Primus Pilus

"By Summit's Will"

―Motto of the Blade of Plagueis.

Formed in 35 ABY by Unus Domus and the Summit of Plagueis, Primus Pilus is an elite group of Dark Jedi dedicated to ensuring the safety, security, progress, and defense of the Ascendant House. Often styled as the "Blade of Plagueis", they are sent on dangerous and difficult missions to ensure success and victory in situations where conventional forces would see massive casualties or garner excessive attention. They follow the Commander's orders without question on most occasions, but in times of in-House strife, their ultimate loyalty is to the Plagueis Summit and its Dark Council-approved Quaestor.

History

For Plagueis

"Plagueis needs action, Quaestor. If the Military can no longer deliver it, we will."

―Unus Domus, after Primus Pilus' informal and bloody beginnings.

Following the departure of Kal di Plagia Vorrac from the position of Quaestor in pursuit of a Force vision, House Plagueis was left in the care of Jaek Kaeth as Quaestor and Tra'an Reith as Aedile.

While the Rollmaster of the time, none other than the controversial Braecen Kaeth, helped for a time to maintain stability, the younger Kaeth of the pair soon found the pressure of his position to be too great. Few places were as unstable as the Ascendant House, and while Jaek was initially prepared for a challenge, he found the intensity of ruling the Jusadih System and its Stratocracy to be too much. He dropped from the position quickly, and soon after departed Jusadih as a Rogue Jedi. In the weeks following, Tra'an Reith stepped up to occupy the office of Quaestor. Braecen lingered for a few more weeks, but was soon called back to his own agenda as he too left the House. In the instability that followed, many Branches of Jusadih's military began to fragment, with Dark Jedi of Plagueis departing for their own pursuits or to side with other Houses. Those that remained became more and more loyal to themselves or those above them, and very soon, the remains of the Ascendant House seemed to be on the verge of a civil war. It was in this time that Vorrac's latest apprentice, the Weequay Unus Domus, stepped up to aid his Quaestor and House.

Braecen Kaeth, former Consul and Rollmaster of Plagueis.

Formerly a soldier of the Regime's ground forces, Unus had become a part of the Brotherhood after saving Kal's life on Morroth and had always held a strong loyalty to his system's government. In addition, wherein his birth Clan had long since been killed and Plagueis accepted in their place, his Weequay culture made his ties to the Ascendant House too great to forsake for personal gain. Having served as the Directorate General of the Jusadih Intelligence Directorate, he initially tried to utilize it for the purpose of stabilization, but found that it too was rife with corruption and fragmentation. Sniper groups and field agents of the Directorate found knives at each others' backs and scopes trained on their fellows in the initial skirmishes of what nearly became the end of Plagueis.

Unus in his JMR combat armor, prior to joining the Brotherhood.

Unable to utilize the House's assets correctly and on the very edge of oblivion, the Weequay gathered loyal Plagueian Dark Jedi such as Mograine, Furios, Kodais Solatus, and the Mandalorian Voden Erinos to his cause and formed a band of warriors; without time to wait for Reith's approval or the ability to trust those around them, they began a methodical campaign to brutally neutralize any threat to Ascendant authority. Striking hard, fast, and without warning, the team's actions saw the destruction of assets and facilities turned against Regime rule, the neutralization or crippling of units and ships that threatened the Summit's assets, and the assassination of anyone who fought for any faction aside from Plagueis.

In a few short, confusing, and bloody weeks, this band became responsible for the deaths of dozens of deserter Dark Jedi, hundreds of troops and personnel, the suppression of many dissident groups, the incapacitation or capture of half of the Plagueian fleet, and the destruction of over one hundred Jusadih facilities, all outside of Summit authorization. When detained by Reith's forces and questioned about it afterward, their response was unanimous: They had known what they were doing, and they had done what needed to be done for Plagueis. At the end of each interrogation, each and every one of them stated the motto of the House emphatically, as if it were a mantra to focus them.

The Blade of Plagueis had been drawn for the first time.

