2nd Bear Regulars (Rasalhague Dominion)

Insignia of Tau Galaxy
Second Bear Regulars
Formed Before 2861
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Clan Ghost Bear (previous)
Parent Command Tau Galaxy


History[edit]

The Cluster has served Clan Ghost Bear for over two hundred years.

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

The First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear War erupted in 3062 following a strike on the Ghost Bear world of Alshain by rogue elements of the Alshain Avengers.[1] Despite being a garrison force Tau Galaxy commands were heavily tasked during the War; Clusters from Tau were responsible the capture of worlds held by both Clan Nova Cat and the Draconis Combine, as well as reprisal raids against Clan Wolf and Clan Hell's Horses[2] following the Hell's Horses invasion of the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone as a result of the machinations of the Wolf Khan, Vlad Ward.[3]

In fact, Tau's performance in various Trials of Possession were responsible for the Bears taking Itabaiana from the Nova Cats and Kiamba from the Combine, then recapturing Goito from the Hell's Horses before seizing Stanzach - again, from the Hell's Horses - and then Gunzburg from the Wolves,[2] the latter campaign seeing the Second Bear Regulars operating alongside the 304th Assault Cluster from Beta Galaxy.[1]

The Jihad[edit]

Vega and Cebalrai[edit]

After Xi Galaxy lost the Fifth Bear Regulars to the Word of Blake attack on Radstadt during the Jihad, the Ghost Bears transferred the First and Second Bear Regulars out of Tau Galaxy and into Xi to allow Xi to join offensive operations against the Blakists.[4] After capturing Vega[4] in August 3075[5][6] Xi Galaxy supported Omicron Galaxy, with the Second's sister Cluster, the First Bear Regulars, narrowly escaping destruction when the desperate Blakist defenders on Cebalrai used neutron bombs to destroy two Clusters of Ghost Bear forces during the campaign for control of the planet in August 3075.[4][5][6][7]

With the Ghost Bears still in control of the bulk of Cebalrai the Tenth Provisional Garrison Cluster was deployed to the planet to secure Dragga, a campaign that took until at least the 23rd of August;[7] even with the Blakists annihilated,[8] the casualties inflicted on the Seventh Regulars and the Sixty-ninth PGC were such that Omicron Galaxy halted offensive operations temporarily to reassess the campaign and attempt to recover its strength.[7]

The Republic of the Sphere later established a memorial to the Ghost Bears who died liberating Cebalrai; a huge sculpture of a Ghost Bear, carved from obsidian, was placed in the center of Kamrin, the location of the final conflict between the Ghost Bears and the Blakists.[8]

Ko, Lyons and New Earth[edit]

Xi Galaxy went on to liberate Ko in late July 3076 and Lyons in August 3076[9][10] before rejoining Omicron Galaxy for the attack on New Earth. Omicron and Xi were part of[4] a contingent of roughly four Galaxies of mixed Clan forces drawn from the Lyran Alliance front of Operation SCOUR struck at New Earth on the 8th of February 3078, meeting heavy resistance.[11]

The initial attack was rebuffed, with the Clan forces having retreated by mid-February; while the media reported that the SDS in the New Earth system had been destroyed or at least heavily damaged, it also reported that up to four Clan WarShips had been destroyed, and that the Clan forces had been forced to retreat due to the presence of not just the anticipated Protectorate Militia Divisions and Militia Division, but also at least one Shadow Division. There were also unsubstantiated rumors that the forces from the Ghost Bears, Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf had arrived at different times, with the Ghost Bears arriving early, and then failed to work together.[12] One of the destroyed WarShips was subsequently identified as the Aegis-class heavy cruiser CJF Frost Falcon;[13] another was the Volga-class transport CGB Ursine Boatman,[14] and the third the Vincent-class corvette CSR Huninn, a vessel from the Clan Snow Raven Ice Storm Naval Star assigned to support the Ghost Bear Dominion during the Jihad.[15] The Ghost Bear ground forces were lucky to escape from the trap, and the damage taken made New Earth the last campaign of the Jihad for both galaxies.[16]

With the Ghost Bear operations against the Word of Blake coming to a close, the First and Second Bear Regulars were returned to Tau Galaxy, which made Tau one of the largest galaxies in the Ghost Bear touman in 3079.[16]

Dark Age[edit]

