A/N
For all those burning questions you never had about the Revenants...
I basically wrote this because I was bored and wanted to go into the history of the Revenants, their makeup, and a few other details about them.
Codex Entry: The Revenants
Formed in 2105 by an aspirational Lieutenant in the quarian marines, the Revenants are made up of three full-strength companies of varying numbers and a selection company that fluctuates between one and two hundred marines. Given the harsh training standards, it is expected that around fifty percent of these marines will be returned to their units, and a further ten percent will die. All Revenants belong to the crew of the Doranz, a turian heavy cruiser modified by Admiral Daro'Xen's Special Project Groups to combat geth tracking systems and provide additional fire-support for the regiment, should the entire force ever be deployed. The ship is captained by Rear Admiral Cai'Zas - a commander matched only by the three Lieutenants in terms of innovative and unorthodox tactics. In the eighty years they have been active, only once has the full regiment been deployed when the quarians attempted to retake Haestrom in 2124.
Each company is headed by the Lieutenant of its First Squad, who reports directly to the Admiralty Board. Other squads are commanded by Gunnery Sergeants or Second Lieutenants. A Master Sergeant is responsible for seeking out new recruits for their company. The Admiralty Board votes on all Revenant missions to ensure that no personal agenda is being fulfilled. After being the deciding vote on the disaster on Gaven in 2184, Admiral Zaal'Koris recused himself from all further votes on Revenant activity. Recently the Board has forgone protocol, and control of the Revenants has been relinquished to Admiral Han'Gerrel of the Heavy Fleet amidst the fears of possible geth expansion, in order that the unit may be deployed quickly and without the usual debate, should the need arise.
The quarian marines have mixed feelings about the Revenants. While they dislike the fact that the Revenants receive better equipment, quarters, and rations; there is still a grudging respect for them. This is largely due to the brutal training method known as "The Gauntlet", which was developed by Third Company Lieutenant Gavel'Canz in 2117. His idea revolved around selecting a squad at random every three months (a squad may volunteer if it has been inactive for any longer than two months) and dropping them onto an enemy base or ship with only their knives and pistols. As such, all Revenants are skilled to a great degree in both stealth tactics and melee combat, though they receive no formal training after the selection process and are expected to hone their skills by themselves once they join the unit. The elite of the company is contained in the First Squad, with each soldier a seasoned veteran of countless operations who will have chosen to voluntarily run The Gauntlet a minimum of five times. This method of training is also used when new officers are installed in squads to create unit cohesion early on.
Few outside the Migrant Fleet are fully aware of the existence of the Revenants, though on occasion units or Lieutenants are offered for use in joint operations or to train local forces, often in order to convince the planetary authorities to part with a larger supply of food for the Migrant Fleet; or to smooth things over with one of the Council races. The Systems Alliance made great use of this when they granted the Migrant Fleet permission to move within Alliance Space, and the methods and operational discipline of the Revenants proved crucial in developing the N7 programme.
First Company – (Umbara – Shadows)
Motto: Walk unseen.
Commanding Officer: Second Lieutenant Eisha'Fenn (Lieutenant Zhar'Nara currently Missing in Action)
Traditionally, the First Company is tasked with high-risk infiltration and scouting missions, as well as sniper support for marine deployments. They specialise in quick, surgical strikes into enemy territory to destroy supply lines or simply to weaken morale or troop numbers through covert assassinations. The First Company maintains a number of scout ships that employ experimental stealth systems, allowing teams to drop into enemy-controlled territories. It also contains the smallest number of soldiers, with only ninety men distributed amongst fifteen squads. The First Company also has the unique position of the Scout-Commander in its First Squad, who is a marksman of unparalleled ability. The position lasts for three solar years, after which the rank is competed for in a contest based around tracking, marksmanship, and survival on a world chosen by the Scout-Commander at the time - the reasoning being that it is only when the Scout-Commander is beaten in a battle of their choosing that their opponent is truly worthy of inheriting the rank. The contestants hunt each other using one of the two Revenant sniper rifles loaded with live rounds, though shots intended to be fatal are disqualified (in the words of Scout-Commander Eron'Suran, 2173 - 82, "It is easy to kill with a rifle. A true marksman can incapacitate an opponent through non-lethal methods."). Medical teams only step in at the behest of the injured contender, and they are then removed from the competition.
