44th Shadow Division
| |
| 44th Shadow Division | |
| Nickname | Avitue's Avenging Angels |
| Affiliation | Word of Blake |
| Parent Command | Shadow Divisions |
Unit Description
The 44th Division, Avitue's Avenging Angels, was an elite "hidden" military formation of the Word of Blake. The Division was staffed with cybernetically enhanced warriors known as the Manei Domini. The unit is noted for its notorious actions during the Third Battle of New Avalon.
History
The entirety of the unit appeared in their first major action in 3072 in the conquest of Yunnah under the command of Precentor Avitue. However, other elements of the command have seen combat since 3068[1], where they have been seen assisting special operations groups such as the Opacus Venatori throughout the Inner Sphere.
In late 3072, the unit was deployed to New Avalon, where it reinforced the remnants of the 31st and 37th Divisions in an attempt to finally consolidate control of the Federated Suns' capital world. The arrival of the 44th reversed the Blakists' previous trend of using weapons of mass destruction due to the unit's preference to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage.[2]
In early 3073, the 44th helped fight for a narrow victory in the Third Battle for New Avalon. Precentor Geoffrey Zucker of the 36th Division coordinated the majority of the Blakist forces, while Spector Precentor Avitue led a smaller force on a mission that resulted in the death of Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion, allowing the Blakists to secure Mount Davion and the ruins of Avalon City.
However, a year later, the division was ordered to withdraw, due to the increasing Davion resistance. The 44th Division fought off the Davion Heavy Guards and remnants of the other surviving AFFS forces on-planet as they withdrew, dropping napalm and fuel-air-explosives onto the ruins of Avalon City and planting explosives that destroyed the Fox's Den, collapsing Mount Davion into itself.[3]
The last known location of the 44th was on New Avalon in 3074, but the division was reported as "missing in action" during the end of the Jihad.[4]
Officers
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of 44th Shadow Division | |||
| Specter Precentor | Avitue | 3075 | |
Other Officers
- Banshee Demi-Precentor Tau Jaegar van Ribkis, armored infantryman during the Jihad.[1]
Tactics
The unit specialized in both mountain tactics and urban fighting.
Composition
Unknown
In 3152 on Point Barrow the 44th Shadow Division revealed itself to the Stormhawk Galaxy and Galaxy Commander Dominic McKenna alongside Erik Sandoval-Groell. In The Week of Hell it is revealed that Avitue has returned with her Shadow Division that vanished so many decades before. Her sights are set on New Avalon once more. Only this time, any semblance of avoiding unnecessary death and destruction by the unit is long gone as seen by the terror wrought on Abbeville, Point Barrow, and New Avalon's city of Winchester. Even with the terror on these worlds, the Resurgence of the Word of Blake has only just begun.
Notes
- The 44th Shadow Division is noted for its preference for avoiding noncombatant casualties or damage to civilian structures.[citation needed]
- Rules for the Forty-fourth Shadow Division can be found in Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents.[5][6]
Reference
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Technical Readout: 3075, p. 20: "Asura Medium Battle Armor"
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon, p. 7, "44th Division profile" - Unit noted for preventing WMDs from being used.
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon, p. 10, "Scenario Davion Falling"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 125, "Shadow Divisions Status"
- ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 142 - "Rules Annex/Force Specific Rules" - Shadow Division (General) Force Specific abilities.
- ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 142 - "Rules Annex" - 44th Division special rules in scenarios.