Relationship Status: It's Complicated
- Intent: To create a personal unit of soldiers for Quinn Varnin to command
- Image Credit: Image created by me www.midjourney.com | Headers created by me
- Role: This unit serves as protective detail and personal soldiers for Quinn Varanin.
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Unit Name: The Ashen Hand
- Affiliation:
Quinn Varanin
- Classification: Special Operations
- Description: The Echani Handmaidens sworn to Quinn Varanin form an elite cadre shaped by Echani martial discipline and tempered through service to the Sith Order. They fight with controlled precision rather than spectacle, favoring close combat where intent can be read and exploited before power is fully brought to bear. Their armor is minimal and deliberate, designed to preserve motion while offering lethal efficiency, and their movements are synchronized to the point that defense and offense become indistinguishable. Loyalty is not enforced through fear, but earned through shared understanding of strength, hierarchy, and purpose. In battle, they are a living perimeter that anticipates threats before they surface, and when they move, opposition rarely realizes the moment resistance ends.
- Unit Size: Medium
- Unit Availability: Unique[/COLOR]
- Unit Experience: Elite
- Equipment:
Armor- Death Trooper Armor
- Ranged Weapons
- E-11D Blaster Carbine
- DC-15A Blaster Carbine
- DC-15A Blaster Rifle
- Melee Weapons
- Force Pike
- Vibrosword
- Vibroblade
- Grenades and Detonators
- Combat Function:In combat, the Ashen Hand assigned to Quinn Varanin functions as an extension of her intent rather than a shield. They operate close, reading movement and balance well enough to intercept threats before commitment is complete. Positions shift fluidly as pressure changes around Quinn, with one member drawing attention while another closes to disrupt. Opponents often find their actions redirected without ever identifying who intervened.
Against elite opponents, particularly Force wielders, their role is disruption. They deny space and fracture timing, forcing constrained decisions where raw power becomes inefficient. Rather than contest strength directly, they create openings that Quinn can exploit without distraction. In broader engagements, the Guard advances with her as a compact striking presence, shaping the fight so she rarely needs to alter her course.
At range, the Hand adapts without abandoning its doctrine. Blaster fire is controlled and purposeful, used to shape movement rather than dominate space. Shots cut approach vectors and compress enemies into predictable lanes, coordinating tightly with forward elements. Even at distance, their intent remains unchanged: limit options and drive the fight toward a decisive close. - Force Abilities (Force User Units Only): NFU
- Under Pressure – Maintains cohesion and effectiveness while operating in close proximity to Quinn during high-stress engagements
- Smooth Criminal – Neutralizes threats cleanly and efficiently before opponents fully understand what went wrong
- No Time to Die – Continues operating with precision against elite or Force-wielding adversaries without hesitation
- Every Breath You Take – Sustains constant situational awareness and protective coverage without visible escalation
- Running on Empty – Prolonged engagements strain endurance due to the unit’s reliance on constant movement and close coordination
- Short Change Hero – Designed for protection and disruption, they are less effective when forced into extended independent operations
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Their effectiveness drops when command cohesion breaks or external forces interfere with Quinn’s direction
- The Sound of Silence – Limited long range firepower can leave them vulnerable in wide open terrain where compression of the battlefield is difficult
The Ashen Hand was created in accordance with Echani tradition, where rulership and combat are inseparable and authority is proven through presence rather than distance. When Quinn was crowned, the Echani did not ask whether she required protection, but how that protection could exist without diminishing her standing as a warrior queen. Elite fighters have long been bound to Echani champions as living extensions of their form, ensuring that no leader moves through battle alone. The Ashen Hand was gifted at her coronation as an expression of that tradition, drawn from warriors whose discipline and restraint reflected the highest Echani ideals.
At the same time, their formation acknowledged Quinn’s place within the Sith Order. The unit was structured to operate in proximity to a Sith ruler without interfering in her command of the Force or attempting to substitute martial presence for Sith authority. Their loyalty was sworn in Echani form, yet recognized within Sith hierarchy, allowing them to function as an accepted extension of her household rather than an external guard. This dual recognition ensured that her rule would not appear propped up by Mandalorian force or diluted by ceremonial protection, while remaining fully legible to the Sith Order she served.
The Ashen Hand exists to preserve Quinn’s freedom of action in both court and war. They do not eclipse her strength or speak in her place. They ensure that she is never isolated, constrained, or forced into distance by threat or expectation. Rooted in Echani culture and tempered by Sith discipline, the Hand stands close not as symbols, but as a practical expression of authority that understands both worlds and is trusted by neither lightly.
