Black Legions

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As the Kalirion Fracture led to the unravelling of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, the Imperial Forces themselves began to disintegrate. However, as the main driver, in terms of contributions of personnel, equipment, and financial support, to the Raspur Pact, Shireroth was too invested in the Pact, and the Pact was too invested in Shireroth, for the falling away of the formerly paramount power of the Benacian continent to be countenanced. Fall Luikur would see Pact-Loyalists ruthlessly turn upon the remaining Imperialists in order to secure 25% of land forces, 50% of naval forces, 75% of aviation assets, and 75% of auxiliary forces, only to be defeated in their ultimate objective of a complete takeover of the Imperial Forces by the scale of the popular uprisings against the Imperial system and the sheer scale of the territorial dispersion of the isolated garrisons, depots, and manufacturies. In spite of this ultimate failure, the Benacian Stabilisation Force remained true to its objective - a Benacian continent, unified and obedient, secure as one of the foremost powers of the grand anti-USSO coalition. In consequence, the Black Legions were formed from the remnant of the Imperial Forces who had remained true to the vision of Nationalist-Humanism which had animated the Imperial Republic during its apogee as a global power.


Training

Training for the Black Legions follows the pattern established under the Prince of Modan for the discipline of Imperial troops assigned to the Central Banner Group of Benacia Command.

Those who dedicated themselves to the black banners of the new legions swore absolute obedience to their commanders, who in turn sore unquestioning obedience to their commanders and so forth all the way up the chain of command. Legionaries, auxiliaries, and militia were forbidden to pillage, steal or molest civilians, accept gifts, have relations with women, eat meat or drink alcohol for the term and duration of their service. An Inspectorate of Training and Discipline was established with inspectors for the separate legions under the authority of an Inspector General reporting directly to the Marshal. Officers were forced to undergo examinations to assess their familiarity with Kalgachi battle drills, New Zimian Manoeuvreist principles and Nova English Fire Team tactics, largely with the intention of weeding out those still wedded to the set piece actions and frontal assaults which characterised the old Imperial way of war.

All non-commissioned personnel assigned to the Legions, along with new inductees, were cycled through three week courses of so-called "spiritual hardening", inspired apparently by the methods and insights of the Urchagin. Those who flunked the course would be cashiered and their records stamped, in green ink, with the initials LMF ("lacking moral fibre") effectively rendering them unemployable upon their return to civilian life. The motto of the training regime henceforth was that 'Faith and Endurance surpasses Might'. The hardening process began on the first day with trainees forced to line up in files of ten and, at a charge, bayonet a row of live pigs suspended from the rafters before them. Each file would train together, be rewarded together, and be punished together, they were solemnly warned, for the remainder of the three weeks. As an illustration of this the files where any member had baulked at bayoneting a live squealing animal would be denied food and sleep but would be instead assigned to punishment details for the entirety of the rest period while everyone else enjoyed pork stew and a good night's sleep. As first two weeks progressed the trainees were subjected to a barrage of assault courses, long forced marches along wilderness tracks, and competitions where the files were set against one-another to obtain dispensation vouchers for meat and alcohol or else merely to avoid bringing up the rear and being assigned to yet another punishment detail. The final week consisted of tutorials on living off the land, vehicle dismount drills, counter ambush drills, and close quarter combat practice against S.W.O.R.D. operatives dressed up as Laqi bandits. The concluding action of the week was a bunker clearance drill focusing on oblique angles of approach with use of stealth and concealment, forced entry with demolition charges, room to room clearance with gas grenades and thermite sticks followed by the gunning down of those still standing and the bayoneting of those prostrate on the ground. To add an extra dimension of realism each of the practice bunkers was held and defended by a detachment of community servants equipped with riot guns and cudgels, who had been promised their freedom if they successfully survived the drill. None did.

At the conclusion of the three weeks each participant was given a weeks leave, a pint of grog from the academy canteen and an enamelled lapel badge featuring a blood-red hand held palm upwards.

Structure of Units

The Black Legions retained, at least at the outset, the administrative structure inherited from the Imperial Army resulting in the formation of two Combined arms corps (IV & VI) reporting to the Inspectorate of Land Forces and assigned respectively, for operational purposes to the Central and Southern Banner Groups of Benacia Command.

Type of Unit Hohm (Field Army) Uihmanz (Corps) Salb (Legion) / Afzælt (Division) Gauht (Cohort) / Furgsaddâ (Vexillation) Opratzt (Maniple) / Haß (Squadron) Aht (Watch) / Fiþn (Troop) Tiï (File) / Droþ (Lance) Fire Team/Detail
Contains 3 Corps 8 Legions
3 Divisions
10 Cohorts
3 Vexillations
3 Maniples
10 Squadrons
3 Watches 5 Files 2 Fire Teams 4 Individuals
Personnel 172,800 28,800 Infantry
28,800 Specialists
3,600 Infantry
3,600 Specialists
360 Infantry
1,200 Specialists
120 40 8 4
Commanded by Magister Militum (General) / Frumst Frainan Magister (Lt General) / Frainan Hohmin Legate / Salbnan Spear (Infantry): Cohort Tribune / Ahmst Tazstraneï
Lance (Specialist): Tribune Laticlavii / Ahmst Bræþstranin
Spear (Infantry): Ordinate / Opratzan
Lance (Specialist): Decurion / Fiþnan
Spear (Infantry): Tesserarius / Ahtaldan
Lance (Specialist): Draconarius / Golsapbir
Prime / Frum Chosen Man