15th Arcturan Guards

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History

Named for the Lyran Commonwealth's original capital Arcturus, the Arcturan Guards continued to form a mainstay of the Lyran military even after the capital's relocation to Tharkad.[1]

In 3025, the 15th were engaged mostly in pirate hunting, stationed on the world of Lost, [2] remaining on this planet during the Fourth Succession War [3].

In the face of threatened revolts in the newly occupied Sarna March in the 3030's, the 15th was one of many Lyran units ordered in to ease the tensions, being posted to Elnath. While requiring an entirely different style from pirate hunting, the 15th rose to the challenge and slowly built strong ties with the local community. However in light of the Marik-Liao Invasion of 3057 and Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion's order for Lyran units to return home order, the 15th opted to obey and returned to the newly formed Lyran Alliance.

With increasing tensions on Solaris and their success in the Sarna March, the 15th was ordered to garrison several worlds with anti-Alliance rebels, with the first battalion under CO Felix Blucher posted to Thorin, with the remainder sent to Muphrid under Kommandant Constance McCoy [4].

While Blucher worked alongside the Thorin Militia at first, increasing anti-Katherine riots escalated into terrorist attacks and the Arcturan Guards personnel killing the activist reporter sister of the militia's CO Archer Christifori. An enraged Christifori led a rebellion against the 15th and with the aid of militia turncoats within the Arcturan Guards and inspired tactics, Christifori was about to deal the 15th several crushing defeats. After heading off re-enforcements from Muphrid, the battered 15th surrendered and traveled towards Lyons to rebuild. [5].

During the first wave of the Civil War, the 15th had reached Bucklands [6]. With the Clan Jade Falcon incursion into the Lyran Alliance, the 15th made their way towards Melissia, headquarters of the Melissia Theater, acquiring elements of the Neerabup MTM and Gacrux FTM to bolster their numbers.

The patchwork 15th arrived on Melissia shortly before the forces of Khan Marthe Pryde, and despite protests of their need to retreat and resupply, fought alongside the other units under the command of General Adam Steiner [7]. The so-called "Hodge Podges" 15th took part in Operation Audacity, serving under both Generals Steiner and their old foe Archer Christifori, assisting in the capture of Black Earth and Roadside. [8].

After the end of Audacity, the battered remains of the Fifteenth returned to Thorin to rebuild [9]. While some suggested the "Hodge Podges" be recognized as the Fifteenth Arcturan RCT, the elements of two militia units were eventually returned to their parent formations and the Guards began rebuilding on its own [10].

During the Jihad the Fifteenth partnered with the 5th Crucis Lancers in an attack on Demeter. There they attempted to take the Vicore Industries factory,[11] but were repulsed by the defending Protectorate Militia units and two Level IIIs from the 9th Militia Division, Measure of Trust and Call to the Faithful. An orbital drop by the 3rd Free Worlds Legionnaires reinforced the Coalition forces and pushed the Blakist defenders back. Three weeks later the Guards and other Coalition forces had taken control of the world, but only after bloody hand-to-hand fighting and several orbital bombardments; the 15th had worked alongside the 5th Crucis Lancers to take control of New Demeter City, while the 3rd Legionnaires had battled the 9th Militia Division forces until both the Blakists and the Vicore Industries plant were destroyed by orbital bombardment[12]

Shortly after this victory the Fifteenth landed on Towne to assist Coalition forces there. Towne was particularly difficult because it had several SDS stations both on the planet and in orbit.[13] The Fifteenth was only present for a few weeks before moving out to their next assault, the campaign for Hean; however, the Fifteenth wouldn't make landfall on Hean, as the system was discovered to possess a multi-layered SDS network. These defenses inflicted serious losses on the Fifteenth along with the Fox's Teeth and the Aerospace assets available to Group I, and most damaging of all, the SDS network destroyed the Fox-class FSS Indefatigable.[14]

During the liberation of Terra the Fifteenth was assigned to General Galen Cox's command. This task force--composed of the Fifteenth, 1st Davion Guards, Marlette CMM, Hansen's Roughriders and the 12th Vegan Rangers-- was assigned to take the Texas Highlands on the North American continent.[15]

