- "On Wings of Hate, We Deliver Pain..."
- ―Night Raptors' motto
The Night Raptors were a Battleteam in House Marka Ragnos. Founded by Quaestor Muz Ashen in 22 ABY the team was shutdown after inactivity and recommissioned near the beginning of 31 ABY. Fremoc Pepoi built the team from the ground up after it's reinstatement, before handing the reigns over to Kano Tor Pepoi and Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart. The team's notable achievements are receiving the accolades of the Consul's Own as well as House Marka Ragnos Elite before being decommissioned due to reduced numbers in the Clan in 33 ABY.
Battleteam History
Simple Origins
As the military might of the Brotherhood grew and the Dark Council sought their grasp of the Antei system, so too did the summit of House Marka Ragnos think of increasing their might. Under the guidance of the Quaestor Muz Ashen, the Night Raptors were formed as a powerful new Battleteam for the militaristic Obelisk members of his house. The first Obelisk Sergeant of the team was Phantom. The detailed records of the Battleteam were lost over the ages but it is known that after the Night Raptors were introduced they had become introductory Battleteam for the young journeymen of House Marka Ragnos before they were transferred to the then intermediate Battleteam of Ragnos, the Night Falcons, and after they had completed their tenure in the Falcons were moved to the clandestine unit of the Night Hawks.
Sadly this standard didn't stand and was proven ineffective in its uses, through an executive decision the Night Raptors were decommissioned with their members returned to the house until 31 ABY.
On Wings of Hate
After the Ninth Great Jedi War, changes were made in House Marka Ragnos and Clan Naga Sadow as a whole; former Grand Master Jedgar Paladin took the Quaestorship of Marka Ragnos while Jade Sadow took the second-in-command position of Aedile.
In addition to a former Grand Master coming back to the Clan of Sadow, another Son of Sadow also ascended to the highest position possible in the entire Brotherhood; the rank of Grand Master and the right to sit on the Iron Throne; Muz Ashen, now known by the moniker of Darth Ashen.
Within days of Muz’s accession, his first decree was his choosing of a new Shadow Hand, or Deputy Grand Master, and he chose none other than Jedgar Paladin to take up the mantle of his second. Almost flawlessly, another leadership revolution shook the House Marka Ragnos, for the better; Jade Sadow took up Quaestor, Zaxen Dauketrenal Isradia became the Aedile after an application process and by massive demand, Manji Keibatsu Sadow was installed as Rollmaster.
It was during this revolution that the House Summit announced their first official mandate; the re-opening of the training Battleteam, the Night Raptors, under the leadership of the up-and-coming Jedi Hunter, Fremoc “Demonic” Pepoi.
Let Demons Reign
When Commander Fremoc Pepoi, callsign “Demonic” and former Commando, took command, things started looking up for the Night Raptors. Weekly status updates were filed with the Brotherhood database and new operating procedures and a Battleteam chain of command was implemented, with two Flight Leaders backing up the Battleteam Leader; Valorian and Horus Blackheart.
In late 31 ABY, Fremoc and his Team shined in an event called the Fractured Mirror, going so far as to earn the much sought after title of Consul’s Own, which was the Clan designation of elite unit.
Fallout
However, before the Battleteam could celebrate their victory, a resurgence of the Yuuzhan Vong appeared and with them their unholy vengeance, wasting the cities of Kar Alabrek and many outlying villages and settlements all across Tarthos. The Ragnosian capital was not the only planet ravaged, as an even more fierce attack decimated Seng Karash on Aeotheran and guerrilla attacks sprouted across the surface of the Clan planet, Sepros.
Dubbing the massacre “Fallout”, the Consul ordered all of his Battleteams to retaliate by patrolling their cities, engaging the Yuuzhan Vong and extinguishing the fires that raged across the Orian System. It was in these preliminary patrols that the Night Raptors discovered something that was completely unexpected…the Yuuzhan Vong were not alone; they had forged an alliance with the Peace Brigade as well as rogue Jedi, those who had converted to the Vong religion.
Soldier attached to the Night RaptorsIt is in this predicament that the Consul’s Own find themselves, with a war on the home front. Under the leadership of Fremoc “Demonic” Pepoi, Dark Jedi Knight and Krath Commander, the Raptors are sure to come out on top and prove themselves the rightful elite of Clan Naga Sadow. The battle team split into two groups, Fremoc, Kano, and Talos Omerta, along with Manji Keibatsu Sadow, went after the various commanders of the Peace Brigade after Fremoc's VCX went down. Fremoc would later break off from that group and kill the Peace Brigade's main commander but wound up being severely wounded. The other group stayed at Ragnos Cathedral helping Raven and the Night Hawks defend the Castle. Only to their dismay that the Cathedral would soon have a doomed fate.
