Anomalists

Anomalists are known under a number of terms. Psions, parapsychics, alters, awakened, supers, ubers, espers, sorcerers, stormtouched (that term is an ancient one in 28th Century), and many others, more 'regional' and typically based in local culture. All those words describe the same enigma that fascinates modern scientists, film directors... and pretty much everyone else. They are people who - seemingly at random - develop what is de facto a superpower.
Even the lowest ranked anormalist is an 'exotic' sight. The higher ranked awakened go far beyond that. There are so rare that it's unlikely that more than few percent of humans ever saw them. Which only makes the 'enigma' part of them grow.

Composition

Manpower

The anomalists are much too rare to form regular units merely out of themselves. Because of that, they tend to form squad-sized attachments to elite divisions of regular military, or are trained to be an internal part of a special force units, or (a bit rarer but still quite often) they are made into useful attachments to intelligence agencies. They are, by definition, support groups to more traditional military units.
The only groups in the Galaxy that has succeded in forming larger units of the sorcerers are the Truthseekers Corporation and the Council of Woes, though in the latter case it's only the Abyssal Cults that possess the ability to do that. In both cases the groups in question field regular units (up to company size) that are soldiers first, sorcerers second. In both cases those units are typically supported by a much more specialized sorcerers (rarely more than 1-2 per company) that wield much more potent powers.

Equipment

There are two types of specialized equipment for sorcerers. First is the neuroamplifier, a well-coordinated set of cybernetic implants centered around brain but also spread throughout majority of the neural system that is used to synchronizing the activity of the altered parts of the nervous system, boosting the power level of an anomalist for up to ten times. Which in case of really weak sorcerers might change their ability from unusuable to usable.
What's more, it's quite common for non-augmented sorcerers to not even be able to easily activate their power, their own bodies over failing to make it manifest. Neuroamplifier can cover for that by forcefully activating the Hyperspace-altered elements of the nervous system, reacting to direct vocal (or even thought) command. Because of that it is rare for a sorcerer to not be equipped with a neuroamplifier.
Second type of specialized equipment is neurostabilizer, the polar opposite of the neuroamplifier. Neurostabilizer (also known as neurosupressor) is a complex set of cybernetic implants that can suppress the power of the individual equipped with them. It is used for unstable espers that either can't switch their power off, or can't control the output. Neurosuppressor implants are also often equipped with a variety of medical equipment, designed to counter negative effects of unstable awakening, such as brain tumours or neurodegenerative diseases.

Weaponry

Introduction

All sorcerers might be armed with pretty much every physical weapon that fits to their 'other' profession (for example intelligence agent, spec ops trooper, regular army support soldier etc.). There are no dedicated manmade sorcerer physical weaponry - there is a number of tools summed up as Catalysts that can amplify their power in a particular way (for example a 'staff' that can amplify telekinesis in a narrow way that allows even a weak sorcerer conjure a wall capable of stopping gunfire) or generally (very rare), but they are all archeotechs. Humanity doesn't understand enough about the anomalists to produce such an equipment. From known civilizations, Screamers, Vorrossian Technocracy and Aurums seem to excel in this sort of technology.
What's much more important, sorcerers also possess a number of special 'abilities' that might be used in combat - if there are strong enough. Which doesn't happen all that often. Any sorcerer can develop only one type of abilities. They are many ways of grading their power level, from a 1-10 scale to a slightly more 'melodramatic' scale on which almost powerless Embers are followed by combat-useful Flames, overbearing and dangerous Infernoes, and finally the almost unheard of (and believed to be mythical) Supremes.

Powers

Telepathy - Telepathy is one of the more common powers among the Awakened, however it's also one of the powers that rarely produce a truly powerful sorcerers. Typical telepath is capable of projecting his thoughts in a distance no longer than ten meters - which is much shorter than most other means of communication available to Mankind. But it's also untraceable, and is a good distraction when an enemy is the target (a sudden scream in your head, especially when inside a normally sound-suppressing powered armor, can be distracting). What's worse, they tend to be able to contact only one person at once.
More powerful telepaths can have a distance measured in hundreds of meters, while possessing an ability for multidirectional communication - and not to mention ability to 'detect' minds within that few hundred meter distance, which makes them excel in spotting ambushes. There are even tales of Supreme-classes capable of communicating with anyone within the same planet and 'blowing' heads of anyone within at least a kilometer distance.
Telekinesis - Telekinesis is the second-most common power. It's users can manipulate physical objects, pushing or pulling things around them. Once again, overwhelming majority of them is Flame-class, meaning that they are capable of things such as pushing buttons and pulling levers - or manipulating enemies by for example suddenly pulling their arm back (making them turn back, thinking that someone grabbed them from behind) or even - though that requires the target to be without helmet - 'slightly' push someones eyes into the eyelids (which... tends to be painful and blinding).
More powerful users of this power can actually carry (and operate) guns that's 'floating' around them, can be absolute terrors in close quarters combat (it's troublesome to defend against one melee weapon - what about two? Or five?) and can form barriers that do little when it comes to stopping anti-tank weaponry but can push grenades, shrapnels and even lower velocity firearms rounds away. Supremes are supposedly capable of tearing tanks apart, can stop most attacks that aren't lasers (or nukes), but this is considered to be one more myth.
Pyrokinesis - Ability to start and control fire. This is one of those sligthly rarer abilities, that however still require higher level of power to be useful. And even then, it's also one of those powers that aren't exactly useful in the daily life. Average wielder of this power can start a fire, which can be used to surprise people (by for example a sudden - but small - burst of flames right in front of the target's visor, or even his face.
Unless it's a strong power. Then it can change someone into living flamethrower. In the age of mostly closed armors, even this can at best be distracting. However higher grade users of pyrokinesis can be a terror when facing opponents that doesn't use armors, and especially the Yatevians, as they are vulnerable to flames. The Supreme-grades would probably be living firestorms.
Remote Viewing - Ability to observe things that happen outside of one's line of sight. It is one of those powers that are useful even if low-grade. A well trained Ember-class can pretty literally have eyes behind his head, capable of seeing things both in front of him and behind him. Flame class can pretty easily maintain a more or less 360 degree line of sight, and they can actually see 'insides' of a machinery, greatly helping in finding faults in various equipments.
More powerful remote viewers excel as snipers as they are capable of observing their target from multiple sides (and not to mention having it much easier to detect enemy snipers). Supreme-classes are supposedly capable of observing everything that happens on the surface of the world they are in, though as in case of all Supremes, this is believed to be a myth.
Thought Processing - Thought processors are capable of accelerating their thought process to an unheard level. This sounds rather weak (especially when compared to telepaths and so on), but in fact they are counted among the most dangerous of sorcerers. Even low grade processor can pretty much 'pause' the world around him, spending several minutes on plotting his next move. They can even 'rewind' the time (though only in their heads), observing their earlier sensory input for up to hours, noticing things that avoided their attention earlier.
More advanced thought processor can create entire libraries in their mind, that are instantly accessible. A thought processor of higher grade can store a great amount of knowledge that is easily accessible (and 100% correct), and they can pretty much fan the book and then read its content pretty much instanteously for the outside world. They learn new things insanely quickly, and pretty much every thought processor-turned-soldier will be an absolute terror on the battlefield.
Machine Empathy - A machine empath (also known as technopath) can interface with computers on a much different level than programmers. Technopathy is one of the rarest and most 'enigmatic' powers. In some way their ability allows them to 'persuade' computers to do their bidding without touching their code, sometimes (especially if their ability is strong) even making it act against its very own code. The more complex machine, the more 'complex' its consciousness, which means that there is more 'persuasion' than 'domination' in play (technopath can simply force less complicated machines to do something).
Some of the machines are even 'sapient', though alien in their thought processes. Unfortunately, from certain level of complexity interfacing becomes dangerous to mind, unless the technopath is particularly powerful. It's much easier to dominate or persuade lesser elements (so, for example, a computer system of a room instead of the one that governs entire battleship).
Organic Empathy - Organic empathy allows its user to 'detect' emotions of organic creatures. Empaths of this type will always know if someone is lying, they might also learn surprisingly much from simple observation of one's actions, as they will know what emotion one associates with those actions. They can also - like their 'cousins', telepaths - detect nearby organic entities (humans, aliens or animals alike), simply by detecting their emotions.
More powerful organic empaths can 'manipulate' emotions - they can easily tear informations out of people's head by 'instilling' and overbearing feeling of honesty in them. They can force (in a short distance) enemies to flee by instilling fear in them. Of course, unless the target has powerful willpower. All of that works only short-termly, and the target will revert to his normal state very quickly (unless it's a mythical Supreme-class).
Green Empathy - A cousin of Technopathy that allows its user to 'feel' plantlife. Since it cannot force plants to do anything, it's uses are almost uniformly civilian - green empaths make for great gardeners, farmers and hydroponics officers on a starships. Green Empaths can feel what is 'wrong' with the plants, which - if those problems are fixed - generally improves the resulting plant growth. In the span of weeks or months, of course.

