| |
| Dust Devils | |
| Unit Profile (as of 3065) | |
| CO | Commandant Tai Kekoa |
| Formed | 3043 |
| JumpShips | Yes |
| DropShips | Yes |
| BattleMechs | Yes |
| Aerospace | Yes |
| Armor | No |
| Infantry | Yes |
The Dust Devils are a combined-arms mercenary command, and represent the primary character faction for the Dust Devils AU and the subject of most stories written in that universe.
MRBC Unit Brief - 3065[]
The unit formerly known as Markham’s Marauders has come a long way from rocky beginnings. The coup that saw the ruler of the Aurigan Coalition (a minor Periphery state) deposed and apparently killed by her uncle in early 3040 left the unit in dire straits, having lost their CO and much of their personnel in the ensuing violence. Three years of ill luck and unsteady employment found the Marauders hanging by a thread in the Rimward Periphery’s backwater, understaffed, under-equipped, and kept on a short leash by creditors who preferred that the unit default and be forced to forfeit 'Mechs and materiel. To all indicators, their fate was to be one all too common to independent commands.
Fortunately for the Marauders, the Coalition’s deposed ruler, Lady Kamea Arano, had not in fact died in the coup. Past association with the unit’s CO, Leilani Kekoa, led her Arano Restoration to purchase the unit's debts, offering to forgive them in full in exchange for assistance in the overthrow of her uncle Santiago Espinosa's Aurigan Directorate and reclamation of her throne. It was during this campaign that the unit obtained its permanent moniker: Intercepted debriefs of the (few) Directorate survivors of a series of surprise raids on Itrom described them as “appearing out of the dust storms like some kind of demons” to the great amusement of the Marauders’ command staff, who renamed the unit on the spot. With a new name and new heraldry to match, the Dust Devils proved instrumental to Arano's victory over the Directorate, the delivery of her war criminal uncle to justice in the Taurian Concordat, and the restoration of the Aurigan Coalition under Arano rule in 3045.
Lady Arano was true to her word and then some; the conclusion of the conflict saw the Devils clear of debt, flush with operating cash and materiel from generous bonus and salvage rights offered by the Restoration, and in possession of a unique mobile base of operations in the form of a Star League-era Argo-class DropShip, which they rechristened DDS Makani ʻIno. They put these assets to use building a solid reputation serving various clients in the Periphery over the next two years, but the inherent bias of Successor State employers prevented access to more lucrative spheroid markets.
The Dust Devils’ big break came in the early months of 3047, when in the course of pursuing a group of black marketeers for the Draconis Combine the unit came into conflict with a pair of legends: Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company and the infamous Bounty Hunter. The Devils managed a massive upset when they came out on top in a series of engagements with both factions’ forces, culminating with a victory in a three-way brawl against Kerensky and the Bounty Hunter themselves on Mantharaka. Though triggering a feud between the Devils and the Dragoons in general and Kerensky in particular, these victories also put the unit on the map, drawing the attention of clients previously out of reach. Commander Kekoa leveraged the increased revenue to expand her 'Mech lance to a full company, acquire Aerospace Fighters and DropShips, and refit a derelict JumpShip. From there, she shifted focus to quality over quantity, expanding her support operations and upgrading her arsenal.
By the time the Clans invaded in 3050, the Devils had a reputation as a dependable, well-equipped surgical strike force which, coupled with their unique logistical resources, gave the unit a very good sales pitch for those nations frantically attempting to slow the invaders' progress while avoiding being thrown into the general meatgrinder of the front lines. Instead, the Devils were one of the first units to be offered a Letter of Marque by the desperate Free Rasalhague Republic, essentially converting (for a time) from contractors to privateers on extended deployment deep in the Occupation Zones. The unit achieved modest success operating in the Clans’ under-defended rear areas raiding supply lines, supporting resistance cells, and generally making life difficult for the Clan garrisons for the first few years of the invasion, collecting bounties based on the amount of damage caused, as well as significant rewards for Clan technology and intelligence returned to their Inner Sphere sponsors.
