Tau Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion)

Galaxy Tau (Clan Ghost Bear) logo.png
Tau Galaxy
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion;
Clan Ghost Bear (previous)
Parent Command Clan Ghost Bear touman

Tau Galaxy was the first Galaxy raised by Clan Ghost Bear as a purely garrison force.

History[edit]

Tau is the oldest garrison Galaxy in the Clan Ghost Bear touman.[1]

Operation REVIVAL[edit]

Was sent into the Inner Sphere after the Third Wave of Operation Revival to garrison worlds taken in the Inner Sphere. Unlike most of the Bear's reinforcements, the Clusters of Tau were split into Trinary-sized formations and used to garrison multiple worlds. These smaller forces were encouraged to interact and even live among the native populations, showing them the benefits of becoming Ghost Bears. They also undertook many public works projects, which made the warriors and techs of Tau Galaxy some of the most liked Clansmen in the Inner Sphere.[1]

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

Despite being a garrison force Tau Galaxy commands were heavily tasked during the First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear 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.[4]

The Jihad[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.[5]

With the departure of the First and Second Bear Regulars Tau was reduced to just three Clusters in strength, all of which were Provisional Garrison Clusters[6]: the Ninth, Eighteenth, and Thirty-seventh.[7] Despite Tau's reduced strength, it was the primary BattleMech force in the Ghost Bear Dominion[6] when the Second Freemen and First Kavalleri regiments[8]—both former Free Rasalhague Republic regiments—rebelled in October 3076 against the Trials of Position mandated by the Ghost Bears after the incorporation of the Free Rasalhague Republic into the Ghost Bear Dominion.[9][10]

This left Tau working alongside Sigma Galaxy[11] and attempting to defuse the situation, containing the rogue units until Rasalhague Galaxy could return to Dominion space; Tau led the efforts to put down the mutiny without creating a public relations catastrophe prior to the return of Rasalhague Galaxy.[6]

With the Ghost Bear operations against the Word of Blake coming to a close, the First and Second Bear Regulars were returned to Tau, which made Tau one of the largest galaxies in the Ghost Bear touman in 3079.[6]

The 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.[12]

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.[12]

The Ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster successfully raided Mualang in 3084, but as a Garrison Cluster it lacked the logistical experience needed to support an extended campaign on the planet.

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.[13]

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.[13]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of Tau Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
Commanding Officers of Tau Galaxy (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Galaxy Commander François Cote 3061-3067[1][7]
Galaxy Commander Jason Hall 3085[14]
Commanding Officers of Tau Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion)
Galaxy Commander Ezekiel Vong 3145-3152[15][16]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

3061[edit]

3067[edit]

  • First Bear Regulars[7]
  • Second Bear Regulars[7]
  • Ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster[7]
  • Eighteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster[7]
  • Thirty-seventh Provisional Garrison Cluster[7]

3079[edit]

  • First Bear Regulars[17]
  • Second Bear Regulars[17]
  • Ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster[17]
  • Eighteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster[17]
  • Thirty-seventh Provisional Garrison Cluster[17]

3085[edit]

  • First Bear Regulars[14]
  • Second Bear Regulars[14]
  • Ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster[14]
  • Eighteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster[14]
  • Thirty-seventh Provisional Garrison Cluster[14]

3145[edit]

  • First Bear Regulars[15]
  • Second Bear Regulars[15]
  • Ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster[15]
  • Eighteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster[15]
  • Thirty-seventh Provisional Garrison Cluster[15]
- The First and Second Bear Regulars had replaced their tank formations with new BattleMech formations in the 3140s, giving Tau more 'Mech forces than the typical second-line Galaxy.[13]

Notes[edit]

  • Special Rules for Tau Galaxy can be found in Field Manual: Warden Clans, pages 180 and 182.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 100: "Tau Galaxy"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 61: "Tau Galaxy"
  3. Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Overview"
  4. Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  5. Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Xi Galaxy"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Tau Galaxy"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Field Manual: Updates, p. 78: "Tau Galaxy"
  8. Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Sigma Galaxy"
  9. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  10. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
  11. Field Report: Clans, p. 10: "Sigma Galaxy"
  12. 12.0 12.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 121: "Tau Galaxy"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 163: "Tau Galaxy"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127: "Tau Galaxy"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172: "Clan Force Deployments - Rasalhague Dominion"
  16. Dominions Divided, p. 103
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Field Report: Clans, p. 11: "Deployment Status"

Bibliography[edit]