Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Expand on the Republican Guard by giving it some flavour. Sub a unit for Mezha. This is a resubmission of an already approved unit.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Partisans, Force hunters.
Permission: Blanket permission for anything made by Val here. Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company. OOCly they have access to Firemane equipment because I write the IC Owner of the Company, Siobhan Kerrigan. ICly Firemane has been equipping select units of the Republican Guard in order to utilise them as a proxy force in the Tephriki Civil War.
Links: Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, The Republican Guard is the Strongest, Into Darkness, After Darkness, Red Coral City, Tephrike, Vortanstad, Infusionional Transmutation for the Removal of the Cursed Soul Shadow.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Viper Company, 14th Liberation Battalion.
Affiliation: Republican Guard, Tephrike, Mezha Krazhmir, Synthia Vao.
Classification: Infantry. Special Forces.
Description: Viper Company is a force of experienced and, when the situation demands it, rather ruthless partisans in the service of the Republican Guard. One key characteristic of the unit is that every member is Force Dead. This makes practical sense because the Guard faces many Force-using enemies on Tephrike. They are a dedicated force of partisans, Force hunters and commandos. Officially it is part of the 14th Liberation Battalion, though it often operates independently.
Viper Company is led by Mezha Krazhmir, a Yuuzhan Vong soldier. Mezha grew up in a Tephrik village that was conquered by the Disciples of the Vader, a fanatical Sith cult that worshipped Darth Vader as a Dark God, when she was very young. Forced to flee, she grew up in a refugee camp until pro-Dominion of Light militias carried out a massacre. She was handed over to the Jedi-led Dominion and subjected to experiments meant to discern what made her species tick.
Radicalised by these experiences, she joined a partisan group affiliated with the Republican Guard after managing to escape. She eventually rose to become the commander of Viper Company after serving with them in many fights in which she proved her bravery, cool head and leadership skills. Mezha has her own brand of justice that she tries to uphold, though she has a very ruthless streak in her personality. She has a strong sense of camaraderie with her comrades and encourages initiative.
Her second in command and close friend is a Twi'lek female called Synthia, a former Dominion clone trooper. Born a servitor of the Dominion, Synthia rebelled and defected to the rebels. Like all clones she was raised without a family other than her clone siblings, as the Dominion disdains attachments and has officially done away with biological family units in favour of occupational ones. She chose the surname Vao as a way to display her personhood, as Republican Guard records state that it belonged to an ancient freedom fighter who fought against the Sith.
The unit is very dedicated to the principles of the Republican Guard. It is also strongly influenced by Vong traditions. This is no surprise since the unit was founded by Vong resistance fighters. It should be noted that the Tephriki Vong have deviated from the beliefs of their ancestors in many ways. For one, they are not technophobic. At the same time, they have thoroughly whitewashed their forebears' genocidal past. According to the beliefs of the Guard, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy to set it free from the manipulations of Jedi and Sith. A good number are refugees who fled from the iron grip of warlords or the Force theocracies to join the underground. Worship of the Yun'o is not uncommon. The Yuuzhan Vong language is often used as code. The Vipers often employ Yuuzhan Vong battle cries. Fittingly, their unofficial emblem is a viper. It has been said that they do in fact keep pet snakes around.
While Vong are a very prominent part of the Company, it is not limited to them. Members of other species are allowed to join if they possess the skill and dedication. Thus one can also find Twi'leks, Nautolans, Rattataki, Zabrak, and other species. However, non-Vong must undergo a painful - and very risky - process to become Force Dead. Not all make it, and so the unit only accepts volunteers who understand what they are signing up for. The Vipers include escaped slaves from Sith territory, former clone troopers who deserted from the Dominion's 'Grand Army' as well as veteran soldiers from the Republican Guard. This makes them very motivated fighters. The Guard encourages its people to procreate because they need new workers and soldiers, and so many Vipers have families. Because the parents are in the work force or on the front lines, the elderly and the wounded look after the children in government-sponsored creches.