It was during this period that the truth of Wolf's Dragoons status as an advance reconnaissance force for the Clans trickled out through the mercenary industry, turning the Devils' long-standing dislike of the dominant figures in their profession into something closer to outright hostility. As a number of independent commands raised their voice in disgust and alarm at this revelation, Kekoa and her command joined the chorus alongside such vocal critics as Colonel Wayne Waco, eventually becoming something of leaders in a movement calling for the expulsion of the Dragoons from official status with the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission, their holdings on Outreach, and the whole of the Inner Sphere. Unfortunately for Waco, Kekoa, and their allies, the Dragoon's assistance in the repulsion of Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat from Luthien removed the support of the Dragon from their cause, followed shortly by Thomas Marik's withdrawal of his own for unknown reasons. As a result, the movement fizzled, and the Devils returned to venting their frustrations on the Clans themselves.
Eventually, however, as the Inner Sphere powers slowed the invaders and the Truce of Tukayyid created a surplus of frustrated Clan warriors with fewer opportunities to vent their bloodlust, said warriors to begin seeking combat with opponents previously deemed beneath their notice. Before long independent units raiding behind the front lines of the invasion corridor found the risks of operations there were beginning to outweigh the benefits as they began suffering increasing losses at the hands of better-equipped Clan opponents. Commandant Kekoa and her Devils found themselves particularly affected by this change after a fairly nasty run-in with their old enemy (and now Khan of the Wolves) Natasha Kerensky, and after a narrow escape from her Wolf Spiders, decided to seek employment elsewhere. Thus, the Devils withdrew from the Clan front and returned to the Rimward Periphery in 3054.
A three-year garrison, cadre, and anti-piracy contract on Thraxa in the Magistracy of Canopus gave the Devils much-needed breathing room (with the exception of an excursion into Marian territory to recover their kidnapped CO) to refit , recruit, train, and expand with the addition of a company of skilled infantry to their forces. At the close of their term with the Magistracy Armed Forces, the unit returned to the Inner Sphere and signed on with the Capellan Confederation for Operation GUERRERO, and remained in Capellan employ after the conclusion of that short campaign for the better part of the following year undertaking covert assignments, the details of which are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
3059 saw the Devils return to the Clan front under contract to the newly-resurrected Second Star League Defense Force, supporting Operation BIRD DOG against Clan Smoke Jaguar. After the Jaguars’ Annihilation, the Devils left SLDF employ and resumed hiring themselves out to various parties for operations in the Occupation Zones and Coreward Periphery, avoiding initial involvement in the Federated Commonwealth's civil war in favor of engaging their preferred enemies: slavers and Clan garrisons. Equipment upgrades (and the death of Natasha Kerensky) during their time on Thraxa allowed for initial mitigation of their previous difficulties with more skilled and wary Clan opposition, but unfortunately, such success was not to last.
In early 3064, the Devils were executing a technology and materiel raiding contract for the Lyran Alliance against a series of worlds deep in the Clans Wolf and Hell's Horses occupation zones. After successfully striking two of their three targets, the unit was caught by the Wolves' 11th Battle Cluster in an ambush on Kufstein in which they suffered over 50% losses to their 'Mech and Aerospace Fighter forces in a fighting retreat, including Commandant Leilani Kekoa. Grief turned to rage on the discovery that the Devils’ liaison, Colonel Graf Alban Stieglitz-Bradford, had sold their operational plans to the Wolves' Watch weeks before the Devils arrived on-planet. Stieglitz-Bradford was wounded in a subsequent hostage standoff, and the Devils withdrew to Outreach to seek restitution via the MRBC.
In the arbitration that followed, the MRBC ruled that Stieglitz-Bradford’s actions constituted a breach of contract, and that the Devils were within their rights to abandon further operations. The resulting settlement required that the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces pay for the successful targets struck and forfeit all salvage rights from those raids completed prior to the ambush. This last was a sore loss for the LAAF; among those targets was a well-stocked Hell's Horses logistics depot on Engadin the Devils had taken largely intact. It was not a complete defeat for the Lyrans, however; they were only required to pay two-thirds of the agreed contract fee (as the final target was left intact) and were able to force the inclusion of a clause into the settlement denying any admission of deliberate wrongdoing on the part of the LAAF as a whole, placing sole responsibility for the incident with their liaison officer, but also reserving sole right to determine the penalties said officer would face. The terms of the settlement additionally prohibit public disclosure of any further details of the proceedings or arguments therein, but whatever the case, the Dust Devils’ formerly cordial relationship with the Lyran Alliance has apparently gone quite cold. Graf Stieglitz-Bradford, meanwhile, was expelled from the LAAF, but maintained his title and significant landhold on Santana without further censure, notably unusual for actions that would typically be defined as treasonous.
