17th Skye Rangers

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History

Star League Era

The Seventeenth Skye Rangers were stationed on New Kyoto in 2765. They were raised on Summer at the same time as the 16th Skye Rangers. At the time of their formation the unit had more men than women, which gave them their nickname. The LCAF High Command also made sure to rotate the unit back to Summer every few years.[1][1]

Second Succession War

In 2838 the Free Worlds League Military was struggling under the combination of the ComStar interdiction of the Free Worlds League and Parliament's efforts to choke off funding to the military. Both the Capellan Confederation and Lyran Commonwealth had taken advantage of the League's woes to make military gains, with the LCAF expanding two major salients into the League with ruthless efficiency. However, in 2838 the FWLM forces fighting a tenacious defense in the League systems of the former Terran Hegemony found their LCAF opponents being hampered by expeditions from the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns, both looking to make gains of their own from the weakened League. Castor was one of the systems caught up in this - the LCAF had landed the Seventeenth Skye Rangers on the planet to destroy the defending FWLM garrison and occupy the world, only to have the Third Ceti Hussars land on the world later to try and claim it for the Federated Suns. Although the LCAF managed to rebuff the Ceti Hussars and finally claim Castor in spring 2839, by the time they had secured the world the interdiction had ended.[2]

Third Succession War

In 2893 the Seventeenth defended Skye from a DCMS attack. They infiltrated Bannockburn Bogs to ambush the Kuritan forces and drove them off world.[3] Some time in the Third Succession War the Seventeenth engaged in a two day duel with the 1st Regulan Hussars.[4]

Clan Invasion

The entire unit was destroyed during the Clan Invasion.[5] The Seventeenth fought valiantly on Barcelona and Black Earth, but they sustained heavy losses against Clan Jade Falcon. The unit was able to withdraw from Barcelona only because a JumpShip captain disobeyed orders. The withdrawal forced the Seventeenth to leave most of their supporting infantry and armor brigades behind however. This pointless waste of their RCT caused many of the survivors to develop a pro-Free Skye stance. The unit retained their combat effective status, but then the LAAF High Command transferred most of their skilled officers and soldiers to other units to break up the "disloyal" troops who were pro-Free Skye. The LAAF High Command then used the Seventeenth as a dumping ground for soldiers who were discipline cases, held pro-Victor loyalties, or petty criminals.[6]

FedCom Civil War

During the FedCom Civil War, the Seventeenth Skye Rangers were pro-Victor. They were defeated on Lost and their remains tried to join Victor's task force on York. However General Maria Esteban pulled a political trick and talked Robert Kelswa-Steiner into ordering the Seventeenth to return to Skye instead.[citation needed]

In 3065, the Fourth Skye Rangers, the Seventeenth Skye Rangers, the Twenty-second Skye Rangers and the Thirty-second Lyran Guards tried to conquer Hesperus II, but were beaten back by the Gray Death Legion, Fifteenth Lyran Guards and Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards. The Skye forces had to surrender following the arrival of General Caesar Steiner and the Second Donegal Guards.[7]

Republic Era

The Seventeenth were gifted to the Republic of the Sphere by LAAF, for the creation of the RAF[8]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 17th Skye Rangers
Template:LyranRankInline Bruce LaBlonc.[9] 3025
Template:LyranRankInline Karl Prafol [6] 3059 to 3062

Tactics


Composition History

17th Skye Rangers (Regular/Questionable)[1]

3025

17th Skye Rangers (Elite/Questionable)[9]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Bruce LaBlonc

3040

17th Skye Rangers (Elite/Questionable)[10]

3054

17th Skye Rangers (Elite/Questionable)[11]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Mitchell Simons

3062

17th Skye Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[6]
CO: Template:LyranRankInline Karl Prafol
Aide: Template:LyranRankInline Antonia Roman

Notes

In 3050, prior to being destroyed by the Clans, it was considered an Elite unit.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Report 2765: LCAF, pp. 18-19, "Skye Rangers" - Regimental Status
  2. Second Succession War, p. 44, "The Four-Front War: Operation COOKIE JAR and the ComStar War (2837-2842)"
  3. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), pp. 79-80
  4. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 104
  5. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 6
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 101, "17th Skye Rangers Unit Profile"
  7. The Dying Time
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 167 "Forces gifted to the Republic"
  9. 9.0 9.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 119 (pdf version), "Unit Deployment Table"
  10. Historical: War of 3039 , p. 138
  11. Objective Raids, p. 22

Bibliography