The group operates as a unit of special purpose operators, filling the role of a strike team and direct action force. Every operation is meticulously planned, and has a plan for withdrawal. They are tenacious in battle - and ruthless. As with all Republican Guard partisans, they are fond of making use of traps and tunnels to strike unexpectedly. While the official unit strength is that of an infantry company, its actual size tends to lie between a company and a platoon. Like many insurgencies, the Republican Guard likes to inflate its numbers a bit. They are also well-versed in carrying out what many outside observers might label as terrorist attacks. Such things are normal on Tephrike. Captured Jedi and Sith are often shot out of hand. The Vipers justify their actions by arguing that both the Dominion and the Vaderites are totalitarian hellholes where Force-Users trample on the rights of the common people. By contrast, the Republican Guard seeks to end the tyranny of Force-Users and create an egalitarian society.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Medium
Unit Availability: Unique
Unit Experience: Elite
Equipment:
Armour:
- Yuuzhan Vong Cloakers/Masquers or Storm Commando Armour
- Villip with Oggzill attachment.
Rifles:
- MK2 Boltgun (including APE rounds). Used by specialist since it has to be imported from abroad and is thus not available in large quantities.
- Verpine Shatter Rifle
- Stouker Concussion Rifle
- DC-19 Stealth Carbine
- J-301 Pulse-Wave Saboteur
- Bolt-Thrower
- BR-4 'Baleful Bantha' Blaster Rifle
- KV33 Pulse Cycler
- KIIR-25 'Thunderlance' Vibroharpoon Gun. Used by specialist since it has to be imported from abroad and is thus not available in large quantities.
- Dart Gun (variable chemical payload).
- Outland Rifle (with optional scope)
- Thud Bug Launcher
- Chitin Carbine.
- Magnetic Repeater
- PLX-1 Missile Launcher (Only a few)
- Imperial Heavy Repeater
- CSPL-12 (with optional adapter)
- MGL-1
- Machine Gun
- FC-1 Flechette Launcher
- ZX Miniature Flame Projector
- Verpine Shattergun
- Hammer Slugthrower
- Adjudicator
- Hard-Sound Gun
- Ripper
- ATA Pulse-Wave Blaster
- Dissuader KD-30
- Sonic Stunner
- Enforcer
- SH-9
- Monofilament wire and net.
- Cyanide suicide pills.
- Serum for the Exorcism of the Cursed Soul Shadow
- MM9
- Camofibre
- Heat pit sensors
- Spy Bugs.
- Vong projectile biots such as thud, blast, snap and razor bugs. Blorah jelly.
- Grenades
- IEDs. Satchel Charges. Ribbon Charge. Detpack, Land mines (mission-specific).
- 52-R high-yield thermite explosive
- Sapper Charge
The unit is multiracial, with a strong Yuuzhan Vong continent. The members of the unit are trained to hunt and eliminate Force-Users, especially by sniping or ambushing them. All members of the unit, whether Vong or not, are Force Dead. This makes them a potent instrument against Force-Users, as they cannot be sensed in the Force or affected by most direct Force powers. Even a normally powerful telekinetic blast that is capable of launching an ordinary opponent off their feet at high speeds simply causes a Yuuzhan Vong either to stumble, or lose balance temporarily.
Attempts to use the Force to predict their next course of actions are likewise futile. This is particularly pertinent since the two main opponents of the Republican Guard are the Jedi-led Dominion of Light and the Disciples of the Vader, a Sith cult. However, indirect attacks, such as chucking a boulder, obviously still work against them. Likewise, for unknown reasons Force Lightning and Force Net can be used against Force Dead beings. Another technique employed by Jedi during the Yuuzhan Vong War was to control the air in an attempt to increase the air pressure in order to, in effect, crush a Vong.
Viper Company is a commando unit and thus suffers in confrontations with entrenched fortifications and heavy armour formations such as tanks, heavy walkers and so on. Heavy weapons are only available in small numbers. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to air and artillery strikes, hence their focus on stealth and subversion. At best they might have portable missile launchers to defend themselves against aerial attacks. However, this is pretty variable and requires the aircraft in question to be close enough. Moreover, they only have a few available. The unit is also very small, which is an issue if they find themselves penned down by numerically superior enemy forces.
They forego heavy, tanky armour for more lightweight suits that give them mobility and help them remain undetected. This obviously leaves them more vulnerable to heavy attacks if detected, especially in protracted fights. Due to the nature of their mission and the fact that they often operate for an extended period behind enemy lines without access to a supply train, they often only carry limited amount of ammunition. While effective, their weapons also tend to be a bit dated because Tephrike has been isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for a long time. Most of their firearms are slugthrowers or Vong technology.
