[Starhawk]

Okay this story isn't dead I've just been so dang busy I haven't been able to finish my complete chapter yet, and so here is a little "foot note" style info on the Regiments of the Icaran forces. (the guys I have only briefly touched on)

Regiments of Honor:

The Praetor's Own
Aka: Praetorian Guardians
Unique Traits: Cybernetic enhancements, Crimson and Gold uniform with blood red trousers, life service.

History: The Praetor's Own is the best of the best, they are the most feared individual soldiers in the Icaran Empire aside from the Stormtrooper forces, and more then one foe has found it's self cut to shreds by the fanatical and disciplined soldiers of this elite regiment.

Though officially a "regiment" the Preator's own is actually a small army corps in it's own right, with over 11,000 Elite combat troops and vehicle crews, plus nearly 15,000 support staff. The regiment is broken down into three distinct branches:

The "Imperial Guard" which contains the bulk of the mechanized forces of the Praetor's Own, these are the elite soldiers that protect the hundred miles of palace grounds that form the main residence of the Preator and his staff on Icara.
The Imperial Guard is equipped with powered armor, massive main battle tanks and enough firepower to level entire regiments by themselves, and at least three companies of these soldiers are always on duty around the Praetorian Palace.

The "Praetorian Guard" the Praetorian guard is the elite of the elite, they are the men and women sworn to protect the Praetor and his family directly even if it costs their own life to do so.

The Praetorian Guard are easily recognized for their gleaming red and gold power armor and their "Long lance" rifles which are so heavy only the cybernetic enhancement provided to the Praetorians combined with the servo muscles of the Powered Armor allows these men and women to carry them.

The "Secret Service" is the intelligence corps of the Praetor's Own, these men and women are trained to blend into crowds and conduct survailence of any potential threat to the Praetor or his family. If that threat is detected these men and women "remove" it very quietly.

The Spartan Regiments
Aka: The Spartiate Corps
Unqiue Traits: The bulk of the Spartan soldiers are women, entire infantry force wears power armor, no tanks.

History: The Spartan regiments were first founded decades after the Icaran Empire set out to the stars once again; despite their relatively young position in the Icaran Armed forces the Spartan regiments (also known as Spartiate Corps) have proven themselves fierce defenders of the Empire.

Though officially "regiments" the fact that the entire Spartan Regiment consists of power armored infantry means that the cost of raising a full regimental strenght force is virtually impossible. Instead of the typical 4,000 combat soldiers of most regiments the Spartan forces usually consist of around 1,200 soldiers divided into 2 "Phalanxes" which are then sub divided into three "Companies" which each have their own individual command structure and purpose in a Phalanx.

Typically the bulk of Spartan soldiers are also women, which is needless to say a strange sight among Imperial forces; this is not because of some Matriarchal society but is in fact because the bulk of Spartan males remain at home to protect the cities from the myriad predators that would easily overwhelm an unwary city.

Sparta is renowned for it's power armor forges (many of which are used to produce such armor for both Stormtrooper and Praetorian forces) primarily because on a world like Sparta leaving a city in anything less then powered armor is a death sentence thanks to the harsh environment and hostile life on the planet, so the Spartans have virtually redefined the Power Armor design and production industry as their knew and innovative designs spread from their homeworld earning them fame and respect in the Empire.

Icaran "Home Born":
Officially: Icaran Royal Regiments
Unique Traits: Born and trained on the birth world of the Icaran Empire these troops often fight with a fanatical willingness to die in order to protect "Their Empire" from it's enemies.

History: The "Icaran Royal" regiments are those regiments raised from the Icaran homeworld its self and are considered some of the best and most loyal soldiers within the Empire's borders.

These regiments are always full strength and are always raised to exacting specifications that are often overlooked on lesser populated worlds. Icaran regiments are ALWAYS 4,000 combat soldiers, with three armored companies, two Heavy support companies, one command company, eighteen mechanized infantry companies, one air assault company and fifteen infantry companies.

Icaran regiments are usually among the first dispatched to "Core World" incidents and were the first regiments to see action in the Phong Purification being that they were raised from the most densely populated world in the Empire at that time. And though only one understrength Icaran Royal Regiment remains in service at this time they are still some of the most respected and honored soldiers in the Empire.

[to be continued later today]