Winged Hussars

The 82nd Marine Spaceborne Division, commonly known as the Winged Hussars, are an elite special forces unit of the Imperial Marines. They are particularly well-known for their ability to fly light VTOL fighters into battle, dismount and fight on foot. This makes them particularly well-suited to special reconnaissance and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines. A squad of Hussars attached to the carrier *Genesis* were responsible for tracking down and killing the leader of the Aradynic Dominion, ending the Human-Dominion War.

## Structure

The Hussars are subordinate to the needs of the Imperial Marines Special Warfare Directorate. Due to their ability to fly fighter craft, they are often stationed on carriers. The Special Warfare Directorate is still able to generally dictate mission parameters, but the units behave extremely independently, often without contact for long periods of time.

When the Directorate's chain of command isn't available, the Hussars are subordinate to their ship's commanding officer. In practice, the Hussars tend to develop loyalties to their assigned ship over their central command when there are conflicts.

## Operations

Due to their very limited size, the Hussars normally have a narrow mission scope. They work in direct support of marine missions usually by identifying enemy strongholds and key logistical points for targeting ahead of time, usually only being able to cover important regions of cities at a time. They also provide more mundane terrain assessment using surveying equipment and their fighter craft, providing mapping data for the marines to maneuver through. This is particularly important for the Marines' motorized infantry who need passable terrain for their armored vehicles.

In times of war, the Winged Hussars have been used as a general commando force at times, or even deployed in direct support of infantry, depending on availability. They are also considered the best trained, most elite force in the Empire, and are given miscellaneous tasks that are particularly dangerous.

## Equipment

### Uniform and Kit

The Hussar's dress uniform is like a regular marine's. In battle, they often wear a distinct pattern of light pastel brush colors, made to fit in with their typical reconnaissance environment in the temperate steppe regions surrounding major colonial cities. Their combat uniforms are nicknamed "Van Goghs" for their distinct pattern of short multicolored brushstrokes.

Hussars are given superior body armor than regular marines, but with less coverage area. Their helmets and plate inserts are made of ceramic instead of steel, which is significantly lighter for fast-moving recon.

### Weapons

Hussar's typically carry the same combat loadout that all other marines do. TK-34 Battle Rifles are sometimes upgraded with better optics and suppressors, while the W-34 marksman rifles and Madsen 2600 light machine guns are mostly identical to their infantry counterparts.

In melee, Hussars prefer the old "combat blade," essentially comparable to a shortsword with inlaid color decorations. Though harder to master than a bayonet, their skill with hand-to-hand swordfighting is considered a part of the unit's prestige.