Naagloshii

"Forgotten Commandos. Very capable, very intelligent...preferably avoidable."

- Nihlus Nryik

Forgotten Commandos were a elite group of Ash'rak warriors, specially trained as covert military operatives from birth. Experts in guerrilla warfare, espionage, counter-terroism, electronic survillance, assassination, and propaganda dissemination, they where originally established and personally trained by Darth Azazel himself, and were allowed more independence and freedoms than his regular soldiers. Hand-picked at birth for traits believed to contribute to great loyalty, they were considered unbreakable and completely devoted, often willing to commit suicide rather than face interrogation.

Even without access to the most advanced equipment, Forgotten Commandos could successfully complete missions deemed impossible for regular troops, even though they usually worked alone or in small groups. Forgotten possessed considerable influence and authority, often commanding the respect and cooperation of even the most powerful beings. They were also held above Clan law, answering only to their Shiar. This allowed them an impressive amount of operational freedom, when conducting missions. Forgotten Commandos were a very close kint group of warriors, with their training and specific purpose shrouded in mystery, though they were officially classified as special forces personnel.

Training
"Unbreakable, unrestrainable, and ultimately beyond dangerous. Remain at extreme distance at all times."

- Anonymous NRDF drill sergeant

All Ash'rak possessed low-level telepathic sensitivity and a instinct to equate themselves with the whole, for the greater good. For the majority of Ash'rak, this sensitivity usually only amounted to some predictive capability and an ability to sense another being's emotional state, and only through meditation and practice. However, the occasional newborn would exude an extraordinary telepathic ability, able to manipulate others through mere will power, and an incredibly stubborn resistance towards putting themselves above others. Considered to be too dangerous to be left alive, these children were immediately taken from their parents and presumably executed. Secretly, however, they were taken in by the Clan's military, and those who survived the extreme, almost cruel training they were subjected to emerged as the most capable and dreaded special forces operators in the known galaxy.

Subjected to a rigorous battery of tests, experiments, and deemed to be expendable, young Forgotten Commandos were held under observation for several years, during which they are quite literally brain-washed for unquestioning obedience to orders, and psychologically desensitized to combat. Though generally most of the children adapted to the conditioning within two or three years, those few who ultimately rejected it were immediately destroyed. Following conditioning, Forgotten Commandos began typical educations of reading, arithmetic, history, and other basic lessons.

The Forgotten who survived conditioning usually developed some psychological quirk, though they were usually harmless, and normally only resulted in a very eccentric personality, yet occasionally more extreme side-effects could develop, such as a split-personality or bizzare sense of humor. However, as long as these quirks did not interfer with the completion of a Forgotten's duty in some way, they were allowed to live, albeit underneath constant observation.

Around this period, Forgotten Commandos also began martial and physical education, alongside their more typical schooling program. It was at this point in their lives when Forgotten Commandos were groomed to become the killing machines of which they were notorious. Each Forgotten Commando was personally apprenticed to a vetern Forgotten, though it was not uncommon for a vetern to take on two apprentices. Underneath their new master, trainee Forgotten were thoroughly instructed in Juda'Ka, as well as weapons handling, marksmanship, computer slicing, blade-to-blade combat, and psychological/guerrilla warfare, along with typical lessons on infantry combat and military strategies. Training underneath a vetern Forgotten ensured that each trainee received their education in military warfare from the very best teacher, a seasoned Forgotten Commando.

After over two decades of comprehensive training, Forgotten underwent a series of trials, not unlike those which Jedi Padawans experienced. Each trial targeted a specific component of a Forgotten's body; the physical trial proved that a Forgotten was capable of surviving the extreme physical demands of their missions and able to successfully kill/subdue a superior enemy without a weapon, while the psychological trial ensured that they could handle the stress and emotional strain of their assignments. Lastly, a Forgotten had to demonstrate their unfailing loyalty and devotion to their Clan and Shiar. Often this entailed killing a restrained, defenseless innocent without hesitation, torturing a subject for information without killing them, or demonstrating complete willingness to eradicate or abandon to a superior force a large portion of civillians, if necessary to achieve what was deemed to be the greater good.

Finally, Forgotten Commandos engaged upon a final trial, in which they were required to fight and kill a fellow trainee, whom they had trained alongside and obviously grown close with. After seccessfully delivering the killing blow, the trainee would officially graduate from training, where the Clan's Shiar would Knight them with his own blade, and officially declare them Forgotten, granted all powers and privileges which accompanied the rank.