Knightfall
After Fremoc's revival from the Bacta tank, he led the Night Raptors to the office of Arnet, who was to be arrested for treason. The troopers that had accompanied the Raptors into the Office, turned their rifles to bear upon the Knight and his teammates. The Raptors quickly dispatched the traitorous troopers and began to follow Arnet. They quickly met the Night Hawks at a LAAT/i gunship and chased after Arnet. After the combined efforts of the Raptors and Hawks, Arnet was captured and gave the information to Fremoc, Raven, and Manji. This led them to Obsidian Station that had crash landed years prior, and they stumbled upon the Vong base. Fighting their way inside, the two teams gained the codes for the planetary grid to go back online but in the mean time William Darkfire was captured. The two teams were then sent to the Final Way and ordered to escort the Violator Gas Bomb onto the enemy Vong ship. Fremoc found William and fought him until William was reminded who he was and became normal again, without the Vong implants. The rest of the Raptors were engaging various Vong soldiers. Upon finding the Violator Gas Bomb broken, William stayed behind and sacrificed himself for his clan after making sure everyone had retreated from the ship. The Raptors have a memorial in their main headquarters for William.
A Quick Reign of Terror
Shortly after the death of William, Fremoc was appointed as Aedile to House Marka Ragnos and Fremoc appointed Ryuk, now known as Kano Tor Pepoi, to be the next Battle Team Leader of the Night Raptors. Kano led the team on several missions, capturing various pieces of equipment, while also doing strike missions in different systems for Fremoc and Robert Sadow. On one such mission Kano came back from badly wounded, to the point where he could not perform his duties as Battle Team Leader.
But He's Just a Boy
Upon finding that Kano was badly injured to the point where he could not perform his duties, Robert Sadow and Fremoc Pepoi looked over various members of the House trying to figure out who would be best suited for the job. The two Dark Jedi, decided on Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart. Methyas was called down to the Catacombs of Mucenic and into the Quaestor office, where he was appointed as Obelisk Sergeant to the Night Raptors.
Deployment to Markosian City
Shortly after Methyas was put in charge of the Night Raptors, Fremoc sent the battle team to Markosian City to begin to protect the Governor's Palace. Methyas and his team deployed in the city's blue zone where the mansion was located. With the need to remain under guise from their enemies the Night Raptors were given the cover of the Governor Security Force to ensure the protection of the Marka Ragnos Aedile while leaving them close enough the a member of the House Summit to receive their orders swiftly and embark on their missions from there.
After several weeks of protecting their former BTL Fremoc Pepoi stepped up the ladder into the Quaestor's chair and appointed Bal Demona as House Marka Ragnos new Aedile. Things remained calm for the team as they guarded the new Aedile until a Vendetta was called for. A war between all the Clans.
Rites of Supremacy
As all the Clans flocked to Salas V to take on each other as well as the planets inhabitants the Night Raptor's along with their BTL Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart. The battle were waged on the surface of Salas V and Clan Naga Sadow fought strong at first landing and eliminated [[Clan Plagueis]. As things progressed Clan Naga Sadow was defeated by Independent House Revan. As the Raptors and the rest of the Clan retreated from the planet surface Clan Arcona appeared before them. Feeling beaten Clan Naga Sadow took out their rage on the unsuspecting Clan and left them devastated. The Night Raptors returned with Bal Demona back to Markosian City to rest from their great efforts. The end of the war also let the Night Raptor's see the return of a former BTL to its ranks, Kano Tor Pepoi.
The Divine Attack
The Night Raptors peace and quiet was ended quickly as the Divine Reborn, a group dedicated to the belief they are the true Disciples of Marko Ragnos, attacked Mucenic and captured Fremoc Pepoi. The Night Raptors were called into action and quickly moved onto Mucenic to end the slaughter of the innocent monks and free their Quaestor. The team moved through the city eliminating Dark Jedi from the Divine Reborn and rescuing monks. As the enemy numbers grew BTL Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart sent a message to the Final Way in an attempt to gain some support on the mission.
Soon Kano Tor Pepoi came into contact with Lord Remus Xemo, a former Mandalorian and friend until he attempted to kill Kano. The two engaged in a Forceless battle and ended when Remus called upon the Force to attack Kano. The Dark Jedi Knight used the Force to pull the Lord's own saber and sever all his limps in one swing. Kano then lost it and proceeded to beat Remus to death with his own saber hilt.
