2nd Canopian Light Horse

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2nd Canopian Light Horse.jpg
Second Canopian Light Horse
Formed 2531-2577
Nickname Centrella Honor
Affiliation Magistracy of Canopus
Parent Command Chasseurs á Cheval

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The Second Canopian Light Horse was formed shortly after the creation of the First, making the unit one of the oldest in the Magistracy Armed Forces.[1] Prior to the Reunification War, the primary duty of the Second Light Horse had been anti-terrorist operations, but that would soon change.[2]

Reunification War[edit]

Granera[edit]

The MAF commander, Colonel Adam Buquoy, put together a daring plan to steal the initiative from the SLDF by capitalizing on their long supply chains. Raids were launched at a number of worlds being used as supply depots and staging areas by the SLDF; while the largest of these raids targeted the world of Meadowvale, the Second Light Horse were given responsibility for attacking Granera. Saonara was purely an SLDF staging post at this point, and wouldn't become a full-fledged colony until after the war; the Second Light Horse raid was a success but left the Second badly damaged. When the raids were launched, the MAF didn't know that the First Marik Militia had been moved to Granera, and the elite FWLM unit brutalized the Second Light Horse, destroying more than a third of the Canopian unit strength, but the raid was far more than just a Pyrrhic victory. The attacks staged inside Free Worlds League space forced a change in SLDF tactics, as it demonstrated that previously safe areas were at risk and that the MAF was a far more dangerous opponent than its relative size would indicate. For several years resources had to be diverted from the front lines to equip and support large garrisons on SLDF supply worlds, hampering combat operations and buying the MAF time.[2][1]

Eleusis[edit]

The Second Light Horse had been stationed as the garrison on Eleusis when war broke out, and had returned to the world in mid-2579 when the SLDF task force assigned the 57th Brigade and the Sixty-first Royal Brigade to conquer Eleusis, reinforced by the 401st Independent Regiment, the 35th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment — all drawn from VII Corps — the Fifth Marik Militia and the First Brigade of the Fusiliers of Oriente, drawn from the Marik auxiliaries supporting VII Corps.[3] The SLDF expected to face a couple of 'Mech regiments supported by a handful of conventional regiments, but had been outmaneuvered by the MAF; instead, they faced four 'Mech regiments, including the First, Second and Third Canopian Light Horse alongside the mercenary unit Samuelson's Slaughterers along with eighteen conventional regiments.[4][5]

The MAF forces turned what should have been a two-week campaign into a six-month campaign, inflicting more damage on the SLDF than they suffered in turn, but slowly losing because the MAF supply chain couldn't keep up with losses due to battlefield attrition as well as the SLDF support network. Orders received from Colonel Buquoy and countersigned by Magestrix Crystalla Centrella ordered the various MAF forces to retreat on 19 September; the MAF could have held out for several more months, but only at the cost of all the units being lost.[5]

Lindenmarle[edit]

Four months after the First Canopian Light Horse were forced to retreat from the world of Royal Foxx, they joined the Second Light Horse in an almost identical situation on Lindenmarle. The First and Second faced an invasion in July 2582 from the combined forces of the SLDF 56th Brigade supported by the Second Oriente Hussars and the Juggernaut regiment of the Stewart Dragoons. Although the two Chasseurs á Cheval regiments weren't as heavily outnumbered as the First had been on Royal Foxx, the outcome was the same — the Canopian regiments stung the invading forces and contested the invasion, but were forced to retreat off-world within weeks.[3][4][5]

Candiear[edit]

The Second was defending Candiear along with the Fourth Canopian Light Horse and Buquoy's Bandits when the SLDF tasked more than a division of troops to invade the world in 2585, a year after the conquest of Canopus IV. The SLDF landed the VII Corps' 56th Brigade, Sixty-first Royal Brigade and 62nd Royal Brigade on Candiear along with the Fourth Marik Militia, Second Oriente Hussars and Third Regulan Hussars in support. The MAF troops contested the invasion but were forced to retreat.[6][7][8]

Harminous[edit]

After the capture of Candiear, the Second relocated to the world of Harminous along with Buquoy's Bandits, where in 2586 they faced the SLDF 56th Brigade for a third time. Once again, the Canopian troops could only harass the invading forces, lacking the strength to prevent the invasion, and both MAF units were forced to retreat. While the outcome of the war was largely a foregone conclusion by 2586 the Second Light Horse continued to fight, and by the end of the year the Second was the only active regiment left from the ranks of the Chasseurs á Cheval; the Third Canopian Light Horse had been lost in 2582 on Tetski, and both the First and Fourth Canopian Light Horse were destroyed on Palladix in 2586.[6][7][8]

