Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub a Firemane sub-group.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Special Forces Air Cavalry.
Permission: ARGH gear available per this thread. Permission for all ArmaTech gear and all other subs made by Laira Darkhold's writer here.
Links: Dathomir Magic, The King is Dead Long Live the Queen, Resol'nare.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Starbird Enclave
Affiliation: Themselves. Siobhan, Firemane, House Kerrigan-Alcori.
Classification: Special Forces Air Cavalry.
Equipment:
Armour:
- Mandalorian Armour with Sky Strike Jetpack
- Mandalorian Vambrace
- Crushgaunts (limited to officers and select soldiers).
- ACS-202 Vanquisher Light Repeating Blaster
- ACS-205 Advanced Dual Weapon System
- Mandalorian Assault Rifle
- Amban Sniper Rifle
- DXR-6 Disruptor
- Model MGL-1
- Reaper Plasma Shotgun
- Mk 1 Bolter
Melee Weapons:
Misc:
- Grenades
- Wrist Bolter
- ACS-208 Wrist Charric
- ARGH Wrist Flamer
- ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamer
- APE Boltgun Ammunition
- M-45 Repeating Ion Blaster
- Lance Missile Launcher (requires two-man crew)
- T-7 Ion Disruptor Rifle
Description: The Starbird Enclave is a war band of Mandalorian warriors led by Reswa Tenau, an imposing Barabel warrior who converted to the tenets of the Resol'nare and supported Ra Vizsla during the Civil War. However, she split from the Mandalorian Clans after the events of the Red Coronation, walking away with a group of like-minded warriors and their families. They rejected the authority of the new Mand'alor, considering her an usurper. Nonetheless, they decided Mandalorian politics was not worth spilling more Mandalorian blood over and they should focus on protecting what was theirs and providing for their people.
Thus the war band became soldiers of fortune, offering their services to those who could pay. The Barabel and her comrades have gone their own way, believing the Empire to have lost its way, but unwilling to contribute towards deepening the rift between the Mandalorian people. They see events such as the Battle of Eshan and the fall of Mandalore to the Sith as validation of their views. Today, the Enclave is under contract from Firemane. The corporation's steady pay and opportunities provides steady work as bounty-hunters, mercenaries, instructors and other duties for warriors to provide for their families as well. Siobhan Kerrigan is neither a Mandalorian by birth or adoption, but she once aided the Clans in several battles, such as during the Primeval invasion of Wayland. Moreover, Firemane gives the Enclave's members enough autonomy to stick to themselves, help when called upon and adopt refugees when they want.
Siobhan does not care how they handle their internal affairs, provided they do not break the law and are on call for missions. The Enclave's warriors may fight alongside Firemane special forces operators or regulars or operate on their own, depending on the nature of their mission. The Enclave has adopted a little bit of Firemane's iconography since they work for them. Hence the name, though they are not particularly attached to it. If they ever cut ties, they would not mind changing the name to better suit where they might go. At the moment they have been contracted for a certain number of years and granted refuge in Firemane's sphere of influence. Once the contract expires, it may be renegotiated or they will go elsewhere, depending on the state of the relationship. Outside of combat, the Enclave members engage in activities such as hunting, exploration and forging. This also a way to support themselves and their families.
In terms of composition, the Enclave consists of a mixture of Mandalorian warriors and like-minded mercenaries picked up from various defunct regimes, as well as bounty-hunters. While the hard core of them is composed of the original members and their families, others are adoptees from other cultures. The Enclave continues the Mandalorian tradition of adoption and the merit-based warrior culture of the Mandalorians has its appeal. For instance, a number of elves from Firemane's sphere of influence have joined up. This has produced a heterogenous frontier culture. Broadly speaking, the Enclave does not care about the background of those who seek to join the ranks of its warriors provided they wear the armour, speak the language, defend themselves and their family, raise their children as Mandalorians, contribute to the Enclave's welfare, rally to its cause in times of need and honour the contract. Needless to say the war band does not follow a Mand'alor a moment, as the claimant to the title is a puppet ruler who has been put in power by the Sith Empire.
The Enclave is not composed solely of Non-Force-Users, but has started accepting Force-Users into its ranks. There is still some distrust towards Force-Users, but broadly the Force is regarded as a tool that can be used for benevolent or malevolent purposes. It can be used, but should not be relied upon to a point where it becomes a crutch. Its members include a few Dathomiri witches. Some conflate the Dathomiri spirit realm with the Manda, believing that those Mandalorians who have the ability to use preternatural powers have a spiritual connection to the Manda. Good and evil spirits may try to influence them, which is why they need discipline. The teachings of the Jetii and Darjetii are regarded as wrong.
