The Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, colloquially known as the Imperial Special Operations Command (ISOC), was one of the fourteen uniformed services of the Imperial military, founded in 97 ABY. It was responsible for the training, equipment, organization, and command of all special operations forces of the Galactic Empire, and drew personnel from all three major branches of Imperial military service — the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, and Imperial Intelligence — to conduct special operations in both the denied and domestic battlespaces. Under Galactic Emperor Roan Fel, the Special Operations Command was the only branch of the Imperial military legally authorized to conduct special operations in the name of the Empire, and its operators partook in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations across the galaxy.
The senior commander of the Special Operations Command, known as the Commander-in-Chief, Imperial Special Operations Command, was a full Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy, and would be represented on the seven-member Council of Moffs, reflecting the prestigious tenure of the Imperial Special Forces. The Special Operations Command was a senior command of the Imperial Armed Forces, and reported directly to the Imperial Central Command and its commander, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces.
Although its exact strength was classified, the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command was estimated to consist of approximately 1.9 million men, women, and aliens. Formally, it was comprised of three Component Special Operations Commands, eight Component Special Operations Forces, and ten Regional Special Operations Commands, and it operated twenty-eight separate Maneuver Forces — consisting of twelve Special Operations Armies, ten Naval Special Operations Forces, and six Intelligence Special Operations Brigades. However, of the fourteen uniformed services of the Imperial military, which all together employed approximately 4.1 trillion beings, the Special Operations Command was by far the smallest in size. Despite this, the Special Operations Command's operators, who were typically known as the "Imperial Special Forces", were often regarded as the some the Empire's most well-trained and experienced military personnel.
History[]
Casus genesis (97 ABY)[]
A young, prematurely-throned Roan Fel, devastated by his father's assassination.
The impetus for the creation of the Imperial Special Operations Command, its casus genesis, laid in the turbulent times of the middle years of the Legacy era. In 97 BBY, a devastating and stunning turn of events would occur when Galactic Emperor Fel II, the Chief of State of the Galactic Empire, would be assassinated through unknown machinations. While the Empire reeled from the decapitation of its executive branch, his successor and son, the fifteen-year-old Roan Fel, would be covertly sworn in, and would resume his father's tenure as Galactic Emperor. The death of his father and the assumption of the title at such a young age would impress the young Roan with unforgettable lessons: that control of the feuding factions of the Imperial government was a political necessity, and that he, as Emperor, must ensure that such an atrocity would never happen again.
Therefore, even at such a young age, the hardened Roan Fel would instigate a scathing design of the Imperial miltary while the assassin was sought out. Fel, liberally using his title, administered sweeping changes to the Imperial Armed Forces and Imperial Intelligence to ensure such an intelligence failure would not occur again. The Imperial Security Bureau, long an independent Imperial intelligence service, was immediately amalgamated into Imperial Intelligence, which became the centralized apparatus of the Imperial intelligence community. Furthermore, Roan would mandate the creation of the six-member Council of Moffs, an organized body for leaders of both military and civil services to report to him.
However, one thing was clear: even the vaunted Imperial Knights and even elite airborne soldiers such as those of the 501st Legion had been powerless to stop such an assassination attempt. Immediate change in the Imperial Armed Forces was necessary to forestall another such galactic crisis. The answer was in small, highly-trained teams of humans and aliens, who practiced not mass warfare by press of arms, but instead, used covert force and precise application of force to inhibit terrorism and insurgency within the Empire: Special Operations Forces (more commonly known as "Special Forces").
The precedence for coordinated Imperial galactic special forces was firmly established in the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, originally implemented in the Clone Wars as unified command to coordinate the operations of the clone commandoes. However, after the Clone Wars, shockingly, the majority of the Empire's special forces units had receded into the cosmic background. Under the tenure of Galactic Emperor Palpatine, who placed little stock in the infantry of the Imperial Military, the only units approximating true special forces were fascimiles such as the Storm Commandoes, who were largely used as praetorian guards for ostentatious military commanders, and then veteran stormtrooper corps such as the 501st Legion, which were used as "shock troops" to preface the advance of conventional stormtrooper legions.
In contrast, the Rebel Alliance's special operations forces, the Alliance Special Forces, had been used to dramatic effect against Palpatine's legions of tactically-antediluvian stormtroopers, and New Republic commando units such as "Page's Commandos" also had achieved spectacular successes against the waning Empire.
Activation (98 ABY)[]
The hawk-and-shield insignia of the newly-branded Imperial Army Special Operations Group.
Therefore, in a bold move, newly-christened Emperor Roan Fel the Third immediately mandated the formation of an Imperial Special Operations Command, alongside the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy, to train, coordinate, and command newly-activated Imperial Special Operations Forces, in the reminiscence of the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command and its special forces. The first special operations forces activated were the Imperial Army Special Operations Group (after the 1st Republic Special Operations Brigade) and Naval Special Warfare (after the Galactic Republic Naval Special Warfare). Operators for both units were drawn from veteran stormtroopers, and their Naval counterparts, the Imperial Marines, with both commissioned officers and enlisted operators chosen.
After recruitment, both enlisted and officer candidates were passed through a rigorous and newly-formed Special Forces Selection course established on Dxun, designed to test the physical fitness, mental fitness, independence, and perseverance of the commando candidates. Stormtroopers who passed Selection were immediately transferred from their former parent units to the 1st Special Forces School on Coruscant, where they were begin the Basic Operator Training Course and Special Forces Indoctrination courses, where they would begin to learn the tradescraft that discriminated special operations forces from the conventional infantry. Marines who passed Selection were transferred to the 2nd Special Forces School on Anaxes, where they would undergo parallel training, but with more orientation to combat operations in zero-g.
The first graduates of the 1st Special Forces School would begin the Imperial Army Special Operations Group and the first graduates of the 2nd Special Forces School would begin Naval Special Warfare, and the resurrection of the supermassive Galactic Republic Special Operations Command had begun.
Early History (98—99 ABY)[]
No SF unit will replace the Five-Oh-One Airborne.
—General Oron Jaeger, complaining to his subordinate officers on the unfair privileges imparted to the early Special Operations Command
General Oron Jaeger, Commander of the 501st Legion, felt threatened by the rivalry between Imperial special operations forces and traditional "conventional infantry".
Despite being plagued by Roan Fel's bureaucratic control, the newborn Army Special Operations Group would achieve fledgling successes, such as the prevention of the kidnapping of the Imperial ambassador of Thyferra in 99 ABY.
The first operations of both the Imperial Army Special Operations Group and Naval Special Warfare would begin in 98 ABY, after Selection, Operator Training, and Indoctrination had produced the first batches of Imperial commandoes. However, Roan Fel, who had been responsible for the formation of the Imperial Special Forces, would insist on having the young organization under his tight and personal control, partly in memory of his father, of which he was sure would not have fallen if there had been Imperial commandoes patrolling the galaxy and stamping out all terrorism or insurgency that threatened the Empire before it could reach that scale.
As a result, the Special Operations Command would become somewhat of a joke, with Emperor Fel labeled the "Armchair General", a reference to the fact he had no military experience, and yet was attempting to coordinate several hundred thousand Soldiers and Marines. Because of Roan's favoritism, Special Forces officers were often quickly-promoted well before their time, but their operations were only partially effective under Fel's backseat driving, although there would be a notable success when a Army Special Forces team in 99 ABY, through quick work, would prevent the kidnapping of the Imperial ambassador to Thyferra. However, largely as a whole, the Special Operations Command was hindered by Fel's lumbering bureaucracy, although Special Forces officers were highly-promoted within the organization.
Fortunately, members of the Council of Moffs began to oppose Fel's backseat command of the Special Operations Command. Not only were the newfound Imperial special forces operationally clumsy because of his tight oversight, but the Special Operations Command, with its extravagant promotion and inside connection to the Emperor, was being seen by the Imperial military more largely and largely as a Praetorian guard to the Emperor — highly-trained commandoes who answered to the Galactic Emperor and whose unconventional nature made them outside of the traditional chain of military command. Eventually, Moffs would begin to fear that Emperor Fel was marshaling a paramilitary army within the Imperial Special Forces that would eventually be used to dethrone them, if power struggle games between the galactic throne and the Moff Council became too fierce.
Therefore, the Council of Moffs unanimously submitted a correspondence to Roan Fel insisting that for the sake of "military uniformity", that the Special Operations Command's status as the Emperor's personal attack dog be called off, and instead that it be subjected to the traditional chain of military command, answering to the Imperial Central Command (and more importantly, the Council of Moffs) and not the Emperor and his aides. In their proposal, they also stated that having the Special Operations Command under the control of career military commanders (unlike Emperor Fel) would increase the efficiency of their special operations and allow the Special Operations Command to fulfill its full potential. However, in reality, the Special Operations Command, with its highly-trained and well-armed infantry commandos, had become a threat to people like General Oron Jaeger, commander of the 501st Legion — whereas the 501st Airborne Legion would typically be called to extinguish insurgency, now, it was the Special Operations Command that got the call; the careers of very senior Army Generals and stormtrooper commanders were now at risk by Fel's radical paramilitaries. These very same Generals such as Jaeger wanted Fel to relinquish the Special Operations Command from his grasp, and then intended to scatter the Imperial special forces far and wide, allowing the elite stormtrooper divisions to now be the first responders to terrorism.
Emperor Roan Fel, in another one of his notorious power games, would accede to the Moffs, but with an added condition, a thorn in the Council's side — that the Special Operations Command be a full unified command of the Imperial Armed Forces, equal in status to the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy, which were both millions of times larger. Furthermore, he dictated that the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command would be one of the twelve Grand Admirals and would become the seventh and newest member of the exclusive Council of Moffs.
This was a tremendous effrontery to many stalwart Army Generals and Navy Admirals, since both the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy were millions of times larger than the Special Operations Command: it was too difficult to train enough special forces operators to accrue large batches of them, unlike the Army legions, who were typically packed with recruits who had signed up right after they had reached the age of legal consent. It was even more insulting, as now, the Special Operations Command would have a senior commander who would be equal in military rank to distinguished figures such as Rulf Yage, the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy. Furthermore, if the Special Operations Command was accrued a new seat on the six-member Council of Moffs, the very small and renegade Special Operations Command would be represented in the highly prestigious council, whereas other uniformed services of the Imperial military such as the Imperial Surgical Corps and the Imperial Engineering Corps would be entirely overlooked on the Moff Council, which would consist of: the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces, the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Army, the Director of Imperial Intelligence, the Chief of State of the Diplomatic Corps, and the Director of the Imperial Mission — and now, the Commander of the Special Operations Command, an infinitesimal subdivision of the Imperial military.
Surface Marshal August Veers, the celebrated grandson of Maximilian Veers and the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial 1st Jump Corps (Airborne), would become the first Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command.
This intelligence agency has noted the striking similarities in the dispositions of Jacen Solo and current Galactic Emperor Roan Fel, both Force-sensitives who had political enemies they wished to subvert — and also between the Galactic Alliance Guard of old and the current "Imperial Special Operations Command", both consisting of commandoes beyond the control of the Imperial military...
—Anonymous Imperial Intelligence internal memo to the Council of Moffs
However, to Fel's benefit, paranoia was sweeping through the Council of Moffs, as several hysterical Imperial Intelligence agents purported to have "incontrovertible intelligence from highly-placed sources" that Emperor Fel would be using his "private army", the Special Operations Command, to instigate a coup to overthrow the Moffs — fittingly similar to how Jacen Solo had used his own secret police organization, the Galactic Alliance Guard, to launch a coup against Chief of State Cal Omas sixty years earlier. These wildly-inaccurate Intelligence correspondences would make the majority of the Moffs fear that Army Special Forces teams were going to show up on their doorsteps in days, and forced the hand of the Moffs to accept Fel's compromise — the Special Operations Command would become under the control of the Imperial Central Command (and therefore would be unable to launch a coup against the Moffs) — but in exchange, the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command would be both a Grand Admiral and the seventh Moff.
The pact would be finalized in early 99 ABY, with a Army Special Forces officer, Surface Marshal August Veers, the descendant of the esteemed Maximilian Veers, assuming the rank of the twelfth Grand Admiral of the Imperial Military and as the seventh and newest installation to the Council of Moffs.
Early Operational History (99 ABY—)[]
Reorganization of the special operations forces (99 ABY—103 ABY)[]
In 100 ABY, Naval Special Warfare special operators would launch a high-risk incursion to retake the Iron Sun, a Navy Star Destroyer, from Yevethan hijackers in the Deep Core.
Imperial Navy Combat Search and Rescue and would become the Navy's second special operations force to be authorized for deployment, and would participate in the airborne insertion and extraction of Army Special Forces teams operating on planetary surfaces.
Under Roan Fel's unofficial tenure as "Armchair General" of the Special Operations Command, its two component special operations forces, the Army Special Operations Group (Army) and Naval Special Warfare (Navy) were moreorless performing the same operations — providing security for governmental dignitaries, counterterrorism, etc... — despite the fact that they were vastly different organizations: Naval Special Warfare, like its predecessor in the Clone Wars, was composed of Marines that were trained to practice direct action operations in deep space and zero-g, and for combat actions on space stations or spaceships. Meanwhile, Army Special Forces operators had been trained primarily for fighting on planetary surfaces. The delegation of Naval Special Warfare commandoes to planetary operations largely forfeited their expertise, reflecting Roan Fel's unfamiliarity with how to run a day-to-day military command.
After Grand Admiral August Veers assumed the position of the first Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command, he would instigate reform within the fledgling organization: the Army Special Operations Group would become the dedicated counterterrorism force for all surface actions, while Naval Special Warfare would become the dedicated counterterrorism force for all spaceborne actions. The exosphere of a planet's atmosphere became the dividing line between the jurisdiction of the two special operations forces: any Special Operations conducted by the Empire in the atmosphere or on the surface were the jurisdiction of the Army Special Operations Group, whereas any special operations conducted by the Empire in an orbit of a planetary body or anywhere in space would become the jurisdiction of Naval Special Warfare.
This would greatly simplify the chain of command of many Imperial special operations. The Army Special Operations Group became responsible for the protection of government VIPs on the surface and for the famed "terrorist hunt" chases in yonder mountain ridges on backwater planets, while Naval Special Warfare took place in resolution of the hijacking of civilian freighters, and in boarding actions of ships suspected to carry armaments or weapons of mass destruction.
Green light for incursion — repeat, green light for incursion. Weapons free.
—Grand Admiral August Veers authorizing the Naval Special Warfare operation to retake the Iron Sun
Soon thereafter being amalgamated into a military chain-of-command, the Imperial Special Forces would achieve notable victories, such as the rescue of Mohrgan Fel after he was kidnapped by terrorists on Brentaal IV, and then the recovery of the Iron Sun, a Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer that had been hijacked by Yevethan fanatics while it was patrolling the Deep Core. The Imperial Special Operations Command soon became a prized asset to the Empire, threatening the Emperor's exacting and furious retaliation upon all terrorists and insurgents who sought to undermine the peace. While a very new and inexperienced organization, soon, Imperial commandoes would become respected by their counterparts in the Galactic Alliance Special Forces, with whom they were at peace as of 99 ABY.
Eventually, under a program to ease political tension between the Galactic Alliance and the Empire, select Imperial commandoes would undergo training with the Galactic Alliance Special Forces and the Galactic Alliance Navy Strike Troops, with their more experienced Galactic Alliance counterparts mentoring and training them in the clandestine arts of direct action and special reconnaissance.
