Cohors Morituri
Sarna News
The Cohors Morituri or Cohort of the Dead are a penal unit of the Marian Hegemony, comprising convicted men and women: murderers, rapists and political prisoners. A posting to the Cohort is seen as a death sentence with little chance of a pardon, though some have been granted posthumously. [1]
Contents
History
Upon joining the Cohort each member's forehead is branded with the state insignia, indicating that they are now the Hegemony's property. Non-officers are little better than slaves with no legal rights, confined to "barracks" and constantly guarded. Despite this the morale of the unit is macabrely stable, they even have a burgeoning sense of pride as they survive near-suicide missions just to spite the Hegemony leadership.[1]
The Cohort is assigned the Auxilia Ripariensis, these act as a military police force and gaolers to ensure order and keep the Cohort in line. [1]
The unit remained in Hegemony Space during the invasion of the Circinus Federation of 3066 and was on hand to repel a battalion of Black Warriors that attacked Alphard and the Marian Capital. The Cohors Morituri destroyed them utterly in three engagements and recovered a small number of surviving enemy MechWarriors who were subsequently interrogated and confirmed that the Circinus Federation was receiving material assistance from the Word of Blake.[2]
Towards the end of the Jihad the Cohors Morituri was redeployed to the world of Valerius, a world which had been spared the battles many other worlds saw during the Circanian invasion of the Hegemony and the following Marian counter-attack.[3] Only colonised in 3064[4] Valerius was free of the uprisings and insurrection that plagued the conquered worlds of the Illyrian and Lothian districts, making the posting a respite for the condemned warriors of the Cohors. The Cohors continued to be regarded as an unreliable command, as it was acknowledged that the successes the Cohors achieved against the Circinians were largely due to the suicidal lack of self-preservation many in the unit demonstrated as they sought death on the battlefield as a release from the punishment of service amidst the Morituri.[3]
The Cohort was rotated off Valerius at the end of the Jihad and transferred to Marius' Tears and Horatius in anti-pirate operations. In their first engagement one of their Union-class DropShips was shot down with the loss of the company of 'Mechs on board, although later encounters were more successful. [5]
Officers
After Sean O'Reilly's death in 3063 Winston Sorfleet volunteered for duty with the Cohort and was assigned to command the unit and given the rank of Legatus. [1] Able to achieve such a rank at an early age did little for his social status as his fellow commanders looked down on him. He remained in command throughout the Jihad and was still in command in 3085.[6][7]
In 3064 William Bejamin was Principes of the Auxilia Ripariensis, [1] by 3067 this position was elevated to the rank of Legatus and taken by Trace Cranston.[6] After the Jihad Alboin Kadlec had assumed this position. [7]
Tactics
The unit has no special tactic abilities.[1]
Composition History
3064-3085[1][6][7]
Cohors Morituri (1 Cohort/Regular/Questionable)[1]
- Comprising 18 ageing BattleMechs and a few tanks in 3064.
Auxilia Ripariensis (1 Maniple/Veteran/Reliable)[1]
- Infantry and light armor.
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 83
- ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 195
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Field Report: Periphery, p. 15, "Marian Hegemony"
- ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 194
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 144
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 202, "Marian Hegemony Armed Forces Deployment Table - 3067"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 150, "Marian Hegemony Deployment Table - 3085"