Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on Firemane and the Order of Fire. Flesh out an aspect of Elpsis' personal story.
Image Credit: Here. Here. Third pic found here. Seems to be originally from here.
Canon: N/A.
Permission: N/A.
Links: Adjudication, Into Darkness, After Darkness, Tephrike. Communion, The Long Road, Champions of the Flame, Inferno Platoon, Eldorai, Qadiri, Vashyada, Xioquo.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: Young Flames.
Classification: Paramilitary Force-Sensitive Group | Cadet Corps.
Affiliation: Firemane Industries, Order of Fire, House Kerrigan-Alcori, Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, Leonina Varkathras, Siobhan.
Organization Symbol: A circle with a central flame reaching halfway up.
Description:
"You're here to join the Order of Fire. Some of you want to make a career out of it, others are here to learn skills you can pass on to your people when you return. Regardless of where you come from, as long as you're here, you're soldiers of the Order. The only distinction that matters is merit.
I've been assigned to train you. I'll be teaching you, leading you, fighting alongside you. If you're here for glory and shiny medals, go. If you think this will be an easy road, go. We don't need summer children anymore than gloryhounds. Not all you will make it. Some will realise this kind of life ain't for you during training and flunk out. Some of you will die in battle. Maybe even your first.
Some of you have seen war. You know what it is: hell, and that you must fight like hell to survive. Those of you who remain with us will become part of something bigger. Something with purpose. And when you're done you'll be masters of your own destiny. We'll remember those whose souls rejoin the Lifeweb - and avenge them. The road won't be pretty. It won't be easy. It'll be blood and iron. And it will be worth it. A blessing on the Young Flames." Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori greeting recruits.
The Young Flames are the youth wing of the Order of Fire, Firemane's Force-using branch. One could compare them to a military cadet corps. Their aim is to provide a disciplined organisation that enables students to develop leadership skills by promoting duty, self-reliance, and perseverance. This enables them to embrace their potential. According to their holonet page, the group inspires young people to harness the power of the Force in a productive, team-orientated way and embrace their talents. This is supposed to turn them into productive citizens with the skills to build their own future, who are able to harmonise individual ambitions with the good of the community.
It is a training organisation for young Force-users who belong to or are associated with the Order. In times of emergency, the older members of the group can act as a reserve force. Force-Sensitive offsprings of Firemane employees can join the group to get an understanding of their powers. The same applies to initiates from outside the organisation, who are being prepared for a future career in the Order. One of its objectives is to encourage those who have an interest in the armed services to become officers. As a result, their curriculum has a strong military orientation. The Flames are considered part of the Order of Fire and receive military ranks and training.
In this day and age, Firemane has assumed a protective role for a number of communities on the galactic fringe. Not all of them have cohesive training programmes for Force-Sensitives. An untrained Force-user can easily turn into a danger, so the Young Flames fill the void where needed. Where indigenous Force sects exist, the Order does not replace them, but encourages cross-training. The pay is also quite good, which is an incentive particularly for Tygarans.
Several of the Eldorai or Tygaran recruits are more experienced in Force use than their human or alien counterparts, having learned the traditions of their people, though this is not universal. In this case, they have joined to further their understanding of the outside world and its technology. It can also be a way to strengthen political alliances between their leaders and Firemane's. This is in keeping with Firemane's principle of indirect rule. Siobhan does like to induct offsprings of elf leaders who once opposed her but then bent the knee. This is presented as a way to mend fences, but also ensures good behaviour. The Young Flames also recruit among Dahomians, but since Dahomey is a developed planet now, the relationship with them is more conventional.
The group is funded by Firemane's treasury department and is considered a division of the Order. Its leadership corps answers to Brigadier Leonina Varkathras, the most senior officer of the Order after Lady Siobhan Kerrigan. In contrast to the Jedi Order during the Rise of the Empire, the Order of Fire does not recruit its members as infants, though some come from orphanages run by Firedawn, a Firemane sub-division that acts as a freedmen bureau.
In the Order, recruits are grouped together and educated about the Force by their trainers in the manner of a military training camp. A training platoon is the norm. The Force is another advantage to be harnessed, just like piloting, physical education or weapons. This is meant to foster a spirit of camaraderie among the group and enhance cohesion. Another reason for placing less emphasis on traditional Master-apprentice relationships is that the Order is more of a military organisation. The leader of a platoon will be instructing several trainees at once, instead of having a one-on-one relationship with one student. Leadership is not a one-person show, so they will be assisted by NCOs and have superior officers to answer to.
