The Companions of Ruin

[Darth Pyrrhus]

One Sith Empire before the fall of the Dark Lord and the formation of the Council
Glee Anselm

Only the lights from the patrol-ships and the military facility itself illuminated the dark depths of Glee Anselm. The facility was located a considerable distance from the capital of Pieralos, though it was the nearest source of civilization. Much like the rest of the planet it fell under the authority of the Voice of the Dark Lord and Warden of One Sith Sector Five, Darth Pyrrhus. What separated this day from others was that the Sith Lord had arrived personally for an inspection. He was expected, of course, as the object of his inspection was something of a pet project of his.

Being the long established ruler of the planet, it was a simple thing to allocate its resources as he deemed fit. His rank within the One Sith Empire further discouraged anyone to question his orders or motives. The project had been in the works for a time now. It had been initiated and carefully monitored by the Togruta Sith, but always from a distance. Today would be the first day he would see it with his very own eyes. First wave recruitment was complete, and for the past few months the candidates had endured rigorous training. Their physique was accustomed to the hardships, naturally. It was for that reason, as well as others, that they had been selected in the first place.

Manpower had been drawn from all over the One Sith Empire. A significant portion of the unit’s entirety had been pulled from the elites at the Coruscant military academy. Another large amount was filled with veterans from his own Nautolan military forces who had followed him into battle time and time again, ever since the conquest of Glee Anselm. Many would be familiar faces. People he knew had proven themselves, people he trusted to be both loyal and efficient. The rest of their numbers would be made up from exceptional individuals sent from across the empire, both new promising prospects and veterans with suitable temperament and track records.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Darth Pyrrhus had faith in the project, as well as the people he put in charge of advancing it. He knew that simply having good soldiers wouldn’t cut it, he demanded good officers in turn. A professional army went to waste without them. Pyrrhus had gone into battle many times with an army at his back in the name of the One Sith. This time however, the forces’ greater aim would not be to the benefit of the One Sith Empire, but rather Pyrrhus himself. One might said the two were connected, and so he expected little opposition as he nitpicked the elites he deemed worthy to assemble his own personal guard. If they did, they were of course free to take it up with him in private.

It was indeed a private guard he was assembling, and not an army. Their numbers would reflect that. Through the One Sith military he had access to forces to command, what he needed was a small elite that would follow him into battle. An honour guard capable of getting the job done and work their way out of a pinch when required. Alone he imagined they would not be a force as effective as a varied army. But combine them with those elements, insert them into the right situations then they could become deadly.

Perhaps their biggest drawback would be flexibility. They were, after all, intended to be a melee guard. Pyrrhus was looking forward to reviewing their equipment. They had originally been imagined as a unit of spears and shields. Primitive, perhaps, but they served their purpose when needed. Or rather, they better. The Togruta’s patience for failed projects was very limited indeed.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

A tall, handsome officer stepped up and saluted Pyrrhus as the Togruta exited his private shuttle. The man had fine-combed, blonde hair protruding from underneath his officer’s cap and a well-maintained uniform that not even the strictest drill sergeant could criticise. “Ah, my Lord Pyrrhus, how good of you to come” he said as if it was out of kindness that he decided to make an appearance. “I take it you are eager to inspect the troops! Shall we get straight to it then?” Pyrrhus clearly marking himself as the less talkative out of the two replied with a dry “Indeed, Colonel Higgins.”

How Higgins had made it to colonel, Pyrrhus would never know. His family was well-connected. In fairness, most of Pyrrhus’ frustrations were linked to his seeming need to discuss the most mundane topics at great lengths. Pyrrhus had to give the man some credit, the man achieved good results. And he wasn’t dumb. The chatter was toned down in the presence of the Sith Lord.

“Everything is proceeding according to schedule. You’ll have your troops, my Lord Pyrrhus, and dare I say you will find them to be in excellent condition.” Higgins elaborated as the pair walked together through the halls of the underwater facility. “Your phrik donation for the shields was most appreciated. We have put it to good use. They’ll be an unstoppable force now, surely” they reached a point of elevation, transparisteel walls showing the troops down below. They were practicing in a wide arena, equipped with their full-combat gear. More than simply practice, today they had to look good. “Hardly. But they will do.”