Origins

Oath

Seeing their willingness to move against the disloyal, the Clan-bound Weequay Unus Domus draws together the small band of Dark Jedi; after meeting in secret, they begin to go after insurrectionist targets and sabotage dissident materials. Through this, they make their focus clear; Plagueis will stand.

On Shintera, in the City of Olvaldi, The Loyalist met with Unus in a room at The Baleria Motel. After careful planning from Unus, The loyalists broke up into two teams. Kuro, under the nick name Koga, teamed up with Unus and Zuser to go meet an Arms dealer. They were going to need weapons and armor. Furios, Kodias and Morgraine were sent out to gather intel.

Koga, Unus and Zuser were successful on their mission in obtaining many weapons and armor and a small cargo shuttle to take them back and forth, temporarily. Furios, Morgraine and Kodias was able to gather enough intel and returned to the hotel to deliver it to Unus.

Ambush

As the Loyalists finished up their missions, They were ordered to return to the hotel room. Kuro Unus and Zuser were the first to return, but it was not to an empty hotel room. Tra'an was aware of the meetings that was being held in that room, so he had assigned a special security force to wait for the loyalists to return. Kuro called the remaining team to avoid the hotel, that their meeting place has been compromised.

The team all met up in an abandoned building that once was a warehouse on Transvall Road in the city of Olvaldi. Everyone except Zuser made it to the warehouse, He did not get the message in time and was captured when he arrived to the hotel. The team was shaken when a new face showed up. A tuskan raider by the name of Gon Doru. The Ghorfa spoke Galactic Basic through a voice modulator, although in rough bursts, it was enough for Unus to know, Gon Doru was on their side.

Unus received an anonymous tip about a meeting with some galactic officials who wish to help the loyalist on their guest. Only catch was, it was to be done on a commandeered Omicron Station. Using the Shuttle that Kuro, Zuser and Unus received from their previous mission, The team made their way to the station while disusing their concern on the way.

After landing on the station, the team was escorted to the meeting place. A platform off by its self, The team walked into the center of the platform while Admiral Karr, the anonymous tipster, as well as several of his guard stood by at the ramp to the platform. The Admiral informed Unus that they would not be leaving.

Several shuttles appered and several hundred solders and Assassin Driods surrounded the Loyal Plaguieans. Tra'an approached Karr as the solders opened fire. After a long fight and a wounded Kodias, Unus thought it would be best for him to surrender him self. Unus gave him self up to allow the team to retreat back to their werehouse base where the teams hope was shattered.

Brethren

coming soon

Judgement

After the rescue of Unus and Zuser the loyalists made their way back to their safe house on Shintera in the stolen Firespray, Chaser. Though they were not overtly perused from Morroth the group was being tracked through the Force. Several members of the future Primus Pilus felt the disturbance in the Force but were unable to discern what the significance was. Their unease turned to astonishment when they entered their safe house and found the Quaestor, Tra’an Reith, waiting for them with a retinue of Dark Jedi. After a brief discussion Unus and his band surrendered unconditionally to the Quaestor they had fought so hard to return power to. The group was disarmed, hand cuffed, and escorted to a field expedient interrogation facility.

Tra’an personally interrogated each one to find out their mission and objectives. Each member of the group, from Guardian to Equite, gave the same testimony: purge the House of traitors and opportunists so that the Summit may hold absolute power once again. Through the Force Tra’an knew none of them were lying. Though their methods were unorthodox to say the least, they truly believed they were executing the Summit’s will. Indeed Tra’an’s own intelligence services had confirmed that many of the loyalists’ targets had had secret agendas. Finding merit in this group of staunchly loyal Plagueians, Tra’an pardoned the Dark Jedi of all charges and immediately commissioned them as Battleteam Primus Pilus, the Blade of Plagueis. Their new Commander was the very man that had lead to their movement when he abandoned the House to chaos: Kal di Plagia Vorrac.

Legitimacy

"Their actions were brutal, ruthless, and without authorization. They were also completely necessary."