The group follows a warrior's code of honour that governs their behaviour. Dead warriors are cremated inside their armour, which is reforged for their families to be passed down. Presently, the warriors of the Enclave act as a mobile strike force for House Kerrigan-Alcori. Being Mandalorians, they have plenty of firepower and value their weapons highly. Firemane has given them access to some of its arsenal. The warriors of the Enclave are professionals, even though more than a few manifest traits stereotypically associated with Mandalorians, such as a tendency to getting into bar fights, desiring personal glory and being quite blase about warfare. They are quite fond of feasts and tournaments.
Reswa Tenau leads the group into battle and handles their negotiations with Firemane - or whichever employer they happen to work for at the moment. Reswa is a Barabel and thus very tall, standing over two metres. Her body is covered in very tough, dark coloured scales. Due to the peculiar makeup of her species, a blaster bolt set on stun will not damage or her slow her down, as it will merely bounce off her scales. Like all of her species, she can shed her tail, has heavy retractable claws and a mouth with needle sharp teeth. Reswa has rather predatory instincts. She grew up in a low-tech community and made a living as a huntress.
Barabel communities tend to be quite small and are built around a warren where the group thrives and hunts from. Reswa left her homeworld to see the stars. She treats the Enclave as her new hunting pack and is fiercely loyal to it. However, she also has a formidable temper. The tendency of warm bloods to apologise for things seems strange to her, as the concept does not exist in Barabel society. She feels great respect for the Mandalorian warrior who found her on Barab. She follows a warrior's code that combines Barabel beliefs with the tenets of the Resol'nare, as they were passed down to her by her mentor. She is fond of playing a Bes'bev. The flute was a gifted from her teacher. She backed Ra out of loyalty and because the alternative, Mia Monroe, was responsible for the destruction of Mandalore. She stands by her belief that the latter was deserving of death. However, she regrets some of her actions, as Mandalorians were persecuted on the basis of their genetic makeup and their people were further divided.
Reswa likes collecting trophies and desires to test herself against worthy opponents, seeking a challenge in the manner a big game hunter would. She is skilled in small unit tactics, tracking and sharpshooting. Having grown up in a low-tech environment, she is very good with primitive and improvised weapons. Her natural Barabel strength gives her an advantage in melee combat. While the Enclave is multispecies, Reswa has brought some of her fellow Barabel with her. Three of them are hatchmates. One of her quirks is that she keeps using a 'z' in place of an 's'. For instance, she would say 'forcez' rather than 'forces'.
Gared Farr is a Zabrak and responsible for the air arm, commanding a couple starfighters. In contrast to the stereotype of the ace pilot being a wise-cracking, egomaniacal hot-shot, Gared is more of a calm, placid, level-headed type. His family was divided by the Civil War. Most sided with Deathwatch, but some joined Monroe's New Mandalorians due to the suspicious nature of Ra's return. Gared swore fealty to Mand'alor the Undying. Fighting his own brethren has left him with mental scars and he is rather regretful. In those days he was a lot more aggressive and impulsive. Ironically, Gared used to be Force-Sensitive, but voluntarily submitted to the 'cure'. Now he is Force Dead. It may have made him less of a hothead by clearing his head a bit. Despite being able to do so, he has decided against getting the cure for the cure.
The gnawing wound of the Civil War has made him more serious and reserved. Gared is a capable warrior, but most at home inside a cockpit. He often ferries warriors into a combat zone and delivers close air support. New recruits often consider him cold, but those who get to know find that he is very fair in his own way. He now regards the cure as something that was not a wrong idea per se, but should be limited to Force-users who have committed crimes (those that do not merit being punished with death), are unable to control themselves or volunteer for the procedure in order to clear their heads from the spirits.
Nergüi of Clan Sulde is the beskar smith of the group. In addition to being the main black smith, he also handles funerals because warriors are cremated inside their armour. Then the armour is reforged for their families to be passed down. Thus his position is a sacred one. He has a somewhat morbid sense of humour. He tried to stay out of the Civil War. He had forged many suits of armour and beskads, and handled the burials of many warriors, and found he disliked both sides of the conflict. This put him in conflict with some members of his clan, who regarded his behaviour as a sign of cowardice and selfishness. Nergüi is cantankerous, often grumpy and has a somewhat off-the-wall sense of humour, but insists on giving the due to the dead. Whenever a new member of the Enclave asks him to forge something for them, Nergüi makes them undergo trials to prove they are worth of him investing the time. The trials get more difficult the more they annoy him.
Like Reswa, Nergüi is a sentient lizard. However, he is not a Barabel or a Trandoshan, but a Kraal. Many centuries ago, the Mandalorian Crusaders brought fire and blood to Karakorum, the Kraal's homeworld. As a result, the lizardmen came to venerate the Mandalorians as deities they would one day face in a final apocalyptic battle. When the Kraal managed to achieve spaceflight, Nergüi was a member of one of their first scouting and raiding parties. He quickly realised that the Galaxy was a lot bigger and more complex than he had imagined. When he finally encountered Mandalorians, he realised they were mortals like him. Eventually he joined them. Nergüi is a very good fighter and possesses superior strength and tenacity due to his Kraal heritage, but his true calling is as a smith. When he participates in a fight, his preference is close quarter and melee combat.
