Editing Blue Star Irregulars

{{Update Needed|[[Combat Manual: Mercenaries]]|[[First Succession War (sourcebook)]]|[[Second Succession War (sourcebook)]]}}

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image          = [[Image:Blue Star Irregulars logo.png|191px|Insignia of the Blue Star Irregulars]]
| Designation    = Blue Star Irregulars
| formed         = 
| Disbanded      = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname       = 
| Affiliation    = Mercenary
| Parent Command = Independent
| Sub-Command    = 
}}
The '''Blue Star Irregulars''' was a [[mercenary unit]] created by thirty-two of the thirty-seven recipients of the [[Blue Star of Kerensky]], an award created by General [[Aleksandr Kerensky]] and awarded to [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarriors]] who showed uncommon devotion to duty during the overthrow of [[Stefan Amaris]].<ref name=FM-Mr046>''Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised'', p. 46: "Blue Star Irregulars Unit Brief"</ref>

==Unit History==
===Formation===
At the onset of the [[First Succession War]], [[Colonel]] [[Jeremiah Brighton]] invited all surviving [[Blue Star of Kerensky]] recipients to assist him in honoring the memory of the [[SLDF]].
The Blue Star Irregulars chose to serve under [[House Davion]] after their initial creation and remained in service with the [[Federated Suns]] throughout most of their existence.<ref name=CM-Mp024>''Combat Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 24: "Blue Star Irregulars Unit Brief"</ref>

===Fourth Succession War===
The Irregulars were in service to the [[Federated Suns]] during the [[Fourth Succession War]]. All three regiments took part in the invasion of the planet [[Liao]] during the first wave of the war in [[3028]]. Although the planet fell successfully, the unit's commander, General [[Mona Troy]] was killed while protecting a trainee lance of her troops.<ref>''The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One'', p. 9</ref> The three regiments then assaulted [[Genoa]] and [[Arboris]].<ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1'', p. 12</ref>

===Clan Invasion===
At first, the Irregulars reacted to rumors that the [[Clans]] were descendants of the SLDF with disbelief.  However when it became clear that the Clans were [[Aleksandr Kerensky|Kerensky]]'s descendants, they requested assignment to the Federated Commonwealth's border with the Clans to fight those the Irregulars felt corrupted Kerensky's legacy.<ref name=FMMp40RK>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 40: "Blue Star Irregulars: The Return of Kerensky"</ref> In [[3054]], [[Clan Jade Falcon]] attacked and destroyed [[Twenty-first Rim Worlds Regiment]] on [[Fort Loudon]].<ref name=FMMp40RK/><ref name=FMMRp48>''Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised'', p. 48: "21st Rim Worlds Unit Profile"</ref>

The surviving Irregulars regiments, the 1894th Light Horse and the Avatars of Painful Death, received permission from [[Marshal of the Armies]] [[Morgan Hasek-Davion]] to launch a retaliatory raid against [[Quarell]] in the [[Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone]] in [[3055]].<ref name=FMMp40RK/><ref name=FM-Mr046/>  The Irregulars ignored the Falcons' transmissions requesting that they participate in a ''[[batchall]]'', allowing the Falcons to use their entire force in the Quarell system (three [[Cluster|Clusters]], a ''[[Fredasa (WarShip class)|Fredasa]]''-class [[WarShip]], and its escorting [[OmniFighter|OmniFighters]] against the Irregulars and the [[Hell's Black Aces]]. The Irregulars and Aces [[aerospace fighter|aerospace fighters]], assisted by a ramming attack by one of the Irregulars' [[JumpShips]] disabled the Falcon WarShip and defeated the Falcon fighters. During the fighting on Quarell, the Avatars were wiped out. Colonel Alexander Duff-Gordon, commander 1894th Light Horse and the Irregulars overall, decided to finally follow Clan traditions to extricate his people. The 1894th captured a large Falcon supply dump, and Colonel Duff-Gordon issues a ''batchall'', demanding the return of all Irregulars taken as bondsmen, all captured Blue Star medals, and safe passage back to FedCom space if he won a Trial of Possession, and offering to return the captured WarShip and supplies if he lost. [[Star Colonel]] [[Padrick Shi-Lu]] accepted Duff Gordon's ''batchall''.  Colonel Duff-Gordon led two lances of Irregulars against Star Colonel Shi-lu and a Star of Falcons. The Irregulars won the Trial at the cost of six of their MechWarriors, including Colonel Duff-Gordon. The Irregulars retreated to Rasalgethi.<ref name=FMMp40RK/> The Irregulars gave the Aces a ''[[Titan_(DropShip_class)|Titan]]''-class [[DropShip]] captured from the Falcons at Quarell as their share of the salvage.<ref name=FMMp41TTS>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 41: "Blue Star Irregulars: Technical and Transportation Support"</ref><ref name=FMMp60TTS>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 60: "Hell's Black Aces: Technical and Transportation Support"</ref>

The Irregulars renamed their captured Clan WarShip ''[[Kerensky's Blues]]'' and hired the [[Wolf's Dragoons]] to repair her.<ref name=FMMp41TTS/> The Irregulars became the only mercenary unit to field a WarShip outside of [[Wolf's Dragoons]]. Unlike the Dragoons, the Irregulars did not have the resources to maintain the vessel.<ref name=FM-Mr046/>

The Irregulars combined the surviving forces of the Twenty-first Rim Worlds and Avatars of Painful Death to begin rebuild the Twenty-first.<ref name=FMMp43>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 43: "21st Rim Worlds Unit Profile"</ref> The Irregulars recruited [[Dispossessed]] [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarriors]] to fill out the Twenty-first's ranks.<ref name=FMMp43/><ref name=FMMRp48/> The Irregulars also used most of their reserve funds and borrowed heavily from the Federated Commonwealth to equip the rebuilt Twenty-first.<ref name=FMMp41AFO>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 41: "Blue Star Irregulars: Available Forces and Organization"</ref>

After the formation of the [[Lyran Alliance]] in [[3057]], [[Archon]] [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] attempted to convince the Irregulars to support her instead of her brother [[First Prince]] [[Victor Steiner-Davion]].  Colonel Raldin Lwai of the 1894th Light Horse Regiment replied on behalf of the Irregulars: "''The Blue Star Irregulars will forever support a rightful claim to the Federated Commonwealth''." The Irregulars then relocated from Rasalgethi to [[Morges]] in the [[Arc-Royal Defense Cordon]] and placed themselves under the command of Grand Duke [[Morgan Kell]]. Katherine had to rush reinforcements to Rasalgethi before the Jade Falcons realized the planet was undefended.<ref name=FMMp42>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 42: "1894th Light Horse Unit Profile"</ref><ref name=FMMRp47>''Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised'', p. 47: "1894th Light Horse Unit Profile"</ref>

In the early 3060s, several ''[[Arctic Fox (OmniMech)|Arctic Fox]]es'' began to appear among the Irregulars.<ref>''Technical Readout: 3060'', p. 80: "AF1 Arctic Fox"</ref>

===FedCom Civil War===

The Blue Star Irregulars saw action during the Jade Falcon incursion of [[3064]], the unit being deployed to support Lyran forces operating in the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. Their task was to garrison the worlds the Lyrans had conquered.

The Blue Star Irregulars also took part in the invasion of [[Tharkad]] in [[3066]]. Their WarShip was heavily damaged during an engagement with a ''[[Fox (WarShip)|Fox]]'' class Corvette, due to inexperience in WarShip combat.

In January [[3067]], the Blue Star Irregulars' 21st Rim Worlds Regiment fought the [[11th Arcturan Guards]]. During the battle, the 21st's command battalion was overrun by the Arcturans, the ensuing chaos causing the unit to be savaged by the Loyalist regiments, with only a battalion's worth of 'Mechs surviving.  This marked the end of the Irregulars' participation in the rest of the Battle for Tharkad.<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', pp. 175–176: Wave 7 - Tharkad - Irregulars' actions during the Battle of Tharkad</ref>

===Jihad===
The Blue Star Irregulars were on [[Black Earth]] when [[Tharkad]] was attacked by the [[Word of Blake]]. They were left there to defend against the Falcons. True to form, the Falcons took advantage of the [[Lyran Alliance]]'s distraction to launch an invasion. Most of the unit was destroyed in January [[3069]] when ''Kerensky's Blues'' was unable to protect a fleeing flotilla of Irregulars and civilians who did not want to live under Clan rule. Though the mercenary vessel was able to destroy one Clan WarShip, the second annihilated most of the [[DropShip]]s and [[JumpShip]]s, then returned to finish the ''Kerensky's Blues'' off. With only about a company of troops left, the Blue Star Irregulars disbanded. Some simply retired, while others joined different mercenary outfits on [[Arc-Royal]].<ref>''Mercenaries Supplemental Update''. p. 11</ref>

==Officers==
The commander of the 1894th Light Horse Regiment serves as the overall commander of the Blue Star Irregulars when negotiating contracts and when multiple Irregular regiments perform a joint operation.<ref name=FMMp40C>''Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 40: "Blue Star Irregulars: Command"</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of the Blue Star Irregulars'''
|-
| [[Colonel]]||[[Jeremiah Brighton]]|| <ref name=CM-Mp024/>
|-
| [[General]]||[[Mona Troy]]||[[3025]]–[[3028]]<ref name=CM-Mp024/>
|-
| Colonel||[[Alexander Duff-Gordon]]||At least [[3049]]–[[3055]]<ref name=CM-Mp024/><ref name=FMMp40RK/>
|-
| Colonel||[[Wu Sen Tang]]||[[3067]]<ref name=FMMRp47/>
|-
|}

==Tactics==
The continued fighting over the past decades led to a finely tuned 1894th Light Horse, with high speed attacks and precision assaults a hallmark.

The Twenty-first Rim Worlds fought best in night conditions, and the new commander improved their marksmanship without the use of sophisticated equipment.

==Units of the Blue Star Irregulars==
* [[1894th Light Horse Regiment]]
* [[Avatars of Painful Death]] (Destroyed fighting [[Clan Jade Falcon]])<ref name=FM-Mr046/>
* [[21st Rim Worlds]]

==Color Scheme and Insignia==
The insignia of the Blue Star Irregulars is a blue-steel star on a silver shield.<ref name=FMMRp46C>''Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised'', p. 46: "Blue Star Irregulars: Colors and Insignia"</ref>

The 1894th Light Horse paints its units dark blue accented with many silver-steel stripes.<ref name=FMMRp46C/>

The 21st Rim Worlds paints its units a very dark blue that looks black in most lightning.<ref name=FMMRp46C/>

<gallery>
Image:Camomercbluestarirregulars.png|A ''[[Pillager]]'' in Blue Star Irregulars colors.
</gallery> ‎

<gallery>
Image:1894th_logo.jpg|[[1894th Light Horse Regiment]]
Image:Avatars_of_Painful_Death.png|[[Avatars of Painful Death]]
Image:21st_Rim_Worlds.jpg|[[21st Rim Worlds]]
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Combat Manual: Mercenaries]]''
* ''[[A Different Hope]]'' (short story)
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Mercenaries]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised]]''
* ''[[The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One]]''
* ''[[NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1]]''


[[Category:Mercenary Commands|Blue Star Irregulars]]