In 102 ABY, the Special Operations Command would recognize an impediment in the operations of the Army Special Operations Group on planetary surfaces — that their methods of insertion and extraction from denied areas was extremely hindered. There were few Army aviators who were rated to perform high-risk incursions into denied airspaces, as Army aviators were typically far less-well trained than their Navy counterparts in the Pilot Corps. However, special operations commanders would realize an ingenious solution with the Imperial Navy Search and Rescue program, a program designed by Jagged Fel as part of his "Victory Without War" initiative to win the minds and hearts of his citizens — the creation of a sophisticated Navy unit which was responsible for searching for lost civilian spacers and freighter pilots in space or in the atmosphere, and then extracting them back home. While Search and Rescue was a strictly-noncombatant unit designed specifically to save the lives of civilian pilots, the Special Operations Command realized that there already existed a body of elite Navy pilots and navigators who had the potential to insert or extract Army Special Forces personnel; and to search for them, if they became lost in the fierce fighting.
Soon thereafter, Roan Fel would give his personal approval for the reformatting of Navy Search and Rescue to not only save the lives of civilians, but also to participate in military operations: renamed as Navy Combat Search and Rescue, its pilots became the third special operations force to be certified under the tenure of the new Imperial Special Operations Command. Known within special forces circles as "Special Operations Aviation" (SOA), pilots of Combat Search and Rescue would fly heavily-armored Nune-class gunships to clandestinely insert Army special operators at their objectives, and other aviators would fly Predator-class interceptors, providing close air support and aerial interdiction in support of Army special operations on planetary surfaces.
Many Army Special Operations Group operators would form close associations with their aviation brethren in Combat Search and Rescue, depending on their flying prowess to insert them clandestinely, and to extract them from denied and hostile territory. In agreement with their unit motto, "So that others may live", Navy aviators would often fly tirelessly to search for Army commandos whom which contact had been lost, extracting them safely back to base.
This newfound collaboration between Army special forces and Navy special forces would soon be put to the ultimate test.
Assault on Raxus Prime (104 ABY)[]
Raxus Prime, under Operation: NOBLE HOUND, would see the largest deployment of commandos on any single battlefield since the Battle of Geonosis of the Clone Wars.
Lieutenant Commander Ava Chyler would receive the Galactic Medal of Honor for her meritorious leadership of Naval Special Warfare Recon Team Aurek-41, which was critical to the assault's success.
All task force elements—this is the task force commander. The Noble Hound contingency is in effect. Godspeed. Out.
—Fleet Admiral Terra Needa to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force—Caluula, authorizing Operation: NOBLE HOUND
In 104 ABY, the Imperial Ubiqtorate base on Tangrene would be vaporized into thermonuclear vapor, along with a thousand square kilometers of adjacent cityscape and mountain range and twenty million Tangrene civilians and ten thousand Imperial Intelligence personnel. The devastating news would place the Imperial Knights and the Special Operations Command on the highest alert that they had even been at, as the Empire reveled in shock.
Director of Imperial Intelligence Nyna Calixte would demand an immediate and intensive investigation, which would reveal that a baradium missile had been detonated in a subbasement of the Ubiqtorate base, responsible for solid-waste handling. When this found, Roan Fel made a galactic announcement that charged Director Calixte and Morlish Veed, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces, to hunt down and assassinate the perpetrators of this heinous crime against civilization.
Intelligence agents, using backed-up security footage from the facility, found that the baradium thermonuclear device had been smuggled into a robotically-piloted cargo freighter that made autonomous runs between the Tangrene base and Raxus Prime, the galaxy's waste fill. The hauler had been returning from Raxus Prime with an almost empty hold to Tangrene to pick up more solid waste: except it had brought with it a disguised thermonuclear device that had instantaneously wiped out twenty million lives.
Immediately, the Imperial military was mobilized to prepare for a massive attack on Raxus Prime to capture the entire planet and tear it apart centimeter by centimeter until the perpetrators were found. Grand Admiral Morlish Veed made numerous ostentatious public broadcasts that he fully intended to launch a Star Destroyer attack on the planet, performing an orbital bombardment until the perpetrators either surrendered or melted under five thousand degree temperatures. However, it became clear that neither the Army or the Navy were equipped for the task of rooting out the believed Raxus Prime terrorists. General Oron Jaeger of the 501st Legion intended to flood the planet with a hundred thousand stormtroopers, but it was the Army's closest solution to the problem. It would take over a week for Veed's Star Destroyer fleet to be mobilized from their current positions and journey to Raxus Prime, and it would take two full weeks for Jaeger's 501st to be redeployed to the junkyard planet. It was obvious that within several days, the terrorists, upon hearing about their imminent bombardment at the hands of the Imperial Navy, would bolt and run from the planet.
The following events would become known as the Imperial Intelligence success of the decade, and would initiate a standing collaboration between Imperial Intelligence and the Imperial Special Operations Command that would withstand the test of time.
It was evident that a much faster strike force would be needed to assault Raxus Prime within days to immobilize and neutralize the terrorists — the defining characteristic of the Special Operations Command. Fleet Admiral Terra Needa, Commanding Officer of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force—Caluula (CJSOTF—Caluula), would lead the largest force of commandos to Raxus Prime that the galaxy had ever seen since the Battle of Geonosis: one thousand special forces operators. Collaborating with Imperial Intelligence, Intelligence agents would accrue nearly a hundred undercover Intelligence freighters to house the infantry task force and their support gunships and starfighters: it was clear that hardcore Imperial commanders such as Veed would take far too long to mobilize an appropriate Navy transport force for the job.
In a streak of genius, efficiency, and desperation, Needa would rally the one thousand commandos of CJSOTF—Caluula, rally them aboard Intelligence's hastily-scrapped together fleet of undercover freighters, and would give the order to make the brief hyperspace jump from Caluula to Raxus Prime, Caluula's next-door neighbor in the Tion Hegemony. Sixteen hours after Veed had made his proclamation of his intent to bombard Raxus Prime into subatomic rubble, the fighting men, women, and aliens of CJSOTF—Caluula were in orbit over Raxus Prime, prepared to avenge the twenty plus million victims of Tangrene.
The global assault on Raxus Prime, codenamed "Operation: NOBLE HOUND", was a success story in special operations, for not only were commandos used in small-unit counterterrorism operations like they had been trained, but they were now fighting a war to reclaim and hold an entire planet: to work as a single, cohesive army. While the Intelligence freighters with concealed weapons systems encircled the planet, clandestinely blockading it, other troop-laden freighters, electronically masquerading as waste transports by electronic countermeasure disguises, landed one thousand CJSOTF—Caluula commandos on the surface.
Several hours later, a Naval Special Warfare reconnaissance team, known as Caluula Aurek-41 (CJSOTF—Caluula, Aurek Company, Recon Troop Four, Team One) equipped with a portable mass spectrometer would pick up a whiff of baradium vapor nearby a massive trash compaction facility. Although a special reconnaissance team, minimally armed and instead equipped mostly with reconnaissance optics, sensors, and bomb detection equipment, Aurek-41's commander, Lieutenant Commander Ava Chyler, a descendant of Kimmi Chyler, independently made the decision that it would become necessary to press the attack: if the terrorists found out that the remainder of the Task Force was stationed on the planet, searching thousands of square kilometers, they might activate the baradium device: and kill one thousand more Imperial personnel.
Chyler and her dozen reconnaissance specialists launched a clandestine attack, using suppressed sidearms to pick off stragglers, and then infiltrated the trash compaction facility. While her subordinates urged her to contact Admiral Needa in orbit to request for reinforcements, the Lieutenant Commander decided that would compromise operational security: if their transmission was intercepted, their mission would inevitably lead in the detonation of the baradium bomb.
The close-quarters fighting in the trash compaction complex was furious, although it favored the lightly-armed Imperial commandos: at those ranges, vibroblades were more powerful than the most sophisticated blasters. Chyler and her commandos attacked aggressively, using thermal detonators to clear out entire rooms, and using vibroblades to slit the throats of unaware sentries from behind. However, eventually, they would be detected, and the Raxus Prime terrorists, knowing that the Imperials were after the baradium device, would bolt from the trash compaction fortress, fleeing into underground tunnels between massive lots of land allocated for waste storage.
However, the sudden movement of the rebels would betray their position: alerted to the mass movement suddenly rummaging through Raxus Prime's underground, an entire company of Army Special Forces attacked the main body of the terrorist movement, forming a cordon while Lieutenant Commander Ava Chyler broke communications silence, using short-range communications to rally an entire troop of Naval Special Warfare direct-action operators to flank the terrorists in the tunnels underground. Cornered in the tunnels underground, and losing copious numbers of terrorists, the Raxus Prime insurgents eventually abandoned their second baradium missile, allowing it to fall into Imperial hands underground, while the survivors fled to the surface.
At this time, it became evident to all of CJSOTF—Caluula of the activities that were occurring. However, once the subterranean Army Special Forces—Naval Special Warfare detachment underground had confirmed that the second baradium device was under their control and that no further baradium signatures had been detected while engaging the remainder of the body of the terrorists, Fleet Admiral Terra Needa (Commanding Officer of CJSOTF—Caluula) coordinated assault actions and security actions from the remainder of the CJSOTF—Caluula operators on the planet to pin down and eliminate the remainder of the Raxus Prime terrorists, now caught above ground. Army Special Forces were vertically deployed by Nune-class gunships piloted by Navy Combat Search and Rescue pilots, while other Navy Combat Search and Rescue aviators deployed in TIE Predators from the orbital undercover freighters, initiating relentless strafing runs to harass and overwhelm the terrorists on the ground.
By that time, the majority of combat actions had been finished on Raxus Prime. Four hours after their clandestine insertion, Chyler's Aurek-41 reconnaissance team had detected and engaged the enemy, forcing them to retreat underground, where they were engaged by Army Special Forces for a running subterranean battle lasting nearly two hours across hundreds of kilometers of stretches of tunnel, while Naval Special Warfare elements closed from behind, initiating a steady advance in the warrens that led to the eventual recovery of the baradium device, therefore marking the completion of Operation: NOBLE HOUND's primary objective in six and a half hours.
Ava Chyler of Naval Special Warfare would become one of the first female recipients of the Galactic Medal of Honor for her meritorious actions in Operation: NOBLE HOUND.
While just under a hundred insurgents remained after the abandonment of the thermonuclear device, it would take eight more hours for Terra Needa's remaining special operations forces, numbering nearly nine hundred commandos, to organize and converge on them from across the entire planet. Army Special Forces teams would infiltrate the denied zone, liasoning with overhead TIE Predators to coordinate air strikes on the remaining retreating guerillas, with the last of them finally falling at the end of eight hours.
Operation: NOBLE HOUND was marked as an unprecedented success, with the termination of hostilities complete at fourteen and a half hours, with only five Imperial special operators killed and forty-two wounded. It also marked the exceptional quality of Imperial special operators in close quarters combat: both Lieutenant Commander Chyler's initial attack in the confines of the trash compactor complex, and the later attack by the Army Special Forces company in the tunnels, would lead to disproportionately high enemy casualties with little loss of friendly life: Imperial commandos had been specially trained in close-quarters battle for their urban counterterrorism operations, and thus excelled at the short-range actions that characterized the initial phase of the operation.
The mission was characterized by both Admiral Terra Needa's willingness to immediately act on actionable intelligence provided by Imperial Intelligence that the first baradium device had been routed from Raxus Prime: her expeditious mobilization of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force—Caluula without resorting to Imperial military bureaucracy would be the key factor in catching the insurgents on Raxus Prime before they had a chance to flee. Fleet Admiral Terra Needa would be promoted to the rank of High Admiral and would assume the position of Commander-in-Chief, Imperial Naval Special Warfare and would earn the Galactic Medal of Honor by Roan Fel's own hand, who praised her swift judgment to coordinate and execute a massive planetary assault on such a brief time scale. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Ava Chyler would be promoted to the rank of Service Commander and would also earn the Galactic Medal of Honor for her bravery to initiate an assault against a vastly-larger body of enemies, and with only minimal armaments.
Within days, the mass murder of twenty million Imperial citizens had been avenged by Special Operations Command and Imperial Intelligence. Operation: NOBLE HOUND was an outstanding example of the Empire's newfound ability to retaliate fiercely against terrorism.
Change of Command (104—108 ABY)[]
Reformation of the Special Operations Command[]
Under the tenure of Commander-in-Chief Tavira, paramilitary operations officers of the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment were authorized to kidnap, subvert, and blackmail both Imperial civilians and enemy personnel.
Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents were never uniformed, instead masquerading as spacers and other civilians while they carried out their illegal operations on the behalf of the Special Operations Command.
Noncombatant operators of the Imperial Army Strategic Operations Forces used psychological warfare and other methods to weaken and demoralize terrorists and to earn civilian support of Imperial troops.
Since 104 ABY, assassination, espionage, torture, kidnapping, the overthrow of sovereign governments, and other terroristic activities have become part of the galactic defense policy of the Galactic Empire. Justified time and time again by the Special Operations Command and Imperial Intelligence, agents of the Imperial government are terrorizing civilian populations in the name of galactic peace and security. Under Roan Fel and Camila Tavira, the "Victory Without War" doctrine is now "Victory Without War, But By Terror".
—Public statement by the Imperial Mission Committee on Sentient Right Abuses regarding General Order 452: Preemptive Measures Against Terrorism and Insurgency
Shortly after the stunning victory at Raxus Prime, Grand Admiral August Veers, at the age of seventy-five, would voluntarily resign from the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command, after witnessing a glorious victory that came about because of the Special Operations Command he had helped to build with his very hands. He would leave behind a legacy in special operations doctrine, and was regarded even by Roan Fel as a strategic genius, comparable to his grandfather, Maximilian Veers. Commander-in-Chief Veers would be remembered in the military best for his pioneering of tactics regarding the employment of the Imperial jump infantry and for the establishment of three core tasking divisions of the Imperial Special Forces — the Army Special Operations Group prosecuting planetary operations, Naval Special Warfare prosecuting extra-atmospheric operations, and Navy Combat Search and Rescue providing aviation support and fulfilling the search-and-rescue requirement.
Commander-in-Chief Veers would be succeeded by Fleet Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira, the granddaughter of Leonia Tavira. Camila was the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Special Intelligence, Imperial Intelligence, and was the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Cross for the Imperial Intelligence success of the century—she had infiltrated the highest ranks of the Alliance government, subverting and blackmailing a senior member of the Galactic Alliance Advisory Council and pumping him for Alliance government and military secret for over a decade, and then escaping unnoticed. At the age of forty-five and the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Special Intelligence, she was an esteemed intelligence officer noted for her ambition and her resourcefulness with paramilitary and covert methodologies to resolve degenerating situations. Tavira was an obvious choice for Roan Fel to nominated as the second Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command, and it was hoped that by her appointment, she would bring about the marriage of Imperial Intelligence and the Special Operations Command: the implementation of the collection of actionable intelligence and then having embedded special operators to act on such intelligence. The Intelligence Service and the Special Forces, in a Janus-like fashion, were merely two sides of the same coin.
Fleet Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira would be nominated by Roan Fel as Commander-in-Chief, and would be unanimously approved by the Council of Moffs for the position — Director of Imperial Intelligence Nyna Calixte, who was on the Council, very much desired her friend and colleague Camila to hold the position, as it would allow for close working relationships between Intelligence and the Special Forces. Following her confirmation, Camila would assume rank of Grand Admiral and become recognized as the second Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command, and would become the seventh Moff of the Council of Moffs.
On her first week as the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command, Camila Ivy Tavira would immediately assimilate her old parent organization, the Special Intelligence branch of Imperial Intelligence, fully into the control and organization of the Special Operations Command. Special Intelligence, otherwise known as the Destabilization Branch, was the black operations division of Imperial division. Special Intelligence agents, such as Tavira, were handpicked amongst the best of all Imperial intelligence agents, and performed both human intelligence collection, infiltrating enemy organizations and subverting personnel within them, and also participated in special activities — the euphemism of the conduction of illegal operations, such as kidnapping and experimental torture. It was obvious to both Nyna Calixte and Tavira that such an organization was the paramilitary equivalent of the Special Operations Command: however, whereas Imperial special forces were charged with military operations (such as counterterrorism and counterinsurgency), operating on the side of the Imperial law, Special Intelligence agents conducted paramilitary operations far beyond the realm of Imperial law or military command: essentially, the logical and sinister continuation of the duties of the Special Forces.