After the close of arbitration, the Dust Devils dropped out of sight for approximately nine months, during which the MRBC has no official record of employment or combat activity. Apparently a good portion of it was used to restore, upgrade, and expand their forces; the Dust Devils recently returned to active status with the MRBC for a series of actions on behalf of the Magistracy, having replaced their casualties with seasoned recruits, reconfigured and expanded their 'Mech company into a Clan-style Trinary with extensive technical upgrades, added a Star of Battle Armor to their infantry company, and refitted their DropShips to accommodate their new force configuration. After a review of current capabilities, the MRBC has allowed the Devils to maintain their A rating in spite of the previous year’s losses and period of inactivity.
Camel and coral are the primary and detail colors, respectively, of the Dust Devils, and their insignia resembles a living, demonic version of the atmospheric phenomenon for which the unit is named, set on a coral-trimmed brown circle.
MRBC Unit Rating: A
Officers[]
Commandant Tai Kekoa, though new to command and young for the position, is by no means new to combat, as their kill list can attest. Kekoa was also groomed for eventual command since their adoption by the Devils’ late CO, Leilani Kekoa, but in the event that this training falls short they are also able to draw on the wisdom and decades of experience of their seasoned XO, Lieutenant Commander Darius Oliveira.
Wing Captain Corazon Rivera, a veteran of the Outworlds Alliance’s celebrated 1st Alliance Air Wing, commands the Devil’s Aerospace Fighter squadrons. After a few years running an independent command, Rivera realized she preferred the cockpit to the calculator, and accepted the late Commandant’s offer to buy her unit and merge it into the Dust Devils’ TO&E.
Subaltern Derek Jordan, CO of the Devils’ infantry and Battle Armor company, is a veteran of the Magistracy Information Ministry's Active Response Corps. Beyond that, Jordan's professional record is sealed by the MIM, including the conditions of his departure from that service. That he has successfully managed to establish a small Battle Armor combat team under a former Clan Hell's Horses Elemental in a unit with such an adversarial relationship with Clan culture indicates that he is more than just a skilled combat operative, but a capable commander as well.
Group Captain Sumire Meyer has been with the unit since the Marauder days, and has since been promoted to overall command of the unit’s DropShip flotilla from the bridge of the DDS Makani ʻIno. An incredibly skilled pilot, Meyer’s flying prowess has proven crucial to both success and survival for the Devils over the years.
Like Meyer, Chief Technician Yang Virtanen is a founding member of the Dust Devils. A consummate BattleMech tinkerer, Virtanen was among the early pioneers in integrating ClanTech into Inner Sphere equipment, and has published many of his findings in a series of technical manuals available at reduced price to mercenary commands and training institutions. The Devils have, historically, taken a vocal stance that the industry (and Inner Sphere) as a whole would suffer from independent commands falling behind their employers’ technological capabilities; Virtanen sees the sharing of his team's hard-earned knowledge as putting their money where their mouths are.
Tactics[]
The Dust Devils’ entire TO&E is tailored to create a combined arms force that moves faster and hits harder than expected with the capability to carry away whatever it doesn’t destroy. As such, the Devils prefer operations that play to their strengths as raiders, headhunters, covert operatives, and guerilla fighters, and will generally avoid line assault or static defense contracts. Additionally, their standard contract language specifically prohibits assignment to policing and riot control duties against civilian populations.
The Devils will nearly always seek command arrangements that allow them to operate independently. Though they will generally agree to allow the embed of an employer’s liaison officer, bitter experience has led them to require the inclusion of very strict operational security agreements in such contracts. The Devils have, on rare occasions, accepted House command arrangements (though then only when part of a larger combined operation), but have flatly refused any contract that required complete command integration.
