1st Drakøns (Rasalhague Dominion)

First Drakøns
Formed Early 3070s
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Parent Command Tundra Galaxy

The First Drakøns is a Rasalhague Dominion second-line BattleMech Cluster, formed from soldiers who had served in the Free Rasalhague Republic's unit of the same name[1]

Unit History[edit]

Formation[edit]

After the merging of the Republic with the Ghost Bear Dominion, Clan Ghost Bear integrated the KungsArmé into its own touman.[1] Honoring the Free Rasalhague Republic's military past, the Clan reforms included recreating the First Drakøns, joining the surviving the Third Drakøns.

Staffed by native Rasalhagians and former KungsArmé soldiers, the First Drakøn's personnel undertook a series of Trials of Position to attain their place in the Cluster. Assigned to the newly formed Tundra Galaxy, the unit soon redeployed within the Dominion in order to free up Clan frontline Combat units to fight the Word of Blake.[2][3][4]

During the brief KungsArmé rebellion in 3076, the First did not join the insurrection movement. They did not harbor resentment over the treatment of fellow former KungsArmé soldiers who refused demotion or demobilization after failing their Trials of Position.[5]

The First moved to Orestes as part of their garrison assignment as of December 3076.[6] The unit was rewarded for its show of restraint during the Rebellion and given upgrades to its touman, but was still not completely trusted by the Ghost Bears' Clan Council.[7]

Early Dark Age Era[edit]

Post–Jihad Events[edit]

Along with other Tundra Galaxy Clusters, the First would be rotated to the Draconis Combine border and positioned to repel possible raids from House Kurita and their allies in Clan Nova Cat.[8]

Second Combine-Dominion War[edit]

First Battle of Labrea[edit]

At the outbreak of the Second Combine-Dominion War, the First Drakøn was assigned to the initial wave of the invasion of the Draconis Combine's Irece Prefecture. The unit was also honored to make history by being the first freeborn command in the Clan to lead a trueborn unit into combat. The First Drakøn and Fourth Bear Regulars arrived in the Labrea system in January 18th, 3099.

The two Clusters moved quickly to the surface, where the defending Nova Cat Legers first dispatched their aerospace assets to harry Drakøns and the Regulars' landing zones. Galaxy Commander Storland had expected the outnumbered Nova Cats to avoid contact, and devised a strategy of breaking up the Drakøns into temporary Star formations and deploying them encompassing the landing zone in an expanding circle. Deployment in this manner allowed the Cluster to avoid being targeted as easily by the Nova Cats' dwindling air power, forcing the Legers' commander, Star Colonel Jose Watson, to launch a driving attack against the two Clusters' DropShips after weeks of harrying the Drakøns from the air.

The First Drakøn's commander ordered their fellow Bear Cluster to conduct a parallel charge against the incoming Nova Cat Legers. As the Nova Cats began to engage the Drakøn, Storland ordered his Drakøns to charge Nova Cats while not holding anyone back in reserve. The First Drakøn's ferocious attack, fueled partially by the destruction of their fellow warriors in the Third Hussars, ripped into the Legers. The overwhelming assault of the Drakøn wrecked the Nova Cats as their allies in the Fourth Bear Regulars arrived to begin their attack. Few surviving Legers were able to retreat off world, while Storland ordered his Clusters to raze all the Nova Cat Enclaves and settlements.[9]

Second Battle of Labrea[edit]

By Late 3099, the Second Drakøn had joined the First and the Fourth Bears Regulars in garrisoning of Labrea.

Storland had his aerospace forces stay close to the planet to intercept possible invaders.

On October 12th a task force of Nova Cat forces led by saKhan Heather Winters arrived in-system. Storland's aerospace forces from the Second Drakøn were able destroy some incoming DropShips, reducing the Nova Cats' ground and aerospace assets. Over the course of the month-long battle, both Drakøn Clusters would wear down from the constant fighting. The turning point came when a badly damaged Nova Cat DropShip plunged into the Second Drakøn's formation, taking out a number of 'Mechs and Battle Armor in its wake. By the 19th of November, Galaxy Commander Storland would order the withdrawal of Ghost Bear forces, heading off to Caripare to regroup and recover.[10]

Late Dark Age[edit]

In the latter part of the era, the unit would, like other Drakøns Clusters, retain their combat vehicle-only Trinaries, while MechWarriors still embraced the use of physical combat.[11]

The Draconis Combine Clashes[edit]

While garrisoned on Port Moseby in 3143, the First Drakøns lost the planet to the Draconis Combine due to the anti-Clan tactics employed by the Forty-Third Benjamin Regulars.[12]

In June 3145 while garrisoned on Oriente, the Second Arkab Legion conducted a raid. Fueled by their earlier defeat on Port Moseby, the Drakøns vented their frustration on the Legion. However, despite repelling the raid, the Drakøns took heavier losses than the Legion as they departed the planet.[13]

The First Drakøns raided Camlann in 3150, engaging the Second Arkab Legion. During this action Star Captain Ivo Forrester lived up to his surname with his hatchet-wielding Rime Otter.[14]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Drakøns Cluster (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Galaxy Commander Rhett Weaver 3076[15]
Galaxy Commander Signa Pegrema 3085[16]
Galaxy Commander Marius Storland 3099[17]
Commanding Officers of the 1st Drakøns Cluster (Rasalhague Dominion)
Galaxy Commander Terje Hembre 3145[18]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3076[edit]

