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Stormtrooper

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these white-armored Imperial troopers were the footsoldiers of the Emperor's war machine. Considered separate from both the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy, they were extremely loyal to the Empire but are also extremely expendable. The stormtrooper evolved from the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic, which were first utilized during the Clone Wars. Although there were many rumors about stormtroopers being clones of Jango Fett, in general the average stormtrooper appeared to be a normal human male who fit within a certain physical and mental profile. In reality, several different sources of clones were used to create stormtroopers, especially when the Empire ramped up its military forces when Emperor Palpatine began consolidating his power. Eventually, baseline human were conscripted or allowed to join the ranks of the stormtroopers. They wear an 18-piece suit of white armor covering a two-piece, temperature-control body suit. The armor houses an energy source and various implements, and snaps together around the trooper. The helmet contains a polarized visor and communication gear. The utility belt worn at the waist had compartments for a grappling line, spare batteries, and survival gear. The image of the white-clad soldiers was one of the primary ways the Empire instilled fear in its subjects, but the bright white armor was not suited for many environments, as the Empire learned at the Battle of Endor. So, in the years following the death of the Emperor, Imperial factions began camouflaging their armor to blend in with their surroundings. Stormtroopers train for one of a number of different mission profiles, based on the environment in which they will operate. Basic training allows stormtroopers to operate in temperate or controlled interior environments, but there are several specialized types of stormtroopers: Cold Assault Troops wear specially-modified armor so that they can operate in harsh, frozen environments; Zero-G Troops, also known as spacetroopers, wear highly-refitted, vacuum-resistant armor for use in deep space; Scout troops are assigned to garrison posts, employing speeder bikes and other swift craft to patrol surrounding areas; Aquatic Assault troopers, also known as seatroopers, are equipped to operate in marine or other underwater arenas; Desert Assault troopers, also known as sandtroopers, were trained to do battle in the harsh conditions of a desert; Radtroopers were specially-trained to perform operations in areas with high concentrations of radioactivity. Shadowtroopers, also known as the Storm Commandoes, were among the most elite special forces troops in the Imperial military. The one exception to the standard stormtrooper is the Dark Trooper, which was a mechanized weapons platform.