Though at first glance one might find it unusual that these somewhat restrictive terms have not seemed to limit the Devils' employment opportunities, it is less of a surprise when one considers the uncommon combination of skillset and capabilities that the Devils bring to the table. For their preferred mission profile, the number of competing units that have the logistical capacity for extended operations deep in enemy territory with little to no employer support while also being small enough to be cost effective, dependable, and (perhaps most importantly) both deniable and expendable is vanishingly small, while the demand for such is fairly high, even (if not especially) in what passes for peacetime in the Human Sphere. Additionally, the Devils' somewhat unusual proclivity for offering fairly steep discounts on their fees in exchange for more favorable salvage rights allows employers who might otherwise lack the financial resources to employ an A-rated unit to do so, further broadening the pool of potential clients.
Support[]
The Dust Devils invest heavily in their support operation; a combination of generous pay, benefits, and the exceptional facilities and amenities of the Makani ʻIno generally allows them their pick of applicants, as well as internal recruiting from graduates of the educational programs the unit provides to its dependents. As such, the Devils enjoy full coverage of their support needs as well as a boon to recruitment: One benefit enjoyed by combat personnel who bring their own machines is a full upgrade and refit of said equipment to at least parity with the rest of the Devil’s arsenal, and any installed components under this program become sole property of the owner-operator after a set term of service. Those who decide to part ways with the unit prior to their term are given the option to either purchase their upgrades at a fair price, or have their machine restored to its original condition upon signing on with the command.
For transportation, the Devils maintain a sizable fleet for such a small command, including their private Tramp Royal-class JumpShip DDS Slipstream and six DropShips: three Montgomery-class 'Mech/ASF carriers, one Necromancer-class dedicated salvage vessel, one Derecho-class assault ship, and of course the Makani ʻIno herself. With ample space and facilities for all personnel, materiel, and even the unit’s dependents, the Devils are able to operate as a completely nomadic command, untethered to any one world or region.
Organizational Structure[]
The Dust Devils organize their roughly battalion-sized force into “formations”, each with their own appellation, insignia, organizational structure, and independent chain of command which reports directly up to the Executive Officer, who reports to the Commandant. The commanding officer of each formation is also incorporated into the unit's command staff, a sort of advisory council for the Commandant.
Mech Trinary Insignia
The Dust Devils[]
BattleMech Trinary/Veteran/Reliable
Having had their fill of being outnumbered by default when facing comparable Clan units and for the most part being denied the more level playing field of zelbrigen, Commandant Kekoa reorganized their BattleMech company into a Clan-style Trinary in 3064. Each Star goes to battle in a mix of weight classes, allowing each to operate independently without loss of tactical flexibility. While only having enough transport capacity to deploy the core Trinary in a single drop, the Makani ʻIno’s generous facilities allows the unit to maintain a small trainee cadre and enough spare 'Mechs to allow them to step in for wounded or exhausted regulars, which allows the Devils to redeploy quickly at strength in an emergency even after suffering significant casualties.
The Devils do not seem to make use of captured or salvaged Clan 'Mechs, and instead prefer to incorporate advanced technology, be it captured ClanTech, recovered LosTech, or recent Inner Sphere innovations, into recognizable Inner Sphere designs (the better to catch enemies off-guard with unexpected capabilities). Though these upgrades vary from 'Mech to 'Mech, in line with their preferred tactics every machine features at least upgraded engines and myomers, jump capability, and at least one functional hand, regardless of whether the stock version of the design included them. As such, it should be noted that the model numbers listed below are close approximations to the general capabilities of each chassis based on known designs or variants (where possible; some of their machines incorporate sufficient "donor" components of other models as to qualify as "FrankenMechs" and therefore require their own unique designations and/or model numbers).
