Tau Galaxy (Clan Smoke Jaguar)

Overview

Tau Galaxy was a front line military formation of Clan Smoke Jaguar.

History

The Galaxy was created with one purpose in mind, the destruction of Clan Nova Cat. The warriors had been genetically engineered from the legacies of the finest warriors to have participated in the Invasion of the Inner Sphere. Elements of Tau Galaxy left Clan space for the Periphery in May 3056.

The Galaxy moved to the Periphery world of Wayside V, here they constructed a base and over the following year received further drafts of warriors allowing the formation of three Clusters. During this time it was under the command of the senior Star Colonel on the planet until Devon Osis formally took command in June 3058.

While the forces were assembling they were discovered by elements of the Explorer Corps, although their detection was not known to the Jaguar warriors. The facilities on Wayside were mistaken for a supply base on the Exodus Road. The forces garrisoning it were thought to be a Provisional Garrison Cluster without OmniMechs or aerospace assets. With this information Omi Kurita hired elements of the Northwind Highlanders to capture the planet.

Sigil of Stirling's Fusiliers

On July 3rd 3058 Stirling's Fusiliers regiment of the Northwind Highlanders jumped into a pirate point in the Wayside system and headed for the planet. Encountering the Dark Claw in orbit and not wanting to give the location of their, now sitting ducks, JumpShips away the Fusiliers issued a Batchall to the Jaguar ground forces hopeful that Clan honor would protect them from the warship. Devon Osis called his Star Colonel together to bid for the right to engage the mercenaries.

Star Colonel Roberta of the 101st Jaguar Attack Cluster won the bidding to engage the Inner Sphere forces that had dropped on to the planet. Two Stars of OmniMechs probed the defences of the landing zone, but were destroyed when mercenary forces targeted the fuel tanks of a downed DropShip causing a massive explosion. Another Two partial Trinaries were also assigned to this attack.

During the initial attack Star Captain Kerndon was taken as a bondsman. With no way back to Combine space, the Fusiliers came up with a bold and nearly suicidal plan. The plan was facilitated by information learned from Kerndon. A small group of the Fusiliers disguised themselves as Smoke Jaguar forces and set out to raid a number of nearby Clan Nova Cat facilities and garrisons, while the remainder of the Fusiliers settled in for a protracted guerilla campaign.

After the failure of the initial attacks, Star Colonel Roberta unleashed two light Stars of headhunters, but this attack was also countered. The fighters of Stalker Star were then wasted in a futile attack against a mercenary DropShip. These actions prompted the mercenaries to advance towards the Jaguar base of Waydide Station, the 101st Attack Cluster moved to intercept, sending an Assault Star with Elemental support on a flanking manoeuvre. During the fighting the Cluster was flanked and struck in the rear, but at the same time a lone Star broke through to threaten the enemy command unit. The Cluster by this point had taken heavy casualties and Galaxy Commander Osis ordered its retreat, during which Roberta was killed.

After the defeat of the 101st Jaguar Attack Cluster Star Colonel Patricia of the 250th Assault Cluster won the bid to destroy the mercenaries. She pursued the mercenaries that had retreated, losing several elementals to traps along the way. The Fusiliers launched an attack against the Jaguar aerodrome that was thwarted, however a second attempt destroyed the majority of the fighters stationed there.

While the fighting on the planet continued a small group of the Fusiliers had slipped off planet. Pretending to be Smoke Jaguar warriors they succeeded in luring two clusters from Clan Nova Cat back to Wayside. These arrived in system on 29th July 3058.

By the 6th August the fighting on Wayside had cost Tau Galaxy about 70 'Mechs and the loss of all their fighters. The 250th Assault Cluster finally caught up with the Fusiliers on the 8th August and began to engage in combat. As they did they were hailed Star Colonel Santin West with a Batchall. Thinking he faced a single Cluster Devon Osis bid his entire command in the hope of quickly crushing the Nova Cats. West crushed his ideas when he revealed he had temporary command of two Nova Cat Clusters; the 179th Striker Cluster and 246th Battle Cluster.

The Nova Cats landed a kilometre from Tau's Clusters but quickly advanced to almost point blank range. The Fusiliers watched from a nearby wood, sniping at elements of the 179th Striker Cluster. Meanwhile the Jaguar centre began to fold under the pressure. With the Nova Cats softened the Fusiliers now poured concentrated fire against Tau Galaxy. Galaxy Commander Osis met Santin West in the midst of the battle and challenged him to single combat, however just as Osis was about to deliver a death-shot from his Dire Wolfs ERPPCs Major Loren Jaffray, who had been masquerading as a Jaguar warrior shot and killed Osis.

Osis' death did not signal an end to the fighting, it only seemed to intensify into a melee, the Fusiliers DropShip the Bullrun strafed the battlefield as it extricated Major Jaffray. By the end of the fighting Tau Galaxy had fought to the death and only 15 OmniMechs and fewer Elementals remained of the Nova Cat Clusters.

Officers

• Galaxy Commander Devon Osis 2nd June 3058 - 8th August 3058.

Tactics

The warrior were almost all straight from the Sibko, only Devon Osis had any measure of combat experience.

Composition History

3058

• Tau Galaxy Command Trinary
• 25th Striker Cluster
• 101st Jaguar Attack Cluster
• 250th Assault Cluster

• Galaxy Flagship/escort - Essex-class WarShip Dark Claw

• The total force strength was in the region of 170 OmniMechs, 100 Elementals and at least 25 OmniFighters. The OmniFighters were mostly Sabutai and Bashkir models.

Notes

• Tau Galaxy's insignia is simply an orange Greek letter Tau.

Bibliography

• Impetus of War
• Exodus Road
• Northwind Highlanders (scenario pack)