Wolf's Dragoons: The name is synonymous with skill, courage, professionalism, and innovation. For more than a generation, the mysterious, highly disciplined Wolf's Dragoons have set the standard for Inner Sphere mercenaries, using their advanced BattleMechs and superior training to defeat the best MechWarriors the Inner Sphere had to offer. Under the leadership of founder Jaime Wolf, the Dragoons have done more to professionalize the mercenary industry than any other unit in existence, through their disciplined example on the battlefield, their Hiring Hall in the city of Harlech, their revitalization of the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission, and their extensive training facilities on Outreach. The Fourth Succession War nearly destroyed the unit, claiming the lives of almost one-sixth the Dragoons. By recruiting war orphans --a typical example of Dragoon innovation-- the unit rebuilt itself within a generation. Other innovations, such as the unit's 'Mech-manufacturing assets, have also contributed to the Dragoons' phenomenal resiliency and at the same time freed them from the precarious financial status most merc units must endure. Though any of these accomplishments would secure the unit a place in mercenary lore, the Dragoons' instrumental role in halting the Clan invasion undoubtedly earned them a place in the annals of the Inner Sphere. Despite the heroic performance of the Com Guards on Tukayyid, the Successor States might still have fallen to the invaders' onslaught if not for the Dragoons' intimate knowledge of the Clans and their willingness to share that knowledge with the Inner Sphere powers. This deserved litany of praise, unusual for a mercenary unit, rightly sets the Dragoons apart from every other mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere. For more than two generations, the Dragoons have followed the legendary Jaime Wolf, universally recognized as a supreme tactician, superior strategist, and shrewd political observer. The Dragoons are the supreme warriors of the Inner Sphere, and Wolf is the supreme commander. A recent challenge to Wolf's leadership of the Dragoons prompted many to predict their imminent downfall and dissolution. True to form, the Dragoons defied the naysayers and emerged from their trials fiercer and more deadly, forged into a stronger alloy in the crucible of their civil war. Reflecting the unit's renewed strength and fierce loyalty, some observers have dubbed these new Dragoons "Wolf Pack." Whether or not the name sticks, few people doubt that Wolf's Dragoons will survive to fight the battles of future generations. Dragoon Compromise: In 3000, Khan Nadia Winson of Clan Ghost Bear, sensing that the Crusaders had finally gained the upper hand, attempted to force the issue with a vote. She was stymied when Khan Kerlin Ward of Clan Wolf suggested a clever compromise. Khan Kerlin Ward contended that not enough information was yet available to make such an important decision. He proposed sending a sizable Clan force, under the guise of a mercenary unit, into the Inner Sphere to judge its military, economic, and political might, providing the Grand Council with a detailed report of the strengths and weaknesses of their future opponents. The Grand Council agreed the plan had merit, and Clan Wolf was awarded the honor of mustering the force. Rather than risk their best fighters, they planned to use freebirths and other low-regarded warriors. If these warriors performed well, they would be rewarded by having their genes added to the gene pool. The unit was dubbed "Wolf's Dragoons." Commanding the multi-regiment unit were Jaime and Joshua Wolf, controversial choices because both were freebirth. Many of the Clans balked at this choice, but the Grand Council finally decided that Clan Wolf had the right to outfit and staff the Dragoons as they saw fit. The roster of the Dragoons included several Bloodnamed warriors who volunteered for the mission, among them a young and feisty Natasha Kerensky. The Dragoons left for the Inner Sphere in 3004, outfitted with pre-Exodus BattleMechs from some of the oldest Brian Caches. Other vehicles and equipment were retro-fitted with pre-Exodus parts to prevent advanced technology from accidentally falling into the hands of the Inner Sphere. Young freebirth "dependents" rounded out the appearance of a nomadic mercenary company. The Dragoons made contact with the Inner Sphere a year later, after making a long, circuitous journey to prevent the curious from discovering their point of origin. They went on to make their historic circuit of service through the Inner Sphere, gathering detailed information on each of the governments and militaries they served. In 3009, the unit returned to the Clans for refitting. They also filed their first-hand reports on the Inner Sphere. The Dragoons' reports contrasted significantly with the previous Clan perception of the Inner Sphere. The Dragoons reported that the Inner Sphere was not on the verge of collapse, but on the road to recovery. This revelation further divided the Grand Council. The Dragoons were ordered to return to the Inner Sphere and continue their mission, while the Clans considered the implications of their new information. The Dragoons returned, but near the end of the Third Succession War, their intelligence reports to the Grand Council began to slow, for no known reason. It is possible the Dragoons found the freedom of the Inner Sphere, where there were no real castes and where growing old as an active warrior was accepted, to their liking. On the other hand, the death of Joshua Wolf