However, Special Intelligence had an advantage over the Special Forces in that Imperial law was not conducive to victory and saving lives: terrorists, with baradium missiles and dioxis poison gas, obviously didn't follow Imperial law and would go to any length to kill Imperial civilians and soldiers. Insurgents would capture Imperial officers, torturing them for information about their colleagues, and then gruesomely killing them. Special Intelligence agents played by the same rules: by torturing terrorists they captured, they provided an example for any citizen who was thinking of joining the terrorists. Tavira reasoned that in order for Special Intelligence to combat terrorism, they must play by the terrorist's own rules, and not the legal rules confined by Imperial law on the Special Forces.
Therefore, Special Intelligence (the Destabilization Branch) was immediately incorporated and transferred into the Special Operations Command and renamed the "Special Clandestine Activities Regiment". Special Clandestine Activities agents worked extremely closely with the Army Special Operations Group and Naval Special Warfare — if they had cordoned off a target, and were waiting for government bureaucrats or lawyers on Bastion to approve the kill, instead, Special Clandestine Activities agents would move in, liquifying the targets before some Imperial lawyer could deny the Special Forces the legal ability to kill their targets.
Special Clandestine Activities Regiment operators became critically successful in the field. Operating with unrestricted mobility and freedom, unbound by Imperial law, they conducted operations that saved the lives of millions of civilians, initiating operations that the "conventional" Special Forces were not legally allowed to undertake. Soon thereafter, Special Clandestine Activities became the prized gamma knife of the Special Operations Command, reaching targets and worlds that their conventional counterparts couldn't, and much like gamma knives themselves, excising troublesome individuals, without leaving a trace. The clandestine assassinations partaken by the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment would lead to thousands of "forced disappearances", making many Imperial citizens to criticize how the Special Forces operated beyond the realm of Imperial law, acting with unrestricted mobility to precipitate the imprisonment, torture, and murder of individuals suspected of preparing to participate in terrorism. Eventually, after overwhelming popular outcry against these practices, the Imperial Mission Committee on Sentient Right Abuses was instituted to investigate the Special Operations Command's gross disregard for sovereign rights inherent to sentient beings, with the uncontrolled imprisonment and murder of beings across the galaxy. In response, General Order 452: Preemptive Measures Against Terrorism and Insurgency was issued by the Special Operations Command and the Intelligence Service, a military order that issued legal immunity against prosecution to all Special Forces and Intelligence personnel who partook in these illegal activities — a direct endorsement for Imperial military personnel to continue their illegal activities in the name of "preemptively combating terrorism and insurgency".
Her changes, however, would not stop there. As a career intelligence officer, Camila Ivy Tavira was far more acquainted with ancillary and secondary measures to support special operations: for example, the usage of misinformation to turn pirate gangs against each other, or the employment of psychological warfare to degrade and demoralize enemy garrisons, and also the vast power of signals intelligence to intercept and decode enemy tactical intentions. Hardcore officers such as Terra Needa, who were career soldiers in the field, had previously unappreciated the usage of such measures to act as force multipliers for Imperial special operations.
Tavira would authorize the formation of the Imperial Army Strategic Operations Forces (not to be amalgamated with "Special Operations Forces"), which, curiously enough, was a Army special forces element that was not authorized for live combat: a noncombatant commando team. The formation of such a unit seemed contradictory to many Special Forces officers, who became disdainful of the Strategic Operations Forces, seeing them as armchair commandos who would wear the insignia of the Special Operations Command but instead would be staying off of the front line: such a division would surely set the men, women, and aliens of the Special Operations Command against one another. The concept of the Imperial Army Strategic Operations Forces, however, was novel — the creation of a dedicated support branch that would field psychological warfare, cyber warfare, electronic warfare, financial warfare, and other forms of unconventional warfare in support of other special operations forces. The Strategic Forces would add a second dimension of depth to the one-dimensional, rifle-fixated Special Operations Command.
Strategic Operations Forces operated to preface of friendly special operations, using psychological warfare and disinformation to turn enemies against one another and to become disenchanted, making them less apt to fight and more amenable to surrender. Also, Strategic Forces were well-trained in psychological terror tactics: they ordered continual artillery barrages into space every hour, frightening terrorists, and would order regular stormtrooper parades and TIE Predator flybys over cities believed to harbor insurgents, enforcing the sense of an omnipotent Imperial presence against which it was useless to resist and take up arms against. Strategic Forces were also given direct control of media, regularly broadcasting rewards for the capture of terrorists over the HoloNet, instilling fear in terrorists on the run. Furthermore, the Strategic Operations Forces focused on a necessary part of warfare — civilians. Practicing civil affairs operations, the Strategic Operations Forces attempted to encourage a positive relationship between civilian populations and Special Forces stationed there, and by forcing friendly Special Forces to construct schools and houses and to care for sick or injured civilians, the Strategic Operations Forces won the hearts of Imperial citizens, therefore encouraging them to turn over terrorists embedded in their midsts.
The Combat Intelligence Division provided invaluable signals intelligence support to other Special Operations Forces, allowing them to track down terrorist leaders and to overhear the tactical plans of their enemies.
Tavira also activated the Imperial Intelligence Combat Intelligence Division, a Imperial Intelligence special forces unit that would provide a third dimension to the Special Operations Command: electronic and technical intelligence, supplementing the firepower of the conventional Special Forces and the unconventional warfare of the Strategic Operations Forces. Combat Intelligence agents were noncombatants, but they provided signals intelligence, measurement and signature intelligence, and image intelligence in target theaters of operations, therefore providing actionable intelligence to Special Forces commanders on the position of enemy formations and leaders. Combat Intelligence agents used communications interception readily, providing an astounding dearth of information: through transmissions characteristics, Combat Intelligence agents could identify the locations of broadcasting enemy units, and through decryption of their transmissions, this allowed Special Forces officers to overhear every word and forecasted tactic that their enemies were using. Insurgents broadcasting on the HoloNet or the hypercomm were instantly triangulated by Combat Intelligence, pinning down a location for Imperial Special Forces to take down their targets.
Through the authorization of the formation of the Intelligence Special Clandestine Activities Regiment, the Intelligence Combat Intelligence Division, and the Army Strategic Operations Forces, Tavira would be recognized as a prodigy at special operations and covert action, adding two additional dimensions to the Special Operations Command: the intelligence-gathering capability of Special Clandestine Activities and Combat Intelligence, the unconventional warfare tactics of the Strategic Operations Force, and lastly, the unrestricted mobility of the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment. Tavira's reputation in reorganization and revitalizing the special forces would even reach Roan Fel's own ears.
Liasoning with criminal elements[]
The criminal underworld on planets such as Atzerri, Coruscant, Falleen, and Tholatin would become the focus of increasing Special Operations Command resources and efforts.
Army Special Operations Group operators attack Esau's Ridge on Tholatin, discovering hundreds of thousands of thermal detonators in factory condition.
These days, new Special Forces trainees are better at "talking" to criminals and making kriffing friends with them rather than "talking" with their damn blaster rifles.
—Anonymous Army Special Operations Group officer while drunk on leave on Corellia
Camila Ivy Tavira's history as a former Atzerri swoop gang member made her well-acquainted with the criminal underworld: its underpinnings, mechanics, and leadership. Both she and Nyna Calixte would become intensely interested in subverting criminals, pirates, and bounty hunters into Imperial eyes and ears into the dark criminal world that paralleled the galaxy — for it was within such a treacherous and lawless world that many terrorists thrived on and used to supply themselves and acquire new recruits, equipment, and armor.
An Army Special Forces raid on Esau's Ridge, a smuggler nexus on Tholatin, would yield in the capture of five hundred thousand Class-A thermal detonators still in mint condition directly from Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc, further reinforcing the importance of the effective control of criminal elements.
Knowing that the entirety of the criminal underworld was far too vast to be effectively controlled by special operations raids, a new special operations doctrine was envisioned — while most Imperial Army and even Special Forces commanders concentrated on legitimate "hard" military targets and responding to active terrorist threats or insurgencies that were ongoing, Tavira's and Nyna Calixte's new doctrine instead suggested reprogramming substantial assets into the smuggler, pirate, trafficking, and bounty hunter community. In addition to retaliating to terrorist threats that appeared, both Special Forces and Intelligence personnel would be involved in the capture and subversion of leaders of the criminal underworld: but instead of assassinating or incarcerating them, they would instead turn them into clandestine spies who would regularly report emerging terrorist threats who were arising amongst criminal elements, which Special Operations Command would nip in the bud. Under this program, criminal informants would be allowed to continue their illegal activities and would receive legal immunity in Imperial courts, provided that they continued to cooperate.
With such a doctrine, it was hoped that an intravital window could be gained into the criminal society in order to better forecast emerging insurgent and terrorist threats.
Although this program indirectly sponsored and protected many criminal elements, it would become an invaluable implement for the Special Operations Command and Imperial Intelligence to strike down anti-Imperial terrorist activities before they metastasized. Humans and aliens such as Brogar, who provided safehouses for criminals on the run, faced a difficult choice between being permanently terminated by an Army Special Forces raid or else handing over the occasional terrorist or guerilla to the Imperials.
Under this program, the Special Operations Command was made into a far more stratified and morally-complex organ of the state: its operators not only trained on how to assassinate terrorists and rescue hostages, but numerous Army Special Operations Group, Army Strategic Operations Forces, and Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents were sent to lawless and crime-dominated worlds such as Falleen and Atzerri to subvert criminals into informants and to "handle" them, pumping them for information while ensuring that they would not betray their new Imperial masters.
Under Commander-in-Chief Tavira's tenure, many Special Forces officers would become increasingly disenchanted with the "sordid" state that the Special Operations Command was falling into — less and less resources were being allocated to resolve crises such as hostage scenarios and kidnappings, while increasing amounts of personnel, materiel, and attention were being diverted into liasoning with criminals. Although the Special Operations Command, under Tavira, would undergo massive expansion, the same faction of personnel would be dedicated to counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations against legitimate targets, while more and more personnel were instead spending time in crime havens, taking information from interstellar criminals such as Black Sun thugs or Black Vulkars. Disappointment would sweep through the Special Forces ranks, with highly-trained operators feeling betrayed by the sudden new Imperial dedication to criminals — and not to operations against legitimate terrorist targets who directly were threatening the lives of hostages by waving blaster pistols.
However, to many senior Special Forces commanders, the program was a well-hidden and tightly-controlled success story: armed with actionable intelligence that was only able to be collected by criminals who actually participated in criminal activities, Naval Special Warfare teams made numerous seizures of arms and explosives on interplanetary freighters and Army Special Operations Group and Special Clandestine Activities Regiment teams were highly successful in assassinating terrorist ringleaders before they could nucleate movements of followers.
With Special Forces teams destroying terrorists or rebels who hijacked ships or took hostages, and many more Special Forces and Imperial Intelligence agents seeking to find potential terrorist and rebel movements before they reached to prominence, this represented a two-sided strategy that attacked terrorism from both ends — the formation of terrorist movements and also acting to antagonize the operations of matured terrorist movements. Galactic terrorism against Imperial citizens was gradually on the decline, earning both Tavira and Calixte the attention of Roan Fel, who became pleased at the decrease in violence — although he was partially unaware of the more sinister and difficult-to-justify methods by which the Special Forces and Intelligence were producing this effect.
Raid on Nar Shaddaa (108 ABY)[]
Nar Shaddaa would see the greatest loss of Imperial Special Forces life since the conception of the Special Operations Command in 97 ABY.
In 108 ABY, Special Operations Command forces would launch a raid on Nar Shaddaa to subvert the Anzati assassins Nakia Yoru and Sint Yoru.
Atop the towers of Nar Shaddaa to the wastes of Raxus Prime—we fight our Emperor's battles on land, air, and space.
—Special Operations Command marching hymn, referencing the Raid on Nar Shaddaa
In accordance with Tavira's highly successful criminal-affiliation policy, eventually, the Commander of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force—Ylesia (CJSOTF—Ylesia), the Special Operations Command force responsible for all operations in Hutt Space, would become aware of two long-lived and notorious Anzati assassins, a husband-and-wife team known by the names of Nakia Yoru and Sint Yoru. Undercover agents of the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment embedded within Black Sun suggested that the two Anzati bounty hunters were highly-successful freelancers often hired by Black Sun for particularly unsavory assassinations, and the two had a reputation that far preceded them: this suggested that they would be excellent criminal contacts. Therefore, CJSOTF—Ylesia was authorized to conduct special operations to locate, cordon, and apprehend the two assassins in order to covert them.
Through numerous signals intercepts and decryption and analysis of communications traffic, agents of the Combat Intelligence Division team finally managed to confirm that the two assassins were on the moon of Nar Shaddaa, pursuing a bounty set by Black Sun in 108 ABY. A small Combat Intelligence Division was inserted onto the moon to track them and pin down their precise location on the supermassive city-world, while a three-hundred man Special Operations Task Force composed of Army Special Operations Group operators and aviators from Navy Combat Search and Rescue was mobilized to a Imperial Intelligence mission staging site hidden within a toxic sea on Nal Hutta, the principal body which Shaddaa orbited. Upon confirmation by the Combat Intelligence agents, the Navy pilots would transport the Army Special Forces strike teams to Nar Shaddaa in heavily-armored gunships, where they would apprehend the pair.
Shortly thereafter, the Combat Intelligence team intercepted a HoloNet transmission from the assassins to their Black Sun handler, confirming that they had finished their contract kill. The intelligence agents triangulated the transmission's origin, and then the coordinates were provided to the Special Operations Task Force, which was scrambled for the takedown.
The ingress had been poorly planned: the smugglers and bounty hunters, upon seeing the sight of heavily armored Nune-class gunships descending down on Nar Shaddaa, laden with commandos, thought that the Empire was gunning after them, and suddenly, the Special Operations Task Force came under extremely heavy fire from all sectors as pirates, mercenaries, criminals, and other unsavory figures united as one to fight off the invading Imperials — word spread like wildfire and exaggerations grew out of proportion, and suddenly, thousands or millions of Nar Shaddaa criminals, convinced that the Empire was launching a planet-wide invasion, took off in pursuit of the Special Operations Task Force. Several gunships were lost immediately to anti-spacecraft fire and to pirate fighters, with three dozen troopers lost in the first few seconds of atmospheric entry as the Navy Predators began counterforce protocols, retaliating with force. Upon the sight of the Imperial starfighters, the criminals of the planet became even more convinced that the Empire was intending to subjugate their planet, and crowds of thousands were running through the towers, brandishing blasters, vibroblades, and missile launchers to attack the invading commandos.
By the time that the gunships had touched down at their landing zones, ninety commandos had been killed in their gunships by anti-spacecraft and anti-aircraft fire as Army Special Forces troopers disgorged from their ships, securing a cordon and arranging extraction points for their wounded. Meanwhile, an eighty-man advance force comprised of four Army Special Forces Troops was dispatched from the inner cordon, funneling down on the location of the assassins' transmissions.
It was overwhelming at the cordon—one hundred Army Special Forces troops, lost and disorganized in the city, were forced to defend against thousands and tens of thousands of criminals and unsavory characters who were determined to not let their haven of infamy fall into Imperial hands. It was a disaster: while CJSOTF—Ylesia was contacted to dispatch Star Destroyers for orbital fire support and also Army Strategic Operations Forces to begin negotiations with the tens of thousands of criminals, heavy casualties were incurred amongst the valiant one hundred soldiers that attempted to hold the perimeter. Frenzied criminals, believing that they had nothing to lose, threw their bodies against the perimeter, and jet-pack Mandalorians attacked from vertical directions, overwhelming them. Unit cohesion was beginning to wane, even as the Army Special Forces officers attempted to organize their men: sniper-spotter teams and heavy repeater teams providing overlapping fields of fire for their riflemen. In close quarters, it was horrendous: the criminals, which knew the labyrinthine secret passageways and tunnels of Nar Shaddaa, were ambushing the special forces personnel at every turn: eventually, of the troopers at the perimeter, thirty-three would be killed in action and fifty-two would be wounded.
