Difference between revisions of "Tortuga Fusiliers"

m (→‎From Mercenaries to Pirates: Fusilers to Fusiliers)
Line 31: Line 31:
 
The Fusiliers spent the last years of the [[Third Succession War]] on the border between the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth, conducting a range of missions involving raiding and sabotage. Despite having spent four years almost continuously in action against the Lyrans the Fusiliers had found fewer chances to claim booty than they had anticipated, and it was rumoured that the unit commanding officer, Major [[Michael Iverson]], was looking at changing Houses once more when the Fusiliers' contract with the League ended.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p106"/>
 
The Fusiliers spent the last years of the [[Third Succession War]] on the border between the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth, conducting a range of missions involving raiding and sabotage. Despite having spent four years almost continuously in action against the Lyrans the Fusiliers had found fewer chances to claim booty than they had anticipated, and it was rumoured that the unit commanding officer, Major [[Michael Iverson]], was looking at changing Houses once more when the Fusiliers' contract with the League ended.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p106"/>
  
Although the Fusiliers had experienced both good and bad times during the Succession Wars they remained proud of and devoted to their heritage; the [[DropShip]]s and [[aerospace fighter]]s operated by the Fusiliers were painted in tartan plaids, and the Fusiliers' personnel wore stylized variations of ancient Scottish kilt as their standard uniform, although the kilts were made of synth-weave rather than tartan cloth. The Fusiliers had also a cultivated a reputation for reckless, bloodthirsty behaviour on the battlefield and often stayed in action far longer than other, more prudent units would have countenanced.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p106"/>
+
Although the Fusiliers had experienced both good and bad times during the Succession Wars they remained proud of and devoted to their heritage; the [[DropShip]]s and [[aerospace fighter]]s operated by the Fusiliers were painted in tartan plaids, and the Fusiliers' personnel wore stylized variations of ancient Scottish kilt as their standard uniform, although the kilts were made of synth-weave rather than tartan cloth. The Fusiliers had also cultivated a reputation for reckless, bloodthirsty behaviour on the battlefield and often stayed in action far longer than other, more prudent units would have countenanced.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p106"/>
  
 
===War of 3039===
 
===War of 3039===

Revision as of 05:29, 25 April 2015

Template:InfoBoxStateUnit

The Tortuga Fusiliers began as troops in the Free Worlds League before fleeing to serve as household troops to House Amaris in the Rim Worlds Republic before going on to serve as mercenaries across the Inner Sphere.

History

The Tartan Brigade

The unit that would become known as the Tortuga Fusiliers had its beginning in troops from the Free Worlds League who fled and ended up on the opposite side of human space in the Rim Worlds Republic. Forming themselves into a unit known as the Tartan Brigade the troops went on to serve the Rim Worlds Republic for some time, and by the end of the Age of War the Tartan Brigade were considered to be household troops of House Amaris.[1]

Reunification War

In 2575 civil war erupted in the Rim Worlds Republic, with the factions polarized around those loyal to First Consul Gregory Amaris and those loyal to the Rift Republican Army and the Rim Provisional Government.[2] At the time, the Tartan Brigade were stationed on the world of Illium in the Apollo Province of the Republic; Illium was considered a personal fief of the Amaris family and was famed for the "topless towers" within the capital city, Troy.[1] Unsurprisingly, the Tartan Brigade remained loyal to Amaris throughout the civil war, and the Brigade spent the next decade in place on Illium.[3][4][5]

The Star League eventually decided to intervene in the civil war in support of Gregory Amaris, and in 2579 assembled Task Force MAILED FIST to help secure Amaris' control over the Rim Worlds Republic. A multinational force headed by the Star League Defense Force, Task Force MAILED FIST was responsible for executing Operation MAILED FIST, the name given to the military intervention. The first wave of attacks focused on securing significant worlds near Apollo,[6] until a destructive raid on Alarion by the Fourth Amaris Fusiliers in retaliation prompted the SLDF to alter its initial strategy for the campaign, the focus shifted to reducing Rim Worlds Army concentrations throughout the Republic and the capture of key worlds.[7]

In late 2584 the SLDF changed tactics again; a number of major RWA units had been destroyed or captured, and the focus for the campaign shifted to capturing worlds of strategic importance, but the campaign was slowed by the greatly increased resistance offered by the RWA and local civilian populations - resistance prompted by atrocities performed by the Draconis Auxiliary Corps when they captured Nightwish in mid-2584.[8]

General Nathan Isaacson of Battle Group Apollo assigned the Sixteenth Mechanized Infantry Division to the conquest of Illium in 2589.[9] The Sixteenth was one of three divisions that made up VI Corps and landed on Illium in March 2589, meeting immediate resistance from the Tartan Brigade. However, when faced with the prospect of bitter battles in the very streets of Troy itself, Gordon made the pragmatic decision to surrender his forces to the Sixteenth, rather than risk damaging the city; Gregory Amaris subsequently approved of the decision, personally decorating Gordon after the war for his good judgement.[1]

Star League Era

The Tartan Brigade fought valiantly for House Amaris during the Amaris Civil War but the Brigade was reduced to battered remnants by the Star League forces led by General Aleksandr Kerensky. Still proud, the remnants of the Tartan Brigade swiftly found work as mercenaries in service to Coordinator Minoru Kurita and the Draconis Combine.[10]

Succession Wars

Renamed Fuchida's Fusiliers, the mercenaries were largely nomadic during the Succession Wars, never working for the same employer for more than a few years at a time and moving from one contract to the next. In a twist of fate, the mercenary unit that had its origins in the Free Worlds League would serve House Marik no less than four times during the first three Succession Wars; the Fusiliers were under contract to the League from 2834 to 2845, then 2882 to 2898, then again from 2931 to 2935; in 3021, having just completed a campaign in service to the Federated Suns, the Fusiliers signed on with House Marik again, and were still in service with the League in 3025.[10]

The Fusiliers spent the last years of the Third Succession War on the border between the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth, conducting a range of missions involving raiding and sabotage. Despite having spent four years almost continuously in action against the Lyrans the Fusiliers had found fewer chances to claim booty than they had anticipated, and it was rumoured that the unit commanding officer, Major Michael Iverson, was looking at changing Houses once more when the Fusiliers' contract with the League ended.[10]

Although the Fusiliers had experienced both good and bad times during the Succession Wars they remained proud of and devoted to their heritage; the DropShips and aerospace fighters operated by the Fusiliers were painted in tartan plaids, and the Fusiliers' personnel wore stylized variations of ancient Scottish kilt as their standard uniform, although the kilts were made of synth-weave rather than tartan cloth. The Fusiliers had also cultivated a reputation for reckless, bloodthirsty behaviour on the battlefield and often stayed in action far longer than other, more prudent units would have countenanced.[10]

War of 3039

In 3038, Fuchida's Fusiliers were stationed in the Draconis March, on the world of Udibi. Among the many Federated Suns-employed mercenary units selected to assist the War of 3039, the Fusiliers were transferred to Benet III and assigned to retake the lightly defended world of Royal, captured by the Combine during the Fourth Succession War. Seemingly a relatively easy mission, the mercenaries would later learn that things were much more complex behind the scenes.[11] [12]

Though First Prince Hanse Davion forbade Duke Paul Stephenson of New Ivaarsen from using his New Ivaarsen Chasseurs from retaking his lost landhold, Duke Paul ensured a steady volume of supplies and support for an underground movement against the Combine occupation. When he received word that AFFS would send the Fusiliers to retake Royal as his Chasseurs prepared for action elsewhere, the Duke sent his son Leto Stephenson to accompany the mercenaries as their liaison officer. Duke Paul then proceeded to recruit a battalions-worth of MechWarriors from both Chasseur regiments as well a regiment from New Ivaarsen's militia to create the New Ivaarsen Volunteers. Just before the Fusiliers jumped, Leto signalled his father, who immediately dispatched the Volunteers. As soon as they arrived on-world, Colonel Stephenson assumed direct command of the Royal invasion. With word of their duke's son leading the invasion, almost the entire population of Royal rose up against the three Kurita conventional regiments stationed on-world. While suffering heavy losses, the people of Royal played a decisive role in ensuring Colonel Stephenson and his Volunteers ejected the Combine forces in a mere five weeks. [12]

After the war ended, the Fusiliers lodged more than a dozen formal complaints against Colonel Leto Stephenson, alleging that he overstepped his authority in assuming control of the Royal invasion and that he issued orders that forced the Fusiliers to take the brunt of the combat losses, yet assigned the bulk of the salvage taken to his New Ivaarsen Volunteers. When these complaints disappeared in the AFFS bureaucracy, the Fusiliers proceeded to file civil suits against the Stephenson family, and while these too also faded away, several New Ivaarsen-based businesses made a number of large payouts to the mercenary unit in the mid-3040s. [13]