Logistics

Recruitment

It is believed that everyone has at least some potential to become an anomalist (at least ever since the birth of Humanity 2.0), however in 99,9999% of cases it would require too much of an exposure to be possible (for example spending 100 years in Hyperspace). There are three different ways in which one can become a sorcerer. However, all of them can be summed up to hyperspace exposure, though each in a bit different way.
1. Long Awakening is the 'default' form of Awakening. A person spends years in Hyperspace due to being for example a part of a crew of a transport vessel. These years are all separated into short jumps, meaning that there is no risk of Hyperspace Schizophrenia developing. This type of awakening produces sorcerers that are stable and sane, suffering no major adverse effects to either their minds or their body. However, they are also weak, unable to use their power in any meaningful without the neuroamplifier.
2. Short Awakening is the much less nice form of Awakening. It happens to people who received one-time powerful exposure to the Hyperspace, for example due to their ship suffering some damages and being able to leave the Hyperspace only after few weeks, with its crew at least partially suffering from hyperspace schizophrenia. It is believed that eventually (once the exposure grows in length) every exposed person would go through Short Awakening. Most however dies before that happens. Sorcerers who went through Short Awakening are often suffering from Hyperspace Schizophrenia, making them decidedly insane. And even if they aren't insane, they are also notoriously unstable, suffering from brain tumours, neurodegenerative diseases and a number of other medical problems. They typically require a neurosuppressor to 'work' even for a while and their life expectancy is short... but they are strong.
3. Special Awakening is the rarest type of Awakening. If the other two happen to one person per 2-3 millions of the hyperspace travellers, that one happens at best to one person 2-3 billions. Some people awaken their ability within three months of Hyperspace travel. Such people are not only extremely stable and perfectly sane, but also are counted among the most powerful sorcerers, typically capable of using their powers to some degree even without the neuroamplifier (though tend to use them, as while it barely increases their power, it does make it much easier to control).
There are unconfirmed talks of fourth type of Awakening, which essentially a special Special Awakening. According to tales such people awaken instantly after entering Hyperspace, the result always being the rarest possible Supreme-classes. However, as existence of sorcerers of this class was never confirmed, it is quite obvious that neither was this type of awakening.

History

First sorcerer was born in the aftermath of the decimation of hyperspace trade routes by the Vortex Storm raging between 2212 and 2217. First of them was scientifically confirmed in 2218, but due to being awakened as a result of massive hyperspace exposure most of the first generation of anomalists (called stormtouched) were heavily unstable. Most of them died quickly, few survived. However, the extensive scientific project accompanying them succeeded in creating first generation of neuroamplifiers and neurosuppressors, not to mention 'describing' the awakening process which could be know easily noticed (important in case of very weak powers).
Ever since then, the number of anomalists in Galaxy has slowly grew. The chances for one to awaken are extremely low, however with the interstellar traffic slowly growing during the past centuries, the number of people exposed to Hyperspace steadily grows as well. Which, in turn, means that the number of awakened steadily grows as well. It's still extremely low, and the understanding of their powers is just as small as it used to be, with only the abyssal cults and Truthseekers Corporation seemingly capable of more (though neither of them wants to share).

Type

Support

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran