S.W.O.R.D.
| File:SealSWORD.png | |||
| Active: | 1620 – 1664 (officially); ongoing (rumoured) | ||
| Motto | The Sword is sharp and swift | ||
| In use by: | Palatini Corps | ||
| Allegiance: | Shireroth | ||
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| Type: | Military Counter-Intelligence, Special Operations | ||
| Size: | 27,975 + classified others | ||
| Nickname: | Invisible Swords, agents of the divine law | ||
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| Current Commander: | Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha | ||
| Conflicts & Deployments |
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S.W.O.R.D. (Shireroth's Warriors for Observation, Retribution and Deterrence) was a military organisation active on all possible fronts and in all possible ways to secure the hegemony of the Imperial Republic ranging from counter intelligence and personal protection to warfare. It was established in 1620 under later Kaiser Verion I, and officially disbanded in 1664. During its existence, it was closely tied to the Verionist political movement with many prominent members of the House of Verion either leading the organisation or being involved on a high level. S.W.O.R.D. was at times criticised of being a partisan organisation, more concerned with the well-being of the Verionists than with the greater good of Shireroth.
History
S.W.O.R.D. was founded by Jacob Darylion-Verion after his appointment as Minister of Military Affairs. The powers of the organisation greatly expanded under his reign as Kaiser Verion I. The Kaiser also used money from the Imperial Treasury to finance covert operations of S.W.O.R.D.
S.W.O.R.D. along with Rrakanychan Watch was controversially deployed in 1639 as airborne light infantry during the final battles of annihilation along Posada Ridge during the endgame of the anti-Froyalanish insurgency in the Vale of Angularis. The casualties suffered during these battles, which amounted to 3,830 operatives out of a deployed force of approximately 6,000 field agents, proved to be a debilitating blow which limited the involvement of S.W.O.R.D. during the early phases of the Civil War in Goldshire to intelligence gathering and the provision of training and logistical support to the Jaysh al-Sathrati.
The rout, however, of this proxy force in late 1642 and the subsequent advance of rebel forces towards Cabbagefall forced S.W.O.R.D. to mobilise its cadres once more and rejoin the fray as the Battle of Holwinn developed.
In 1643, S.W.O.R.D. was placed under the administrative control of the Shirerithian Supplies Service. Prior to this S.W.O.R.D. had been customarily treated as an agency outside of the Imperial Forces since it derived its origins and mandate from a Ministerial Ordinance rather than the Martial Code of Shireroth. The change however was made to streamline the organisation and budget of the Ministry of Military Affairs and to allow S.W.O.R.D. to operate more effectively alongside the other specialist directorates - Rrakanychan Watch and the Imperial Order of Technomaezji.
The loyalties of S.W.O.R.D. were tested during the turmoil of the Year of the Four Kaisers, but the decision of Isabella Simrani-Kalirion, in her capacity as Natopian Defence Secretary, to sanction airstrikes against her own husband, the usurper Tokaray al-Osman did much to shield the organisation from purges and reprisals following the end of the civil war.
The organisation, its morale and command structure intact, was able to play a full part in the bitterest fighting [1] of the Hammish Civil War, where Shirerithian infiltration tactics, supported by Natopian air strikes, broke the strength of the NPA aligned Army of New Kirrie, and cleared the way for a sweeping eastwards advance by the Shirerithian backed Hammish Republican Army along a broad front.
In 1664 S.W.O.R.D. was affiliated to the Scholae Sathrati and the legate of that Palatine legion was appointed as Director. The remit of the organisation was directed away from counter-intelligence and towards intelligence, surveillance and force reconnaissance activities. That same year, it was officially disbanded.
Nevertheless, it is widely rumoured in Shirekeep that S.W.O.R.D., or at least a similar organisation, continues to exist as one of the many shadow intelligence forces that operate clandestinely within the labyrinth of Shrithian politics.
Organisation
S.W.O.R.D. comprises of twenty-four regiments specialising in covert operations, infiltration attacks, intelligence gathering and unconventional warfare in all guises. The regiments are named for patron deities and cult figures and foster an especial elan and esprit de corps focused especially upon loyalty to the regiment and the cloak of secrecy that shrouds their activities. The martial culture of the regiments is very strongly aligned with and suffused by the doctrines of Holodomatic Eluino-Zurvanism.
| Regiment | Status | Assigned Formation | Assigned Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vexillation I | Operational | Eastern Banner Group, Benacia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation II | Operational | Central Banner Group, Benacia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation III | Operational | Southern Banner Group, Benacia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation IV | Operational | Apollonia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation V | Operational | Eastern Armada | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation XVI | Operational | Western Banner Group, Benacia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation XVII | Operational | Northern Banner Group, Benacia Command | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Vexillation XVIII | Operational | Shirekeep Garrison | Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition |
| Regiment | Status | Station | Assigned Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vexillation VI Mithra | Operational | Zy-Rodun | Codes and Communications. |
| Vexillation VII Daena | Operational | Shirekeep | Panopticon. |
| Vexillation VIII Mah | Operational | Musica (Brookshire) |
Investigations. |
| Vexillation IX Rashnu | Operational | Tala (Raikoth) |
Information and statistics (Archives). |
| Vexillation X Rapithwin | Operational | Musica (Brookshire) |
Maritime Investigations. |
| Vexillation XIX Zam | Operational | Shirekeep | Inter-service liaison. |
| Vexillation XX Neriosang | Operational | MoMA Station Talenore | Monitoring Service: Eastern Bureau. |
| Vexillation XXI Nairyosangha | Operational | Portus Batavi (Batavia) |
Monitoring Service: Western Bureau. |
| Regiment | Status | Station | Assigned Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vexillation XI | Operational | Sansabury Aerodrome (Lywall) |
Long Range Surveillance - Benacia. |
| Vexillation XII Vouruskasha | Operational | Slomxala (Lywall) |
Special Operations - Maritime. |
| Vexillation XIII Ahriman | Operational | MoMA Station Akis | Long Range Surveillance Units - Apollonia. |
| Vexillation XIV Aži Dahāka | Operational | MoMA Station Sagittarius | Long Range Surveillance - Keltia. |
| Vexillation XV | Operational | MoMA Station Talenore | Long Range Surveillance - Corum. |
| Vexillation XXII | Operational | MoMA Station Talenore | Long Range Surveillance - Eura. |
| Vexillation XXIII | Operational | MoMA Station Sabatini | Long Range Surveillance - Tapfer. |
| Vexillation XXIV | Operational | MoMA Station Sabatini | Long Range Surveillance - Cibola. |
Director of S.W.O.R.D.
The daily operations of S.W.O.R.D. are run by the Director.
List of S.W.O.R.D. directors
- Jacob Darylion-Verion (1620.5654 – 1625)
- Ivan Verion (1625.5785 – 1628)
- Michael Verion (1628.5867 – 1643) (Removed from post after showing signs of Temporal Haemorrhaging, later discovered to be caused by a rebel psionic attack.)
- Isabella Simrani-Kalirion (1643 –1664)
- Rofolo Nur Pinito Kasha (19.V.1664–1664)
