10th Division (Word of Blake)

The Word of Blake Tenth Division was considered the most questionable in loyalty thanks to its formation from troops coming from external sources.

History

Formation

Along with the Ninth Division, the Tenth was one of the first units raised by Cameron St. Jamais after he became Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake Militia. Iron Fist III-Alpha, which had previously served as the Fifteenth Marik Militia's 4th Battalion as a cadre unit, formed the core of the new division, bolstered by the addition of Dream of Revenge III-gamma, an entire Level III of Expatriates who joined the Word after the selection of Victor Steiner-Davion as Anastasius Focht's successor. As of 3062 the new division was still not yet at full strength and was stationed on Terra, with Iron First based at the Tenth's nominal headquarters at the Castle Brian complex in Tinogasta, Argentina and Dream of Revenge widely dispersed in assisting the Sixth Division to keep the peace against guerrilla forces.

With so many troops coming from "foreign" sources, Precentor Martial St. Jamais openly admitted he had assigned several ROM operatives including an unnamed agent in the division's command staff to monitor the Tenth for ComStar infiltrators and spies. Intended to also goad the possibly disloyal troops into remaining loyal out of paranoia, while relatively successful many innocent members of the 10th were caught up as well and the division's command staff faced a constantly struggle to expand to full strength. Likewise attempts to engage in combined training exercises were repeatedly denied by Precentor Martial St. Jamais, putting a lie to his publicly stated belief of the Tenth Division's fanatical loyalty rating.

While slowly expanding with the addition of further Expatriates and green Combat Vehicle graduates from Sandhurst Royal Military College, the entire division was shaken by Precentor ROM Alexander Kernoff's unmasking of several high-ranked Expatriates as ComStar sleeper agents in 3065, including the Tenth's CO Karina Vista. The unit's ranks depleted from the purge of these agents, while another wave of academy graduates allowed it to return to full strength, it lowered the Tenth's competency from veteran to regular. With the Sixth Division moving to China to replace the departing Fourth Division, the now truly loyal 10th's responsibility covered the entirety of Argentina and Amazonia.

Jihad

The unit participated in counter-attack against the Wolf's Dragoons allied assault against Mars and Terra, attacking the mercenary's world of Outreach. Elements of the Division are spotted on Outreach while other elements of it are on Terra, fighting surviving elements of Case White Task Force in 3068.

In August, the Tenth continued to operate in separate parts, conducting planetary assaults against the worlds of Hoan and Achernar. On Hoan, the unit commander captured academic leaders and doctors, imprisoning and some cases executed them. In September, the second element of the Tenth aided Manai Domino's Opacus Venatori special ops unit in seizure of Achernar and execution of it world's ruling family.

November 3070, the Tenth's Night of Faith III-Alpha hit NAIS's Bethel Labs. The unit's commander fought the defending DropShip Irregulars mercenary unit before calling in a nuclear strike on the lab itself, killing both the Night of Faith and the Irregulars.

The remaining five Level III formations have spread out in the Federated Suns Theater. The unit has conducted a series of attacks in Capellan March leading to Periphery border region of the Suns. In later part of 3074-3075, provided independent support for the Taurian Concordat's series of strikes against bordering worlds of the FedSun/TC regions.

Officers

• As of 3062 the Commander of the Tenth Division was Precentor XVI Karina Vista. Formerly the commander of the Com Guard's Seventh Army, Vista was one of the first Expatriates to defect to the Blakists, earning command of the Dream of Revenge and Shooting Stars as a whole in response to info she provided about Blake's Wrath safe houses and hidden bases on Terra. While considered apparently loyal at that time, Vista was among Expatriates unmasked as ComStar plants in 3065 and taken into ROM custody.
• Commander of Iron Fist, Eric Goodwin was True Believer who had received a Perseus OmniMech from Captain-General Thomas Marik in response to revealing and stopping ComStar attempts to sabotage BattleMech production facilities in the League while serving as part of the Fifteenth Marik Milita. The rarity of the design outside the Free Worlds League complicated getting parts to keep it operation once Goodwin returned to Terra however.
• As of 3075 the Commander of the Tenth Division was Precentor VII Robin St. Nicholas, who replaced Vista as both CO and commander of Dreams of Revenge.

Tactics

Planetary assaults, raiding, and suicidal zeal. It rumored that this is due to members of the unit being haunted by the horrors of the Jihad.

Composition History

3062

• Tenth Division (Shooting Stars III-Beta)
  • Dreams of Revenge III-alpha - CO Precentor Karina Vista
  • Iron Fist III-alpha - Precentor Eric Goodwin

3067

• Tenth Division (Shooting Stars IV-Beta)
  • Dreams of Revenge III-alpha - CO: Precentor VII Robin St. Nicholas
  • Iron Fist III-alpha - CO: Precentor V Eric Goodwin
  • Illusions of Victory III-delta - CO: Demi-Precentor/(Adept X) Marget Thatcher
  • Dragon's Teeth III-kappa - CO: Demi-Precentor/(Adept V) Sev Barkley

3075

• Tenth Division (Shooting Stars IV-Beta)
  • Dreams of Revenge III-alpha - CO: Precentor VII Robin St. Nicholas
  • Iron Fist III-alpha - CO: Precentor V Eric Goodwin
  • Illusions of Victory III-delta - CO: Demi-Precentor/(Adept X) Marget Thatcher
  • Dragon's Teeth III-kappa - CO: Demi-Precentor/(Adept V) Sev Barkley
  • Night of Faith III-Alpha CO: Demi-Precentor Rebek Craines

Rules

Game Rules

Due to constantly looking over their shoulders for ROM agents in 3062, few members of the division were willing to show any personal ambition - the Tenth suffers an overall -1 to Initiative.

Notes

Errant Note: In Total Chaos sourcebook, changes the lists the what Word of Blake Divisions that were deployed to Outreach as part of the Word's effort in Counter-attacking the Wolf's Dragoons. When asked if the older materials published in Dawn of the Jihad, Blake Ascending and later the Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents on the offical Forums of Catalyst Game Labs Line, Battletech Developer Herb A. Beas II notes the following: You may be right that this is one case where newer doesn't trump older. That should have been the Sixth and Tenth at the Outreach counterattack.

Stating the Total Chaos information regarding deployment of the First Division & Fourth Divisions in place of the 6th Division and the 10th were infact errant.

Bibliography

• Era Report: 3062
• Field Manual: ComStar
• Field Manual: Updates
• Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents