Kelly Yukinov

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Property "Update Needed From" (as page type) with input value "Hector (short story)]], The Day After, The Memory of Pain, [[Making a Name" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process. Kelly Yukinov was an officer and eventual commander of Alpha Regiment in the Wolf's Dragoons mercenary command.

Personal History

Emblem of Wolf's Dragoons

Early Life & Career

As was the case with most of the "original" Dragoons, little is known of Yukinov’s early life. It is highly likely he was born on the Clan Homeworlds, almost certainly a freeborn birth. At some point, he was chosen to join Wolf's Dragoons, who were performing reconnaissance for the Clans in the Inner Sphere.

By 3023 at a relatively young age, Yukinov had not only earned the rank of Major within the Dragoons, he was in command of the Dragoons lead unit, Able Battalion (nicknamed the "Wolf's Own") of Alpha Regiment. While in the absence of Colonel Jaime Wolf, Yukinov would serve as Brevet Colonel in command of the whole regiment. [1] This made him one of the most important officers in the entire command. [2] He often even commanded officers holding the rank of Colonel during operations. [3] When introducing him, Colonel Wolf himself described him as "the one who really runs Alpha Regiment." [4]

In Service to House Kurita

In June 3023, Yukinov and Alpha Regiment was part of the Dragoons' heavy raid on the Federated Suns industrial world of Quentin IV in one of their first actions in service to House Kurita, their new employer. [5] Alpha was joined by Gamma and Delta Regiments. [4] It was on Quentin that he would first meet their liaison officer, Chu-sa Minobu Tetsuhara. [4] The Dragoons would be joined by Coordinator Takashi Kurita as well as elements of the First and Seventh Sword of Light. Coordinator Takashi wanted to see his new mercenaries in action. [6] The Dragoons and their Kuritan allies were opposed by the mercenary units the Snake Stompers, the White Witches and several planetary militia units. [7] Alpha Regiment faced heavy opposition from the Stompers, who took advantage of the volcanic terrain to ambush and destroy several Dragoon 'mechs, [5] even injuring Colonel Wolf. [8] While Wolf rested to recover from his injuries, no one questioned it when Yukinov issued orders and instructions on Wolf's behalf. [9] Later, when the ranking Sword of Light officers attempted to provoke Yukinov with disparaging insults, Yukinov allowed them to spearhead the attack on the Independence Weaponry factories, the primary target of the entire operation. The Kuritans, supported by the Dragoons, recklessly assaulted the defenders, costing them several 'Mechs and warriors in the process with little regard the losses. [10] Yukinov protested when the Kuritans claimed salvage rights of the materials in the factory, but was later over-ruled by Colonel Wolf and the Coordinator. [11] Nevertheless, the overall operation was a resounding victory for the Dragoons. [5]

Yukinov, Alpha Regiment and the rest of the Dragoons continued to serve the Combine very well over the course of their contract, raiding many border worlds of House Davion's Draconis March while garrisoning several worlds in the Galedon Military District. They nevertheless made political enemies within the Combine's high command. [12]

In September 3026, Yukinov commanded a force including Alpha Regiment, Zeta Battalion and a battalion of Ryuken, Tetsuhara's experimental force based on the Dragoon doctrine, in an assault on Barlow's End. In addition to providing the Ryuken training unit with combat experience, the main objective of the operation was to secure an experimental jump stabilizer that was being developed. [13] During planning, their new liason officer, Jerry Akuma attempted to provoke Yukinov and the other Dragoon officers when Yukinov pointed out that enemy resistance was stronger than anticipated. [14] Akuma would later attempt to assassinate Tetsuhara and Yukinov in a bombing at their base camp, seriously injuring both commanders. [15] The battle for Barlow's End soon turned into a fiasco, as elements of the elite Eridani Light Horse were discovered on planet, [13] [16] and soon began putting pressure on the Dragoons. With Colonel J. Elliot Jamison of Zeta Battalion in command of the Dragoons on-planet, command of the Ryuken forces fell to Tai-sa Elijah Satoh, an incompetent officer who blindly followed the original plan approved by Warlord Grieg Samsonov. [13] [17] [18] Jamison and Tetsuhara's aide, Michi Noketsuna, were eventually forced to lead their forces in a withdraw. [13]

Yukinov survived his injuries, but lost an arm and a leg. [13] With state-of-the-art myomer prosthetics provided by the Dragoons' Star League-era tech, he was able to return to active duty by late November. He soon began rapidly bringing Alpha Regiment up to full strength through rigorous training. [18] Alpha Regiment was assigned to garrison Delacruz. [19]