First Squad: The Van'tor (Hunters)
The Van'tor makes up the First Squad of the Revenant First Company, and is the most distinguished squad in the entire regiment. Their name comes from a unit prior to the Flight from Rannoch which contained the best trackers and marksmen in the quarian military. The Van'tor holds the squad record for The Gauntlet amongst the Revenants, something that rankles with the Third Company. Several investigations were launched into the squad after reports of civilian executions by its members. Although little came of it, the investigations tarnished the reputation of the First Company and dark rumours spread amongst the regular marines. The unit is characterised by its black cloaks, which are passed down from soldier to soldier. In the event that one of the Van'tor is killed, the other members of the unit are expected to recover his cloak. Only three have been truly lost in the eighty years the unit has been active.
Currently the Van'tor consists of:
Lieutenant Zhar'Nara (MIA)
Second Lieutenant Eisha'Fenn
Master Sergeant Vei'Shona
Gunnery Sergeant Tyr'Kozza
Specialist Xin'Lai
Scout-Commander Ruun'Azan
Second Company – (Rokhan - The Vanguard)
Motto: The tip of the spear will never shatter.
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Sian'Jinn
The Second Company is often deployed alongside the regular Marine companies to secure vital points on the battlefield. Combining speed and precision strikes with heavily-armed teams to take and hold battlefield hardpoints and fortifications, the Second Company attempts to strike a balance between the heavily armoured units in the Third Company and the surgical task force of the First Company. Comprising of the deadliest and most fearless close-quarters combatants in the Migrant fleet, the Second Company has the largest number of soldiers at two hundred separated into ten squads of twenty. The Second Company deploys quickly to the field using armoured troop carriers and specially-adapted escape pods.
First Squad: Scutia'kasan (Stormrunners)
The First Squad of the Second Company came to light in 2124 during an assault on a geth-held city of Jursatta on Haestrom in the attempted reclamation in 2124. Ignoring the stalling assault of the marines, they raced over a kilometre past heavily entrenched opposition to reach their designated objective. By the time the marines cleared the way with orbital strikes, only three of the original twenty-strong squad remained and were still holding off waves of geth six hours after taking the position. The Stormrunners exemplify the reckless mentality of the Second Company, but also their relentless determination to achieve their objectives.
Third Company – (Tukanna – Immortals)
Motto: We will make it dust.
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Kurs'Danta
The Third Company had a reputation for overkill going back its first ever mission in 2106 when Master Sergeant Han'Strota insisted on destroying an entire skyscraper to kill a pair of geth snipers inside. Since then, the Third Company has devoted itself to demolition, destruction, and armoured assaults. The engineers of the company have upgraded the armour of its soldiers to grant them the thickest armour out of all the companies, at almost twice the thickness of the others. Although this has sacrificed speed, it has provided results. The Third Company has the lowest casualty rate in the entire regiment, and earned their name in the full-scale deployment on Haestrom. Despite being in some of the thickest fighting, they didn't take a single casualty. The Third Company maintains a standing force of fifty combat engineers - who double up as drivers and pilots when necessary - and a hundred heavy weapons experts split amongst ten designated squads. When in combat, the company often plays a support role by employing mortars, heavy weapons, and drivers for the other companies, though they are still capable of holding their own in a straight-up firefight.
First Squad: Tyras Mortana (Titan Killers)
The Tyras Mortana have perfected the art of destroying large things with larger explosions. Despite this approach, they have proven themselves capable infiltrators and earned the name "Titan Killers" after destroying their hundredth geth Colossus in only thirty operations without losing a single soldier. The Titan Killers also make a point of never rising above their fellow marines, and treat them with a degree of respect unseen in the other two companies. It is largely down to the reputation of its First Squad that the Third Company is more readily accepted amongst the regular quarian marines, who dislike the recklessness of the Second Company and the dark reputation of the First Company.
Selection Company and Training
The men and women earmarked as candidates for the Revenants are collected into a single company at the start of the solar year and transferred to the Doranz, where they are implanted with gene modifications and upgraded cybernetics. The selection process continues over two solar years to allow gene enhancements to take effect and the skills of the candidates to be tested. Due to the nature of their operations, the Revenants are first in line for any cybernetic upgrades or gene modifications provided by the Special Projects Groups working under Admiral Daro'Xen, and have stronger immune systems than most quarians due to a combination of enhancements and "forced adaptation". Over the course of their training, the quarians in the selection company are repeatedly exposed to environments of varying cleanliness without the use of their environmental suits or antibiotics. This approach usually results in the deaths of around forty percent of the candidates, but the remainder come out with an immune system that is capable of handling a suit breach for several hours without medical assistance.