Meanwhile, the advance force burrowed deep into the city, perilously seeking out the HoloNet kiosk where the transmission was made, battling criminals along the way. However, once they secured the kiosk, they realized that the Anzati assassins had simply been using a repeater: they had bounced their transmission to the kiosk, masking their true location to their Black Sun boss. While Combat Intelligence Division agents worked on triangulating the repeater's origin, mobs began to show up at the kiosk, threatening to turn it into a repeat of the massacre that was occurring at the cordon while their fellow troopers attempted to hold it. Meanwhile, TIE Predators dueled with pirate fighters overhead, straining to protect their surface-bound colleagues against one-to-two to one-to-four odds against local pirate gangs.
Eventually, Combat Intelligence Division and Army Special Forces operators would track down their elusive targets, Nakia Yoru and Sint Yoru, to this one hundred story apartment complex in the bowels of Nar Shaddaa.
The search of one hundred floors would lead to a grueling, running firefight that would lead to the deaths of thousands of civilian inhabitants and hundreds of criminals who lived in the tower.
Finally, Combat Intelligence would ID the location of the assassins from their jury-rigged repeater left behind at the kiosk: an apartment building halfway across the planet. The advance force was forced to re-board their assault shuttles while the Navy aviators made a breakneck run for the target coordinates, with pirate fighters harassing them and proton torpedoes soaring at them from below, leading to the destruction of several shuttles and the loss of even more commandos. Eventually, the assault force reached the apartment, bloodthirsty and enraged at the loss of hundreds of comrades. The remainder of the eighty-man force secured a cordon around the hundred-floor complex, and then assaulted it: liberally tossing thermal detonators and indiscriminately firing rifle rounds, the grim Army Special Forces operators advanced steadily upwards through the complex, killing every living being within it that was not an Anzati. Securing one hundred floors filled with thousands of inhabitants, the assault force transformed the entire tower into a macabre horror, with thousands of civilians dead, and criminals amongst their midst fighting back, literally slitting the throats of commandoes invading their living rooms. Dozens of troopers were lost as they agonizingly pressed on, finally finding the apartment inhabited by the pair: the entire apartment was blasted with concussion grenades and then filled with Czerka HeadBanger rounds, incapacitating the two and tearing down the entire penthouse. The assassins were drugged into unconsciousness, and both the assault force and the original cordon force were authorized for extraction in their severely-diminished number of shuttles.
Cresh Six to Dauntless Fire Control. Requesting fire mission, danger close—adjust orbital fires from Aurek One-One to Zerek Nine-Nine. Turn this planet into a parking lot.
—Army Special Operations Group officer to the communications officer of the Dauntless
Meanwhile, overhead, a task force of five Pellaeon-class Star Destroyers decanted from hyperspace, summoned by CJSOTF—Ylesia. The commandos on the ground began to identify coordinates for the Star Destroyers to bombard — the special operators, exhausted and wounded, literally began to identify target coordinates to vaporize whole sectors of cityscape in order to cover their extraction. However, when Grand Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira heard about this, she became absolutely livid to learn that the assault had been so poorly planned, and that so many Imperial lives and vehicles had been lost, and that now all of Nar Shaddaa had been turned against the Empire: there was no chance that any more Nar Shaddaa criminals could be enlisted for Special Operations Command's purposes. The commander of the three-hundred-man Special Operations Task Force was relieved of command on the spot in combat, and Tavira ordered the Star Destroyers to leave immediately: if they began to bombard the planet, even more of Nar Shaddaa, seeing Star Destroyers in orbit, would only be more certain that the Empire had been there to kill all of them and take the planet for themselves.
However, upon seeing the Star Destroyer fleet in orbit, many of the criminals receded back into their dens and warrens, with only a few poking occasional harassing fire as the severely-depleted commando force parted for orbit.
The Raid of Nar Shaddaa was declared a disaster, although a pyrrhic victory. Of three hundred Army Special Operations Group, Navy Combat Search and Rescue, and Combat Intelligence Division operators sent to Nar Shaddaa, the running eleven-hour battle across half the planet would lead to the deaths of one hundred and twenty one operators and one hundred and forty-four wounded: an absolute catastrophe, compounded with Nune-class gunships and TIE Predators that were also shot down during the engagement. It was the greatest loss of Special Forces life since the establishment of the Special Operations Command, and would lead to the relief of command from the commander of the Special Operations Task Force and the voluntary retirement of the Commander-in-Chief of CJSOTF—Ylesia. Although the commandos fought expertly, with thousands of random criminals killed, the death of several thousand petty criminals was in no way comparable to the loss of over a hundred of the Empire's finest soldiers. Post-battle analysis by the Combat Intelligence Division in casualty estimation would estimate that upwards of a thousand civilians had also been killed in the fierce fighting, and it was a public relations disaster for the Empire. When Imperial citizens learned about the operation, they were shocked that hundreds of Imperial men, women, and aliens had been killed to simply snatch two bounty hunters on some forsaken smuggler's moon. Additionally, the promiscuous slaughter of civilians and the devastation of wide stretches of city made many Imperial civilians opposed to the Special Operations Command, which formerly had been revered for its stunningly-executed assault on Raxus Prime scarcely four years earlier.
Analysis of the battle indicated several outstanding points that accounted for the massive Imperial casualties. The appearance of the commandos in marked Imperial shuttles had fostered the wild idea that the Empire was invading the planet, and this obviously united the criminal denizens of the planet against them. There clearly had been no need to send a full Special Operations Task Force to apprehend the assassins: a ten-man Special Clandestine Activities Regiment team could have easily, in plainsclothes disguises, infiltrated the apartment building and drugged the two assassins in their sleep, just as easily. The Imperials, in their gunships and escort fighters, had appeared as the aggressors, and the usage of brutal Imperial force had invited an appropriately-lethal response from the Nar Shaddaa criminals. In the end analysis, Tavira was furious that the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment had not handled the operation: their undercover agents had been trained specifically for this purpose — and now, the entire Empire and Imperial civilians knew that Imperial Special Forces were openly involved with consorting with criminals and bounty hunters, to the point that over a hundred lives had been lost just to apprehend two of them.
Furthermore, the criminals had several major advantages: on their resident world, they obviously had potent defenses: anti-orbital batteries and shoulder-mounted missile launchers, that killed over a quarter of the assault force before their gunships could land. Additionally, fighting for their very survival, the criminals had nothing to lose, using reckless strategies to wear out and kill the Imperial commandos. Furthermore, they were quite literally fighting in their own living rooms, and their knowledge of the terrain allowed them to easily flank and distract the commandos, who had no idea about Nar Shaddaa's convoluted, horizontal topography.
However, Nakia Yoru and Sint Yoru would both be broken and converted at the Special Operations Command, and were released under strict terms: that they must issue regular reports to the Special Operations Command, and that they were prohibited from accepting contracts that led to the assassination of Imperial officers. However, soon the duress of force was released, as both Anzati assassins became wholeheartedly interested in reporting to the Empire when Tavira offered them large sums of credits for their findings: financial gain was far more apt to win their hearts and minds than a blaster to the back. The Yoru pair would become invaluable assets to both the Special Operations Command and the Intelligence Service, and their reports on the activities of the criminal underworld would lead to the prevention of dozens of terrorist attacks before they occurred.
In 137 ABY, when Imperial Moff Nieve Gromia ordered the assassinations of Cade Skywalker and Gunner Yage, Nakia Yoru and Sint Yoru were chosen by Lun Rask to complete the mission, as it was known to a few that the Yoru pair had close affiliations to the Empire through the Special Operations Command. However, both assassins would be killed, their contract unfinished.
Formation of the Sabers (121 ABY)[]
The "Sabers" of the Army Special Activities Regiment were chosen from the most experienced of the Imperial Special Forces, and became the principal Army actor for special activities and clandestine operations.
Special operators of the "Saber Force" conducted illegal operations throughout the galaxy, operating extralegally, outside the realm of Imperial law or morality.
In the Special Forces, attaining victory is not a matter of stabbing someone from up close or firing a cruise missile from twenty thousand kilometers away — instead, it is achieving a victory, and having the opposing force not knowing what actor achieved it, or even better, to achieve a victory where the opponent is unable to identify either the victor or what was won.
—Commodore Ava Chyler, Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command in 121 ABY on the nature of clandestine operations
By 121 ABY, six years prior to the Sith-Imperial War, the principal direct action components of the Special Operations Command were the Army Special Operations Group and Naval Special Warfare, which both were highly-decorated and successful special operations forces, while the secretive Special Clandestine Activities Regiment prosecuted special operations that other special forces units were largely permitted from prosecuting under Imperial law. While General Order 452: Preemptive Measures Against Terrorism and Insurgency authorized all Imperial special operations forces to undertake lethal force to preempt any chance of terrorism or rebellion, "conventional" special forces units such as the Army Special Forces largely avoided prosecuting such measures, as their operators were largely drawn from the ranks of the conventional stormtrooper infantry. Therefore, the execution of unconventional actions, such as kidnapping and assassination, largely became the domain of the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment, which was comprised of the most experienced—and most morally oblivious— agents of Imperial Intelligence, who had little qualms about taking human or alien life to preserve the life of their Galactic Emperor and to sustain their Galactic Empire.
However, eventually, the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment found itself overstretched — as an elite paramilitary branch of Imperial Intelligence and the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command, its agents, while extremely experienced and highly trained, could not match the gross numbers and firepower of their conventional Special Forces colleagues in the Army Special Operations Command and the Naval Special Warfare Command. For the large-scale illegal operations across entire continents, such as the tracking of terrorists across entire worlds, it became impossible for the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment to have sufficient manpower to properly execute. While tracking a suspected terrorist in a cantina was well-within the personnel capabilities of Imperial Intelligence, entire worlds were far beyond their limits.
Furthermore, the fact that the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment was the principal prosecutor of clandestine operations and covert actions meant that Army Generals of the Army Special Operations Command had little to no control of any unconventional special operations, and once they were at the boundaries of what was allowed by Imperial law, Army commanders were forced to hand their missions over to their sinister colleagues in Imperial Intelligence to finish the job. This meant that the Army Special Forces were severely deprived of credit for their missions, where Army commandos were responsible for surrounding or apprehending a putative terrorist, but it would be an Intelligence agent who would finally slit the terrorist's throat while Army lawyers debated about the legality of killing a civilian who was suspected of having terrorist connections.
This instigated a movement amongst the Army Special Operations Command that the Army should also have a special operations force that was specifically set aside to prosecute clandestine operations — an Army division that could operate beyond all bounds of law and morality, finally fulfilling the Imperial Army's wish to have an executor unbound by Imperial law.
In response, Camila Ivy Tavira created Task Force Saber, an experimental test unit to see if Army operators were capable of efficiently prosecuting covert operations as their Intelligence counterparts. When the black project was deemed an unqualified success, Grand Admiral Tavira officially approved the formation of the Imperial Army Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment — a contrived acronym of "Saber", named after the Sith Sabers of the Lost Tribe of the Sith.
The Army Special Activities Regiment's operators, known as "Sabers", became the second population of Imperial military personnel that had the authority to prosecute special operations that were deemed illegal by Imperial law.
Saber Force's operators soon earned a palpable aura of blackheartedness and maliciousness: drawn from the ranks of the most exceptional Army Special Forces and Naval Special Warfare commandos, the Sabers were legally authorized to go to any means to protect their Emperor, condoning the torturing of a terrorist's family members in order to interrogate them, and other violent techniques. However, they were praised by Camila Ivy Tavira and Nyna Calixte, to whom the Special Clandestine Activities Regiment and the Saber Force were the Empire's shield against terrorism — going to any means to stamp it out before it had a chance to even manifest.
Numerous high-value prisoners disappeared into "black holes" and were never seen again.
One of the principal "inventions" of the newly-activated Saber Force would be "black holes" — unmarked and constantly-moving spaceships that served as mobile and unfindable prisons for high-value prisoners, and upon which Imperial Intelligence and Saber operators could practice illegal and horrific techniques to torture and break their captives, wresting all knowledge from them. The spaceships were an ideal platform to sequester and incarcerate high-value prisoners, since they were continually executing random hyperspace jumps and traveling in deep space: once someone "disappeared" into a "black hole", they were impossible to find, and could be in any cubic kilometer of space in the entire galaxy.
Black hole platforms also allowed Special Forces and Intelligence personnel to conduct illegal acts beyond the prying eyes of the media, civilian population, and the Imperial Mission Committee on Sentient Right Abuses — as per their moniker, it was impossible for information to escape a black hole spaceship, which were crewed by elite members of Imperial Intelligence and the Saber Force. When beings were taken prisoner, in which their imprisonment was a violation of Imperial law — for example, citizens of the Chiss Ascendancy or the Hapes Consortium, which were sovereign galactic governments — they were extralegally extradited from their homeworlds and taken aboard black holes, never to see their native world again. Black holes served as locations in which the Special Forces and the Intelligence Service could hide prisoners that were illegally arrested, and then to hold them indefinitely without right to a fair trial.
Although the Saber operators were long-suspected by the Imperial Mission Committee on Sentient Right Abuses, the randomly-moving nature of the black hole spaceships ensured that a single black hole was never captured by Internal Affairs agents, and the maligned secret of the Saber Force and Imperial Intelligence was never revealed.
Second Imperial Civil War (130—137 ABY)[]
Mass Defections (130 ABY)[]
Special Activities Regiment operators were specifically assigned to assassinate their colleagues who had defected to Roan Fel.
When Darth Krayt seized the Imperial throne by force from Roan Fel in 130 ABY, shortly after the end of the victorious Sith-Imperial War, the Special Operations Command, surprisingly, became divided. Although Camila Ivy Tavira herself had no qualms about the change in command, and in fact, she had been forewarned by her friend and colleague, Nyna Calixte, many Special Forces operators began to show remorse and uncertainties regarding the fact that now, their Galactic Empire was in the hands of the One Sith while the true Galactic Emperor of the Fel dynasty was ousted, on the run like a common criminal — the Galactic Empire was now the Sith Empire. While of all Imperial military personnel, the Special Forces had an especially fervent esprit de corps in order to perform their arduous tasks, many expressed doubts about the new Sith Order: they had been proud to fight for their Emperor, when he was a monarch descended from the sovereign Fel bloodline, but they all knew very well the carnage that Sith Lords such as Emperor Palpatine and Jacen Solo had wrought onto the galaxy. Many special operators also remembered the tyranny that was Palpatine's Galactic Empire, which had subjugated and enslaved the galaxy, while many believed that Roan Fel's dominion, in contrast, had been fairly just and liberal.
And the special operators remembered the mass purges executed by the Inquisitorius after a Sith Lord had arisen to the office of Galactic Emperor — they knew that the Special Operations Command, alongside the Sith Assassins, would become a tool of terror, eliminating all dissension in bloodthirsty purges that would cleanse whole civilian populations.
As many as one in ten operators of the Special Operations Command abandoned the Imperial military service, with many of those clandestinely joining up with Roan Fel's Empire-in-Exile, bringing their considerable skill and talents to support who they thought was the true Galactic Emperor of a sovereign heritage. Others defected in order to escape the moral agony that would be exacted upon them when they were ordered to eliminate those still loyal to Fel.
Over the following weeks and months, innumerable thousands of special operators would disappear from their posts, slipping away at night or embarking on missions and never returning. When word of the mass defections — nearly ten percent in some sectors — reached Camila Ivy Tavira, she would become inflamed with lethal rage. Standing orders were issued to all Special Operations Command units that they were to execute anyone amongst their ranks who even whispered aloud the thought of defection. Ironically enough, normally it was the Special Forces who policed the conventional Army infantry, ensuring that none of them committed treason: now that the police was defecting, there was no one to police the police.