A Master or Knight may have to be capable of commanding military formations, instead of just one or two Padawans or a small strike team. The Order also wants acolytes to identify themselves more with the group than a specific Master, just in case said teacher goes rogue, plots treason or simply leaves. Moreover, much like a mathematics teacher will commonly not teach history and vice-versa, one master cannot be good at everything. Closer master-student happen once the recruits have been winnowed down to the best, but this is closer to a mentor-student relationship in a military organisation than what is typical in say a Jedi Order.
The Order of Fire has titles like Master, Apprentice and Knight, but these are more ceremonial. For example, Elpsis would be addressed by her military rank as Lieutenant, not Master or Mistress. Moreover, being a Master of the Force does not automatically grant command authority. Elpsis was an Officer Cadet and a Brevet Second Lieutenant during the Tephrike campaign, as she was still learning the ropes. She was promoted to full Lieutenant and given her own platoon after the campaign. Selection, vetting and assignment of recruits as well as instructors is handled bureaucratically by the central authorities, instead of being left to the whims of an individual master.
Groups of older Young Flames will be embedded into Order of Fire or Firemane formations to undertake missions in the field. Members of the Young Flames are issued military uniforms. Training is provided by Order of Fire instructors. These tend to be commissioned or non-commissioned officers. Younger Masters and Knights gain the chance to develop their leadership skills and prove their worthiness for officer positions by drilling the next generation. Members of the regular military may also be brought in through the practice of secondment. Young Flames that succeed and elect to stay become full fledged members of the Order.
The Order is primarily a martial organisation and this is reflected in the curriculum. Recruits learn how to fight with ranged and melee weapons, read a map, survive in the wilderness, navigate and so on. Weapons handling, marksmanship, battle drills, melee combat, fieldcraft, camouflage, squad tactics and Force training are among the subjects covered. This also involves lightsabre training. Not all Order of Fire members use lightsabres though. Indeed, a good number prefer guns, Sarixi or melee weapons that have been Force Imbued or are made of lightsabre-resistant materials. However, they are still familiarised with the weapon so that they know what to expect and can protect themselves if they find themselves facing a glowstick-wielder.
Those who display aptitude with the weapon receive the typical training in the classical forms as well as those devised in the New Jedi Order era. The Young Flames can enter various marksmanship and duelling competitions. Fieldcraft lessons cover infantry skills such as patrolling, reconnaissance, squad tactics, ambush drills and survival in the field. Within this framework, Flames operate as part of a platoon. They set up operation bases, post sentries, carry out reconnaissance, and lay ambushes and assault enemy positions as part of training exercises. They become familiar with using hand signals and military jargon for communication. One of the more dull activities is garrison duty.
Leadership training is an important part of the Young Flames' courses. This prepares the members for future leadership roles in the Order and the armed services as a whole. However, education is not limited to Force use and combat training, but also covers subjects such as history, languages, medicine, electronics, piloting and so on. This is particularly pertinent since a number of trainees come from low class backgrounds, are freed slaves or grew up pre-spaceflight societies such as the Tygaran elves. This also applies to Tephriki refugees who were rescued by Firemane during its brief campaign against the Dominion of Light. As a result, they may have areas they need to catch up. Possibilities for higher education at institutes of higher learning exist. One of those is the Firemane War College. Young Flames who want to pursue careers as Firemane officers attend it.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Arx Aeternae.
Domain: The Young Flames do not rule over territory or claim domain. They utilise facilities that have been granted to them by Firemane, their parent organisation. They are a sub-division of Firemane and not intended to operate outside of it. However, they operate on worlds Firemane, the Order of Fire or House Kerrigan-Alcori have a presence on and strive to build a cooperative relationship with the local population and assist it as much as possible. They also recruit from it.
Notable Assets: The Young Flames do not possess significant assets. Instead they make use of Firemane facilities. However, they have training camps and barracks and some small starships have been assigned to their use. The latter are crewed by Firemane naval personnel. One of their major boot camps is located on the Forge, a mobile patrol station.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: The Young Flames are a fairly new organisation and still compact in size. As a result, their hierarchy is quite flat, with a spread out command structure. The overall group is headed by an Order of Fire Master with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Teams are commanded by junior officers or non-commissioned officers, depending on size. Elpsis commands a unit of them and gets her orders from high-up. The chief of the Young Flames answers to Brigadier Leonina Varkathras.
