The Blades

For every war, every battle, there are people who take the vanguard and lead, enter to the fray first, and take first blood, as well as establish the encampments for future fortifications and growth of military operations into deeper territory. This, in essence, is the role of the Blades, the spearhead of the Graf Xlibris.
When the Ars made Second Contact on Otapi they entered the skies not with their group of diplomacy, but a fully armed and protected unit of Blades. This was their declaration of war. In a short while the Blades had established ground for an encampment, and held that ground as Ara first investigated, then once they realized the intent, their attacks.
The Blades are specially trained in combative methods that allow them to outlast opponents, capture territory, keep that territory and continue to press forward. Part of this culture that grows out of Blades training tends to tie into addiction and is part of the rise of Inure and Ataxic-Atrophy, as the substance procured help members of the Blades to outlast their opponents, at their peril.
If it isn't the results of overdosing on Inure, the Blades are also subject to innumerable accusations of abuse of power. The cause of the debate usually isn't truly a matter of ethics because the Graf Xlibris will use anything against their political opponents and tend to feign care for these rules of society. Nevertheless, because the actions of the Blades are constantly questioned, the unit as a whole has a lot of dark history and controversy surrounding it.
The life of a Blade can only be understood by a Blade. Getting in isn't easy. Staying in is even harder. Trying to explain that to civilians is often a futile effort.