It was a mortal embarrassment for the Special Operations Command and all of its senior commanders. When standing orders to kill anyone who considered desertion proved ineffective, Camila Ivy Tavira, along with Nyna Calixte and Darth Maladi, began a joint Special Operations Command—Intelligence Service program that noted every single Special Forces deserter, and then rounded up their families and executed them without question, leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians, who had been killed merely because a relative had decided to betray the Empire. These terror tactics only drove more commandos to defect, enraged that their own parent organization would sponsor such atrocities.
However, former Imperial commandos, now with Roan Fel, would strike mortal blows against the Empire. Vastly superior and more experienced than the Army infantry that guarded many colony worlds and outposts, ex-Imperial Special Forces would tear deep wounds into the flanks of Krayt's Sith Empire, and this was exacerbated by Imperial Knights fighting alongside the defected Imperial commandos. Former Naval Special Warfare operators would sabotage and explode Imperial Star Destroyers in planetary orbits, and former Army Special Forces teams would launch sniper attacks on stormtrooper garrisons, devastating both their morale and their ability to wage war against the Empire-in-Exile.
While Imperial Knights such as Antares Draco and Sigel Dare would be pleased to have the lethal ex-Imperial commandos fight alongside them, it was devastating to the Special Operations Command's reputation: the very best of the Empire's troopers were now using their own considerable skill against Imperial forces, and this grew even more tragic when Special Forces teams were sent to the front lines to combat their former friends and colleagues, with current and defected Imperial Special Forces troopers killing each other, friends shedding the blood of one another. Eventually, Tavira would escalate this policy, and she specifically instructed the Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment (Saber Force) and Special Clandestine Activities Regiment, the Special Operations Command's two most elite covert action units, to actually specifically target and assassinate Special Forces deserters who were allied with Fel. Under these orders, the Special Forces conducted manhunts, mercilessly prosecuting the commandos who had chosen to defect, traveling hundreds of light-years simply to capture, torture, and kill their former colleagues.
Terror tactics—assassinations, ambushes, torture, kidnappings—were employed by both Tavira's Special Operations Command and Fel's ex-commandos as the Imperial Special Forces began a bitter internal fight to the death.
Clandestine Operations in Chiss Space (136 ABY)[]
Imperial special forces illegally entered Chiss Space, extralegally torturing and assassinating Chiss for information on Roan Fel's whereabouts.
Naval Special Warfare teams illegally boarded Chiss ships, apprehending their crews for interrogation and then making the ships "disappear", as if they had undergone a navigational error.
The Chiss have also claimed "no knowledge" of Roan Fel — despite giving him a haven for the past seven years!
—Moff Rulf Yage to Moff Fehlaaur'aitel'loro
Invasion of Borosk (137 ABY)[]
Campaign orders for the Invasion of Borosk, issued by the Special Operations Command. Saber Force and Naval Special Warfare (Task Force Aurek) secure the planetary ion cannon, securing local space (1a). Marine Force Operations and Naval Special Warfare (Task Force Besh) provide targeting telemetry on Chia Spaceport and the 908th's troopships (1b). After orbital space is declared secure, Navy Star Destroyers bombard Chia Spaceport, cutting off the 908th's mean of escape (2). Army Special Forces (Task Force Cresh) harass enemy artillery and vehicular positions on their flanks, interdicting their movement (3). Days later, Darth Maleval's 407th decants from orbit and engages the main body of the 908th, which is pinned down at its fortress and is unable to retreat (4).
The invasion of Borosk, spearheaded by Imperial Special Forces and followed by the 407th Stormtrooper Division, would prevent the defection of the 908th Stormtrooper Division and would annihilate it completely.
Reconnaissance specialists of Marine Advance Force Operations were part of the Special Operations Task Force that was clandestinely inserted onto Borosk to pave the way for the 407th Stormtrooper Division.
By 137 ABY, the Imperial Intelligence practice of embedding all Army, Navy, and Special Forces units with undercover informants had become ubiquitous. Therefore, when Jared Cassel, a commander of the 908th Stormtrooper Division on Borosk, began to discreetly question his men of their loyalties to Darth Krayt and began the faintest suggestions of defection to the Empire-in-Exile, Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents in the 908th immediately alerted Coruscant of the threat, and Special Operations Command, Imperial Intelligence, and Sith Intelligence and Assassination began to confer. Although the Sith wanted to make a public example of the mutinous Cassel, Intelligence officers were concerned that publicly crucifying him would only hasten the unit's defection to Fel's open and waiting arms. While Imperial commanders and Sith Lords on Coruscant conferred heatedly on the most acceptable way to liquify the traitorous officer, the Special Operations Command began to authorize its Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents within the unit to engineer an "accident" that would kill Cassel in some innocuous way, like the collapse of a barracks' structural supports or a misdetonation on an explosive.
However, the bickering on Coruscant proved to be too long, and Cassel proved to be too charismatic. Within days, the majority of the 908th was in open dissent, and of the twenty thousand-strong stormtrooper division, Cassel and his overwhelming majority of dissenters had "relieved" the division commander of his command, incarcerated the few amongst them that were still loyal to Krayt, and then prepared to mobilize the 908th across Borosk to board troopships that would take them to Fel's forces.
Alarmed, both Sith and Imperial commanders alike on Coruscant realized that it was far too late for covert action to take place — twenty thousand soldiers were days away to successfully defecting to Fel, and the chance to have acted and assassinated Cassel was long-lost. Urgent military force was necessary to nip the rebellious stormtrooper division before it could metastasize beyond Borosk's atmosphere: and then, they would be far gone. Intelligence's embedded informants within the 908th estimated that within seventy-two hours (three days), the entirety of the 20,000-strong division would fully withdraw to Chia Spaceport, where there were two supermassive troopships awaiting to take them off planet.
Meanwhile, Darth Maleval and his 407th Stormtrooper Division on Yinchorr, which were assigned to make an example of the traitorous 908th, estimated that it would take them five days to a fully week in order to assault Borosk — and by that time, the 908th would be long gone.
It was immediately apparent that expeditious and immediate action needed to be undertaken to prohibit the 908th's defection to Fel, which would significantly strengthen his depleted forces. While Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents embedded within the 908th were in a position to assassinate Cassel and his senior mutinous officers, it was obvious that it would be impossible, through these means, to prevent the departure of the entire 908th into orbit. Action needed to be taken that was sufficiently strong to prevent the departure of the entire 908th Division, but this action needed to be sufficiently expeditious to block off the 908th's retreat in less than three days.
The immediate answer was the special operations forces of the Special Operations Command — the key vulnerability of the 908th's intended defection strategy was that it relied on two supermassive interstellar troopships docked at Chia Spaceport, each of which could accommodate ten thousand soldiers and their equipment — and these two vessels were imperative for their escape. Although it was impossible for limited numbers of readily-activatable commando units to attack all twenty thousand soldiers of the 908th, it would be possible for the Special Operations Command to destroy their troopships — thus stranding all their forces on the planet, and allowing conventional forces, such as Darth Maleval's 407th, to demolish the 908th at their leisure.
Gil Cassel: “You may have heard the rumors that some units are still loyal to our ... former Emperor ... Roan Fel, and have been defecting to him ... it's true. An informer told us that the 908th, on Borosk, was going to be next. Their transport was destroyed, and they're stranded.”
―Conversation between Jes Gistang and Gil Cassel regarding the Special Operations Command's activities on Borosk, prior to the deployment of the 407th Stormtrooper Division
The special forces response to the devolving situation on Borosk had to be immediate. Within hours, with the consultation of Darth Maladi, Darth Maleval, and Nyna Calixte, Tavira assembled Special Operations Task Force—Borosk, a joint task force comprised of special operations forces, which would insert onto Borosk and destroy the 908th's transports, stranding them until the conventional infantry could assault the planet.
The final campaign plan, code-named "Operation: ACUTE SPEAR", was a bipartite plan, with an initial special operations force segment, followed by the conventional mass infantry assault. Borosk's principal defense was a v-2000 KDY planetary ion cannon emplacement, which was a potent deterrent against any orbital assault. Therefore, "Task Force Aurek", a joint Saber Force—Naval Special Warfare detachment, was tasked with clandestinely infiltrating the ion cannon complex and retaking it, therefore relieving the threat against orbiting Imperial warships. Simultaneously, "Task Force Besh", a joint Naval Special Warfare—Marine Advance Force Operations reconnaissance element, would infiltrate Chia Spaceport, eventually overlooking the two supermassive interstellar troopships of the 908th, and providing targeting telemetry and close reconnaissance intelligence on both vessels. Upon Task Force Aurek's neutralization of the ion cannon complex, a small group of Pellaeon-class Star Destroyers would microjump into Borosk's orbit from a position one-tenth of a light-hour beyond the rim of the Borosk system. Guided by Task Force Besh's targeting data, the Star Destroyers would provide orbital fires, providing precision bombardment of the troopships, therefore ablating the 908th's only chance of escape.
It would be the initial phase that would be the most prone to disaster: it would hinge upon Task Force Aurek's ability to effectively retake the ion cannon complex, and to hold it against any counterattacks mounted by the 908th. Furthermore, it would depend on intricate coordination between Task Force Besh and the Star Destroyer vanguard in orbit to destroy the 908th's troopships, optimally with little collateral damage.
After the initial actions prosecuted by Aurek and Besh, "Task Force Cresh", an Army Special Operations Group element, would engage in surgical hide-and-fade harassment operations along the flank of the 908th's fortress, where there were ancillary vehicular and artillery outposts. Such diversionary actions, combined by the orbital bombardment of the 908th's troopships, was hoped to sew sufficient discord and disorganization in the 908th's ranks, and to keep it forced in a relatively stationary position, centered in its central fortress in the south. The Star Destroyer force would remain in orbit, interdicting the planet and preventing any of Fel's supporters from breaking through to aid the 908th. However, the Council of Moffs specifically vetoed the usage of a mass orbital bombardment to displace and to destroy the 908th, in the interest of maintaining Borosk's fortifications intact.
After the commando actions, within a day or two, the 407th Stormtrooper Division, led by Darth Maleval, would reach Borosk, and staging from orbit, would commence a planetary invasion, centered on cordoning off the 908th's main contingent, and then swiftly destroying it, preventing any survivors from escaping and launching a troublesome guerilla campaign in Borosk's mountain ridges.
Saber Force operators of Task Force Aurek discreetly insert onto Borosk, aboard undercover freighters.
Upon Darth Maladi's final confirmation, Special Operations Task Force—Borosk was immediately embarked from nearby Yaga Minor, the home of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force—Yaga Minor, the major CJSOTF responsible for special operations in that astrographical vicinity. With hours, Special Operations Task Force—Borosk would emerge from hyperspace in orbit over Borosk, carried within undercover freighters that had been converted to clandestine troopships. Falling underneath the coverage of the planet's extensive sensor grid, Special Operations Task Force—Borosk's carriers would release their three respective detachments: Task Forces Aurek, Besh, and Cresh, approximately a hundred kilometers from their prospective targets, in uninhabited regions of the planet.
Task Force Aurek, led by Sergeant Major Aiden Page, a senior noncommissioned officer of the Army Special Activities Regiment, would rendezvous with a team of Special Clandestine Activities Regiment agents, the ones who had provided the initial intelligence regarding the 908th's intended defection. Amongst the Intelligence agents was Darth Lilith, a Dathomiri Nightsister who was a Sith Assassin of the One Sith, a talented protege of Darth Maladi's in Sith Intelligence and Assassination.
The assault was hastily planned, for by the hour, the 908th grew closer to retreating to its docked troopships. Finally, it was decided that Sergeant Major Aiden Page would be the strike commander, and would lead the majority of Task Force Aurek to infiltrate the ion cannon's massive underground particle accelerator complex — the v-2000 employed a massive particle accelerator in order to generate ions of extraordinary energies (tetra-electron volt) for its principal battery. However, the particle accelerator was over ten kilometers long, with numerous cryogenic cooling stations and superconducting magnet sections — the 908th had no idea that Imperial commandos were on the surface, much less that its prized ion cannon complex would come under attack. Therefore, it was anticipated that the best method of covert ingress into the ion cannon complex was through the length of the subterranean particle accelerator complex. While Page would lead Saber Force and Naval Special Warfare teams into the conduits, Darth Lilith would pose as a senior female commander of the Imperial Engineering Corps, on an unplanned inspection tour of the maintenance of the ion cannon, therefore distracting the bulk of the senior officers of the 908th's garrison at the ion cannon facility, while the Imperial strike teams would attack the facility from underground, using quiet but lethal force to subdue its defenders and to retake the base.
Organization[]
The Order of Battle of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, containing all Imperial Component Special Operations Commands and Imperial Special Operations Maneuver Forces.
The Order of Battle of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, containing all Imperial Regional Special Operations Commands and Imperial Special Operations Maneuver Forces.
Contrary to what you may think, Special Operations Command is a preventer—we do not seek to cause wars, but instead, to extinguish their seeds even before the first signs begin to manifest.
—Fleet Admiral Terra Needa, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command
Overview and Responsibilities[]
The Galactic Empire Special Operations Command was one of the fourteen uniformed services of the Imperial Military, alongside other services such as the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Engineering Corps, and was specifically charged with the command and direction of all Imperial Special Operations Forces, and was the only service of the Imperial military legally authorized to conduct special operations — that is, any special operations that were not conducted by the Special Operations Command were therefore deemed illegal by the Imperial Military Code.
Legally, according to the Imperial Military Code, the Special Operations Command was responsible for:
- Conduction of all Special Operations authorized by the Galactic Empire on the behalf of the Galactic Emperor
- Command & control and synchronization of all Imperial Special Operations Forces across the galaxy
- Training, equipment, and readiness of all Imperial Special Operations Forces across the galaxy
- Synchronization and integration of Imperial Special Operations Forces from all three major branches of the Imperial Military
- Creation of new Imperial Special Operations Forces, should circumstances arise
- Preparedness and readiness of Imperial Special Operations Forces against all threats to the Galactic Empire—both foreign and domestic
Also, although not directly mandated, the Special Operations Command also participated in special activities, clandestine operations, and covert operations in collaboration with Imperial Intelligence.
As one of the fourteen uniformed services of the Imperial military, the Special Operations Command was a major command and a major constituent of the Imperial military — as such, it reported directly to the Imperial Central Command, the highest military command authority in the Galactic Empire.
The Special Operations Command was unique amongst all the fourteen uniformed services in that it was a unified composite command — all other uniformed services of the Imperial military, such as the Imperial Army, consisted solely of personnel from their own services; the Army was comprised solely of Soldiers of the Imperial Army, and the Navy was comprised solely of Sailors and Marines of the Imperial Navy. However, in contradistinction, the Special Operations Command did not any personnel that uniquely belonged to the Special Forces. Instead, the Special Operations Command was comprised completely of units contributed by other services — its special operations forces are contributed by the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, or Imperial Intelligence. While the Army, Navy, and the Intelligence Service were responsible for contributing Special Forces-capable personnel to the Special Operations Command, once any Army, Navy, or Intelligence personnel were Special Forces-certified, they came under the direct command of the Special Operations Command, although they still held a heritage from their parent service.
For example, the Imperial Army Special Operations Group, consisting of Special Forces personnel that originated from the Imperial Army, was under the direct command of the Special Operations Command — however, all of its members were still affiliated with the Imperial Army, despite the fact that the Army had no direct control over them.
The highest authority and the senior commanding officer of the Special Operations Command was the Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command (CINCSOCOM), a Grand Admiral. By the law of the Imperial Military Code, the Commander-in-Chief was double-hatted both as a Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy and a Moff of the seven-membered Council of Moffs — as such, the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command held the second-highest attainable military rank in the Imperial military (Grand Admiral), answerable only to the Supreme Commander, and held the second-highest rank in the civil government (Moff), answerable only to the Galactic Emperor.
