Red Regiments

The Red Regiments are a group of 23 regiments of the Galian Crown Infantry presently deployed on the war-torn worlds of Helia, Castra-Cignis, and the Sepulchre. Unlike the majority of the Galian Armed Forces, the Red Regiments directly participate in combat against an equal foe and have forged a fearsome reputation amongst the rest of the armed forces for their brutality, and cold nature.

Initially in service of the Imperial Department of Conventional Forces (A sub department of the Imperial Navy), the regiments have since been transferred to the Special Office for Force Management. Consisting of an elevated force of around 16 Million Infantry (And with an additional 4 Million Air and Stellar Forces) the regiments currently stand as the largest active military force in the known galaxy.

## History

The Red Regiments were initially created in response to the Coreward Rebellion, and the need for an organized force separate of the main military hierarchy of the Empire, which could quickly adapt to the strange variant of Trench Warfare that emerged during the war. Prior to the rebellion the red regiments had served separately in the Crown Infantry as part of the Navy's Department of Conventional Forces. During most of their history, the 23 Regiments saw limited combat, usually in the form of Anti-Piracy measures, or in quashing the occasional peasant rebellion, or more rarely still in defeating traitorous forces rallying behind an errant vassal. Only in that final case did any of these regiments experience the terror of battle against an equal foe, and even then only for so long as was required for the Navy to secure a decisive victory.

Starting in the year 3124 a group of systems on the Coreward fringe of the Empire raised arms in rebellion against the Empire, decrying its gradual bureaucratic decay, and seeking the restoration of total imperial authority, though under a new Imperial House. In the first month following the declaration of rebellion the Imperial Navy assembled its 23 most battle hardened regiments and, alongside the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fleets began a simultaneous naval invasion of the rebel stronghold worlds of Helia, Castra-Cignis, and the Sepulchre. This battle, deemed Operation Poseidon was to date the most extensive Imperial Military Operation in history, with some 900,000 Infantry, and 600,000 Starmen across 500 ships. Though it initially appeared a success on the first and second days of battle, with the 23 Regiments securing major beachheads after successful Exo-Drops, by the third day of combat the tide had quickly turned.

### Operation Poseidon

The Infantry had secured major victories on land alongside the support of orbital artillery, and had begun the slow procedure of clearing and securing groundside fortifications. On Helia the initial gains were the strongest as the bulk of Imperial forces sought to capture and secure the heavily forested countryside and starve the great Free-Ports of the planet while the First Fleet locked the Rebel Fleet in port. Simultaneously to this on the Sepulchre Imperial Infantry led by the 22nd Front Guard (Who had yet to forge their violent reputation) had secured a major beachhead in Zone-IX15, an industrial district of the planet which had previously served as a munitions depot. The forces of the 2nd Fleet had provided the advancing 22nd with orbital artillery allowing for an easy advance across much of the marshland of the planet, where in the first two days several thousand square miles had been secured. Progress on the Fortress-World of Castra-Cignis fared far worse, however. Despite suffering the heaviest orbital bombardment, Castra-Cignis was designed as a Fortress-World capable of withstanding siege from a hypothetical Terran Invasion, and the occupied fortifications were easily capable of withstanding the intense bombardment of the 3rd Fleet. By the end of the second day only some 50 square miles of fortified land had been secured.

   In response to the failure to secure a sizable foothold on Castra-Cignis, Crown Admiral Gx. Lawrence Holcomb ordered Admiral Duc. Fischer to redeploy half of his Second Fleet from The Sepulchre to assist in an expanded bombardment of Castra-Cignis. The 2nd Fleet Task force was quickly deployed in the direction of Castra-Cignis, expecting to take around a week to arrive, however mere hours after departure the task force was intercepted by the Rebel Fleet. Unbeknownst to the Imperial Fleet, the Capital ships harbored in Helia had been mothballed by the rebels who lacked the resources or manpower to operate. Instead, the rebels had commissioned some 70 Corvettes, Frigates, and light Cruisers from the fleet instead. Using their relative mobility to their advantage, the Rebel fleet rapidly smashed into the rear of the second task force, dealing a devastating blow before withdrawing before the it was able to reorganize. The following events would later become known as the Battle over the Sepulchre, and was the first of many great Imperial defeats during the war.

