Rebel forces are armed groups that oppose the governing authority of a state. Their missions may include overthrowing a regime, rescuing hostages, or disrupting Imperial operations. Depending on the context, they can be hailed as valiant freedom fighters or dangerous insurgents. Throughout the galaxy, countless such groups have formed and fallen, challenging empires and inspiring hope and fear.
Rebels often have foreign backers. They can receive covert support from shady operatives, scrounge weapons from local factories, or even get a boost from a short-lived rapprochement between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Despite this, no armed group can stand up to the full might of an entire Imperial war machine. The goal of a Rebel force is not to destroy the enemy, but to break down its strength through attrition.
When a rebellion is well funded, it can recruit more members and arm them with better equipment and intelligence on coalition vulnerabilities. This allows the insurgents to launch more direct attacks in shorter timeframes.
In Syria, the splinter group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) surprised everyone when it swept through Aleppo and took control of a large swath of a city that had been held by Syrian government forces. HTS, which was once a branch of al-Qaeda and has since cut its ties to the global terrorist organization, now faces a battle against Assad’s loyalists, including Hezbollah and Russia, while balancing demands from Turkey and the United States.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic was a powerful rebel force led by General Crix Madine, who commanded the elite SpecForce. Known for being cocky and arrogant, SpecForce took their mission more seriously than most rebels. They were trained to master a variety of skills, from using antique slugthrowers to disarming proximity mines and rappelling off a ray shield.