Blue Star Irregulars


Insignia of the Blue Star Irregulars
Blue Star Irregulars
Affiliation Mercenary
Parent Command Independent

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 MechWarriors who showed uncommon devotion to duty during the overthrow of Stefan Amaris.[1]

Unit History[edit]

Formation[edit]

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.[2]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

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.[3] The three regiments then assaulted Genoa and Arboris.[4]

Clan Invasion[edit]

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 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.[5] In 3054, Clan Jade Falcon attacked and destroyed Twenty-first Rim Worlds Regiment on Fort Loudon.[5][6]

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.[5][1] 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 Clusters, a Fredasa-class WarShip, and its escorting OmniFighters against the Irregulars and the Hell's Black Aces. The Irregulars and Aces 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.[5] The Irregulars gave the Aces a Titan-class DropShip captured from the Falcons at Quarell as their share of the salvage.[7][8]

The Irregulars renamed their captured Clan WarShip Kerensky's Blues and hired the Wolf's Dragoons to repair her.[7] 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.[1]

The Irregulars combined the surviving forces of the Twenty-first Rim Worlds and Avatars of Painful Death to begin rebuild the Twenty-first.[9] The Irregulars recruited Dispossessed MechWarriors to fill out the Twenty-first's ranks.[9][6] The Irregulars also used most of their reserve funds and borrowed heavily from the Federated Commonwealth to equip the rebuilt Twenty-first.[10]

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.[11][12]

In the early 3060s, several Arctic Foxes began to appear among the Irregulars.[13]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

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 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.[14]

Jihad[edit]

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 DropShips and JumpShips, 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.[15]

Officers[edit]

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.[16]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Blue Star Irregulars
Colonel Jeremiah Brighton [2]
General Mona Troy 3025–3028[2]
Colonel Alexander Duff-Gordon At least 3049–3055[2][5]
Colonel Wu Sen Tang 3067[12]

Tactics[edit]

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[edit]

Color Scheme and Insignia[edit]

The insignia of the Blue Star Irregulars is a blue-steel star on a silver shield.[17]

The 1894th Light Horse paints its units dark blue accented with many silver-steel stripes.[17]

The 21st Rim Worlds paints its units a very dark blue that looks black in most lightning.[17]

  • A Pillager in Blue Star Irregulars colors.

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References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 46: "Blue Star Irregulars Unit Brief"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 24: "Blue Star Irregulars Unit Brief"
  3. ↑ The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One, p. 9
  4. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 12
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 40: "Blue Star Irregulars: The Return of Kerensky"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 48: "21st Rim Worlds Unit Profile"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 41: "Blue Star Irregulars: Technical and Transportation Support"
  8. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 60: "Hell's Black Aces: Technical and Transportation Support"
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 43: "21st Rim Worlds Unit Profile"
  10. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 41: "Blue Star Irregulars: Available Forces and Organization"
  11. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 42: "1894th Light Horse Unit Profile"
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 47: "1894th Light Horse Unit Profile"
  13. ↑ Technical Readout: 3060, p. 80: "AF1 Arctic Fox"
  14. ↑ FedCom Civil War, pp. 175–176: Wave 7 - Tharkad - Irregulars' actions during the Battle of Tharkad
  15. ↑ Mercenaries Supplemental Update. p. 11
  16. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 40: "Blue Star Irregulars: Command"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 46: "Blue Star Irregulars: Colors and Insignia"

Bibliography[edit]

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