After Terra was liberated, the Fifteenth found itself split into two battalion sized forces. The two battalions were stationed on La Blon and Marfik, serving as garrison forces.[11] By 3085 they had rebuilt into the largest 'Mech unit available to the Arcturan Guards brigade, and they had rotated back to Arcturus. Strangely, they had no conventional forces assigned to them at this time.[16]

Dark Age

In 3142 the Fifteenth Guards responded to the invasion of Arcturus by Peregrine Galaxy. They split into companies and attempted to face the Falcons at every landing site. Despite their fearlessness and determination, they weren't able to defeat the Falcons, and had to withdraw after two days of fighting.[17] They took heavy losses, and relocated to Garrison in an attempt to regroup. This was unsuccessful. They were redeployed to Tharkad to help reconstruction efforts while they also took the time to refit and rearm their equipment.[18]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 15th Arcturan Guards
Template:LyranRankInline Ululo Vuthal 3025[2]
Template:LyranRankInline Suzanne Wright[19][20]
Wright championed the "hearts and minds" campaign upon the unit's posting to Elnath. Despite building strong ties to the local community, Wright chose to obey Archon Katherine's order. 		3050 to 3055
Template:LyranRankInline Felix Blucher
taking command after Suzanne Wright was badly injured in an air car accident. Previously a staff officer in the Skye Province command, Blucher is a honorable and professional soldier and a good combat officer. A staunch supporter of the Alliance, his respect for formality and the chain of command both above and below him left him open to manipulation during the Civil War.[4][21] 		3062 to 3067
Template:LyranRankInline Caesar Trivedi[22] 3085
Template:LyranRankInline Andrew Roberts[23] 3145

Tactics

The 15th have learned from their postings in the 31st century, acquiring good skills in both anti-pirate tactics and small unit raiding, along with ample civil defense skills, despite the fact the 'Mech-heavy nature of the unit ill-suited for them and thus their heavy reliance upon the Thorin militia.

Composition History

3025

15th Arcturan Guards (Regular/Questionable)[2]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Ululo Vuthal

3040

15th Arcturan Guards RCT (Regular/Reliable)[24]

3050-3054

15th Arcturan Guards (Regular/Reliable)[19][20]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Suzanne Wright

3062

15th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[4]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Felix Blucher
XO: Template:LyranRankInline Luther Fisk

Denied RCT status, for most of their existence the 15th have consisted standard three Battalion BattleMech Regiment. To better suit the role of civil defense, upon their posting to Thorin and Muphrid they sacrificed almost a third of their 'Mech strength in favor of tanks and infantry.

Thorin Militia (Battalion/Regular/Reliable)[4]
CO: Archer Christifori

3067

15th Arcturan Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[21]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Felix Blucher

3085

15th Arcturan Guards (Veteran/Reliable)[22]

3145

15th Arcturan Guards (Regular/Reliable)[23]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Andrew Roberts

15th Arcturan Armor Brigade (Regular/Reliable)[23]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Debra Gray

Notes

The unit's nickname of The Stavlos Tigers comes from the Arcturan subspecies of tiger, the unit choosing to paint tiger stripes on the upper arms of the unit's 'Mechs. [25] The insignia of the 15th despite a stylized tiger face peering out of the long grass atop the green oval-shaped regimental insignia of the entire Arcturan Guards [4]

References

  1. ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 54
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 120
  3. ↑ Fourth Succession War - Military Atlas Vol 1, p. 44
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 56
  5. ↑ FedCom Civil War, pp. 34-35
  6. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 69
  7. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 116
  8. ↑ FedCom Civil War, p. 117, 188, 120
  9. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 177
  10. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 168
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Field Report: LAAF, p. 10
  12. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 36, "Tragedy On Demeter"
  13. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 37, "The Tale Of Towne"
  14. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 37, "Situation Report: Naval Defenses"
  15. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 96
  16. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 98
  17. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145 The Clans, p. 24
  18. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 125
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 20 Year Update, p. 23, "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Objective Raids, p. 17, "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 177, "LAAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 109, "LAAF Deployment Table - 3085"
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 133, "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Donegal Province"
  24. ↑ Historical: War of 3039 , p. 137
  25. ↑ House Steiner (Lyran Commonwealth), p. 71

Bibliography

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