may have played a key role in turning Jaime and the rest of the Dragoons away from the Clans' grand scheme. The Grand Council was unprepared for the Dragoons' sudden reticence, and could not agree on how to react or how to supplement their intelligence-gathering efforts. The Wardens and Crusaders squared off for a new, more hotly contested debate in late 3029 when rumors from the Periphery suggested a possible union between the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth. The Crusaders claimed that if the rumors were true, such a union would represent a major obstacle to any attempt by the Clans to restore the Star League. Khan Ulric Kerensky, successor to Khan Kerlin Ward in Clan Wolf, stalled a decisive vote in the Grand Council long enough for news of the Fourth Succession War to reach the Clans. This new war took much of the steam out of the Crusaders' argument that the Inner Sphere was on the verge of reunification. Khan Ulric took advantage of the situation by sponsoring a proposal to postpone the Great Debate until the end of the Fourth Succession War. The proposal was narrowly accepted, but Khan Ulric Kerensky had antagonized the leaders of Clan Jade Falcon, the most radical of the Crusader Clans. Invasion: I was stunned to discover that the incident that eventually tipped the scales in favor of invasion was triggered by our own Blessed Order. One day a ROM exploration vessel, "Outbound Light," appeared at a jump point near Huntress, a world dominated by Clan Smoke Jaguar. Sensing an opportunity but fearing that the Inner Sphere might be on the verge of discovering the location of the Clan worlds, Khan Leo Showers ordered that the vessel be taken intact, with the crew unharmed. Instead of instantly informing the Grand Council of the capture, as might be expected, Khan Leo first interrogated the crew of the explorer ship for several days. When Khan Leo finally notified the other Clans of his discovery, he did so with superior knowledge of the Inner Sphere situation and of how ComStar, a force previously unknown to the Clans, fit into the picture. By manipulating what he had learned, Khan Leo Showers forced the Clans to reopen the Great Debate and consider several new issues. Most convincing was his argument that our Blessed Order might soon uncover the location of the Clans, thus exposing them to the entire Inner Sphere. The thought of Inner Sphere forces invading the worlds of the Clan, instead of the converse, was unthinkable to most Grand Council members. Khan Leo Showers laid out the facts of what was happening in the Inner Sphere. The Federated Commonwealth was now a battle-proven, undeniable fact. Also, there had been a sudden recovery of lostech, and the Inner Sphere was far from falling into shambles. The Khan extrapolated that the Federated Commonwealth might well subdue the rest of the Inner Sphere and declare itself the Star League reborn. This was a travesty every Clansman would be willing to give his life to prevent. It was an extremely persuasive argument. The result was a Grand Council vote in favor of invasion. Only Clan Wolf voted against. Khan Ulric Kerensky demanded a Trial of Refusal for Clan Wolf. The odds began at sixteen to one, but the bidding reduced the odds to four to one. The warriors of Clan Wolf fought bravely, particularly those of the Third Battle Cluster, who bore the brunt of the action. They nearly seized victory from Khan Leo Showers and his forces, but sheer numbers prevailed, leaving the Wolf force devastated. Khan Leo Showers took advantage of pro-Crusader sentiment, and was elected ilKhan of the Grand Council. Preparations to invade the Inner Sphere began immediately. Their plan was named Operation Revival. IlKhan Leo Showers, satisfied that he would soon see his life's ambition fulfilled, issued a formal recall order to Wolf's Dragoons, calling upon "our valiant warriors in the barbarian hinterlands to return home," despite his long-standing disdain for the unit. The recall was actually an effort to prove once and for all that Wolf's Dragoons had turned their back on the Clans and could no longer be trusted. He hoped to imply by this that Clan Wolf was also suspect. Natasha Kerensky, the only living Bloodnamed warrior of the Dragoons, was the only Dragoon to return to the Clans when called, which seemed to prove the ilKhan's contention. The invasion was halted when ComStar negotiated the use of Tukayyid as a proxy battlefield for Terra. If the Clans won, Terra would be theirs, while if they lost, the Clans would cease hostilities for a period of fifteen years, ending in 3067. The Dragoon's originsBefore the Clans' apperance in the Inner Sphere there were many theories where Wolf's Dragoons came from. They seemingly jumped from the end of nowhere into the Delos-System, equipped with state of the art machines. Refer to the theory-chapter, if you would like to get more on this. The true story is written below:2980 By 2980 many in the Clans were ready to return to the Inner Sphere. Citing The Remembrance, warriors noted that three generations had passed many times over, and that it was time to reestablish the Star League and end their self-imposed exile. This zealous faction called itself the "Crusaders." Other warriors embraced the Crusaders' views, not because they believed in the faction's interpretation of The Remembrance, but because they saw the Inner Sphere as an opportunity to prove themselves. Even the lower castes, particularly the merchants, who were always eager for new markets, began to agree that the Hidden Hope would be resolved by the Clans' return to the