Word of Blake Protectorate

Word of Blake Protectorate
State Profile
Founding Year 18 February 3066[1]
Dissolution year: 3081[citation needed]
Capital world: Gibson[citation needed]
Terra (later)[citation needed]
Controlled system(s): 143 (3075)[citation needed]
Government
Military
Army Word of Blake Militia[citation needed]
Military Intelligence ROM[citation needed]

Description[edit]

The Word of Blake Protectorate was a theocracy governed by the ComStar splinter group, the Word of Blake.

History[edit]

Formation of the Protectorate[edit]

The realm was created on the 18th of February 3066 by the five Chaos March worlds of Caph, Keid, New Home, Bryant and Epsilon Eridani that banded together under the protection of Terra and the Word of Blake.[2][1]

End of the Second Star League and Start of the Jihad[edit]

In November, 3067 the Fourth Whitting Conference ended in disaster for the Word of Blake. Having been nominated for provisional membership along with the Taurian Concordat, it was nevertheless unable to convince the various leadership of the Inner Sphere Great Houses to sustain the League, which was formally dissolved.

The Protectorate forces then carried out crippling attacks on a number of Periphery and Great House capital worlds with WarShips and other devastating means. These attacks hampered the Successor States' ability to counter Blakist moves to expand the Protectorate. The assault was announced as an attempt to force the Star League Council to reconvene and restore the Second Star League.[3] The Word of Blake also conducted a "White-Out" of the HPG Network using viruses and other means of disrupting the Inner Sphere's means to communicate from world to world.[4]

After the start of the Jihad, the Protectorate's borders expanded rapidly, mostly by taking worlds that were once part of the Terran Hegemony. The "White-Out" provided disruptive cover for Blakist frontline divisions to seize worlds.[5] The Word of Blake also sent detachments of their regular Militia forces along with special forces belonging to their Shadow Division to conduct black-op attacks in trouble spots.

The Word of Blake took worlds from the Chaos March, the Draconis Combine's Dieron Military District, the Freedom Theater and Skye Province of the Lyran Commonwealth, and parts of the Free Worlds League.

End of the Protectorate[edit]

After Devlin Stone and his allies defeated the Word of Blake, most Protectorate worlds became part of the Republic of the Sphere.[citation needed]

Political[edit]

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Military[edit]

Initially, the Protectorate's military forces consisted of only 10 divisions of militia forces. These units, made up of ComStar defectors, consisted of the bulk of their force.

However, the Jihad revealed the Blakists had a much larger army. Structured in three tiers, the units consisted of regular units, local defenders and elite units.[6] However, the Word of Blake forces leadership was divided. The Regular Militia and Protectorate were under the direct command of Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais, while its elite forces were under the command of Precentor Apollyon.

Word of Blake Military Command Theaters[edit]

The Protectorate's military forces operate in what are known as Military Command Theaters. These theaters are spread-out and cover the entire Inner Sphere and the near-Periphery. While having a dedicate command for Protectorate, other Theaters are dedicate offensive actions within respective areas of responsibility.[7]

  • Protectorate Theater Command - This command is responsible for coordinating forces operating within the Protectorate itself. Principally the Command is the head of the Protectorate's defenses itself. The Command as of 3075 has seven main line Militia units in borders as part of its dedicated defenses. This does not include each world's Protectorate Militias or units which pass through.[8]

The other Military Commands include:

  • Lyran Theater Command - The Division assigned to this command had conducted a number of strikes against the Lyran Alliance's industrial worlds. Conducting military operations such as Operation: Steel Hammer and Operation SHOWTIME. Approximately six regular Militia Divisions had been operating within the theater very late 3060s to 3074.[9]
  • Federated Suns Theater Command - Divisions in the Command responsible for maintaining the Federated Suns borders against anti-infrastructure/anti-industrial operations conducted by Lyran Command. The Division in early parts of the war disrupted command and control during the early conflicts with Suns and its neighbors such as the Capellan Confederation.[10] They had set up "Protectorate Island" centered on the world of Kittery until 3073 when native forces overthrew Blakist forces.[11]
  • Capellan Theater Command - The forces assigned to Capellan Theater are set up to act heavy-handed should the need arise, including weapons of mass destruction. The command normally uses misdirection and other media ploys to control the public perception in order to control the region.[12]
  • Free Worlds Theater Command -
  • Draconis Theater Command -
  • Periphery Theater Command - The Divisions assigned to this command were few in number, they were usually assigned to harass the Magistracy of Canopus, staging from bases in Blakist-controlled Periphery nations, such as the Circinus Federation. Blakist forces were raised from these subverted nations to assist Divisions in this Theater. Only three Divisions were known to be operating from this command as of 3075.[13]