Wildwood[edit]

The SLDF landed the 59th Brigade and 401st Independent Regiment on Wildwood in 2587 with the Second Oriente Hussars in support. Despite being outnumbered almost three to one the Second Light Horse and Buquoy's Bandits contested the invasion, but were forced to retreat to the world of Kossandra's Memory; with the capture of Cate's Hold and the defeat of the garrison there in April 2587, the Second Light Horse and Buquoy's Bandits were the only major units from the Magistracy Armed Forces still active within the remains of the Magistracy.[6][7][8]

Kossandra's Memory[edit]

The outback world of Kossandra's Memory had been settled shortly before the outbreak of the war as a redoubt for the MAF and as a base of operations for use after the fall of Canopus IV. The MAF managed to keep the existence of Kossandra's Memory secret for much of the war, and it was the world that the Second Light Horse and Buquoy's Bandits operated from after the fall of Wildwood. When Captain-General Marion Marik finally invaded Kossandra's Memory in 2588 the Second and the Bandits were the only surviving major MAF units and were both on the world. Numbering just a few mismatched battalions, the MAF units still contested the landing, under the command of Colonel Adam Buquoy himself; Marik landed the Sixty-second Royal Brigade on Kossandra's Memory, along with the First Marik Militia and the Third Regulan Hussars, in what would be the final campaign of the war against the Magistracy.[6][7]

Marik led three regiments personally in the battle against Buquoy's Forces; Buquoy tried to trick Marik into making rash attacks that he could capitalize on, but Marik kept her cool and used her superior numbers to grind the Canopian forces down. With the last of the Magistracy forces finally defeated after eleven years of campaigning, the war between the Magistracy and the Star League finally ended when Marik accepted Buquoy's surrender with a firm handshake. The Second Canopian Light Horse had fought for the entire war, the only regular MAF unit to operate for as long, and had faced the First Marik Militia in both their first and last major engagements of the war.[6]

Star League Era[edit]

In 2765 the Second had been rebuilt. They were stationed on Schmitt to monitor the SLDF and Department of Mega-Engineering teams on that world. This was a dramatic change from their usual assignments of hunting down pirates and bandits. To support them in their rapid response duties, the Second had the usual complement of JumpShips and DropShips, and was supported by a permanently assigned Pinto-class WarShip.[9]

The Second was evidently destroyed or badly damaged during the Periphery Uprising; in 2785 the First and Second Canopian Light Horse regiments were both reactivated, using personnel from the Twenty-ninth CAAN Marine Regiment, one of five SLDF regiments to defect to the Magistracy of Canopus during the Uprising and the only one of those five regiments to survive beyond 2767.[10]

Succession Wars[edit]

By the beginning of the Succession Wars the Second Light Horse had been re-formed, and the unit saw heavy combat in 3005 during a Capellan invasion into Magistracy territory. The Second intercepted the invaders on Luxen, sparking a four-day battle that eventually led to the complete destruction of a company of St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers. The Second again saw combat with the Capellan Confederation in 3030, when Kyalla Centrella decided to invade the Confederation following the Fourth Succession War. The Second quickly forced Kincade's Rangers to surrender on the planet Repulse (though the Rangers deny this ever happening).[1]

Because of their success on Repulse, they were granted the honor of wearing the symbol of the Magistracy as their personal standard.[1]

The Second Canopian Light Horse garrisoned Borgan's Rift in 3064.[11] After the Jihad ended, the Light Horse was assigned to garrison Joppa.[12] During the Jihad the Blakists seized control of Borgan's Rift and drove the Second into the countryside. The Forty-first Shadow Division inflicted serious losses on the Second before the Magestrix and returning MAF forces could rescue the Second. The Shadow Division's attacks reduced the Second by a battalion. The MAF High Command stationed them on Gallis to keep watch over the former Free Worlds League. Instead of waiting passively, the Second used their posting to conduct intelligence gathering raids on several former League systems. These raids also served to provide training for the new members of the Second.[13]

The Dark Age[edit]

