Word of Blake Militia

The Word of Blake Militia was the military arm of the Word of Blake, a splinter group of ComStar. Formed in the wake of the ComStar Schism from members of the Com Guards, the Word of Blake Militia was instrumental first in the capture of Terra from ComStar and then in the prosecution of the Jihad. Following the defeat of the Word of Blake its Militia was disbanded.

History

Formation

With the disastrous end of Operation Scorpion and the heretical reforms instituted by Precentor Anastasius Focht, many members of ComStar became outraged at what was seen as a betrayal of the sacred ideas set forth by Jerome Blake and began fleeing the organization to avoid persecution, among them members of the Com Guards. Among those who left was Precentor Demona Aziz, fleeing to the Free Worlds League where Captain-General Thomas Marik, a former member of ComStar and philosophical ally, agreed to grant the refugees sanctuary. As the nascent Word of Blake took shape Marik agreed to grant the organization Gibson as their new homeworld, however the people of Gibson did not take kindly to this change in ownership. In 3053 a full-scale insurgency erupted between members of the Gibson Freedom League and the newly-formed Word of Blake Militia. The conflict would last until early 3055 when it came to shocking end during a confusing large-scale battle involving the Militia, the Freedom League, the Knights of the Inner Sphere and units from the Principality of Regulus, with the detonation of a tactical nuclear weapon by the insurgents. The nuclear incident would serve to accelerate plans by the Word of Blake to conquer Terra.

Operation Odysseus

Main article: Operation Odysseus

Structure and Command

The Word of Blake Militia maintains the same base-six military command structure as the Com Guards, with a Level I unit consisting of a single BattleMech, Combat Vehicle, Aerospace Fighter or infantry unit of four (later six) Battle Armor or 28 conventional infantry.

Ruling Conclave

As the head of the Word of Blake, the Ruling Conclave is required to authorize all military actions except for the defense of Word of Blake holdings or personnel. They have the power to appoint and remove the Precentor Martial at will.

Precentor Martial

The overall commander of the Militia, the Precentor Martial is technically a member of the Ruling Conclave, although he lacks voting privileges in any matter concerning their position. They are advised by a staff of three Precentors: the Precentor Quatermaster is charged with overseeing logistical concerns and the purchase of non-weaponry equipment; the Precentor Arms' responsibility is the purchase of weaponry and war machines; the Precentor Liaison is charged with maintaining good relations with allied factions and units, including mercenaries.

Precentor ROM

Technically ROM, the Word of Blake's intelligence/internal security branch, is a part of the Militia with its head the Precentor ROM reporting directly to the Precentor Martial. In truth the two seldom act together and the Ruling Conclave can issue orders directly to the Precentor ROM when necessary, such as when the Precentor Martial is unavailable.

Precentor Naval

The Precentor Naval oversees all space assets of the Militia, from WarShips and JumpShips to various shipyards and space stations. Recently established in the years following the conquest of Terra, the Precentor Naval reports directly to the Precentor Martial and typically works together with the Precentor Quartermaster to ensure the timely arrival of supplies.

Division Commanders

The commanders of Militia Divisions are appointed by the Precentor Martial himself following careful consideration, though invariable factional politics will guide their decision nearly as much as the individual's command abilities. Division commanders report directly to the Precentor Martial or one of their representatives.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: ComStar