7th Sword of Light

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Unit Description

Representing the Pillar of Teak, the Seventh Sword of Light BattleMech regiment is honor bound to guard the culture of the Draconis Combine.[1]

History

Reunification War

The Seventh Sword of Light was one of four regiments assigned by the DCMS to the Draconis Auxiliary Corps[2] formed in the early 2580s as a contribution towards Operation MAILED FIST, the Star League intervention in the Rim Worlds Republic Civil War.[3] The Seventh Sword was assigned to Task Force MAILED FIST alongside the Second Sword of Light, Fourth Proserpina Hussars, and the First Arkab Legion.[2]

The Seventh Sword of Light began operations in the Rim Worlds Republic as a part of Battle Group Timbuktu in 2584, with the campaign to secure Nightwish and the Second Amaris Dragoons.[2][4] The Draconis Combine forces were soon well known for their arrogance, brutality and inhumane methods;[5] unimpeded by the Ares Conventions as a result of the declaration by First Lord Ian Cameron in 2578, that SLDF operations in the Periphery would not be bound by the Conventions.[4] The Seventh Sword caused carnage on Nightwish, shelling inhabited areas to drive out hidden Rim Worlds Army forces and torturing prisoners for information. When the overall commander of Battle Group Timbuktu, Duke Narinder Selaj of the Principality of Regulus, challenged the DCMS units over their tactics, he was rebuffed with the reply that the tactics were efficient and saved troops and resources. On paper, this was true; the DCMS forces lost 42 personnel - including 7 MechWarriors - in the conquest of Nightwish, whereas casualties on the opposing side exceeded 10,000 people.[6]

The actions of the DCMS force on Nightwish led to them being despised by the Rim Worlds Army, the Rift Republican Army... and their own allies in the SLDF. Soon all of the Task Force MAILED FIST forces were being tarred with the same brush; both the RWA and RRA put the DCMS units on automatic kill lists - with the notable exception of the First Arkab Legion, who in contrast with their DCMS fellows were accorded a grudging respect for their compassion when dealing with prisoners of war[7] - and resistance on Republic worlds increased sharply, both from the various military units and from the growing civilian partisan movements[8] with hidden bunkers and weapon emplacements becoming both increasingly common and increasingly cynical in their placement, not that this prevented the Seventh Sword from removing such sites through heavy weapons and shelling, even as the Republic forces began locating complexes under schools, hospitals, and other such sites.[9]

The Draconis Auxiliary Corps fought as a complete formation against local militia forces during the occupation of Milvano in 2586[2] and against the loyalist Seventh Amaris Dragoons on Timbuktu in 2588.[10][11] The conquest of Milvano took more than a year, considerably longer than originally planned, thanks to ongoing bouts of civil unrest despite the brutality with which the Second Sword and other DCMS units put down such actions.[8]

The campaign for Timbuktu saw the Draconis Auxiliary Corps fighting alongside the elite Eleventh Royal Division, an SLDF division from IV Corps, and the combined forces made short work of the defenses prepared by the Seventh Dragoons. Colonel Samuel Macao withdrew his forces to the more sparsely-populated Hades continent, intent on using the mining complexes there for cover, but reports of the harsh treatment of Republic citizens at the hands of the DCMS forces provoked him into strikes that cost him much of his unit; the Seventh Dragoons were then subjected to nineteen days of merciless bombardment until the survivors surrendered.[12]

The last campaign of the Reunification War for the Seventh Sword was the conquest of Ormstown in 2590, in which the Seventh Sword fought alongside the Second Sword against local militia forces.[10] The Draconis Auxiliary Corps was withdrawn from Operation MAILED FIST in 2591, as the various District Warlords of the Draconis Combine attempted to compensate for the erratic actions of Coordinator Leonard Kurita.[13]

Star League Era

In 2765, the Seventh was stationed on Goito, a world they shared with the SLDF's 49th Infantry Division.[14] Relations between the Seventh and the SLDF unit were cold.[15]

Early Succession Wars

Usually stationed on the capital of Luthien, a single company of the Seventh accompanied Coordinator Takashi Kurita in participating in the mercenary Wolf's Dragoons raid on Quentin in mid-3023. The Coordinator wanted to observe his newly-hired mercenaries in action first-hand. [16]

At some point late in the Third Succession War, the Seventh raided the world of Alexandria, where they faced the 20th Arcturan Guards.[17]

The Kismet Battalion of the Seventh participated in the Galtor campaign during 3025. [18]