Unfortunately while they eventually received some degree of financial redress, the Fusiliers lost in the court of public opinion in the process. A number of prominent Royal citizens, including the new planetary governor, charged the mercenaries with cowardice, citing seemingly endless examples of the Fusiliers either holding back or outright refusing to follow attack orders given to them by Colonel Leto Stephenson. As word of these claims spread throughout the Draconis March, the Fusiliers soon found themselves persona-non-grata anywhere near Royal, New Ivaarsen or even Robinson, with the AFFS forced to relocate them entirely after no Draconis March world wished anything to do with them. The final blow was the lack of respect given for the Fusiliers' service in the war. Where other mercenary units received a visit from Field Marshal James Sandoval or another member of the AFFS high command in person, the Fusiliers merely received a note of thanks from Field Marshal Ardan Sortek. [13]

From Mercenaries to Pirates

Shuffled about by the AFFS, the Fusiliers eventually returned to Udibi only to find the ill-feeling against them in the Draconis March remained. Remaining in the service of the Federated Commonwealth during the mid-31st Century, as of 3050 the Fusiliers were still stationed on Udibi [14]

In 3051 the Fusiliers were ordered by FedCom High Command to deploy to the Lyran half of the Commonwealth to face the Clans, despite not receiving the Star League era upgrades that AFFC front-line units were receiving ahead of such transfers. Already embittered after Royal, the Fusiliers believed this indicated the Federated Commonwealth intended to sacrifice them to slow the Clan juggernaut, breaking contract in the face of this "betrayal". Once going rogue, the unit raided the Precision Weaponry plant on Tancredi IV for their own upgraded equipment. The raid caused significant damage to the weapons plant, motivating the unit to move quickly out of FedCom controlled space. The unit proceeded through the Outworlds Alliance, raiding for only food and water. The Fusiliers continued with minimum stops with a brief stop in the Mica Majority, where the unit acquired supplies and some gold through legal channels.

The unit wandered the barren star systems outside of the Outworlds Alliance for the next few years. With only a brief clash with the Brotherhood of Randis on Antallos, who repulsed their attempt to grab a BattleMech cache. The unit finally found itself in the Tortuga Dominions in 3054, where they decided to set up their own operations.[15]

New Name and Nation Building

The Fusiliers settled in the Dominion, taking over what used to be Lady Death and her Pirate band's base of operations twelve years after their capture by 9th FedCom RCT.[16] The unit setout and began raiding neighboring nations, especially the Federated Commonwealth.

Throughout these raids, Tortuga Prime begun to industrialize and create primitive BattleMech factories, due to the Fusiliers' actions shortly after their arrival in late 3050s. The Fusiliers' industrializing revived the planet's flagging economy and allowed for the Word of Blake to set up a B Class HPG Station on the planet.[17]

The unit adopted the planet's name as its own, as the Tortuga Fusiliers. They beefed up their forces by expanding their Aerospace elements and creating an infantry unit by 3064. Where drawing from people of the Dominion to create a formal infantry regiment trained in crowd control as well as a general battlefield unit. They also moved to rebuild Tortuga Prime's aerospace forces, using up to nineteen Aerospace fighters to form the core of an Assault force planetary assault and interdict trade for the Fusiliers.

However, the intervening year had not been kind. The unit had expanded two battalions however, two companies had been outright destroyed when they decided to leave to join the Lady Death's Death's Consorts.[18] Elements of the Fusiliers were present in the New Port Royal system when the Death's Consorts lost a Union-class DropShip in 3066.[19]

Officers

The Tartan Brigade was under the command of Colonel Gordon at least as early as 2589, and Gordon continued to command the Tartan Brigade until 2599. Gordon disappeared in 2599, and it was widely assumed that he had been killed by those loyal to Admiral Hakim Wkiba during Wkiba's coup.[1]

In 3025 the commanding officer of the Fusiliers was Major Michael "Mad Mac" Iverson.[10]

Between 3058 and 3064, the commanding officer of the unit was Major Twylla Sumeral.[20][21]

