Steel Wolves

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File:Steel Wolves.jpg

Overview

Under the leadership of former Prefect of Prefecture IV, Kal Radick, the Steel Wolves were one of the factions to break away from The Republic of the Sphere in the early 3130s following the widespread collapse of the HPG network. They had been operating within The Republic of the Sphere's territories as opportunists (and some consider them pirates) up to the time leading up to and immediately following The Republic's partial collapse.[1] During that same time period, the Steel Wolves split up into several smaller factions following their new leader, Anastasia Kerensky's decision to reform them into a mercenary unit called the Wolf Hunters.

History

Early history

Before Kerensky's assumption of the leadership of the Steel Wolves, their leader was a Clan Wolf trueborn by the name of Kal Radick. He had formed the Wolves out of warriors from both the Arc-Royal and "Crusader" factions of the Clan, with the professed intention of reclaiming Terra for the Clans. However, Kal Radick for the most part merely conducted raids on backwater Republic worlds for the goal of gaining more war material for the expected drive on Terra. He also cultivated personal loyalty to himself, in an effort to cement his grip on the command of the Steel Wolves.

Kerensky's takeover

However, Kal Radick's authority would be shattered by the arrival of Anastasia Kerensky. A trueborn from Arc-Royal, she joined the Steel Wolves following a battle against them in which she took part as "Tassa Kay", a freelance MechWarrior. With the Wolves, she served (disgruntled) under Kal Radick, up until his announcement of a raid against the planet of Small World. Sensing an opportunity, she decried his failings as a leader and visionary, and challenged him to a Trial of Possession for the command of the Steel Wolves. Kerensky won easily, and immediately switched the intended target from Small World to the manufacturing and provincial capital of Northwind.

The Northwind Campaign

Kerensky started her invasion of Northwind with an attack on an isolated part of the planet which happened to be the home of a large number of oil rigs. With the Wolves, she attacked one of them and took it over as her base of operations; the DropShips she brought landing underwater. From her secure base, she launched a full attack on the capital of Tara, against the rival leader Countess Tara Campbell.

The Steel Wolves, early in the campaign, avoided any large confrontations with the defending Northwind Highlanders, instead sending their units through a single mountain pass around the defenders to try to take the capital. However, their plan was discovered, and, at the Battle of Red Ledge Pass, the Highlanders destroyed a portion of Kerensky's tank forces. Kerensky, fuming over her defeat, retreated with the Wolves back to her headquarters on the oil rig.

The Highlanders, now on the offensive, began a campaign to try to find the Steel Wolves' base before Kerensky could launch a second offensive against them. Eventually, after weeks of searching, one of their patrols got a tip-off that a Clan fighter plane was seen flying out into the ocean towards the oil rig that Kerensky was on. Once they learned that their base was compromised, Kerensky and the Wolves fled in their DropShips and began to fly towards Tara once more. Once there, they proceeded to fight a bloody battle in which their total victory was only stopped by the blowing up of their symbolic prize, the ancestral castle of Tara Campbell, and the subsequent burial of many of the Steel Wolf combat units. The Wolves fled once more, this time to try to attack Terra.

Assault on Terra

The Steel Wolves attacked Terra from a remote landing zone in what was Russia. Fighting was fierce, but the Steel Wolves were outclassed and forced to retreat; this time with less available war material than after the Northwind retreat. Fighting the Steel Wolves on Terra was Tara Campbell, with the unexpected third-party antagonist of the ex-Paladin Ezekiel Crow.

Battle of Skye

Following the attack on Terra, the Steel Wolves retreated to lick their wounds and rebuild the unit. Facing increasing dissatisfaction with her leadership, Anastasia Kerensky was forced to fend of numerous Trials of Grievance from disgruntled Steel Wolf warriors. However, with the Jade Falcons approach towards the world they hiding by, they assumed they where the subject to a Trial of Annihilation. They readied themselves for war, but the Falcons where actually attacking Skye. The Northwind Highlanders appeared to protect the world, and fought the invaders, but were losing ground. Anastasia demanded amnesty till she was out of system if she helped. Tara Campbell granted it, and got the help she was needed. The two warriors finely met after being rivals for so long. The Wolves chased the Falcons off planet, and the Wolves left the planet soon after.

Dissolution

In the aftermath of the failed Skye defense, Kerensky took the Wolves to Galatea. There she made the highly unorthodox change of turning the Steel Wolves into an elite mercenary unit to be known as the Wolf Hunters in 3135. This move was met with great hostility when it was discovered that she had registered the wolves as a mercenary unit. Kerensky announced that all those whom do not agree with the move may leave.

Over the course of a week, many warriors, Binaries, Stars, Novas and entire clusters, took her offer and left, many joining or forming their own mercenary units.

The largest portion of these perceived this as the destruction of the Clan way of life and formed a "loyalist" faction under the command of one of the Steel Wolves' high-ranking officers.

The Steel Wolves after Kerensky

Star Colonel Varnoff Fetladral and Star Colonel Xera pulled together their two clusters to reform Steel Wolves. Varnoff declared himself as Galaxy Commander.

The unit consisted of Varnoff's mostly 'Mech cluster, limited infantry units and Xera's Aerospace cluster, which consisted of two dropship carriers, a number JumpShips and many fighters.

Varnoff began by launching raids, in a bid to build up the faction's strength, so they would be able to retake their former homeworld of Tigress. However, Xera began to be suspicious of his ways. Many times, Varnoff was not abiding by Clan ways and traditions. He began seperating loyal people from Xera along the course of their campaign. After capturing a dropship crew defending Wasat, they learned that Anastasia's Wolf Hunters would be going to New Canton.

Meeting Kerensky in October of 3136, she offers a Trial of Grievance between them to resolve their differences once and for all. Varnoff tells her he agrees, but prepares to betray her and destroy the Wolf Hunters. After sabotage and rescue of Kerensky's dropship over New Canton, Xera learns of his true intentions. Xera contacts him and confronts him with his agenda to betray Kerensky. Varnoff boasts that she was not worthy of trial and he was going betray her anyways. Xera informs him that she had been broadcasting, openly, the entire conversation and declares that by Varnoff's own testimony that all his trials and oaths are based treachery.

With Varnoff's treachery fully known publicly, Xera announces that Steel Wolves will be leaving in a week's time and any warriors remaining on New Canton are declared not Wolves, including Varnoff. She becomes Galaxy Commander of Steel Wolves.

References

  1. ↑ Era Digest: Dark Age, pp. 18-19 Steel Wolves Profile - Basic setup of history.

Bibliography

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