1st Dragoncat (Clan Nova Cat)

First Dragoncat Cluster
Disbanded	3062 (disbanded)
Affiliation	Clan Nova Cat
Parent Command	Zeta Provisional Galaxy

History

Formed on order of Khan Santin West in July 3062, the First Dragoncat Cluster was commanded by former Clan Cloud Cobra Star Colonel, Jal Steiner.

Steiner formed the Cluster by selecting elements from various units across the Nova Cat touman. Steiner selected the 1st Garrison Cluster of Xi Provisional Galaxy to be the Striker Trinary, the 37th Garrison Cluster of the Zeta Provisional Galaxy to be the Battle Trinary and the 246th Battle Cluster of the Sigma Galaxy to form the Assault Binary-Supernova.

The 1st Dragoncats were created as part of a program to cross-train Clan units in Inner Sphere tactics; the Dragoncats initially trained and exercised against the 11th Alshain Avengers over the summer and early fall of 3062. The Dragoncats suffered a number of defeats in early stages of the training, but soon got better; however, morale among the former homeworld warriors was low due to their experiences during the Nova Cat Abjurement.

By October 1st the Dragoncats had refined themselves into a fighting force but faced a new challenge; on the eve of an exercise against the entire Eleventh Alshain, the commander of the Eleventh suddenly announced that the operation was being canceled. The Eleventh cited receipt of orders to deploy at the last minute. MechWarrior Zane went to Jal Steiner and notified him that he recently had a vision, indicating that the Eleventh Alshain Avengers were going to strike Clan Ghost Bear, triggering a new war at a truly inopportune point in time. Believing the vision to be true, Star Colonel Steiner contacted Galaxy Commander Higall and notified him he was deploying his Cluster on the Plain of Horses to block the path of the Avengers until the Nova Cat command confirmed the orders for the Eleventh were from the Draconis Combine High Command. In return, Higall informed him that he would not deploy other Clusters to support the Dragoncats and would instead only defend the Nova Cat base, thereby making Steiner and the Dragoncats the only ones politically liable for their actions.

Zeta Galaxy's DropShip fleet forced the Avengers' DropShips not to assist the Avengers in the upcoming battle with the risk of mutual annihilation; the Avengers' DropShips would only be allowed to take off if the Eleventh succeeded in boarding.

On the Plain of Horses the Dragoncats attacked the unsuspecting Eleventh Alshain Avengers by night during a thunderstorm. When the Dragoncats repeatedly struck at the Avengers' flanks, the Avengers began pressing forward with the Avengers' Third Battalion leading. Although outnumbered, the Dragoncats managed to inflict heavy damage on the incoming forces. The Dragoncat's own Charlie Fighter Star managed to destroy 15 BattleMechs before being forced to retire due to high winds, losing only three of their own in exchange.

Both sides suffered heavy casualties in the battle; just as the Avengers Third Battalion reached the outskirts of the spaceport with their DropShips in sight, the battle came to a brief halt. MechWarrior Zane used this as an opportunity to challenge his former comrade Chu-sa Palmer Yoshio to a duel under zellbrigen conditions. Yoshio saw that Zane's 'Mech was heavily damaged and offered him hegira due to their former friendship; upon hearing the offer of hegira a desperate Combine MechWarrior piloting a crippled Blackjack fired on Zane's Pack Hunter, decapitating it with its remaining autocannon. This breach of honor caused the entire Zeta Galaxy to deploy against the Avengers; with no time left to board their DropShips, the Avengers were driven into the wilderness to wage a desperate guerrilla war.

Already heavily damaged from their conflict with the Avengers, the 1st Dragoncats fought alongside the rest of Zeta Galaxy in December 3062 when Clan Ghost Bear's Sigma & Omega Galaxies invaded Yamarovka. Jal Steiner had heavily wounded members of the 1st Dragoncat Cluster evacuated to Xi Galaxy, which ultimately ended up absorbing the remains of the 1st Dragoncat, effectively dissolving the unit.

Officers

Rank	Name	Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Dragoncat Cluster
Star Colonel	Jal Steiner	3062

Tactics

The unit was trained to use both Clan traditional zellbrigen and typical Inner Sphere tactics. Typically, they use lighter units to wear down the enemy. Then the heavier units attack upfront to finish the job.

Composition History

• Striker Trinary - Mechs
• Battle Trinary - Mechs
• Supernova Assault Binary - Mechs + Elementals
• Charle Fighter Star - OmniFighters

Notes

This is the unit in which Clan Nova Cat hero Zane was assigned, when he became elevated to a hero.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Updates
• Path of Glory (novel)
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade