Opacus Venatori

Insignia of the Opacus Venatori
Opacus Venatori
Formed 3066
Nickname The Shadow Hunters
Affiliation Word of Blake
Parent Command 52nd Shadow Division

The Opacus Venatori were the Word of Blake’s elite independent operations unit, designed for espionage and head-hunting. Loosely attached to the 52nd Shadow Division, in a similar fashion to the Fox’s Teeth and Sorenson’s Sabres, the unit was used as a troubleshooter unit, for "special" operations.

History[edit]

Originally formed from two special operation units, Opacus (Shadow or Obscured) from the Light of Mankind and Venatori (Hunters) from the Manei Domini, which were merged into the Opacus Venatori in 3069. When the Black Warriors tried to warn the Inner Sphere about the Manei Domini and Word of Blake, Opacus was sent to stop them. They did so, killing everyone. The Venatori were used instead to disrupt all Wolfnet activities in the Chaos March.[1] The two highly skilled units clashed with each other several times, reflecting the dislike their creators (Apollyon and Cameron St. Jamais, respectively) felt for each other. A series of wargames resulted in the death of a soldier from each team. The Precentor Martial declared a moratorium on training. In 3069 the Master declared the two units would merge.[2]

At the beginning of the Jihad in 3067, the unit was involved in a number of operations, including the elimination of WolfNet operatives in the former Chaos March. In June 3068, they captured the Heir-Designate of the Draconis Combine, Hohiro Kurita on Dieron.

In 3069, the unit aided the 22nd Division in a lightning assault on Moore.[3]

Elements of the unit were involved in the execution of the ruling family of Achernar in 3070.

In 3071, a new branch of Alys Rousset-Marik's resistance group made its existence known in violent fashion at the start of the new year by blowing up an Irian System Services building in downtown Ruckabal. The local efforts by the still-training Rochelle Protectorate Militia Division had failed and the WoB sent part of the Opacus Venatori to hunt them. Demi-Precentor Kendali Morris and Adept Achillius St. John along two squads of battle armor crushed the rebels after breaking their ambush, ending their resistance.[4]

In 3073 they were attached to a task force consisting of the 40th Shadow Division and 2nd Division, and coordinated the assault on Arcturus. Despite their skill, they were unable to overcome Chandrasekhar Kurita's mercenary forces, and they withdrew from the world.[5]

In late March 3075 the Opacus Venatori raided the Draconis Combine world of Isesaki. The Venatori leveled the headquarters of Isesaki Shipping along with a wide swath of the commercial district of Ukonsoi City, and killed Viscount Ernest Machida.[6][7]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Opacus Venatori
Precentor Avitue 3066 - 3069
Precentor Berith 3069 - 3072

Tactics[edit]

Independent Operations, head hunting, covert operations.

Composition History[edit]

3066[edit]

  • Level II - Opacus
  • Level II - Venatori[9]

3068[edit]

  • Level II - Venatori[10]

January 3069[edit]

  • Level II - Opacus
  • Level II - Venatori

October 3069[edit]

  • Level II - Opacus
  • Level II - Venatori

3070[edit]

  • Level II - Opacus
  • Level II - Venatori

3072[edit]

  • Level II - Opacus
  • Level II - Venatori

Notes[edit]

PRIORITY ALPHA-OMICRON-RHO is a complete Opacus Venatori target list added from the Master to Precentor Apollyon, to kill all.[11]

  • Classification: Primoris Domini
Target: Black Widow Company - Stacy Church
Devil's Brigade - Alex Keller
Ghost of the Black Watch - Loren Jaffray
Dragoon Commander - Tara Lucas
  • Classification: Manus Eversor
Target: Bounty Hunter
Wolfnet (Seventh Kommando) - Peter Whitehorse
ComStar Precentor ROM - Victoria Parrdeau
AMC unit The Battle Corps - Joey Nicole
House DeFallay - Sayyid DeFallay
  • Classification: Balatro Domini
Target: Star Seeds - Marcel Webb
Precentor Garin Latronis
Dameon Guillome - Head of Blackwell Corporation
"Prometheus"

Opacus Venatori Members[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 34
  2. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, pp. 35–36
  3. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 100: "22nd Division Unit profile - secretly Opacus Venatori operatives aided in assault"
  4. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake Scenario: Muckraker
  5. Turning Points: Arcturus, p. 10
  6. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 15: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  7. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53: "The Jihad in Review"
  8. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 32
  9. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 33
  10. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 34
  11. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 39

Bibliography[edit]