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Alpha Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion)

Insignia of Alpha Galaxy
Alpha Galaxy
Nickname The Golden Bears
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Clan Ghost Bear (previous)
Parent Command Clan Ghost Bear touman
Sub-Command(s) See Unit Composition

History[edit]

First commanded by one of Clan Ghost Bear's founding Khans, Hans Ole Jorgensson, Alpha Galaxy has been the premier fighting unit of the Ghost Bear touman and traditionally fights at the forefront of all its major operations.[1] Traditionally Alpha Galaxy was commanded by a Ghost Bear Khan. For example in 2921 it was led by Khan Kilbourne Jorgensson.[2]

Operation REVIVAL[edit]

Thule[edit]

CGB Alpha Galaxy destroys the First Hussars on Thule

With the bidding fierce to see who would be the first Bear unit to strike at an Inner Sphere world, Khan Karl Bourjon and saKhan Theresa DelVillar declared that Alpha, Beta and Delta Galaxies would all contribute forces to a composite "Cluster" to go up against the First Hussars, breaking the bidding deadlock.[3][4]

Despite being caught off guard by the Clans batchall, with Överste Swigard intimately familiar with Thule she selected a time and place for battle that clearly favored her own troops. When the Ghost Bear OmniMechs overheated after failing to account for the incredible heat of Thule's noonday sun in the treacherous terrain of the Fresdon Desert, the Hussars' artillery support was able to destroy over a Trinary of equipment.[3][4]

This setback prompted Star Colonel François Cote of the Third Bear Striker to break his bid to order the rest of Cluster into battle. Having already anticipated just such a strategy, the Hussars sent their aerospace fighters to strafe the Third on its approach from the east, inflicting yet more losses. With Star Colonel Stephan Huntsig breaking his bid to call in the fighters of his Fiftieth Striker Cluster, the Bears were able to surround the Hussars. As the fighting petered out, Swigard sent out recon units to try and determine the reason for the lull, realizing the Bears were waiting for nightfall and the end of the oppressive heat.[3][4]

Rather than waiting for the Bears to gain the advantage, the Hussars struck the Bear northern flank while the sun was still high in the sky, using artillery to cover their attempted breakout through the encircling Bear forces. When the Ghost Bears attempted to block the breakout with their lighter and faster units to give time for their heavier elements to arrive, the Hussars succeeded in escaping even after the Ghost Bears gained air superiority, thanks to continued artillery barrages.[3][4]

This ongoing difficulty prompted Star Colonel Paul Vishio to finally break his bid as well, calling down additional fighter support to silence the Hussars' artillery. The now desperate Hussars bolted for the large river that divides the Fresdon Plain in hopes of reaching their naval support assets, losing over a company of troops as they hurriedly boarded massive cargo ships to head upriver and out of reach of the Ghost Bear 'Mech forces.[3][4]

With Thule's population accepting Ghost Bear rule, and deciding that sinking the Hussars' ships outside of combat would be dishonorable, the Ghost Bears left the Third Bear Striker's 312th Assault Trinary behind as a garrison unit, content they would be able to mop up the survivors while the rest of the Bears moved on to other targets. With the Bears wholly unprepared for guerrilla resistance from the Rasalhague population, Överste Swigard led the survivors of the First Hussars in eliminating the skeleton garrison left behind and retaking their homeworld, planning and preparing for the day the Ghost Bears would surely come back.[5]

SaKhan Theresa DelVillar and her Golden Bears landed on May 14th, finding the Hussars' remaining battalion's worth of troops on the frigid plains of the Southlands. Like the first attack, Överste Swigard planned her defense in a region her unit was intimately familiar with operating in and which she hoped would hinder the Clan troops, unaware the Bears favored the cold even more than her own troops. The Golden Bears easily swept through the prepared positions and traps the Hussars had set, and by the 17th the First Hussars had lost two companies of 'Mechs and were forced to their final "last stand" location, the so-called "Icebox".[5][6]

