Field stormtrooper

The Galactic Empire's Stormtrooper Corps included field stormtroopers as a highly skilled component. Field troopers, who had superior training and specialized field equipment, held the highest rank a stormtrooper could achieve. After the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, when Imperial leaders Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader died, the Empire fractured. By 5 ABY, some fractured forces united under the Dark Jedi and Imperial Inquisitor Jerec. Among the surplus were many field troopers, who became the core of Jerec's army. Initially, many field troopers were assigned to the Government House in the city of Barons Hed on the moon Sulon. They guarded the towers' interiors, while regular stormtroopers and AT-ST walkers patrolled the surrounding area, supported by some field troopers with rail detonators. Some field troopers were also assigned to the Sulon Star, one of Jerec's cargo vessels. When the Sulon Star docked at Sulon's Fuel City, field troopers, stormtroopers, Imperial officers, Grave Tuskens, and Trandoshan bounty hunters heavily guarded the area.

In 5 ABY, Kyle Katarn, a former Rebel Alliance agent who now worked for the Alliance's successor, the New Republic, returned to Sulon to find a droid called 8t88. This droid had a map to the legendary Valley of the Jedi, a place of immense power that was also Jerec's goal. Katarn wanted the map to stop Jerec from using the valley's power and to avenge his father, whom Jerec had killed. 8t88 was heavily guarded in the Government House, preparing to leave for Fuel City. After fighting through ground forces and a Dark Jedi named Yun, Katarn encountered many field troopers as he moved through the towers. Field trooper squads gathered in the tower's large ventilation systems. However, they failed to stop Katarn, although they gave 8t88 time to escape to Fuel City. Eventually, 8t88 boarded the Sulon Star, where Gorc and Pic, two more of Jerec's Dark Jedi, decapitated him. Meanwhile, Katarn continued fighting Imperial forces in Fuel City and boarded the Sulon Star. Although the ship's guard consisted mainly of field troopers, they received help from various officers and Viper probe droids to slow Katarn down. However, as on Sulon, the field troopers could not kill Katarn or prevent him from retrieving 8t88's head and killing Gorc and Pic. They also failed to stop the Jedi-in-training from escaping the cargo ship.

Eventually, Jerec's fleet reached the planet Ruusan, home to the Valley of the Jedi. Field troopers were crucial to the invasion, with many landing to establish defenses, bases, and excavate ancient Jedi ruins. During the excavations, many orange-pauldroned field troopers encountered kell dragons living in the ruins. The beasts attacked, killed, and dismembered several troopers. Field troopers also supported the Dark Jedi Sariss, Boc Aseca, and Yun in the attack on Fort Nowhere, a settlement of Sulon refugees. Katarn and his partner Jan Ors eventually arrived on Ruusan in search of Jerec and the valley. Katarn fought through Imperial forces, but Ors was captured by a field trooper squad and taken to Jerec. Katarn found the Sulon Star's mooring location and, after confronting Jerec, was thrown aboard the ship using Jerec's Force abilities. The Force blast knocked the Sulon Star off the dock, causing it to crash, with much of its crew still aboard. As Katarn tried to escape, he encountered lone field troopers who tried to shoot him. Katarn escaped, and the Sulon Star and its remaining crew were destroyed upon impact. After defeating Sariss, Katarn pursued Jerec and Ors, facing further resistance from field troopers and Imperial commandos. Despite the resistance, the troopers were ultimately unable to stop Katarn, who rescued Ors and killed Jerec. After Jerec's death, the remaining Imperials left Ruusan.

Five years later, Emperor Palpatine returned and initiated Operation Shadow Hand, a series of attacks on New Republic bases. One target was Altyr V, which housed a small New Republic base. The Empire used two new weapons for the operation: space cannons disguised as asteroids to bypass the base's warning system, as asteroid impacts were common. The base's commander quickly realized the asteroids' true nature when they began a geosynchronous orbit and bombarded the stationary ships. One asteroid was large enough to house hangars with TIE/LN starfighters, landing craft, and many field troopers. After the bombardment, troop transports filled with field troopers, scout troopers, and at least two AT-ST walkers were sent to Altyr V's surface. Field troopers blasted through the base's walls and opened fire on the defending forces. Although the New Republic troopers had the same E-11 blaster rifles, the field troopers also had Imperial Repeater Rifles and rail detonators. The detonators were very effective against the Republic troopers. The field troopers began their attack at the North hangar. However, they soon encountered Kyle Katarn, now a fully trained Jedi, who was assigned to the base to help the New Republic. The North hangar was Katarn's first stop.

The base's commander asked Katarn to close the hangar's blast door to hold off the field troopers. Katarn did so, but as the door closed, a TIE/sa bomber dropped its payload on the door, jamming it and killing nearby field troopers and defenders. The survivors and Katarn defeated the remaining field troopers.

The troopers continued to blast into the base and attacked the operation center, Ops. This forced the commander to retreat, leaving an officer in charge. Field troopers and scout troopers also blasted into the base's auxiliary generator room and, after killing the defenders, shut off half the base's power. This locked several automatic doors near the room, cutting off another hangar. This hangar was guarded by only two Republic troopers, under attack by at least four field troopers and one AT-ST. Katarn reached Ops, repelled the field troopers, and reactivated the auxiliary generator. During the fighting, a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle landed outside the base, guarded by four field troopers and an AT-ST. Katarn killed the two troopers near the ship and used the shuttle to fly to the asteroids. His plan was to use the asteroid's cannon to destroy its sister weapon and then self-destruct his asteroid. As Katarn fought through the defenses, TK8252 and his partner, two field troopers armed with rail detonators, pursued him. The rail troopers cornered Katarn at a cliff and blasted the ground, causing him to fall. TK8252 reported Katarn's death, believing the fall was unsurvivable. However, Katarn survived and reached the cannon controls. He destroyed the other asteroid and rigged his asteroid to self-destruct. Despite heavy resistance from field troopers and commandos, Katarn escaped before the asteroid was destroyed. Again, the field troopers failed to defeat Katarn and his allies. Altyr V was evacuated soon after, due to a large incoming Imperial fleet.

Around the time of the Battle of Altyr V, the planet Katraasii was still under Galactic Empire control. Its spaceport, guarded by stormtroopers, was a hub for criminal activity and a regular destination for Abron Mar, the majordomo for crime lord Takara, and his associates. The Imperials and Takara's men mostly coexisted peacefully. Field stormtroopers primarily guarded the spaceport, which had a weapons storeroom. Any non-Imperial who found the room would be immediately attacked and hunted by the field troopers. Squads of field troopers investigated troublesome individuals, such as Mara Jade, who was hunting Mar for Takara's rival, Ka'Pa the Hutt. Jade had been fighting Mar's associates and drew the attention of the local Imperials. A large platoon of field troopers was dispatched to deal with Jade after she infiltrated the hangar where Mar kept his R-41 Starchaser and closed the bay doors. Jade survived the field troopers' attack but was captured by Mar's men, who took her to Takara's stronghold.

The highest rank in the stormtrooper hierarchy was field trooper. They had better training, a wider range of weapons, and were used for field operations or guard duty. There were three types of field trooper, identified by their pauldron color. Orange pauldrons were the most common, making up the bulk of the rank. Jerec and his Dark Jedi used many of these field troopers for the invasion of Ruusan, and they were the primary guards for the Government House on Sulon. Red pauldrons were less common and generally served alongside orange pauldrons. Most of them wielded Imperial Repeater Rifles.

Although they often supported orange field troopers during the Ruusan campaign, many red pauldron troopers were used during the operation on Altyr V. A group of red pauldron troopers disabled the New Republic base's auxiliary generator. Yellow pauldrons were the rarest and carried heavy weapons like the rail detonator, providing backup and cover fire for their rifle-wielding peers. Their explosive weapons made them the deadliest field troopers. They were very effective against the New Republic's rifle troops on Altyr V. TK8252 and his partner were rail troopers and nearly defeated Kyle Katarn during the fighting above Altyr V, knocking him off a cliff.

