsabre, then turned him over. Most of the members of his cabinet were arrested, but some managed to evade capture and go underground or flee to cities held by the loyalists. The coup also triggered a pogrom against Palmyra's Yuuzhan Vong community. Many Duros and Gungans were targeted as well. This had not been the intention of the Jedi putschists, but armed militias seized the chance to settle old scores. When Jedi tried to protect civilians from attacks, they came under fire. This affirmed the radicals' belief that only a firm hand could restore order and save the planet.


Zaras now believed thar she could only trust herself, her fellow Jedi and the Light. Deciding that politicians could not be trusted, she abandoned the united front strategy. When legislators arrived at Parliament building, Zaras appeared at the head of a contingent of soldiers. After her soldiers had disarmed the parliamentary guards and secured the exits, Zaras stepped into the hall to address the equal parts outraged and afraid legislators.


In her speech, Zaras denounced them as venal, cowardly and selfish. It was, she said, time to put an end to their sitting in this place, which they had dishonoured by their contempt of all virtue and defiled by their practice of every vice. Like the Senate of the Galactic Republic, they would sell their soul to darkness for a few pieces of aurodium. Was there a single virtue remaining among them? Was there a single vice they did not possess? They had no regard for the greater good. Through petty theft and fighting amongst themselves, they had lost the right to lead this world. She concluded her speech by declaring: "Go, get out! Make haste! You venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of the Light, go!"


A number of lawmakers were arrested, the rest were escorted out. The building was placed under lockdown. It would later be converted into a hospital for those in need. With the civilian government dissolved, Zaras proclaimed herself the first Jedi Lord of Tephrike. She appointed a mixed cabinet composed of Jedi Masters, military officers and apolitical technocrats. She declared that it was her heal goal to unite Tephrike, give hope to the hopeless, restore clean government and banish the plague that had ravaged the planet. But many contested her rule. Uprisings sparked in several provinces. Ironically, the Jedi junta was soon forced to adopt many of the measures of the old government to contain the spread of the plague. The containment measures were having an effect, but were unconscionable for some.


Forces that were loyal to the old government and members of the opposition who rejected the new régime as tyrannical united in the Alliance of Democratic Forces. A few Jedi and some Neutral Force-Users joined their ranks. The capital became a battleground. During fighting in the capital, Mahtara ran into her old teacher, who was protecting civilians. Tallak had reluctantly accepted the overthrow of the old government, but the dismantlement of constitutional government and the creation of a Jedi military junta was a step too far for him. Mahtara would not fight her old teacher, but she could also not join him.


The Jedi were few in number, so the junta ordered mass conscription of Force-Sensitives. In many cases, they could only be given minimal training. Personnel shortages forced young Jedi into positions they would have otherwise only obtained after after a far longer period of training, if at all. Eventually the Jedi forces were able to secure Palmyra, Tephrike's capital, abd break the ADF's siege.


It helped that while the Alliance was united in its desire to overthrow the Jedi junta, they had little unanimity beyond that. As with many rebel coalitions, they were very fractious. However, the junta suffered a powerful blow when Jedi Lord Zaras Dant was assassinated by traitorous bodyguards while she was boosting her soldiers through battle meditation. Ironically, a rogue Jedi Knight had helped facilitate the assassination. He was arrested and executed.


Tyian Kree, a Devaronian Jedi Master, emerged as the new Jedi Lord. A charismatic, fierce woman, she shared Zaras' belief that it was the Jedi's duty to take control. However, she took things a step further. Zaras had been a reluctant ruler and ruled as a largely secular military dictator. By contrast, Tyian was a theocrat. With large swathes of the populace at the risk of starvation, the Jedi Lord implemented a policy of requisitions. All spheres of economic life would be nationalised, those who did not work would be conscripted into labour battalions and hoarding would be punished severely.


Tyian was very ambitious - and had unknowingly fallen to the Dark Side. Obsessed with the idea that the Plague had been a Sith conspiracy and that agents of darkness lurked everywhere, she saw the uprisings sparking across the planet as confirmation. The infrastructure for a dictatorship had already been put into place by Zaras, but Tyian finished what her predecessor had started by implementing a totalitarian theocracy. For it was the only way to ensure that the Light would not be eclipsed by the forces of Darkness. In order to save the last vestiges of civilisation, the Jedi would have to harden their hearts. Furthermore, they would have to spread their beliefs to the common people, lest they become pawns of the Darkness. The Dominion of Light was born.


