9th Sword of Light

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Brigade Insignia of the Sword of Light
9th Sword of Light
Formed 3075
Nickname The Steel Dragon[1]
Affiliation Draconis Combine
Parent Command Sword of Light

The Ninth Sword of Light was formed to replace the destroyed Second Sword of Light BattleMech regiment.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

Once the pride of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery, in 3067 approximately two battalions of the Second Sword of Light including their commander staged a coup on Luthien in support for the Black Dragon Society.[2] By the end of the fighting in early 3075, over 90% of the Second had been destroyed, with only a handful of Loyalist troops left and all traitorous survivors executed.

Rather than rebuild the dishonored Second, Coordinator Hohiro Kurita took the unprecedented move of permanently striking the Second from the rosters of the DCMS, forming in its place the Ninth Sword of Light around the loyal survivors.

Jihad[edit]

Due to the ongoing pressure of the Jihad preventing the unit being raised to a fully functional combat status, the Ninth was given the more ceremonial role of serving as the Coordinator's honor guard during his travels across the fractured Draconis Combine in 3076. [3] During these trips, the members of the Ninth were kept away from the Coordinator's baggage train.[1]

As a further sign of their untrusted status, when off-duty the Ninth's members are under house arrest. The Ninth is also the last to receive new recruits and equipment; In 3079 they were only at 25% of their listed strength.[1]

The Ninth Sword of Light garrisoned the world of Sabik in 3077. A militia commander accused the Ninth of slaughtering Word of Blake prisoners of war held on that world in a massacre.[4] If true, this would echo the atrocity known as the Kentares Massacre, perpetrated by troops from the Second Sword of Light.

Republic Service[edit]

After the conclusion of the Jihad, the Ninth was given as a gift by Hohiro Kurita to The Republic of the Sphere[5]. The Ninth - like several other units "gifted" to the Republic - was split up into a number of companies who were not allowed to stay together. However, breaking with standard procedures, the RAF High Command did not immediately integrate these companies into the nascent Auxiliaries but rather grouped them into three independent battalion-sized commands, which were supposed to act as elite rapid response forces: the Amaterasu, the Tsukuyomi, and the Fujin.[6]

These units were assigned to a tense border region. It was hoped that as the units took casualties, replacement troops from other formations would be transferred in and dilute the loyalty the Ninth felt for the Combine, replacing it with loyalty to the Republic.[7]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 9th Sword of Light

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3079[edit]

Ninth Sword of Light (Reinforced Regiment/Regular/Questionable) [8]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on New Samarkand.[8]

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Report: DCMS, p. 13
  2. Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 6 "2nd Sword of Light (Kokuryu-kai)"
  3. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 29, "The Dragon's Teeth: Key Military Commands - Sword of Light"
  4. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 27, "Unconscionable!"
  5. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 88
  6. Field Manual: 3085, p. 184
  7. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 104
  8. 8.0 8.1 Field Report: DCMS , p. 13

Bibliography[edit]