9th Lyran Regulars

Lyranregulars09th.png
Ninth Lyran Regulars
Nickname Karilon Magicians
Affiliation Lyran Commonwealth
Parent Command Lyran Regulars


The Ninth Lyran Regulars, known as the "Karilon Magicians",[1] was a BattleMech regiment in service to House Steiner.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The insignia of the Rim Worlds Republic

The Ninth Lyran Regulars were formed during the First Succession War by the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. It was originally composed of former Rim Worlds Republic warriors who had sided against Stefan Amaris during the Amaris Coup, when the Usurper assassinated First Lord Richard Cameron and seized control of the Star League. Gathering on the planet Karilon, they were soon attacked by a division of the Amaris Dragoons, resulting in the deaths of most of the brotherhood. Those who survived joined with General Aleksandr Kerensky against the Amaris Empire during the drive towards Terra. When Kerensky and the Star League Defense Force departed on the Exodus, they decided to enter the service of the Lyran Commonwealth rather than follow General Kerensky into the Periphery.[2]

With their vast experience, the Ninth were very successful during the early Succession Wars, achieving many victories. Attrition and turnover, however, eventually reduced their collective ability, and they were considered a regular unit during the Second Succession War. They spent most of their existence on the Free Worlds League border.[2]

Marik Civil War[edit]

During the Marik Civil War in 3014, the Ninth were sent to attack the planet Uhuru alongside the mercenary Narhal's Raiders, where they engaged the Thirty-First Marik Militia. It was part of a plan by the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces to take advantage of Anton Marik's revolt, and by tying up the Thirty-First Militia, the Ninth allowed smaller Lyran raids to proceed at will. The Third and Fifth Oriente Hussars reinforced the Third Militia before matters could come to a conclusion, and the Lyran forces withdrew.[3]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

As of 3025, the Ninth was based on Cavanaugh II. By this point, their quality rating had fallen to green.[4] They would remain there throughout the Fourth Succession War, waiting for an attack by the Free Worlds League Military that never came.[5]

Andurien Secession and War of 3039[edit]

During the Andurien Secession, the Ninth launched an apparently unauthorized attack on Marik industrial centers nearest the Terran Corridor in mid-3038, most notably on Irian in a raid that was reportedly unsuccessful. The Ninth spent the War of 3039 back on their homeworld of Cavanaugh II, seeing no combat. In the aftermath of that conflict the Ninth was assigned to garrison Main Street in the newly formed Periphery March, following the reorganization of the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth. There they were confined primarily to pirate hunting activities and providing escort.[6][7][2]

Clan Invasion[edit]

The Ninth saw no action during the Clan Invasion, remaining on Main Street, far from the front lines.[8][9]

Lyran Alliance[edit]

Like most other traditionally Lyran units, the Ninth Lyran Regulars became part of the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces with the secession of the Lyran Alliance.[2]

During the Clan Jade Falcon incursion of 3058, the Ninth was called up to reinforce the Twenty-Second Skye Rangers on Engadine, only to discover the raiders had already defeated the Rangers and moved on to Coventry by the time the Ninth arrived.[2]

In 3062, the Ninth were back on Main Street, which was now part of the Melissia Theater of operations. By this time, the unit's quality rating had finally returned to regular.[10] They had stepped up their pirate hunting operations, and were pursuing one group that was apparently searching for a Star League-era cache.[2]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

When the FedCom Civil War finally broke out in 3063, the Ninth were deployed to Inarcs, held by elements of the elite Seventh Crucis Lancers. Though they boasted a large numerical advantage in 'Mechs, they faced a major disparity in ability and they were forced to leave one of their aerospace wings on Main Street to protect commercial shipping interests. Problems erupted almost as soon as the Ninth entered the system. The Lancers' 405th Federation Interceptor Wing destroyed a Union-class DropShip, destroying an entire company of 'Mechs in space and damaging several other DropShips. The Ninth landed on Inarcs scattered and disorganized, and came under immediate fire from the Lancers' armor. The Regulars' commanding officer was killed by a freak shot to her cockpit, and all three battalions soon faced enemy fire. Under the belief the Department of Military Intelligence had been wrong and they were facing the entire RCT, the Ninth Regulars' acting commander ordered a retreat, with his surviving force totaling little more than a reinforced battalion.[11][12] The Regulars returned to Main Street.[12]