Modus Operandi
"Of course, a unit of my Forgotten Commandos can be trusted to single-handedly wipe out a small army, but they are actually far more useful as a psychological weapon, and it always makes negotiations so much easier with a Forgotten hovering by your shoulder."

- Anonymous Shiar Forgotten Commandos performed extraordinarily dangerous and officially unacknowledged operations, often operating outside of the bounds of both law and acceptable moral behavior. Considered to be borderline psychopathic by ordinary Ash'rak soldiers, they were known to prefer unorthodox methods of insertion, most often droping from orbit in STEVs. Combined with almost ritualistic killing methods, extreme tactics, such as adorning themselves with an enemy's blood and bones in order to terrify an opponent, and almost mindless loyalty to their Clan's Shiar, the mere rumor of their presence within a given system was enough to demoralize most enemies.

Unless lone work was specifically necessary, Forgotten operated in units of six, with each Commando specializing in some aspect of their training, such as sniping, computer slicing, reconnaissance, heavy weapons or unit command. Similar to their infantry counterparts, Forgotten maintained units aboard major warships. However, as they required absolute secrecy and deniability for the majority of their operations, Forgotten more commonly operated out of smaller warships, such as Drexl corvettes, which allowed them to actively or passively conduct operations with little interference.

With their advanced equipment, great mobility, and unique training, a single unit of Forgotten could easily wipe out an entire enemy battalion, while suffering zero casulties. During full-scale invasions and military actions, Forgotten were often droped first, landing deep behind enemy lines within STEVs, sabotaging enemy fortifications and securing landing zones for the main force. On several occasions, this allowed an attacking Ash'rak fleet to quickly gain ground against an opponent, and it was therorized that without the Forgotten's efforts, such successes could have proven nearly impossible. Forgotten also flew alongside regular Ash'rak pilots during space-borne battles, often quietly penetrating an opponent's fleet by moving in close when cloaked, then suddenly unleashing massive fire-power, as the main force pounded at the opponent's main defenses, forcing an enemy to focus upon either the Forgotten or the larger threat of the Ash'rak fleet. Forgotten also conducted aggressive boarding operations, both during a battle and before one could began, blasting into an enemy ship either to capture, incapacitate, or utterly destroy.

After the subsequent peace which followed the end of the Great Purging, the Forgotten took a much more passive type of operation, more often conducting electronic surveillance and counter espionage, in place of full-scale raids and radom assassinations. However, much of their work was still questionable, and even the allies of a given Clan were still moderately intimidated by them. Forgotten Commandos were recognized as perhaps the most important units of a Clan's military, though they received no public recognition for their deeds, helpful or otherwise, and remained "back-room" operatives, which allowed them to remain useful even after their exsistance became general knowledge across the galaxy. Typically, Forgotten also took heavy casulties during full-scale wars, due to the extreme risk level of their missions.

Pressurized Combat Armor
Aside from more typical civillian clothing and infantry equipment when the situation called for it, Forgotten wore a specialized version of the M52B CombatSuit, which assisted them greatly, as much of their purpose was remaining entirely unseen. Though primarily black with red details, it was not uncommon for the suit to be costomized by it's wearer, in order to better accomodate their preferences. The M52B's pressurization feature and optional air tank also allowed for extra-vehicular operations. Unlike standard Ash'rak infantry armor, Forgotten suit's featured a heating/cooling unit, which both masked infrared signatures of the wearer and provide advanced protection from environmental extremes, alongside a Forgotten's enhanced durability. The integrated helmet contained state of the art communications and encryption capabilities, as well as a sophisticated Heads Up Display (HUD). The suit also featured advanced motion dectectors, and a automatically polarizing visor and sound filters, which protected a Forgotten's very sensitive sensory abilities from harsh noise and flashes.

However, the most impressive and useful feature of a Forgotten's armor was it's ability to shift it's texture to match it's surrounding environment, which essentially allowed Forgotten to camouflage themselve's from sight so effectively that, as long as they moved slowly, they could remain completely undetected, both from visual and sensor scans. However, this only made a Forgotten very hard to notice, but not completely invisible. This camouflage ability provided Forgotten with an obvious advantage over regular infantry, yet it did not make them invincible, and as their armor did not provide the same amount of physical protection and shielding as the M52A, they were almost forced to rely on pure stealth rather than massive brute force, as the M52A model allowed.

