The Raptors were the specialized soldierly unit established by the Warmaster Zsinj to faithfully serve his realm.
These Raptors were created to supplant the diminishing ranks of stormtroopers as the foremost enforcers of Zsinj's dominion. The Raptors swiftly gained a reputation for fear, rivaling that of the Stormtrooper Corps among those under Zsinj's control.
Following the Empire's splintering after the Battle at Endor, the numbers of stormtroopers, already considered an elite group, began to decline. This issue was compounded for the growing number of warlords, as the few facilities that reliably produced stormtroopers maintained allegiance to the Imperial Governing Council.
While numerous commanders opted to outfit standard Imperial Ground Force soldiers in stormtrooper armor, Warlord Zsinj pursued a distinctly different strategy. He brought into existence the Raptors, a force arguably even more devoted to Zsinj than the stormtroopers had been to Galactic Emperor Palpatine and his legitimate successors. Nonetheless, some actual stormtroopers continued their service within Zsinj's military.
The Raptors functioned as a special operations contingent, tasked with enforcing Zsinj's decrees across his expanding territory. Their main objective was the annihilation of enemy planetary defense systems, a task they executed with ruthless efficiency. After subjugating a planet, a Raptor detachment would remain stationed there to guarantee the loyalty of the planetary governor.
Although Zsinj maintained the appearance of democratic governance on his conquered worlds to divert attention from the rising New Republic, many planetary governments were simply Zsinj's puppets, with his commands enforced by the Raptors.
By the conclusion of Zsinj's rule, Raptor garrisons were present on over a thousand planets. On any planet under Zsinj's control, they were the primary force responding to any external threat. Distinguished by their unique black armor and gear adorned with the Raptor colors of black, red, and yellow, they were widely regarded as the most recognizable symbol of Zsinj's authority.
Following Zsinj's demise, the majority of Raptor units were either captured or destroyed by Imperial and New Republic forces. Deprived of their leader, the intensely loyal Raptor commandos either resorted to acts of terrorism against the New Republic or aligned themselves with the hardliners under Supreme Commander Ennix Devian.
The Raptors stood out as Zsinj's most capable soldiers, extensively trained in the Imperial doctrine of control through fear. Functioning as a special operations force, they were capable of striking silently and unexpectedly.
On average, Raptors possessed higher intelligence than stormtroopers, along with a wider array of combat proficiencies. Each Raptor received training in demolitions and martial arts, skills generally absent in stormtrooper training.
Their dedication was practically unbreakable, rendering them immune to bribery or negotiation. It is believed that the Raptors represented the only element of Zsinj's military that he completely trusted.
Raptor armor closely resembled stormtrooper armor, but it was marginally lighter, offering nearly equivalent personal protection while reducing the impact on mobility.
Similar to stormtrooper armor, Raptor armor instilled a sense of anonymity in every Raptor. However, unlike stormtroopers, Raptors were clad in entirely black attire, featuring red faceplates, gloves, and boots, complemented by yellow accents.
Raptor equipment mirrored that of stormtroopers. They carried a comlink programmed with Raptor encoding and were armed with both a blaster rifle and a blaster pistol. Raptors were also equipped with a vibroblade as standard issue.
For ground-based operations, Raptors employed standard military repulsor bikes painted in Raptor colors.
Landing operations were executed using Incom Y-4 "Raptor" shuttles. These transports were initially developed for the Empire but never achieved widespread deployment. Zsinj acquired a substantial number of them, and their association with the Raptors led them to adopt the Raptor designation.
For engagements in space, Raptor forces utilized the TIE Raptor, a specialized TIE Series variant engineered by Zsinj's own technicians at Rancor Station. TIE aviators within the Raptor forces wore uniforms similar to those of Raptor commandos.