Only minutes after the defeat of the Task Force, the Second fleet under orders of Admiral Duc. Fischer began to ascend from orbit and prepared forward cannons. Imperial Vessels suffer from a design flaw in which their vessels focus the majority of their cannons forward, seeking to concentrate firepower in a single direction and tear through concentrated fleets. During bombardments such as at the Sepulchre half of a fleet's vessels are aimed toward the planet so as to utilize their powerful front cannons during the siege, while the remaining vessels stand in defensive posture. To save time in orbiting, Admiral Duc. Fischer had ordered his defensive formation to join the Task force, thus leaving the 2nd Fleet entirely undefended. During the deorbiting procedure the Rebel fleet, consisting entirely of smaller more maneuverable vessels, was able to easily ambush and tear apart the 2nd fleet which sustained heavy losses before being forced to retreat from the planet entirely.

### Collapse and Reorganization

With the total collapse of the 2nd fleet, the 8 Regiments deployed to the Sepulchre were left without orbital support, and the rebel forces on the planet, now emboldened by the defeat of the Loyalist Fleet, began to increase the intensity of their counter offensives. Facing a defense now more fierce than ever, and for the first time a viable offence, the 22nd saw losses as high as 60,000 men on its fourth day of combat. The invasion of the planet had ground to a total stand still. Hearing of the defeat, Crown Admiral Gx. Holcomb had Admiral Duc. Fischer stripped of his rank, and replaced by the then Commander John Hurley. Further, Gx. Holcomb ordered the Third Fleet to abandon its bombardment of Castra-Cignis and focus entirely on hunting down the Rebel Fleet. The 7 Regiments on Castra-Cignis were ordered to seize or repair defenses on the planet, and to use the very fortifications they had already lost many thousands of lives over for their own defense.

The 1st fleet, meanwhile was ordered to stand in place, as the Imperial Admiralty still suspected the mothball fleet in Helia to be operational, and feared that the Rebel fleet would attempt to break the blockade so as to liberate its main fighting force. With the Invasion Forces of both The Sepulchre and Castra-Cignis without air support, the battles on the planetsides suddenly took a dire turn, as rebel forces no longer under constant barrage emerge from their shelters and begin counter attacks. It is estimated that within the first month of open battle some 300,000 of the 900,000 man invasion forces perished, more than half the forces dedicated to the two fronts. On Sepulchre in particular the fighting was the most bitter as the rainy season set in, and the earth quickly turned to mud. Entire Sections of Infantry were slaughtered in singular battles as retreating forces found their cars stuck in the growing mire. The Rebels on the other hand had prepared for this eventuality, and advanced forward with Jackal-Class light tanks specially modified for use in the thick murk of the planet. Low on supplies, and lower on men the Sepulchre Invasion Force under the Command of Knight-Major Mrx. Augustus Garner chose to embed themselves in the foothills around the Hamlet of Unavia. The steep hills around Unavia made it virtually impossible for a Jackal to climb, and required the rebels advance on foot. Loyalist forces begun to dig deep trenches around the town, laying deep roots into the earth to protect themselves from terrestrial artillery barrages. The war of attrition had begun.

On the Homefront things were little more stable, as Emperor Roman Abiret grew greatly displeased with the performance of the Imperial Fleet, and its continual failure to capture or even so much as incapacitate a single rebel vessel. Crown Admiral Gx. Holcomb was reprimanded for his failure, though as the Grand duke of Machinum he was too prominent an official to replace. Instead the Emperor chose to separate the 23 divisions of infantry deployed into their own department, named the Special Office for Force Management, which would act independent of the standard Imperial Bureaucracy. Knight-Major Mrx. Augustus Garner was granted promotion to Knight-Colonel and given special command of the new department, including control of three newly established Corps. Additionally the remnants of the 2nd fleet and the 3rd fleet were reallocated in service to the Special Office under the joint command of Admiral of the 3rd Fleet Duc. Kristopher Alcantar. Immediately Knight-Colonel Mrx. Garner set out establishing a strategy for securing supply lines, and maintaining a defensible front.