After gene modification, the Revenant training begins. The Revenants contain a huge range of combat specialists, and each candidate is put through gruelling courses in stealth, demolitions, squad-based combat, and individual survival techniques. There is no single Revenant hand-to-hand combat style; instead, the candidates are permitted to pick from courses in asari, turian, or batarian close-combat models depending on whichever feels comfortable. In their second year of training, the candidates begin to specialise towards a particular Company under the direct supervision of the Master Sergeants.
The Special Projects Groups
Working under Admiral Daro'Xen, SPG provides weaponry, vehicles, and other support for the Revenants before they take to the field. Three groups are designated to work on providing Revenant equipment, while the others update the databases on enemies and races encountered by the teams, provide intelligence and dossiers on operations and planets, as well as performing weapons tests on pieces of geth platforms extracted from beyond the Perseus Veil, in order for changes to be documented. Any loss of life on these missions is immediately overshadowed by the necessity for this information to be used, so that more lives may be saved in the long term.
SPG7 - Equipment
Personal equipment is provided by SPG7, which includes:
SRBA-I-MKIX - The operational body armour used by the First Company. Made from multiple layers of carbon fibre, it is tough enough to withstand several direct shots; but is still light enough to prevent movement being hindered.
SRBA-II-MKIV - The thick, durable armour of the Second Company. It is fitted with a large number of pockets to store grenades, thermal clips, and emergency medical supplies. This allows the Revenant unit to remain in the field for well over twenty-four hours, though they seldom need to. The SRBA-II-MKIV has been experimented on by enterprising members of the Second Company in conjunction with the Special Projects Group. Additions include wrist-mounted shotguns and shoulder-mounted, VI-controlled grenade launchers being added to the armour.
SRBA-III-MKV - The extremely thick armour created by the Third Company, for the Third Company. It incorporates a heavy weapons harness to help dissipate the recoil across the user's body. Most soldiers in the Third Company also use VI targeting systems linked to their weapons to help find weak spots.
CK-I-MKXIV - The combat knife issued to every Revenant that is accepted into the First Company. It comprises three straight, angular, diamond-tipped edges in a tanto-style set-up.
CK-II-MKV - The Second Company's combat knife is modelled on the fighting style of the wielder. The assault-orientated nature of the company means that these blades will see almost as much use as their firearms.
- MKV(A) - The single-edged, kukri-style weapon used by those Revenants employing the heavy-handed batarian combat model.
- MKV(B) - An elegant blade used for the flowing asari style, similar in style to a wakizashi.
- MKV(C) - The double-edged combat knife used by the turians. Simple and robust, it is designed for technically accurate and efficient kills.
CK-III-MKVII - The versatile last resort of the Third Company, this weapon sees less action than those of the other two companies due to the tendency of its wielders to blow up everything in front of them before their enemies get within close-combat range. It comprises of a heavy blade with a built-in knuckleduster, as well as a small toolkit in the hilt for any emergency repairs that the Revenants might have to make to their weapons.
HP-SI-MKXV - The standard issue pistol of the Revenants has been in use for almost ten years without any serious design changes. Powerful, durable, and light, it is comfortable in the hands of any Revenant in any situation.
HP-AS-MKI - An anti-synthetic pistol currently under development using arc technology. Admiral Daro'Xen has taken personal charge of the project after the Admiralty Board began debate on retaking Rannoch.
SMG-MKIII - A variation on the M-9 Tempest. A contractable stock and vertical grip below the barrel have been added to allow the user to switch between close-quarters combat and longer ranges without having to change weapons. This is a standard close-quarters weapon
MRR-MKVIII - A mid-range sniper rifle issued to marksmen across all three companies. It combines a fifteen-shot clip with a mid-range scope to increase its versatility.
LRR-MKXI - A long-range, single-shot sniper rifle used exclusively by the First Company. A variant on the M-98 Widow, it has a smaller calibre to allow a suppressor to be fitted.
AR-XV - An assault rifle constructed to be as light and compact as possible without any loss of stopping power. Boasting a thirty-shot clip and containing disruptor and armour-piercing ammunition as standard, this is the go-anywhere, kill-anything weapon used in every Revenant Company.
