Unit Description
When the least radical elements of the Blakists formed the Covenant of Blake and were accepted as one of the Free Worlds League provinces in 3083, it was seen by many as a huge step forward towards legitimacy. Hundreds of thousands of former Word of Blake soldiers in what was renamed and reorganized as the Covenant Militia that participated in the massive military operation to carve out of what was to eventually form the Confederated Systems of Tikonov in 3089.
Despite the stunning success of their operations, a substantial number amongst them grew increasingly disillusioned as the Covenant seemed to be nothing like the saviour of human kind as extolled by their leaders. Rather than being the beacon of light for the teachings of Blake, they wer instead ordered to fight and die on the battlefields across tens of worlds and systems to help another political faction take control of the cradle of humankind.
A small number quietly left the Covenant military in the aftermath of the chaos as the other Succession States tried to wrestle back worlds lost to the FWL backed CSoT. The only surprising fact was that a huge number of those that absconded with them were non-combatants. In hindsight, it should not have been that remarkable given that most of them were either native Terrans, or flocked to the Word of Blake and subsequent Covenant banners drawn by the ideology and pacifist nature of the secular factions, only to be disappointed by the Covenant's actions. Over time, the small group would run into and merge with other Word of Blake and Covenant Militia rogue forces.
The unit’s combat arm had retained the Word of Blake military organizational structure of basing their combined armed forces on multiples of six. As an acknowledgement to their military command structure, reflect their preference for operating in urban and night time settings, being noted for skills in close combat, ambushes, and a final tongue-in-cheek jibe to the hollow proclamations of their former origins, the unit had elected to name themselves the Dirty Half Dozens. |
