Manticores

History:
The Manticores were the brainchiled of Captain-Judge Micheal Knight (aka Councilman KnightDisciple). Conceived originally as simply a way to congregate those with more "unique abilities", the Manticores quickly became more. Drawing on examples from the past of Earth and other planets, Captain-Judge Knight worked to produce a structure and culture to cultivate the very best the Galactic Union had to offer. Then they worked to make them better.

Tens of thousands of beings were initially selected, drawn from the ranks of the Protoss High and Dark Templars, Asari Justicars and Commandos, Drell Assasins, Quarian Marines and Machinists, the best Geth Platforms, Krogan Battlemasters, and plenty more. All of them very good at what they did, but none of them really used to working together. Part of the solution was to run all members through an intensive "training" couse, where they were all placed in mixed-species groups and forces to work together through grueling training regimens, all orchestrated by drill instructors who seemed more worried about making their lives miserable than actually training them. Slowly, the candidates either dropped out, or forged nearly unbreakable bonds. When Hell Month was over, the real training began. With about 60,000 soldiers still remaining, people were quickly placed in smaller training pools dedicated to mission specifications. Groups cross-trained so that they could work in multiple roles, but ultimately specialties had to be chosen. Less than 2 years later, though, the Manticores were a hardened group of fighters, thousands of the best and the brightest, all ready to face the looming war with the Reapers (and the ongoing war with the Council) with a smile on their face and a rifle in their hands.

=== Purpose: ===

The Manticores serve as a united collective of special forces troops that the Galactic Union Navy and Army can call upon when needed. They have a range of skills, but the general idea is for them to be the Best of the Best, doing jobs the regular Army simply cannot accomplish, and occasionally serving as a spearhead.

Divisions:
Force Recon:

This group is heavily geared toward troops who specialize in stealth, tracking, long-term survival, surveillance, and other various skills that let them serve as the advance eyes and ears of the GUN and GUA. Often they're prepped for being on the ground weeks in advance, and are expected to map out enemy positions, terrain, ideal landing zones, and so on. When the rest of the GUA is on the ground, Force Recon often works to find enemy sentries and scouts and eliminate them.

Judges:

Originally given their name as a joke, the Judges were officially given that name soon after. Their task is to serve as a sort of "Galactic FBI", working closely with law enforcement on planets, stations, and ships, providing an overarching presence that helps give a sense of unity to the Galactic Union. While they do have a bit more freedom than the average police officer, they are still bound by basic regulations. Judges draw heavily on the example of the Asari Justicars, though other traditions were examined as well. This group has a heavy emphasis on investigative skills as well as combat techniques. However, they are the go-to force for hostage situations and terrorist attacks, so their fighting skills are still top-notch.

Space Marines:

Also a group whose name started out as a joke, the Space Marines are the elite troops trained to work in zero-gravity, ship corridors, and space-station hallways. If there's a space-borne asset whose capture is vital, the Space Marines are the go-to group to send after it; between their stealthy breeching pods and their extensive training in spacewalks, the Space Marines are often able to infiltrate an enemy warship or space station and reach the bridge or engineering before their presence is known.

Covert Ops:

This group focuses on the stealthiest missions, moreso than Force Recon. While XCOM and the Secret Service do the lion's share of "wetworks", sometimes the military needs to target specific things before the actual fighting starts. Covert Ops gives them people with the training and tools to induce targeted sabotage right before an invasion or a counter-attack. Occasionally, it will even send members to engage in assassination missions, though these are comparatively rare, and always targeted against specific military personnel. As well, they will on occasion work to get behind enemy lines and retrieve vital information, such as schematics or communication codes. This is also the group sent to retrieve captured GU personnel of any sort, mounting cover rescue ops that sometimes aren't discovered until a day after the "jailbreak".

Spears:

The Spears are the most direct members of the Manticores; their job is, first and foremost, to be the "tip of the spear" in critical military operations. Spears often are sent down in special drop-pods to get them on the ground perhaps 30 minutes ahead of the main force. Their targets are weak points in the enemy lines, or sometimes areas unprotected from such deep strikes. The Spears employ the most vehicles of the Manticores, as their missions often have them fighting running skirmishes with enemy troops. Spears sometimes work to confuse the enemy, perhaps making them think there are more troops than are actually deployed, or that the main thrust is on one flank (whent it's actually at another). They're adept at causing havoc and redirecting enemy forces on themselves. They're also good at fighting impossible odds and winning, making them even more ideal for the job. Sometimes Spears are employed by themselves, aimed at taking out especially problematic pirates or the like; such engagements are always short, vicious, and almost ridiculously one-sided. All in all, the Spears are the prototypical "elite soldiers" of the Manticores, in some ways more generalized than the others.