During the years immediately after the Jihad Tau acted as a supporting force to Rho and Omega Galaxies. A lack of BattleMechs had led to Tau containing vehicle-based transport Novas as well as vehicle Binaries manned by native Rasalhagians; while the proportion of Inner Sphere technology in use with Tau dropped after the initial rebuilding efforts, by 3085 nearly a quarter of Tau's equipment was still of Inner Sphere origin.[17] Despite the years immediately after the Jihad being considered to be reasonably peaceful, Tau was still engaged in low-level combat operations; the Second Bear Regulars were deployed to Satalice in 3081 and promptly drew repeated attacks because of the factories located on the planet. By 3085 Tau was actively petitioning to be allowed to launch a reprisal raid against Diosd in retaliation for the constant attacks on the Second.[17]

The Second Regulars defended Jabuka from elements of the Jade Falcon's Fifty-third Battle Cluster in 3140, destroying the attacking Jade Falcons.[18] With the collapse of the HPG network after Gray Monday Tau Galaxy was posted to the Periphery border of the Rasalhague Dominion; given Tau's status as a second-line galaxy only slightly below frontline status, this seemed an odd move to observers outside the Dominion. Tau's posting prompted speculation that the Dominion was preparing for a potential attack from the Clan Homeworlds and that the Dominion perhaps believed the various Home Clans were responsible for the events of Gray Monday.[19]

Tau's posting wasn't without problems; while Galaxy Commander Ezekial Vong was on a diplomatic mission to Santander V he evidently insulted Inheritor Warden Seb Hutardo; more surprising to outside observers was the decision by the Dominion Council to demand that Ezekial Vong perform surkai to the ruler of such an unimportant microstate.[19]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 2nd Bear Regulars Cluster
Star Colonel Katrina Homaovi 3061-3067[20][21]
Star Colonel Wendy DelVillar 3085[22]
Star Colonel Ismael Sradac 3145[23]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3061[edit]

Second Bear Regulars (Veteran/Reliable)[20]

CO: Star Colonel Katrina Homaovi [24]
Note: At this time the unit was stationed on Halesowen.[25]

3067[edit]

Second Bear Regulars (Veteran/Reliable)[21]

- At this point in time the Second were stationed on Skandia and were at seventy percent of full strength. A little under three-quarters of the Cluster were equipped with Clan technology, with the remainder using Star League era equipment. Close to forty percent of the Second were equipped with OmniMechs or equivalent technology.[21]

3079[edit]

Second Bear Regulars (Veteran/Reliable)[26]

Note: In 3079 the Second were stationed on Porthos and were at sixty percent of full strength. Just over a fifth of the Cluster were equipped with OmniMechs by this point.

3085[edit]

Second Bear Regulars (Veteran/Reliable)[22]

- At this point the Second were stationed on Satalice and had been reduced to half-strength. A fifth of the Cluster were equipped with OmniMechs or equivalent technology by this point.[22]

3145[edit]

Second Bear Regulars (Veteran/Questionable)[23]

- At this point the Second were stationed on Skallevoll and were just ten percent below full strength; in common with the other Clusters within Tau Galaxy at the time, the Second had no OmniMechs deployed.[23]

Game Rules[edit]

3061[edit]

  • Units from the Second gain a +2 modifier to any dice roll on Random Weight-class tables to determine Star or Binary/Trinary type;[27] this +2 modifier includes the +1 modifier applied to all units in the Clan Ghost Bear touman by default in this era.[28]
  • When fighting in the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone and acting as defender, the Second begin the battle with full ammunition loads regardless of any scenario rules that might limit access to such ammunition.[27]
  • When the Second are fighting in the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone and acting as defender the opposing player may not set up any hidden units.[27]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 61: "Tau Galaxy"
  3. Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Overview"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Xi Galaxy"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54: "The Jihad In Review"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 47: "Cebalrai Free, But At What Cost?"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 9: "Cebalrai"
  9. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  10. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
  11. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"
  12. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 66: "Failed Gambit?"
  13. Field Report: Clans, p. 15: "Fleet Assets"
  14. Field Report: Clans, p. 11: "Fleet Assets"
  15. Field Report: Clans, p. 18: "Fleet Assets"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Omicron Galaxy"
  17. 17.0 17.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 121: "Tau Galaxy"
  18. Technical Readout: 3145 The Clans, p. 50
  19. 19.0 19.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 163: "Tau Galaxy"
  20. 20.0 20.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 100: "2nd Bear Regulars Profile"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 78: "Tau Galaxy"
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127: "Tau Galaxy"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172: "Tau Galaxy"
  24. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 100
  25. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 164
  26. Field Report: Clans, p. 11: "Deployment Status"
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 182: "Tai Galaxy"
  28. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180: "Clan Ghost Bear"

Bibliography[edit]