Due to their skills, Firemane has equipped them with more modern weapons such as bolters, but this also makes them dependent on the corporation for ammunition etc. The Republican Guard has secretly tried to set up its own workshops to manufacture primitive knockoffs, but these are inferior since it lacks the technical know-how. Similar to Haruun Kal, the jungles of Tephrike are home to some nasty fungi with an appetite for metal, which also applies to blasters and their circuits. Thus weapons and electronics are often rubbed down with portaak amber to prevent the fungi from degrading them. Moreover, the Republican Guard is an insurgency and does not have much of a manufacturing basis. Slugthrowers are much less vulnerable and easier to maintain, but obviously more susceptible to running out of ammunition in pitched combat. As a result, projectile weapons are more common than blaster ones. Shatterguns and bolters are particularly popular among the Vipers, as they are ideal for combating Force-Users.
Strengths:
- Stealthy light infantry unit whose members excel at raids, ambushes and especially hunting Force-Users. Highly mobile and motivated.
- All members of Viper Company are Force Dead. They cannot be sensed in the Force and cannot be affected by most direct Force applications.
- Being light infantry, they suffer in confrontations with entrenched fortifications and heavy armour formations. Heavy weapons are only available in small number. Being infantry, they are vulnerable to aerial and artillery strikes. Require support in pitched combat.
- Being Force Dead does not translate to Force immunity. All the Force powers that work against Vong and other Force Dead beings work against them. Examples would be Force Lightning, Force Net and obviously indirect attacks, such as chucking a boulder. It also means they cannot be affected by beneficial Force techniques such as Force healing.
For many centuries, Tephrike has been a war-torn hellhole. The outbreak of the Gulag Virus caused the planet to spiral into chaos. The planet entered a long period of technological regression and isolation. Warlords, gangs, cults and remnants of Tephrike's old parliamentary government vied for power. The Jedi enclave sought to restore order, only to succumb to the very evil they sought to oppose while believing that they served the Light. They were opposed by the slavocratic, human supremacist Disciples of the Vader, a Sith cult, and the Republican Guard. Unlike many of the dominant factions, the Guard was controlled by Non-Force-Users. In fact, it positioned itself as the champion of the common people, regarding Force-Users as their enemy. In the eyes of the Guard, their powers were a sickness. True freedom could only reign after the Force cults had been overthrown. The struggle would be arduous, but sometimes freedom was never free. Sometimes the tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Lacking a strong manufacturing basis and numbers, the Guard conducted a guerilla war against its opponents, striking from hidden bases in the jungle and beneath the ocean. They were backed by various alien races that had been marginalised by the new order, such as the Yuuzhan Vong, who faced persecution. Their Force Dead qualities made them particularly prized as warriors. Partisan units were established to strike at the Dominion and the Sith warlord states from the inside, performing sabotage, raids and terror attacks.
They would be directed by the Central Staff of the Partisan Movement, which maintained territorial commands to coordinate partisan activity and answered to the Republican Guard's military junta, which governs the liberated territories. Living off the land, these units learned to be self-sufficient, tough and ruthless. Blending in amongst the local populace, these underground movements would subvert the organs of Jedi and Sith control, until the day would come when the Guard could overthrow them and usher in a unitary, secular republic of Non-Force-Users by Non-Force-Users for Non-Force-Users. That has been the goal for a long time at any rate. Viper Company is one of the many units that have been established to this end.
Viper Company has its units in a group of Yuuzhan Vong partisans who resisted the attempts of the Disciples of the Vader, a Tephriki Sith cult, to exterminate their people. Baanu Rass, a Vong settlement named after one of the oldest Yuuzhan Vong worldships to survive the trek from their galaxy to the known Galaxy, was razed by the Sith at the behest of Darth Oppress, an apprentice of the Dark Master of the cult. Oppress was a particularly vicious Sith. After the settlement had been sacked, prisoners were rounded up and massacred. However, a few survived the mass killings. Retreating into the wilderness, they swore to avenge their murdered kin.
