Vanguard Team

[New Dornalia]

PA Vanguard operating with Task Force 670 during Operation Crow's Foot.

Formed in response to the possibility of rogue PA Operatives and to counter Sith Lords, the Peoples Acolytes Vanguard Teams emerged from ad hoc formations of Acolytes and Senseis into a semi-professional, all-volunteer paramilitary unit, the first of its kind under PA Command since the International Brigades were disbanded or spun off to PMOC supervision as private entities years ago.

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For the longest time, PA Vanguard Teams were ad hoc teams of trustworthy Acolytes who banded together to hunt rogues and other Force related miscreants. However, post-Unifications, the PA as a whole came under closer scrutiny and skepticism from the Twelve Sisters, who while protecting the PA, were more keen to watch it like one would watch for excessive noises around a souffle.

The result was that the wider PA membership felt that, in order to improve their image in more conservative Colonies, they needed to professionalize the force to avoid the image of "Cowboy Wizard Cops."

Enter the secretive "Supper Club." In one of their most ambitious projects yet, the Club, in a meeting known as the "Waffle House Conference," after its humble setting in the back room of a Waffle House, opted to spearhead the professionalization of the force, electing members to present a plan that, while obviously keeping the Club's existence and involvement in its crafting a secret, would promote its technomagical agenda by providing the kind of professionalization demanded by the outside world.

Thus, Master James Sarkissian of the Temple of Luxembourgia and Master Jeanne Pienaar of the Temple of the Frontiers, New Sapporo (both of whom were members of the Supper Club secret society), reformed the Vanguards, creating the By-Laws and studying tactics used by LAPD SWAT, London Metro PD, Colonial Marshals, and the Army Cavalry Scout Force in order to form a better force organized around a professional approach to criminal investigation, and efficient combat methods in all sorts of environments. The result was the Vanguard Manual, composed in the tradition of Acolytes participating in a kind of Force-related academia, which was approved as part of a general syllabus in a narrow vote.

The reforms began immediately, with standardized instruction and training creating the first few teams, which began to have an impact. Soon, Vanguard was respected in Earth's major cities, and would prove a critical crime-fighting asset and "Earth's Own Living Supernatural Inhibitors."

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PA Vanguard, under the legal ruling of the Thompson Cases and amendments to the Hawley-Lew Act, is allowed jurisdiction and full police power when it comes to high-risk arrests involving psychic crimes, investigation and prosecution of criminal activity involving psychic crimes, combating of insurgent violence involving psychic crimes, and the deterrence and prosecution of otherwise mundane crimes involving psychic powers (that is, individuals who used Midicholrian injections, Plasmids or illegally obtained Psi-Amps who weren't normally psychic have now used psi powers in the pursuit of a crime) as well as petty crimes such as small claims theft (i.e. a PA Vanguard can stop a purse snatcher if there are no cops around to do so).

Outside the Earth, it becomes murky--Colonial Marshals' improved tech and other factors ensure that jurisdiction is a gray zone in the 12 Colonies, with PA Vanguard teams often pursuing suspects into the 12 to the chagrin of Colonial Marshals, who try to invoke their own laws and powers to hunt these men--some legal disputes have arisen as a result.

While Earth's public knows most of them as elite, SWAT-like forces trained in special ops tactics, PA Vanguard is so much more.

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PA Vanguard Officers are selected from a pool which consists of volunteers and nominees elected by peers and instructors by a Board consisting of members of local police, leading local PA figures, and psychiatrists and doctors. A rigorous medical exam testing physical and mental fitness is administered, as is a combat exam and a firearms exam to test firearms skill. Failing any one of these portions ensures wiping out and starting over again. The tests are rigorous, with an average 70% washout rate to even get into the organization.

Vanguards whom are accepted then are assigned to a Training Cadre based out of a local Temple, whereupon instruction is further given in police methodology, firearms, martial arts/close combatitives, etc. Extensive use of the holoband is often carried out to provide the trainees with experience in a variety of climes and urban settings, although shoothouses and reality based sims in RL are not uncommon.

Subjects, if they don't already have these courses, will be asked to sign up for Criminal Justice, and Law courses at local universities; agreements have been worked out with many Temples to provide these at lower cost. Examinations are administered frequently, with a Final Exam to pass basic training consisting of a combat exam, a verbal exam, and a written exam. Fieldwork, although not necessarily part of the curriculum, is often carried out under supervision to provide real world experience.

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Once finally passing Training, there are several places a PA Vanguard can go.

Regular Officers are your basic Vanguard Team job, the equivalent of a more specialized beat cop. These are the ones who don the armor and weapons of a Vanguard Team operator during their raids and such, when called to the job--much like an RL SWAT team, they're called up when needed to take on the bad guys.

When not raiding, they're also given various tasks, depending on their skills and specializations. These often include investigating cases involving Psychic Crimes, stopping petty theft, mediating disputes, etc. ROs are even used as first responders in parts of the Hajarran community, where they are more trusted than Colonial Marshals and LAPD.