Tyian's rule was opposed by remnants of the ADF, secessionists, rogue Jedi who believed the order has gone too far and a myriad dark cults. Ultimately many of these opposition forces would be united under the banner of the Republican Guard and the Disciples of the Vader. Jedi Mahtara began her ascent as a military commander during this time. The Dominion strengthened its hold on Tephrike, launching campaigns to bring the rebellious provinces under control and deliver aid to those in need. But it also grew more ruthless. Sometimes the populace and enemy soldiers had to be compelled through terror to submit. Those infected by the plague had to be isolated. They could not waste time with imprisoning hostile Force-users and redeeming them through gentle persuasion. Civilians had to be conscripted to serve as soldiers or labourers - at gunpoint if need be. In time the Dominion initiated a cloning programme to preserve its best servants. It also began to regulate the reproductive rights of the people under its control.


Palmyra had suffered severe damage due to the fighting and the Dominion's leaders did not feel secure in the city. So Tyian ordered the construction of Nexus City. It was supposed to be a city on the hill, a sanctuary for the innocent and a shining example to the rest of Tephrike. Tyian's forces laid siege to Red Coral City, an underwater settlement of Gungans and Nautolans where remnants of the old government had sought refuge. However, some clone trooper units defected and were able to turn the battle into the rebels' favour. The settlement would become the headquarters of the Republican Guard, a radical rebel faction that opposed Force-user dominance.


Tyian died of a heart attack. After her death, the Jedi Generals elected Norn Astur as her successor. Though a Jedi Master, he lacked his predecessors' authority and charisma. To legitimise his claim he assumed the title of Grandmaster. In all fairness to him, he and his comrades believed that they were the last Jedi in the Galaxy. He was still busy asserting himself when the Dominion's leaders learned that one of their Jedi Commanders, a young Jedi Knight called Cade Seward, had fallen to the Dark Side and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith.


Cade had been after the start of the Dark Age. Thrust into combat at a young age, he was thrust into combat. It was a chaotic time. Jedi ruled over vast swathes of territory as Jedi Lords, seeking to impose order by any means necessary. They dispensed justice, requisitioned supplies to feed population centres under their control and commanded armies. For some the strain proved too much, and the siren call of the Dark Side could not be resisted. Reaching officer rank, Seward was part of a bloody campaign against rebels in Tephrike's jungles.


These rebels considered the Jedi theocracy illegitimate and sought to restore Tephrike's pre-Gulag Virus Republic, though in practical terms they were another warlord faction. The campaign was not going well, for though the Jedi forces could deploy impressive firepower, they were harassed by guerillas and plagued by disease. Increasingly, food and clean water became scarce. Disease and malnutrition caused higher casualties on both sides than actual combat. Fast growing creepers grounded their transports. Morale was understandably poor. Some soldiers made the mistake of eating the wrong plant and suffered from hallucinations that a number of cases drove them mad. Jedi Knight Seward took command over a section of the forces after his superior was fragged by mutineers.


Bitten by a nasty mosquito, Seward was afflicted with malaria. Suffering from the effects of the diseases, which caused headaches, fever and uncontrolled seizures, he experienced bizarre visions. Even as a child, he'd received Force visions, but now these were more intense. In his fever dreams, he saw a towering warrior clad from head to toe in black armour, with his face covered by an imposing mask. The figure handed him a scarlet lightsabre and, in a cold, gruff voice, ordered him to break the chains the Jedi had placed upon him and eclipse the light. It took some time, but eventually Seward succumbed. Drawing upon his somewhat incorrect knowledge of history, he deduced that the masked man in black had to be the legendary Darth Vader. He shared his revelations with a few subordinates. Some refused to heed his bold vision. They were put to death. The rest swore allegiance to him. Secretly reaching out to the rebel forces, he struck a deal with them, and led the Jedi loyalists into an ambush. Holding his own troops back from the fighting, he proceeded to turn on the rebels. Conveniently, they were in a poor state as well and so a good number of their soldiers joined his cause when he promised them revenge and booty.


