Hard Contact Chapter 1: Commando training

[mamuzzy]

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Darman didn’t think he was arrogant. It was just that he could do every job a soldier could be called upon to do, and then some: siege assault, counterinsurgency, hostage extraction, demolitions, assassination, surveillance, and every kind of infantry activity on any terrain and in any environment, at any time. He knew he could, because he’d done it. He’d done it in training, first with simunition and then with live rounds. He’d done it with his squad, the three brothers with whom he’d spent every moment of his conscious life. They’d competed against other squads, thousands just like them, but not like them, because they were squad brothers, and that was special.

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Darman had absolute confidence that he was one of the best special ops soldiers ever created.

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I love how it was emphasized that Darman DIDN’T THINK he was arrogant. The line between absolute confidence in abilities and arrogance is often very thin. Darman doesn’t seem to have superiority complex for me, because the more we headed in the story, the more glimpses we got from his personality, which was more about that he genuinly had confidence in himself. More like he was truly aware of his own abilities. He didn’t think he was better because he wasn’t a standard trooper. He think he was better, because he trained hard for it. Really hard. 

 

According to the memories of Darman, Commandos were trained with LIVE ROUNDS. Meaning, they could have been killed during training if they mess up something. So when he thinks, he is good, he doesn’t just talk shit. 

 

If he really has prejudices toward the regs, it’s probably because of an influence he had during training. 

Also see how the Delta Squad was introduced in Republic Commando game!!!

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Taun We: Welcome, little one. This is your first day. Your designation will be RC 01/138. 

Taun We: We expect great things from you. 

Taun We: …You have been born into dangerous times. A sharp mind can be the key to survival… 

Taun We: …but, as often as not, it will be you inherent physical traits that win the day. 

Taun We: And in that regard, you will be superior to your more common brethren. 

Taun We: For you are a commando, an elite unit, something truly special. 

Taun We: Your weapons. Your armor. But most importantly, your brothers. 

Taun We: The Aiwha of our world hunt in pods to bring down much larger prey. So too shall you join with three brothers and become fierce hunters for the Republic. 

Taun We: … Now join your pod and embrace your destiny as their leader. Join Delta Squad. 

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Every item of his gear was manufactured to a higher spec. A trooper’s life was less valuable than a commando’s. It was the way things were, and Darman had never questioned it—not for long, anyway. - Hard Contact

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So the confidence can come that they were spoon fed since birth by the reassurances: Commandos were taught that they are more competent and superior than the others. Kaminoans and trainers had great expectations for them, therefor they had the priviledge (???) to get better weapons and better gears too. Equipment and weapons that are probably even more expensive the production of one clone was. They had to make sure they actually come back with the gear. 

But let’s see where is this unrelenting confidence come from, because I think this is something very Skirata Commando specific thing!

And it is the RAMIKADYC. 
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Skirata called it ramikadyc—in a commando state of mind. It was a soldier’s unshakable belief that he or she could do anything, endure anything, take any risk, and succeed. It was stronger than muscle. It made the body do the impossible.

I’m not in pain. Any pain that I feel is temporary. Nothing can touch me. This is happening to someone else. I just observe it as I pass.

That mantra kept Darman going when all he wanted to do was lie down and die. He’d felt that way more in the last few weeks than he ever had in his life. Kal Skirata had taught his young commandos an armory of ramikadyc techniques for resisting interrogation, a way of shutting out reality to become someone else who wasn’t in that terrible place you found yourself in.

- Imperial Commando: 501st

 

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Skirata calls it ramikadyc, I call it dissociation. 

RELATED ENTRIES: 
RAMIKADYC I: Dissociation
RAMIKADYC II: Enabling

Comments

[ithillia]

I really love this collection of example of how the commandos (and Darman specifically) see themselves. It really resonates to me with how the Nulls see themselves: they are superior. Not arrogantly, just factual knowledge about themselves. Like when Ordo joked about how higher his intelligence is than even compared to a commando.
Honestly, looking back at the books, I even think that they are almost serene about it. They joke with it, they point it out when they feel it's needed, but other than factually accepting that they are smarter, they don't really rub it under the other's noses or constantly degrade the others with it. It's just so factual for them. I this in the commandos/Nulls.

Also had a very good laugh on "Kal calls it ramikadyc, I call it dissociation" :D

[mamuzzy]

Hmmm, I think the Nulls actually think themselves superior, because they don't seem have shyness and modesty words in their dictionaries. :D Especially regarding natborns. But yeah, Ordo's humour is very weird regarding this topic, I cackled at that scene so much. XD

I think the hostility mostly goes against the natborns.