―Tra'an Reith to the Dark Jedi of Plagueis, after the detainment of Unus and his followers.

Plagueis Army Training Center, the recruits of which were being brainwashed against the Summit until Pilus ambushed and killed the renegade Dark Jedi and Officers responsible.

Unus Domus and his team all saw initial detainment by Tra'an's forces for high treason, destruction and theft of military assets, arson, murder in the first degree, unlawful confinement, gross insubordination, armed insurrection, and vigilantism. While this initially was Reith's response to what appeared to be a move for power, reports began to flood in reporting that dissident groups across Jusadih had ceased to operate or had surrendered. Assets and facilities that had been against the Regime had been reclaimed after their weakened forces had been assaulted and swept aside with ease. Capital ships that Domus and his group had left floating in space had been boarded and reclaimed, while others they had forced into subservience had been surrendered to the lawful government and its Supreme Commander.

As the unexplained images of graphic violence and unwarranted destruction began to make sense, Tra'an saw the true purpose of Domus and his apparent revolutionaries. Calling Domus before him, he invoked Jusadih Law X-133, the specifics of which give the Supreme Commander the immediate, unconditional, singular, and unequivocal right to level sentencing upon those charged with high treason without a trial or a conviction. Domus entered the room ready to fight for his survival; he was greeted instead with the legitimization of his group as a Battleteam of Plagueis and himself appointed as its Commander. After accepting the surprising revelation, he named the group Primus Pilus.

ISDII *The Baron*, one of the craft reclaimed by Pilus' original members.

Pilus' next weeks saw the refit of its rag-tag group with better munitions, official missions and supplies, and authorization to use any assets that their missions called for. All charges laid against them were dropped, all crimes formally pardoned, and all records of their misdeeds expunged from the record. Domus took this opportunity to train his new command and recruit additional Dark Jedi; when things had settled, one of their first missions was to spearhead the military operation that unsealed the Temple of Plagueis and cleared its upper tier. Following the success of this operation, Domus was elevated to the vacant seat of Rollmaster and given a place within the Plagueian Summit; many vied for his post, but the decision was as shocking as the sudden return of its subject.

Kal di Plagia Vorrac, having arrived in Jusadih space only shortly after the Temple's capture, was named the second Commander of Primus Pilus Battleteam.

War Blade

"Have I mentioned, my Quaestor, that I think you're an idiot?"

―Kal Vorrac, giving blunt words to his Quaestor for his desire to participate in the battle.

During the Invasion of New Tython, Primus Pilus was one of the first groups to dock with the Ascendancy and report to the briefing room. Summoned there by Tra'an Reith himself, the group acted as his private security and task force as he organized the preparations for war. As the others readied their equipment, Koga Kage found himself facing personal doubts; his brother, Habib Ali, and his ex-wife, Kaira Rohana, both numbered amongst the Jedi ranks. While resolving himself to hatred, he quickly decided that his true target should be the acquisition of his daughter, Kystal.

Mandalorians of Ge'tal Gaan, gunning down Dark Jedi during their ambush on New Tython.

It was during the first assault and the surprise attack by Ge'tal Gaan that Pilus saw real action outside of Jusadih for the first time. Accompanying Reith in the Chaser and the Relentless, the team deployed on the ground with their Quaestor as the Shi'ido deigned to take a "Boots on the ground" approach to leadership.

Koga Kage, nearly killed in battle as he defended his Quaestor.

Every member of the team was involved in the combat as they rallied with the forces of Scholae Palatinae, but the odds soon became too much. As Sarak and Koga held the line against forces nearest the Quaestor, Kage quickly found himself downed by a fearsome Mandalorian, seriously wounded as he protected his leader from assault. No sooner had Kal ordered a med-evac for the downed Templar than a missile struck the ground where he had been - Reith was protected only by Vorrac's telekinetic prowess.

