SWAR Operative Concept Art (Patreon)

Here's some concept art for SWAR, the first of three special forces pieces, provided by SickJoe: https://www.deviantart.com/sickjoe 

This particular fellow is a quadruple amputee with some fancy prosthetics, a hidden blade that probably isn't regulation, and a rather provocative decal on his helmet. With an XMH configured as a machine pistol, he's ready to do some close quarters fighting, or perhaps board the yacht of some unfortunate planetary governor who crossed the wrong Admiral.

SWAR is an offshoot of the Interstellar Warfighter program, a special forces branch that operates under the authority of the Admiralty. The organization’s main functions are conducting small-unit special operation missions in hostile or sensitive environments that are unsuited to Marine units. SWAR teams are typically ordered to eliminate high-level targets, sabotage enemy infrastructure, or gather intelligence behind enemy lines, leveraging their technological edge and mobility to succeed where conventional forces might not.

SWAR is unusual in that they only recruit veterans who have suffered amputations due to battlefield injuries. Operatives make extensive use of cybernetic enhancements, favoring quadruple-amputees, where all four limbs can be replaced with advanced prosthetics that make them more effective fighters. This may be an attempt to get around the Yellow Sea Treaty, which prohibits the augmentation or the alteration of the human body for the purpose of warfare by way of cybernetics, genetic engineering, or indoctrination. The amputation of a healthy limb or the removal of a functioning organ to be replaced with a prosthetic equivalent is prohibited by UN law, and such surgeries can only be performed for valid medical reasons. This does not change the fact that cybernetic technology has many advantages that could be leveraged by the more unscrupulous elements of the UNN, however.

SWAR teams have access to cutting-edge equipment and are afforded a great deal of autonomy when it comes to approaching a mission. They commonly make use of Coursers that have been modified for stealth and equipped with shipboard weapons, leveraging their speed and small profile to infiltrate enemy territory. Deployment to the ground happens either by shuttle when the tactical situation permits, or by drop pod. Drop pods are small, compact capsules that are able to accommodate three passengers, and are able to make landfall under their own power using a combination of retro thrusters and aerobrakes.