| Position | Name | Rank | MRBC Rating | BattleMech |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opal Star | ||||
| Unit CO/Opal One | Tai Kekoa | Commandant | Veteran | KGC-666 King Crab |
| Opal Two | Nala Wanjiku | Cornet III | Veteran | BNC-3M Banshee |
| Opal Three | Holly O'Connell | Cornet II | Regular | ASD-7-HT Atlas II |
| Opal Four | Yagami Kenshin | Cornet V | Elite | PHX-1b Phoenix Hawk |
| Opal Five | Hani Kawaii | Cornet II | Green | PNT-9R Panther |
| Turquoise Star | ||||
| Turquoise One | Malohi Tupou | Subaltern III | Elite | HGN-732b Highlander |
| Turquoise Two | Kjirsten Kolbek | Cornet IV | Veteran | THG-10E Thug |
| Turquoise Three | Jackson Cole | Cornet III | Regular | SHD-2R Shadow Hawk |
| Turquoise Four | Nathan Carter | Cornet II | Regular | VND-1R Vindicator |
| Turquoise Five | Aaliyah Shaaban | Cornet II | Regular | MON-66b Mongoose |
| Onyx Star | ||||
| Onyx One | Roshni Partha | Subaltern I | Veteran | BLR-1G BattleMaster |
| Onyx Two | Diego Torres | Cornet IV | Veteran | BRS-B11 Brass Bull |
| Onyx Three | Truck Streets | Cornet II | Regular | GTR-KNT Gutter Knight |
| Onyx Four | Tariq Barboza | Cornet II | Regular | ASN-21 Assassin |
| Onyx Five | Tyson Cole | Cornet II | Green | HBK-4P Hunchback |
| Tumbler Star (Training Cadre) | ||||
| Tumbler One | Alejandra Ibanez | Cornet I | Green | STN-6EX Sentinel |
| Tumbler Two | Peter Darlon | Cornet I | Green | COM-2D Commando |
| Tumbler Three | Pema-Kelsang | Cornet I | Green | D9-G9 Duan Gung |
| Tumbler Four | Zoe de Haas | Cornet I | Green | MCY-99 Mercury |
| Tumbler Five | Jin-Hoon Pak | Cornet I | Green | JA-KL-1532 Jackal |
Hellbats Insignia
The Hellbats[]
2 AeroSpace Fighter Squadrons/Veteran/Reliable
The Devils’ nomadic lifestyle requires a higher ratio of aerospace assets than is typical for a mercenary command. When in transit, the Hellbats’ mix of upgraded Shilones and Chippewas work in tandem with the Devils’ Montgomery and Derecho-class DropShips, providing the more vulnerable Makani ʻIno with an escort capable of seeing off most threats. For planetary operations, Amber Squadron is well-practiced at the precise placement of heavy ordinance on any target that proves difficult for the Devils’ ground forces to crack open, with Ruby there to cover the larger, slower craft and dissuade enemy fighters.
| Position | Name | Rank | MRBC Rating | AeroSpace Fighter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby Squadron | ||||
| Formation CO/Ruby Leader | Corazon Rivera | Captain V | Elite | SL-17R Shilone |
| Ruby Two | Miguel Flannigan | Cornet III | Veteran | SL-17R Shilone |
| Ruby Three | Billie Jo Takeda | Cornet IV | Elite | SL-17R Shilone |
| Ruby Four | Tia Seru | Cornet II | Regular | SL-17R Shilone |
| Ruby Five | Analisa Miller | Cornet II | Regular | SL-17R Shilone |
| Ruby Six | Manuel Rufio | Cornet I | Green | SL-17R Shilone |
| Amber Squadron | ||||
| Amber Leader | Woodrow Call | Subaltern III | Elite | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
| Amber Two | Teresa Alvarez | Cornet III | Veteran | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
| Amber Three | Li Tung | Cornet IV | Elite | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
| Amber Four | Miliana Tamani | Cornet I | Green | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
| Amber Five | Dak-Ho Manderly | Cornet II | Regular | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
| Amber Six | Leo Graves | Cornet II | Regular | CHP-W7 Chippewa |
Vortex Company Insignia
Vortex Company[]
Marine Commando Company/Veteran/Reliable
Battle Armor Star/Regular/Reliable
Vortex Company provides the Devils with highly skilled security and special operations capacity in any environment, from planetside to zero-g, and have apparently benefited from significant investment; advertising materials depict members of the company sporting expensive equipment including Federated-Barret M61A laser rifles, Marine Combat Environment Suits, and Blue Shot's new CEX-250 Leapfrog exoskeletons. The recent addition of a Star of Battle Armor (a modification of the Free Worlds League's Longinus suits known as the Maero) led by a former Clan Hell's Horses Elemental (who wears her original Clan suit) provides additional muscle, Mastodon C OmniVehicles1 and customized Caballo Cavalry VTOLs provide battlefield mobility and fire support, and DDS Derecho and her NL-42 transports provide the Devils with a capable platform for both planetary raids and ship-to-ship boarding actions.
| Formation | CO | CO Rank | CO MRBC Rating | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company HQ | Derek Jordan | Subaltern V | Elite | Headquarters Squad |
| Alpha Platoon | Allison Cunningham | Cornet IV | Veteran | 1 Command Squad, 3 Marine Commando Squads |
| Bravo Platoon | Trinh Kian Thi | Cornet II | Regular | 1 Command Squad, 3 Marine Commando Squads |
| Charlie Platoon | Lucas Benoit | Cornet III | Veteran | 1 Command Squad, 3 Marine Commando Squads |
| Delta Star | Roberta | Cornet II | Regular | Battle Armor Star (1 Elemental, 24 Maero) |
FG Stardust Insignia
Fleet Group Stardust[]
JumpShip & DropShip Fleet/Veteran/Reliable
Fleet Group Stardust represents the unit's largest formation, containing all DropShip and JumpShip crews and technical staff. While all of the Devils' vessels contain at least some advanced tech after a series of refits and upgrades in their yearlong absence, of particular note is their Tramp Royal-class JumpShip DDS Slipstream. A variant not seen in the Inner Sphere since the days of the Star League, the Slipstream was discovered drifting derelict in the wilds of the Rimward Periphery alongside two of the Devils' three Confederations (prior to their refit to Montgomery-class). Under the careful ministrations of Dr. Farah Murad, the Devils' former Chief Engineer, the unit was able to restore all three vessels to working order.
Sporting four Docking Collars to a typical Tramp's three, the vessel is also equipped with an LF battery, allowing the Devils to get their entire fleet into (and out of) trouble quickly with help from the Makani ʻIno’s Multiple Docking Collar System. Additionally, the Slipstream's small craft bays were reconfigured during her refit to accommodate a pair of Chippewa heavy AeroSpace Fighters, which are permanently attached to the fleet group rather than the Hellbats fighter wing as their sole purpose is to guard the JumpShip.
| Position | Name | Rank | MRBC Rating | Vessel Class | Vessel Designation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DropShips | |||||
| Fleet CO/Vessel CO | Sumire Meyer | Group Captain | Elite | Argo-class | DDS Makani ʻIno |
| Vessel CO | Carmen Drummer | Captain III | Elite | Derecho-class | DDS Derecho |
| Vessel CO | Klaus Ashfort | Captain III | Elite | Montgomery-class | DDS Raiju Montgomery |
| Vessel CO | Destin Samedi | Captain II | Veteran | Montgomery-class | DDS True Grit |
| Vessel CO | Freja Andersen | Captain II | Veteran | Montgomery-class | DDS Kaldrvind |
| Vessel CO | Rangi Mehoe | Captain II | Veteran | Necromancer-class | DDS Bonechewer |
| JumpShips | |||||
| Vessel CO | Antony Lopez | Captain III | Veteran | Tramp Royal-class | DDS Slipstream |
Red Angels Insignia
Red Angels[]
Medical Support Company/Elite/Fanatical
From the moment Dr. Murad's engineering team restored the first of the Makani ʻIno's ancient hospital bays, providing comprehensive, top-of-the-line medical care to the Dust Devils and their dependents became a priority for then-Commander Leilani Kekoa, and that tradition has continued through the unit's growth from lance to company to battalion, and on into her heir's tenure as Commandant. Under the overall command of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Naomi Altera, the Red Angels represent a combination of restored Star League technology and some of the Magistracy's best medical talent and equipment that money can buy. The formation is split into five sections, one for each of the Makani ʻIno's three hospital bays, one for the Derecho's trauma unit, and one made up of field medics seconded to the combat formations. Each section is led by a senior medical officer, and taken together are capable of performing procedures from simple dentistry and inoculations to microsurgery and organ replacement at a standard of care to rival that of any Inner Sphere medical facility.
Yang's 'Yenas Insignia
Yang's 'Yenas[]
Salvage & Support Company/Elite/Reliable
CO: Chief Technician Yang Virtanen
The majority of Virtanen’s skilled technical crew does not, as a rule, deploy to the field. However, the salvage crew has earned the Dust Devils a number of accolades from employers happy with their above-average salvage returns. With the use of a dedicated DropShip in the form of the Necromancer-class DDS Bonechewer, Salrilla exoskeletons, heavy 'Mech recovery vehicles, and a pair of Vampyr SalvageMechs, the 'Yenas are capable of asset recovery under any conditions.
Rank Structure[]
Dust Devils Ranks & Chain of Command
Fittingly for their origins, the Dust Devils’ rank structure is similar to the military forces of the Federated Suns, Taurian Concordat, and Aurigan Coalition. There is some variance in the level of responsibility for individual ranks, but the general hierarchy remains consistent enough that forces working alongside the unit should have no comprehension issues. Each rank, with the exception of formation heads, additionally has a grade between one and five, allowing for personnel who excel in their position to receive recognition and additional pay without the requirement to advance up the chain of command, if they would prefer to maintain their current level of responsibility.
Colors & Insignia[]
Camel and coral are the primary and detail colors, respectively, of the Dust Devils, and their insignia resembles a living, demonic version of the atmospheric phenomenon for which the unit is named, set on a coral-trimmed brown circle. This insignia is displayed on the left shoulder and cap/helmet badge of all uniforms, the left shoulder and leg for 'Mechs and Battle Armor; the left fender panels of vehicles; and the tail-fins and left wing of aerospace units. So long as this basic scheme is adhered to, individual pilots or crews are given broad leeway to decorate their machines as they desire. This has resulted in a variety of unique designs on the Devil’s equipment; from the Futhark runes and knotwork motif of one Rasalhagan warrior’s Thug to the stylized “tattoo” murals popular with the unit’s Aurigan pilots and crews, it is evident that Virtanen’s crew has become quite adept at the art of the airbrush. In keeping with broader martial tradition, each pilot or crew is also allowed to add their personal heraldic device to their equipment.
Duty uniforms typically consist of band-collared camel coveralls with coral trim, brown utility boots, and camel pakol, though configuration and pattern can vary by role or conditions (such as a 'MechWarrior's coolant suit or Marine Commando's fatigues). All duty uniforms bear formation insignia on the left breast and sub-formation (such as Star, platoon, squadron, or vessel) badge on the right shoulder. Rank insignia is worn both on the right shoulder (below the sub-formation badge) and right-side collar, with grade pips on the left-side collar for graded ranks, while formation COs wear identical rank badges on either collar side.
The Devils’ dress uniform consists of a band-collared camel shell jacket with bronze closures and coral piping on collar, cuffs, and hem; granite jodhpurs with coral side-stripe tucked into calf-height brown harness boots; and a fitted camel brimless pillbox cap trimmed in coral. Formation insignia and rank insignia follows the pattern of the duty uniform, however the dress jacket incorporates bronze shoulder straps with rank insignia above grade pips (or a flat bar in the case of formation COs) to both shoulders in lieu of the right shoulder badge. Officers' jackets have coral sleeve lacing near the cuffs: one band for line officers, two for formation COs, and three for the Commandant. Devils who have earned decorations, either from clients or the unit itself, are allowed to wear them on the dress jacket’s left breast above the formation insignia.
Notes[]
- The Mastodon is the Dust Devils AU version of the Badger. Other than the name, the vehicles are identical, having both the Wolf's Dragoons' dumbed-down IS version and the original C versions. The author renamed them to free up a callsign, but also because it never made much sense to them that the Clans would name a new combat vehicle after an animal so closely resembling a Wolverine...