The Raptors made their way closer and closer to where Fremoc was being held and ended up coming face to face with various Lords from the Divine Reborn including; Ravened Magnum, Bhindi Tisa, and Antar Nakcohh. The Raptors also with the help of the freed Fremoc Pepoi managed to capture the Divine Reborns leader, Master Drosk Nunes, Drosk was taken to the Final Way where he was cut down while unarmed by Fremoc's wife, Teu Pepoi.
Final Flight
Following the events of the attack on Mucenic, Methyas was appointed Aedile of House Marka Ragnos and the team was leaderless with both Methyas and Fremoc putting their faith once more in Kano Tor Pepoi. The team quickly picked up from where they left off with Kano ensuring the team was on their toes at all time, even briefly taking the team on a mission to Tatooine to get in some training and resolve some personal issues amongst team-members.
The team was pushed into duty when Consul Manji Keibatsu Sadow requested all Clan assets to Aeotheran to deal with the Voice of Justice and other terror cells that had surfaced on the planet. Placing a focus on subverting the terrorist organization, Kano and many members of the Raptors found themselves posing as mercenaries looking for work as a way to gain entrance to the Voice of Justice. Participating in the events along the railway tracks, encountering a strange and regenative alien creature and being present at the destruction of Generator Two were but a number things a member of the Night Raptors could take claim for.
The final mission for the team came after returning to the Marakith Skyhook to regroup and seek medical attention. After a threat by Voice of Justice leader, Deliverance, the team was sent to the isle of Lor Zatean to rescue civilians and kill any insurgants within the Keebada Villa. The mission was a success but saw the leave of Sergeant Kano Tor Pepoi to the planet of Mandalore resulting in the team being placed under the temporary leadership of Aedile Methyas L'eonheart once more. The completion of their mission on Aeotheran saw the team return to Tarthos and the sanctuary of Mucenic; as a final decision and with a heavy heart, Methyas and Fremoc were forced to dissolve the Night Raptors into the House and Night Hawks for the continued life of the House.
Night Raptors Headquarters
Located on the second level of the Orian Manor's sub-basement, the Night Raptors HQ is an impressive complex spanning nearly half if not all of the second level. With the primary entrances available through two service elevators and a series of stairs located at specific entrances, the Raptors are secluded from prying eyes. With large living quarters the members of the Battleteam are well kept aside from their respective homes and quarters outside of the mansion.
Near the center of the Battleteam’s HQ are the war room and sparring chambers. The latter specifically designed for hand-to-hand training it does also support lightsaber duels with the supporting walls and floors designed from lightsaber resistant materials as well as being extremely fortified to ensure safety to those outside the chamber. The war-room is designed specifically to co-ordinate the Battleteam and House military when necessary; with the Night Raptors more often than not operating as a Special Operations team and taking the lead in combat, the Battleteam will help direct combat or will often be directed by the Aedile and Quaestor from this chamber.
Located nearest the war-room and sparring chambers are the changing rooms and armory; although the team shares much of its weaponry with the rest of the House and Clan, the team’s personal weapons and armor are located here for safe keeping and due to the fact they spend most of their time here as opposed to anywhere else.
With their cover story set as a personal guard to the Governor, many of the service elevators lead to the major regions of the Gubernatorial Mansion. Specifically one or two of the elevators lead to a garage and hanger for the team to get vehicles for their rapid deployment when necessary.
Night Raptor Kit
Heavy Combat Armor: Raptor Assault Armor
The Night Raptors Armor
The Raptor Assault Armor was created by Valorian, but under Fremoc's supervision had models modified for different uses.
Standard is the basic model given out to all members of the Night Raptors upon joining the battle team. The specifications are as follows:
- Concussion-proof Armor Plating
- Health monitor for wearer within Visor's HUD
- Night Vision mode for the Visor and HUD
- Secure Communications system to other team members
- Able to provide an extra boost to abilities if needed.