Quartermasters Officers are given the responsibility of maintaining equipment. While ROs are expected to care for their gear, QOs are the ones who do advanced repair and maintenance. Many will have spent time with the Master Smiths of Mars, and can and do wear the title of Master Smith on their uniforms, meaning they can make and repair various types of weapons. However, QOs also repair vehicles, reload ammo, revive old power cells, etc.

Leadership Officers are those who run the whole shebangabang, promoted from the ranks of Regular Officers and Forensics and Quartermasters Officers who proven themselves through dutiful service.

Forensics Officers are those who run the CSI/NCIS side of things. They analyze evidence to determine how a murder occurred, using a combination of the latest scientific equipment and psychic know-how. Many PAV Forensics Officers will have extensive biomedical training, which is virtually a requirement to be one. Smaller Vanguard Teams may contract with bigger Temples to use their Forensics Officers, owing to expense and size.

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Ranks were adapted from a modified LAPD System with Vanguard Teams, and correspond roughly as follows:

Acolyte 3rd
Acolyre 2nd
Acolyte 1st
Trooper 2nd
Trooper 1st
Sergeant 2nd
Sergeant 1st
Lieutenant 2nd
Lieutenant 1st
Captain 3rd
Captain 2nd
Captain 1st
Executive Officer
Lt. Commander
Commander
Master-Commander

[New Dornalia]

People's Acolytes Vanguard Badge. A low visibility version exists for field use.



The Cast and Crew of Flashpoint--includes the guy who plays Nick in Left 4 Dead 2. While not looking exactly like this, PA Vanguard generally resembles these guys when they have to hunt the bad men, save for East German uniforms under the tactical armor and vests. And PAV would have helmets.

Equipment wise, PA Vanguard uses an extensive array of tools. Owing to the Supper Club inspired reforms, most Vanguard training is carried out using conventional armaments and rather down-to-earth kung fu and combatitives; you'll more likely find a PA Vanguard using his lasgun or rifle or even a gas grenade or a judo throw than a Force Push. Make no mistake, however, as these are People's Acolytes and they will hurt you with Force Shock if you screw with them enough.

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OOC: Active Camo lovingly stolen from Phillip K. Dick: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_camouflage

IC:

In terms of firearms, some standardization does occur, with PA Vanguard selecting M4 Carbines, Elysian Pattern Lasguns, Shotguns, and such generally, but like most Dornalian-Colonial groups, can and will tolerate the use of private arms, so long as they don't interfere with supply and operations. Popular options include M1 Carbines, AK series rifles, Long Las Sniper Rifles, M1D Sniper Rifles (owing to Lisa Park's influence) and Romanian PSL rifles, and even MGL-45 Stickybomb Launchers using tear gas.

PA Vanguard does keep things strictly standard when it comes to armor. The armor of choice is the United Armscorp Ishilangu Powered Armor Suit.

This is a modification of PA Nembutsu Armor using technologies developed by United Armscorp to compete with the HT Industries Mk 1 PCV suit. The result is a suit that looks like a suit of samurai armor, but obviously with the "look" of kevlar and modern armor.

Lighter than the Mk 1, it is modular, with the user able to attach and detach armor at will depending on the mission. This means that extra armor skirts, ballistic shield steel plates, Force enhancing plates made from Tennenbaum Institute Powerspike Psychokinetic Material and other such things can be added on--or if you need to, you can break down the suit, to the point where it resembles a modern suit of Kevlar.

The Ishilangu provides other features, including improved carrying capacity and an option to attach a pressurized setup that defeats attempts to use Tear Gas and Poison Gas on the Vanguard officer. A popular option, especially when engaging suspects in rural, heavily forested areas, is the application of either United Armscorp Active Camo Plates which bend light around the Vanguardier and project the camouflaging pattern using nanotech lenses onto the outside surface of the armor, or more conventional methods such as using field vegetation or using Louis Donegals' brand Ghillie Suits, which can be easily adapted to the Ishilangu.

Helmets are also used, being a modified Colonial Marines PASGT standard purchased on the military surplus market and modified extensively.

Interestingly enough, biomechanical augmentations are also an option, being cleared for Law Enforcement sale. Although only a few Vanguard Teams can afford these, the strength and skill enhancing nature of the ISB Augmentation Kits, named after the old Internal Security Bureau that commissioned them, makes them a prized asset to have.



The first generation of Nembutsu armor. The present Ishilangu system was developed from this line.

With the demise of the Ft. MacAllister Armory's Ishilangu project at the hands of bureaucrats and the decision by De Bruyn to pick an alternate design for the Titan system, the people of United Armscorp took up the Ishilangu banner several years later.

Purchasing the rights to the name from the Armory, they began to, in response to a requested contract from the newly reformed Vanguard units of the People's Acolytes, to create an upgrade to the Nembutsu system.