As Kal grouped up with long-time ally and professional mercenary Arcadian to survive the fighting, the rest of the team did their best on all fronts. Eventually, though, it was the Last Son of Plagueis who advised the Quaestor to call a retreat. Advising his colleague and ally, Emperor Xen'Mordin Vismorsus, to do the same, Tra'an joined Pilus and the rest of the Plagueian forces deployed near Menat Ombo as they headed for their own fleet.

They had been there for only a few hours when Reith ordered Vorrac to deploy Pilus in a risky night-time raid, hanging onto the bottoms of TIE Interceptors specially modified with hand-rails as they flew over an Owyhyee forest. Dropping from these in the dead of night, Pilus silently located and took the Harakoan village of Tu'Kama, killing or driving off everyone inside. Vorrac then gave Reith the all-clear to begin landing troops and assets at the new Plagueian staging point.

TIE Interceptors, examples of which served as an "Unorthodox deployment platform" for Pilus during the War.

Soon after, Pilus found itself defending a new target - Taigikori Aybara Dupar, the Headmaster of the Dark Council - during his battle with the Jedi Liu. Their actions kept the Plagueian staging point open, and later, when Aybara ordered it, they spearheaded the Plagueian portion of an assault on Menat Ombo.

Working alongside many of the Brotherhood's other Houses, Pilus led the effort tactically and practically as they systematically cleared opposition from districts and areas assigned to them in Menat Ombo. In the end, they were called out as Reith ordered a series of bombing runs, taking place mere moments before Darth Ashen himself ordered a ceasefire.

Ultimately, the Plagueian war effort consisted of little more than light air support and ground reinforcement. The House did what it could without overextending itself, and it survived long enough to do so because of the Blade of Plagueis. The Battleteam recieved accolades for their war efforts, while Whuloc and Voden would both be named official pilots of the Blade, the two Firesprays in Plagueian command theirs to tinker with and customize.

Missions, Operations, and Assigned Tasks

Notable Missions of Primus Pilus

35 ABY - Stabilization of Jusadih space.
35 ABY - Reclamation of the Temple of Plagueis Upper Tier.
35 ABY - Elimination of Rogue Jedi Dorvin Kast in Theskel, near Haktand city.
35 ABY - Attempted capture of Mandalorian Garm Bessek in the Rings of Shintera - target escaped, ship destroyed.
35 ABY - Protection of Quaestor, Establishment of Tu'Kama Beachhead during Invasion of New Tython.

Transportation and Equipment

Battleteam Primus Pilus uses a variety of vessels and vehicles while on their missions, given the variable and often dangerous nature of their assignments. That said, when it comes to choosing a load-out, every member of the team has his or her own preference. When it comes to space travel, the team is known for using the two Firespray cruisers, Relentless and Chaser, to transport themselves and any prisoners acquired during their missions(On the rare occasion that they take any).

Chaser

The ship of choice for routine missions, or as close as their missions ever come to that term, the Chaser is a deadly vessel and is almost the home for its pilot - chronic Protector Zuser Whuloc. Painted silver with green overlays and trims of glossy black, the vessel itself is intimidating long before one sees the word Chaser inscribed in blood-red Aurebesh letters along its side. Those who betray Plagueis know to fear it by the Pyramid of Perfection painted on its "nose", which faces upward while landed and points toward the ship's targets during flight.

While the ship itself is equipped to Dark Council-approved standards, its controls and systems have been modified to be controlled by voice commands. This system, nicknamed "Sparky" by Whuloc while being installed, often offers comical quips and inside jokes while relaying information and following instructions. A switch in the cockpit disables Sparky's controls, while another shuts him down entirely - a useful feature for any Equites left onboard too long with Zuser.

Relentless

Less-common in use, yet just as awe-inspiring, the Relentless is used alongside Chaser for larger missions or multiple insertion points. The ship is painted a sleek, matte black, though blood-red wording spelling Relentless can be seen along its side as well. Aside from this, the Pyramid of Perfection is found on the craft's opposite side, painted in black but outlined with red.

Flight Leaders and Their Role

After serving in Primus Pilus for some time and in addition to commendable service, a member is eligible to become a Flight Leader. While this carries the expected duties of leading a part of the team in combat missions, it serves a secondary role of Command Training. Every Commander manages two Flight Leaders at all times, unless between candidates, and shapes them toward the post of Command itself.

Training has two stages: Basic Skills and Practical Training. Basic Skills ensures that the member can do such things as write reports, host competitions, mediate disputes, keep in touch with members, record and track down progress, maintain policy, and successfully manage Forums posts and Wiki articles. Practical Training commences when these skills are complete, during which the Commander allows the Flight Leader in question to take on some of his or her duties in order to better learn how to do them. Typically, this is done in a phased sense, starting with the bare minimum and slowly upgrading Flight Leader responsibilities until the Commander is essentially a figurehead and can step aside. As Pilus Commander experience is considered a shoe in the door for Plagueis Leadership opportunities, this rotation should and must continue perpetually.

Flight Leaders exist in two positions: Superior and Minor. They are explained as follows:

Flight Leader Superior: The Leader Superior is the Flight Leader closest to attaining a Command post; this position is only given when their Basic Skill training concludes and their Practical Training begins. In the event of two Flight Leaders completing their Basic Skills, the one closest to Commander is considered the Superior and is considered to be next in line barring Summit ruling or extenuating circumstances.

Flight Leader Minor: The Leader Minor is the Flight Leader further away from attaining a Command post; this is a Leader still learning to master their Basic Skills for the job, or further behind in Practical Training than the Leader Superior. That said, the Leader Minor is an important and necessary stage, one that can alleviate pressure off of the Commander or Leader Superior in stressful times or handle additional tasks as a form of Basic Skills training. In the event of the Leader Superior taking Command, the Leader Minor becomes the new Leader Superior unless surpassed, stepping down, or rightfully dismissed.

All Flight Leader dismissals must have an appropriate reason, must be maturely and kindly approached, and must be approved by the Plagueian Summit.

Policies

Primus Pilus keeps a standard on member activity. Each week, every member must complete One of the following criteria, though they can alternate between different criteria each week:

Gaming: Must complete a minimum of 4 matches per week. Can be any gaming platform.
Fiction/Poetry: Must complete a minimum of 1 fiction/poetry competition submission per week.
Graphics: Must complete a minimum of 1 Graphics competition, or 2 graphic creations for the Wiki or other official projects, per week.
ACC: Must actively post a minimum of twice in the ACC per week.
Wiki: Must make large-scale modifications to their own or another Wiki page per week, dependent on the Commander's approval.
Shadow Academy: Must obtain Maven-level grades, 85+, on two separate exams per week.
Forums: Must contribute two posts exceeding 250 words to Forum-based events, plus three other Forum posts of any kind exceeding 100 words, per week.

Primus Pilus maintains certain policies regarding membership; rather than weekly criteria, these rules must always be obeyed. As Pilus is about being the best rather than overall fairness, the use of these rules and allocation of appropriate responses is entirely up to the Commander - though the House Summit is always on the watch for positional abuse herein.

Completed activity requirements must be sent to the Commander; if not reported, it will not count.
Not reading a Commander report or the Wiki page to check policies does NOT exempt members from them.
All Primus Pilus members are to respond to every Commander email on the Googlegroup. This can be as simple as "Acknowledged", though members will be expected to have a base knowledge of email content.
All Primus Pilus members will be present on IRC for at least one hour per week, unless hindered by technological or reasonable time constraints. The Commander must be notified before action is taken if this is the case.
All Primus Pilus members will behave acceptably and appropriately at all times. Any violation of the Dark Covenant or abuse of the Plagueian name will not be tolerated.
When on IRC, all Primus Pilus members are highly encouraged to maintain a presence on all associated channels. A list of these can be found below.