Thus they fought their own war as partisans, becoming adept at hunting and eliminating Force-Users. Darth Oppress himself was ultimately assassinated by them when they ambushed him with land mines and snipers. In time, the partisans entered an alliance with the Republican Guard, a resistance movement that had been formed to resist the Force theocracies that laid claim to Tephrike. Like many of their fellow Yuuzhan Vong, the vengeful guerillas joined the Guard. They distinguished themselves in many fights, focusing on terror attacks, assassinations and targeted strikes against Force-Users from both the fundamentalist Jedi-led Dominion and the Sith. It achieved renown for infiltrating and blowing up a Jedi academy.
As the older generation died off or was moved to other positions in the command apparatus, the newly christened Viper Company opened its ranks for new recruits. For obvious reasons there was a preference for Vong, especially those who had lost people to the Force cultists. However, the unit eventually allowed members of other races to join it. This was in keeping with the egalitarian beliefs of the multispecies Guard. But while the unit opened its ranks to Nautolans, Twi'leks, Quarren, humans and other races, it expected all its members to be Force Dead, regardless of race. Those who were not Vong would have to submit to a complex – and dangerous – procedure involving the application of Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology. Not all those who submitted to the process survived, which was why the unit would only accept volunteers. Despite the risks, the unit's reputation and actions would ensure that it did not lack for recruits.
Needless to say the members had to go through an extremely rigorous, gruelling training programme. Among other things, it involved endurance, jungle survival courses, the embrace of pain, hand-to-hand combat, demolitions and marksmanship training. Every member of the unit carries a cyanide suicide pill, which is to be used in case of capture. The Republican Guard is a secular group, but supports freedom of religion, provided the faith in question does not promote discord or Force use. Due to the strong Vong influence, some members of the unit believe in the Vong deities. Here it should be noted that the faith of the Tephriki Vong has diverged from that of their ancestors, who invaded the Galaxy centuries ago, in a number of ways.
Mezha Krahzmir, a Yuuzhan Vong refugee who had escaped from a Dominion prison camp, eventually ended up joining the unit after proving her worth among Republican Guard-backed partisans in enemy-held territory. Over time she rose to become Viper Company's commander. The unit played a prominent role in the so-called Hundred Days' Offensive. This was a military operation conducted by the Guard against the Dominion, which had been weakened by the Netherworld Event, as the Force was thrown out of balance. Deployed deep inside Dominion territory and working alongside local partisans, Viper Company did its part to throw Dominion forces into disarray.
A number of prominent members of the Windian Jedi Order were assassinated by the rebels. The unit also performed bombings, sabotage and attacks on Jedi installations. This involved utilising improvised explosive devices in civilian locations to target Jedi or alleged sympathisers, aiding in unleashing chemical weapons on enemy troops or Jedi strongholds, and helping disable factories that supported the Dominion war machine. One of their most prominent victims was a Jedi Council member. However, the Dominion fought back, applying a scorched earth policy. Eventually the Republican Guard offensive petered out and Viper Company was forced to retreat to escape the wroth of the Dominion. Vanishing into the wilderness, the partisans continued their war against the theocracies. When, after centuries of isolation from the rest of the Galaxy, foreigners arrived in Tephrike's orbit, the Republican Guard took note.
It soon transpired that the outsiders belonged to a group called Firemane. At first they attempted to negotiate with the Dominion, but soon open warfare broke out when an extremist faction in the Dominion attacked the Firemane negotiators. Some Firemane-allied pilots, led by Laira Darkhold, were shot down. Pursued by Dominion militia, they had to seek refuge in the wilderness. Viper Company operatives and normal irregulars, led by Mezha, followed the outsiders. When the pilots were being swarmed by Dominion militia, the rebels came to their aid. Ultimately this led to Firemane and the Republican Guard entering an uneasy alliance. It helped that Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, the adoptive daughter of Firemane's boss, had been captured by the Dominion.
The Guard shared intelligence on Dominion forces and strongholds with the outsiders. In return, Firemane provided them with food and medical supplies. Eventually it decided to equip select rebel units, such as Viper Company, with some more advanced weapons. Viper Company played an important role in the battle for Fortress Purity, a joint assault on a major Dominion base and a key breastwork on the road to Nexus City, capital of the Jedi theocracy. The Republican Guard had tried to take the fortress in the past, but always been repulsed. Viper Company had suffered heavy casualties in the assault during the Hundred Days Offensive. Thus the mission was personal for them.