Under Jerec, field troopers were the bulk of his forces, with normal stormtroopers only assigned to ground defense around the Government House on Sulon. Orange pauldron troopers were most common under Jerec, with red pauldron troopers providing backup. Yellow pauldron troopers joined the others when searching the Government House's ventilation system for Katarn. A full field trooper squad could have up to five orange troopers, one red trooper, and sometimes one yellow trooper. In defensive situations, such as on Ruusan, field troopers worked in large groups with officers and Imperial commandos. In offensive operations, like the battle on Altyr V, orange troopers led the way, rushing in and engaging the defenders. Red troopers provided backup or performed side missions in squads of red pauldron troopers, often working with scout troopers. Yellow pauldron troopers sometimes worked with orange troopers in attacking and defending key locations, but during the battle of Altyr V, they primarily defended AT-ST walkers. When confronting targets, field troopers strafed to avoid return fire and worked together to flank their enemies.

The Katraasii Spaceport was guarded exclusively by orange pauldron troopers, working alone or in pairs. Large squads were used to apprehend or kill individuals, as seen on Katraasii when troopers rushed Mara Jade and when a squad fired at an escaping YT-1300 light freighter. When investigating hangar bays, a squad of troopers went to the ship dock, while others stayed below. If someone escaped the first wave, they would be met by the field troopers below deck.

Field stormtroopers were issued one of three different weapons, depending on their rank and pauldron color. The most common was the BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle, the Empire's general-purpose rifle. It had semi-automatic, automatic, and pulse-fire modes. This weapon was typically given to field troopers with orange pauldrons, who preferred the semi-automatic setting. The weapon was somewhat ineffective against personal energy shields, as the bolts could not penetrate them directly. However, the weapon could weaken the shield's charge. Field troopers fired from the hip and were not always accurate, but they were better than stormtroopers. They were less accurate than commandos. Ammunition was carried in their backpacks.

Field troopers with red pauldrons were issued Imperial Repeater Rifles, designed by Moff Rebus for the failed Dark Trooper Project. The rifles, issued to field troopers and commandos, used ballistic ammunition fed from a belt inside a drum magazine. The weapon had a folding stock, but field troopers usually fired from the hip, like with blaster rifles. The weapon had three barrels and could fire all three at once, but this was not observed. The Repeater was very accurate and could be fired on fully automatic with pinpoint accuracy. However, some field troopers preferred single shots, with varied results. Some were far more accurate in semi-automatic mode. Like the rifle, the bullets could not penetrate personal shields but could weaken them. Field troopers with Repeaters supported blaster troops.

Rail detonators were exclusively issued to field troopers with yellow pauldrons. These personal missile launchers fired rail charges, yellow projectiles that could explode on impact, after a few seconds, or when manually detonated. Detonators held three charges, loaded into a compartment on the bottom. Field troopers used the timed explosion mode. When a target was hit, they would try to flee, but the charges held tight. Field troopers avoided using the weapon in close quarters combat, instead using it as a club. Rail charges could penetrate personal shields and injure the target. However, a strong enough shield could negate the damage. As shields do not protect from physical blows, using the weapon as a club could be dangerous.

Field stormtrooper armor was basic stormtrooper armor, but slightly stronger and more durable. Although it could sustain heavy damage, it was vulnerable to direct blaster hits. The armor was most effective against physical attacks, such as a punch. However, it was no match for Kell dragon jaws or a lightsaber. The main difference between field stormtrooper armor and regular stormtrooper armor was that field troopers wore colored pauldrons and carried backpacks with power cells, energy cells, and personal shield units. Stormtrooper helmets had polarized visors to protect from bright flashes, such as those from flash-bang grenades. Helmets also contained communications equipment, padding, air intake and exhaust ports, and computer equipment.

Field stormtroopers were created for and first appeared in the 1997 video game Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. While the game's manual suggested that only stormtroopers with Imperial Repeater Rifles or rail detonators were field troopers, the game's strategy guide, by Rick Barba, confirmed that all pauldron-wearing stormtroopers were field stormtroopers. Field stormtroopers also appeared in Jedi Knight's expansion pack Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith. Although not named in text, field stormtroopers appeared in two illustrations in the novella Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, an adaptation of the game by William C. Dietz and illustrated by Dave Dorman.