Associated Channels

#Plagueis
#Scholae
#DBGaming

Honored Members

When certain members produce large contributions toward the Battleteam, Primus Pilus recognizes their efforts here. It should be noted that there are three types of recognition. When a member of the BT has their character killed in action to further a Pilus storyline, that character is listed to acknowledge the member giving their character up for the team. When a member creates a large contribution, such as a vital logo, major competition, etc., they are listed as a way of recognizing and tracking their commitment.

Finally, members who perform and exceed expectations - either by doing a tremendous amount or by changing the Battleteam in a huge way and for the better - are Etched to the Blade. This is a special recognition, rarely given and seldom surpassed; to attain this is to have the Battleteam say that you have outdone yourself and that none will ever dwarf your achievement; Pilus is and will always be unfathomably grateful for your work. It should be noted that the Commander of the Team DOES NOT have the ability to Etch him/herself, and that the House Summit MUST approve an Etching.

Etched to the Blade

"From its inception, Pilus has given life, limb, and name to the sword. I feel that this should be shown."

―Tra'an Reith, after the forging of the symbolic Blade

Unus Domus, founder and first Commander of Primus Pilus.

Fallen to Duty

"The path to victory is often paved in blood and gore."

―Kal Vorrac, speaking to Mograine after his injuries during the Unification

Sarak Shai I, overwhelmed in combat by JIC insurgents, 35 ABY.

Team Contributions

"The Ascendant House doesn't forget its heroes."

―Kal Vorrac, during his tenure as Quaestor of Plagueis.

Imichua Haruki, creator of the Pyramid of Perfection - the logo of Primus Pilus.

An earlier Primus Pilus logo, designed by Zuser Whuloc.

New Membership

Certain standards exist for becoming a member of Primus Pilus. First and foremost, all members are free to leave the team of their own will and return later, but members removed by the Commander's order are required to go under a probationary period for one month. During this time, they must faithfully meet one Pilus criteria each week. If they can do this, they will be re-admitted into the team.

New members that wish to join must be active within House Plagueis and must send a request to join the team to the Commander, CC'ing the House Summit. Alternatively, an IRC interview between the member and the Commander with the Summit present will do. They must state who they are, that they wish to join, why they wish to join, and must have a character sheet either approved or submitted for approval.

Membership will not be considered before the rank of Protector, as members must at least be active enough to attain Second Tier Force Powers to be members of Primus Pilus. In character, missions in Pilus are far too dangerous for members at Acolyte or below to be considered for accompaniment, except when Apprenticed to a team member.

Change of Command

As times come occasionally a leader steps down from the position of commander. Let it be known here below these honored members have served with distinction and privilege. May those who read these words remember the deeds of those who have gone before to lead, and adds their own essence to the great and mighty Primus Pilus

Kuro Kogarasu April 23, 2012 - Present

Kal di Plagia Vorrac Jun 10 2011 April 21, 2012

Unus Domus Apr 22, 2011 - June 10, 2011

Current Members

coming soon...

Trivia

Primus Pilus was created following Kal's departure from Quaestor to replace the four Branch-themed Battleteams, which were grossly understaffed at the time.
Pilus members are typically very active or vocal in IRC channels; it's a commonplace fact that Pilus members can be approached for help by anyone.
Primus Pilus encourages character diversity, and if necessary, will make necessary accommodations for characters ranging from Hutt, to Celegian, to Kushiban in species and beyond.
The term "Etched to the Blade" refers to an actual sword, forged of Durasteel, embedded into a black marble block, and impressed with the Plagueian emblem. Engraved onto its blade are the names of all those Etched, the blade itself kept within the Dark Tower. It is not a usable weapon, and serves only the purpose of displaying mighty Pilus members to all Plagueians.
The Temple of Plagueis serves as a headquarters for Pilus, until better accommodations are arranged.
Though most of the article is the Commander's territory to massively edit, the team members have complete control of their own load-outs - permitted that such weaponry is realistic in regard to their Character Sheet.
Primus Pilus can operate with anywhere from two or three to twelve members - the roster size is irrelevant, provided the activity level is sufficient.
Judgement section based off of Fistandantilusi's first place fiction.