Underneath the Commander-in-Chief were three Component Special Operations Commands (CSOC) — the Imperial Army Special Operations Command, the Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command, and the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command, each of which contributed Special Forces-qualified personnel from the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, and Imperial Intelligence, respectively, to the Special Operations Command. Each Component Special Operations Command was under the command of a Surface Marshal of the Imperial Army or a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the second-highest ranks of the Imperial Military (underneath Grand Admiral).
Each Component Special Operations Command was comprised of two or three Component Special Operations Forces (CSOF) — each Component Special Operations Force was comprised of Special Forces-qualified personnel from that Component Special Operations Command's parent organization, and fulfilled a unique responsibility within the Special Operations Command's mission. For example, within the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command, there existed two subordinated Component Special Operations Forces, the Imperial Intelligence Combat Intelligence Division and the Imperial Intelligence Special Clandestine Activities Regiment, which both were comprised solely of Special Forces-qualified Imperial Intelligence personnel. However, both held distinct responsibilities within the Special Operations Command: the Imperial Intelligence Combat Intelligence Division was largely responsible for gathering actionable intelligence to guide combatant operations, whereas the Imperial Intelligence Special Clandestine Activities Regiment carried out special activities. Each Component Special Operations Force was commanded by a Surface Marshal of the Imperial Army or a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the second-highest ranks of the Imperial Military. There were eight Component Special Operations Forces in the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command.
Each Component Special Operations Command contributed its Special Forces-qualified personnel to the Special Operations Command in "force packages" — Special Operations Maneuver Forces (SOMF): the Imperial Army Special Operations Command contributed twelve Maneuver Forces, the Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command contributed ten Maneuver Forces, and the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command contributed six Maneuver Forces to the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command. Each Maneuver Force was typically on the Army-scale or lower (that is, with approximately 100,000 personnel) — each Special Operations Maneuver Force was an independently-deployable force package, fully equipped and supplemented to participate in combatant operations, and could operate indefinitely without extended resupply. In the Imperial Army's terminology, each Special Operations Maneuver Force was intermediary between a Corps-level formation (~80,000 personnel) and an Army-level formation (~200,000 personnel). From the contributions of each of the three Imperial Component Special Operations Commands, the Special Operations Command consisted of twenty-eight Special Operations Maneuver Forces. Each Maneuver Force was commanded by a General of the Imperial Army or a Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Navy.
Under the CINCSOCOM, the Galaxy was subdivided into nine astrographically-demarcated and coterminous sectors, and nine Regional Special Operations Commands (RSOC) were instated, each Regional Special Operations Command to conduct all Imperial special operations within one of the nine astrographic sectors. The Regional Special Operations Command was the fundamental answerable unit to the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, responsible for all special operations conducted within its Area of Responsibility. Each Regional Special Operations Command was comprised of at least three Imperial Special Operations Maneuver Forces, with at least one Maneuver Force from each Imperial Component Special Operations Command: therefore, each Regional Special Operations Command represented a cross-section of all of the Special Operations Command's capabilities. Once each special operations force was debarked to a theater of operations, it became answerable to the Regional Special Operations Command responsible for that theater, and did not report directly to its parent Component Special Operations Command. Each Regional Special Operations Command was under the command of a Surface Marshal of the Imperial Army or a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the second-highest ranks of the Imperial Military.
Component Special Operations Commands and Special Operations Forces[]
Imperial Army[]
The Imperial Army Special Operations Command was the Imperial Component Special Operations Command responsible for contributing Special Forces-qualified Imperial Army personnel to the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command, and was the largest of the three Component Special Operations Commands. As of 137 ABY, the Army Special Operations Command contributed three Imperial Component Special Operations Forces: the Imperial Army Special Operations Group, the Imperial Army Strategic Operations Forces, and the Imperial Army Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment. All Army Special Forces personnel contributed by the Army Special Operations Command were contributed by means of twelve Imperial Special Operations Maneuver Forces, twelve "Special Operations Armies" all approximately one hundred thousand strong.
Its senior commander, the "Commander-in-Chief, Army Special Operations Command", was a Surface Marshal of the Imperial Army, the second-highest achievable rank in the Imperial military. The Army Special Operations Command was based on the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, the clone commando brigade of the Clone Wars.
- Army Special Operations Group: Principal Army special operations force, established in 97 ABY by the direct order of Galactic Emperor Roan Fel. Organized principally by Grand Admiral August Veers, the Army Special Forces are responsible for the prosecution of any special operations authorized by the Empire on planetary surfaces and in planetary atmospheres, where they are airborne-capable. In the field, they fulfill special operations requirements such as counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare, force protection, and escort of VIPs and military commanders in both the friendly and denied battlespaces. Based on the Galactic Alliance Special Forces and the former Galactic Republic Special Operations Command. Planetary counterpart to Imperial Naval Special Warfare.
- Army Strategic Operations Forces: Unconventional Army special forces, responsible for the development, creation, and employment of strategic capabilities in the field in support of other combatant special operations forces, such as psychological warfare, electronic warfare, cyber warfare, biological warfare, chemical warfare, thermonuclear warfare, and economic warfare, generally developing capabilities that are useful for unconventional warfare and asymmetric warfare. Performs psychological operations in order to demoralize enemy soldiers and civilians, using techniques such as propaganda and disinformation through shadowfeeds. Strategic Operations Forces, although not authorized for direct combat, often accompany Army Special Forces as force multipliers in unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency missions.
- Army Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment: Army special activities division, mandated for the prosecution of covert military operations that are not legal by Imperial law. Established by the direct order of Grand Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira, and perform highly sensitive operations in support of Darth Maladi's Sith Intelligence and Assassination and Nyna Calixte's Imperial Intelligence. Repertoire of responsibilities include specific counterforce operations against enemy Special Forces units, counterterrorism, and the assassination or kidnapping of enemy high-tier personalities, such as Marasiah Fel. Widely considered as the most experienced special operations force in the entire Imperial military, and collaborate extensively with Sith Assassins of Darth Krayt's One Sith. Military counterpart to the Imperial Special Clandestine Activities Regiment.
[]
The Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command was a subordinate component of the Imperial Special Operations Command, responsible for all special operations forces contributed by the Imperial Navy to the Special Operations Command. Its senior commander, the "Commander-in-Chief, Naval Special Warfare Command", was a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the second-highest achievable rank in the Imperial military. The Naval Special Warfare Command was based on Galactic Republic Naval Special Warfare of the Galactic Republic Special Operations Command, a clone commando unit that existed in the Clone Wars.
As of 137 ABY, there were three special operations forces subordinated underneath the Army Special Operations Command: Imperial Naval Special Warfare, Imperial Navy Combat Search and Rescue, and Imperial Marine Advance Force Operations.
- Naval Special Warfare: Premier Navy special operations force, established in 97 ABY by the direct order of Galactic Emperor Roan Fel, and based on Galactic Republic Naval Special Warfare, a clone commando division during the Clone Wars. Perform high-risk naval special operations in unconventional environments, and are responsible for the prosecution of any special operations authorized by the Empire beyond a planetary atmosphere, that is, in planetary orbits, in deep space, or aboard spacefaring vessels. Operations include boarding hostile warships, boarding spaceships in peacetime to search for weapons trafficking, zero-g operations, assault of space stations, assault of orbital platforms and satellites, and extremely high-speed orbit-to-surface insertion techniques. Extra-atmospheric counterpart to the Imperial Army Special Operations Group.
- Marine Advance Force Operations: Principal special reconnaissance force of the Imperial Navy, consisting of Marine special operations detached from shipboard duties and tasked as reconnaissance specialists on planetary forces. Notable as the only Imperial special operations force dedicated as a reconnaissance unit, responsible for preparation of planetary battlespaces preceding the arrival of Navy fleets in orbit. Advance Force Operations operators are responsible for infiltrating enemy-held worlds prior to Imperial invasions, and then, conducting close reconnaissance to identify enemy targets on the ground for orbital bombardment, and then proceeding to liason with Navy assets in orbit to coordinate and target orbital strikes against enemy fortifications. Advance Force Operations Marines sometimes accompany Army Special Forces units, acting as joint terminal attack controllers and allowing orbiting Star Destroyers to provide precision orbital fires to support Army special operations forces on the ground. Based on the Surface Task Reconnaissance clone commando division of the former Galactic Republic Special Operations Command.
- Navy Special Aerospace Combat Echelon: Principal provider of atmospheric and aerospace support to all Imperial special operations forces — employs highly-trained special operations aviators operating spacecraft such as interceptors, bombers, transports, and gunships to provide close air support (CAS), hard target interdiction (HTI), suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and anti-air defense (AAD) capabilities to friendly planetary special forces, and also provides clandestine insertion, extraction, and resupply of special forces infantry units. It draws from the most talented and experienced pilots in the Imperial Navy, and operates modified Predator-class interceptors, Neutralizer-class bombers, Fury-class interceptors, and Sigma-class troop transports, amongst other, more specialized mission-specific craft.
- Navy Combat Search and Rescue: Originally established far before the activation of the Special Operations Command by the direct mandate of Galactic Emperor Jagged Fel and the "Victory Without War" doctrine. In its original organization ,it was a noncombatant Navy rescue force responsible to rescue stranded civilian spacers and aviators in deep space or in planetary atmospheres, and was an instant public-relations success in the Empire. However, in 102 ABY, it was co-opted by the Special Operations Command to provide aviation support for Army Special Forces in planetary surfaces, operating clandestine insertion and extraction of special operations forces and providing close air support, as well as performing high-risk search and rescue operations for lost or wounded Army or Navy special operations forces whether on the ground or in deep space.
Imperial Intelligence[]
The Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command was a subordinate component of the Imperial Special Operations Command, responsible for all special operations forces contributed by Imperial Intelligence to the Special Operations Command. Its senior commander, the "Commander-in-Chief, Intelligence Special Operations Command", was a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the second-highest achievable rank in the Imperial military.
As of 137 ABY, there were two special operations forces subordinated underneath the Intelligence Special Operations Command: the Imperial Intelligence Special Clandestine Activities Regiment and the Imperial Intelligence Combat Intelligence Division.
- Special Clandestine Activities Regiment: Only Imperial Intelligence element authorized to conduct special activities that are illegal according to Imperial law. Created by Grand Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira in 104 ABY, the Special Activities Regiment was the continuation of the Special Intelligence unit of the Intelligence Service, and was comprised of highly-trained paramilitary operations officers that were selected from the best of Imperial Intelligence agents. Paramilitary operations officers of the Special Activities Regiment had twofold responsibilities: the covert gathering of human intelligence by infiltrating and masquerading in insurgencies or enemy military formations, and also the conduction of special activities: events such as the kidnapping, extortion, and subversion of Imperial or enemy civilians and military officers. Paramilitary counterpart to the Army Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment and the human intelligence counterpart to the Imperial Combat Intelligence Division.
- Combat Intelligence Division: Special operations force of Imperial Intelligence, dedicated to the gathering of intelligence prior to operations and during ongoing operations to guide and assist friendly special operations forces. Largely concerned with electronic and technical forms of intelligence, such as Signals Intelligence, Measurement and Signature Intelligence, image intelligence, and casualty estimation. Combat Intelligence operators typically gather electronic intelligence in operational theaters in peacetime or war, using communications intercepts and other measures of eavesdropping to learn about enemy tactical movements and the positions of hostile personalities, therefore providing actionable intelligence for other special operations to conduct direct action. Electronic intelligence counterpart to the Imperial Special Clandestine Activities Regiment.
Regional Special Operations Commands[]
Regional Commands of the Imperial Special Operations Command by spatial area of responsibility. 1st Special Operations Command (Red, Coruscant), 2nd Special Operations Command (Orange, Bastion), 3rd Special Operations Command (Green, Mon Calamari), 4th Special Operations Command (Purple, Da Soocha V), 5th Special Operations Command (Red, Geonosis), 6th Special Operations Command (Green, Eriadu), 7th Special Operations Command (Yellow, Bespin), 8th Special Operations Command (Black, Fondor), and 9th Special Operations Command (White, Expeditionary).
There are nine regional commands subordinated underneath the Special Operations Command, who are responsible for the conduction of all Imperial special operations and the command of all special operations forces within their areas of responsibility, which are clearly-delineated astrographical boundaries that divided the whole of the galaxy into nine uneven spatial divisions. Between the nine subordinated Regional Special Operations Commands, each world in the galaxy has a Regional Special Operations Command which is capable of conducting special operations on that world.
The Imperial Army Special Operations Command, Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command, and the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command, the three component commands of the Special Operations Command, contribute units to all nine Regional Special Operations Commands. Once attached to a Regional Special Operations Command from their parent organization, Imperial special operations forces are under the operational command of their respective Regional Special Operations Command and not their Component Special Operations Command.
- 1st Special Operations Command (Coruscant): Headquartered at Coruscant in the Core Worlds, and also known as Central Special Operations Command. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a ten-thousand light-year radius from Coruscant, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Deep Core, Koornacht Cluster, Core Worlds, the Corellian Sector, and the Colonies. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction included Coruscant, Corellia, Duro, Kuat, Byss, and Bilbringi.
- 2nd Special Operations Command (Bastion): Headquartered at Bastion in the Outer Rim. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a sixteen thousand light-year radius from Bastion, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Middle Rim, the Outer Rim, and the Meridian Sector. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction included Bastion, Muunilist, Yaga Minor, Obroa-Skai, Myrkr, Wayland, Telos, Korriban, and Yavin IV.
- 3rd Special Operations Command (Mon Calamari): Headquartered at Mon Calamari in Wild Space. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a twenty-three thousand light-year radius from Mon Calamari, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Outer Rim, the Tingel Arm, the Tion Cluster, and the Corporate Sector. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction included Mon Calamari, Ossus, and Bonadan.
- 4th Special Operations Command (Da Soocha V): Headquartered at Da Soocha V (the Pinnacle Moon) in Wild Space. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a seventeen thousand light-year radius from Da Soocha, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Expansion Region, the Outer Rim, Hutt Space, Bothan Space, and the Hapes Consortium. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction included Nar Shaddaa, Hapes, Roche, Bothanwui, Commenor, Honoghr, and Kessel.
- 5th Special Operations Command (Geonosis): Headquartered at Geonosis in Wild Space. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a eleven thousand light-year radius from Geonosis, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction included Geonosis, Naboo, Falleen, Rodia, and Tatooine.
- 6th Special Operations Command (Eriadu): Headquartered at Eriadu in Wild Space. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a ten thousand light-year radius from Eriadu, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Outer Rim, Wild Space, the Minos Cluster, and the Kathol Cluster. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction include Eriadu, Sullust, Nkllon, Clak'dor VII, Sluis Van, and Dagobah.
- 7th Special Operations Command (Bespin): Headquartered at Bespin in Wild Space. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a fourteen thousand light-year radius from Bespin, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Outer Rim, Wild Space, and the Senex Juvex Sectors. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction include Bespin, Hoth, Bakura, Anoth, Endor, and Cerea.
- 8th Special Operations Command (Fondor): Headquartered at Fondor in the Colonies. Responsible for all Imperial special operations within a thirteen thousand light-year radius from Fondor, and its area of responsibility includes Imperial colonies and interests within the Colonies and the Inner Rim. Notable worlds under its jurisdiction include Fondor, Abregado-Rae, Thyferra, Yag'Dhul, and Atzerri.
- 9th Special Operations Command (Expeditionary): Headquartered at Coruscant in the Core Worlds. Responsible for all Imperial special operations in distal parts of the galaxy in the Unknown Regions (beyond even Wild Space), such as the Chiss Ascendancy and the Ssi-ruuk Star Cluster, and is specially equipped with mobile special operations forces with logistical capabilities that allow them to transverse up to forty-three thousand light-years from Coruscant. It also conducts special operations in astrographically-hindered areas of the Deep Core, such as Prakith, to where navigation is restricted because of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.