### Stabilization and Devastation

As the first year of combat passed the 23 Regiments of the Special Office had fully reorganized into what would later become known as the Red Regiments, and had witnessed a sudden and violent shift in the type of combat. While on Castra-Cignis Imperial Forces had grown accustomed to violent and costly sieges, now without air support such assaults were rendered virtually impossible. Imperial Forces under the newly established Rose Corps chose instead to dig in, and start an extended campaign of terrestrial shelling using conventional artillery. Battle on Castra-Cignis is described as being a near constantly onslaught of artillery, with millions of shells expended each day, and tens of millions during concentrated assaults. The war on Helia had finally turned hot as well. With the now ever present threat of the Rebel Fleet, the Special Office's fleet command now under Admiral Duc. Alcantar were well aware of the possibility of an attempt at breaking the blockade. Though it would likely be a costly battle for the Rebels, should they succeed they would regain access to the some dozen Capital Class vessels (Including nearly 20 Aosect class Light Cruisers, and 3 Santilly Arc-Cruisers). Under the direction of Knight-Colonel Mrx. Garner and with the guidance of Admiral Duc. Alcantar the newly established Fire Corps launched Operation Hephaestus as part of the larger Garner Plan.

As part of this plan, the Fire Corps would launch nearly a dozen simultaneous assaults on the major urban centers of Helia, seeking to overwhelm the defending garrisons while the Imperial Fleet in orbit provides limited precision strikes. Ultimately the Imperial Fleet desired to minimize collateral during the operation as the city was still officially Imperial Territory, and many of its residents still loyal Imperial Citizens. Though the Fire Corps saw initial success in the campaign, it was quickly bogged down through the nature of urban warfare. Defending forces had constructed a series of narrow tunnels beneath the city through which men, ammunition, and explosives could be smuggled. Quickly the organized assault collapsed into a chaotic mess of door to door fighting and disorganized street brawls between shock troops and snipers. By the fifth month of the operation the Imperial advance had not only ground to a halt, but had in fact begun losing ground as the heavily embedded snipers had made progress of any form far too costly. Despite his misgiving, through the dogged requests of Knight-Colonel Mrx. Garner, Admiral Duc. Alcantar finally authorized the full use of unrestricted orbital bombardment. The Imperial Fleet would, a day in advance, provide a list of sectors which would be shelled in totality, and use this immense destruction to carve a path through which the Imperial Army could advance.

On Sepulchre meanwhile the war had ground to a near total standstill. Both sides had heavily fortified what land they held, digging deep trenches often accompanying tunnels, underground barracks and later even subways intended to rapidly move equipment and men across the ever shifting front. The first year of the war on the Sepulchre saw bloody, but far from unusual combat. During this battle the 22nd Regiment earned a reputation for bravery, holding the unenviable role of acting as the point of the spear during any assault. Despite their bravery, however, the war ultimately came to a stand still. Though both sides attempted to employ heavy armor in the form of Jackal Light Tanks, or Crown-Lion Heavy Tanks neither were able the withstand the immense concentrations of artillery and anti-armor firepower that had now come to fill the trenches. As the rainy season yet again approached, and the second year of bitter fighting dawned, the war on the Sepulchre took the most dire turn of all.

