Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To flesh out the ranks of the Order of Fire and Firemane.
Image Credit: Here. 'New Conglomerate female medic' by Hebime. Found on hebime.deviantart.com.
Role: Specialised unit of healers and combat medics.
Permission: ARGH gear available per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here and here. CD-X Cryptologic Key available for Firemane per this thread.
Links: Firemane Industries, Vashyada, Four of a Kind, Qadiri, Tides of Darkness, Vailkai.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Order of Fire Hospitallers.
Affiliation: Firemane Industries, Order of Fire, House Kerrigan, Siobhan.
Classification: Healers, combat medics.
Description: Disease, enemy fire, 'friendly' fire - all produce fatalities. Huge casualties tend to be demoralising and skilled soldiers are difficult to replace. Especially since people are more reluctant to flood the recruiting stations if soldiers on your side keep dying like flies. This makes having good medics essential. Thus Firemane Industries' paramilitary forces maintain their own medical corps of dedicated combat medics and physicians. Within this corps, the Order of Fire Hospitallers occupy a rather special role, for they are trained to use the Force to heal serious inuries and treat diseases.
The higher-ranking members of the group can carry out complex surgeries, though these are obviously performed far away from any battlefield. In that regard their role can be compared to that of a Jedi healer, with the difference that they are part of the command structure of a paramilitary corporation's Force-using branch as opposed to a monastic order. The combination of conventional and preternatural training makes them highly proficient medics.
However, though their primary duty is to save lives, this does not mean they cannot bring on the pain if need be. Every Hospitaller is a certified rifleman or riflewoman, able to defend themselves and their patients if need be. Aside from healing, the Force powers they focus on are Force Shield and Force Stun, which tallies with their defensive focus, as they can use their gifts to protect themselves and their comrades from attacks or immobilise opponents. They are professional, disciplined and dedicated to saving people from the harshest of trauma.
Outside of combat situations, Hospitallers also participate in Firemane's humanitarian operations, providing medical care to those in need, especially on more primitive worlds where healthcare is lacking. Moral considerations aside, this is also helpful when it comes to building up a support base among the indigenous population. Thus they help win hearts and minds, aiding the wounded and sick in hospitals set up by Firemane. When assigned to hearts and minds missions, they often work together with the Disciples of the Stone, a crack unit of Kar'zun engineers. They have performed such tasks in conflict zones as diverse as Arkas, Tygara and Kaeshana. More recently, they aided in relief efforts on Arkas, where an undead plague on the island of Serenade had to be contained via bombardment.
Their training is rather intense, which limits their size. Aside from being taught Force-based healing, they receive training as light infantry, learn about anatomy, biology and attend medic school. Thus the Hospitallers are not a large corps and cannot be deployed en masse. In the early days, before Firemane had sufficient trainers, many Hospitallers cross-trained with Priestesses of the Church of Ashira or members of fringe Force organisations. While critical mass has been reached, it still maintains ties with these groups. Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, a Mistress of the Fire Order, spent some time with the Hospitallers to hone her skills as a healer. A few Hospitallers have been assigned to Firemane's exploration subdivision, which is headed by Tegaea Alcori.
Recently, several Vashyada affiliated with Firemane have joined the Hospitallers. Many of the wood elves are talented healers. It helps that the Hospitallers tend to attract the more light-sided members of the Order of Fire, as most Vashyada are devotees of the Light. This makes them a natural fit for the group. These Vashyada tend to be the most adventurous of their race. They have joined as part of an exchange programme, which aims to uplift the Vashyada and teach them how to cope in the greater Galaxy. They serve for a certain number of years, send part of their remuneration back to their families and eventually return to their clans to pass on what they have learned.
Some of their healing practices have rubbed off on the Hospitallers. One example for a Vashyada Hospitaller is Vailkai, a skilled druidess and one of the acolytes of Tylania, the Paragon of the wood elves. Vailkai follows the Light and is sceptical of Firemane, but works with them due to the aid they have rendered her people. She also sees her job as looking out for her fellow Vashyada and making sure they are treated fairly and remember where they come from. The Hospitallers have also acquired a number of Qadiri members. These tend to be devotees of Myrkash, the Qadiri goddess of healing and medicine. Because of the history of animosity between the two elf races, Qadiri and Vashyada are generally put in separate teams. Many of the Qadiri members hail from Lakish, a Qadiri fiefdom whose people have been under Firemane influence ever since Lady Kerrigan deposed their tyrannous ruler.
Like with all subdivisions of the Order of Fire, the Hospitallers follow a dual rank system. This means that every member has a rank in the Order and a corresponding one in Firemane's military hierarchy, which reflects their skill, experience and years of service. Thus a Hospitaller cannot overrule a 'mundane' officer just because he or she is a Force-user, though on the flip side a Firemane member would be expected to heed their advice in an area they're clearly an expert. The Force may be a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural, but it does makes you fit for command without having the necessary experience and qualifications.
The unit is led by Chief Apotheracy Atsuko Kitazawa, a stern Atrisian soldier, healer and doctor. Her knowledge of the healing arts is paired with a strong understanding of the anatomy of many sentient species. Atsuko experienced Atrisia's Anti-Force-User Purge first-hand. Indeed, she was one of its victims, though she was eventually able to escape. These events left their mark on her. She is a very dour, imperious woman. Indeed, she has a reputation for being a bit of a tyrant, but this is paired with a determination to care for her patients.
She knows what's best for them and will not hesitate to say so, even when dealing with general officers. Good does not have to mean nice, after all. Atsuko is dedicated to her craft, but also likes the finer things in life. It helps that her job pays well. Though initially sceptical of the unit's new Tygaran members, she accepted them after they had proved their competence. She gives them a hard time, but she does that to everyone, as it is supposed to push recruits to give their all. Her own experience of being discriminated and persecuted for what she was have left her very intolerant of the racist sentiments some employees have. Atsuko is one of the Commanders of Fire, the most senior officers of the Order.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Rare
Unit Experience: Elite
Equipment:
Armour:
- ACS-004 Olympian Battle Armor. Commlink uses CD-X cryptologic key.
Sidearms, Wrist and Underbarrel:
- Cylix Bolt Pistol
- Sonic Disruptor
- SSK-5 Icon Blaster Pistol
- Shatter Pistol
- ACS-207 Aerosolblaster.
- Wrist Bolter
- ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer.
- Under-Barrel Sonic Blaster
- Combat Vibrodagger
- Sarix Mk2
- Grenades.
- U20 Field Wrist Link.
- Standard medical equipment, including medkits, rebreathers, medisensors, bioscans, vibroscalpels, laser scalpels and laser cauterisers. Backpack contains bandages, antibiotics and bacta products.
- Generally assisted by FX-6, and IM-6 medical 2-1B surgical droids to help in diagonising and treating injuries. Access to field bacta tanks.
- They have access to Ghoush transports or Gar'surhbir-class Dropships to evacuate large groups of wounded.
- Access to air ambulances, Bantha Class Armoured Transports
They are equipped as light infantry and lack heavy weapons. Their focus is on saving lives by getting wounded away from the battlefield, treating the sick and injured. While they can defend themselves and take their place in the trenches, they are not equipped or meant to take on large numbers of enemies, armoured vehicles, fortifications and so on. Or meant to have dramatic duels with hostile Force-users. They possess only limited offensive Force powers, which puts them at a disadvantage if they find themselves going up against more combat-orientated Force-Users.
Strengths:
- Very skilled combat medics and healers.
- Trained as light infantry.
- Limited offensive Force powers. Lack the raw power of more combat-orientated Force warriors.
- Support unit, not a dedicated assault force. Lack heavy weapons. Disadvantage when confronted by heavy armour such as tanks.
Like any military, Firemane's armed forces possess their own medical corps. The Order of Fire Hospitallers represent a specialised sub-unit within it. In addition to being combat medics, they are also Force healers. Like many formations of the Order of Fire, the Hospitallers grew organically. Originally they were a rather ad hoc unit. The Order of Fire started as a rather loosely organised group meant to organise, train and vet Force-Users in Firemane's employ.
Lady Siobhan Kerrigan had risen through the ranks of Omega Pyre, eventually becoming the commander of the unit and later an Exarch of the Protectorate. As a result, she was used to Force-Users serving alongside their Non-Force-Using comrades in the army. She later applied this model to Firemane. The Order of Fire grew into a highly militarised, martial organisation of Force warriors. The growth of Firemane and the Order spurred the development of the Hospitallers. The expansion of their numbers caused their role to be formalised. In keeping with general Order of Fire policy, they instituted a dual rank system. This meant that every member had a rank in the Order and a corresponding one in Firemane's military hierarchy, which reflected their skill, experience and years of service.
Cross-training was common with members of fringe Force sects friendly to Firemane, as well as the more open-minded elements of the Church of Ashira. Eileithya Saedaris, an Ashiran priestess and healer, provided training to select Hospitallers and accompanied them on some of their early missions. However, this relationship was not free of tension, as more conservative members of the Church disliked fraternising with 'human monkeighs'. Atsuko Kitazawa, an Atrisian healer and medic, rose to become commander of the Hospitallers. Atsuko had fled from Atrisia following the initiation of an Anti-Force-User Purge by Empress Madeline Kahoshi.
The Hospitallers would see action in several Firemane engagements. The Order does not operate in a vacuum, so they operated alongside other Order formations and conventional Firemane troops, providing vital support. Though their primary combat function is that of healers, they were also drawn into combat. In that regard their training as light infantry and riflemen came in handy. While far from assault forces, the Hospitallers were trained to be capable frontline infantrymen. Nonetheless, this was a secondary role, as they were intended to be a support unit rather than a dedicated assault force. The Hospitallers saw action on Kaeshana both during the Exodus and in the Kaeshana Rebellion. Aside from taking care of Firemane and allied soldiers, they also saw to the needs of Eldorai refugees.
In addition to their soldierly duties, they also played an important role in Firemane humanitarian operations, particularly on primitive worlds such as Arkas and Tygara, where there was little infrastructure. When Firedawn was founded to feed, clothe and educate emancipated slaves on the aforementioned worlds, individual teams of Hospitaller were seconded to the humanitarian organisation. After all, many slaves not received medical treatment from their former owners. Moreover, Tygara had been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for millennia and so it was crucial to vaccinate the population against diseases the offworlders might have inadvertently introduced to the indigenous, pre-spaceflight civilisations.
During this time the unit received a new influx of Vashyada members. The wood elves were one of the races native to Tygara. In contrast to their more war-like cousins, they were a very peaceful people that lived in tune with nature. However, as intruders had often discovered, they were fierce in defending their home and their people. They were also dedicated to the Light. Though there was a large ideological gulf between them, the Vashyada's prophetess Tylania realised that her people needed to advance in order to protect their freedom. Thus she and Firemane's leader made a pact. Firemane would provide the elves with technology and help them found colonies on other worlds. In return, the Vashyada would lend their skills to the corporate empire.
The wood elves were poor and had a low tech level, but they had lightsabre crystals, skilled illusionists, stealthy scouts and healers. A good number of the Vashyada who entered Firemane's services were drawn to the scout corps and the Hospitallers. A number of Qadiri also joined the unit around the same time. Many of them had been members of Firemane's Qadiri Sepoy Corps before their talent for healing led them to the Hospitallers. A good number of them came from Lakish. This was probably no coincidence since their Mirza (royalty) Mazari was put on the throne by Siobhan. In return for being freed from the dungeon her relatives had imprisoned her in, Mazari sent some of her people's most capable healers to join the corps.
The new arrivals had to prove themselves, as a number of Firemane employees looked down on the 'forestlings', believing that they were too primitive to be of use. They were proved wrong when a mission to Raevana, a wild, extremely dangerous world, went south and the Vashyada's healing skills and knowledge of botany proved vital. Not only was the Firemane research team attacked by intelligent, savage lizardmen, many plants on the planet were poisonous, causing hallucinations or sickness. Taking this into account, the Order created all-Vashyada Hospitaller teams and all-Qadiri teams. At the same time, the first elves were accepted into the upper ranks.
A number of Hospitallers were assigned to Firemane's Exploration Corps, headed by Tegaea Alcori, the corporation's founder. They were aboard the Scarlet Destiny when it began its maiden voyage. However, what was supposed to be a peaceful exploration mission to initiate first contact with worlds cut off by the Gulag Virus turned into something significantly more bloody when they came across the world of Tephrike. A Firemane delegation was ambushed by extremists in the Jedi-led Dominion of Light, a totalitarian theocracy. In response, Firemane declared war. However, while Tephrike's technology had regressed due to near-constant warfare and four hundred years of isolation, the Dominion was a formidable opponent. When Firemane troops assaulted Fortress Purity, the Dominion employed the Force and a weather control machine to even the scales. Many Dominion troops fought to the last man. Some of the most fanatical turned themselves into living bombs.
Cut off from air support and under heavy fire from fanatical zealots, Firemane soldiers had to improvise. The raging storm also made it difficult to evacuate wounded. Some medical transports and gunships crashed due to it. A transport full of Hospitallers and wounded was forced to perform an emergency landing. They were soon attacked by Dominion militia and its Jedi commanders. The Hospitallers defended themselves fiercely, supported by regular combat medics and those wounded Firemane troopers who could still use a gun. The storm made it difficult to communicate with their allies, delaying the arrival of backup.
The beleaguered soldiers defended themselves and the wounded with grim determination. The Vashyada among them employed Plant Surge to hamstring enemies. Swarmed by militia and Jedi warriors, most of the Hospitallers fell in combat. But this bought their comrades time. In the end, a Hospitaller and one of the heavily wounded soldiers used explosives to blow up the broken transport, triggering a huge explosion. The survivors managed to reach friendly lines and were saved by reinforcements. The Hospitallers and other troopers who had given their lives were honoured by Firemane. Ultimately, Fortress Purity fell to the combined forces of Firemane and the Republican Guard, an indigenous rebel movement that opposed the Dominion. However, the price was high and the Dominion was far from finished. Firemane realised that it was in for the long haul. Hospitallers and Firemane medics also took care of former prisoners the corporation's forces had freed from Dominion concentration camps.
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