A tenth subordinate Special Operations Command was also subordinated underneath the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command. However, its responsibilities were functional instead of spatially-delineated:
- 10th Special Operations Command (Advanced): Headquartered at Coruscant in the Core Worlds, and commonly known as the Advanced Special Operations Command. Responsible for conduction of highly specialized and sensitive special operations mission requirements, such as sophisticated contingency operations, advance force operations, and the apprehension and/or liquefaction of high-value personalities (such as Jedi or Imperial Knights). Smallest of all the subordinate Special Operations Commands. Maneuver forces included the Imperial Intelligence Special Clandestine Activities Regiment, the Imperial Army Special Activities Battle Expeditionary Regiment ("Saber Force"), and contributions from the Imperial Army Special Operations Group.
Functional Organization[]
The Special Operations Command's organization is dichotomous — in fitting with the Imperial military's rigid and proud organization and chains of command, above the theater-level, it has a strictly defined command and administrative structure. However, below the theater-level, to preserve operational security, to thwart enemy intelligence-gathering efforts and also because the nature of the Special Forces' peculiar missions and responsibilities, Special Operations Forces have an irregular and unnatural command structure. This is often because of the urgent and rushed nature of certain special operations, where there is not sufficient time to define strict unit organizations; Special Operations Forces are asymmetrically distributed across the galaxy in specific theaters of operations, handling high-risk special operations as they occur.
The entropic organization of the Special Operations Command on the sub-Theater level was anathema to the structured forces of other services, such as the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy.
Administrative[]
- Galactic Empire Special Operations Command: Headquartered on Coruscant, the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command is responsible for all Imperial special operations across the galaxy and command of all Imperial Special Operations Forces. The Galactic Empire Special Operations Command is a uniformed service of the Imperial Military, and its Commander-in-Chief is a Grand Admiral and Moff, the highest military and political titles in the entire Galactic Empire. The current Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command (as of 137 ABY) is Grand Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira.
- Component Special Operations Command (CSOC): The three Component Special Operations Commands, the Imperial Army Special Operations Command, the Imperial Naval Special Warfare Command, and the Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command, contribute Special Operations Forces from the three major branches of the Imperial military service — the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, and Imperial Intelligence — to the Special Operations Command. Each Component Special Operations Command contributes its respective service's Special Forces to the Special Operations Command, and organizes and commands them. The Galactic Empire Special Operations Command has organizational control over the contributed Special Forces, and serves to coordinately integrate and command the special operations forces contributed from all three Component Special Operations Commands. Each Component Special Operations Command is commanded either by a Surface Marshal or a High Admiral, the second-highest ranks in the Imperial military.
- Regional Special Operations Command (SOC): One of nine Regional Special Operations Commands, the subordinate commands respective for special operations and special operations forces across of entire segments of the galaxy, comprised of thousands or millions of inhabited planetary systems. Each Regional Special Operations Command is commanded by a Surface Marshal or High Admiral, the second-highest ranks in the Imperial military. Consists of dozens or hundreds of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Forces that operate within their Area of Responsibility.
- Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF): Composed of thousands of operators—an administrative division that refers all Special Operations Forces assigned to a whole sector: dozens or hundreds of contiguous planetary systems. Smaller Combined Joint Special Operations Task Forces are commanded by a Corps General or a Systems Admiral, whereas larger Combined Joint Special Operations Forces serving hundreds of systems are commanded by a full Generals or Fleet Admirals, the third-highest ranks in the Imperial military. Examples include CJSOTF—Coruscant (1st Special Operations Command), CJSOTF—Caluula (2nd Special Operations Command), CJSOTF—Ylesia (4th Special Operations Command).
- Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF): Generally comprised of several hundred operators, commanded by a Major General (Admiral), and with a Command Sergeant Major (Command Master Chief Petty Officer) serving as the senior noncommissioned officer. An administrative division that refers all Special Operations Forces assigned to a local sector: normally, a handful of spatially-proximal planetary systems. An atypical example is Joint Special Operations Task Force 452.
Combatant Operational[]
The Army Special Operations Group conducted both direct action and special reconnaissance missions.
At its most microscopic levels, the various formations and commands adopted by the Special Operations Command are a formality at best—
- Special Operations Team: Comprised of four operators, generally comprised of Sergeants (Technical Petty Officers). When operating independently, may be commanded by a Staff Sergeant (Senior Technical Officer) or a Second Lieutenant (recent officer graduate). Smallest functional unit of Special Operations Forces in the field, and largely follow two tracks: Sniper-Scout Team or an Assault Team. A Sniper-Scout team is a highly irregular and independent designated sharpshooter team that often operates independently, either on special activities (such as assassination), to provide advanced reconnaissance, or to provide supporting fires for larger formations. An Assault Team is typically comprised of between three to five operators, and is the smallest tasking unit in larger formations: Assault Teams in close quarters combat typically are assigned one avenue of ingress, and in hostage situations, clear small rooms.
- Special Operations Detachment: Comprised of eight to twelve operators, commanded by a Captain (Lieutenant Commander), with a First Lieutenant serving as a deputy commanding officer, and a Gunnery Sergeant (Chief Petty Officer) serving as the senior noncommissioned officer. Usually, is the largest functional unit of Special Operations Forces in the field, serving as the commando analogy to the "squad" of the conventional infantry. A Special Operations Detachment is usually the base assault force in an Order of Battle for field operations. Certain Special Operations Detachments may be under the leadership of a Major (Service Commander). An example is Reconnaissance Team Caluula Aurek-41 (Imperial Naval Special Warfare).
- Special Operations Troop: Comprised of approximately twenty operators, commanded by a Commander, with a Major (Service Commander) as a deputy commanding officer, and with a Master Sergeant (Senior Chief Petty Officer) serving as the senior noncommissioned officer. Largely an administrative division, and whole Troops are rarely deployed in the field. Special Operations Troops are generally comprised of four to six Special Operations Teams. Only the largest assault operations require the deployment of whole Troops.
- Special Operations Company: Comprised of between sixty to one hundred operators, commanded by a Colonel (Captain of the Line), with a Sergeant Major (Master Chief Petty Officer) serving as the senior noncommissioned officer. Largely an administrative division, and whole Companies are extremely rarely deployed in their entirety in the field. Special Operations Companies are generally comprised of three to five Special Operations Troops. When on planetary surface deployment, entire Special Operations Companies are generally responsible for conduction of special operations across whole continents.
- Special Operations Task Force (SOTF): Comprised of between two hundred to five hundred operators, commanded by a Brigadier General (Commodore), and with a Sergeant Major (Master Chief Petty Officer) serving as the senior noncommissioned officer. An administrative division that references all Special Operations Forces assigned to one planetary theater of operations: the sum of all Special Operations Forces on a planet is automatically equal to a Special Operations Task Force. An example is SOTF—Borosk (2nd Special Operations Command) and SOTF—Nar Shaddaa (4th Special Operations Command). An atypical example is Special Operations Task Force 184 (a military pseudonym for Darth Mercurial's group of clandestine Sith Assassins).
Order of Battle, Special Operations Task Force[]
The Special Operations Task Force (SOTF), comprised of several hundred Special Forces operators, serves as the Special Operations Command's fundamental maneuver unit on a galactic scale, and single Task Forces are responsible for the conduction of all Imperial special operations in a single planetary theater of operations. They are commanded by first-tier flag officers, either a Brigadier General (Imperial Army) or a Commodore (Imperial Navy), and are comprised of: two Army Special Forces companies, one Naval Special Warfare squadron, one Headquarters & Headquarter Company (HHC), and one Task Force Special Troops Company.
The formally-authorized Order of Battle for each Task Force follows. However, there is considerable liberty granted to each Special Operations Task Force in its composition, with attachments and detachments tailored for the planetary theater in which the Task Force will be operating in.
Army Special Forces Company[]
The official Order of Battle for an Army Special Operations Group Company at full rated strength.
An Army Special Forces special operator on Tatooine in standard combat equipment, including a helmet, optional night-vision optics, a load-bearing and blaster-ablative tactical vest, and a blaster carbine.
An Army Special Forces operator on Rhen Var, clad in cold-weather operations gear, ice-breaking equipment, and a blaster rifle.
Each Army Special Forces Company is commanded by a three-star Army Colonel and is composed of eighty-eight operators from the Imperial Army Special Operations Group. Two full-strength Companies are attached to each Special Operations Task Force. Each Special Forces Company contains: a 6-man Battle Control Team, a 7-man Company Heavy Weapons Team, and three 25-man Army Special Forces Platoons, summing up to 88 operators when at full strength.
The 6-man Company Battle Control Team is comprised of the Company Commanding Officer (a Colonel), the Company Assistant Commanding Officer (a Commander), the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (a Sergeant Major), and three enlisted operators: the Company Signals Specialist, the Company Medical Specialist, and the Company Quartermaster. Together, the Battle Control Team is responsible for command and control of the entire Company. The Commanding Officer serves as the senior commander of the Company, and communicating to his or her subordinate units through the Signals Specialist, controls the entire Company. The Assistant Commanding Officer typically serves as the Operations Officer, but in the event that the Commanding Officer is incapacitated or killed in action, takes over command of the Company. The Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, typically a Sergeant Major with 20+ years of field experience, directly advises the Commanding Officer.
The 7-man Company Heavy Weapons Team provides company-level fire support for the entire Company. It is comprised of its Commanding Officer (a Captain), two portable 90mm proton grenade mortars (each with two operators, a Gunner and a Loader), and two other personnel, both carrying heavy anti-tank weapons, typically shoulder-mounted proton torpedo launchers. The Heavy Weapons Team's two 90mm mortars provide indirect line-of-sight fires, and its two heavy anti-tank weapons are the Company's principal deterrent against armored tanks or walkers.
The three 25-man Special Forces Platoons serve as the core fighting force of the Company, and are commanded by two-star Commanders. Their twenty-five operators are dispersed into five 5-man teams: a Platoon Battle Control Team, a Sniper/Reconnaissance Team, a Heavy Weapons Team, and two Rifle Teams.
The platoon's five-man Battle Control Team consists of the Platoon Commanding Officer (a Commander), the Platoon Assistant Commanding Officer (a Major), the Platoon Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (a Master Sergeant), the Platoon Signals Specialist, and the Platoon Medical Specialist. The platoon's command team is responsible for in-field command and control of the entire company, containing its Commanding Officer and a Signals Specialist who both communicates the Platoon CO's orders to his men and also receives orders from higher commands, that is, the Company CO. While a large proportion of Special Forces operators are trained in preliminary combat medicine, the platoon's Battle Control Team also contains a dedicated Platoon Medical Specialist who tends to severe injuries in the field and moves them to a Casualty Collection Point for extraction.
The platoon's five-man Sniper/Reconnaissance Team provides: long-range, precision fires in support of the rest of the Platoon, directed fires to interdict specific hostile targets (read: assassination), deep reconnaissance, and can also provide forward air control to direct air strikes. It is composed of its commanding officer, typically a Captain (although possibly a Lieutenant) and four other personnel: two sniper-spotter teams, each composed of a dedicated sniper and his or her assistant spotter, who designates targets and directs fires. The team is called a "Sniper/Reconnaissance Team", not just a "Sniper Team", because it also often conducts reconnaissance operations in the denied battlespace to precede the rest of the Platoon. To this end, all of its operators carry specialized reconnaissance optics.
The platoons five-man Heavy Weapons Team provides suppressive fires for the rest of the Platoon, and acts as its firebase in the field. The smaller cousin to the Company's larger Heavy Weapons Team, the Platoon Heavy Weapons Team is comprised of its Commanding Officer (either a Captain or a Lieutenant) and four other personnel. The four other personnel operate the team's two heavy repeaters (often similar to E-WEB heavy repeaters), with each heavy repeater having a dedicated gunner and then a loader. The loader additionally carries a light anti-tank weapon.
The platoon's two five-man Rifle Teams serve as the core of the Platoon's fighting force, qualified for both close-quarters battle and mid-distance firefights. They are comprised of a commanding officer (often a Lieutenant), and four enlisted riflemen. Two riflemen carry underbarrel-slung grenade launchers, granting them the ability to displace entrenched positions, one rifleman carries breaching charges to clear urban terrain and to forcibly enter fortified rooms, and one rifleman carries a light anti-tank weapon, granting each team a modest anti-vehicular capability.
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Naval Special Warfare operators from a Maritime/Riverine Troop conduct a high-risk patrol of a river in insurgent territory in an armored speedboat.
Naval Special Warfare operators from a Orbital Incursion Troop in black camouflage equipment and armed with microrepeaters, emerging from their Drop Pods and moving towards their rendezvous point.
The single 87-man Naval Special Warfare Squadron attached to each Special Operations Task Force is commanded by a three-star Captain of the Line and contains the capability to operate in deep space, in planetary orbit, in planetary atmosphere, in planetary oceans, and in rivers. Whereas the Army Special Forces specialize in surface warfare, Naval Special Warfare is in sharply distinct in that its operators operate in a broad variety of extreme and harazardous environments.
Each Squadron is composed of a single 7-man Squadron Battle Control Team and four 20-man Troops, with each Troop specialized to conduct operations in a specific environment. Of the Squadron's four Troops, one is an Orbital Incursion Troop, one is a Maritime/Riverine Troop, and two are Close Assault Troops (who operate inside spacefaring vessels).
The 7-man Squadron Battle Control Team provides Squadron-level command and control over the entire Squadron, and contains the Squadron Commanding Officer (a Captain of the Line), the Squadron Executive Officer (a Commander), the Squadron Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (a Senior Chief Petty Officer), the Squadron Targeting/Operations Officer (a Service Commander, and three enlisted personnel: the Squadron Signals Specialist, the Squadron Medical Specialist, and the Squadron Logistical Specialist. The Commanding Officer exercises command and control over the entire Squadron, mediated by the Squadron Signals Specialist, who relays the CO's commands to his subordinate units, and who receives orders from higher commands from the Task Force chain of authority. The Squadron Targeting/Operations Officer, because of the broad and distinct environments in which the Squadron's subordinate Troops operate in, is responsible for inserting each Troop into its respective Area of Operations.
The single 20-man Maritime/Riverine Troop of each Squadron is responsible for conduction of all of the Squadron's operations that occur in planetary oceans (maritime operations) or in rivers (riverine operations) — examples include the boarding and seizure of ocean-faring vessels and also the patrol of rivers. The Maritime/Riverine Troop also has the ability to deploy underwater and either seize enemy vessels from underneath or to raid objectives on ocean floors, such as the Gungan villages of Naboo. The Troop has a Commanding Officer, a Service Commander, and a Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, a Chief Petty Officer. The remainder of its eighteen operators are segregated into three 6-man Teams: Assault Team One, Assault Team Two, and a Deployment Team. The Deployment Team is responsible for the maintenance, servicing, and operation of the Troop's various specialized vehicles, which include two speedboats, two riverine patrol boats, and two underwater insertion vehicles — two vehicles of each class, one for each of the Troop's Assault Teams. The Deployment Team is led by a Lieutenant, and contains two Deployment Vehicle Pilots (one for each vehicle), a Deployment Vehicle Navigator, and two Deployment Vehicle Engineers who are responsible for the maintenance of the crafts. Each Assault Team is commanded by a Lieutenant Commander or a Lieutenant (typically Team One is led by a Lieutenant Commander and Team Two is led by a Lieutenant) and has five enlisted personnel: three riflemen, a designated marksman (a sniper), and a light repeater specialist. Of the three riflemen, one is a signals specialist, one is a medical specialist, and one is a breacher.
