Vindicates

The **Vindicates** are a group founded by Rhodey Stark, created with the intent of protecting the galaxy from any and all threats to its existence.

## History

Rhodey Stark had always been inspired by the heroes of old, by Overwatch, by the Justice League, by many others. But none so much as the Avengers, primarily due to her most famous ancestor, Tony Stark, being one of the founding members of that group. While vigilantism had been outlawed for over a century, due to the outcome of the Hero Civil War, she still wondered whether the militaries of the galaxy were enough to protect it.

After years of searching, Rhodey at last found the Watchtower. With the legendary base now in her possession, she began formulating the plan she had so long believed to be a pipe dream - the Vindicates Initiative.

The Vindicates were officially founded June 21, 2183, after Rhodey successfully recruited the legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran, who had been held prisoner in a Federation base in Earth's orbit.

Their sights were then set on finding the Shepards, twins who had gained fame after saving the Citadel from a massive Geth fleet. Instead, they found their ship, the UNSC *Normandy*, in pieces, destroyed by a Collector warship. Their search was not in vain, however, as after responding to a distress call from the USG *Ishimura*, they gained Isaac Clarke, a skilled engineer and combatant with valuable insight into the Necromorphs as a new recruit.

Through her intelligence network, Rhodey contacted Liara T'soni, a friend of the Shepards, who had managed to obtain the twins' bodies. Rhodey convinced her that the Vindicates were the best bet of reviving her former comrades, and so the Vindicates set off to obtain the most reliable resuscitation technology. Stealing from Cerberus' Lazarus Project, and incorporating information from a file found in the Watchtower, detailing a project to revive a member of the Avengers or Justice League in case they died, the Shepards were successfully brought back from death, and convinced of the Vindicates' purpose.

The next mission was to a Weyland-Yutani research station, which had sent out a distress call. On the station, they encountered people from numerous groups, some which were already there, and others which had also responded to the call. Amidst the confusion, Xenomorphs, which had been bred on the station, attacked, forging an uneasy alliance between most of the people there. They would eventually manage to escape, and destroyed the station and its Xeno hive in the process.

In the chaos of the escape, people from different groups had ended up on different ships, forcing them to go to the Watchtower. There, Rhodey managed to convince most of the survivors of the station to join (the exception being Ben-174, who was convinced she was attempting to overthrow the UEGA), and ships bearing more recruits had arrived right on time.

The next day, several missions were launched. One to obtain a prototype for a Turian mech, one to investigate reports of a Cybertronian attack on Thedus, one to investigate the disappearance of colonists on Freedom's Progress, and one to recruit, detain, capture, or kill Oro 'Varamee. All were successfully completed, except the Oro mission, although Rhodey had managed to plant the seeds of doubt in the Covenant into Oro's mind. Ben was also convinced of the Vindicates' cause, but felt that he still had a duty to the UNSC.

## Organization

The Vindicates currently consist of 1,939 personnel, which are organized into six groups.

Alpha Group - Primary attack group. The leaders of the Vindicates, as well as the heaviest hitters. Only those who've completely earned Rhodey's trust and proved their worth are in this prestigious group.

Personnel: 7

Bravo Group - Secondary attack group. Consists of "heavy hitters", mostly metahumans, mainly biotics and soldiers that have undergone augmentation of one form or another. Also includes personnel in roles aiding Alpha Group.

Personnel: 13

Charlie Group - Special talent. Consists of members who show exceptional talent or possess unique abilities. The combat prowess of these members is top of the line, but not quite legendary.

Personnel: 8

Delta Group - Special Operations group. Consists of former UNSC N7 operatives, ODSTs, and Titan Pilots. Some elite former members of rebel and mercenary groups are also placed here, as well as other governments' special forces.

Personnel: 46

Echo Group - Support/Defence group. These Vindicates are backbone of the organisation, the rank and file soldiers of the Vindicate militia, as well as non-commissioned officers. Consists of former infantry of the UNSC, Galactic Federation, Citadel Council, rebel groups and former mercenaries. As the combat group, Echo is also the home of fighter and troop transport pilots.

Personnel: 1,242

Foxtrot Group - Operators group. Helmsmen, bridge crew, engineers and maintenance crews, the latter two mostly composed of Stark Industries employees. A core of experienced military officers commands the group.

Personnel: 512

Reserve Members - Members who are on call for emergencies but not on duty.

Personnel - 1

## Vessels

### Light Warships

 *Alamo*-class |  | 2180
 *Perun*-class |  | 2095

## Trivia

From an out-of-universe perspective, Alpha Group consists of main characters, Bravo Group consists of secondary or "companion" characters, and Charlie Group is for original characters created by fans.