Kappa Battalion (Wolf's Dragoons)

Kappa Battalion
Formed 3055
Affiliation Mercenary
Parent Command Wolf's Dragoons

Kappa Battalion was a temporary mercenary command formed by Wolf's Dragoons and active during Elson's Challenge in 3055. They were primarily constituted around Carter's Chevaliers, another mercenary unit.

Unit History[edit]

Origins[edit]

The origins of Kappa Battalion can be found in the divisions the Dragoons experienced in the aftermath of the Clan Invasion. During this period, the Dragoons found themselves struggling to accommodate their many new members, taken from a range of different groups and cultures. The original Dragoons had all shared a common origin and purpose, with established traditions and protocols. Many of the newer Dragoons, coming from disparate backgrounds, felt they were disenfranchised either by nepotism or by what they perceived as favoritism towards the younger generations now being produced by Dragoon sibkos. These tensions soon began to bleed out, and Elson Novacat, a bondsman Elemental taken in battle on Luthien, would take advantage, using Colonel Wolf's grandson, the naïve Alpin Wolf, as a proxy.[1]

At a meeting on Outreach, Colonel Jaime Wolf was ousted from command, but withdrew to the Outback where he began to organize a resistance among the Dragoons' Home Guard and other loyalists. Novacat, preparing his forces to put down the revolt, began gathering freelance mercenaries in Harlech City and forming auxiliary units. Most of these troops were of dubious quality, but despite his Clan origins, Novacat recognized that his new Dragoons would also require new blood, carefully recruited and trained. Novacat believed he found the man to form such a unit in Dechan Fraser. Fraser had been a Dragoon ristar in the years leading up to the Fourth Succession War, and had spent more than two decades in the Draconis Combine, training and commanding the Ryuken but also effectively working as a Dragoon spy for Wolfnet. Fraser felt great hostility towards Wolf, believing the mercenary commander had abandoned him during this time.[2]

Fraser, intrigued by the prospects of forming a new unit, soon spoke with Major Norm Carter of Carter's Chevaliers, a respected mercenary unit that had subcontracted with the Dragoons for decades.[3] The two agreed to take Novacat up on his offer with Fraser in overall command.

The Outback[edit]

The newly-formed Kappa Battalion soon arrived in the Outback at Beta Regiment's beachhead in the Hannovassian Highlands, along with Iota Battalion, an auxiliary battalion made up of "hired guns" and other lowly-regarded mercenaries with little experience in coordinated operations. Despite Fraser's experience and the Chevaliers' quality, they were treated with contempt by Beta Colonel Alicia Fancher among others. Early in their operations, Fraser had to report to Alpin that Iota had fallen into an ambush from the Spider's Web Battalion. Alpin agreed with Fraser that Kappa should stay in position while Beta attempted to flank the rebels, though this proved unsuccessful.[4] Kappa, though still a presence in Beta's area of advance (designated "Green Sector"), was held back in reserve from any serious fighting in the coming days, while Iota had received replacement warriors recruited from the freelancer "dregs" back in Harlech City. The rebels, styling themselves "Wolf Pack", rotated their forces, redeploying the Spider's Web and slowing the advance of Beta and Kappa with a Battlegroup purportedly commanded by Wolf himself, but actually led by Captain Brian Cameron, Jaime Wolf's top aide and communications officer. The campaign bogged down as the defenders showed a surprising resolve, with skillful defensive maneuvers and traps. When Alpin put a bounty on his grandfather, it excited the less-seasoned MechWarriors of Iota, but Fraser forbade discussion of the matter among Kappa Battalion.[5] When Zeta Battalion joined on the loyalist side, it appeared to be a decisive shift. Kappa Battalion went on a forced march, linking up with Gamma Regiment. There, Fraser received orders that Kappa was to take advantage of Gamma's advance to drive on the Tetsuhara Proving Grounds, effectively the last line of defense for Wolf's forces. If Kappa could secure the command center there, the rebel forces would have nowhere to retreat to. Kappa advanced as ordered, encountering only minefields in the way of resistance. Gamma, meanwhile, was opposed by the Spider's Web, supported by Home Guard conventional forces. As the defending Wolf Pack forces retreated into a nearby decoy town used for mock combat, Fraser and Kappa Battalion observed, nominally ready to cut off their retreat. They further observed Maeve, the Spider's Web commander, challenging Alpin to single combat, slaying him in a brilliant display of skill and cunning.[6] When Colonel Neil Parella and his lance moved to attack Maeve, Kappa Battalion, led by Fraser and Carter, turned on the loyalists, throwing Gamma into a full retreat.[7]

Colonel Wolf proved triumphant over Elson's Challenge, and he would resume command.

Aftermath[edit]

It is unclear what became of Kappa Battalion, as no explicit mention is made of them in any further publication. However, in the aftermath of Elson's Challenge, there were rumors of a third independent battalion operating without flying the Dragoon colors.[8] The suggestion that these refer to Kappa Battalion is obvious, but no confirmation was ever made.

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of Kappa Battalion
Dechan Fraser [4]

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

Kappa Battalion was apparently a battalion-sized 'Mech unit, with standard technical and administrative support. Some number of their 'Mechs incorporated Star League Era-technology; Dechan Fraser piloted a Black Knight.

References[edit]

  1. Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 36, "Crucible", Elson Novacat emerges into the Dragoons' turmoil
  2. Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 326-328, Novacat approaches Fraser about forming a unit to oppose Jaime Wolf's rebels
  3. Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 326-328, Fraser speaks to Major Carter about a new unit
  4. 4.0 4.1 Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 334-339, Kappa joins other "loyalist" units in the Outback
  5. Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 355-357, Kappa and Beta are bogged down in Green Sector
  6. Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 368-378, Kappa joins Gamma in the advance, Alpin Wolf is killed
  7. Wolf Pack (novel), pp. 387-390, Kappa turns on Gamma, throwing the loyalists into retreat
  8. Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 39, "Table of Organization and Equipment", rumors of an independent battalion

Bibliography[edit]