Unit Note 1: As of December 3076, the unit was headquarters out of Oriente at 70% of fighting strength. The Unit was considered to be Veterans skilled and have a loyalty rating of Reliable to both Clan Ghost Bear and people of the former Free Rasalhague Republic.[19][20]
Unit Note 2: The Cluster, like other Clan KungsArmé forces equipment consist of mix of ComStar, Draconis Combine, Lyran, Clan Second-Line 'Mechs and by 3077, some Word of Blake BattleMech as well.[21]

3079[edit]

  • First Drakøns (Cluster) [Regular Skilled, Questionable Loyalty]
Note: Stationed on Radlje, unit at 75% strength, Omni Equipment Rating of 20%.[22]

3085[edit]

  • First Drakøns (Cluster) [Regular Skilled, Questionable Reliable]
Unit Note: Stationed on Courchevel, the unit at 70% strength, Omni Equipment Rating of 18% Second-Line equipment.[23]

3145[edit]

  • First Drakøns (Cluster) [Elite Skilled, Fanatical Loyalty]
Unit Note: Stationed on Orestes, the unit is at 70% fighting strength, Omni Equipment Rating of 0% Second Line equipment.[24]

Rules[edit]

Game Rules[edit]

Historical: Wars of the Republic Era (Special Command Rules) - Due to being on the border of the Draconis Combine, the First Drakøns has salvaged number units from the enemy prior to Second Combine-Dominion War. When using the Random Assignment Table (RAT) from this book, First Drakøns players must roll 2 units out of five from the Draconis Combine and Nova Cat RAT.[25]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 113: Unit's configuration and origin as Inner Sphere Regiment
  2. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 59: Reorganization of KungsArmé, which includes the 1st Drakøns as a Clan Ghost Bear combat force
  3. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 101: Domestic Affairs - KungsArmé merge and Trials to retain their warrior status noted
  4. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 113: Unit's rebirth as a BattleMech Cluster honoring old Free Rasalhague Republic's dead Regiment by the same name
  5. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 91: Rasalhague Rebellion - First Drakøns did not join in the rebellion against the Ghost Bears
  6. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 105: KungsArmé / Tundra Galaxy status on the Cluster
  7. Field Report: Clans, pp. 22–23: Irregular Forces/Tundra Galaxy - First Drakøns received upgrades for not acting out during the Rebellion, but still not trusted
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 121: Clan Ghost Bear/Tundra Galaxy - The Cluster's Galaxy deployments in later part of the Jihad/Early Dark Age
  9. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 27: Labrea - Drakøn and the Fourth Bear Regulars invades Labrea and destroy most of them and raze the world's Nova Cat settlements
  10. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 31: Labrea - 1st and Drakøn and the Fourth Bear Regulars battles the Ghost Bears for Labrea for the second time, but are forced withdraw from planet
  11. Field Manual: 3145, p. 163: "Tundra Galaxy (Ghost Bear Dominion) - Drakøns units noted for their combined arms mentality, retaining the Cluster's mentality of using physical combat
  12. Field Manual: 3145, p. 52: Benjamin Regulars/43rd Benjamin Regulars - First Drakøns is defeated and losses the planet to the regiment and the Combine
  13. Field Manual: 3145, p. 62: Alternate Paths/Second Arab Legion - Recount of raid on Orient involving the Second Arkab Legion
  14. Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 19, p. 4: "Star Captain Ivo "the Forrester" Forrester"
  15. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 105: KungsArmé / Polar Galaxy - Galaxy Commander Rhett Weaver shown to be in command of Tundra Galaxy in 3076, the First Drakøns has always been lead unit of the Galaxy
  16. Field Manual: 3085, p. 128: Clan Military Forces/Ghost Bear Dominion - "Polar Galaxy's First Drakøns commanding officer is listed, who is also the Tundra Galaxy's commander
  17. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 27: Labrea - First Battle of Labrea notes current commanding officer's name and his position as Galaxy Commander of the Tundra Galaxy
  18. Field Manual: 3145, p. 172: "Clan Force Deployments - Rasalhague Dominion"
  19. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 105: KungsArmé / Polar Galaxy
  20. Field Manual: 3085, p. 128: First Drakøns - Unit command is same as it was in 3076, along with status
  21. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 113: Equipment note
  22. Field Report: Clans, p. 24: Irregular Forces/KungsArmé/ Tundra Galaxy - 1st Drakøn's status with the rest of Tundra Galaxy
  23. Field Manual: 3085, pp. 128, 195: Clan Military Forces/Ghost Bear Dominion and Master Equipment Levels - "1st Drakøns status as of 3085, unit strength, tech levels and level of equipment. SL=Second Line Units, with no modifiers to advance equipment
  24. Field Manual: 3145, p. 173: Clan Force Deployment 31st December 3145 / Tundra Galaxy - 1st Drakøns status as of 3145, unit strength, tech levels, and percentage of equipment mix
  25. Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 91: Special Rules for the Second Combine Dominion War/KungsArmé - First Drakøns and rest of the KungsArmé gains access to Draconis Combine and Clan Nova Units due to their year on the border

Bibliography[edit]