Flight Leader is the model designed for the Flight Leaders in the battle team. The specifications are as follows:
- Additional Armor plating to withstand fragmentation blasts
- Built-in visor magnification capable of 5 times magnification
- Additional HUD monitoring for the Health of all members of their squad/flight
Commander is the model designed specifically for the commanding officer of the Night Raptors. It has all the main specifications from the standard armor but here are the modifications:
- Additional Armor plating to withstand anti-personnel mines
- Built-in visor magnification capable of 20 times magnification
- Additional HUD monitoring for the Health of all members of the battle team
- Communications contain an addition line directly to the Quaestor and Aedile
Light Combat Armor: Scout Light Armor
The Night Raptors Light Armor
Developed by Kano Tor Pepoi, the Night Raptor Scout Light Armor is provides basic coverage for the wearer. It has an armored chest plate, including a plate that protects the back. There is also armor plates on the legs and the shoulders so that all vital arteries are thoroughly protected. The wearer utilizes regular combat boots to go with the light weight armor and to allow the wearer to move softly and near silently, instead of armored boots that are clunky and can make loud noises. Underneath it all there is a basic body suit that protects the wearer from knives and daggers, but still can be penetrated by blasters and swords. The Scout Light Armor has a utility belt that can provide seven days worth of rations, and hold twelve clips of ammunition for the NR2S and the NR3S. On top of all that, instead of a helmet, there is an ear piece that also provides easy communication to the other members of the team, but there is also attached to the ear piece is a view screen that can provide a map of the area, as well as determining if someone is a friend or foe. The viewscreen can be turned off by tapping a button on the ear piece to allow the wearer to see the area with their right eye and not just their left.
Primary Weapon: Dlarit NR3S Submachine Gun
NR3SDesigned by the Dlarit Corporation after a special request by Obelisk Sergeant Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart. After carefully researching the Imperial Heavy Repeater, Dlarit came up with the NR3 Submachine gun, a small one-handed rifle based off the NR2 Pistols. Slightly curved in design, the NR3 fits comfortably into the curvature of the user's shoulder for more accurate shots and to reduce the "walking" that occurs with the traditional rapid-fire slugthrowers.
The NR3S takes the traditional NR3 and is used for discreet missions, with additional recoil dampeners and a sound suppressor added to the weapon it is surprisingly more accurate than its base model at the cost of a reduced magazine and slower rate of fire. A red-dot sight has been added to weapon to assist with targets at a distance.
The NR3S was selected by Commander L'eonheart for its rather aggressive, albeit unusual, methodology in combat in a blaster-centric galaxy. Most combat armor and opponents are used to and resistant to energy based weapons while a slugthrower is extremely difficult to block by those trained force. In addition Slugthrowers were selected for their ability to be silenced for stealth based missions as opposed to that of more common weapons in the galaxy.
Weapon Details:
- Magazine Size: 36
- Maximum Ammunition: 180
- Rate of Fire: High, approximately 12 rounds per second
- Accuracy: Low-to-Moderate, Fully-Auto is Low while Burst fire is Moderate
- Range: Moderate
Sidearm: Dlarit NR2S Pistol
NR2SDesigned by the Dlarit Corporation after a special request by Obelisk Sergeant Methyas Pepoi L'eonheart. After carefully researching older Mandalorian slugthrowers Dlarit came up with the NR2 Combat Pistol, a weapon primarily for officers and discreet operatives in the Clan. While keeping a fairly traditional design amongst pistols in general, the NR2 is rather light compared to that of a blaster pistol due to more mechanical nature as opposed to that of an electrical based, with that said the NR2 feels like it has more solid construction compared to that of more traditional pistols.
The NR2S is a weapon designed for discreet missions being equipped with built in, stronger recoil dampeners, muzzle break, a sound suppressor and an extended clip for longer combat and stealth tactics; this comes at the expense of a heavier weapon with slightly decreased range and lack of a scope in comparison to that of the standard NR2. As with the NR3, Commander L'eonheart requested slugthrowers for his battleteam for the advantage of stealth and surprise against most enemies expecting Blasters.
Weapon Details:
- Magazine Size: 15
- Maximum Ammunition: 90
- Rate of Fire: Semi-automatic, 2 rounds per second
- Accuracy: Moderate-High
- Range: Moderate-High
Current Roster
- Battle team currently decommissioned
Trivia
- After some time inactive, the Night Raptors where reopened under the Command of Fremoc Pepoi.
- Flight Leader Valorian created the graphics for the new Raptor armor as well as the symbol.
- Once held the accolades of Consul's Own and House Marka Ragnos Elite
- The Raptors have an undying loyalty to Fremoc since each one of the members have spent time training with Fremoc either when he was their battle team leader, or through the various apprentices he has had.
- Kano Tor Pepoi held two consecutive terms as BTL broken up only by Methyas' term as Sergeant
- Although Muz Ashen was the founder of the Battleteam, he has never been a member. The first SGT was Phantom.