Kota's Militia

"Master Kota was a military genius, but felt that clone soldiers were unfit for battle. Instead, he relied on his own militia."

- PROXY

Rahm Kota's Militia was a unique combat unit of battle-hardened soldiers that fought in the service of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. While the members of the Jedi Order accepted high-ranking positions in the Grand Army of the Republic, Master Kota refused to have anything to do with the new Clone Army. He neither trusted the clones nor saw them as effective soldiers. Hence, Kota recruited a small but effective army from local militias, mercenary groups and even Separatist prisoners of war.

When Order 66 was issued by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the clone troopers betrayed and murdered their Jedi officers. Most of Kota's Militia, however, remained loyal to their General. They disappeared into hiding during the Great Jedi Purge, but later re-emerged to take up arms against the Galactic Empire.

Overview
The Militia soldiers were clad in armor and uniforms that resembled those that would later be worn by the Alliance Special Forces during the early Galactic Civil War. Most troopers were armed with blaster rifles, stun batons, missile launchers and thermal grenades. Elite members were issued heavier armor and repeating blaster cannons. Furthermore, the Militia possessed several commandeered MAAT gunships and dozens of BTL-S3 Y-wing starfighters. Many of their weapons and vehicles were purchased from criminal organizations, such as the Lok Revenants.

Small in number, the Militia relied mainly on the element of surprise and hit-and-run tactics. Though vastly outnumbered by both the Droid army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and later outmatched by the much larger Imperial Military, the Militia was composed of soldiers who were committed to the cause of rebellion against the Galactic Empire. They demonstrated qualities such as loyalty to Rahm Kota, dedication to his cause, courage against Imperial soldiers, and the willingness to die for their Jedi General.

History
"The Emperor cannot discover you. Leave no witnesses. Kill everyone aboard, Imperials and Kota's men alike."

- Darth Vader to Starkiller

After the Clone Wars began between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Jedi Order quickly moved to protect the galaxy from the Separatist Rebellion, and thus they accepted command of the newly-formed Grand Army of the Republic. Jedi Master Rahm Kota was determined to defend the Republic as well, although he declined to lead the clone troopers. Unlike other Jedi, Kota did not trust the Clone Army. Furthermore, he believed that clone soldiers were unfit for battle. Kota found real Humans to be more creative, intelligent and versatile than the clones. Hence, he established a private unit of highly-trained soldiers recruited from various local militias, mercenaries, and even Separatist prisoners of war. The result was a small, but efficient fighting force, composed of soldiers noted for their battlefield effectiveness and personal loyalty to General Kota.

Rahm Kota's lack of trust in the clones and his faith in real Human beings was vindicated when Order 66 was issued by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. By the Chancellor's command, the clone troopers assassinated their Jedi officers on Coruscant and throughout the galaxy. Most of Kota's soldiers remained faithful to their General, however, and refused to obey the genocidal order. With the Republic's fall followed by the birth of the Galactic Empire&mdash;ruled by the self-appointed Emperor Palpatine&mdash;in its place, the Militia commandeered a Venator-class Star Destroyer and disappeared into hiding along with General Kota.

The Dark Times
Kota and his soldiers remained in hiding for many years during the Great Jedi Purge. They emerged from seclusion nearly two decades after the Declaration of a New Order, conducting hit-and-run attacks against various Imperial targets throughout the galaxy. Though not officially a rebellion, their activities eventually gained the personal attention of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. While Kota's Militia was in the process of raiding a TIE Fighter Construction Facility located above Nar Shaddaa, Vader deployed his Secret Apprentice, a young Sith assassin codenamed Starkiller, on a mission to kill Kota.

In order to protect the secrecy of his existence, the Apprentice was ordered to kill everyone who encountered him. Imperial Soldiers and Kota's Militia alike. Starkiller faithfully executed his Master's orders to the letter and allowed no one in his path to survive. Throughout his ascent to the station's command center, where General Kota was located, Starkiller came across numerous skirmishes between Imperials and Militia soldiers. Upon reaching his target, the Apprentice ultimately blinded and defeated Kota during a lightsaber duel, but also failed to kill him. The aftermath of the Battle of the TIE Fighter Construction Facility left what remained of the Militia scattered and leaderless. Though Kota survived his encounter with Starkiller, the Jedi Master became disillusioned by his defeat and turned to extreme alcoholism in order to cope with depression.

Some of Kota's soldiers formed a bodyguard detail to former Imperial Senator Bail Organa after the Militia's defeat at Nar Shaddaa. They accompanied him to the planet Felucia, but failed to prevent the Senator's kidnapping by the corrupted Jedi Maris Brood. Starkiller later arrived on the planet and found the Militia troops engaged in combat with Imperial soldiers. The Militia, unaware of Starkiller's allegiance to Darth Vader, pointed the Apprentice in the direction where Brood held Organa hostage.

After Organa's rescue, a contingent of Militia soldiers journeyed to Corellia where they provided protection to a small group of disgruntled Imperial Senators, including Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis. The meeting was a trap orchestrated by Darth Vader, however, to lure the Emperor's enemies into a single location. The Militia was quickly overwhelmed by the Dark Lord's snowtroopers; Kota was easily defeated by Vader himself. The Senators were then transferred to the Death Star where Emperor Palpatine awaited them. The Senators were ultimately saved by Galen Marek, redeemed from his life as Starkiller, who sacrificed his life to ensure the survival of the Rebellion. In the aftermath of Marek's demise, the Senators&mdash;Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, Bail and Leia Organa&mdash;offically declared the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The remnants of Kota's Militia became the basis for the fledgling Alliance Military while Rahm Kota became one of its first generals.

Legacy
The Rebel Alliance's war against the Galactic Empire was far too unsatisfactory in Rahm Kota's opinion. While Alliance High Command&mdash;caught between Mon Mothma's hesitancy to risk losing resources and Garm Bel Iblis's advocacy for total war&mdash;struggled with indecision and disagreement, Kota decided to wage his own war by conducting unauthorized operations against various Imperial targets. In order to do so, he recruited an elite squad that answered directly to him. Well-trained and armed with equipment similar to the Militia, Kota's new unit was composed of Humans who possessed much hatred for the Galactic Empire.

Using the Rogue Shadow as their personal transport, Kota's squad served under their General on a number of occasions, which included a raid on Cato Neimoidia and an Imperial ambush on the Alliance Fleet in the Itani Nebula. The squad also participated in the Battle of Kamino, aiding General Kota against various Imperial soldiers as the Alliance forces stormed into the Timira City Cloning Facility. As the fighting drew to a close, Rahm Kota and his squad&mdash;aided by a clone of the original Starkiller&mdash;captured Darth Vader, thus allowing the Alliance to secure its first major victory in the war.

Elite
The most skilled and reliable members of Kota's Militia were honored with position in the General's heavy weapons detail. Armed with large repeating blaster cannons, the Elites were regarded as more than a match for even the most battle-hardened Imperial soldiers. Their combat role included the providing of cover fire for other Militia members, as well as the defense of key positions during raids.



Heavy Trooper
Heavy Troopers utilized equipment similar to those of the Militia Saboteur, but were primarily armed with missile launchers. They accompanied other variant soldiers of the Militia, providing long-range fire support against more heavily armored and dangerous opponents. They were effective at killing enemy targets from a distance, but were also vulnerable in close-range combat. Hence, they relied on the protection of their comrades.



Saboteur
The Saboteurs formed the backbone of General Kota's Militia. Armed with blaster rifles and thermal grenades, these soldiers were skilled at maneuvering in small, tight-knit groups. Since the Militia lacked the resources and manpower for a full-scale war against the Galactic Empire, the Saboteurs were also trained in hit-and-run tactics.



Trooper
Militia Troopers were General Kota's hand-picked soldiers, chosen to be trained in the use of energized stun batons. As such, they were mainly suited for close-quarters melee combat in environments filled with explosives and other hazards. These specialized soldiers relied on rushing at their enemies, surrounding and overwhelming them before a shot could be fired.

Behind the scenes
In the PC/Xbox 360/PS3 versions of the game, the player can be given the appearance of the Militia Elite, Saboteur or Trooper by using the cheat code SOHNDANN to unlock the other skins and costumes.

In the Wii/PSP/PS2 versions, the Militia Saboteurs wear less gear

The Heavy Trooper only appears in the PSP, PS2 and Wii versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed comic
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II comic