Fourth Succession War

Responding to Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, the Lyran Commonwealth major offensive that marked the beginning of the Fourth Succession War, the DCMS began launching organized counterattacks in December 3028. The Seventh Sword was one of the units involved in those counter attacks; the Fourteenth Donegal Guards had landed on Utrecht as a part of a second wave of attacks launched by the Commonwealth to exploit the overwhelming success of the first wave of LCAF attacks.[19][20] Having effectively captured the rocky world, the Fourteenth suddenly found itself engaged by the Seventh Sword in what became a nightmare for both commands. Tai-sho Moshio Yodetobo surprised Colonel Hardy when he chose to reinforce the planetary militia, but the rocky surface of Utrecht made for terrible fighting conditions. The Seventh Sword occupied the Labbie Plateau and the planetary capital city located there, Naragajan. Utrecht represented the tip of the deepest salient into Combine space and Yodoteobo was confident that the Fourteenth wouldn't be able to remain so deep in enemy territory.[21]

Hardy's forces captured the city of Bandor, located on the other side of the world to Naragajan, hoping to draw the Seventh Sword out of it's positions on the Labbie Plateau, but Yodetobo was willing to cede control of the rest of the planet if it meant retaining control of Naragajan. Hardy had little choice but to launch what became known as the "March of Stones", a grueling cross-country trek that saw the Fourteenth subject to repeated attacks by Combine aerospace fighters as it moved towards Naragajan. The March took five weeks, but exposed the flaw in Yodatobo's plans when Hardy was able to encircle Naragajan and block the roads leading to the capital. Deprived of supply lines, Yodetobo quickly determined that Naragajan's food supply would only last a week, and the aerospace forces that had been so useful during the March had been rendered ineffective as the Fourteenth hugged the rocky sides of the plateau. After a week-long siege Yodetobo had no choice other than to launch an assault to try and break out through the Fourteenth's lines.[21]

Yodetobo launched an all-out assault on the Fourteenth's forces located east of Naragajan, where the Fourteenth discovered that the rocky terrain made it just as easy to hold the low ground as the high ground; while the Fourteenth's troops held the Seventh Sword's lead companies to the east, the Fourteenth's elements located to the west of Naragajan charged up the plateau and into the city, plowing through the handful of Sword 'Mechs guarding the western approach and onto the airfield where the Combine fighters were refueling. The Fourteenth quickly destroyed the grounded fighters even as DropShips landed on the eastern end of the Plateau to provide the Seventh Sword with an escape route. The Fourteenth had captured Utrecht and defeated the Seventh Sword, but had taken higher overall losses than their opponents during the campaign.[21]

Ronin Wars


War of 3039

Halstead Station

In August 3039, the Seventh supported by the 1st Sword of Light's invasion of Halstead Station.[22]

Clan Invasion

When Theodore Kurita came to power and implemented his reforms, the Seventh found itself in a difficult position. They were required to defend the Draconis Combine's culture, but the reforms were implemented by the Coordinator. The unit's commander, Tai-sa Kiyomori Minamoto, required each warrior of the unit to embody the bushido code in his personal life as well as on duty. Thus, until the entire Combine accepted the Coordinator's reforms, the Seventh could not accept them. During this time, the warriors of the Seventh were required to honor bushido's precepts by participating in several forms of art as well as martial skill. To this end they frequently staged traditional plays for the local population.[1]

The Seventh fought the Clans during the Battle of Luthien.

Operation Bulldog

In 3059, Tai-sa Minamoto led the 7th Sword of Light in the defense of Pesht, when the elements of Clan Smoke Jaguar's Delta Galaxy counterattacked Operation Bulldog's invasion of their occupation zone.[23]

Dominion War

The Seventh moved to Turtle Bay and tried to reinforce the 9th Pesht Regulars, but arrived too late to prevent the Ghost Bears from destroying the Ninth Pesht on Idlewind.[23]

Federated Suns Incursion


Jihad

Stationed at Idlewind when the Jihad began, the Seventh Sword of Light lost its two JumpShips when the Black Dragon Society destroyed the recharging station. Eventually the unit made it to Albeiro, stabilizing a volatile situation. After that, they attacked and destroyed the traitorous 15th Dieron Regulars in the Xinyang Prefecture, working closely with "inquisitor squads" from the Internal Security Force and Order of Five Pillars. During Operation SCOUR, they were stationed along the Ghost Bear Dominion/Combine border to dissuade any adventurism by that Clan.[24] After Terra's liberation the Seventh Sword of Light was stationed on the Combine/Federated Suns border world of David.[25]

Dark Age

The Seventh Sword of Light participated in the 3144 assault on Robinson. They faced the 20th Avalon Hussars.[26][27] The regiment lost a third of it's battlemech forces, their entire 45th Recon, and the 99th Lancers barely had a battalion left. [28]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 7th Sword of Light
General Moshiu Yodetobo 3025[29]
Tai-shu Kiyomori Minamoto pre-3050 - 3067[1][30]
Tai-sa Odhrán Olasz 3085[31]
Tai-sa Lawrence Pinkett pre-3144
Chu-sa Moishe Tolkowski 3144 - 3145[28][32]

