Der'kal Red Stormtroopers, nicknamed Red Fury Stormtroopers, Red Stormtroopers, Fury Stormtroopers, Red troopers and Crimson Red Stormtroopers were a stormtrooper variant that served the Der'kal Empire during its war against the Federation. They wore red-colored stormtrooper armor and wielded a type of black and red blaster rifle, these troopers were the next evolution of stormtroopers. As such, their red armor was reminiscent of red lightsaber blades and the Der'kal elite, evoking an aura of fear and death. Red troopers drew inspiration from one of the most enduring symbols of military might: armored infantry units. Red troopers were fanatically loyal to the Der'kal cause, surpassing their predecessors in allegiance and obedience as a result of methods built upon and advanced beyond the procedures that trained the clone army. The best of the Red troopers were elevated to the rank of Sovereign Protector, forming a cohort of royal guards stationed in the Citadel and the amphitheater housing the Throne of the Dark Side.
Training[]
A merciless soldier excelling in speed and advanced weaponry to hunt down and destroy all enemies of the Der'kal, the Red trooper was the culmination of generations of work dating back to the last remaining years of the First Der'kal Empire. Their earliest precursors, the early stormtroopers, were trained to be the most loyal and efficient soldiers, a process that soon after their creation and encompassed the first decade of their accelerated lives. However, Palpatine was dismayed by the disconcerting amount of free will exhibited disconcerting amounts by genetically engineered soldiers despite numerous alterations to their template.
The Der'kal Empire spent decades attempting to strip its stormtroopers of their individuality, making them fervently loyal extensions of Emperor Palpatine's will. Though they were not clones, stormtroopers were fanatically loyal to the Empire, yet also an inferior class of soldier according to both clone and non-clone veterans of the Clone Wars. Like the stormtroopers, Red troopers were not cloned but born. They were natural humans, native to Exegol and conscripted in the thousands as children of the Sith Eternal cultists. They were young, around their early twenties, standing at 1.8 meters tall by the time their training was complete. Like standard stormtroopers in the First Order, Sith troopers were denied individual names. Instead, troopers like ST-I4191 and ST-A1215 were identified by their serial numbers.
Red troopers were indoctrinated with the core values of the Der'kal Eternal cult, making them fanatically loyal to the Der'kal Order
Red troopers were subjected to flash-training and loyalty conditioning built upon and advanced beyond the procedures of earlier generations. As a result, Red troopers were imbued with fanatical loyalty to the Der'kal Order and their cause, becoming more obedient and droid-like than the Der'kal Empire's trained-from-childhood stormtroopers. The best soldiers in their ranks were elevated beyond the elite status of Sith troopers, becoming a separate class of soldier altogether. Notwithstanding the aesthetic similarities Der'kal stormtroopers and their Der'kal Order counterparts, the crucial difference was in the latter's fearless aggression as well as their discipline, ferocity, and loyalty to the Der'kal Order. In close-quarters combat, Red troopers operated in fire teams of three units, who were trained to fight in a braced firing stance for covering sixty degrees of forward arc.
As children of the Der'kal Eternal, Red troopers revered the power of the dark side, having been raised by cultists to embody the beliefs of the ancient dark religion.
Equipment[]
Armor[]
Red troopers wore red armor that evoked the bloodstained legacy of their ancient namesake
Red stormtrooper armor consisted of a red gammaplast composite, quadruple-layered to a dense, highly impact-resistant finish worn over a hermetically sealed black body glove. Faceted anglular planes on the face and chest plate were designed to redirect glancing blaster bolts. The helmet's T-shaped visor was reminiscent of the clone trooper's Phase I and Phase II versions. Aside from this aesthetic callback to the clone soldiers of generations past, targeting sensors were integrated into the helmet's design, giving Sith troopers an advantage in low light or smoke-obscured conditions.
As a result, their helmets constantly broadcasted battlefield data, providing Red trooper officer with a sweeping overview of combat conditions. A commander's helmet could calculate the outcomes of various tactics in a compressed time via computer models, which in turn provided officers with recommendations based on predefined victory conditions. This information was kept at the command level to avoid distracting the rank-and-file troopers in the midst of combat. Additional technological features included a wireless data antenna and an atmosphere filtration system.
The Red troopers' right shoulder-mounted sensor telemetry pod emitted active signals programmed to bounce and return, providing accurate environmental data to feed back to a command center through encrypted telemetry. The right forearm gauntlet had a built-in data storage module with an access port, the armor's articulated magnatomic plates permitted the troopers' greater range in movement, and the anisotropic bands increased the surface area for radiating excess energy from impacts. The corrugated body glove that was worn under the quad-folded gammaplast armor had an internal atmosphere. The utility belt contained power cell ammunition as well as a detonite explosive charge.
Weapons[]
The ST-W48 blaster was a heavy but versatile weapon
The Red troopers' primary weapon was the ST-W48 blaster. It was a heavy rifle with minaturized tech built into space-efficient frames. Slung beneath each rifle's barrel were quarrel-bolt launchers, which borrowed and updated the bowcaster technology for an extra explosive punch. The result was a versatile weapon capable of switching between two modes: blaster rifle and blaster carbine. The ST-W48 was strengthened to decrease its recoil; it also possessed a sight-housing and mount for improved accuracy. In its carbine mode, the stock was removed for combat in confined spaces.
The ST-W48 blaster was a heavy but versatile weapon capable of switching between rifle and carbine modes
Aside from the ST-W48, red troopers carried the larger FWMB-10B repeating blaster for additional firepower. Designed by Sonn-Blas Corporation, this repeating blaster had a collapsed monopod that could extend for support, a high-resolution electroscope, and a barrel-cooling shroud.
Specialized Red troopers[]
The Red jet trooper was a variant of the standard Red trooper
To create a versatile army capable of meeting the various demands of warfare, specialized troopers were trained and equipped to complement the Der'kal Order's infantry units. As with the Der'kal infantrymen, these variants resembled their counterparts in the Der'kal Empire; however, their armor was painted in the striking red colors of the Der'kal Order forces.
- Red jet trooper — Elite airborne troopers, given intense training and advanced gear, such as the NJP-900 integrated jetpack and the F-11ABA heavy blaster cannon.
- Red trooper officer — Officers trained for command, given armor fitted with advanced sensor technology; military ranks included commander, sergeant, lance corporal, and corporal.
- Sovereign Protector — The best of the Red troopers, elevated to the status of elite royal guards, stationed in the Citadel on Exegol.
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
The Der'kal Red Stormtrooper is based on the Sith trooper from the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, the third and final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.