After taking over a few settlements and assimilating various militias and bands of marauders into his army, he began his dark crusade. At first dismissed as a mere bandit, the Windian Jedi Order eventually realised that this rogue, who had begun to call himself Darth Menace, was an actual threat. This changed after he had won several victories over them. Supporters of the Dominion were massacred en masse or turned into Sithspawn abominations. He also did not shy away from using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The Dominion was driven to radicalise even further. All aspects of life were subordinated to a total war policy. Eventually the two armies met at Palmyra, still damaged from the earlier civil war. The city was devastated by the brutality of the fighting. Tactical ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, artillery and Force magicks caused large-scale devastation.


Jedi General Mahtara, the future Battlemaster of the Dominion, was one of the Jedi commanders who faced Menace in the field at the ruins of Palmyra. She received her promotion to Master in the field after holding off a Sith attack. However, the battle was going ill. Both the Dominion and the Sith troops fought fiercely. Humanitarian conventions had been abandoned in the favour of what was considered efficient. The Sith gained ground by conducting a ritual to summon a huge Deadly Field and raising the dead as zombies. Rumours claimed that Darth Menace intended to use blood sacrifices to open a gateway to Chaos. In this hour, Mahtara was authorised to unleash a terrible weapon. In essence, it amounted to a Force nuke.


Troubled by the use of this weapon, yet desperate, Mahtara insisted on accompanying the bomber crew that would drop the weapon upon Palmyra. It was not possible to evacuate all Dominion troops and Jedi in time, as they were still locked in combat with the Sith legions. Lacking conventional stealth systems, the bomber was concealed by illusions. However, a Sith mentalist managed to see past the concealment and the bomber came under fire. Insisting on completing the mission, Mahtara gave the order to drop the bomb. The weapon did not just cause devastation and kill its targets, it consumed their souls. Those who were caught in the blast radius could not pass on into the Force. Palmyra ceased to exist. But the Sith crusade came to an end. Menace's forces retreated, going on the so called Arduous March. He was eventually slain by one of his lieutenants. The Vaderites regrouped at Castle Maysaf, but their bid to conquer Tephrike had failed.


On paper, it was a victory for the Dominion. In the years to come the Dominion launched several counterattacks to retake terirtory lost to rebel forces. It established itself as the dominant faction on the planet. But victory had come at a staggering cost. Palmyra had not just been destroyed, it had been irrevocably tainted. The contaminated ruins were placed under lockdown. Feeling immense guilt about her actions, Mahtara put down her lightsabre and resigned from active service.


Perhaps under more pragmatic leadership, the Dominion might have been able to reunite Tephrike under one banner and rebuild the planet, as far as that was still possible. However, this was not to be. Instead it experienced a descent into zealotry, which reached its peak when the Blue Guards initiated the Cultural Revolution.


New leaders came to power. Men and women who knew nothing except the Dominion. Looking back at the older generations of Jedi, they saw failures. The wars had hardened them and inured them to to their horrors. And they believed that to prevent another Collapse, the entire society of the Dominion would have to be indoctrinated in accordance with their warped understanding of Jedi principles. Cloning became a fixture rather than a provisional measure to solve the manpower crisis and replenish the decimated population. Intercourse was declared to be sinful. Instead the miracle of life must take place in a medically sanctioned way inside a laboratory, thereby eliminating the risk of citizens succumbing to lust, as it led to the Dark Side. All new-born must be raised by the state. Free enterprise was abolished.


The Great Enlightenment, an economic and social campaign to rapidly transform the country's economy through rapid industrialisation and collectivisation ended in failure. It was an important factor in the Great Tephriki Famine. It was supposed to create a world of plenty, but spawned just the opposite. The calamity weakened the position of Grandmaster Tsal Te Mong, whose policies were criticised by members of the Jedi Order and the cabinet.


This led to the rise of the Blue Guards. They were a paramilitary social movement composed mostly of students, Padawans and young Knights. They saw themselves as a revolutionary youth organisation and Grandmaster Tsal Te Mong as their commander-in-chief. They saw it as their duty to dismantle Tephrike's pre-Dominion past and crush all opposition to its rebirth as a theocratic utopia.