The Second Light Horse were stationed on the world of Gallis during the Dark Age, remaining there until at least 3145. The Second wasn't idle, however; Gallis was used by the Second as a springboard for raids into the former Free Worlds League region of space; when the Duchy of Andurien allied itself with the Capellan Confederation and the Magistracy, the Second continued their raiding habits, but redirected their raids towards those independent former League worlds near the Duchy's border. Ostensibly, the Second's raids were launched for the purpose of gathering intelligence, but Magestrix Ilsa Centrella had another goal in mind in the mid-thirty-second century; she hoped that the raids could force three of the independent worlds, Eleusis, Obrenovac and Scheuerheck into aligning themselves with the Duchy.[14]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Second Canopian Light Horse
Major Sharon Lasonpiri 3025[15]
Major Ardie Germaine 3050 - 3054[16][17]
Colonel Ardie Germaine 3064 - 3067[1][11]
Colonel Karen Heldt 3085[18]
Colonel Effie McReynolds 3145[19]

Tactics[edit]

The Second is popular for their blitzkrieg dives into enemy forces.[1]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[20]

- At this point in time the Second Light Horse was stationed on Schmitt.[20]

3025[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Regular/Reliable)[15]

  • CO: Major Sharon Lasonpiri

3028[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[21]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Fanardir.[21]

3050-3054[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Regular/Reliable)[16][17]

  • CO: Major Ardie Germaine

3064[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (1 Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[1]

  • CO: Colonel Ardie Germaine

- The 'Mech unit has a 40% upgrade technology level.

Second Light Horse Air Guard (1 Air Lance/Elite/Fanatical)[1]

Second Light Horse Armor Guard (2 Battalions/Veteran/Fanatical)[1]

  • Armor Commander: Force Major Lester Inman

- The Second Armor is equipped with a full company of Mantis and Hawk Moth VTOLs.

Second Light Horse Infantry Guard (1 Battalion/Regular/Fanatical)[1]

  • Infantry Commander: Major Joe Milanovich

3067[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (1 Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[11]

  • CO: Colonel Ardie Germaine

Second Light Horse Air Guard (2 Air Lances/Elite/Fanatical)[11]

  • Wing Commander: Commander Mary Carlyle

Second Light Horse Armor Guard (1 Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[11]

  • Armor Commander: Force Major Lester Inman

Second Light Horse Infantry Guard (1 Battalion/Regular/Questionable)[11]

  • Infantry Commander: Major Joe Milanovich

3085[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Veteran/Fanatical)[18]

  • CO: Colonel Karen Heldt

Second Light Horse Air Guard (Veteran/Fanatical)[18]

Second Light Horse Armor Guard (Elite/Fanatical)[18]

  • CO: Colonel Sakurako Kagome

Second Light Horse Infantry Guard (Regular/Reliable)[18]

  • CO: Valdis Yilmaz

3145[edit]

Second Canopian Light Horse (Regular/Reliable)[19]

Second Light Horse Air Guard (Regular/Questionable)[19]

Second Light Horse Armor Guard (Veteran/Reliable)[19]

Second Light Horse Infantry Guard (Regular/Reliable)[19]

- At this point in time the Second was stationed on Gallis and was operating at between seventy-five and ninety percent of full strength.

Rules[edit]

Reunification War[edit]

  • Chasseurs á Cheval units gain a +1 bonus to Initiative Rolls.[22]
  • Chasseurs á Cheval units may use Off-Map movement[22]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 34: "2nd Canopian Light Horse Unit Profile"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 99: "Meadowvale (January 2578)"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 148: "Magistracy of Canopus Front (Jump-Off - 2582)"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 150: "Magistracy of Canopus Front (Jump-Off - 2582)"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Historical: Reunification War, pp. 100–101: "Eleusis, Obrenovac and Bethnolog (March 2579–January 2580)"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Historical: Reunification War, p. 105: "Mopping Up (2584-2588)"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 149: "Magistracy of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Historical: Reunification War, p. 151: "Magistracy of Canopus Front (2583-2588)"
  9. Field Report 2765: Periphery, p. 14
  10. First Succession War, p. 34: "Those Left Behind (Continued)"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 201: "MAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  12. Field Report: Periphery, p. 10
  13. Field Manual: 3085, p. 138
  14. Field Manual: 3145, p. 192: "Chasseurs á Cheval"
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Periphery, First Edition, p. 99: "MAF Deployment Table - 3025"
  16. 16.0 16.1 20 Year Update, p. 78: "MAF Deployment Table - 3050"
  17. 17.0 17.1 Objective Raids, p. 47: "MAF Deployment Table - 3054"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 149: "MAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 200: "Chasseurs á Cheval"
  20. 20.0 20.1 Field Report 2765: Periphery, p. 14: "Chasseurs á Cheval - Regimental Status"
  21. 21.0 21.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 87
  22. 22.0 22.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 183: "Chasseurs à Cheval"

Bibliography[edit]