Operation Sandtrap

SENKU Troops

Initially envisioned as a vanguard force, Senku Troops (先駆, “forerunners” or “pioneers”) are made up of volunteers drawn from the various Keisotsu regiments, plus recruits from all across Japanese society.

Chosen for their resilience and unwavering commitment to duty, these brave souls undergo rigorous training in the desert to quickly get used to the arid and sometimes toxic environment of Shinju.

RAIDEN Seibutai

Swift and unpredictable is a fit description of how the Raiden unit, JSA’s devastating lightning bolt, attacks. The role of the Raiden Seibutai in the Japanese Secessionist Army is clear and very specific: to shield the advance of their fellow soldiers as they launch into a Banzai charge.

Since the Japanese military specializes in close combat, the Raiden must guarantee their siblings-in-arms’ safety while they close in on the enemy.

Their lives aren’t important; only duty matters, because such is the commitment of the Raiden Seibutai, the unexpected Japanese lightning, the promise of a terrible firestorm that brings about destruction and victory.

JIZAMURAI Hanryodan

Historically speaking, the Jizamurai (地侍) were rural peasant-warriors who owned small plots of land, a kind of samurai with fewer resources and without connections at court.

They also didn’t enjoy the protection of a daimyo, so they had to take charge of their own martial training and weaponry.

The JSA adopted this name for veterans in the Geneki Yobigun who were more experienced in battle and had superior tactical skills than the average reservist.

The greatest strength of the Jizamurai is in their unwavering commitment to their nation, to their Emperor, and most of all to their fellow civilian settlers, whom they are sworn to protect to the last drop of blood, both their own and that of their enemies.

NOKIZARU Unit

As masters of stealth and subterfuge, the Nokizaru have outstanding dexterity and melee combat skills.

Their arsenal includes a wide range of weapons and equipment adapted to each mission, and they wear high-tech suits fitted with stealth and mimetic technology, night vision, and enhanced vertical-movement capabilities, which gave them their name.

Although all Nokizaru consider themselves ninjas, and those who know them agree with this description, this term was avoided from the outset both in the name and definition of the unit.

The term “nokizaru” (軒猿, literally “monkey on the roof”) was used during the Sengoku period to refer to ninjas without mentioning them directly, and it seemed perfect for this unit with enhanced vertical-movement capabilities.

HATAMOTO Imperial Guard

Rikugun-Chūjō (Lieutenant General) Matsuo Fujisawa, a veteran officer who earned his stripes on the blood-soaked battlefields of the NeoColonial Wars, decreed that the Emperor’s personal guard should be exclusively a military unit.

This corps would lack political power and influence, its members would be forbidden to become advisors to the monarch, and recruitment would be based solely on military merit and service record, those standards being extremely high and rigorous.

These warriors, true modern samurai, become the Emperor’s best protection and earn the prestigious name Hatamoto (旗本), the ancient guardians of the banner that protected Japanese monarchs for three hundred years.

FENNEC Fusiliers

Fusiliers are the backbone of the PanOceanian Military Complex. Their regiments are deployed throughout all territories belonging to the Hyperpower and in areas of interest where it has a military presence.

Although all the different Fusilier regiments are given exactly the same training, it’s inevitable that those stationed in regions with unique conditions end up specializing to a certain extent.

This is the case of regiments stationed on Shinju, which have adapted to the barren environment and desert conditions of that planet to a point that has earned them the nickname ‘Fennecs,’ the little foxes of North African deserts.

BANSHEES, Airborne Assault Unit

Wherever there’s a threat, from the freezing cold of the orbit to the farthest corners of any planet where they may be deployed, the Banshees are always ready to answer the call whenever they’re needed.

Being a rapid reaction force and an airborne assault unit, these troops aren’t just ordinary soldiers; they’re the spearhead and the cavalry of the Kestrel Force.

This unit’s operational track record is so impressive that it may sound unbelievable to many people or a fabrication of the propaganda department of the PanOceanian Military Complex.

However, those who doubt these assault troops’ ability or question their sanity should keep in mind that the Banshees always embrace risk and turn it into an opportunity, because they live on the edge and thrive there.

BLACK A.I.R.

Since it must manage everything across great distances, the Bureau of Colonial Affairs has offices all over the PanOceanian colonial territories. And in order to keep a tight grip on things, it also has A.I.R.

This intelligence service is in charge of gathering all the information needed to understand what’s happening in those distant lands so that the Bureau can anticipate situations, prepare contingency plans, avoid undesirable scenarios, and ensure stability.

To this end, A.I.R. agents are constantly on the road, touring the frontier and the colonies, gathering intel and all kinds of tales, establishing a network of informants and contacts, making deals with both local law enforcement and unsavory characters, getting involved in crime as well as preventing it...

SCARECROWS Active Recon Group

Typically a unit is codenamed by some mid-ranking officer, or sometimes even by other troops from the same army. It’s much less common that a unit takes a code name chosen by its adversaries. It’s quite unusual, but it does happen sometimes, and that was the case with the Active Recon Group.

Their code name was given to them by the enemy, and it was inspired by fear. Having been assigned to the Kestrel Force in the colonial territories, it was common for them to operate in the middle of crop fields, and their knack for popping up and then disappearing in the cornfields further likened them to the image of those scary guardians of the crops.

Lurking in the shadows, the Scarecrows gained a reputation for being like relentless ghosts that left no survivors and no trace of their involvement but a trail of destruction.

GRIFFIN Troops, Heavy Tactical Regiment

It has been argued that if there is one creature that accurately embodies PanOceania, its values and qualities, it’s the mythological griffin. Historically, the griffin has been regarded as a symbol of strength and power, which happen to be two of the defining traits of the Hyperpower.

Taking all this into account, it’s not surprising that one of the most iconic units in the PanOceanian Military Complex was dubbed “Griffins”.

This unit also embodies those ideals of strength and might in battle characteristic of the mythological griffins. The Heavy Tactical Regiment has earned this code name thanks to its unblemished track record in combat, and for living up to what was expected of a unit made up of veterans recruited from among the best of the Orc Troops.