Dark Shadows
| |
| Dark Shadows | |
| Disbanded | 3075 (destroyed) |
| Affiliation | Free Worlds League |
| Parent Command | SAFE |
The Dark Shadows were a paramilitary formation operated by the SAFE, the Free Worlds League's state intelligence service, and were described as a 'Mech scout battalion.[1] Their operations were classified, known only to the Captain-General and the Intelligence Oversight Committee, though the unit's existence was an open secret (colored with myths and misdirection).[2][3]
They were apparently destroyed by Word of Blake forces in a clandestine operation in 3075 during the Jihad.
Overview
Although described as a scout force at least in the beginning, as of ca. 3067 the Dark Shadows were considered SAFE's heavy-hitting force for missions requiring strength over finesse.[2][3]
Most members of the Dark Shadows are on extended secondment from the regular FWLM and serve tours of usually between 18 and 24 months with the Dark Shadows.[2] A rigorous selection process was mentioned.[2]
History
The Dark Shadows already existed as a unit by 3025, but it is not entirely clear when the unit was created:
- One Captain Janos DeVille, a loyalist MechWarrior from the Fusiliers of Oriente, fought in the 3014/3015 Marik Civil War and reportedly later went on to become one of the founders of the Dark Shadows scout battalion.[1] This seems to establish the Dark Shadows were founded at some point between 3015 and the time of the report (3025).
- However, at the same time Captain Margarita Luhenson was noted to have earned fame with a solo combat drop and scouting mission to Denebola V in 3011. She was described as "commander of the Dark Shadows" in an ambiguous way that seems to suggest from the context she was already the commander of the Dark Shadows in 3011, but could alternatively be construed to mean she became famous for the 3011 mission and as of 3025, the time of the report, was the commander of the Dark Shadows. Only the latter interpretation can be reconciled with the data available for Janos DeVille as a founding member.
Following the disbanding of SAFE's elite Eagle Corps special forces, the Dark Shadows staffed the defenses of "The Eyrie" facility on Wendigo, the moon of the Free Worlds League capital world of Atreus. A scathing online tirade under a flimsy cover identity by Anne-Marie McCormack, the unit's commander at the time, provoked Paul Marik into having the unit destroyed. On 23 April 3075 they were lured away from their base by a mock attack by the mercenary unit Grandin's Crusaders and then ambushed by the 49th Shadow Division. The Eyrie was subsequently captured. The battle on the airless moon left no survivors of the Dark Shadows; the Forty-ninth took no prisoners and left the remains of the fallen Dark Shadows pilots to rest inside their broken 'Mechs. The entire incident was classified and only came to light after the Word of Blake was ejected from Atreus.[4][5]
Officers
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the Dark Shadows | |||
| Captain | Janos DeVille | (founding member)[1] | |
| Captain | Margarita Luhenson | 3025[1] | |
| Lt. Colonel | Anne-Marie McCormack | 3075[4][6] | |
Note: The precise ranks used within Dark Shadows are unclear. The table above shows "Captain" as the commanding officer in 3025, but Adam Spivey who was a member around the time of the Fourth Succession War had the rank of Force Commander, equivalent to a Major. Since Dark Shadows personnel was seconded from the military and the unit as such was not a military force, it is possible that the MechWarriors retained their formal military ranks but that these ranks had little or no relevance for their position within the Dark Shadows.
Tactics
Unknown.
Equipment
- As of 3025, it was noted that members of the Dark Shadows could choose between the standard HER-2S Hermes II and its HER-2M Mercury variant.[1]
- Though typically described as an elite formation, at the time of the battle on Wendigo, they were rated as (only) veteran combatants.
Jihad
The Dark Shadows specialize in hit and run operations and therefore prefer Light and Medium units. When rolling on the Random Assignment Tables, any Light unit gets a -2 bonus to Gunnery Skill while any Medium unit gets a -1 bonus to Gunnery. This is cumulative with the skills generated by Average Experience.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Technical Readout: 3025, p. 40 (HER-2S Hermes II entry)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 67
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Handbook: House Marik, p. 95
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Total Chaos, pp. 139-141 (Track "Silencing the Shadows")
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Atreus, p. 11
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Atreus, p. 6
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Atreus, p. 6