Fallen Striders

The Fallen Striders are the group of mercenaries with no allegiances to any country, working all over the world from the shadows. All agents on the group are professionals of both combat and intelligence said to possess abilities and skills far beyond those of normal humans. The group specialize in underground activities, such as espionage, sabotage and assassination. Strider agents will agree to any mission they are contracted for, and risk their lives for the duration of the contract. They will also keep their contractor's identity in absolute secrecy, even after the contract's termination. This is said to be the Striders' unwritten law.

Origin
The Striders are said to be descended from the remnants of the Four Noble Clans's notable clan, the Gekko Clan. The group was founded by their only known leader, Kuramoto, a warrior of advanced age and amazing skills around the end of the 19th Century by members of the Tungus, a nomadic tribe living in Eastern Siberia noted for their ability to move and climb around high altitudes with little to no effort.

Ranking System
The Striders rank their members using a letter-based ranking system which goes from C to A, with a special elite class known as "Special-A". All trainee members are subjected to a training program of unknown length, after which they are ranked based on their performance and skills. It's said that out of hundreds of candidates, only the 10% is able to come out alive from the training program. There are two known titles used by leading figure: The leader and overseer of all Striders' operations carries the title of Director (長官), while the Vice-Director (副長官) stands right below and serves as his second-in-command. It's also implied that, should the Director is incapacitated or unable to continue with his functions, the Vice-Director assumes leadership of the group as his substituteuntil a new Director is assigned.

Special-A Class
Special-A Class (特Ａ級, also translated as Super A-Grade or Super-A ranked)is an elite rank only granted to the most talented graduated candidates. Striders that reach this rank are said to possess skills and abilities far beyond those of normal humans, as well as mastery of both armed and unarmed combat. They are the only agents allowed to use the Striders' iconic weapon, the Cypher, a complex plasma-emitting sword that very few people are able to handle properly. Special-A Class Striders are usually tasked with the most dangerous and important missions.

A Class
A Class (Ａ級) is the highest normal rank within the group. Striders on this rank have remarkable combat skills and abilities and are shown to be exceptional warriors, being able to take on 10 skilled opponents at once or even armored vehicles by themselves. While not directly stated, it seems A Class Striders are usually paired up with a Special-A Strider to serve as support during important missions.

B Class
B Class (B級) Striders are secret rank within the group. Striders on this rank have remarkable skill to wield the a seemingly generic "Plasma Sword" or simply a Lightsaber.

C Class
The lowest ranked members of the group, C Class (C級) Striders are still extremely skilled warriors. One C Class Strider is said to possess strength and skill equal to a whole team of special forces. The most numerous agents, they seem to serve as the grunt force of the organization and appear to wear the same uniform, a dark ninja costume with a face mask. Striders in this rank are almost exclusively seen carrying machineguns, though some also use melee weapons such as concealed claws.

Combat Skills and Technology
The Striders' organization combines both traditional martial skills with more advanced weaponry and technology to achieve their objectives. The basic Strider equipment includes a glider and climbing hook. The Glider is a special means of aerial transportation, used primarily to infiltrate heavily defended areas, and can seemingly be summoned at will to pick agents up. The climbing hook, known as the Climb Sickle, is an special sickle-shaped artifact capable of attaching to any surface and geography in the area. It allows its user to move through any sheer surface such as walls, cliff faces and even ceilings, providing complete freedom of movement in any position.

Weapons
Strider agents are allowed to choose any weapon that suits them, besides the limits stated above. Typically lower-ranked Striders are seen employing firearms such as machineguns or basic melee weapons, while those of higher ranks use more advanced weapons like Arana's rifle and monomolecular wires, though it's not uncommon to see agents like Sheena and Kain carry normal firearms as well. The Cypher is a weapon only allowed to be used by the group's best members, a very advanced weapons which emit a plasma edge capable of cutting through anything.

As experts in demolition and sabotage, Striders are also known to carry a number of explosives with them during missions. These appear to be small enough to be easily hidden within structures and buildings, and are activated remotely with a small control. ===Vehicles The Striders possess state-of-the-art airships to travel across the world and the the Universe.