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

“No complications?” Pyrrhus inquired without making eye-contact with Higgins. His gaze was fully focused on observing the sequences practiced by his would be personal guard down below. “None. Well, some…” Higgins admitted with some hesitation. “Some of our hopefuls proved unable to meet your standards. Not to worry. They were taken care of.” Higgins said, straightening himself out, his posture suggesting he took some measure of pride in his decisiveness with which he had acted.

This time Pyrrhus turned his head to look at the colonel. “Terminated?” His tone did nothing to reveal his opinion on the matter. The project was secret. While fresh recruits wouldn’t have the full picture, they knew enough to help paint it for those whom it may interest. Yet execution seemed an excessive course of action to ensure their silence. “Of course not! We’re not barbarians” The mere thought of it had Higgins appalled. “They were given transfers to favourable locations and divisions. Rest assured, my Lord, they still serve the empire.” Pyrrhus nodded with approval, and turned his attention back to the training drill. “Good. I hate seeing good resources wasted.”

The troops had split up into several groups. Platoon against platoon. The pairings were always the same; one using standard equipment of the guard, the other using swords. While primarily all units used the electrostaff, they had a vibrosword as their secondary weapon should the effectiveness of the first be compromised in battle. Both sides got valuable practice. One with the blade, the other with staff and shield. The latter had the added benefit of working together in formation. Pyrrhus was pleased to see how well they all performed. The groups with standard equipment outperformed the sword-units consistently, gaining both them and Higgins another star in the prestigious book of Pyrrhus.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

“How does their equipment hold up, in your opinion?” Pyrrhus inquired. He turned now to face Higgins fully. He had his full attention, the Sith felt he had seen what he needed from the little display below, at least for now. “Well enough, my Lord. The weapons are good. The addition of a secondary weapon allows for some more flexibility, which is always welcome, of course. The armour, however…” Higgins paused, almost seeming worried that he was overstepping his mandate. Hesitation, even if the intention of being polite and proper, was always nuisance to Pyrrhus. Such weakness was a disgusting trait to find in someone of his rank.

“Yes?” The Togruta waited. As if standing in the presence of a Sith Lord wasn’t stressful enough, as their reputation was known well enough to any man in the uniform, this one had a particularly imposing presence. He was tall, muscular, and of an alien species not frequently seen within their ranks, soldier and Sith alike. The curved horns only added to his height and air of menace. Yet the Higgins endured, and ventured forth with what he had stopped himself from saying earlier.

“With respect, my Lord, the armour you requested… Well, it was all fair and well of course, but I felt it was not optimal.” the raised eyebrow from Pyrrhus encouraged the colonel to go on, his facial expression one of interest and curiosity. Such a thing was too petty to take offense to. “It was too cumbersome. And not properly reinforced in the areas where the guard is usually expected to be most exposed. I tried to make made modifications, but in the end I decided to acquire another model entirely. It was an executive decision made by me, I accept full responsibility of it.”

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Again, Higgins straightened his posture, giving the man who stood by his decisions yet was accepting of whatever judgement his superior may befall upon him. You’re a soldier after all, Higgins. “Don’t make such a fuss, Colonel. I did not hire you to play babysitter but to turn these men into the finest soldiers you could. I was hoping you would make adjustments where you deemed it fit.” Higgins seemed to breathe a deep sigh of relief. He managed to keep it relatively soundless, the only indication the heaving chest and lowered shoulders.

“When can I expect to have them deployed?” Pyrrhus followed up with another inquiry. They had set an expected date in advance, of course, but he was in no rush. “They can be ready within the end of the month, if you need them. But if I may, my Lord, I would like to keep them here until the end of the season. There is still much that can be improved upon to refine their skill.” It was a project that held the privilege of being allowed to be a long-term on. Pyrrhus sought quality, and there was technically no immediate need for them. “Very well, you shall have the season.” Higgins smiled with satisfaction, giving a grateful nod to his superior. The flexibility shown and willingness to cooperate was appreciated, and only served to benefit this new unit. “Excellent, my Lord, thank you. I will personally ensure that your time is well invested.”

“Very good, Colonel. Very good.”