Here, the Vipers faced one of their hardest fights. Per the battle plan, the Guard would provide the bulk of the manpower. Firemane would support them with small elite groups of special forces operators and shock troops, air and artillery strikes. There was strong distrust on both sides, as each expected betrayal from the other party. This mind set extended to Viper Company, as the partisans were suspicious of their allies. Nonetheless, this was their chance to deal a serious blow to the Dominion.
Taking advantage of the intense bombardment Firemane subjected the fortress to, the Vipers used a secret tunnel to get close to the Dominion positions and bypass their first line of defence. Their infiltration was a success. However, the Dominion was determined to make the invaders bleed for every inch of ground they seized. Kamikaze fighters attacked the Firemane transports and bombers. Intense fighting raged across the forest. Moreover, the Dominion activated a weather control machine, gravely weakening Firemane's ability to carry out air strikes or land troops in the combat zone.
Viper Company was about to eliminate Dominion emplacements when suddenly power armoured soldiers dropped down from the sky, landing close to their position. They were Reaper Squad, and their commander was Sergeant Freya Solveig. Both units teamed up, with the Reapers providing the hammer and the Vipers the dagger to slip through Dominion lines. Amidst fierce fighting, they overpowered a Dominion artillery crew. Freya and Mezha worked together to take down the Jedi Commander. Then they turned the mortars on Dominion positions. However, a vicious Dominion counterattack forced them to retreat. Traps, the Reapers' heavy firepower and the Vipers' sharpshooting took their toll on the Dominion clone troopers, but the Rebels and their allies were cornered. They held off a wave of enemy attackers, even destroying a Dominion super tank.
When all seemed lost and they were about to be overrun, Firemane's Mirage Squadron carried out an air strike, giving the Republican Guard time to deploy reinforcements and stem the tide. Indeed, Mezha and Freya were saved from being rolled over by a tank when the Squadron's Qadiri pilots blew it up. They were reinforced by Rebel assault troops, who saved them from being overrun. The line had been stabilised, leaving the situation a stalemate. But the Dominion hammered the allied forces with attacks.
Mezha rallied some volunteers from her unit. Freya rejoined them. The team was given the task of locating and cracking bunkers that impeded the Republican Guard's advance. They received a distress signal from an Andorian Guard platoon that had come under heavy enemy fire. The Dominion had employed a Force Illusion to conceal the bunker and now the unit was being mauled. While Freya and one of her men joined the beleaguered Republican Guard unit and provided covering fire, Mezha and her people used their stealthy skills to get close and lob explosives into the bunker.
Then boh groups stormed the bunker. Injured in the explosion, the Jedi illusionist was gunned down by a furious Freya for messing with her mind. After taking the bunker, the team discovered that it connected to a tunnel that seemed to be part of a larger underground complex. Far from being just a mundane pillbox, it was a crucial component in the Dominion's defences. The tunnel provided a way into the base. They contacted headquarters, requesting backup and ground penetrating radar to map the underground complex. With support from the Andorian Guard unit and Firemane soldiers, Viper Company held off a furious Dominion counterattack.
With the help of reinforcements, the Republican Guard troops poured through the tunnels and stormed the underground base. Close to the end of the battle, the Dominion unleashed a brigade of Padawans and Younglings to cover their retreat while General Kennobi, the commander of the base, committed suicide. The child soldiers were sent on a suicidal death charge and gunned down by the Republican Guard and Firemane troops. Mezha was among the soldiers who entered the base.
Enraged by the massacre and the way the Dominion had hurt them, the Vipers killed the remaining Dominion soldiers and functionaries without mercy. The Guard was not in the mood to take prisoners. Mezha let them take their revenge and even joined the slaughter. However, she insisted that the Dominion servants be given a clean death, instead of drawing out their suffering. She, Freya and Synthia Vao found the body of Jedi General Kennobi, who had committed suicide after sending the Younglings to die. The fall of the Fortress was a blow to the Dominion, but it was not beaten. Instead it rallied under a new group of hardliners willing to fight a war to the knife. Viper Company was given a brief respite, then returned to action.
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