Grim Determination

(Redirected from Warriors of the Dawn)
Grim Determination
Grim Determination
Affiliation Mercenary
Parent Command Independent


History[edit]

The Warriors of the Dawn were working for the Amaris Empire, and directly to Stefan Amaris during Operation LIBERATION. The unit participated in the defense of Terra. The unit was skilled and committed to the cause so long as the pay remained good. They changed their name to Grim Determination for the attitude displayed during that action. The unit survived the fight to continue working as a mercenary unit during the Succession Wars.[1]

In 3046 the 12th Atrean Dragoons raided Sarna, the base-world of Grim Determination. The mercenaries inflicted heavy losses on the Free Worlds League unit, destroying their conventional assets and a third of their 'Mechs in just three weeks.[2][3]

Long employed by the Federated Commonwealth, Grim Determination was performing garrison duty on Sarna when Operation Guerrero was launched in 3057. The unit helped the Kaifeng SMM and the 1st Battalion of the Sarna Martial Academy Cadre to successfully repulse the Stapleton's Grenadiers and the Tooth of Ymir attack against Sarna itself,[4] but when that world declared itself the independent Sarna Supremacy, Grim Determination was unsure how to react and refused to assist in liberating Kaifeng and Sakhalin.[5] (Early reports from the Chaos March said that Grim Determination did in fact fight Kingston's Legionnaires on Sakhalin.)[4]

Instead of the expected orders, the Federated Commonwealth broke its contract with the unit after recognizing the new Sarna government, the MRBC backing the FedCom assertion that Grim Determination had breached the terms of their contract by agreeing to defend Sarna "in the name of the Federated Commonwealth", no matter if it declared independence or not.[5]

Unemployed, denied the balance of their old contract and still stuck on Sarna, the unit's prospects seemed dim until the Sarna Supremacy offered to pick up their contract under the same terms. While the pay offered now no longer equaled the greatly increased threat the unit faced in the Chaos March, it kept the Grim Determination solvent and helped to erase the black mark against its Dragoon Rating, giving the unit hope for the future.[5]

Unfortunately, Grim Determination's bad luck continued. An unknown force slaughtered one battalion during an assault. The heavy losses were a blow for the overall morale of the unit. The personnel shortage in the FedCom Civil War was aggravated further due to sustained losses in other engagements.

The Colonel signed critical short term contracts with high payments with the goal of a fast rebuild for the unit. The unit's experience in the Chaos March made them experts in anti-terrorist operations and riot control. The last contract of the unit was employment as a garrison force for Sheratan.

During the Jihad, the Word of Blake hired other mercenaries through middle-men (pretending to be from the Federated Suns) during November 3070 with explicit orders to destroy Grim Determination. Most of the unit was annihilated by their attackers.[6][7] Many of the survivors from Grim Determination joined Cumberland's Missiliers.[8]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Warriors of the Dawn
Commanding Officers of the Grim Determination
Colonel Fiona Trent 3025[9]
Colonel Hardy Haarhar 3054[10][5]
Colonel Oliver Haarhar 3059 - 3070[5]

Tactics[edit]

Heavily relying on the expectation that a common regiment is three battalions, Grim Determination often holds back its fourth battalion as a reserve, committing them only after battle has been joined to unbalance their opposition and give them the advantage.

By the Jihad, the pilots in Grim Determination were experts in nighttime operations and bad vision conditions. Also they are drilled in counterinsurgency and scouting missions, however the loss of their Fourth Battalion hampered their efforts.

They prefer defensive operations to offensive actions, allowing them to become familiar with the terrain and to plan surprises for their opponents.[3]

Support[edit]

The unit has surplus DropShips, and its technical staff can accommodate for all the demands of the unit. In hard times the DropShips were leased out to help pay the bills.

Dragoon Ratings[edit]

3059[edit]

Dragoon Rating: C[5]

3067[edit]

Dragoon Rating: C

Composition[edit]

2786–2821[edit]

Grim Determination (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[11]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on Cerberus. In 2821, the command was reduced to 45 percent of its strength and was deployed on Cerberus.[11]

3025[edit]

Grim Determination (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[9]

  • CO: Colonel Fiona Trent
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Muskegon.
Contract: AFFS

3040[edit]

Grim Determination (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[12]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Sarmaxa.[12]
Contract: AFFC[12]

3050[edit]

Grim Determination (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[13]

  • CO: Colonel Hardy Haarhar[13]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Sarmaxa.[13]

3054[edit]

Grim Determination (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[14]

  • CO: Colonel Hardy Haarhar[14]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Sarmaxa.[14]

3055[edit]

As of 3055, Hauptmann Randall McOats was their Liaison Officer from the Federated Commonwealth.[15]

3059[edit]

Grim Determination (1 Regiment/Regular/Questionable)

  • 1st Battalion: Colonel Oliver Haarhar[5]
  • 2nd Battalion: Major Johanas Creekton
  • 3rd Battalion: Major Candace White-Smithsson
  • 4th Battalion: Major Jamison Burke

Grim Determination Aerospace (Reinforced Wing/Regular/Questionable)

Grim Determination Armor (Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)

  • CO: Armor Commander Elsa Woodens[5]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Sarna.[16]

3067[edit]

Grim Determination (1 Regiment/Regular/Questionable)

  • 1st Battalion: Colonel Oliver Haarhar
  • 2nd Battalion: Major Byron Smith
  • 3rd Battalion: Major Anne Martinez

- Every battalion contains a separated scout lance. - The entire unit is fully upgraded (C3 and Active Probes are common)

Grim Determination Aerospace (2 Squadrons/Veteran/Questionable)

  • CO: Captain Anne Dobbs

Grim Determination Armor (Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)

  • CO: Major Elsa Burke

- The tank battalion is supported through a motorized infantry company with special skills.

Notes[edit]

  • Grim Determination paints its 'Mechs and vehicles in camouflage suitable for the environment of its current deployment with no special parade scheme. The unit's insignia is a turtle carrying an SRM rack on its back, appearing on the left wing, left fender, or upper left leg of the unit's fighters, vehicles and 'Mechs. Since the disaster in 3057, a number of the unit's members have added a small rabbit being struck by SRM fire near it; the unit's officers were feigning ignorance that the explosion bore a startling resemblance to the sunburst part of the insignia of the Federated Commonwealth.[5]

References[edit]

  1. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, p. 77: "Sellswords and Patriots"
  2. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 52
  3. 3.0 3.1 Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 43
  4. 4.0 4.1 Chaos March, p. 13
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 58: "Grim Determination: The Misfortunes of War"
  6. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, pp. 122–123
  7. Total Chaos, pp. 89, 95, 125
  8. Total Chaos, p. 98
  9. 9.0 9.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138
  10. Objective Raids, p. 17
  11. 11.0 11.1 First Succession War, p. 140
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Historical: War of 3039, p. 141
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 20 Year Update, p. 23
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Objective Raids, p. 17
  15. Hot Spots Contracts, p. 9
  16. Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 111

Bibliography[edit]