Inner Sphere. The Wardens, on the other hand, believed that the Kerenskys had never meant their words to be read so literally. They asserted that the words were meant not as a command to future generations, but to stir courage. They believed the Clans' destiny was to develop their own culture, separate from the tainted ways of the Inner Sphere, but willing and able to come to the Inner Sphere's aid if menaced by any outside threat. The Grand Council had strong reservations about returning, mainly because of an almost total lack of information about events in the Inner Sphere since the Exodus. They expressed the fear that the Inner Sphere had not gone up in flames as predicted, but was united, as strong as or stronger than the Clans. The council decided to form Intelser, an intelligence service whose operatives would move cautiously toward the Inner Sphere to gather information. Operatives traveling as independent traders made contact with and infiltrated the Periphery states, relaying what they learned to the Clans. By 2984, a somewhat confused picture of the Inner Sphere had begun to emerge. The Clans learned that there had, indeed, been a holocaust, called the Succession Wars, as predicted by Aleksandr Kerensky. However, they mistakenly believed that the technological level of the Periphery domains was typical of the entire Inner Sphere. The Grand Council decided that the Inner Sphere was not a military threat. Those who wanted to return claimed that the conditions laid out by General Order 137 proved that the time was ripe: "When the time is right, when the strength of our will and our honor is humanity's only hope to struggle up from the ashes, only then can our strong descendants make the long journey to the home that is rightfully ours." The Crusaders felt these conditions had been fulfilled. The Grand Council agreed to discuss the Crusaders' call to arms, and thus began what would become known as the Great Debate. 3000 Khan Nadia Winson of the Crusader Clan Ghost Bear attempted to force a Grand Council vote in favor of invasion. In response to the growing strength of the Crusaders and the increasing support among the Clans for that faction's call to war, Khan Kerlin Ward of Clan Wolf offered a clever compromise. Ward, a partisan of Warden politics, proposed a scouting mission to the Inner Sphere, an idea that even the most ardent of the Crusaders had to accept as prudent strategy. The Grand Council agreed that the plan had merit, and gave Khan Ward the honor of forming the scouting party. Disguising the scouting party as mercenaries, Ward planned to staff the chosen unit with officers who shared his Warden beliefs. Leo Showers, Khan of Smoke Jaguars and a Crusader partisan, suspected Ward's motives and recruited saKhan Sessu Katayama of the Nova Cats, Showers' long-time battle comrade and an opponent of the Wolves, to sabotage Ward's plan by keeping him from using trueborn warriors. Katayama, whose rank placed her second only to the ilKhan in the Clan Grand Council claimed that a force of trueborn Wolf Clan warriors would jeopardize the mission. The trueborns' inherent genetic superiority, Katayama argued, would make them conspicious to Inner Sphere states, thus defeating their purpose. Katayama suggested the Wolf Clan use freebirth warriors, claiming that their inferior genetic stock would help them blend with the Inner Sphere population. This suggestion, eagerly backed by several Clans who wanted to save trueborn warriors for what they saw as real battle, played directly into Ward's hands. More than a few freebirth warriors felt the same loyalty to Kerlin Ward and commitment to Warden beliefs as any trueborn officer and Ward gave two loyal and talented freebirth warriors command of the newly formed Wolf's Dragoons. Joshua and, upstart freebirths who had fought to earn their status as warriors and the Clan name Wolf, had technically gained honor by earning their names, but both were untried in command positions. Katayama, perhaps believing Ward was cutting his own throat, approved the selection and the remaining Crusaders sympathizers followed suit. Still determined that the members of the expedition be unquestionably loyal to Wolf Clan and the Warden cause, Ward offered positions in the Dragoons to Bloodnamed or trueborn warriors of any Clan who wanted such a chance. Surprisingly, the number of volunteers for the Dragoons among trueborn as well as freeborn warriors skyrocketed once Jaime and Joshua were named commanders. The Dragoons' trueborn MechWarriors included an able warrior named Natasha Kerensky. Once the force was compositioned, Goliath Scorpion saKhan Ren Posavatz stunned many of those present by announcing a batchall for the right to train the proposed unit prior to its departure. Seemingly unsurprised, Khan Ward accepted the bid when no other Clans stepped forward to dispute it. Testing themselves for more than two years against Clan Goliath Scorpion's elite Heartvenom Cluster, the collection of freeborns and trueborn volunteers who made up the Dragoons evolved into a crafty and efficient unit capable of holding its own against front-line Clan Clusters. Many Crusaders argued that the unconventionel tactics taught to the Dragoons were unbecoming to Clan warriors, and called for the removal of the Scorpions as their trainers. Scorpion Star Colonel Kari Baba defended the training regimen, citing its origin in Star League military manuals and holos drawn from the Scorpions' archives, and successfully won support from Khan Ward to continue the mission preparations. When the Dragoons finally departed the Clan Homeworlds in 3004, several Scorpion warriors volunteered to accompany them into the Inner Sphere. 3004 The Dragoons left for the Inner Sphere, outfitted with pre-Exodus BattleMechs from some of the oldest Brian Caches. Other vehicles and equipment were retro-fitted with pre-Exodus parts to prevent advanced technology from accidentally falling into the hands of the Inner Sphere. Young freebirth "dependents" rounded out the appearance of a nomadic mercenary company. Contact and First Contract with Davion3005On April 11th, Wolf's Dragoons jumped from their rendezvous-point Bristol, where they hid a large amount of their equipment, right into the Federated Sun's Delos System. Even as the strangers offered their services to House Davion many remained suspicious as the Dragoons brought Mechs and ships with them not seen in the Inner Sphere for 200 years. No mercenary unit in the IS fielded that much aerospace fighters, JumpShips and repair facilities. Critics suspected a clever trick by Davion's archrival Kurita. 3006 In their first major engagement forces of the Dragoons triumphated over the Blackwind Laciers and Marion's Highlanders, both mercenary units that raided the Federated Suns from Liao space. Later this year Jaime Wolf led an Attack of the Alpha Regiment on Styx. ROM agents tried to infiltrate WolfNet, but this was an invane task. This actions led to the disposal of ComStar Primus Rusenstein. 3007 While Jaime Wolf and two of his regiments were fighting on Weekapaug in January, MacCarron's Armored Cavalry attacked the headquarters of Wolf's Dragoons on New Valencia. The Dragoons, of course, defended themselves succesfully. Later this year forces of Wolf's Dragoons were also fighting on New Haiti, Poznan and again on Weekapaug. Jaime Wolf created a new unit that should operate independant from the main force. Snord's Irregulars were born. 3008 The Dragoons attacked Necromo, Tikonov, Hunan, St.Andre and Shensi. House Liao captured New Aragon. On behave of the Davion government all five regiments of Wolf's Dragoons were moved to Halloran IV to win back New Aragon. During this battle the Dragoons met Waco's Rangers in a pass named El Diablo. After his defeat, Wayne Waco blamed the Dragoons for brutally killing his only son John. Since this, every new recruit at the Rangers must swear an oath to kill every Dragoon member he encounters. As the New Aragon Campaign was succesfully completed, Jaime Wolf received the Crucis Cross for his loyal services. 3009 Intense aerospace activity signaled the first return of the mercenary unit to the Clans to report and to get new Mechs and equipment. Davions official reports stated that the Dragoons were on rest and refit. The Dragoons' reports contrasted significantly with the previous Clan perception of the Inner Sphere. The Dragoons reported that the Inner Sphere was not on the verge of collapse, but on the road to recovery. This revelation further divided the Grand Council. The Dragoons were ordered to return to the Inner Sphere and continue their mission, while the Clans considered the implications of their new information. Second Contract with House Liao3010In February Jaime Wolf informed Prince Davion that he accepted an offer from the Capellan Confederation. This and all further contracts specified that the unit will not participate in operations against their last employer. The Dragoons left New Avalon and headad for Sian. 3011 After several months of garrison duty the Dragoons were moved to Wallacia to fight against troops of the Free Worlds League. They also defended succesfully the Planet of Furund. 3012 A Marik-offensive on Shiro III was put on hold by Wolf's Dragoons. 3013 The Dragoons were assigned to garrison duty on the planet Carver. During the unit's enforced inactivity, incidents of disorderly conduct and other civil infractions grew. Despite precautions on the Dragoons' side, a brawl broke out on the world of Bithania between the Dragoons and members of McCarron's Armored Cavalry. The conflict did nothing to ease the tension and tedium of garrison duty, and the arrival of Candace Liao only made matters worse. Candace arrived in May and began a series of intrigues that included an attempt to seduce Jaime Wolf and bring the Dragoons under her sway. Rejected by Wolf, an enraged and humiliated Candace left Carver vowing revenge for the insults she had suffered. Though no conclusive proof exists, some reports claim that Candace Liao engineered two subsequent attempts on Jaime Wolf's life. The first one was sabotage on Wolf's Archer which he survived only marginally and in december the 7th Kommando killed a would-be assassin at Wolf's villa on Carver. Third contract: Marik Civil War3014Jaime Wolf participates on negotiations between Maximilian Liao and Anton Marik on Terra. Liao turned his control of the Dragoons over to Anton in support of his rebellion against his brother Janos. In May the civil war started. The mercenaries fight on different worlds like New Roma, Emris IV, Vanra, New Delos and Sophie's World. Wolf's units constantly won their battles but the rebellion failed due to the lack of support. The troops of Anton Marik were defeated on Calloway VI. Jaime Wolf created a new unit named 'The Black Widows' with Natasha Kerensky in command. 