The Nembutsu system was originally concieved from experiments for a light armor to be worn by Acolytes in battle. The Nembutsu was the result of suggestions made by Acolytes who fought in the Hajarran Campaign and by those who tested copies of the Kusanagi Tourny-type armor and made suggestions as to improvements.

"The Nembutsu armor uses a modified version of the newly developed Iron Cloth material (with a greater ratio of the polymer than to the Leninite alloy metal fibers) along with a modified Shield Steel Generation 2 polarized armor vest and skirt (similar in design to samurai armor) along with elbow and shinguards to provide a type of lightweight armor that is resistant to bullets and melee attacks, blunt or edged, and to a lesser extent, energy attacks (thanks to the vest and guards), and allows for quick movement utilizing layers of protection and an energy shield generated by a low-voltage electric current that goes through the Shield Steel material. There are provisions for a gas mask and some NBC gear (consisting of a lightweight powered jumpsuit under the suit), but nothing to the extent of the regular military suit.

Power is provided by a light hydrogen fusion battery embedded in the back, or a special Force based rechargable battery that so far, can only be used by the most powerful Acolytes. A special feature of the suit is that it is embedded with the same crystals as the litham (along with gloves), which allows for more efficient use of Force powers."

So went the original sales pitch. Obviously, given the need for more flexible, less power-hungry systems, the Ishilangu project managers at the Master Smiths station on Mars and the United Armscorp Protective Armaments Division plant in Hab 17 decided to do one better. The result is an armor system which is very unlike the older system.

The armor material itself is improved. Gone is the older Iron Cloth, in is a combination of Tennenbaum Institute Silksteel Armor for maximum flexibility and strength, as well as a hardwired lamellar-style layer made of a composite of Cortosis Weave-titanium and newer model Shield-Steel Electroreactive Metal Armor that not only offers improved conventional resistance vis-a-vis lightsaber strikes, but also ballistic and energy weapons via the limited energy shield generated by the Shield-Steel. The overall result is a suit that cuts some of the weight while dramatically increasing protection.

Key to the new armor is customization. The armor system itself comprises a breastplate with attachment points on it, both hardpoints and softer Velcro attachment points. Upon these, extra armor for shoulders, groin, and samurai-style front and side skirts may be added, or removed, depending on the circumstances. Provisions for a helmet likewise are available. Also key to the armor is the ability to remove and insert plates depending on what the situation demands. One can insert extra armor, or as shown below, other specialized items.

In terms of Force enhancement, the older natural materials have been replaced with Tennenbaum Institute Powerspike Psychokinetic material also fashioned into plates. These plates, small but capable of boosting psychic performance, can be inserted in and out of the suit depending on user's preference, although most keep them in.

A popular option, especially when engaging suspects in rural, heavily forested areas, is the application of either United Armscorp Active Camo Plates which bend light around the Vanguardier and project the camouflaging pattern using nanotech lenses onto the outside surface of the armor, or more conventional methods such as using field vegetation or using Louis Donegals' brand Ghillie Suits, which can be easily adapted to the Ishilangu.

The list goes on, and on.

All of this is powered by two small energy cells located on the "kidney" regions of the breastplate, which itself is easily accessible for easy maintenance in the field and in the Quartermaster's area.

Augmenting the suit is a companion device, a pressurized jumpsuit liner that, along with its own batteries, has power hookups that attaches to the armor itself, known as the Pressurized Rebreather and Survival Suit (PRSS), which, when powered, runs nanotech NBC filters in the suit and the attached gas mask/helmet combo to defeat most common pathogens and chemical agents, and provide a degree of radiological protection.
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Vehicles are fairly mundane Law Enforcement options, but in typical Dornalian-Colonial fashion, tricked out with enough armaments to fight a war in North Korea--hence, the need for many Vanguard Teams to comply with PMOC Audits to earn public trust.

Raptors are used, both in standard "slick" configurations and "Lawman Raptor" kits as produced by HT Industries, which comes with enhanced sensors and non-lethal weaponry to detain terrorists.

Uparmored heavy vehicles, namely armored SUVs and armored cars, are used to deploy Vanguard Teams to a scene. These are generally unarmed, and rely on heavy armor, shieldsteel electrokinetic shield plate, and good driving and smoke grenades to escape harm. Modified Ford Focuses exist for patrol work, having been uparmored and modified for superior speed and handling on the roads, and Allanean gravbikes are used to patrol, as are simple bicycles.

Should the situation require it, the stronger Vanguard Teams have access to limited Armor Support, often loaned out to smaller Teams. They can field their own Bonaparte T-1s, and Rhino APCs. The latter come in standard transport forms, Command APC forms, and the Vanguard Predator.

The latter is a specially modified version of the Imperium of Man Baal Predators, which combine the dual miniguns of the Baal series on the turret with stun gas grenade launchers on the side sponsons, and a pintle mounted phaser. The phaser and grenades are used first, and the miniguns then broken out for heavier situations, loaded with Colonial Explosive Bullets.