The Ninth Regulars were called to action again during the Jade Falcon Incursion of 3064. Summoned to help defend the Theater capital of Melissia by General Sharon Bryan, the Ninth Regulars found themselves assigned as part of a massed static defense by Bryan, over the objections of General Adam Steiner. The invading Jade Falcons, led by Khan Marthe Pryde, picked away at the defenders, drawing them out of their defensive positions while cycling her own troops to keep them fresh. After whittling the Lyran forces down, Khan Pryde delivered her coup de grâce by dropping two of her Clusters directly onto General Bryan's fortified base, killing her and throwing the defenders into complete disarray. Acting quickly, General Adam Steiner gathered all the survivors he could, including the Ninth Regulars, and ordered a retreat, regrouping on Chapultepec.[13] The Ninth managed to survive with only moderate losses.[14]

Adam Steiner, who commanded a taskforce that included the Ninth Lyran Regulars

Chapultepec was soon attacked by the Falcons' pursuing Omega Galaxy. Reinforced by the Second Crucis Lancers and Archer's Avengers, General Steiner's taskforce managed an orderly withdrawal.[15] The Ninth took moderate losses.[14]

The Ninth then joined General Steiner's taskforce as part of Operation Audacity, a bold counterattack against the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. Along with the Fourteenth Donegal Guards and the reinforced Fifteenth Arcturan Guards, the Regulars struck at Black Earth and were opposed by the Third Talon Cluster. Facing heavy aerospace opposition and a bogged down campaign, General Steiner called upon the First Wolf Strike Grenadiers for reinforcements. The Lyrans and their Clan Wolf-in-Exile allies were soon victorious, and the Taskforce moved on.[16] Although overall losses to the Ninth were moderate,[14] the fighting resulted in the death of another commanding officer. Command fell to then-Hauptmann Annabeth Patrick.[17]

The Taskforce then struck at Malibu, where they engaged the Eighth Falcon Regulars in a zero-gravity fight on one of Malibu's moons for the right to the system's recharge station, as the civilian government wanted no part of the battle. The Falcons surrendered after a few hours of fighting.[15] The Ninth took moderate losses.[14]

On Hot Springs, General Steiner's forces faced the Fifth Battle Cluster, which chose to run a hit-and-run campaign as opposed to a stand-up fight. After weeks of pursuing the Falcons in vain, Steiner pulled off the planet, leaving it to the Jade Falcons.[15] The Ninth Regulars sustained moderate losses.[14]

Next, they attacked Blackjack, where they reinforced General Archer Christifori's taskforce, which was already on-planet fighting against the Eighth and Tenth Provisional Garrison Clusters. After putting the Falcons on the defensive, Falcon SaKhan Samantha Clees arrived, ordering both Clusters off-planet and inviting both Inner Sphere Generals to parley with Khan Pryde on Blair Atholl.[18] Once again, damage to the Ninth was moderate.[14]

With the Blair Atholl Accords, the Jade Falcon Incursion came to an end. The Ninth Regulars returned to Chapultepec to serve as its permanent garrison.[14] They would see no further significant fighting through the end of the war.[12]

By late 3067, the Ninth Lyran Regulars were still based on Chapultepec, under the command of newly promoted Leutnant-General Annabeth Patrick. They were at approximately 55 percent strength with nearly half of that considered upgraded with new technology.[19]

Jihad[edit]

The Ninth Lyran Regulars spent most of the Jihad fighting pirates and each other. Leutnant-General Patrick used many administrative tricks to hamstring the Regulars who were under the command of Hauptmann-Kommandant Floyd Wood in retaliation for his constant complaints to theater command about his superior officers.[20]

The Ninth was stationed on Khon Kaen to repel any assault from the Circinus Federation. As that threat never materialized, the Ninth was transferred to the Commonwealth's border with Clan Jade Falcon. At the same time the Ninth took up their new garrison location on Santana,[21] their attached aerospace forces were reassigned elsewhere. This cleared up most of the problems the unit had with internal cohesion.[22]

Dark Age[edit]

The Ninth participated in multiple combats with Clan Wolf during Vedet Brewer's reign as Archon. They fought the Wolves several times during the lead-up to the action on Tharkad, while simultaneously fighting off Free Worlds League Military forces. The unit was down to three BattleMech companies by the time of the Tharkad actions, so they didn't participate in the fighting on that world. Instead they focused on escorting civilians into the Buena Province and providing humanitarian relief to worlds attacked by the Wolf Clan.

After the fighting on Tharkad ended, the Ninth regained some strength by absorbing the survivors of the Tenth and Twelfth Lyran Regulars. The unit then transferred to the Commonwealth's border with Clan Jade Falcon, spending most of their time guarding Greenlaw and Vorzel.[23]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Ninth Lyran Regulars
Leutnant-General Lawrence Marlowe 3050[8]
Leutnant-General Jeanette Scarlett 3054-3063[9][2][11]
Kommandant Lee Faulks 3063-3064[17]
Leutnant-General Annabeth Patrick 3064-3085[17][21]
Colonel Laura Sanchez 3145[24]

Tactics[edit]

The Ninth employs small-unit tactics to successfully defend against and hunt down pirates from the Periphery. They are also accustomed to fighting in zero-gravity conditions.[2]

Composition History[edit]

2786–2821[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[25]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Bobruisk. In 2821 the command was reduced to 52 percent of its strength and was deployed on Zdice.[25]

2830[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[26]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Zdice with an operational readiness of 92 percent.[26]

2864[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[26]

Note: At this point in time the assault-weight unit was stationed on Zdice with an operational readiness of 70 percent.[26]

3025[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[27]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Cavanaugh.

3040[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[28]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Main Street.[28]

3050[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[29]

  • CO: Leftenant General Lawrence Marlowe[29]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Main Street.[29]

3054[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[30]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Main Street.[30]

3062–3067[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (BattleMech Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[2][17]
CO: Leutnant General Jeanette Scarlett

Ninth Regulars Aerospace Group (Two aerospace wings/Regular/Fanatical)[2]

712th Alliance Fighter Wing
CO: Hauptmann Kommandant Floyd Wood

1119th Alliance Fighter Wing
CO: Hauptmann Lissette Kim

3079[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[31]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Khon Kaen.[31]

3085[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regular/Reliable)[21]
CO: Leutnant General Annabeth Patrick

3145[edit]

Ninth Lyran Regulars (Regular/Reliable)[24]
CO: Colonel Laura Sanchez

Notes[edit]

  • The Ninth Regulars' insignia is the head of a shark skewered on a dagger, an obvious reference to their beginnings as a group opposed to Stefan Amaris.[2]

References[edit]

  1. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 77
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 91: "9th Lyran Regulars Unit Profile"
  3. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 24
  4. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 119: "Deployment Table - 3025"
  5. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 44
  6. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 77
  7. Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  8. 8.0 8.1 20 Year Update, p. 28: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  9. 9.0 9.1 Objective Raids, p. 21: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  10. Shattered Sphere, p. 49
  11. 11.0 11.1 FedCom Civil War, p. 87
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 FedCom Civil War, p. 183
  13. FedCom Civil War, p. 116
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 FedCom Civil War, p. 185
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 FedCom Civil War, p. 114
  16. FedCom Civil War, pp. 117–118
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Field Manual: Updates, p. 171: "9th Lyran Regulars"
  18. FedCom Civil War, p. 118
  19. Field Manual: Updates, p. 178: "LAAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  20. Field Report: LAAF, p. 13
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 108: "LAAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  22. Field Manual: 3085, p. 102
  23. Field Manual: 3145, p. 128
  24. 24.0 24.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 132: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Coventry Province"
  25. 25.0 25.1 First Succession War, p. 139
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Second Succession War, p. 99
  27. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 119: "Deployment Table"
  28. 28.0 28.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 137
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 20 Year Update, p. 28
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Objective Raids, p. 21
  31. 31.0 31.1 Field Report: FWLM, p. 13

Bibliography[edit]