3015 Anton Marik ordered Jaime Wolf to split up his troops to be attached to the regular forces. In reaction of Wolf's refusal Anton arrested Joshua Wolf and 27 staff members of the Dragoons on New Delos. Wolf started a surprise attack on the capitol city but only to find the hostages dead. Anton Marik was killed on the attack. As Wolf and the bereaved Dragoons buried their dead the rest of the mercenaries raged through New Delos for two days. Their furious assaults left no single civic building standing and wiped out Duke Anton's forces almost to the last man. After this Wolf's Dragoons prepared to fight against Janos Marik but instead got an offer to work for him. Wolf accepted the offer for employment from Captain-General Janos Marik. Fourth contract: Janos Marik3016The Dragoons hit several minor Steiner worlds in their so-called "cattle-raiding-period": Wyatt, New Kyoto, Summer and Dixie. 3019 Janos Marik ordered Wolf to do a deep strike into Steiner space: Hesperus II. On their way throug hostile space the mercenaries attack Gienah, Launam, Fianna, Sharpsborg and Lamon. Only a high placed traitor in Marik's government made it possible for the Steiner forces to slow the Dragoons and Hansen's Roughriders finally stopped them on Hesperus II, just before the indistry complex. Later this year Colonel Wolf started to his last return to the Clans to gather new equipment and to meet secretly with Kahn Kerlin Ward. Fifth contract: Steiner3020When the Dragoons returned to the Inner Sphere they carried not only new equipment but also advanced technological data, Clan operational reports and old Star League records that revealed the location of undiscovered factories and caches of equipment on the Davion world of Outreach. As Archon Katrina Steiner offered the unit a place in her ranks, Wolf accepted. Later this year the "Black Widows" went into action against troops of House Kurita on New Wessex with the famous battle at Harlow's Wood. 3021 In September Alpha, Beta and Epsilon Regiments in the Steiner invasion on Dromini VI. The planet's defenders included the Sword of Light, elite Kurita troops. During the fighting a recon unit led by Minobu Tetsuhara discovered Wolf's Archer crippled and far from his unit. Following the rules of bushido, Tetsuhara saluted Wolf for his prowess and led his company away. 3022 After the Dromini campaign the Dragoons were soon relegated to minor raids. In September the unit received the highest priced mercenary contract offer by Takashi Kurita. Under orders from his Khan to accelerate the Dragoons' pace in testing the military strength of the Inner Sphere, Wolf accepted the generous offer. He uses the escape clause in his contract with Katrina Steiner. Sixth contract: The Dragon3023The Dragoons' new headquarter is An Ting. In April Epsilon regiment and the "Black Widows" fight on Hoff against the Eridani Light Horse. In June Alpha, Gamma and Delta saw action on Quentin. Minobu Tetsuhara became their liaison officer and saved the Wolf's life in a difficult situation. Jaime Wolf met Takashi Kurita on Quentin. 3024 Wolf's Dragoons participated in raids on Davion worlds. Thule, Klathandu, LeBlanc, Marduk, Breed, Proserpina, New Aberdeen and Coursadin were the targets. 3025 On Thestria Epsilon was defeated by Davion troops. In April Gamma Regiment and Delta Battalion conquered the planet Deshler. 3026 Takashi Kurita awarded Jaime Wolf the Order of Bushido Blade, one of the highest decorations of the Combine. While the Dragoons successfully raided Proserpina, Cylene and David, Grieg Samsonow, one of Lord Kurita's Warlords, began to discredit the mercenaries. He stopped front supply for the unit. In september faked holovids appear that show the "Black Widows" raiding the city of New Mendham. Samsonow blamed the Dragoons for riots on Kawabe, which he had arranged. As support problems became worse, the mercenaries raided Udibi to get the neede supplies. Though the contract explicitly allowed such actions it made the Dragoons not very popular among the Kuritans. 3027 Warlord Samsonow continues to defame Wolf's Dragoons, which leaded to the uprising on An Ting. Jaime Wolf secretly negotiates with Prince Davion, from whom he had received an offer for contract. At the year's end Kurita agents invaded and destroyed the Hephaestus, which leads to the evecuation of Dragoon dpendents. 3028 On midnight, 23rd of April the contract between Kurita and the Dragoons ended. A few weeks before, Wolf had sent Takashi an open challenge. The planet Misery was determined as the battleground. The Dragoons stood against the five regiments of the Ryuken, the 8th Sword of Light, the 17th and the 21st Galedon Regulars. On May 20th, after nearly a month of constant fighting, the Dragoons won and destroyed both Galedon Regulars and half of the Ryuken. Minobu Tetsuhara, who had to command the Kurita troops, committed seppuku because he had disappointed his Lord. The survivors of the mercenaries headed for Harrow's Sun in Davion occupied space. Hanse Davion allowed Jaime Wolf to place his remaining forces on the Kurita border on Glenmora, Wapakoneta and Harrow's Sun. At the wedding of Melissa Steiner and Hanse Davion Wolf presents Takashi Kurita the swords of Tetsuhara. Seventh contract: return to Davion3028On the 12th of September the 8th Galedon regiment attacked the Dragoons on Harrow's Sun. Five days after this the 3 Proserpina Hussars and the 12th Galedon invaded Wapakoneta and finally the next day the 5th Galedon landed on Glenmora. 3029 In September the Dragoons, with only one regiment remaining, landed on Crossing for the last fight against the Dragon. On the plataeu of Tartarus Caldera the mercenaries stood against elements of the 10. Light Deneb Cavalry and the 5., 8., 12. and 16th Galedon Regiments as well as one company of DEST-commandos. The fighting lasted for nearly two months and at its end on October 28th only 112 Mechs and their pilots, not more than three battalions of the Galedon regiments, survived. Though Wolf's Dragoons survived the Dragon's fury as a military unit, many individual Dragoons did not. 3030 The Fourth Succesion War nearly finished off the mercenaries. At this year's end the Dragoons only fielded one provisional regiment of mixed troops. Hanse Davion ceded them the planet Outreach for their gallant services. Rebuilding on Outreach3031On December 16 publicly released holovids announced the formation of the "Black Widow Battalion" with the newly promoted Colonel Natasha Kerensky in charge. The first Dragoon unit officially back on-line and ready for hire. The Battalion has already signed its first contract, and was en route to its first action on Tsinghai, a lengthy but succesful operation in which they displayed all the style and savvy of the original "Black Widow Company". 3032 The Dragoons opened the first Hiring Hall in the capital city of Harlech on Outreach. 3035 The Dragoons second revitalized unit, Beta Regiment, is available for hire. Jaime Wolf recalled the "Black Widows" and stationed them on Remus, the second continent on Outreach, which is used as a training ground for Dragoon units. During the next seven years Kerensky supervised the MechWarrior training and one by one the newly operational regiments shipped out to hire. 3037 Hiring Hall operations shifted from the temporary facility to the newly renovated Olympiad Stadium, and the mercenary business exploded on Harlech. Eigth contract: Federated Commonwealth3048The Clan Grand Council, led by the newly elected Leo Showers, voted to invade the Inner Sphere. Showers recalled Wolf's Dragoons, knowing they would refuse to return, and for this refusal branded them traitors to the Clans. When the reports of bandits fighting with strange and fearsome new weapons drifted into the Inner Sphere from the Periphery, Jaime Wolf and his Dragoons knew the long-awaited Clan invasion had begun. Carrying out the first step of his secret orders from the deceased Khan Kerlin Ward, Wolf recalled his troops to Outreach. 3050 After an Inner Sphere pilot crashed her fighter into the cockpit of the Clan's flagship and killed Leo Showers, the Clans called all Bloodnamed warriors to Strana Mechty for a Great Council. Despite her despised status as a Dragoon defector, Natasha Kerensky obeyed the call to the Bloodnamed and returned to the clans. 3051 After the halt of the invasion, Wolf invited all IS leaders to Outreach, revealing the origin of the new invaders and to prepare the Succesor States for battle. At this point Wolf's Dragoons begin playing their new role as Wardens of the Inner Sphere and also of the Clans as Jaime Wolf erased the coordinates of the Clan Homeworlds on all computers. As the Clans closed on Luthien in December, Hanse Davion sent Wolf's Dragoons and the Kell Hounds to help defend the world. The timely intervention of these two famed mercenary units saved Luthien, though Coordinator Takashi Kurita hated the thought that he owed his realm's survival to his bitter enemy Jaime Wolf. Beneath both leaders' civil public facade, their feud continued to simmer. 3052 Though the Crusaders had intended to punish Natasha Kerensky for aiding the Inner Sphere, political manuvering changed potentional disgrace into triumph. By the end of the invasion's first wave with the signing of the Tukayyid agreement, Kerensky had become Khan of the Wolf Clan. Because of a shism ComStar lost its credibility in the eyes of the Inner Sphere. Lacking the trust of the major houses, ComStar could no longer run its Mercenary Review Board. The Successor Lords responded by creating a new Mercenary Review and Bonding Commision, and Jaime Wolf used the Dragoons' influence to bring the new Commision to Outreach. Now each mercenary unit gets its own 'Dragoon rating' to reflect its worth in battle. 3054 Combined troops of the Federated Commonwealth and Wolf's Dragoons invaded the Clan Jade Falcon occupied world of Morges and pushed the Clan offplanet. 3055 The Dragoons are a mixed Clan / IS unit. In this melting pot came Elson Novacat, a Clan infantryman captured on Luthien and made a bondsman. After earning back his position as a warrior through his skill in battle suit combat, the ambitious Elson advanced rapidly in the Dragoon command structure. Like Jaime Wolf, Elson was a freebirth who had earned a warrior's name. Unlike Wolf, he clung blindly to his belief in Clan superiority. Dismayed by what he saw as the Dragoons' failure to uphold Clan traditions, Novacat vowed to correct that failure by deposing Jaime Wolf and taking over the Dragoons. Elson built a power base among disaffected Dragoons, including Jaime Wolf's estranged grandson, Alpin. Following the suspicious death of Colonel MacKenzie Wolf, Jaime's son was designated heir to his command. Elson used Alpin to engineer a rebellion."Elson's challenge", as the Dragoons came to call it, culminated in a protracted campaign on Outreach between Dragoon units supporting Jaime Wolf and those supporting Elson's puppet, Alpin. But Jaime Wolf emerged victorious with the help of a talented MechWarrior named Maeve, who later was honornamed Wolf. 3058 In 3058 Coventry was the target for a Jade Falcon raid to prove the Clan's readiness for the invasion. Eight Clan galaxies stood against the Donegal-Militia, the 10th Skye Rangers and the forces of the academy of Coventry. To protect Coventry Metal Works and to secure the truce line of Tukayyid, all 5 regiments of the Dragoons together with elements of the ComGuards, of the Knights of the Inner Sphere, the Harloc Raiders and Waco's Rangers were sent into