Single Trooper Entry Vehicle
For the most part, aside from their sheer combat proficiency, a Forgotten unit's true usefulness laid in their ability to literally drop directly onto the heads of an enemy position, often with such suddeness as to render an enemy so surprised that they were wiped out before they could fully mobilize. This speed and shock/surprise advantage was primarily made possible by the Forgotten's expert use of the Single Trooper Entry Vehicle, a very dangerous yet ultimately very useful and rewarding method of delivery to a landing zone.

Though employing regular shuttles and dropships when necessary, Forgotten typically shunned such ordinary methods, and, despite the extreme risk accompanied by each drop in a STEV pod, approached such occasions euphorically, as just another enjoyable ride, as if they were at a theme park, which was among the main reasons regular Ash'rak infantry regarded them as insane. When combined with the great proficiency each Forgotten held with his or her own equipment, along with their natural ruggedness and protective armor, a Forgotten who kept a cool head and followed their training would alomst always recover fully from the extreme stresses of gravity and force exerted upon the passenger of a STEV pod, even if the pod landed not exactly directly on target.

Armament
"Disarming me won't help make you any safer."

- Kaidan Dex to Nihlus Nryik

Forgotten Commandos utilized only the most sophisticated weapnry, often using arms from other suppliers than Grammaton Technologies, so as to distance themselves from easy deduction. They were known to customize their equipment to fit their own individual preferences as well, which made them far deadlier than with an ordinary soldier would be with the same weapon. However, with their enhanced physiology and comprehensive training, Forgotten could rely solely upon their own bodies, utilizing their brutal strength and lightning speed to literally break enemies apart before they could began to respond. However, certain situations necessarily required ranged combat or a more sophisticated approach, so Forgotten rarely traveled unarmed. As the personal death dealers of Azazel, Forgotten received specialist instruction from the Sith Lord himself, and as such were expert swordmen, capable of fighting a fully trained Force-sensitive to a standstill. All Forgotten possessed advanced training in lightsaber combat, as well as the knowledge to construct and maintain such weapons. Though they preferred Form VII, or Juyo, most Forgotten also had some skill with Makashi. When combined with their sheer physical power, a Forgotten wielding a lightsaber could quickly cut a swath through any enemy force. Despite this, however, they lacked to fine-tuned finesse that a truly dedicated swordman might possess, relying instead on pure power and speed to acheive victory over an opponent.

Alongside their lightsaber, most Forgotten also carried an impressive arsenal, ranging from typical blasters and grenades, to cortosis knives and Verpine shatter guns. They were also able to quickly adapt to new weaponry, and had an impressive capability with most weapon technologies, able to field strip, clean, and reassemble even unfamiliar weapons within minutes. This allowed them to rely on the equipment of their enemies, and ensured that they were never without a weapon, even if they had to wrestle one from an enemy. Even when disarmed or confronted when unarmed, a Forgotten Commando could quickly prove the bane of any attackers, unless incapacitated very quickly or simply shot dead. They were also more comfortable traveling without a weapon than a regular Ash'rak soldier might be, as they were more than capable of killing several dozen individuals with only their bare hands.

Transport
Although they maintained units aboard major warships, Forgotten Commandos usually worked out of smaller vessels, such as customized, heavily armed freighters and, more commonly, the Drexl-class Corvette. With a Drexls' superior speed and mobility, heavy armament, ability to carry various vehicles and military equipment, and advanced stealth systems, the corvettes were perfect companions for a unit of Forgotten, who preferred absolute secrecy and discretion when conducting their duties. However, it was inevitable that the Drexl-class would eventually gain a reputation of carrying the mysterious killers which most species rightly feared, so Forgotten more typically utilized modified freighters, though they lothed giving up the speed and power of a Drexl.

Although trained to handle most starfighters, and quite capable fighter pilots with most craft, Forgotten Commandos chose to use the Dagger-class Aerospace Interceptor, with which they could quickly swarm and destroy, or at least harass, even ships as large and powerful as Star Destroyers. The Daggers' ability to support a cloaking device, combined with it's advanced sensor jammers, further aided the Forgotten and enhanced their deadliness in space combat, as few enemies could effectively track and locate their cloaked enemy before they caused catastrophic damage.