Cameron's Legion

Template:InfoBoxMercUnit Cameron's Legion was a mercenary unit fielding a company of BattleMechs. As of 3034, the unit was in the employ of the Free Rasalhague Republic, where it was noted as one of the few mercenary commands to honorably fulfill their contract.

Canonicity

Camerons Legion (correctly spelled without apostrophe in German) was the "personal" mercenary unit of German BattleTech author Hartwig Nieder-Gassel. The unit and its characters featured in many of his articles, scenarios and game aids in FanPro's German magazine Wunderwelten (1989-1999) and had a prominent role in the Bruben campaign in the German-only scenario pack Ronin! (1996). However, none of this is considered canon as it was published in German exclusively, and never officially translated.

The unit and its exploits on Bruben, as well as the characters of Colonel Thomas Cameron and Ron Dexter, were canonized in the fully canonical sourcebook Historical: Brush Wars which provides an abbreviated overview of the campaign and background information from the apocryphal Ronin! (a complete rewrite, not a translation). However, many details and minutiae from Ronin! that were not covered in Brush Wars, as well as earlier exploits of the unit as detailed in various Wunderwelten articles, remain unconfirmed.

Overview

Deployed on Bruben during the Ronin Wars, the unit saw combat action when Ronin forces ostensibly parading through the city of Nystaad suddenly launched a sneak attack against the planetary government from within the parade train on 2 May 3034. During the ensuing city fighting, in what became known as the Nystaad Massacre, Legion MechWarrior Ron Dexter killed over 100 children when he carelessly destroyed a school building with his Marauder.

In the early morning hours of the same day, the Legion also contributed to the defense of the local ComStar HPG compound against a Ronin attack.

Following the Nystaad Massacre, Cameron's Legion was threatened with criminal charges if they failed to protect the lives and health of all civilians on Bruben, regardless of their loyalty. On 15 June 3024, the unit was ordered to assault the Ronin stronghold on Bruben, a Kiudo fortress near Nystaad. The presence of civilian fugitives at the fort hampered the attack and prevented Cameron's Legion from using long-range bombardment. In the end they succeeded but suffered grievous losses in the process, including the loss of six 'Mechs (including a Jenner and a Stinger) and the death of their CO Thomas Cameron, who had personally torn down the fort's door in his Warhammer. Reduced to two heavily damaged 'Mechs and with most of their equipment beyond repair, the surviving leaders accepted the offer to join the Bruben militia.

Apocryphal information

Circumstantial evidence suggests that Cameron's Legion may have been the mercenary unit that defended the Alshaya continent on Suk II against Ivan Sorenson's clandestine operation Drachentrick which was executed by the Tooth of Ymir between 3031 and 3034.

According to Ronin!, "only four 'Mechs" reportedly survived the battle for the Kiudo fortress on Bruben. To reconcile this with the report from Brush Wars, which claims that only two heavily damaged 'Mechs remained and most of the equipment was beyond salvage, it could be assumed that two 'Mechs remained operable, two more could be salvaged and the remainder was irrevocably destroyed.

Unit composition

According to Ronin!, Cameron's Legion was composed as follows at the onset of the Bruben campaign:

• Command Lance
  • Warhammer (Colonel Thomas Cameron)
  • Marauder (Ron Dexter)
  • Grasshopper
  • Zeus
• Combat Lance
  • Hunchback
  • Assassin
  • Griffin
  • Wolverine
• Scout Lance
  • Valkyrie
  • Jenner
  • Jenner
  • Stinger

Bibliography

• Historical: Brush Wars
• Ronin! (apocryphal)
• Wunderwelten, various issues (apocryphal)