Dark Horse Regiments

The Dark Horse regiments are the 2nd RSAB's "black ops" regiments. More specifically, they are responsible for carrying out operations involving chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. In addition, they perform any extra-judicial activities required by the 2nd RSAB high command. Officially, the regiments do not exist and the operations and history are only known to the 2nd RSAB high command. They are directly answerable to the 2nd RSAB supreme commander and the command council. Dark Horse members are strictly forbidden from serving at the command level or advancing past the rank of Colonel or Commander.

Members are drawn from the primary forces, the reserves, and also from the civilian population. Members are required to be intelligent but with a combination of loyalty and "moral flexibility". After training, members are assigned to their "day jobs" in other units and departments. They are usually in positions that allow them to be moved around or pulled off assignment easily.

There are 3 dark horse regiments. They are officially designated as grunt infantry regiments but members may use any form of equipment necessary to their assignments. There is a limited stockpile of equipment specifically set aside for exclusive use by the dark horse regiments, including one medium cruiser specially modified to carry and deploy nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

The Dark Horse regiments were created as a fail-safe unit in the event that an opposing force used weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against the 2nd RSAB. It was felt that having a force possessing WMD capabilities and training would be prudent. One key problem was the Star League's refusal to use such weapons at any level. To publicly condone (or even contemplate the possibility of) using WMD's, it was felt, would create significant risk of resistance to the 2nd RSAB high command.

Dark Horse regiment personnel do not have contact with any other Dark Horse personnel outside of their own regiment. The only exceptions are the regimental commanders and their seconds in command.

The three Dark Horse Regiments are:

• 1st Dark Horse Regiment - The Black Novas - Nuclear weapons specialists including strategic and tactical deployments, weapon detection and neutralization. Their logo is a black mushroom cloud with a dark blue "1" at the centre.
• 2nd Dark Horse Regiment - The Silent Stalkers - Biological and chemical weapons specialists including deployment, detection, and response. Their logo is black bio-hazard symbol with a dark green "2" at the centre
• 3rd Dark Horse Regiment - The Hidden Hangmen - Special operations, infiltration, subversion, and assassination specialists. Their logo is a black noose with a black "3" in the middle.

A large percentage of members of the 1st and 2nd Dark Horse regiments are also members of the Corps of Engineers Nuclear and Biological/Chemical response teams.

The 3rd Dark Horse Regiment are strictly forbidden from acting against any flag officers. In addition, while they are given great latitude in how they perform their tasks, their first priority is to keep their existence a secret. The 3rd Dark Horse can also be used for direct attacks against civilian members of any opposing force.

Quarter Master Command maintains top-secret facilities that are used to produce materials for the Dark Horse regiments. Quarter Master personnel assigned to these facilities are also members of the Dark Horse regiments.