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Description
"Steel Talons rule!" - Steel Talons, unit motto

Classifying the Steel Talons is a debate in of itself. Some say it was made as an elite black-ops unit, while others claim it was just a regular unit that went 'off the rails' in terms of command structure. Whatever the case, joining the Steel Talons is a one-way ticket to one of the deadliest fighting forces in the galaxy. The term 'deadly' applies both ways, as each Steel Talon is a warrior born, and the Steel Talons accept the missions that nobody else does, and as such their casualty rates are horrendously high, and the only way to 'leave' the Steel Talons is through a usually-violent demise. However, supposing they can survive their first mission, even a recruit who joins the Steel Talons can become the equivalent of an experienced warrior in a very short amount of time, such is the brutality of their combat methods. In short, there are no rules, and a Steel Talon is permitted to use any method they choose to eliminate an enemy, as long as it falls in line with the mission objective (so no killing VIPs).

There are two ranks in the Steel Talons that make up its shaky command structure. There's the leader, and then there's everyone else. Aside from the leader, who is voted in by the other Steel Talons rather than promoted, every Steel Talon is of equal rank, regardless of military history. As such, a leader must earn the trust and respect of the majority of Steel Talons to earn his or her position, as well as keep it, as regular peer assessments take place on an almost weekly basis. Despite having the respect and in turn respecting their comrades, a Steel Talon leader has anything but respect for the rest of GDI's command structure, lending the Steel Talons their 'loose-cannon' reputation. That isn't to say that the Steel Talons are adverse to helping out the green-faced regular troops, especially when not otherwise engaged.

Armadillo (centre) is the current leader of the Steel Talons, and held his post for the last twenty-five years of the Tiberium Wars. Since then, the Steel Talons were divided across the stars. Either that, or dead, since the end of the war saw massive casualties on either side. Two Steel Talons are known to accompany him; Shadowclaw (left) and Titan (right). Armadillo is a powerful warrior with decades of experience on the front lines earned before his rise to prominence, having served under ten previous leaders, several of whom had rather 'short' leadership shifts. He isn't one for rousing speeches, but instead leads by example, fighting at the front of the formation and leading the charge across open ground, as a firm believer that the best leader is the one who fights alongside his troops. This also has its logistical advantages, as Armadillo can read a battle far more effectively if he feels the ebb and flow of it, rather than watch from a holomap.

Shadowclaw was trained by the GDI InOps (Intelligence Operations) division and as such earned her black stripes, characteristic of any InOps operative. However, after graduating the perpetual role of scouting and reconnaissance bored her, and she struck out to join the Steel Talons. Thanks to her training, her senses are incredibly acute, and she frequently offers her scouting expertise when the Steel Talons are on a mission, isolating and identifying threats for her compatriots to engage. Her presence is estimated to halve expected Steel Talon casualties, and as such she is a well-respected senior member of the Steel Talons. She may be a scout, but she's a proficient marksbot herself, using her high-powered sniper rifle to pick of targets from incredible ranges.

Titan is considered the unofficial 'second-in-command' of the Steel Talons, a flexible ranking that applies when the leader of the Steel Talons is dead or otherwise engaged. When he isn't acting in that role however, he's on the front line, providing his combat experience and power to the battle. Titan isn't one for underhanded tricks, and will often prefer to fight a superior enemy head on. While foolish, Titan has survived enough terminal encounters to be considered experienced at it, and is one of the few non-Gryphonyte combatants to have claimed a Battle Gryphonyte kill, having used an energy blade to slice through the incredibly-thin armour plating around the base of a Battle Gryphonyte's neck, slicing the beast's head off in one swift blow.

"Steel Talons don't retreat!" - The one rule

Description
"Steel Talons rule!" - Steel Talons, unit motto

Classifying the Steel Talons is a debate in of itself. Some say it was made as an elite black-ops unit, while others claim it was just a regular unit that went 'off the rails' in terms of command structure. Whatever the case, joining the Steel Talons is a one-way ticket to one of the deadliest fighting forces in the galaxy. The term 'deadly' applies both ways, as each Steel Talon is a warrior born, and the Steel Talons accept the missions that nobody else does, and as such their casualty rates are horrendously high, and the only way to 'leave' the Steel Talons is through a usually-violent demise. However, supposing they can survive their first mission, even a recruit who joins the Steel Talons can become the equivalent of an experienced warrior in a very short amount of time, such is the brutality of their combat methods. In short, there are no rules, and a Steel Talon is permitted to use any method they choose to eliminate an enemy, as long as it falls in line with the mission objective (so no killing VIPs).

There are two ranks in the Steel Talons that make up its shaky command structure. There's the leader, and then there's everyone else. Aside from the leader, who is voted in by the other Steel Talons rather than promoted, every Steel Talon is of equal rank, regardless of military history. As such, a leader must earn the trust and respect of the majority of Steel Talons to earn his or her position, as well as keep it, as regular peer assessments take place on an almost weekly basis. Despite having the respect and in turn respecting their comrades, a Steel Talon leader has anything but respect for the rest of GDI's command structure, lending the Steel Talons their 'loose-cannon' reputation. That isn't to say that the Steel Talons are adverse to helping out the green-faced regular troops, especially when not otherwise engaged.

Armadillo (centre) is the current leader of the Steel Talons, and held his post for the last twenty-five years of the Tiberium Wars. Since then, the Steel Talons were divided across the stars. Either that, or dead, since the end of the war saw massive casualties on either side. Two Steel Talons are known to accompany him; Shadowclaw (left) and Titan (right). Armadillo is a powerful warrior with decades of experience on the front lines earned before his rise to prominence, having served under ten previous leaders, several of whom had rather 'short' leadership shifts. He isn't one for rousing speeches, but instead leads by example, fighting at the front of the formation and leading the charge across open ground, as a firm believer that the best leader is the one who fights alongside his troops. This also has its logistical advantages, as Armadillo can read a battle far more effectively if he feels the ebb and flow of it, rather than watch from a holomap.

Shadowclaw was trained by the GDI InOps (Intelligence Operations) division and as such earned her black stripes, characteristic of any InOps operative. However, after graduating the perpetual role of scouting and reconnaissance bored her, and she struck out to join the Steel Talons. Thanks to her training, her senses are incredibly acute, and she frequently offers her scouting expertise when the Steel Talons are on a mission, isolating and identifying threats for her compatriots to engage. Her presence is estimated to halve expected Steel Talon casualties, and as such she is a well-respected senior member of the Steel Talons. She may be a scout, but she's a proficient marksbot herself, using her high-powered sniper rifle to pick of targets from incredible ranges.

Titan is considered the unofficial 'second-in-command' of the Steel Talons, a flexible ranking that applies when the leader of the Steel Talons is dead or otherwise engaged. When he isn't acting in that role however, he's on the front line, providing his combat experience and power to the battle. Titan isn't one for underhanded tricks, and will often prefer to fight a superior enemy head on. While foolish, Titan has survived enough terminal encounters to be considered experienced at it, and is one of the few non-Gryphonyte combatants to have claimed a Battle Gryphonyte kill, having used an energy blade to slice through the incredibly-thin armour plating around the base of a Battle Gryphonyte's neck, slicing the beast's head off in one swift blow.

"Steel Talons don't retreat!" - The one rule