Misery and the Fourth Succession War

In January 3028, relations between the Combine and the Dragoons exploded on An Ting into open violence. Although Yukinov and the bulk of Alpha Regiment was not present, the course of the Dragoons was now clear. [20]

In April 3028, Alpha Regiment joined the rest of the Dragoon units on Misery. The Battle of Misery was one of the largest, most bloody 'Mech battles in history, as all five Dragoon regiments, along with Zeta Battalion and the Black Widow Company, faced off against the Ryuken, now built up to four regiments, along with the 17th Galedon Regulars, the 21st Galedon Regulars, and the elite 8th Sword of Light. The Kuritan force would be led by newly-promoted Tai-sho Minobu Tetsuhara, acting under the orders of Warlord Samsanov. [21] Though the Dragoons would eventually prove triumphant, the cost in men and machines was astronomical. [22] During the battle, Yukinov was injured and his 'Mech was destroyed as he led his battalion in heavy fighting, [2] while the other three members of Yukinov’s command lance were killed. [23] Able Battalion took 75 percent equipment losses on Misery, [1] and Alpha Regiment as a whole was ultimately forced to reorganize into five provisional companies. [24]

Yukinov took two months to recover from his injuries, and to become accustomed to a replacement 'Mech. [2] With Colonel Wolf on Terra at the wedding of First Prince Hanse Davion to Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner, Yukinov took command of Alpha Regiment and the Black Widow Company at their new assignment of Glenmora. They were just in time for the beginning of the Fourth Succession War. [25]

Glenmora was assaulted by the 5th Galedon Regulars, commanded by Sho-sho Li Dok To. While personally scouting the enemy, Yukinov and his lancemates found themselves in a firefight. Knocked unconscious early in the fight, Yukinov's 'Mech computer triggered his ejection seat when his fusion engine was about to explode. Glenmora Air Rescue managed to retrieve Yukinov in a daring rescue that saw two helicopters shot down by Kuritan 'Mechs, but his injuries rendered him unable to return to duty for several months. Command on Glenmora fell to Major Coshasa DuKirk. [25] [26] Yukinov would not return to duty until after the battle of Crossing.

Rebuilding and the War of 3039

Yukinov would remain with Alpha Regiment as the Dragoons travelled to their new home of Outreach for rebuilding. Though it would take several years and the help of Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Battalion, Alpha Regiment would return to active duty with the same elite level of competence and reputation they had always enjoyed. [27]

Alpha Regiment would see action during the War of 3039, where they were rotated to Caph along with the rest of the Dragoons in preparation for an eventual strike at Dieron. Caph was soon attacked by the rebuilt Ryuken-san and Ryuken-ni regiments, sent by now-Warlord Michi Noketsuna, in the hopes that destroying enough enemy supplies could postpone an attack on the district capital. Despite their old hatreds from Misery, the fighting on Caph was somewhat anticlimatic, as the Ryuken managed to evade a trap by the Dragoons and the Davion Assault Guards. The Dragoons took moderate losses overall, and while the Ryuken troops took heavier damage, they were successful in damaging the base of the 33rd Avalon Hussars before making an orderly withdrawal. [28]

Alpha and the still under-strength Delta Regiment were then rotated to Hsien, which was under attack by the 3rd Free Worlds Guards. Learning of the Dragoons' approach, the Free Worlds League troops withdrew before the Dragoons could make planet-fall. [29]

Clan Invasion

By 3050, Yukinov was a Colonel and commander of Alpha Regiment in rank as well as in fact, and his command was once again considered one of the most elite units in the entire Inner Sphere. Alpha frequently took on the highest profile assignments for the Dragoons, always setting the bar for professionalism in the field while drawing unwanted attention away from the activities of other Dragoon units. [30]

When the Clan Invasion finally struck, Alpha and all other Dragoon units were recalled to Outreach. After conferring amongst themselves, Colonel Wolf invited the leaders of the Successor States to Outreach, where he revealed the Dragoons origins, pledged his troops to the defense of the Inner Sphere from the Clans, and began training their leaders and heirs in tactics to defend their beleagured realms. Wolf contracted Alpha and the other line regiments out to the Federated Commonwealth. To the surprise of almost all, Hanse Davion did not send the Dragoons to his own Clan front to oppose the invading Jade Falcons, but rather sent them and the Kell Hounds to Luthien to help defend the Combine's capital from Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat. With Colonel Wolf back on the field with Alpha Regiment, the Dragoons fought alongside Takashi Kurita, as well as Theodore and Hohiro Kurita. Though both the Kuritans and their mercenary allies all took heavy losses, they successfully repulsed the invaders in a stunning victory. [31] [32] [33]