Having sustained intense losses, and desperate to break through the Imperial Line, the Rebel Army opted to begin employing extreme measures which would lead to a rapid, and violent escalation of the conflict on the Sepulchre, and bring about a degradation of conditions which would leave the galaxy stunned. Just prior to the beginning of the forecast rainy season, the Rebel artillery opened fire on the entrenched Imperials, this time using antique pieces designed to fire canisters filled with mustard gas and other chemical agents. Chemical warfare had long since been banned, and the sudden escalation and violation of international law caught the Imperial forces by surprise. The initial gas attacks were immensely successful, and the Ruby Corps was forced to make a controlled retreat to maintain the integrity of their line. Despite their initial shock, however, the Empire quickly adapted thanks in part to quick thinking on the part of Knight-Colonel Mrx. Garner, and requisitioned gas masks used by Imperial Mining stations for use in the war. Shortly after the Empire responded in kind by beginning their own campaign of chemical warfare against the Rebel forces. Onlookers in Terra, Centauri and other minor powers were horrified at the sudden degradation of the terms of war, yet few knew the true horrors that were soon to follow.

## Present Day

The following decade of violence saw a gradual escalation of violence across all fronts of combat, with the shelling of Helia becoming increasingly vicious and total, the impregnable entrenchments of Castra-Cignis seeing the deaths of countless millions for mere square miles of land, and the ever increasing brutality of the conflict on the Sepulchre. In the last few years, the conflict there specifically has reached a new climactic height of brutality, as the use of tactical nuclear weapons to pierce through lines, or even their detonation in no-man's land for the sake of casting radiation against the wind has seen yet further degradation of conditions for the Ruby Corps, who many in and outside the Empire now called the "Accursed Corps" for the unequaled brutality it faces each day, and its equally callous response.

At present there is no expectation for an imminent end to the conflict, as both the Imperial and Rebel factions manage to hold their ground despite the gargantuan casualties of the conflict, which now easily number in the tens of millions across all fronts.

## Reputation & Cultural Significance

After their transfer from the Navy's Department of Conventional Forces to the Special Office for Force Management, all 23 regiments saw a change in standard and honors. All regiments willingly chose to vacate their historic colors in favor of a uniform black, white, and red theme, designating their status as the Red Regiments. As the only forces in the history of the Imperial Military to have chosen their own colors and symbols, the Red Regiments have become immensely proud and possessive of their traditions and have developed a certain competitive streak amongst themselves.

Outside of the Special Office, the Red Regiments hold a fearsome reputation amongst even the hardest regular units. Veterans of the Red Regiments are often seen as cold, calculating, and even physically incapable of fear. The conditions experienced on the various fronts of the rebellion even the harshest combat elsewhere in the Empire to shame, and have a reputation for shattering even the most ironclad wills. The survivors of the front, few there are, are famously cool under pressure, and special Sections consisting of only veterans of the Red Regiments have even been deployed to other conflicts across the Empire to great success.

## Regiments & Structure

See also: Galian Military

Unlike most of the Galian Armed Forces, the natures of Trench Warfare on Sepulchre and Castra-Cignis has required the creation of a streamlined system of organization for the forces of the Special Office. The Red Regiments are divided into three Corps (Fire, Ruby, and Rose each chosen for their color) with each Corps representing as much as 8 million men (While even the largest corps in the regular forces reached no higher than one million). The commanding officer of each Corps is granted special privileges as a Knight-Colonel, where as the standard title for commanding a Corps is Knight-Major. This entitles the officer to a Flag Office and an immense amount of prestige. Unlike most other flag titles, the three Red Corps are granted on merit, and therefore are excluded from the typical patronage-payment system which governs much of the Galian system.

* Special Office for Force Management
	+ Fire Corps (2-16)
	+ Ruby Corps (19-30)
	+ Rose Corps (31-37)
		- Regiment

2nd Hades Own (Heavy Infantry)

5th Cossacks (Mechanized)

6th Cataphracts (Armor)

9th Glorious Lions (Armor)

10th Black Strike (Artillery)

11th Imperial Lancers (Mechanized)

12th

16th Terror Squadron (Air Support)

19th Emperor's Free Company (Infantry-Guard)

20th Knight-Engineers (Engineering)

21st Angel Company (Air Support)

22nd Front Guard

23rd Princess' Guard

28th Iron Backs

29th Iron Knights

30th Black Cross (Artillery)

31st

32nd

33rd Falcons of Akari

34th

35th

36th

37th