The single 20-man Orbital Incursion Troop of each Squadron imparts the Squadron with the unique capability to rapidly insert operators onto precise planetary areas by executing precision orbital drops from planetary orbits to the surface. Stationed aboard overt or undercover military warships or space stations in orbit over the Task Force's planetary theater of operations, when ordered to insert, the Orbital Incursion Troop's carrier vessel or station breaks orbit to maintain geosynchronous orbit over their precise destination, and then the Troop's members perform precision orbit-to-surface drops in armored orbital drop pods. Organized similarly to a Maritime/Riverine Troop, each 20-man Orbital Incursion Troop is commanded by a Service Commander and has a Chief Petty Officer serving as a Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, and has three 6-man teams: two Assault Teams and a Deployment Team. The 6-man Deployment Team is responsible for the maintenance of the Troop's two orbital drop pods (one for each Assault Team), and has a commanding officer (a Lieutenant), two Orbital Drop Pod Pilots (one for each pod), a reserve Orbital Drop Pod Pilot, and two Orbital Drop Pod Engineers who maintain each pod. Each 6-man Assault Team has a commanding officer (either a Lieutenant Commander or a Lieutenant, with Team One typically led by a Lieutenant Commander and Team Two typically led by a Lieutenant), and five enlisted operators — three riflemen, one sniper/reconnaissance specialist, and a light repeater operator. Of the three riflemen, one serves as a signals specialist, one serves as a medical specialist, and one serves as a breacher.
The two 20-man Close Assault Troops of each Squadron fulfill Naval Special Warfare's principal and oldest mission requirement — the boarding and seizure of spaceships and space stations, and the rescue of hostages held aboard spaceships. Each 20-man Close Assault Troop is led by a Service Commander and a Chief Petty Officer, and the remaining operators are segregated into two Assault Teams, allowing each Close Assault Troop to breach into two separate points aboard a spaceship — one assault team for each breaching point. Each individual 9-man Assault Team is led by the Commanding Officer (a Lieutenant Commander), an Executive Officer (a Lieutenant), and seven enlisted operators. Of the seven enlisted operators, there is a breacher, a reserve breacher, a spaceship electronics specialist, a reserve spaceship electronics specialist, a covert entry specialist, a reserve covert entry specialist, and a medical specialist. Almost every specialty represented in each Assault Team has a reverse specialist for redundancy — in case a single specialist is killed or incapacitated, each Team will still have another backup operator to fulfill his or her requirement.
Task Force Special Troops Company[]
Two Advance Force Operations Marines in reconnaissance equipment. Left: a designated sharpshooter with a sniper rifle. Right: a close-assault specialist with a carbine and a tactical helmet.
The Special Troops Company of each Special Operations Task Force provides auxiliary support to the Task Force's core fighting forces — its Special Forces Companies and its Naval Special Warfare Squadron. The Special Troops Company contains multiple components, including a 20-man Marine Reconnaissance Platoon and a 52-man Actionable Intelligence Group.
The 20-man Marine Reconnaissance Platoon, comprised of Marine Advance Force Operations specialists, is responsible for conducting certain special reconnaissance missions, most notably Pathfinder missions to identify Landing Zones (LZs) for Navy warships in orbit to land and disembark battalions of conventional troops. Additionally, Marine reconnaissance operators are responsible for conducting Forward Air Control (FAC) to direct Navy interceptors, bombers, and capital ships to produce precise fire missions against enemy positions. The 20-man Marine Reconnaissance Platoon is comprised of its commanding officer (a Service Commander), its executive officer (a Lieutenant Commander), and three distinct but identical 6-man Reconnaissance Teams. Each 6-man Reconnaissance Team can operate independently, for over a month without resupply and behind enemy lines, and is composed of a Commanding Officer (a Lieutenant), four reconnaissance specialists, and a dedicated forward air controller. Of the four reconnaissance specialists, two are designated marksmen/snipers, and one is a signals specialist, and one is a medical specialist.
Senior Command Organization[]
- Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command: Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Command, Grand Admiral of the Imperial Military and Moff of the Council of Moffs
Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Intelligence: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Counterterrorism: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Counterinsurgency: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Counterintelligence: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Clandestine Operations: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Counterproliferation: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Criminal Investigations: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Internal Affairs: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Coordination: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Political Affairs: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Logistics: Three-star command, General (Imperial Army) or Fleet Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Component Commands
- Commander-in-Chief of the Army Special Operations Command: Four-star command, held by a Surface Marshal of the Imperial Army
- Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command: Four-star command, held by a High Admiral of the Imperial Navy
- Commander-in-Chief of the Intelligence Special Operations Command: Four-star command, held by a High Admiral of Imperial Intelligence
- Regional Commands
- Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 3rd Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 5th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 6th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 7th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 8th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
- Commander-in-Chief of the 9th Special Operations Command: Four-star command, Surface Marshal (Imperial Army) or High Admiral (Imperial Navy)
Major Maneuver Forces[]
Imperial Army Special Operations Command[]
Combatant Special Operations Armies[]
- 2nd Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "2nd Airborne Army", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 5th Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "5th Commandos", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 7th Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "7th Sky Troops", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 9th Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "9th Shock Troops", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 41st Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "41st Elite Army", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 44th Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "44th Special Forces", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 91st Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "91st Recces", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 212nd Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "212nd Attack Army", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 327th Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "327th Star Fighters", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
- 442nd Imperial Special Operations Army (Airborne): Also known as the "442nd Siege Army", Imperial Army Special Operations Group
Support Special Operations Armies[]
- 10th Imperial Psychological Warfare and Civil Affairs Army (Airborne): Imperial Army Strategic Operations Forces, provides psychological warfare, civil affairs, electronic warfare, and other irregular special operations capabilities
- 12th Imperial Special Operations Support Army (Airborne): Imperial Army Special Operations Group, provides combat support, logistical, and sustainment services
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- 2nd Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 2
- 4th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 4
- 5th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Colloquially referred to as the "Black Sword", and alternatively referred to as Force 5
- 7th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Colloquially referred to as the "Razor Force", and alternatively referred to as Force 7
- 9th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 9
- 21st Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Colloquially referred to as the "Galactic Marines", and alternatively referred to as Force 21
- 22nd Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 22
- 27th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 27
- 32nd Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 32
- 127th Imperial Naval Special Operations Force: Alternatively referred to as Force 127
Imperial Intelligence Special Operations Command[]
- 1st Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Black Hand"
- 2nd Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Black Stallions"
- 3rd Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Dark Wraiths"
- 4th Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Dark Banshees"
- 5th Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Dark Phantoms"
- 6th Intelligence Special Operations Brigade: Colloquially known as the "Dark Specters"
Ranks[]
Enlisted Ranks[]
| Insignia | Army Rank | Navy Rank | Responsibilities |
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Recruit | Recruit | Enrolled into the 1st Special Forces School on Coruscant or the 2nd Special Forces School on Anaxes as an enlisted operator trainee |
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Private | Apprentice | Junior enlisted operator, graduate of the Operator Training Course (OTC), and on active deployment ; typically hold this rank for 3—6 months before promotion from time-in-grade |
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Corporal | Junior Technical Officer | Junior enlisted operator ; typically hold this rank for 6—12 months before promotion from time-in-grade |
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Sergeant | Technical Petty Officer | Base enlisted rank for operators of the Special Operations Command ; whereas Sergeant is a noncommissioned officer rank in the Imperial Army, Sergeants are the base operators in the Special Forces, and Special Forces units are principally composed of Sergeants. Typically have served for 2—5 years, before being promoted from time-in-grade. |
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Staff Sergeant | Senior Technical Officer | Most senior of the junior enlisted ranks ; typically Sergeants promoted after time-in-grade. Certain Staff Sergeants may serve as team leaders for very small detachments. Typically have served for 6—9 years, before being promoted from time-in-grade. |
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Gunnery Sergeant | Chief Petty Officer | Base noncommissioned officer rank, having typically served for 10—14 years. Experienced operators who serve as the official leaders for small detachments, and provide core leadership in the field under fire. |
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Master Sergeant | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Veteran noncommissioned officer rank, having typically served for 15—19 years. Very experienced operators who serve as noncommissioned officers-in-charge (NCOIC) of Special Forces formations of the "troop" size, that is from 20—50 operators. Provide senior leadership for majority of Special Forces operators, and serve as experienced advisors to troop commanding officers. |
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Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer | Veteran noncommissioned officer rank, having typically served for over 20 years in Imperial service. Extremely experienced operators who serve as technical leaders in their fields and participate as noncommissioned officers-in-charge (NCOIC) of larger Special Forces formations, typically encompassing of upwards of 50 operators. Provide senior leadership and report directly to the senior commanding officers of their units. Eligible for direct promotion to commissioned officer ranks. |
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Command Sergeant Major | Command Master Chief Petty Officer | Most senior noncommissioned officer rank, having typically served for over 25—30 years in Imperial service. Extremely experienced operators who generally serve in staff positions, not operating in the field, but rather serving as senior enlisted advisors to commanding officers responsible for large Special Forces formations. Eligible for direct promotion to commissioned officer ranks. |
Commissioned Officer[]
| Insignia | Army Rank | Navy Rank | Responsibilities |
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Cadet | Cadet | Enrolled into the 1st Special Forces School on Coruscant or the 2nd Special Forces School on Anaxes as a commissioned officer trainee |
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Second Lieutenant | Junior Lieutenant | Basic junior officer, recent graduate of the Special Forces School and the Officer Candidate School. Typically deployed in the field as a very junior officer for initial field training. Generally promoted after 12 months (1 year) of time-in-grade. |
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First Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Most basic of the junior officer ranks after graduation and initial training, typically serving as the assistant commander to small Special Forces detachments of 4—12 operators. Generally promoted after 1—2 years of time-in-grade. |
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Captain | Lieutenant Commander | Junior officer rank, typically having served for 3—6 years in Imperial service before being promoted from time-in-grade. Captains and Lieutenant Commanders typically serve as the commanding officers of small Special Forces detachments of 4—12 operators. |
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Major | Service Commander | Most senior of the junior officer ranks, having typically served for 7—9 years in Imperial service before being promoted from time-in-grade. Majors and Service Commanders serve as either the commanding officers of elite Special Forces detachments (4—12 operators) or as the assistant commanders to Special Forces troops (20—25 operators). Directly advised by Master Sergeants or Senior Chief Petty Officers. |
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Commander | Commander | Staff officer rank, having typically served for 10—14 years in Imperial service before being promoted from time-in-grade. Commanders are the commanding officers of operational troops of Special Forces operators (20—25 operators). Directly advised by Master Sergeants or Senior Chief Petty Officers. |
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Colonel | Captain of the Line | Senior staff officer rank, having typically served for 15—19 years in Imperial service before being promoted from time-in-grade. Colonels or Captains-of-the-Line are the commanding officers of Special Forces companies (60—100 operators). Directly advised by Sergeant Majors or Master Chief Petty Officers. |
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Brigadier General (High Colonel) | Commodore (Rear Admiral) | Transitory rank between the staff officer grades and the flag officer (command officer) grades. Brigadier Generals and Rear Admirals are the commanding officers of Special Operations Task Forces (SOTF) comprised of several hundred operators (several Special Forces Companies), and these Task Forces are typically responsible for the management of Special Operations Command operations across most small planets. Typically advised by Sergeant Majors of Master Chief Petty Officers. Typically have served for 20—25 years in Imperial service. |
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Major General | Admiral | Junior flag officer rank, typically having served for over 25 years in Imperial service. Generals and Admirals may elect to serve in Operational or in Staff capacities. Major Generals or Admirals in Operational tracks command Joint Special Operations Task Forces (JSOTF) comprised of multiple Special Operations Task Forces, and which coordinate Special Operations Command activities across several nearby planetary systems, and would integrate personnel from all three branches of Imperial military service (Army, Navy, and Intelligence). However, Major Generals and Admirals in Staff tracks typically serve as staff officers (e.g. operations officers) to intermediate-sized galactic commands, such as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Forces. |
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Corps General | Systems Admiral | Flag officer rank, with Corps Generals or Systems Admirals electing to serve in either Operational or in Staff capacities. Corps Generals and Systems Admirals in Operational tracks serve as the commanding officers of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Forces (CJSOTF) that coordinate Special Operations Command activities over dozens of spatially-organized planetary systems, and their commands would integrate personnel from all three branches of Imperial military service (Army, Navy, and Intelligence). In contrast, Corps Generals or Systems Admirals in Staff tracks typically serve as staff officers (e.g. operations officers) to the largest Special Forces commands, typically their parent organizations (i.e. Navy Combat Search and Rescue or Marine Advance Force Operations). |
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General | Fleet Admiral | Senior flag officer rank, with Generals or Fleet Admirals participating as either Commanding Officers of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Forces that spanned hundreds of planetary systems and oversaw special operations in entire Sectors, or as Deputy Commanders to their parent organizations, or as Deputy Commanders to the astrographically-organized subordinate Special Operations Commands, or as Staff Officers to the Imperial Special Operations Command headquartered on Coruscant. |
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Surface Marshal | High Admiral | Most senior of the flag officer ranks, save for Grand Admiral. Surface Marshals and High Admirals held prestigious commands, either as the Commanders-in-Chief of astrographically-organized subordinate Special Operations Commands, as Commanders-in-Chief of their parent organizations (i.e. Naval Special Warfare), or as Deputy Commanders to the Imperial Special Operations Command, answering directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Special Operations Command. |
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Grand Admiral | Grand Admiral | Under Roan Fel's legislature, only twelve Grand Admiral positions existed in any given time in the Imperial Armed Forces, and were the highest military authorities in the Empire, save the position of Galactic Emperor. Grand Admirals of the military service were the most senior commanders of their parent organizations, such as Rulf Yage, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Navy, and the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Command was Grand Admiral Morlish Veed. Grand Admirals of the more prominent parent organizations, such as Grand Admiral Yage and Grand Admiral Veed, would also serve as representatives on the esteemed Council of Moffs. However, after the establishment of the Special Operations Command, it was decreed by Roan Fel that the Commander-in-Chief, Imperial Special Operations Command would be one of the twelve Grand Admirals, and that the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command would be the seventh and newest member of the Council of Moffs, establishing the prominence of the Special Operations Command in the new Galactic Empire. |
Known Personnel[]
- Grand Admiral August Veers, Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command (99 ABY—104 ABY)
- Grand Admiral Camila Ivy Tavira, Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Command (104 ABY—134 ABY)
- Fleet Admiral Terra Needa, Naval Special Warfare (as of 104 ABY)
- Service Commander Ava Chyler, Naval Special Warfare (as of 104 ABY)
- Major Cassandra Dice, Army Special Activities Regiment (as of 137 ABY)
- Captain Siennv'en, Army Strategic Operations Forces (as of 130 ABY)
- Sergeant Major Aiden Page, Army Special Activities Regiment (as of 137 ABY)
- Chief Petty Officer Faith ke Hanadi, Naval Special Warfare (as of 137 ABY)
- Gunnery Sergeant Amari Tull, Army Special Activities Regiment (as of 137 ABY)
- Sergeant Jaden Carniss, Army Special Activities Regiment (as of 137 ABY)
- Technical Petty Officer Praka-Dur, Naval Special Warfare (as of 137 ABY)
- Corporal Randall Ridenour, Army Special Activities Regiment (as of 137 ABY)
- Darth Evanesce, liason from the One Sith, in Special Operations Task Force 184
- Darth Lilith, liason from the One Sith, in Special Operations Task Force 184
- Darth Mercurial, liason from the One Sith, in Special Operations Task Force 184
Orders of Battle[]
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Related Links[]
- UNSC Special Operations Command by RelentlessRecusant (Halo Fan Fiction Wikia)
- U.S. Special Operations Command (Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)
Behind the Scenes[]
The elaborate ranking hierarchy of the Galactic Empire Special Operations Command drew from multifarious sources: the rank insignias themselves were either from Halo 3 or were photoshopped from the game, and the rank titles were mostly based on the ranking structure of the United States Armed Forces, although there were contributions from the Imperial Sourcebook and also Mass Effect.