A massive abandoned coal mine and processing plant, the enclosed space of the Icebox removed the Ghost Bears' range advantage and gave the Hussars ample opportunity for physical combat, but saKhan DelVillar welcomed the brutal fighting to come and ordered her troops in, certain her own Elemental forces would easily tilt the battle in their favor. DelVillar would be proven right when even in the face of mined approaches and heavy artillery support the unceasing advance of the Ghost Bears eventually shattered the last company of Hussar 'Mechs and resulted in the capture of Överste Swigard.[5][6]

The infantry unit attached to the Hussars was also heavily damaged with only a few platoons escaping capture. Rather than immediately launch a guerrilla campaign, they went to ground and waited for the invasion force to leave. They then raided the garrison troops left behind and captured Elemental armor. After practicing with the Elemental armor, these infantry soldiers launched an attack on the garrison unit one year after the Hussars ceased to exist. Then they left the world and safely relocated to the Draconis Combine.[7]

Alshain[edit]

During Operation REVIVAL, Alpha Galaxy played a critical role in the conquest of many Inner Sphere worlds, none more so than the capture of Alshain. Under the personal command of saKhan Aletha Kabrinski, the Golden Bears managed to successfully combat the DCMS' use of mobile harassment and fortified positions to drive off the defending Kurita units. Alshain would go on to serve as the Ghost Bears' headquarters during the rest of the fifth invasion wave and eventually became the capital of the Ghost Bear Dominion.[1]

Tukayyid[edit]

Alpha Galaxy was assigned to take the objective city of Spanac. They landed unopposed, then were engaged in hit-and-run attacks by the 308th Division, which did not seriously impede Alpha's progress. Alpha made it into the suburbs of Spanac, where they faced the 103rd Division and the newly-arrived 91st Division. The 91st Division, not having time to dig in, were overrun when Beta and Delta Galaxies arrived. The three Ghost Bear Galaxies were able to force the 103rd Division to retreat from Spanac.[8][9]

With Beta and Delta Galaxies directed to hold Spanac, Alpha was ordered to take Luk, where they mauled the Fourth Army, which came close to breaking, until the 103rd Division, reinforced by elements of the 308th Division, launched an attack on Alpha Galaxy's main supply depot, forcing Alpha to turn back to defend it. Alpha subsequently took casualties heavy enough to make it impossible to take Luk and retreated to Spanac, where the Ghost Bear campaign ended.[8][9]

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War[edit]

The First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear War erupted following an attack on Alshain by rogue elements of the Alshain Avengers brigade of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery in 3062,[10] and as expected, Alpha Galaxy played a prominent part in the Ghost Bear's retaliation against the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery.[11] The First Bear Guards struck at Idlewind while the Third Bear Guards attacked Garstedt. Star Colonel Ragnar and the First Rasalhague Bears acted in what the Ghost Bears considered to be a noble fashion when they repulsed a raid by the Free Rasalhague Republic, and as a reward, Ragnar and his Cluster were given a prominent role when the Ghost Bears responded to the opportunistic invasion of the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone by Clan Hell's Horses[11] in 3063.[12]

The Hell's Horses were acting at the urging of Wolf Khan Vladimir Ward,[10] and the Ghost Bears responded with their own counterattack; a number of worlds were targeted in particular, one of which was the world of Rasalhague, a world of particular significant to the native population of the former Free Rasalhague Republic. Alpha Galaxy deployed the First Rasalhague Bears and the Fiftieth Striker Cluster to capture Rasalhague, an act that was well-received by the Rasalhagian natives within the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone.[11]

Jihad[edit]

Alpha Galaxy was involved in the heaviest fighting against the Word of Blake. During their near-continual fighting, Alpha received reinforcements and new troops from other Galaxies in the touman. Without these near constant replacements, the Galaxy would have been destroyed. This fate actually befell the Fiftieth Striker Cluster. The unit was so heavily damaged that it was disbanded and the survivors used to shore up other Alpha Galaxy Clusters.[13] After the Jihad ended, Alpha Galaxy was assigned to garrison Alshain.[14]

Luthien[edit]