Wolf quickly worked to rebuild the Dragoons from their losses, incorporating Sibko cadets, war orphan trainees who had come of age and captured Clan Bondsmen, as well as the remaining "original" Dragoons. [34]

Alpha Regiment soon returned to action. In 3053, they were contracted by the Capellan Confederation to raid the planet Brighton in the St. Ives Compact. Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao was offering a premium on the contract employing the whole regiment when intelligence reports suggested only a reinforced battalion would have been needed. This raises the suspicions of Colonel Stanford Blake, head of Wolfnet, who considered the Capellans were withholding information about the operation. [35]

In 3054, Yukinov would take part in high-level Dragoon meetings when Takashi Kurita had a challenge to single combat delivered to Jaime Wolf, offering to end their feud once and for all. [36] A few months later when Jaime Wolf’s son and second-in-command, Mackenzie Wolf, was killed by pirates in the Periphery, Wolf had planned to name Yukinov his new second-in-command. [37] Events, however, would prevent this.

Wolf Pack

Tensions on Outreach between the disparate factions within the Dragoons broke into open hostility when Elson Novacat, a bondsman Elemental officer, and Alpin Wolf, Colonel Wolf’s grandson, led a coup against him. [38] [33] [34] As part of their plan, they created false reports that Yukinov and Alpha Regiment were on their way to Outreach when they were on Ingersoll in the Capellan Confederation. Other reports indicated that Alpha was on Crimond in the Federated Commonwealth, defending against Clan activity. [39] Colonel Wolf eventually led a successful rebellion against the usurpers, retaking overall command of the Dragoons. Yukinov placed the contract above the internal concerns of the Dragoons, which would be consistent for a unit like Alpha Regiment, committed to upholding the Dragoons' impeccable reputation. Though Yukinov would have personally supported Colonel Wolf, his own code of conduct effectively rendered Alpha Regiment neutral in the conflict. Jaime Wolf ultimately prevailed, and a new doctrine would eventually ease the integration of the various Dragoons into a cohesive command. [38] [33] [34]

In the conflict’s aftermath and through the new rebuilding and reorganization process under General Maeve Wolf, Yukinov would continue to command Alpha Regiment. [40] Alpha was reinforced with an expanded command company, an attached light and medium armor battalion, and an attached Elemental Trinary. [30] Despite their losses, the Dragoons had emerged stronger than ever before.

During an incursion into the Lyran Alliance by Clan Jade Falcon, Morges in the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon was attacked. Yukinov and Alpha Regiment were instrumental in the planet’s successful defense, fighting alongside the 20th Arcturan Guards and the 4th Skye Rangers. [41]

In 3066, Alpha began training exercises with Gamma and Delta Regiments, in preparation for seeing action against Clan Ghost Bear. [41]

By 3067, Alpha Regiment had been further expanded under General Maeve Wolf’s new tactical doctrine when their armor and Elemental units were increased to regimental size and a regiment of Aerospace Fighters, made up of three wings, was permenantly attached. While this slightly diminished overall unit quality in the short-term, it gave Alpha a tactical flexibility matched only by Regimental Combat Teams. [41] In addition, 75 percent of their BattleMech forces had been upgraded to Clan OmniMechs. [42]

Jihad

As of early October 3067, Yukinov and Alpha Regiment had been contracted by the Draconis Combine, based on Najha on the Ghost Bear border. [42] By this time, Yukinov had finally discussed retiring once the regiment's current contract was concluded. [41]

On October 15, 3067, rogue mercenaries led by Colonel Wayne Waco launched a surprise attack on Harlech City on Outreach at the beginning of the Jihad. During the fighting, Epsilon Regiment and the Home Guard ground forces were effectively destroyed, while Zeta Battalion, the Wolf Spider Battalion and Beta Regiment all took heavy damage before eliminating the rogue mercenaries. Jaime Wolf himself was killed while slaying Wayne Waco. Wolfnet intelligence soon concluded the attacks had been sponsored by the Word of Blake in response to Dragoon opposition to the Word in the Chaos March. [43]