The catalyst for the Blue Guards' destructive campaign was a play called Rai Hui Dismissed from Office. Ben, the man who wrote the play, was a historian and Jedi scholar who grew interested in Rai Hui. Rai had been dismissed and unjustly imprisoned for criticising the destructive policies of Prime Minister Winston Stakes, a pre-Dark Age Tephriki politician. The play was a tragedy in which an honest official and Jedi carried the complaints of the people to the Prime Minister at the expense of his career. It portrayed Rai as an honest magistrate who sought an audience with the corrupt billionaire. Rai then criticised Stakes directly for tolerating the corruption and abuse perpetuated by his officials, laying the blame for Golden Future Fusion Reactor meltdown at his feet. The Prime Minister was so offended by Rai's criticism that he dismissed Rai from office. However, the honest magistrate was restored after Stakes' impeachment.


The Blue Guards saw the play as allegorical criticism of the Grandmaster. At the time, Tsal was under fire because her economic collectivisation policies had produced disaster. They started as a small grass roots movement, but soon grew in power. Seeing them as a means to secure his grip on power, Tsal endorsed them. They waged a campaign against the Four Olds (old culture, old thinking, old habits and old customs). Backed by the Grandmaster and the so called Gang of Three, they unleashed a wave of terror.


In the new utopia, everything, material or spiritual, that was contaminated by the past, had to be jettisoned so that a new and more beautiful could emerge. According to them, the key which would unlock this radiant future was religious consiousness. The results were disastrous. Without the Great Enlightenment and the Cultural Revolution, it is likely that the Dominion would have been able to crush the Vaderites and the Republican Guard. Instead, both groups rebel groups were able to expand and transition into becoming significant threats.


Eventually the Blue Guards' reign of terror spurred the army into action. Retired Jedi Master Mahtara ended her retirement after one of her Padawans had been targeted. She herself wassubjected to a 'Criticise Mahtara' campaign the Jedi who had helped assassinate Zaras had been her teacher. Realising that the Dominion was on the brink, she conspired with a clique of generals to put an end to the madness. The Blue Guards were disarmed, but Mahtara took thing a step further by smuggling herself and some loyal associates into Nexus City. There she took command of a legion of clone troopers loyal to her and placed the Grandmaster under house arrest. When he refused to give a speech legitimising their actions, the putschists used an impostor. Tsal was strangled when forces loyal to him tried to free him from captivity.


As far as the public knew, the Gang of Three had represented a Sith cabal and the army was acting in accordance with the will of the Grandmaster. Later a somewhat reduced High Council convened to elect a new Grandmaster, who was a puppet of the army. This might have been the moment for change. However, Mahtara had lost her faith in freedom. To her it lead to chaos. So she chose order over liberty. So while the new regime moderated the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, closed several centres of repression and issued an amnesty for most prisoners, the substance of the regime remained the same. Instead, its totalitarian nature was refined as the new powerbrokers sought to create a system of total control over their populace. Creating a harmonious, orderly society required growing and moulding citizens for specific roles. Obviously their grip was the strongest in Nexus City and the other core territories of the Dominion. Conditions varied in the remote provinces. Harsh counterinsurgency campaigns were waged against rebel forces there. It was a brutal, dirty war on both sides of the conflict.


Mahtara remained a key player in successive Dominion administrations, eventually reaching the position of Battlemaster. When Grandmaster Kalija tried to break out of the gilded cage and exercise true power, she was quietly eliminated. Since then few Grandmasters left the palace after being put into power.


The Dominion was once again put to the test by the Netherworld Event. The mass disapearances disrupted a grand offensive against opposition forces. Unrest broke out in Nexus City. The Republican Guard took advantage of the fact that its primary enemies had been weakened by the Force being thrown out of balance. The rebels launched the Hundred Days' Offensive.


Around the same time, the Vaderites had had a civil war that brought Darth Krieg to power. Krieg had discovered a book that told the true story of Vaders' redemption. In actuality it was a Galactic Civil War for Dummies type book. Regardless, it had led him to conclude that the Vaderites must forsake the Dark Side. This did not stop him from ruling like a despot. He extended an olive branch to the Dominion, urging reunification. Of course, he expected to be in charge. He was rebuffed, and so he declared the Jedi to be heretics. The Vaderites made a secret pact with elements of the Republican Guard leadership and entered the war as their de facto cobelligerents.