The overall leader of the Order of Fire is Siobhan Kerrigan, but she does not micromanage the organisation because she is also the paramount leader of Firemane and thus very busy. However, she often carries out rigorous inspections and takes a personal interest in youth and cadre education. Elpsis is one of Siobhan's adopted daughters, but does not get special privileges.
Membership: Must be a Force-User, support Firemane, its principles and not consort with its enemies. There are no species or gender barriers. It is important to note that even though it says ‘Young Flames’ the actual age of the recruits can vary. It is usually young for that specific race, but not necessarily young from a human perspective. For example, a 55-five year old Eldorai is the elf equivalent of an 18-year old human.
Joining the Young Flames is a career path in Firemane and the Order of Fire, but members are not required to commit to this. Order of Fire instructors must be of Knight rank or higher and have a commission or be non-commissioned officers. Sometimes Order Knights or Masters who are not part of the military division are brought in to teach special skills, such as healing or mentalism.
The group gets many recruits from people under Firemane's protection, such as elves. These trainees come to the Young Flames to receive training and get a new perspective, especially if they come from races that are new to modern technology. After completion of their training, they spend some time with Firemane and do work for the corporation. Some make a career out of it, many return home to share their new knowledge with their people. Potential trainees are vetted by the Firemane authorities to prevent infiltration or an influx of unsuitable elements.
Climate: The Young Flames pride themselves on their camaraderie and diversity, as they bring together people from manifold walks of life. This can help bridge the gulf between racial groups that are normally antagonistic to one another, but also manifest in form of unfortunate rivalries. Since there are so many young people, a certain degree of rowdiness, gossiping and so on is to be expected.
A good deal of their training is spent on breaking down the 'me' in team. Recruits must be broken down and then built back up. They are pushed to face challenges, come up with solutions and overcome them by working as a team. Some of the Flames have low class origins or used to be slaves, others come from privileged backgrounds and have entitlement issues that need to be knocked out of them. The Order and Firemane's regular military work closely together. Military rank takes precedence over Force rank. The Order has acquired the habit of pairing promising, but bratty acolytes with extremely harsh, gruff NCOs to see if the former have what it takes.
The Young Flames are militaristic in nature, which is par for the course for the sub-division of a martial Force order. Older members do see combat. As a result, military style discipline is enforced. However, life in the corps is not solely defined by this. The corps also holds competitions, conducts celebrations, participates in the missions of the Firemane Exploration Corps and provides aid to local communities. The life story of Siobhan is presented as an example to aspire to, as she was born in abject poverty but managed to rise to the very top. This idealisaton obviously also has its critics.
Reputation: Varies. People who like the Order of Fire and Firemane probably have a largely positive impression, and those who are poorly disposed to either have a negative one. The group is part of Firemane, and so it will be judged accordingly. The Young Flames have become an integral part of the Order. Their role in providing training, discipline and leadership is acknowledged. The same applies to their efforts to overcome racial strife. The Flames do make an effort to be respectful of the customs of their members, including their religious traditions.
However, there are two sides to every coin. The opinion of indigenous people under Firemane protection varies. Some view it positively, others regard it as intrusive. Elf nationalists who believe their people have become too dependent on the humans of Firemane have a more negative opinion. They view it as a propaganda vehicle. The Shadow Knights, for instance, have a low opinion, though their Young Squires corps performs a similar function. Ironically, some elf nationalists have joined the Flames anyway in order to expand their knowledge of modern tech and of the outside Galaxy so that they can help their people become more independent.
Firemane civilian and military personnel may appreciate the role the Young Flames play, but also complain about entitled, bratty Force-users. Then again, this is a general problem between 'squibs' and space mages. Outside of Firemane's orbit, orthodox Light Siders who view the Order as too militarist and cavalier about the danger posed by the dark side will probably be sceptical about the Flames.
