Fiction:Draconid Imperium/Blood Dragons

The Blood Dragons (Also known as Dragons, Imperial Dragons, Paragon's Dogs, Paragon's Guard) are the elite bodyguard of the Paragon of the Draconis Empire. Throughout the empire's history they have gained a fearful reputation of loyalty, obedience to the paragon and brutal precision.

=Origins= The Blood Dragons originated as a special operations division within the Alcanti Solar Confederacy, assigned to covert operations and to deal with internal terror situations. Since the first alien race was not discovered until pID.210 most of their operations involved quelling internal situations such as rebellions, terrorist groups and intelligence gathering.

With the rise of the first Paragon he chose them to be his bodyguard out of respect for their reputation. Believing that because they had seen it all they would be the most capable in defending who would now be the most important person in the known (at the time) galaxy. The Blood dragons have served as bodyguards to the paragons and their families to this day, answering only and unquestioningly to the reigning family.

When the Janos War broke out the reigning paragon gave the blood dragons permission to protect the most high-value military personnel including Lord-General Tothanor and several important commodores. In some cases they had even served as ground officers to boost morale and keep discipline. The paragon had also dipatched them to several high-profile covert missions (The Covert-Ops Act of pID.2110 makes all Blood Dragon operations classified and unknown outside of the heads of state, an act that remains in force to this day). With the death of Alexia Vospus XVII the blood dragons were to guard the palace and the senate until a new paragon was chosen. Despite being their bodyguards the senate had no control over them,

Their darkest period was between ID.171,130 and ID.171,300 during the Second House War. Under the authority of Onivara VIII they combed the empire for supporters of house Ultanos, executing them in public and on the street. Their once iconic reputation was greatly soiled and was quickly transformed from heroes and icons of discipline to merciless angels of death. This period of murder ended with Onivara's execution along with the rest of knouse Khaxvis. In the first decade of her reign Alexis XIV passed the Blood Dragon Sensetivity Act; The Blood Dragons were to be more respectful to draconis citizens and had the right to question a paragon's more radical decisions.

=Organisation= The Dragons are organised into tactical teams of 20-30 members and structured identically to a platoon. They train alongside other teams to promote cooperation and team-building and are taught to take pride in their positions, their equipment and their duties. When in combat Dragons work in pairs with many choosing a particular squadmate as a bond-brother. Bond-brothers take preference during combat an drills. If one is to die in combat the other feels duty-bound to guard the corpse until being relieved with reinforcements. Dragons learn that to be separated from a fallen bond-brother is to be separated from a part from themselves.

Development and Training
Dragons are prepared from birth, often donated by loyal families or particular families such as house Voxis. Donation involves a family calling for a Dragon representetive to screen the eggs, the representetive chooses the prime specimens and asks for consent to take the eggs to Alcanti and to be cared for by a specially-trained broodmother. Since hatchlings are only emotionally attached to the broodmother they never know their parents. These special broodmothers develop the young ready for military life.

When they are a decade old they are moved from the hatchery to a junior barracks. Blood Dragon juveniles are given academic studies (along with physical conditioning) until they are 15. When they reach this age they become initiates and will be vigorously trained in many combat techniques - both ranged and close-range - until adulthood. Academic studies focus on basics such as maths and Dracid as well as topics they can use within military life includiing anatomy, chemistry, imperial history, psychology, maths, information technology and biology.

Blood Dragons will hone their skills and undergo rigorous drills for the rest of their lives, constanly improving themselves and keeping in top physical condition. Unlike the marines they are given a specially-engineered diet to keep them in prime condition. =Equipment= Since their origins as a SpecOps unit, Blood Dragons have always had access to higher-grade equipment and next-gen armour. This only enhances their deadly reputation.Standard armour consists of high-grade ceramic armour layered with an energy field that provides increased resistance against ranged weapons. The armour is built over a powered exoskeletion that ensures full mobility no matter the user's condition along with software for compensating for any nervous impairment - making them near-incapable of losing balance despite exposure to alcohols or tranquilisers. Their helmets use advanced combat optics to provide sharp vision along with an optical HUD on the lenses. Despite the side-facing eye sockets on the helmets, Blood Dragons are fully capable of fighting what is directly in front of them.

Weapons
High-quality fusion pistols and energy blades are standard issue. A typical Blood Dragon will wield two energy shortblades - electroconductive metal blades sheathed in an energy field - in close combat and use a variety of long-range weapons including fusion rifles and, on occasion, more exotic weaposn if they deem it worthwhile. Energy blades are turned off and placed in rubber-lined scabbards when not in use. Heavier weapons such as gatling guns or missile launchers are less common and an entire tactical team may only possess one such weapon.

Transportation
Blood Dragons focus on being mobile along with hit-and-run and skirmishing combat tactics when in open ground. On occasion they will use vehicles (mainly for rapid deployment), like everything else these are specially built nad better quality than the norm. Special vehicles are ypically distinguished by bright red markings along with the insignia somewhere on the body.

Unlike other parts of the military the Dragons' armoury is almost devoid of heavy armour and have the occasional gunship. tactical teams are deployed in special AO-9A 'nightwing' dropships with enough space for 20 Dragons and their equipment. These dropships are also used to deploy Dragons and any HVP they may be escorting. Due to the differences in equipment specifications Blood Dragons cannot occupy the standard AO-8 dropships used by the Talon Marine divisions.