The weakened Dominion was backed against a wall. To buy time and make every enemy victory as costly as possible, Mahtara implemented scorched earth policies. At the same time she used subterfuge to drive a wedge between the two unwieldy allies, souring their alliance. With many Vaderites more interested in marauding, the Republican Guard bore the brunt of the fighting. Their attempt to seize Fortress Purity, a crucial breastwork on the way to Nexus City, failed and the expected mass uprising of Dominion citizens did not materialise. Their offensive ground to a halt. Krieg was later murdered by Vaderites, who swiftly returned to Dark Side worship.


Jedi Master Aegus was elected as the new Grandmaster. Prior to his ascent to supreme office, he had been the Barse'thor of the Order. At the time he was known for his kindness, moderation and compassion. He had become popular with the small folk by fearlessly walking into homes whose inhabitants had been infected with a deadly disease and using his powers to heal them or alleviate their pain. He had also exposed corruption in the Order and punished Jedi who had been abusing their students. However, the Netherworld Event had a negative effect on his psyche. He was wounded in a poison gas attack, which left him temporarily blinded. During his recuperation he was tormented by apocalytic visions. These did not cease after his election. They took a toll on his sanity.


Realising that he was unsuitable yet unable to replace him so soon, Mahtara sought to isolate Aegus from the machinery of government. The Grandmaster was kept in his palace and fed fake reports about the state of the country. This only increased his resentment. Grand Inquisitor Antonius, a conniving political operator, played on his growing paranoia. It can only be speculated what would have happened if things had taken their normal course.


However, the Dominion's core beliefs where put into question when outsiders suddenly showed up in Tephrike's orbit. The outsiders were not dark side demons, but a Firemane expeditionary fleet, led by Tegaea Alcori. Initial contact was violent. A Dominion starfighter squadron was wiped out after attacking the fleet. Then Firemane landed on one of Tephrike's moons and seized a Dominion base. Thereafter Jedi Master Airla contacted the Firemane commander in the name of the Council.


The High Council was divided on what to do. Some wanted to go to war against the infidels, others advised moderation. The Battlemaster was in the latter category. Though suspicious of the outsiders, she also saw their arrival as an opportunity. Moreover, she deemed it vital to stop them from making common cause with the Dominion's enemies. Jedi Master Airla was charged with negotiating with them. The Grandmaster was not informed, having been distracted with exaggerated news of a great victory over the Sith. However, Grand Inquisitor Antonius conspired to sabotage the talks.


When a Firemane delegation landed at Nexus City, they were received by Airla. The initial talks between her and the Firemane diplomat were amicable, but tense. They came to a premature end when soldiers dispatched by the Grand Inquisitor opened fire on the delegation. A fierce fight ensued. Regular Dominion trooper, believing that the outsiders had attacked their comrades, joined the battle. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, the adoptive daughter of Tegaea, was captured by the Inquisition and spirited away to a brainwashing camp. Moreover, some Firemane-allied pilots were shot down. Pursued by Dominion troops, they were saved by the Republican Guard.


Mahtara was outraged, but the balance of power had shifted. Riding a wave of religious fervour, the Grandmaster took control, declaring that the outsiders were Sith who wished to destroy the Dominion. Firemane's demands for the return of the prisoners were rebuffed. In response, the corporation declared war. Mahtara was wise enough to leave the Temple after Firemane started bombing the shield generator of Nexus City. This turned out to be a wise choice as the shield fell and the Temple was levelled. Firemane bombed communication centres, Jedi academies and military installations. The Grandmaster and the Grand Inquisitor retreated to a bunker, while Mahtara defeated assassins sent by the Inquisition. Realising the folly of her superior's actions, Mahtara linked up with her allies and went underground. There she plotted to remove the 'tyrant' and ordered her agents to find and secure the captive Elpsis, who was being held at a black site and brainwashed by the Inquisition.


The Dominion retaliated by deploying powerful strategic missiles against Firemane's fleet. These represented their strategic reserve, only to be used in the direst of circumstances. Mahtara's agents were able to secure two of the missiles, but the others were launched. One destroyed a Firemane corvette, the other was stopped by tractor beams before it could do the same to their command ship. Firemane made an uneasy alliance with the Republican Guard and landed ground troops to take Fortress Purity. At the same time a task force was dispatched to locate and rescue - or avenge - the lost Elpsis. Ironically, Mahtara was trying to secure her as well and so both task forces ended up clashing. Elpsis was eventually able to overcome her brainwashing and killed the Grand Inquisitor, inciting a prisoners' revolt. Jedi Diona, a remorseful Inquisitor, helped her overcome her captors.