Tactics

The Kismet Battalion of the 3025-era Seventh Sword of Light was very skilled in close combat.[33]

Composition History

2765

1st Sword of Light (Expanded Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[34]

3025

7th Sword of Light (Expanded Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[29]

  • CO: General Moshiu Yodetobo

3040

7th Sword of Light (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[35]'

3050

7th Sword of Light (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[36]

  • CO: Tai-sa Kiyomori Minamoto

3054

7th Sword of Light (2 Battalions/Veteran/Fanatical)[37]

  • CO: Tai-sa Kiyomori Minamoto

3059

7th Sword of Light (Expanded Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[1]

  • 2nd Battalion: Chu-sa Chano Minwara
  • 3rd Battalion: Chu-sa Lee To Singh
  • 4th Battalion: Chu-sa Zander Hollyfeld

- The 36 OmniMechs are divided equally among the battalions.

32nd Luthien Aerospace (2 Companys/Regular/Fanatical)[1]

  • Wing Commander: Sho-sa Peter Tokaydo

99th Lancers: Thor's Hammer (Battalion/Regular/Fanatical)[1]

  • Armor Commander: Chu-sa Jinsiru Stoffersson

45th Recon: The Sappers (2 Battalion/Eilte/Fanatical)[1]

  • Troop Commander: Chu-sa Geoffrey Lambert

- The 2 companies of VTOLs are used to transport the regular infantry in urban warfare. All troopers use Laser rifles supported by SRM launchers.

3067

7th Sword of Light (Veteran/Fanatical)[30]

  • CO: Tai-shu Kiyomori Minamoto

99th Lancers (Battalion/Regular/Fanatical)[30]

  • CO: Chu-sa Jinsiru Stoffersson

45th Recon (The Sappers) (2 Battalions/Elite/Fanatical)[30]

  • CO: Chu-sa Geoffrey Lambert

3079

The fighting of the Jihad reduced the Seventh Sword of Light to 40% of their pre-war levels.[25]

3085

7th Sword of Light (Veteran/Reliable)[31]

  • CO: Tai-sa Odhrán Olasz

99th Lancers (1 Battalion/Elite/Reliable)[31]

  • CO: Chu-sa Ewald Byquist

45th Recon (Veteran/Reliable)[31]

  • CO: Tai-sa Iago Van Dael

3145

7th Sword of Light (Veteran/Reliable)[32]

  • CO: Chu-sa Moishe Tolkowski

99th Lancers (Veteran/Reliable)[32]

  • CO: Tai-sa Dayu Akita

Notes

Rules

Reunification War

  • The Seventh Sword of Light may Force the Initiative.[38]
  • The Seventh Sword of Light may use Overrun Combat.[38]
  • Opponents fighting against the Seventh Sword of Light suffer a -1 penalty to all morale checks.[38]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 87, "7th Sword of Light Unit Profile"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 152, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (Jump-Off - 2587)"
  3. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 131, "False Starts (2579-81)"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 21, "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"
  5. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 36, "Second Sword of Light"
  6. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 134, "Helbrent to Nightwish (July 2582 - November 2584)"
  7. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 36, "First Arkab Legion"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 134, "Arlina to Viborg (December 2584 - September 2588)"
  9. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 134A, "Busting Bunkers"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 153, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  11. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 155, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  12. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 135, "Timbuktu (July 2588)"
  13. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 138, "Leonard the Debauched"
  14. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 256
  15. ↑ Field Report 2765: Draconis Combine, p. 8
  16. ↑ Wolves on the Border (novel), pp. 20, 33
  17. ↑ Starterbook: Sword and Dragon, p. 31
  18. ↑ Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 15
  19. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 44-45, "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  20. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 61, "Trellshire and Tamar Theaters"
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 70, "Utrecht"
  22. ↑ Historical War of 39, p. 83
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 111, "7th Sword of Light"
  24. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 44
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Field Report: DCMS, p. 13
  26. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine, p. 32, 44
  27. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145 Federated Suns, p. 32
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 58 "Seventh Sword of Light"
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 134, "Deployment Table"
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Field Manual: Update, p. 119, "DCMS Deployment Table - 3067"
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Field Manual: 3085, p. 50, "DCMS Deployment Table - 3085"
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 65, "DCMS Deployment Table - 3145"
  33. ↑ Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 8
  34. ↑ Field Report 2765: Draconis Combine, p. 8
  35. ↑ Historical: War of 3039 , p. 139
  36. ↑ 20 Year Update, p.42
  37. ↑ Objective Raids, p.28
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Historical: Reunification War, p. 182, "Sword of Light"

Bibliography

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