The lead Galaxy in the December 3074 Ghost Bear attack against the Blakist presence on Luthien, Alpha engaged in absolutely no communications with their targets. Bystanders, Kuritan loyalist or rebel, were swept aside if they were caught between the two opposing forces. The Blakists were executed, whether they surrendered or not, and no salvage was gathered.[15]

Dyev[edit]

After landing on Dyev during a wave of attacks against worlds in the Word of Blake Protectorate in July 3076,[16][17] Alpha Galaxy found itself facing a Blakist counteroffensive in December when a task force breached the blockade of Ghost Bear and Snow Raven ships in orbit and landed six Divisions of troops on the surface of Dyev. The Blakists landed around Trogport and the planetary capital, Novaya Mensk, before deploying outwards. Alpha Galaxy found itself fighting alongside Omega Galaxy against the 28th Militia Division, the 3rd Bryant, and 1st Lipton Protectorate Militia Divisions; the Blakists used the Tupik Chasm and various mining tunnel complexes that connected to the chasm as fortifications to try and resist the Ghost Bear attack.[18] History records that the 32nd Militia Division was subsequently destroyed on Dyev before the end of 3076.[19]

Dieron[edit]

Bruised from their trip through the Word of Blake Protectorate, Alpha Galaxy destroyed every Word of Blake unit they faced on Dieron in 3077, refusing to take prisoners. Their ferocity led them to triumph over the Blakist forces, but at a cost of about 60% of their warriors.[20]

The Dark Age[edit]

Alpha Galaxy was rapidly rebuilt after the Jihad, in part through the disbandment of Delta Galaxy and the incorporation of two complete Clusters from Delta into Alpha - the Eighth Bear Cuirassiers and Seventy-third Battle[21] - but also through Alpha's posting on and around Alshain, where the Galaxy had access to the very best new equipment available.[22] By 3085, every Cluster within Alpha was operating at fifty-five percent of full strength or more.[21]

Foreign intelligence agencies considered it notable that after the Jihad, the aging Sho-sa Shintaro Yamada - a former DCMS warrior captured on Richmond in 3063 - had been inducted into Alpha Galaxy. Serving as Star Captain, Shintaro, despite his reportedly being a pacifist, it was considered likely that Shintaro had been moved into Alpha Galaxy not for his combat skills, but for his insight into the Draconis Combine, a move echoing the role Prince Haakon Magnusson had occupied with respect to the Rasalhague Republic in earlier years.[22]

Alpha Galaxy continued to serve as the lead Galaxy for the Rasalhague Dominion and as such spent a considerable amount of time protecting Alshain, the cultural heart of Clan Ghost Bear. Given that Khan Dalia Bekker regarded the Republic of the Sphere with reverence, it was a foregone conclusion that Alpha Galaxy would be sent to secure the worlds of Alrakis and Konstance, as the Inner Sphere began to erupt into widespread warfare again. Having deployed in 3135, Alpha Galaxy only remained in place until Omega Galaxy secured Vega.[23]

Although Alpha Galaxy wasn't around for subsequent events leading up to the formation of the Vega Protectorate, many in Alpha came to feel that steps should have been taken to prevent Omega Galaxy from "going native" at the time, and given Khan Bekkar's conservative views, there was a building sense of expectation that Alpha would be called on to remove Omega's taint.[23]

Dominion Civil War[edit]

The dawn of the IlClan Era saw Alpha mutining after his commander. After the beginning of the Dominion Civil War, Galaxy Commander Lars Magnusson was captured and forced to declare martial law on Alshain. After he was rescued by the Ghost Watch, along with his loyalist trinary of Kabrinsky's Keshik, escaping. Eventually, Star Colonel Albert Hall became Alpha's commander, leading them to Vega to finally remove the taint of the Freeminders, but was unable to crush them. The arrival of Lars and SaKhan saw both SaKhan and Hall killed.[24]

After resuming command of Alpha, Lars send them again at Alshain Province.[25]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Alpha Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)
Khan Kilbourne Jorgensson 2921[2]
Commanding Officers of the Alpha Galaxy (Ghost Bear Dominion)
saKhan Aletha Kabrinski 3061[1]
Khan Aletha Kabrinski 3074 – 3085[15][21]
Commanding Officers of the Alpha Galaxy (Rasalhague Dominion)
Galaxy Commander Lars Magnusson 3145 – 3152[26][27]