Three Military Formations of the Word of the Blake[edit]

  • Word of Blake Militia Command - Regular standing army of the Word of Blake Protectorate. These units are being used for defense, raids, and conquest of worlds. Also, they are known to form and train the Protectorate Militia on worlds they conquer.[14]
  • Protectorate Militia Command - These are planetary bound units restricted to their designated world. Usually they are locally raised and trained units being issued less advanced equipment to garrison the planet. These commands are of roughly regimental size and use Combined-Arms formations. They are also known to have smaller quantities of BattleMechs than usual and depend more on vehicle and battle armor units. On average, a planet will have one or two regiments of these Protectorate Militia. It rarely takes more than that to defend the planet.[15]
  • Shadow Divisions - These are the elite commands of the Word of Blake forces, which consist of fanatical cyber-enhanced warriors known as the Manei Domini. These Divisions are commanded by the mysterious Precentor Apollyon. These Divisions do not fall under normal chain of command, however, they do render aid to their lesser cousin-units when need be.[16]

Systems of the Word of Blake Protectorate[edit]

As of 3072 the following systems were part of the Word of Blake Protectorate:[17]

Worlds of the Word of Blake Protectorate
World Name Date Joining/Conquest Fate Note
Hesperus II 3068 Liberated in 3074 Stone's Coalition Forces
Alkaid
Galatea
Summer
Mizar
Skondia
Lyons
Ko
Cebalrai 7-21 May 3069[18]
Vega 7-21 May 3069[18]
Eltanin
Alya 7-21 May 3069[18]
Kaus Borealis
Kaus Australis
Kaus Media
Ascella April 3069[19]
Moore April 3069[19]
Sabik April 3069[19]
Lambrecht
Dyev
Kervil
Pike IV
Telos IV
Imbros III 1-14 Mar 3069[19]
Athenry
Nashira
Al Na'ir 1-14 Mar 3069[19]
Yorii 19-21 June 3068[20] Liberated Sep 3077[21] Stone's Coalition Force[21]
Asta 19-21 June 3068[20]
Styx
Deneb Algedi
Cor Caroli Aug 3068[20]
Muphrid 7 Oct 3068[19]
Thorin 7 Oct 3068[19]
Altair 19-21 June 3068[20]
Dieron Feb 3068[22] Liberated in Dec 3077[22]
Nirasaki
Quentin Mar 3074[23] Liberated June 3077[23]
Saffel 1-14 Mar 3069[19]
Zaniah
Gacrux
Milton
Denebola
Lipton
Chara
New Earth 7 Oct 3068[19]
Rigil Kentarus
Fomalhaut 19-21 June 3068[20]
Helen
Towne
Errai
Shiloh Aug 3068[20]
Phecda
Zavijava
Terra 3058 Liberated in 3079[24] Stone's Coalition Forces
Caph February of 3066
Northwind
Small World
Addicks 8-14 Aug 3069[18]
Rochelle
Kalidasa 21-28 Jun 3070[25]
New Hope
Stewart 21-28 Jun 3070[25]
Wing
Chertan
Dubhe 21-28 Jun 3070[25]
Callison
Wyatt
Zosma 21-28 Jun 3070[25] Liberated Aug 3077[26]
Marcus
Castor
Devil's Rock
Pollux
Graham IV
Alula Australis 21-28 Jun 3070[25]
Procyon
Sirius
Keid February 3066
New Home February 3066
Bryant February 3066
Epsilon Indi December 3067[27]
Ingress 1-14 July 3069[18]
Deneb Kaitos 1-14 July 3069[18]
Ankaa 7-21 May 3069[18]
Hean 8-14 Aug 3069[18]
Tybalt 8-14 Aug 3069[18]
Liberty 22-30 Aug 3068[20]
Epsilon Eridani February 3066
Sheratan Aug 3067[28] Mar 3079[28]
Ruchbah 1-14 July 3069[18]
Mirach Sep 3069[18]
Schedar Sep 3069[18]
Terra Firma Aug 3068[20] Liberated Feb 3078[29]
Fletcher
Tigress
Rio
Caselton
Kawich 1-14 July 3069[18]
Basalt Sep 3069[18]
Achernar Sep 3069[18]
Angol Sep 3069[18]
Tikonov 3069
Yangtze Sep 3069[18]
Hamal
Bharat 1-14 July 3069[18]
Woodstock 3-14 Dec 3069[25]
Nopah
Acamar Aug 3068[20]
Capolla Aug 3068[20]
Outreach Dec 3067[30] Liberated Nov 3077[30] Stone's Coalition Forces[30]
Talitha
Van Diemen IV 3069
Acubens
Irian June 3069[31] Liberated Dec 3075[31]
Wasat
Hall
Elgin
Nanking
Arboris Aug 3068[20]
Azha 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Slocum 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Berenson
Tall Trees
Saiph
Zurich
Genoa 22-30 Aug 3068[20]
Kansu 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Ningpo
Algol 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Buchlau 3-14 Dec 3069[25]
