The 501st Provisional Imperial Marine Battalion is a composite force made up of the remnants of numerous disbanded or non-operational Imperial Marine units. During the long Civil War period the attrition rate for Marine units has been very high. All too often the extraction or general evacuation of units has been ineffective while even adequatelynaval supported units also suffered high casualty rates. Often weakened forces were repeatedly amalgamated, often against the wish of these very units that cherished their regimental traditions and histories. The 501st is made of at least 47 previously operational regiments and dozens of, more often, randomly assigned reinforcement drafts. There are thirteen regimental colours in the battalion’s supplies along with seven regimental mascots and, what is left, of three marine bands. There are also survivors from the Imperial, various sector and numerous planetary armies who have ‘transferred’ in to the battalion.
The 501st has four companies, three line and one headquarters, that are spread across the various vessels of the 296th Fleet. The battalion has limited numbers of heavy weapons and nothing beyond light artillery; most often relying on orbital gunnery support. There is a platoon equipped with battle dress and high energy weapons but most marines wear combat armour and use plasma and fusion guns in a support role. Gauss and Laser rifles are common due to their widespread use and therefore ease of repair. All combat personnel are equipped with IFF (Identification friend or foe) transponders.
The ‘acting’ commander is Major Argyle Lawka, a venerable veteran of the corps who initially served as the battalion adjutant for four colonels that all fell in battle. The Major is ‘long in the tooth’ but also has a reputation for being cunning and ruthless. He is popular due to the belief that, “he hordes his men’s lives like a Genoee hordes gold.” Major Lawka’s family routes are from the Principality of Caledon in the Reaver's Deep Sector. He is very fond of the traditions and tunes of his ancestral home and collects finely distilled alcohol and electro-bagpipes. A blood member of clan MacYamazaki he turns a blind eye to illegal stills, providing they are not too awful, and has a trio of electro-bagpipers he dreams will one day “pipe the lads and lasses in".
Pictured right is Lundy Yamazaki, the battalion lead piper and proud blood member of the Yamazaki Clan. He plays his much cherished set of antique Suny® electro-bagpipes crafted in the age old ways of Terra. The pipes interface with the battalion EW systems to broadcast on a wide range of channels to block enemy communications and “sow confusion amongst the foe”. Favourites are the battalion march, “Blue Bob’s Bollox” and the ancient dirge “Jerry’s Walls”.
Art by Pino44io
Copyright Fading Stars Traveller rpg setting
