Adaluma

## Tactical Analysis

* **Float like a butterfly:** The Contingent's infiltrator, the Adaluma are capable of stunning enemy infantry with a flurry of punches capable of knocking anyone, even other infiltrators, down for the count, even remaining in stealth while doing so.

* **Now THIS is a knife:** Of course, sometimes you want your enemies down and out. For that, the Adaluma carries around a bowie knife capable of killing enemy infantry, though not without difficulty; knife fighting requires concentration that can't be rushed or hidden.

* **Brutally beaten:** Like all infiltrators, the nature of their work means the adaluma shouldn't be put in the line of fire. Instead, they should be kept at the edges of the fighting to ensure their survival.

* **Become part of the dreamtime:** The best Adaluma infiltrators eventually learn that battlesuits are just as vulnerable to their fists and blades as any infantryman. Eventually, these tricks are learned by anyone with enough experience. And further honing of their knife skills has allowed them to remain hidden even when its out, though they'll still take control over speed.

## Background

*"No power in the world can stop me!"*

- Adaluma Bailey "Bae" Hako, lifting an unconscious bandit by the neck
The Aboriginal people of Australia were in a similar situation to America's native tribes for decades after the first landings, very nearly leading to a centuries-long war between the settlers and the natives. Thankfully, religious revivals in the Australian settlements eventually convinced the people that the aboriginal tribes were just as human as any man and that their lands didn't need to be taken to ensure the survival of the colonists. Despite the aid of the faithful, the tribes faced more basic discrimination against them in competition for jobs, housing, the list of causes was endless. Despite this, familiarity eventually broke down the barriers up to World War II. The first real breakthroughs came with the number of aboriginal stockmen who helped forge the frontier and cattle trails that built Australia's economy. Where the majority of men went to fight in the war, the Aborigines took jobs in the factories and as home guard forces, serving with loyalty and aplomb as decent soldiers and good workers.

It was World War III, however, that became the shining example of the skills of these native tribes. During the Japanese invasion, the Empire's leading officers put out on all airwaves a public offer that in exchange for acting as guides and scouts for the advancing imperial forces, the Aborigines would be allowed, full part of the Empire's bounty and the guiding hand of the Emperor." The response, as compiled by the leadership of these various tribes, was as follows: "We will join only when the Emperor shears a sheep in the dust with us." From that point onward, the tribesmen became the scouts and guides for the ANZAC forces fighting the Empire, guiding long-range patrols through the outback at the heart of the Imperial advance, finding water and food easily where the Japanese struggled to even steer clear of the wildlife. In one famous incident, one patrol willingly left the Japanese a perfect watering hole for a small company. Two days later, the patrol returned to find the company fighting off wave after wave of jack jumper ants.

Post-war, the Contingent needed personnel for specialized tasks. One was the infiltration of enemy bases. While many tribesmen were simply taken into the Contingent's primary military forces without reservation, the number of women who also wanted to join represented an opportunity. While more than willing to accept females into mainstream service, the Contingent felt that these women could become their new field intelligence corps. Indeed, the actions of the Imperial shinobi during the war showcased them that the typical Allied method of simple disguises wasn't enough. Coupled with the Imperial views on women playing to the Contingent's advantage, Atmospheric Command greenlit "Operation: ADALUMA".

Already skilled in wilderness survival, the new Adaluma operatives are trained to fight like demons from the start. Skilled in field intelligence and close combat, the women are quickly becoming a proud symbol of Aboriginal culture for their services. At the same time, the Aboriginal community is becoming more and more flabbergasted by the world outside Australia. Looking outside and seeing cultures almost becoming parodies of themselves, the tribes have allegedly become even more willing to escape with Atmospheric Command than before. When asked, one leader stated, "If you want to stay with the psychic schoolgirls, mad scientists, and the rest? Fine. We're going where there is still sanity."