Meanwhile, a brutal battle was fought at Fortress Purity. The Dominion troops compensated their technological inferiority through ingenuity, mass use of Force-Users and by deploying a weather control machine. The storm made it hazardous for Firemane to deploy bombers and gunships. The Republican Guard was also initially reluctant to deploy in full force, as they had failed here once and did not trust their new allies. Eventually the fortress fell to the allied forces, though the price in blood was considerable. In the last stages of the battle, the Dominion commanders deployed a brigade of Younglings to cover their retreat. They went on a suicidal death charge.


The Grandmaster was apoplectic when he heard of the defeat. Then Mahtara's allies killed him and took control of Nexus City. The Battlemaster addressed the nation, explaining that he had been murdered by Sith. Grand Inquisitor Antonius was branded a closeted Sith, who had been responsible for the Dominion's woes and deceived the kindly Grandmaster. Aegus would be more useful in death as a martyr than he had ever been in life. Some Jedi Generals went rogue, but having an elder stateswoman at the helm ensured continuity of government. However, the Dominion's situation was grim. The Republican Guard's standards had been planted on Fortress Purity. Moreover, the Dominion no longer had Elpsis in their custody and hence could not use her as a bargaining chip to make a deal with Firemane.


Mahtara realised that in order to survive, the Dominion would have to change. It would also have to alter its strategy, as the old methods would not work. Ironically, in a way the invasion was a good thing. She reflected bitterly that despite the losses, it was the challenge and the loss of their corrupt leaders which made the Dominion a viable force. Many of the more fanatical, irrational officers perished at Fortress Purity or met 'accidents' in the days after. This made the Dominion a stronger foe for its enemies.



While she was busy getting her house in order, Dominion troops encountered a new group of outsiders. They called themselves Archangel. This time extremists did not sabotage diplomatic negotiations. The newcomers appeared to be opposed to Firemane, or claimed to be that at any rate. They offered the Dominion more advanced weapons and war machines. In return they asked for raw materiels and captives. It was a devil's bargain, but far from the first the regime had made. The initial shipments were small, but field tests proved promising, which gave Dominion morale a boost. Now the Dominion mobilises for a life or death struggle against its foes.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


New unit ideas:

1. Celestial Dragons:

The Qadiri aeromancers who showed up in Tephrike. Specialise in wind and lightning powers. In other words, they can summon strong winds, lightning, thunderstorms, mist and make it rain.


This means they can hit enemy forces hard with elemental power, conceal allied troops and impede the advance of enemies (torrential rainfalls make it difficult to move fast, after all, and reduce visibility).


But fancy elemental feats require a lot of focus and concentration. Thus vulnerable during their rituals. What kind of weapons would they have? Led by Bakana Jai Aramal.


Refer to using storms as summoning the sky dragon per thread. Do they mean this literally? In other word, give their view on their abilities a mystical/religious elemenet? Are they something Firemane founded or a pre-existing group that was coopted?


2.

Blades of the Blessed Dread:

More cray-crazy Xio zealots. Cult of assassins who used to serve the old régime. Believe that the universe is defined by pain, fear and struggle and that one achieves enlightenment through this.


They swore allegiance to Sio after she cast down the false goddess Mystra, proving that she was stronger. The fear she inspired caused them to admire her. Now they commit acts of fear and death in her name to become like her. See her as a mistress of fear and spread her 'gift' to her enemies.


Small unit. Force-users who specialise in stealth, poisons and fear-inducing powers and ice/water abilities. Have vibrodaggers, monofilament garrottes, shatter pistols, poison dart launchers, maybe also disruptors and Berserk. Loosely associated with Xalda's cult...but extreme even by their standards, which says something.


3. Coven of Tlaxqui

Revision of an old sub of Unique/Limited Xio witches. Feel like revising them as a Unique/Elite/Medium unit. They could focus on stuff like terramancy, Force Net, dark healing, Crucitorn and mental attacks, as well as using the Force to create regular darkness for concealment.


Maybe some overlap in terms of membership with the Daughters, but not a direct component, I think. Something pre-existing or set up by Firemane?


