The Sacred Band were descendants of Ukranian bio-engineered 'supermen' who fought in Earth's Final War. They referred to themselves as "The Sacred Band"[1], but others in the Galaxy who were aware of them used the pejorative nickname Scrags. (HHA3.3: FtH, CS1, HH11)
Sacred Band members considered themselves to be members of the "Select", and believed they were superior to all other humans; they even referred to them among themselves as subhuman.
The Sacred Band was considered by many in Honor Harrington's time to be an urban myth. However, they actually did exist, though only in small numbers and, at least on Old Earth, had come to an arrangement with Manpower Incorporated. For example, when the Haven Embassy State Security detachment set in motion a scheme to discredit Amos Parnell's testimony and blame Manticoran Intelligence, it made a deal with Manpower to kidnap the daughter of a Naval Intelligence officer attached to the Old Earth Embassy, and Manpower engaged a group of Scrags to take the girl. It was the beginning of the Manpower Incident.
The Sacred Band was also involved in another kidnapping, though as part of another group altogether, several years later. The Masadan plot to kidnap Princess Ruth in the Republic of Erewhon involved Sacred Band members who had joined the Masadan terrorist group calling themsleves the Church of Humanity Unchained (Defiant). Ironically, the person they kidnapped was another of Anton Zilwicki's daughters.[2] (HHA3.3: FtH, CS1)
The Amazons were a breakaway faction of the Sacred Band. (CS1)
References[]
- ↑ The name is very likely a reference to the ancient Theban elite military unit of the same name.
- ↑ The kidnappers confused Berry Zilwicki, who was unofficially posing as Princess Ruth at the time, with Princess Ruth.