Scout

For other uses, see Scout.

A scout on — A Rebel Alliance scout on Hoth

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems."

―Siward Cass^[1]

Scouts, also known as explorers or rangers, were individuals who charted new hyperspace routes and explored unknown planets or unknown planetary areas as well as planets or planetary areas occupied by enemy forces, either working for a government, a corporation, or as an independent. Most major governments, including the Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire and the New Republic had their own scout services.

Description[]

Scouts were natural explorers and adventurers full of curiosity about what lay beyond their own homeworlds. Drawn by a need to seek knowledge or solve mysteries, scouts tended to gravitate towards the edges of civilization. They often wanted to be the first individual to see or experience something new and different. However, their innate curiosity was tempered by survival instincts and while they desired to be the first into a new region, they wanted to ensure they made it there in one piece.^[2]

Due to their independent nature, scouts developed a wide variety of skills since they tended to operate on their own. They became trained pilots and were capable of defending themselves from the unknown dangers of the new regions they visited. Because of their chosen profession, scouts were well-trained to survive in a variety of environments and they were often some of the best trackers, trailblazers, and survivalists in the galaxy. Experienced scouts could find the best paths through unfamiliar and hostile terrain, traversing the land as quickly and safely as possible. They also developed skills that allowed them to spot potential dangers early and avoid them. This often manifested as being able to react quickly to danger and being well aware of their surroundings at all times so they were not surprised.^[2]

Scouts were known by many names, including pathfinders, rangers, outriders, hunters, explorers, guides, and vanguards. They often worked for the highest bidder, signing on to freelance contracts where the credits were good and their skills were most needed. While many scouts were independent, some worked exclusively for larger organizations, such as a governmental or military institutions. Others specialized in scientific and research fields. Some scouts, cross-trained with military skills, turned to bounty hunting as a way to make use of their tracking abilities.^[2]

History[]

Jedi Civil War[]

In 4000 BBY, government scouts were organized as the Republic Astrogation Survey Team, a part of the Science and Culture Administration.^[3] Scouts provided two valuable services during the Jedi Civil War. The first was reconnaissance, with scouts providing vital information directly to government forces. Information was a valuable commodity, with news on fleet movements, shifting alliances, and corporate secrets being of particular interest. The second was more in line with the traditional role of a scout; the exploration of space and the discovery of new worlds. Even with the ongoing war, the galaxy was undergoing a period of rapid colonization. Species sought suitable habitable planets to establish colonies on, while corporations looked for new sources of natural resources. Scouts were often commissioned by patrons to discover new worlds specifically for them.^[4]

Astrogation data became a valuable commodity for scouts. Scout ships travelled through some of the most remote areas of space, and often their astrogation data became the most recent source of information on the region. Scouts could sell that information at a high price, either to militaries looking to move battle fleets through the area, or to colony ships seeking to establish a new settlement. Some military and corporate organizations engaged the services of scouts to map specific routes before sending larger fleets into the region. While risky, the mapping expeditions were exactly the kind of challenge many scouts live for.^[4]

Clone Wars[]

During the Clone Wars, scouts were employed in a variety of ways by both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Local guides were often contracted by agents of the galactic powers to assist them in locating and securing new resources for their war effort. Scouts were hired as guides, trackers, and advanced reconnaissance assets, and in some cases even as bounty hunters or assassins. Major battles of the war were fought on wild and undeveloped worlds such as Felucia and Saleucami, where scouts and their skills proved to be immensely valuable.^[5]

Some scouts willingly took sides in the war, declaring allegiance to the Republic or Confederacy. Some waited until the war reached their homeworlds before joining up. While actual conscription was rare, many scouts found themselves involuntarily pressed into service by both sides of the conflict. Living on backwater planets that unexpectedly became hot spots in the galactic conflict, scouts were swept up by occupying forces and given little choice but to work for them although they were paid for their services. Working for either faction was seen as a way to earn credits and improve the scout's standing with the eventual victors of the war.^[5]

Dark Times[]

Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, scouts found that their traditional role as explorers was severely curtailed. Independent scouts were forced out of official galactic exploration efforts as the Empire tightened its control over the space lanes. Imperial-allied scouts,^[6] reorganized into the Imperial Survey Corps,^[7] continued to explore the frontier, although they did so with alignment to the New Order's ideology and priorities.^[6]

Imperial scout troopers took over a scout's traditional role at the planetary level while skilled Human scouts were often recruited into the Imperial Survey Corps. The organization established new hyperspace routes and catalogued planets for entry into Imperial records, while also ensuring that fleets full of materiel and personnel reached their destinations safely.^[7]

Independent scouts were regarded with scrutiny,^[7] and many moved into the corporate world, being contracted to find new resources on remote worlds and star systems. Others chose to specialize, working only on certain worlds and restricting their knowledge.^[6]

As the Empire replaced the Republic, many scouts on extended missions returned to known space to find the galaxy changed. With the new restrictive bureaucracy in place, these returning scouts often found that their employers no longer existed, or had been declared as enemies of the Empire. These scouts were viewed with suspicion by Imperial officials due to their previous allegiances. During this time, scouts commonly found themselves working clandestinely, allying themselves with resistance groups, crime lords, and even the Empire, operating as informants and spies.^[6]

Rebellion Era[]

As the Alliance to Restore the Republic established itself as a threat to the Empire, many scouts chose to join their ranks. The Alliance contracted scouts to find new hyperspace routes outside the widely-travelled lanes, then paid well for the information to ensure that the route remained secret from the Empire. The Alliance then used the secret routes to bypass Imperial blockades or to quickly escape from Imperial ambushes.^[7]

Alliance-allied scouts were also directed to find suitable worlds on which to establish new bases and outposts. On inhabited worlds, the Alliance often recruited local scouts familiar with their homeworld due to their familiarity with the terrain. Other scouts searched for uncharted and unexplored worlds, allowing the Alliance to set up hidden facilities. Even after bases were built, scouts often stayed on as their skills were valuable in mastering the new worlds, especially ones with harsh environments. This reduced the risks to Alliance personnel and improved long-term sustainability.^[7]

New Republic[]

The New Republic formed its own scout service soon after its formation. The Bureau had several objectives, including discovering new planets and species, re-establishing contact with settlements that had been "lost" during the reign of the Empire, and bringing freedom to worlds still enslaved by the Empire.^[8]

Second Imperial Civil War[]

Scouts were in high demand during the reign of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire. Both the Galactic Alliance Remnant and the Fel Empire regularly relied on scouts to seek out new resource sources, and for reconnaissance against strategic and military targets. Due to the nature of their wars focusing on Darth Krayt's Empire, both factions often ended up competing against each other for resources and information. Darth Krayt's Empire employed scouts primarily to track down their enemies, including the Alliance Remnant, Fel's Empire, commanders defecting from their own ranks, and the last remnants of the Jedi Order.^[9]

While some scouts served officially within a faction's military, others were involved in a more covert manner. With multiple factions vying for galactic control, allegiances often shifted as the political situation changed. As a result, scouts were often used as double agents, and inserted into the enemy's forces. Double agents were extremely effective when used by the Sith-controlled Empire against Fel's loyalists, and vice versa, due to their shared history of training, tactical knowledge, and codes. The Galactic Alliance also used double agents to secure food, medicine, ships, and intelligence.^[9]

Double agents were found not just in political and military circles, but also in the criminal underworld, where crime lords paid off rivals’ underlings for an advantage. Many scouts began their careers as bounty hunters, tracking people and organizations rather exploring space. With so many bounties available on Jedi, Imperial Knights, Fel's forces, Alliance members, and criminals, it became a thriving career on the galaxy's fringes.^[9]

Behind the scenes[]

The "Laconic Scout" was one of the original twenty-four character templates used by the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, first published in the first edition rulebook.^[10]

Scout was one the eight starting classes established in the Core Rulebook for Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Rorworr, a Wookiee, served as the character example for the class.^[2]

The scout is a starting class in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The scout is also a heroic class in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Prior to the New Game Enhancements of 2005, scouts were a trainable profession in the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. However, following their removal as a playable profession, scouts still existed in the form of various Non-Player Characters (NPCs).