Tactics

The Fusiliers, by 3064, had become specialized in Urban Combat. The unit developed devious methods for this area of fighting. They had devised, laying mines in parks and MechWarriors walking their machines through buildings. Also they developed a method of destroying non-jump capable 'Mechs, in a tactic they called the Canyon of Death. Trick & move enemy into tight spot and then have their jump capable 'Mechs jump on to buildings next to them and blast them from above.[22]

Composition History

3025

Fuchida's Fusiliers(Regiment/Regular/Questionable)

Contract:FWLM [23]
  • CO: Major Michael Iverson

3040

Fuchida's Fusiliers (Battalion/Regular/Questionable)

Contract:AFFC[11]

3054

3058

  • Fuchida's Fusiliers (BattleMech Battalion)

3064

  • Tortuga Fusiliers (BattleMech Battalion) - CO: Twyla "The Major" Sumeral
    • The unit consisted of four companies.[24]
  • 1st Tortuga Infantry Regiment (1 Infantry Regiment) - CO: Ryan "Lady Killer" Coleman

Notes

In Master & Minions sourcebook, the unit was destroyed by Death's Consorts during the Jihad, however it is unclear when this exactly happened.[25] They are not listed in Field Manual: Updates, but are mentioned as of 3067 in Handbook: Major Periphery States as a threat.[26]

Game Rules

Reunification War

  • During the Reunification War the Tartan Brigade receive a -1 penalty to all repair roles as a consequence of the disruption caused to the logistical infrastructure of the Rim Worlds Army during the Rim Worlds Republic civil war.[27]

Clan Invasion Era

  • While using Force Specific Rules in a scenario, when using Urban settings. The Fusiliers can deploy a fourth of their units numbers in hidden positions prior to start of a game. Another rule the Fusiliers possess is the Banking Initiative ability.[28]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Historical: Reunification War, p. 136, "Illium to Barcelona (March 2589 - August 2591)"
  2. Historical: Reunification War, p. 130, "The Spark"
  3. Historical: Reunifcation War, p. 128, "Reunification War: Rim Worlds Republic Front Deployments (2581)"
  4. Historical: Reunification War, p. 154, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (Jump-off - 2587)"
  5. Historical: Reunification War, p. 155, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 132, "Case Apollo"
  7. Historical: Reunification War, p. 133, "Island Hopping (2582 - November 2590)"
  8. Historical: Reunification War, p. 134, "Arlina to Viborg (December 2584 - September 2588)"
  9. Historical: Reunification War, p. 153, "Rim Worlds Republic Front (2588-2596)"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 House Marik: The Free Worlds League, p. 106-107, "Fuchida's Fusiliers"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Historical: War of 3039 , p. 140
  12. 12.0 12.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 50 "Wave One - Royal (March-April)"
  13. 13.0 13.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 51 "Wave One - Royal Backlash"
  14. 20 Year Update, p. 19, "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  15. The Periphery (1996) p. 85 - Fuchida's Fusiliers - Origin and Early history from 3050s.
  16. Field Manual: Periphery pp. 124-125 - Paula Lady Death Trevaline - The Lady Death - Brief description of her early history and capture by the 9th FedCom RCT.
  17. Masters & Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers pp. 239-240 - Tortuga Prime - Fusiliers' arrival revives Tortuga Prime's economy.
  18. Field Manual: Periphery p. 130 - Tortuga Fusiliers, how they got their name and their history in early to mid 3060s.
  19. The Bitter Taste of Hope
  20. The Periphery (1996), p. 78 - Periphery Independents - Fuchida's Fusiliers strength and status listed as of 3058, including Commanding Officer.
  21. 21.0 21.1 Objective Raids, p. 49
  22. Field Manual: Periphery p. 130 - Tortuga Fusiliers - Tactics.
  23. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p.109
  24. Field Manual: Periphery p. 130 - Tortuga Fusiliers re-organized into Four company battalion after infighting.
  25. Masters & Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers p. 240 - Tortuga Prime - planetary history includes the Fusiliers' take over of the planet and its demise.
  26. Handbook: Major Periphery States p. 141 - THE CONSTANT ENEMY: PIRATES IN THE OUTWORLDS - Other Threats - Tortuga Fusiliers are noted as threat as of 3067.
  27. Historical: Reunification War, p. 183, "Rim Worlds Republic"
  28. Field Manual: Periphery p. 155 - Tortuga Fusiliers - Force-Specific Abilities.

Bibliography