SAAS-XII - The Revenant combat shotgun utilised by at least one member of every squad. Like the SMG-MKIII it is capable of expanding a stock, but the user may also extend the shotgun barrel to allow for accurate mid-range shots.
SAW-MKII - The latest addition to the Revenant arsenal is a light machinegun used primarily by the Second and Third Companies for use as an anti-personnel and suppressive fire weapon, but has found its place with several members of the First Company as well - notably by Gunnery Sergeant Tyr'Kozza of the Van'tor.
DC-MKVI - The go-to demolition charge for all Revenants. A light, but very powerful explosive, the DC-MKVI has been employed in everything from blowing holes in cruisers mid-flight to destroying entire buildings. The charge works by destabilising a mass effect core to strip away any armoured plating while simultaneously creating a massive explosion. Since Element Zero is in short supply on the Migrant Fleet, the Revenants are expected to use these sparingly.
SPG8 - Vehicles
SPG8 is devoted to maintaining and improving the small supply of Revenant vehicles, including:
V16SS - The long-range scout ships employed by the Revenants for missions that take them away from the Migrant Fleet for days, weeks, or even months at a time. The ship is able to launch several orbit-to-planet shuttles, and provides operational support for the ground teams through orbital strikes or emergency supply drops of equipment or medical supplies.
V82SB - A scout bike employing the same technology as a skycar to travel across ground quickly and quietly. It is equipped with a pair of machineguns just below the handlebars to deal with infantry threats, though it lacks enough protection to stand up in a pitched battle.
- V82SB(A) - A variant on the scout bike. It adds a sidecar with the possibility to mount weapons such as the HWAP-MKV, or the SAW-MKII.
V203APC - An APC used for high-risk operations by the Second Company. It sacrifices heavy weaponry for thick armour and a sizeable troop bay.
V191ARV - An armoured reconnaissance vehicle utilised when the First Company foregoes infiltration tactics and chooses to engage in a fast, surgical strike. Often used behind enemy lines, it gives the First Company enough firepower to engage in large-scale sabotage or attack more heavily defended areas for vital intelligence.
V374MBT - The Third Company maintains a store of five main battle tanks, which are used in conjunction with the Second Company's APCs and the First Company's ARCs, as well as supporting any marine assaults where the skill of the Revenants is desperately required.
SPG9 - Heavy Weapons
SPG9 works with the Third Company engineers to improve the Revenant store of heavy weaponry, creating everything from mortars to arc projectors. The Third Company chooses its loadout based largely on the mission, and its soldiers are expected to be capable of handling every weapon listed with nothing short of expertise:
HWM-MKIV - A mortar carried amongst three of the Revenants in a Third Company squad, though every member is expected to know how to operate it in the event that one of the bearers is killed in action. Normally, there will be at least two mortar groups in each squad due to its versatility and relatively light weight.
HWML-MKXVI - The Revenant missile launcher, which provides a choice of EMP, disruptor, incendiary, or fragmentation rounds. It has a larger warhead than those utilised in other military groups, and the increased recoil requires the user to link the weapon into the armour harness worn by the Revenants in the Third Company.
HWLA-MKVIII - A light artillery piece used to support Second Company assaults or provide an opportunity for an infiltration by the First Company. In essence, it is a small mass accelerator cannon on caterpillar tracks; however given they had not yet spent their entire budget, SPG9 came up with the idea of attaching a screening programme to the targeting mechanism. This allows the users to target enemies through walls, or find weak spots in armour plating to make each shot as effective as possible.
HWAP-MKV - An arc projector commonly used against heavy synthetic resistance. Several were lost when a unit of the Third Company was ambushed by Cerberus early in the year 2184.
HWBC-MKI - A weapon based on the Collector beam rifle obtained by Lieutenant Zhar'Nara during the assault on the Collector base, the beam cannon is so heavy that it must be deployed on a tripod and is crewed by three Revenants. It is capable of cutting through metal, flesh, and even stone - given enough time - and is utilised when targeting large, heavily armoured enemies.
HWHMG-MKXIX - A heavy machinegun that, like the beam cannon, requires a tripod in order for it to be brought to bear on enemy positions, however it is also used for anti-aircraft purposes as well. Because it produces such a huge buildup of heat, SPG9 created a specialised strip of five thermal clips joined together in order to increase the duration of firing.