Demeter 25 Apr 3068[20]
Berenson
Menkalinan
New Canton August 3071[32]
Zion 21-28 Jun 3070[25]
Asuncion
Pleione 3-14 Dec 3069[25] Liberated June 3078[33]
Poznan
Halloran V
Algot 14-30 Oct 3069[18] Liberated Feb 3077[34]
New Aragon 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Menkar 14-30 Oct 3069[18]
Wei 3-14 Dec 3069[25]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 44: "The Jihad in Review"
  2. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 24: "And It Came to Pass/Word of Blake Protectorate" - Announcement of the formation of the Word of Blake Protectorate in 3066
  3. Dawn of the Jihad, pp. 24–25: "And It Came to Pass" - Word of Blake forces strike at capital worlds "attempting" to reconvene the Star League Council
  4. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 112: Though the Looking Glass / Notes - Letter from Peter Abdulsattah to Chandrasekhar Kurita mentioning the Blakists' White-Out
  5. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 89, 101–102: Word of Blake Protectorate - Militia unit on-attack once White-Out occurs
  6. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 88: "Organization"
  7. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 88–89: Description of the Word of Blake Military forces their divided military combat theaters
  8. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 89–90: Protectorate command, unit information on what they are doing inside the WoB nation
  9. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 91–92: Lyran Theater and each unit's activities while under command operations area
  10. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 93: "Federated Sun Theater" - Short background info on military theater mission/past undertakings
  11. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 93, 95: Federated Suns Theater forces profile, Unit information from Federated Suns Theater and Capellan work together to disrupt their respective charges
  12. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 95: Capellan Theater - What the Command does in Capellan Theater
  13. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 102: "Periphery Theater" - brief description of the operations and units of the Periphery command
  14. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 88: Word of Blake (Frontline) Militia mission/description
  15. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 88, 101, 103: Unit structure and description on how they are set up
  16. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 88, 103–108: Unit in and mission of the Shadow Divisions and its independent special ops group
  17. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 13
  18. 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 18.16 18.17 18.18 18.19 18.20 18.21 18.22 18.23 18.24 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 47: "The Jihad in Review"
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 46: "The Jihad in Review"
  20. 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 45: "The Jihad in Review"
  21. 21.0 21.1 Total Chaos, p. 160: "Yorii"
  22. 22.0 22.1 Total Chaos, p. 56: "Dieron"
  23. 23.0 23.1 Total Chaos, p. 98: "Dieron"
  24. BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction, p. 28: "Timeline"
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 25.8 25.9 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 48: "The Jihad in Review"
  26. Total Chaos, p. 88: "Zosma"
  27. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 87: "Com Guards Shattered"
  28. 28.0 28.1 Total Chaos, p. 125: "Sheratan"
  29. Total Chaos, p. 86: "Terra Firma"
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Total Chaos, p. 39: "Outreach"
  31. 31.0 31.1 Total Chaos, p. 139: "Irian"
  32. Technical Readout: 3085 Supplemental, p. 6: "Key Infantry"
  33. Total Chaos, p. 74: "Pleione"
  34. Total Chaos, p. 72: "Algot"

Bibliography[edit]