Ailbhe is a Nightsister and the leading Witch of the Enclave. In terms of behaviour, the Dathomiri witch often comes across as cryptic and steeped in mysticism. However, there are indications that she partly does it to mess with people. Thus she often appears detached and condescending. She has a wildly independent personality, valuing strength and power. Ailbhe is good with animals and has a talent for several aspects of Dathomiri Magic. She experienced the Mandalorian invasion of Dathomir, during which Dathomiri Witches were rounded up and forced to submit to the cure. Resistance was met with violence. The Mandalorian Empire reversed its decision after negotiations with Ember Rekali, but the deaths of many of her people left the witch vengeful. The fact that the Mandalorian Empire would later gift Dathomir to the Sith Empire left her with an enduring distrust. Her grandfather was Mandalorian, which meant she did not hate all of them, but many. Following the Red Coronation, the Enclave helped rescue some witches who had been captured prior to the new Mand'alor's big transition.
Her mistress, who had been captured, tried to persuade Ailbhe to come to Dathomir with her and 'liberate it'. However, this turned out to be a ruse. Her immersion in the dark side had given her teacher great strength in the Force and extended her life span, but taken a toll on her body. Confinement had had a detrimental effect on her health. Thus she needed a new body and had chosen her gifted student. This really disillusioned Ailbhe and gave her motivation to stick around with the Enclave. Neophytes who want to learn about magic have to go through many hoops. She is a harsh instructor.
The newest senior member of the Enclave is a Qadiri warrior called Zahasa Jai Savanal. Zahasa is a Cataphract, which is essentially a knight in the classical sense of the word. She is a member of a proud warrior tradition that is heavily interwoven with the Qadiri's feudal culture and the faith of Kashara, the chief goddess of the Qadiri pantheon. Her class occupies a social standing between the nobility and the common folk. A Cataphract is expected to obey her feudal overlord, defend the innocent, fight the wicked and honour the gods and goddesses, especially Kashara. In the days of yore she rode a ferocious Yazgid lizard into battle, besting foes with lance and blade.
Of course, there has often been a gulf between the noble ideals a Cataphract is supposed to represent and those they represent in practice. The line between knight and brigand is often a thin one and depends on politics and economics. Zahasa has joined the group out of a desire for adventure, booty and glory. With her homeworld largely at peace, she needs new battlefields to fight on and the forces the Enclave fights strike her as worthy foes. She wants to test her skills, show the strength of the Qadiri and make her ancestors proud. There was an initial miscommunication when she mistook Reswa for a talking, bipedal Yazgid, but things have been smoothed over since then. The Cataphract is passionate and a bit hot-blooded, possessing a formidable temper. However, she is a good soldier.
Zahasa has brought a group of retainers with her. She acts as a point of contact for Qadiri who want to join the Enclave and helps them integrate. Strictly speaking mercenary life is not great for her code, but she finds the challenges and skills required keep her sharp. Moreover, the Resol'nare meshes well with her own martial ethos. The Cataphract is a Force-User, with a focus on elemental fire abilities, which fits her personality. She has personalised her beskar'gam with Qadiri runes and symbols. These do not grant the armour any special benefits, but they display her heritage.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite.
Combat Function: The warriors of the Enclave are a band of mercenaries and soldiers of fortune. They use Kom’rk-class Fighter/Transports to ferry themselves into a target zone, but can also use boarding craft to board hostile vessels and space stations. Their primary combat function is as a mobile strike force. They are a collection of warriors from diverse backgrounds, each with different specialisations and skill sets. They are responsible for equipping themselves and taking care of their weapons and gear, especially their armour. The warriors forego integrated heavy support beyond their transports, which can be an issue in pitched combat. They are an ideal force to spearhead an assault, seize brigeheads or knock out tactical objectives, but will require support in larger engagements. Their access to jetpacks, transports and starfighters allow them to operate as air cavalry.
Their training and equipment makes them very good at fighting hostile Force-Users. Most of the members of the Enclave are Non-Force-Users. However, the sellsword company also has collection of Force-Users and even Force Dead, though both groups are both in the minority. Their Force-Users receive training in conventional forms of combat so that they can cope if they are deprived of their powers instead of becoming deadweight. In terms of powers, the Force-Users tend to focus on Animal Friendship, physical enhancement, and Dathomiri Magic. A few can use elemental fire abilities. Force-enhanced tracking skills are common.
Strengths:
- Crack soldiers. The warriors the Enclave sends into battle are experienced mercenaries. Skill, bravery and tenacity are characteristics well-represented within their ranks. The mix of Non-Force-Users and Force-Users also allows for combined arms tactics. They also wear extremely durable Mandalorian armour.
