Death trooper

**Death troopers**, also known as **death soldiers**, were an elite variant of stormtroopers specializing in stealth, espionage and lethality that served the Galactic Empire. Operating under the death trooper division, they acted as a protective detail for significant Imperial officers and members of the Tarkin Initiative, as well as special-assignment commandos for Imperial Intelligence. They wore black suits of body armor and specialized helmets with vocal scramblers, micro-motion sensors, and heads-up displays with data on enemy and friendly positions on the battlefield. Death troopers were trained in unarmed combat, heavy weapons, demolitions, improvised weaponry, guerrilla warfare, and marksmanship. Experts at covering their tracks, death troopers left little to no evidence of their missions. Identifiable by their distinct black armor, death troopers struck fear in the heart of anyone who crossed the Empire.

## Characteristics

Death troopers were equipped with advanced armor considered an improvement over the standard stormtrooper kit. The helmet featured a number of advanced sensor and targeting systems to give total situational awareness of combat areas, enemies and allies. These various upgrades to the helmet systems included a Neuro-Saav macromotion monitor, multi-frequency targeting and acquisition sensors, and image-intensifying active pulse emitters, the latter of which was stored within the two green "dots" at the bottom front of the helmet. The helmets also included voice scramblers which allowed them to speak in death trooper encryption, which made their communications impossible for anyone except another death trooper to understand, along with adding to their intimidating appearance.

Death trooper armor was covered by a spray polymer called reflec, which warped electromagnetic signals commonly found in sensor arrays. This made death troopers well suited for stealth operations. Underneath their armor, troopers wore an environmentally sealed bodysuit. Death trooper pauldrons on their right shoulder denoted rank, but appeared black and featureless to individuals if not viewed through a stormtrooper visor.

Death troopers were equipped with a variety of tools and weapons depending on their specialties. On their chest, death troopers strapped on an IM-40 three-slot ammunition and tool pouch. Weapons commonly used included the SE-14r light repeating blaster, E-11D blaster carbine, DLT-19D heavy blaster rifle, DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle, and Smart Rockets. Grenades included the C-25 fragmentation grenade, baradium thermal detonator, a Sonic Imploder, or a thermal imploder.

## History

In 6 ABY, a squad of death troopers served in the Pentastar Alignment as bodyguards for Grand Moff Ardus Kaine. The troopers fought against the bounty hunter Boba Fett aboard the *Reaper II* alongside regular stormtroopers. During the chaos, Fett managed to kill several death troopers before escaping the *Reaper II* in *Slave I*.

Death troopers served in the Dark Empire, with a guard squadron of the troopers serving under General Veers. Aboard the *Eclipse*, they fought against Rogue Squadron and New Republic troops that boarded the vessel in an attempt to destroy it during the Battle near the Vanqor system. Many of the troopers were killed by the New Republic forces or when the *Eclipse* was destroyed.

Approximately nine years after the Battle of Yavin, a squad of death troopers served in an Imperial remnant led by Moff Gideon. The troopers opened fire on a cantina on Nevarro, killing "the Client" and several stormtroopers while also trapping "the Mandalorian," Greef Karga and Carasynthia Dune inside.

The standoff was interrupted shortly after, with IG-11 arriving to assist the Mandalorian and his comrades. As the group fought their way out of the cantina, a fierce battle ensued, with two death troopers resorting to hand-to-hand combat after they were disarmed. With the fight raging outdoors, several death troopers circled around to breach the cantina, and attempted to flush Cara Dune out with saturated blaster fire. The remaining death troopers escorted Moff Gideon, as he gave the order to "burn them out."

That same year, on Geonosis, General Veers' death trooper squad accompanied him at the Geonosian droid factories, during the general's attempt to build a droid army to restore the Dark Empire. The troopers opened fire on the Geonosian Grub restaurant, killing its owner and B1-series battle droid workers while also trapping Boba Fett, Fennec Shand and Indiana Jones inside.

The standoff was interrupted shortly after, with K-7R3 arriving to assist Boba Fett and his comrades. As the group fought their way out of the restaurant, a fierce battle ensued, with three death troopers resorting to hand-to-hand combat after they were disarmed. During the fight raging outdoors, several death troopers were gunned down. The remaining death troopers escorted General Veers, as he gave the order to "finish them off."

Around 9 ABY, a pair of death troopers were among Grand Admiral Thrawn's forces on the extragalactic planet Peridea. Despite having died at some point, they were resurrected by way of Nightsister magick, assaulting Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger.

## Appearances

* Shadows of the Empire (First appearance)
* Tales from Vader's Castle, Part II (Appears on a poster)
* Into the Crossfire
* Gambit on Geonosis
* *Star Wars: Veers*