4.

Lions of Dahomey:

Unit composed of Dahomian mercenaries. Specialise in fast attacks, getting in, hitting the enemy hard and getting out. Maybe an air cavalry type unit. Not good for slug fests, but mobile and hard hitting.


Their commander is called Serenity. Naturally she is not serene at all. Likes drinking, fighting, showing off and money. Group could have been founded some time after Dahomey was liberated from the slavers by Sio/Tegs.


Maybe worked with OP and the local government for a while, then went independent. Maybe the hard core of the group was composed of Dahomian resistance fighters. Extremely ruthless when dealing with slavers. Uncertain who to associate them with. Could be Vae or Vari.


5.

Possible Shadow Knight unit: Assuming the edits go through, maybe a Dark Eldorai Forsaken unit composed of Kaeshana survivors who escaped the final cataclysm. Maybe they were stuck in the Netherworld for a while, which left some of them a little mad. Some could have been renegades who fought the ancien régime and FO, but many should have just been normal Eldorai who got swept up by the calamities and had to adapt.


Hardened by their experiences, they're really bitter, but have gotten over most of the issues other Eldorai groups (including Shadows) have. Militant survivalists. Perhaps a mixture of FU and NFU warriors. Maybe even a few Kar'zun?


Need a unit name. Alas I already used Revenants elsewhere. Maybe a Dahomian style name like, the Relentless (in the Eldorai language)? Kaida/Eyrecae could run into them.



6. Something for Enyo.


Maybe a Shard organisation. Or a team of Force-Sensitive street youths that was coopted/trained by her and now act as enforcers who intimidate/assassinate her enemies.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

1. Not a literal dragon, lol. It's a religious element to their powers, yes. I'd say they were pre-existing, but not always used for war. I'd think their skills would be highly in demand in the arid regions the Qadiri usually lived in. Possibly a monk or similar order who would aid those with a righteous cause...and good donations of course.
2. Even Xalda considers these ones a bit too far! I think that FM should keep a very close eye on them in case they feel that Sio is 'going soft' and not inducing enough fear and terror. They might also need tight control in combat in case they 'hone their skills' on prisoners.
3. Created by Firemane from existing witch and earth covens. Another group FM will have to be careful with.
4. Yes, sounds good.
5. How about: The Harrowed? I'd reckon this group would be truly independent. They'd pretty much hate everyone, and maybe might be a bit insane.
6. Shards are good. Gives Garnet something to do.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

1. Is there a sky deity the Celestial Dragons believe in? Any ideas for history?

2. Agreed. Any further suggestions re insane Xio Assassins and the Coven? E.g. re history, leading members.

3. Harrowed sounds good. Any suggestions for their leader? And what should the skills of their FUs be?

4. Sub the Shards as a combat unit or a Lore group? Also got a name suggestion?

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

Idea for some Aspirant mooks:


Essentially holy warriors of Ashira. Mixed unit of NFUs and FUs. FUs are warrior-priestesses and lead the mooks. Perhaps 3 FUs per squad, with each squad having 12 members in total. Maybe based a bit on Knights Hospitallers.

1. I'm thinking Rare/Small. Normally I'd rate a Rare FU unit as Veteran, but since FUs will only be a minority maybe Elite is appropriate. Alternately Rare/Medium/Veteran to have more of them to play with. Thoughts?
2. Got a name suggestion?
3. And what abilities could the FUs have?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
How about the Knights Gloriana or the Knights Domina.

Rare/Medium/Veteran is fair.

Thinking they'd be mainly healers and support.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


I like Knights Gloriana. Domina might make the censors whine.


Hmm any ideas for their leader? Let's not make her another rogue Angelii. We've had so many of those.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Regular NFU soldier perhaps then?

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

'Essentially holy warriors of Ashira. Mixed unit of NFUs and FUs. FUs are warrior-priestesses and lead the mooks. Perhaps 3 FUs per squad, with each squad having 12 members in total. Maybe based a bit on Knights Hospitallers.'


An FU would be in command.


The Angelii corps only has 10 thousand members. Not every powerful Eldorai Force-Sensitive would be an Angelii. It also gets a bit redundant to say 'she used to be an Angelii, then she defected because reasons'. At that rate, they have more rogues than members.


So I'd like something different here.