- With jetpacks, starfighters and so on, the group is very mobile. They excel in direct action roles and as a strike force. They attack fast and hit hard.
- Lack integrated heavy support beyond their air cover. Being a mobile strike force, they forego heavily armoured vehicles such as armoured fighting vehicles. The same applies to artillery. This can be an issue in pitched front-line combat.
- They are organised as a self-reliant war band. This is an advantage, but they are also proud and reluctant to seek help from others. This can make cooperation with other forces difficult and become an issue in larger engagements.
- Mandalorian armour is incredibly tough, but also far from light. Jetpacks and attack craft enhance the group's mobility, but heavy armour makes them slower and less agile than more lightly armoured opponents. This is something the latter could use to gain an edge, say by using hit-and-fade tactics and traps rather than attacking them head-on. It can also have implications for melee combat, as beskads are not exactly lightweight.
The Starbird Enclave was founded by a female Barabel huntress called Reswa. She was not born a Mandalorian, but adopted by a member of Clan Tenau, who was ended up stranded on her homeworld. Reswa had little experience with offworlders, but provided aid to the Mandalorian. He was impressed by her hunting and tracking skills, while she was fascinated by his tales of his adventures in the stars. Reswa embraced the warrior culture, organising her life along the tenets of the Resol'nare. First she was inducted into the Red Legion before being recognised as a full Mandalorian. When her adoptive home was threatened by enemies within and without, she took up arms for it. She was there for the battles of Wayland, Teta, Roche as well as the Deathwatch's attack on Mandalore.
When, after a period of interregnum during which an Alore Council had governed the Mandalorians, Ra Vizsla rose as Mand'alor and directed the Mandalorians to launch a great crusade, Rewa pledged allegiance to him. The Mandalorians carried out several incursions against the Republic before invading Kashyyyk, dealing the death blow to the dying nation. To Rewa it was justice and she revelled in the fight. However, shortly thereafter the Mand'alor disappeared during the early phase of the Omega campaign. Rewa fought at Castameer. The Clans weakened and stagnated. The Barabel, by now one of the Ori’ramikade, turned to mercenary work.
Then Mandalore was devastated by Mia Monroe and Ijaat Mereel. Millions perished in the firestorm. For Reswa, friends and family were among the dead. She was part of a rag-tag group of Mandalorians that performed mercenary work and bounty-hunting to provide for themselves. Then one day Mia Monroe revealed herself, proclaiming that she was responsible for the desolation, and Ra returned to challenge her. Reswa was uneasy about some aspects of Ra's new dictatorial regime, which abolished the autonomy of the clans and had a radically anti-Force-User programme. However, one of their own, a former Mand'alor, a war hero and Force-User had devastated the Mandalorian homeworld. No matter which side they picked, they would be fighting fellow Mandalorians. She and many of her friends pledged allegiance to Ra once more.
The Civil War ended with Ra's victory. The new regime established an authoritarian government and forced the 'cure' on Force-Users. Reswa was uneasy with it, but did not oppose it. Law was the law. Then Ra disappeared, and Yasha Mantis claimed his mantle as Mand'alor the Infernal, refusing to accept challenges at what is now known as the Red Coronation, where Mandalorian blood was spilt. Moreover, at the time the new regime still upheld the anti-Force-User laws, yet Mand'alor the Infernal had also allowed certain Force-Users into her inner circle. These developments caused Reswa and her comrades to leave.
Disavowing any Mandalorian regime, they decided to focus on taking care of each other and remain independent. To this end they became a force of irregulars and soldiers for hire. The group was reconceived as a sellsword company. Being mercenaries, they could obviously not be picky about who they worked for, but the accord between the resurgent Sith Empire and the Mandalorian Empire made Rsewa unwilling to work for Sith. Her own experiences in engagements such as Wayland and Castameer also factored into this. She found her beliefs confirmed when the Sith Empire invaded and occupied Mandalore after the Mandalorian Empire had lost several key worlds in its conflict with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and other powers.
Over time, the group drifted into the orbit of Firemane. This did not come entirely out of left field. Reswa had fought alongside Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori during the Battle of Kashyyyk and knew her mother Siobhan Kerrigan slightly, as the Firemane matriarch had aided the Clans during the Primeval invasion of Wayland as well as in a number of other engagements prior to the cataclysm. Firemane offered them credits, steady employment, autonomy and plenty of action. After doing a number of jobs for Firemane to test the waters, the group agreed to be contracted as a force of special purpose operators. This also allowed the Enclave to widen its recruitment pool. A group of particularly adventurous Qadiri sellswords, led by Zahasa Jai Savanal, a Cataphract, signed up to join the Mandalorians, see the stars and gain honour and plunder.
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