The Golden Rule
Image Credit: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Galactic-Marine-269753564
Name: First Order Marine Stafbattalion, Hellblazers
Intent: To create an effective disposable shock trooper unit.
Affiliation: Suravi Teigra, The First Order, The Galactic Republic
Availability: Common
Quality: C
Type: Penal Military Infantry Unit
Strength: 150 per company
Description:
The First Order Marine Strafbattlions are penal military units created for spearheading planetary assaults, conducting boarding actions, and performing other difficult and dangerous tasks normally deemed suicide missions for regular units. Their ranks are comprised of the absolute dregs of First Order society: convicted felons, failed soldiers and sailors, traitors, and prisoners of war.
It is a relatively new organization within the First Order military, Suravi Teigra of the reformed Galactic Republic being its architect. In a former life as a Dark Jedi, she had employed similar units in military campaigns during the Dark Ages against savage raiders and other belligerents. She revived the practice as she joined in on the First Order's war against the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, unleashing reconditioned Ssi-Ruuk POWs upon their former comrades in an act of psychological warfare. Noting the success of the operation, she decided to expand the project to take advantage of the First Order's vast prison population. She knocked out two birds with one stone, providing the First Order with millions of new soldiers on the cheap while also freeing up resources from the penal system that could be redirected towards the FO war machine.
Training begins with a lengthy reconditioning process over the course of several weeks, utilizing traditional indoctrination techniques as well as electromagnetic transcranial stimulation to reprogram minds on both the psychological and neurological level. Anti-social traits are completely eliminated in order to create a pool of obedient conscripts for molding. To maintain or refresh the conditioning, each conscript is hardwired with a neural chip like those used on Clone Troopers.
From there, training takes a more normal track in line with regular stormtrooper units. Initial training covers basic military science, marksmanship, small unit tactics, hand-to-hand combat (Teräs Käsi) and first-aid. More advanced specialized training emphasizes rapid assault and boarding across all manner of hostile environments from scorching deserts to the frigid vacuum of space.
For equipment, the Stafbattalions usually make use of cheap proven platforms like the DC Blaster rifle series to keep operational costs low as disposable shock troopers. Instead of usual storm trooper armor, they wear a special variant once used by the Galactic Marines. The maroon color scheme and synthmesh facial coverings/filters give them a distinct appearance that sets them apart from regular volunteer units. In space-based operations, they may utilize more standard stormtrooper armor with life support and rocketpacks, but customized with maroon decals.
While still new on the scene, the Strafbattalions have quickly garnered a reputation for both their ferocity and discipline in battle. Where other units may falter, the Marines will press forward with a dogged determination perhaps only matched by the Knights of Ren. For their seemingly reckless abandon, they have been colloquially referred to as the suicide commandos, hounds, or Hellblazers.
Links:
First Order: A Land After Time [Dominion of G'Rho] (Ongoing)