Other Unit Members[edit]

Tactics[edit]

Besides the Clan's finest warriors, Alpha Galaxy units also employ the most innovative tactics, utilizing the open command structure as established by their founder to its fullest potential.[1]

Composition History[edit]

2921[edit]

3052[edit]

3061[edit]

3067[edit]

  • Command Supernova[31]
  • Trinary Galaxy Command[31]
  • First Bear Guards[31]
  • Third Bear Guards[31]
  • Fiftieth Striker Cluster[31]
  • First Rasalhague Bears[31]

3079[edit]

The heavy losses of the Jihad reduced each of these formations to between one third and one quarter of their pre-Jihad strength.[14]

  • Command Supernova[14]
  • Trinary Galaxy Command[14]
  • First Bear Guards[14]
  • Third Bear Guards[14]

3085[edit]

3145[edit]

  • Command Supernova[32]
  • Trinary Galaxy Command[32]
  • First Bear Guards[32]
  • Third Bear Guards[32]
  • Eighth Bear Cuirassiers[32]
  • Seventy-third Battle Cluster[32]

Colors and Unit Insignia[edit]

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Alpha Galaxy uses shaded charcoal grays blended with a blue-gray camouflage pattern and small white “rocks” with a black crescent moon outline for parade, ceremonial, and some combat operations.[33]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 88: "Alpha Galaxy Composition"
  2. ↑ a b c Turning Points: Tokasha, p. 10
  3. ↑ a b c d e Era Report: 3052, p. 52: "Factions - Clan Ghost Bear - Third Bear Striker"
  4. ↑ a b c d e Invading Clans, pp. 19–20: "Clan Ghost Bear - Wave One: Looking for a Fight"
  5. ↑ a b c Era Report: 3052, pp. 5–7: "Second Chance"
  6. ↑ a b Invading Clans, pp. 20–21: "Wave Two: Disaster Strikes"
  7. ↑ ClanTroops, p. 40
  8. ↑ a b Tukayyid, pp. 48–56: "Campaign: Clan Ghost Bear"
  9. ↑ a b Invading Clans, p. 29: "Tukayyid: World of Fate"
  10. ↑ a b Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Overview"
  11. ↑ a b c Field Manual: Updates, p. 60: "Alpha Galaxy (The Golden Bears)"
  12. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 13: "Dragons, Dark and Dangerous"
  13. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9
  14. ↑ a b c d e f Field Report: Clans, p. 11
  15. ↑ a b c Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 7: "Alpha Galaxy [Clan Ghost Bear]"
  16. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  17. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad In Review"
  18. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18: "A Time Of Cleansing"
  19. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 126: "Word Of Blake Militia"
  20. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Dieron, p. 8: Alpha Galaxy
  21. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Field Manual: 3085, p. 127: "Alpha Galaxy (The Golden Bears)"
  22. ↑ a b Field Manual: 3085, p. 120: "Alpha Galaxy"
  23. ↑ a b Field Manual: 3145, p. 162: "Alpha Galaxy"
  24. ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 59-78
  25. ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 79
  26. ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 109
  27. ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 87
  28. ↑ Technical Readout: 3075, p. 140: "Sun Cobra"
  29. ↑ a b c d e Turning Points: Tokasha, p. 20
  30. ↑ a b c d Invading Clans, p. 38: "Front-line Unit Summary"
  31. ↑ a b c d e f Field Manual: Updates, p. 77: "Alpha Galaxy (The Golden Bears)"
  32. ↑ a b c d e f Field Manual: 3145, p. 172: "Alpha Galaxy (The Golden Bears)"
  33. ↑ "Clan Ghost Bear - Alpha Galaxy". CamoSpecs Online. Retrieved 2025-02-17. Canonized by CSO on 12/1/2004
  34. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180: "Clan Ghost Bear"
  35. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180: "Alpha Galaxy"

Bibliography[edit]

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