212th Special Operations
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| |
| 212th Special Operations Battalion | |
| Formed | 3071[1] |
| Disbanded | ca. 3114[2] |
| Previous Designation(s) | 212th Nova Cat Headhunter Binary |
| Nickname | Stone's Trackers |
| Affiliation | Clan Nova Cat Stone's Coalition Republic of the Sphere |
| Parent Command | Clan Nova Cat Touman RAF |
Initially formed at the insistence of Star Commander Elijah Lossey (later a Star Captain upon taking command of the unit), the 212th Nova Cat Headhunter Binary was a clandestine black operations unit created by Clan Nova Cat in the early years of the Word of Blake Jihad. Initially consisting of skilled, but dishonored Nova Cat warriors, the 212th served admirably on loan to Devlin Stone's coalition against the Word of Blake. After the Jihad, the 212th were officially folded into the Republic of the Sphere, taking on the new title of 212th Special Operations Battalion. The 212th unofficially inserted themselves into the ranks of Stone's Brigade by taking on the self-assigned nickname of Stone's Trackers.
Contents
History[edit]
Jihad[edit]
In the opening years of the Jihad, Star Commander Elijah Lossey convinced Khan Santin West that a force of warriors willing to take on dezgra missions would be necessary to overcome the Blakist threat. Though the nascent 212th had difficulty finding volunteers, production of a special Wight variant was approved for limited production. In 3071, the 212th Nova Cat Headhunter Binary—named in defiance to Khan West's assertion that any links discovered between the dishonorable force and Clan Nova Cat would result in denial and abjuration—left its cantonments and joined Stone's Coalition. During their time with the Coalition, the 212th engaged in a number of high-risk assassination, sabotage, and counterinsurgency operations against the Word of Blake that often resulted in serious casualties and/or collateral damage. Unable to reliably draw reinforcements from Clan Nova Cat, the 212th was forced to take on Inner Sphere personnel to refill their ranks. These replacements had much less trouble adapting to the 212th's dezgra tactics, but the cultural divide between Clan-born and Inner Sphere-both members created friction within the unit.
Early Republic[edit]
Both the Republic and Clan Nova Cat benefitted from the 212th's official transfer to the newborn Republic Armed Forces after the Jihad; Nova Cat leaders rejoiced at the opportunity to offload the liability to their Clan's honor, while the Republic prized the skill of the elite unit. With this transfer came a transformation. Despite vehement opposition from Lossey, the unit's BattleMech and battle armor elements were stripped away, making the newly-rechristened 212th Special Operations Battalion a purely infantry unit.
Concerns were also raised about personnel quality within the unit. Many longtime veterans of the 212th, some of whom had served with the unit since its inception, retired after the Jihad's conclusion. Stone's Peace left few opportunities for the remaining veterans and new replacements to sharpen their skills.
Late Republic[edit]
The Capellan Crusades would be the first real test of the 212th's skill since the dawn of the Republic, and their last. The unit engaged in several headhunting and sabotage missions, including an assassination attempt on Daoshen Liao. The brush war crippled the 212th, however, and the unit was officially disbanded following the end of the Crusades. Though nothing is confirmed as to the fate of the survivors, many suggest that members were carefully assigned to different units under RAF SpecOps Command in an attempt to improve the command's overall headhunting skill.
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the 212th Special Operations Battalion | |||
| Major | Elijah Lossey | 3071-3096[3] | |
| Major | Aiko Ueda | 3096-3112[3] | |
Composition History[edit]
3078[edit]
212th Nova Cat Headhunter Binary[4]
- CO: Major Elijah Lossey
- Stilleto Alpha (BattleMech)
- Stilleto Beta (BattleMech)
- Scythe Star (battle armor)
- Sickle Company (conventional infantry)
3112[edit]
212th Special Operations Battalion[4]
- CO: Major Aiko Ueda
- Stilleto Company (conventional infantry)
- Stilleto Company (conventional infantry)
- Sickle Company (conventional infantry)