battle. Waco's Rangers proved their lousy reputation as they ignored their orders in battle and were captured by the Falcons. In spite of this the planet was liberated, and Clan Jade Falcon was offered Hegira, which its Khan accepted. Today The new Dragoons' nickname "Wolf Pack" is gaining currency, perhaps reflecting the unit's new strength. Though small compared to any Clan or Successor State, the Dragoons have had an impact on the history of the Successor States far out of proportion to their numbers. To be continued... HonornamesThe Dragoon practice of Honornames is similar to the Clan usage of Bloodnames in their significance. In both cases, the use of the name is restricted to those who have successfully completed a series of trials. The similarity ends there however, for the Dragoon Honor Trials are not the fights to death which typify Clan Bloodname Trials. Only one member of a generation (defined as all persons born within a twenty year span) is allowed to hold a particular honorname. Although the majority of holders are blood descendants of the founder, a throwback to the Clan practice of Bloodname eligibility based on matrilineal descent, eligibility for an Honorname is open to all members of the Dragoons regardless of origin. This is particularly the case if the candidate demonstrates exceptional character and ability reminiscent of the founder of that name (General Maeve Wolf is an example of this). Emphasis is placed on categories in which the founder of the line excelled. In any case, the HonorTrials are stringent enough to eliminate all but the very best from contention. In order to properly understand the meaning of each of the honornames, it is important to know something of the history of that name. These names are broken down into different categories according to the particular significance of that name. Founders:
Honored Dead:
Wolf's Dragoons Ranks
COMMANDER'S LANCE Commander:Commander Jaime Wolf Composition:1 BattleMech lance, 1 Elemental Point Nickname:The Old Guard Insignia:A voided golden wolf's head DropShip Assignments:None The Commander's lance serves primarily as an honor guard for Commander Jaime Wolf. Tours of duty are short but coveted. GENERAL'S COMMAND COMPANY Commander:General Maeve Wolf Composition:1 BattleMech company, 1 Elemental Star Nickname:None Insignia:A golden wolf's head DropShip Assignments:Chieftain (Overlord class) Maeve Wolf personally approves all assignments to this company. Command lance and alpha lance are long term assignments, the mechwarriors serving in it having been with Maeve since her promotion. The other lances and the elemental star offer 12 month tours of duty and are eagerly sought after in competitions where applicants prove their suitability for the post. ALPHA REGIMENT Commander:Colonel Kelly Yukinov Composition:Command BattleMech company, 3 BattleMech battalions, 1 Elemental battalion, 1 Armored battalion Nickname:First Team Insignia:Greek letter alpha DropShip Assignments:Talleyrand, Warchief (Overlord class), Gloire, Preussen, Antiphone (Union class) Alpha regiment remains the foremost fighting force of Wolf's Dragoons. It is composed of only of combat veterans. BETA REGIMENT Commander:Colonel Anton Rand Composition:Command BattleMech company, 3 BattleMech battalions, 1 Elemental company, 1 Armored battalion Nickname:Second to None Insignia:Greek letter beta DropShip Assignments:Fitzlyon, Stalingrad, Duke Torgal (Overlord class), Belfast, Cordova (Union class) The soldiers of beta strongly expouse their motto of "second to none" and most of their opponents would have to agree. Like alpha, beta is a generalist regiment capable of fighting anywhere, any time, and winning. GAMMA REGIMENT Commander:Colonel Irwin Tyrell Composition:3 BattleMech battalions, 1 Elemental company, 1 Armored battalion Nickname:None Insignia:Greek letter gamma DropShip Assignments:Phoenix II (Overlord class), Cetawayo, Dunnigan, Bellatrix, Duke Paul, Graf BErek (Union class), White Orca (Intruder class) Gamma regiment are the Dragoons' urban specialists. This unit regularly receives intense training in close-quarter combat and riot control and their performance in suitable assignments has resulted in an unblemished record of successfully completed contracts since the reorganization of 3052. DELTA REGIMENT Commander:Colonel Shelly Brubaker Composition:Command BattleMech company, 3 BattleMech battalions, 1 Elemental battalion, 1 Aerospace company Nickname:None Insignia:Greek letter delta DropShip Assignments:Utah Beach, Thermopylae Redux, Juan Carlos, Bayard, Los Diablos, Konga (Overlord class), Lone Ranger, Strider (Scout class), Sudetenland (Seeker class), Simba, Croyd (Lion class) Delta regiment is the Dragoons' fast response force. They specialize in highly mobile operations, both strategic and tactical. Delta maintains the highest portion of multiple jump capable ships in the Dragoons and sufficient DropShips to land all of their forces at once. EPSILON REGIMENT Commander:Colonel Elizabeth Nichole Composition:Command BattleMech company, 3 BattleMech battalions, 1 Elemental company, 1 Armored battalion Nickname:Harrowers Insignia:Greek letter epsilon DropShip Assignments:Suniva, Hebrides (Union class), Otsu (Fortress class) Epsilon regiment are sluggers, renowned for their dogged determination to achieve their objectives despite opposition and their own losses. Outside of alpha regiment and zeta battalion, this regiment has a higher percentage of OmniMechs among its units than any other. ZETA BATTALION Commander:Colonel J. Elliot Jamison Composition:Command star, 1 BattleMech cluster, Fire