Curios: The Young Flame are issued military uniforms by Firemane. These are the same for both female and male members. In other words, both wear trousers. Standard uniform is olive green with a Young Flames shoulder patch, and a beret. Each member is also issued a fiery robe, but this is rarely worn outside of ceremonial occasions. Tattoos displaying the group sigil or with martial themes are common. Full members have a specially crafted lightsabre or Force imbued sword. Young Flames who go on mission will wear some form of armour.
Rules: Being a sub-division of the Order of Fire, the Young Flames follow its rules. They stress loyalty, discipline, comradeship, respect for others at all levels, self-reliance and obedience to lawful authority. Sith, slavers and imperialists are regarded as enemies and consorting with them is strictly prohibited. On average, the group has a low opinion of Jedi. The Force is regarded as a source of strength. It is a tool for both individual empowerment and service.
However, certain aspects of the Force are forbidden, such as performing blood sacrifices, necromantic rituals and so on. Overall, the rules stress balance. Recruits pledge to be loyal, to uphold the unity of Firemane and its protectorates, to be disciplined and responsible and take up arms if needed. The Order is a martial organisation, and so the discipline enforced in the Young Flames is similar to that of a military unit. After all, many of the recruits will go on to pursue a military career of some form. The Young Flames are expected to fulfil their duties and follow the orders of their superiors.
The group also seeks to foster a positive view of Firemane among its recruits. This is particularly pertinent for natives who hail from Firemane's protectorates who will return to their people after their time is done and potentially assume leadership roles. As a consequence, the group has been accused of being a propaganda vehicle. This accusation is often levelled at it by elf nationalists and has merit. At the same time, its ideology emphasises lawfulness, overcoming racial strife and prejudice. Eldorai, Tygaran elves, humans, Twi'leks and others are brought together in the group. This makes it a bit of a melting pot, though this can also manifest in form of unfortunate rivalries.
Goals: Provide educational opportunities, Force, military and leadership training to young recruits from Firemane and its protectorates and train, mould and inspire future leaders. The Young Flames prepare their members for full membership in the Order of Fire and act as a reserve corps. At the same time it aims to provide young officers in the Order a chance to further develop their leadership skills, preparing them for future careers. Finally, its goal is to foster a positive view of Firemane among its recruits, with a view to influencing their people.
MEMBERS
The Young Flames are led by Lieutenant Colonel Aerin Askari, an Eldorai Force Master. She is trusted by Siobhan and Leonina to be in charge of administration. Aerin has a lot of experience in the role, as she was responsible for training Angelii recruits way back and was quite good at it. Aerin was an Angelii who stayed with the Star Queen during the Exodus, fought at Kaeshana but decided to stay on with Firemane. She saw advancement and further profit with the humans.
Moreover, she resented the ancien régime. Aerin is the bastard daughter of a noble. She was sent to the army to make sure her existence did not complicate the succession. Rejected by her family, she grew up bitter and resentful. Ironically, she is now the last member of her house, though as an illegitimate daughter many would argue that she does not count. She is not racist and is an agnostic. Aerin likes working with her Tygaran 'cousins' a lot and is an anthropologist in her spare time. She does not get on well with Eldorai conservatives or radicals. Most of her duties are administrative, but she is also a tough combatant.
Lieutenant Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori commands one of their units. It is called Inferno Platoon. Notable members are Sienn, a Twi'lek from Arkas, Reverence, a Dahomian from the Mandla tribe, a Vashyada druidess called Shikoba, an upper class Togruta called Sano Tahoka, an Eldorai Forsaken by the name of Celaena Eilris and Rhea, a Rattataki from Tephrike. Some of the most notable members of her training unit are organised in the Champions of the Flame. Further elaboration can be found there.
Rhea used to be an unwilling servitor of the Grand Inquisitor of the Dominion of Light, before rebelling against her masters after Elpsis slew him. Having suffered under both the Dominion and the Sith, she is extremely zealous and vengeful, having vowed never to be weak again and exact retribution on her oppressors. She is an aggressive, skilled fighter, but has yet to master her anger. Nyssa Vykaris has been assigned to the unit as a lightsabre instructor. She is quite enthusiastic about her job.
