10th Robinson Chevaliers

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History

The Tenth Robinson Chevaliers was one of the regiments within the Robinson Chevaliers brigade of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns and took its unit name from a chivalric order that existed during the pre-industrial history of Terra; this was standard practise amongst units of the Robinson Chevaliers that formed prior to the massive expansion of the AFFS following the repeal of the Council Edict of 2650[1] in 2752.[2]

The Tenth was well-known for a certain level of decadence, with lavish mess functions put on regularly and the personnel of the regiment engaging in a wide range of hobbies linked only by their high cost. While the Star League Defense Force warned officers invited to socialize with the "Ermine Soldiers" that they should anticipate having to outlay a considerable sum as a result, the warriors of the Tenth were also known to be veteran soldiers who responded quickly to the call to battle. In common with the other regiments of Chevaliers members of the Tenth identified closely with their chosen order, and even the newest recruits were expected to be able to name significant individuals and events from the history of the order.[1]

First Succession War

In May 2787 the Draconis Combine launched a massive invasion of the Federated Suns. The invasion was so swift and targeted communications and JumpShips so effectively that many border systems didn't have a chance to transmit warnings or alerts, leading to widespread confusion on the part of the AFFS. A second wave followed three days after the first, led personally by Coordinator Minoru Kurita and his son, Warlord Jinjiro Kurita, striking through the Clovis Combat Region and Dahar Combat Region in two thrusts, and proved devastatingly effective. The death of Field Marshal Grover Simons on Clovis caused the AFFS defensive line to collapse,[3] and the DCMS adopted a strategy of leapfrogging worlds, smashing some AFFS units while leaving others isolated and cut-off, to be subsequently destroyed later.[4]

The majority of the AFFS units left behind enemy lines had been destroyed by mid-2789, but the Chargers' battalion of the Tenth Robinson Chevaliers was one of a handful of commands that managed to survive longer, through a combination of good luck, resourcefulness and sheer resilience. Made up from remnants of the Tenth and those supporting units that had managed to escape destruction, the Chargers went to ground for years after New Rhodes III fell, causing as much havoc as they could for the DCMS garrison and raiding for supplies to survive.[4]

The civilian population of New Rhodes proved more obstinate than anticipated by the Combine garrison, a problem that was made no easier to deal with by the presence of the Chargers. Despite these problems, in December 2788 Tai-sa Samuru Olowenn - the commanding officer of the Thirtieth Dieron Regulars - believed that he had crushed the last of the armed resistance. Having reported to the DCMS High Command that his troops were victorious. The High Command designated New Rhodes as a major depot, intent on using the planet as a warehouse to supply troops throughout the local region, and began shipping large quantities of weapons and ammunition for onward distribution.[5]

Whilst the Thirtieth proceeded to stockpile the shipped supplied in every available open space at the Xerxes City Spaceport, Olowenn laid plans to impress upon the civilian population that the Combine's occupation of New Rhodes was now absolute and unquestionable, beginning with a military parade to cow and impress the planetary business leaders, media and civilian administrators. The parade was duly held on the morning of the 23rd of March 2789, with much fanfare - only to be disrupted by Captain Conrad Warrent of the Tenth, who had used the river that flowed past the southern edge of the spaceport to bring a reinforced company of Chevaliers 'Mechs within striking distance of the piled supplies. The piles of supplies stretched as high as five stories, and as the DCMS security forces attempted to engage his troops, his 'Mechs jumped into the maze created by the stacked shipping containers and began destroying supplies and battling their pursuers. Explosions caused by missed shots ignited several stacks of assorted munitions, and the resulting inferno swept through half of the hangars and the spaceport, destroying more than a thousands tons of supplies and generating a thick plume of black smoke that spread through the sky for several kilometers.[5]

Having destroyed the supplies - along with two companies of DCMS 'Mechs and armor - more than half of Warrent's raiders escaped to rejoin the resistance; with so many of the media present, it was inevitable that copies of footage from the day would survive the best efforts by Combine officials to track them down and have them destroyed. Footage of the DCMS being humiliated was shown around New Rhodes and spread to other worlds, providing a welcome morale boost for the AFFS; the strike also convinced the High Command that New Rhodes wasn't secure enough to use as a supply world, leading to the eventual decision to instead use Kentares IV as a supply hub instead.[5]

The Tenth was one of the fifteen regiments of Robinson Chevaliers to be destroyed during the First Succession War.[6]

Officers

Tactics

Composition History

2765

Tenth Robinson Chevaliers (Veteran/Reliable)[7]

- The Tenth were stationed on Schedar at this point in time.[7]

2786

Tenth Robinson Chevaliers (Veteran/Reliable)[8]

- At this point in time the Tenth was a light-weight regiment at full strength and stationed on Schedar.[8]

Notes

  • The Tenth appears likely to have been named for the Breton Order of the Ermine founded in the fourteenth or fifteenth century.

Reference

  1. 1.0 1.1 Field Report: Federated Suns 2765, p. 16, "Robinson Chevaliers"
  2. Field Report: Federated Suns 2765, p. 3, "Strategic Update"
  3. First Succession War, p. 38-39, "The Battle For Clovis"
  4. 4.0 4.1 First Succession War, p. 40, "Rout"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 First Succession War, p. 43-45, "Rebellion on New Rhodes"
  6. First Succession War, p. 134, "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Field Report: Federated Suns 2765, p. 17, "Regimental Status"
  8. 8.0 8.1 First Succession War, p. 135, "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"

Bibliography