star Nickname:None Insignia:Greek letter zeta DropShip Assignments:Hecate's Tears, Persephone's Lord (Union Class) Zeta remains the Dragoons' premier assault strike force. The unit is equipped exclusively with assault class BattleMechs and OmniMechs and organized, Clan-fahion, in a trinary. WOLF SPIDER BATTALION Commander:Major John Clavell Composition:Command Star, 1 BattleMech cluster, Aerospace company, Infantry company Nickname:The Spider's Web Insignia:A black wolf spider on a red disk DropShip Assignments:Widow's Regards (Overlord class) Like its ancestral Black Widow Battalion, this unit retains a lean table of organization suitably to its primary employment as a raiding force. When the jobs dirty and has to be done quick, the Wolf Spiders are an employer's first request. AEROSPACE COMMAND Commander:Fleet Colonel Issola Chandra Composition:1 WarShip squadron, 1 Aerospace Fighter wing, 1 Transport wing Nickname:None Insignia:A red fighter silhouette against a silver spiral galaxy DropShip Assignments:Orion's Sword (modified Achilles class), Huscarl (Leopard class), Akaga, Merlin, Swallow, Thane, Kestrel (Leopard CV class) Aerospace command has the responsibility for orbital and deep space security of the Dragoon planet of Outreach as well as responsibility for coordinating all aerospace military assets involved in contract operations. ARMORED SUPPORT BRIGADE Commander:Major Douglas Piper Composition:Armored Command company, 4 Armored battalions Nickname:Wiley's Rogues Insignia:White winged sword on a blue hexagon DropShip Assignments:Jeb Stuart, Saladin (Gazelle class), Jordan II (Fury class), Blue Heron, Motherbird (Leopard CV class) FIRE SUPPORT BRIGADE Commander:Major Rebecca Ardevaner Composition:3 BattleMech companies Nickname:Mayhem ex Machina Insignia:a silhouette of a catapult DropShip Assignments:Wexford (Fortress class) ELEMENTAL STRIKE CLUSTER Commander:Major Elson Novacat Composition:Elemental Command point, 1 Elemental cluster Nickname:Toads from hell Insignia:An armored wolf's head DropShip Assignments:Hammer, Cat's Claws (modified Leopard class) SPECIAL RECON GROUP Commander:Major Pietr Shadd Composition:1 Recon battalion Nickname:The all seeing eye Insignia:A silhouette of a panther DropShip Assignments:Bowfin (Intruder class), Silkie, Black Rose, Woebegone (Leopard Class) SEVENTH KOMMANDO Commander:Major Leon Shostokovitch Composition:1 augmented battalion Nickname:None Insignia:A red numeral 7 DropShip Assignments:Argent's Gift, Quarrel, Rio Plata, Sheba (Fury class) INTELLIGENCE GROUP Commander:Major Michi Noketsuna Composition: Nickname:WolfNet Insignia: DropShip Assignments:Whisper, Shadow (Scout class) HOME GUARD Commander:Major Donovan Lewis Composition:1 BattleMech battalion (provisional), 4 Armored brigades (prov.), 10 Infantry brigades (prov.) Nickname:The Kids and Old Folks Insignia:A white shield emblazoned with a black wolf's head DropShip Assignments:None |
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Outreach: Inner Sphere Home world of the Wolf's Dragoons Coordinates: -3.13, -34.95Time to Jump Point: Three days Recharging Stations: Zenith, Nadir Recharging Time: Seven days ComStar Facility Class: A ComStar Representative: His most exalted ambassador, Mark Bremmer, Precentor of Outreach Station Political Leader: Jaime Wolf Timeline:
Outreach was first settled in the twenty-second century by Terran colonists and
within decades the planet became well-known for its agricultural exports. In
2704 Outreach was choosen to host the Star League Martial Olympics. Soon a giant
tourism industry grew on Outreach, which collapsed as fast as it has risen with
the fall of the Star League.In early 3030s Snord's Irregulars, in service to the Federated Commonwealth, requested permission to garrison and investigate a reported cache of artifacts on Outreach. Snord initiated the request, but the Federated Commonwealth had their own reasons for supporting such an investigation. The High Command told Snord privately that Wolf's Dragoons had asked for the world as their base. The Federated Commonwealth wanted Snord to make sure that nothing of unexpected value was available before they turned it over to the Dragoons. For more than six months, the Irregulars surveyed Outreach, secretly passing their findings through WolfNet to the Dragoons. Cranston finally reported to the High Command that the world was clear. Since Hanse Davion ceded the planet to the Dragoons on August 16, 3030, most of the old StarLeague facilities have been renovated. Jaime Wolf now governs a rich and well defended planet which is the starting point for many mercenary-campaigns. Outreach's land mass is compromised of vast twin continents that cover approximately 30 percent of the planet's surface. Romulus contains nearly all of Outreach's cities and commercial enterprises. The continent is home to such large cities as An Numsan and New Wyatt, which contains the offices of numerous Lyran, Marik and Capellan corporations, as well as the planetary capital of Harlech, along Lake Kearney's western shore. A mountain range known as The Ridge bisects the continent, and small farms and rolling hills typify the countryside outside of the cities. The continent of Remus is the private hold of Wolf's Dragoons. It contains Dragoon training and repair facilities as well as Blackwell Industries' test grounds. Access to Remus is highly restricted and every ship heading for Remus will be intercepted. The winding Argosyan Sea covers the remainder of the planet's surface. |
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A Wolf's Dragoon soldier |