Hazani Jai Bysara, a Qadiri pyromancer and Sister of the Eternal Flame, has been assigned to the group to assist Elpsis in leading it and expand her own horizons of the outside world. Hazani is the daughter of Sahali Jai Bysara, the infamous High Mistress of the Sisters. Sahali waged war against Firemane and its Qadiri allies, leading a canny irregular campaign. However, she was betrayed and murdered by her allies, who were then punished by Siobhan because she had come to respect her foe and did not trust trators. Since then Hazani has become the Lady's guest, vouching for the good behaviour of her dead mother's people. Hazani has accepted her fate for now, but is a driven person and ambitious both for herself and the Qadiri.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Young Flames are a fairly young group. Their parent organisation, the Order of Fire, was founded as Firemane's Force-using branch. It was set up as a martial organisation that would be integrated directly into the military chain of command. Force-users would play an important role, but they would not assume command roles simply due to their martial prowess and Force abilities.
Siobhan Kerrigan, Co-CEO of Firemane, became the leader of the Order. In time she also rose to become sole leader of Firemane, though the Order's role remained unchanged. The Order started as a rather informal association of Force-users employed by Firemane. Siobhan was a woman of action, not a philosopher or sage. However, though not the natural teacher type, she recognised the need to organise Force-Sensitives in her company somewhat.
Training had to be standardised, knowledge shared, rules laid down and it had to be ensured that Force-Sensitive employees did not bring the company into disrepute by abusing their powers. The same applied to making sure that Firemane was not infiltrated by Force-users with hostile intent. Thus the group evolved into a military Order with its own facilities, rank structure and units, but was integrated into Firemane's armed forces. It has played an important role in most Firemane campaigns. Most recently it saw extensive actions on Tephrike.
With the growth of the Order of Fire, it became necessary to create a formation to bring in and mix recruits together. This became even more pertinent because Firemane had assumed stewardship over many elf groups, having agreed to help the Eldorai and Tygaran elves advance. A number of the Tygaran natives acknowledged Siobhan as their quasi-feudal overlord.
The Tygarans wished to advance their people, expand into space so that they could colonise over worlds and gain a patron. Firemane recognised that these low-tech races had a lot to offer, as they possessed useful resources and a high rate of Force-Sensitives. Allowing people to join was one of the conditions of the treaties Firemane made with native rulers. Some of the indigenous potentates saw this as a chance to learn more of the secrets of the 'sky people' and strengthening ties with them. The good pay was also another incentive. Recruits were also drawn from the ranks of emancipated slaves on Tygara and Arkas as well as Eldorai refugees who had fled Kaeshana due to cataclysm and invasion.
Thus the Young Flames came into being to fill the void in the Order. For a while their growth was supervised by Colonel Varkathras, before she participated in the Tephrike campaign and was subsequently promoted to Brigadier, making her the most senior officer in the Order after Siobhan herself. The Order of Fire has chosen to depart from the traditional Jedi model of training batches of Younglings together, and then assigning a single Padawan to an individual master. Instead, recruits are grouped together in training units and educated in the manner of a military unit. The Force is one of the tools they learn how to utilise, much like blasters and piloting. Closer student-master relationships would develop once the recruits had been winnowed down to the best, but even then the emphasis would be on the group as a whole.
Elpsis, Siobhan's adopted daughter, was put in charge of one of their units. The pyromancer had been captured by the Inquisition of the Dominion of Light, a totalitarian, Jedi-led theocracy that ruled most of Tephrike and imprisoned in a concentration camp. There she was subjected to torture as well as brainwashing in order to mould her into one of their drones. She was able to overcome her brainwashing and slay her tormentors, sparking a revolt that ended with the camp being put to the torch.
However, the experience left her deeply scarred both mentally and physically. She was also a lot more goal-orientated and interested in pursuing leadership roles she had once eschewed. After being cleared for active duty again, she was put in command of one of the Flames' platoons, making her responsible for a mixed group of recruits. Some intended to pursue a career with Firemane, others were here for what amounted to an exchange programme.
During its brief campaign on Tephrike, Firemane helped a large number of political prisoners held in Dominion concentration camps flee the planet. One of these prisons, which happened to be the one Elpsis was held in, was focused on containing and indoctrinating Force-Sensitives. For the time being the former prisoners have sought refuge in Firemane protected space. Some have joined the Young Flames to gain better control of their powers and because the pay is an incentive. A good number of them intend to eventually return to Tephrike and fight their oppressors. One of them is a former Dominion Jedi warrior called Rhea, who has become Elpsis' student.
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