When Alpha Regiment and General Maeve Wolf reached Outreach, they found it in flames. Taskforce Vengeance, the Allied Mercenary Command’s attack on Mars in the Terra system, had ended in disaster. The Word had responded by sending their 6th and 10th Divisions, as well as a fleet of WarShips, to Outreach to bathe the mercenaries in blood. The Wolf Spider Battalion and remnants of Gamma Regiment had pushed the Blakists back, only to have their Broadsword Legion allies turn on them. Alpha Brigade managed to inflict severe damage on the Blakist fleet in orbit before turning the tide on the ground. It was at that point that the remaining Word of Blake WarShips in orbit launched strategic orbital bombardment against the Dragoon ground forces. General Maeve Wolf was forced to order a retreat, and the surviving Dragoons sacrificed their last WarShip to retreat to Arc-Royal. [44] [45] Though not explicitly stated, it is strongly implied that Yukinov did not survive these events.

Personality & Traits

Like most Dragoon officers, Yukinov was an elite MechWarrior. [23] For much of his early career, Yukinov was considered something of a ladies' man, an accomplished bachelor. When commanding Alpha Regiment in Wolf's absence, many considered him an even tougher commander than the esteemed Colonel. [2] By all accounts, he was highly competent both as a battalion commander and as brevet Colonel in command of the whole regiment. [1] As a full Colonel and permanent commander of Alpha, Yukinov had returned from so many life-threatening injuries that he was considered almost invincible by his troops. [30] Indeed, in his later years, he was nicknamed "The Invincible Ironman". [41]

Battlemechs

While in command of Able Battalion, Yukinov, like Jaime Wolf, led while piloting an Archer BattleMech. When his Archer was destroyed on Misery, he switched to a Phoenix Hawk that was later destroyed on Glenmora. [23] It is presumed he later upgraded to a Clan OmniMech, though the specific chassis has not been reported. [42]

Discrepencies

  • On page 40 of the Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook), it indicates that Yukinov was still piloting his Archer when the battle for Glenmora began. Elsewhere, it is clearly indicated that his Archer was destroyed on Misery. [23]
  • The novel Wolf Pack gives two contradictary locations for Yukinov during the Dragoon Civil War. Ingersoll is in the Capellan Confederation while Crimond was on the Federated Commonwealth-Clan border. Based on the context of the reports, it seems likely that Ingersoll was named incorrectly. [39]
  • The time when Alpha Regiment fought the Jade Falcons on Morges seems to be in dispute. If it came during the Falcon Incursion of 3058 as Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised seems to suggest, there is no mention of Morges being attacked during that incursion. There is also no mention of Morges being attacked during the FedCom Civil War's Falcon Incursion. Elements of Wolf's Dragoons and the Skye Rangers did repel a Jade Falcon attack circa 3053, but Alpha Regiment was not counted among those forces, and it took place some time before the Dragoon Civil War. [41]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 48
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 53
  3. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 139
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 32
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 31
  6. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 34
  7. Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 44-45
  8. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 61
  9. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 63
  10. Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 75-76
  11. Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 77-79
  12. Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) pp. 32-34
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 35
  14. Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 137-141
  15. Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 143-147
  16. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 153
  17. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 155
  18. 18.0 18.1 Wolves on the Border (novel) pp. 181-182
  19. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 186
  20. Wolf’s Dragoons (sourcebook) pp. 36-37
  21. Wolves on the Border (novel) p. 294
  22. Wolf’s Dragoons (sourcebook) pp. 37-38
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 49
  24. Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 39
  25. 25.0 25.1 Wolf’s Dragoons (sourcebook) p. 39-40 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "WD3940" defined multiple times with different content
  26. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 p. 72
  27. Mercenary's Handbook 3055 pp. 33-34
  28. Historical: War of 3039 pp. 61, 63, 141
  29. Historical: War of 3039 pp. 120, 141
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries p. 98
  31. Luthien (scenario pack) p. 26, 86
  32. Mercenary's Handbook 3055 p. 35
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries p. 96
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 Mercenary’s Handbook 3055 p. 35
  35. Wolf Pack (novel) pp. 49-50
  36. Wolf Pack (novel) p. 140
  37. Wolf Pack (novel) pp. 264-267
  38. 38.0 38.1 Wolf Pack (novel)
  39. 39.0 39.1 Wolf Pack (novel) pp. 296-297
  40. Mercenary’s Handbook 3055 p. 39
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised p. 114
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 Field Manual: Updates p. 183
  43. Shadows of Faith
  44. Dawn of the Jihad p. 36
  45. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake pp. 16-17

Bibliography