Ronin (Mercenary Command)

This article is about the mercenary unit. For other uses, see Ronin.

Ronin
Affiliation	Mercenary
Parent Command

The Ronin mercenary unit formed from the remains of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery's Tenth Ghost Regiment.

History

Origin

The Ronin are survivors of the original Tenth Ghost Regiment which was formed by the Draconis Combine's Theodore Kurita as one of his phantom BattleMech Regiments that were raised just after the Fourth Succession War. Ronin's original members consisted primarily of two Yakuza gangs, the Jirigawa and Minitoma Empires.

Jihad

Dieron as the 10th Ghost

The Yakuza-staffed unit was dispatched to the besieged world of Dieron, to help fight off Word of Blake Forces in March, 3068. After retaking the main spaceport, one of their first acts on that world was to support the Third Dieron Regulars after the Word of Blake forces nearly destroyed that unit. The Tenth's assistance kept the Third Dieron in the fight far longer than would have been expected. The Blakist commander assigned Burr's Black Cobras mercenary unit to destroy the Tenth Ghost, and the Combine regiment took many casualties over the next four weeks. They gave as good as they got however, nearly destroying the mercenary unit completely when they were recalled to defend the spaceport. During that last engagement the Tenth Ghost's Commanding Officer, Tai-sa Samual Noda was killed, and the unit's remaining forces quickly rallied around the commander's wife and executive officer, Chu-sa Gretchen Noda. In June 3068 the unit received orders from DCMS High Command to rotate to Quentin rest and refit.

Quentin as the Tenth Ghost

Gretchen had taken command of the unit, which remained on Quentin for two years. In 3070, received orders from DCMS High command to redeploy back to Dieron. During their time on Quentin, they had received barely enough supplies and had with little means of repair. The unit believed it would be suicide if they returned. Gretchen by now was more than angry about unit's treatment by DCMS and the death of her husband because of the high command's orders. Gretchen executed the ISF planted spies in the unit, and consolidated her power in 3071 and began conducting independent actions without the permission of the DCMS.

Rezak's Hole - Birth of the Ronin

The unit traveled to Rezak's Hole where the unit wiped out the last of that scorched world's pirates lurking in the system. While on planet, Unit incorporated some of the "saner" pirates into the unit to becoming known as mercenary unit known as Ronin. While on planet, they raided an Interstellar Expeditions base camp, where they helped themselves to two lances worth of Star League era BattleMechs. They managed to escape DCMS patrol that were summoned to the world by IE's distress calls. The League equipment allowed the unit to rebuild itself to a battalion. The unit became unknowingly employed by Chandrasekhar Kurita through being hired by StarCorps Industries. In course of service with StarCorps, their Tai-sa Gretchen developed a reputation of being a hothead commander and a contract breaker.

Odessa as the Ronin

The unit while under the StarCorps contract, was part of a mercenary force to invade Odessa. They were under the impression that they were part of a corporation war effort, but soon discovered they faced the Odessa garrison force with a hidden WoB Manei Domini Shadow Division in nasty war. The unit suffered 75% losses from the fight itself, which brought legal disputes with StarCorps for its losses. Though course of the legal challenges, unit's commander was outraged they were actually under the pay of Chandrasekhar Kurita. Which Gretchen has sworn never to work anything to do with her unit's old masters.

By 3072 the DCMS had announced the unit had gone ronin, and were to be killed on sight if seen in Combine space.

Qualip

By 3107, the Ronin was hired by the Lyran Commonwealth to raid the Qualip system, launching a heavy scouting mission. Thery did so, causing significant damage, though it didn't affect the Clan Wolf colonization efforts.

Late Dark Age

The Ronin were employed by the Federated Suns as of 3145 and were post on world of Maynard which is near frontlines of the Draconis Combine's invasion.

Officers

Rank	Name	Command
Commanding Officers of Ronin
Tai-sa	Samual Noda	???? - 3068
Tai-sa	Gretchen Noda	3068 - 3075
Major	Tsugahara Kunda	3145

Other Unit Officers

• Infantry commander Jomei Miko during the Dark Age Era.

Tactics

As the Tenth Ghost, the unit was formed from two battered commands, the 8th Ghost and Tenth Ghost. Due to the internal friction between the yakuza gangs and survivors of two regiments, the unit could not fight as a cohesive force.

Composition History

3067

10th Ghost (BattleMech Regiment)

• CO: Tai-sa Samual Noda

10th Ghost Aerospace (Wing)

• CO: Sho-sa Wilma Daisan

45th Benjamin Armored (Combat Vehicle Regiment)

• CO: Tai-sa Alexander Gossett

5th Meilen Ground Pounders (2 Infantry Battalions)

• CO: Tai-sa Greta Black

3071

Ronin (BattleMech Battalion/Mercenary)

3145

Ronin (Battalion/Regular/Questionable)

• CO: Major Tsugahara Kunda

- As of 3145 the Ronin were a "C"-rated unit operating at ninety percent of full strength.

Unit Scheme

Because of an initially low paint supply, the Ronin only paint their machines half red, with warriors and crews choosing how to distribute their allotment. As a result, their scheme is a motley patchwork of red paint and bare metal, a look that has grown on them.

Notes

• Originally, the Ronin appeared in Dark Age by WizKids as one of the mercenary units added to the BattleTech universe in 3130s.
• How this unit could be known as the Tenth Ghost Regiment of the DCMS in 3145 is unclear, since the unit was considered ronin by the DCMS. It is possible that a second regiment was built, but this is speculative.
• Special rules for Ronin can be found in Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 149

Bibliography

• Daughter of the Dragon (novel)
• FedCom Civil War
• Field Manual: 3145
• Field Manual: Draconis Combine
• Historical: War of 3039
• Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents
• Jihad Turning Points: Dieron
• Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers
• MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards
• Objective Raids
• Touring the Stars: Kerensky's Vision