Legion of Vega
Sarna News
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| Legion of Vega | |
| Formed | 3011[1] |
| Nickname | Path of Redemption |
| Affiliation | Draconis Combine |
| Parent Command | DCMS |
While still tainted by the stigma of being a collection of misfits and malcontents unsuitable to serve in other DCMS units, the Legion of Vega regiments were among the first to follow the modern military doctrine of Theodore Kurita.
History[edit]
The Legion of Vega was conceived of by Takashi Kurita as a "sink" unit where soldiers who were unable to die honorably in battle, mercenaries who fell prey to the Combine's Company Store ploys, misfits, troublemakers, and malcontents could be isolated from the rest of the DCMS.[1] Created in 3011 to "represent the armpit of the Arm of the Dragon", the unit was made up of three regiments and staffed with those already on the verge of treason. These warriors weren't expected to do anything other than die for the Combine, and were often spent in battle with little thought to their honor or effective use. The Legion lived down to these expectations, but had an annoying habit of surviving. For much of their history, they have represented the bottom of the Free-Floating Regiments.[2]
Discipline was almost nonexistent, and motivating this group of misfits was difficult, usually coming down to offering them bonuses or threatening them with executions. The Legion of Vega was run along the lines of a mercenary unit. The government encouraged this mentality by paying the MechWarriors not salaries, but a fee for each mission. It was next to impossible for the units to procure parts. On their list of units, the Procurement Department had the Legion of Vega at the very bottom, even lower than the mercenary units, and the Procurement Department will often go out of its way to delay the few supplies approved for the Legion of Vega.[2]
ISF had difficulties handling the activities of the Legion of Vega, and it was said by Legion MechWarriors that they could not open a door without hitting an ISF agent on the head. The scrutiny of ISF was another reason supplies for the Legion of Vega were always delayed. This was also true when Theodore was assigned to it as a commander.[2]
After Theodore Kurita was assigned to command the Legion in 3024, things began to change. The Legionnaires saw that he was just as hated as they were, which bound the units to him. As the rest of the DCMS thought they had no honor, the Legion became a place for Theodore to experiment with "dishonorable" tactics that would offend other DCMS units. These tactics resulted in the Legion not only surviving but succeeding in their objectives. The performance of the Legion during the Fourth Succession War and War of 3039 showed both the value of Theodore's new tactics and that the warriors of the Legion could be redeemed.[1]
After Theodore was elevated to Gunji-no-Kanrei the DCMS saw the Legions in a different light: Instead of being the dumping ground for the useless or honorless, it served as a unit where shamed warriors could earn back their honor while still serving the Dragon.[3] Vegan warriors were then allowed to transfer to other units, usually District Regulars,[3] throughout the DCMS, but only after four years of impeccable service.[1] Part of this recognition was the regiment's renaming from "The Pillagers", "The Boozers", and "The Looters" to names that were more fitting for DCMS troops.
In the immediate aftermath of the Jihad, the Legion of Vega found itself facing dramatic supply problems; by accident or by design, as late as mid-3081 the DCMS was failing to deliver any supplies to the brigade because the brigade's homeworld of Vega had been incorporated into the Republic of the Sphere. This neglect at the hands of the Combine led senior figures in the Republic to speculate that offering to base the Legions on Vega again might persuade the Legions to defect to the Republic en masse.[4]
The Legion of Vega actually gained some respect for its performance during the Jihad. Unfortunately, since the end of the Jihad, the Warlords of the Combine have seen fit to reassign their troublemakers to the Legion. The increased number of malcontents allowed the Legion to field a new unit, the Seventh Legion of Vega. This preponderance of soldiers who don't hold to the samurai ethic means that the post-Jihad Legions of Vega have to use more conventional assets in place of BattleMechs.[5]
By 3145, the Legion was suffering in two ways. Firstly, the warriors who had shown the most improvement in their time with the Legion were transferred out to more worthy units. Secondly, the Legion’s new regiment, the Eighth Legion of Vega, was populated with the unwanted problem children of regiments across the DCMS. Though still highly motivated, the troops posted to the Legion still hope their stay is only temporary.[6]
Officers[edit]
As Free-Floating regiments, the Legion of Vega does not maintain a brigade commander, and they are subject to the orders of the Warlord of the District they are currently in. When required, the commander of the Second Legion of Vega can serve as the overall commander of the Legion,[1][3] though Theodore Kurita commanded from the Eleventh Legion of Vega in 3024.[7]
Tactics[edit]
Different per Unit. Known to welcome the most eccentric of support personnel, the technical, research, and design teams of the Vegan Legion are the envy of departments across many corporations.[3]
Aerospace fighter wings currently in disfavor with the Dragon are often assigned to support the Legions. Combat vehicle and infantry forces were sourced from Vega itself, at least in 3058.[3]
Units of the Legion of Vega[edit]
Notes[edit]
Color Scheme and Insignia[edit]
In 3025, the unit did not have the funds to paint its 'Mechs, and so 'Mechs had an assortment of paint schemes.[2] Vegan Legion regiments did not have a formal color scheme, but tended to paint their equipment in reds and grays.[3]
The Brigade's first crest was a rat smoking a cigarette upon a design of a planetary disk. In honor of the man responsible for making their existence a living hell, the members of the Legion of Vega named the rat "Takashi".[2] The rat was renamed it as "Tikki" following the ascension of Theodore Kurita to the Chrysanthemum Throne and the Legion's insignia updated to a slightly less disheveled rat holding a katana.[3]
2nd Legion of Vega- 7th Legion of Vega
11th Legion of Vega ca. 3050
16th Legion of Vega
The original emblem of the Legion, the rat known as "Takashi"- Brigade insignia of the Legion of Vega, ca. 3039
Brigade insignia of the Legion of Vega, with the rat named "Tikki"
References[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e f Combat Manual: Kurita, p. 63 "Legion Of Vega"
- ↑ a b c d e House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 147 "Legion Of Vega"
- ↑ a b c d e f g Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 121
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 88, "...And Threats Without"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 47
- ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 61 "Legion of Vega"
- ↑ House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 133
- ↑ a b Field Report: DCMS, p. 16