Illician Lancers

Insignia of the Illician Lancers
Illician Lancers
Formed 2572
Affiliation Mercenary
Parent Command Independent
Sub-Command(s) Fourth Rangers

Ninth Rangers

Twenty-first Rangers

Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment

The Illician Lancers were a Star League multiregiment unit later turned mercenary.

History

Early History

The Illician Lancers brigade was formed in 2572 by members of the Illician Order, an ancient military brotherhood based out of Illicia on the island of Sicily. The Lancers were notable in that the majority of those who went on to form the Lancers left the service of their state voluntarily, rather than through being cashiered; when the brigade mustered, it took less than six months for the Lancers to reach the same size and strength as an oversize 'Mech division.[1][2]

The Lancers worked for every Star League member state and also for the SLDF over the next two centuries and saw their reputation grow to the point that applications for membership in the Illician Order vastly outstripped the available spaces and allowed the Lancers to charge a premium for their services. When the Amaris Civil War erupted, the Lancers continued to serve the SLDF, generally in a support capacity, although two regiments, the First and Seventh Illician Rangers, were destroyed during the final assault on Terra. Those who survived the campaign journeyed to Illicia to pay their respects to the fallen, only to discover that the home of their order had been completely levelled.[1][2]

Succession Wars

During the Succession Wars, the Lancers' numbers were reduced further, first to half their original strength and then in the Third Succession War the Lancers found themselves having to sell most of their JumpShip assets for normal operations to avoid bankruptcy after a disastrous contract with the CCAF. After leaving Capellan employment, the Lancers were employed by the AFFS and subsequently the AFFC.[1][2]

The Illician Lancers began their service to House Davion operating on the Draconis Combine border, but after some initial successes suffered a series of defeats that caused the High Command to redeploy them to the Capellan March. After the death of Duke Michael Hasek-Davion, the Lancers found allies in Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion and his son, who gave the Lancers a much-needed opportunity to rebuild. This relationship later allowed them to gain access to more advanced technology, including the occasional item of Clan equipment.[1]

Jihad

The Lancers were heavily involved in Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE, the military campaign against the Capellan Confederation launched by Duke George Hasek during the opening stages of the Jihad. Fighting initially on the offensive, the Ninth Illician Rangers were responsible for capturing Sendalor from St. Cyr's Armored Hussars, taking less than ten percent losses in the process; the remaining three regiments of the Lancers launched as part of the second wave of attacks, with the Fourth and Twenty-first forming half of a four-regiment mercenary strike force that captured Gei-Fu, crushing the Third Capellan Defense Force in the process;[3] the other mercenary units involved in the assault on Gei-Fu were identified by some sources as being the First Federated Suns Lancers and the First Kittery Borderers.[4] The Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment also faced little resistance when it captured Tsingtao.[3]

The war with the Confederation began to turn against Duke Hasek's forces with the third wave; while the Twenty-first Rangers managed to take Imalda and the Ninth Rangers captured Homestead, the Fourth landed on Hexare and quickly found themselves battered as the planet's defenders were reinforced with the arrival of Renshield's Dragoons. The Fourth found itself in dire straits because of the superior air support enjoyed by the Dragoons. This forced the Fourth into a defensive stance that became increasingly costly as Capellan forces increased and became more aggressive, culminating in Major "Rawhide" Francis leading his battalion to cover the retreat of the remaining Fourth Rangers' forces to Uravan after the command company broke in the final days of 3068.[3]

The Ninth Rangers found themselves facing a counteroffensive led by two Capellan regiments on Homestead, while Vong's Grenadiers landed on Tsingtao and established a beachhead from which the Fifty-ninth couldn't displace them. General Bradley managed to hold the Grenadiers back, but the battles between the two forces became a grinding war of attrition that reduced both commands to half-strength before the AFFS supply line to Tsingtao suddenly dried up, leaving General Bradley and the Fifty-ninth with little choice but to retreat to Redfield. The Twenty-first Rangers landed on Imalda and were forced to fight a guerrilla campaign against elements of the Death Commandos and the Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry until lack of supplies forced the Twenty-first to retreat just as the Fifty-ninth had, falling back to Sendalor and then Ikast.[3]

Trying to rebuild in the aftermath of Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE, all four commands of the Lancers faced difficult circumstances. The Ninth Rangers had been reduced to just two companies, leading to speculation that the Ninth would be folded into one of the other regiments; Major Francis of the Fourth had adopted a take-no-prisoners approach to combat after the grueling battle for Hexare, although the tenacity he inspired in his troops suffered from Francis' difficulty in dealing with complex strategical issues, while both the Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment and the Twenty-first were undergoing changes at the command level after various resignations and reassignments.[3]

During the Jihad, the Ninth Rangers were completely destroyed. The Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment and Fourth Rangers lost half their troops in combat before beginning to rebuild. In 3079, the Illician Lancers were stationed along the Federated Suns/Taurian Concordat border to supplement that area's defenses.[5]

Dark Age

The Lancers continued serving the Federated Suns during the Dark Age era. They participated, under orders from First Prince Julian Davion, in the liberation of New Syrtis, but suffered heavy losses, including Colonel Ryan Bradley, commanding officer of the Fifty-ninth.[6][7]

ilClan Era

The dawn of the ilClan era found the Lancers stationed in the quietest sector of the Capellan March, on Kafr Silim. By 3151, they had been ignored for years, and Julian Davion clearly didn't trust them to participate in the liberation of New Avalon, probably due to their actions on New Syrtis.

A conclave on 25 May 3151 didn't solve the problem. The Lancers were divided into three camps: one which wanted to ask for a better posting from Julian Davion, one which wanted to follow Duke Alexander Hasek on his invasion of the Taurian Concordat, and the last, which was happy to remain where they were and await a change. On 17 June, a Clan Sea Fox DropShip arrived in system. Aboard it was saKhan Ya'el Labov, who asked to meet with Colonel Luciana Araya Morales, the leader of the first faction. Labov had a very daring offer for her: he want her to become general and contract the Sea Foxes as mediators, replacing the MRBC. He offered the Lancers a gift: the keystone of the original Illician Brotherhood on Sicily, and the promise that, if they accepted, they would be given the monastery and the surrounding land in perpetuity. After a new conclave, and a heated debate, Luciana was chosen general and accepted Labov's offer.[7]

Labov succeeded, as the Lancers were relocated to the Dragon's Tongue area, playing some part in its reconquest. In early 3152, the Lancers' Twenty-first Rangers were stationed on Brundage when they were attacked by the Forty-fifth New Samarkand Regulars in a three-week campaign which forced the Lancers to retreat, leaving the world to the Combine.[8]

Soon before, Julian moved the Fifty-Ninth Striker to the Capellan border, to prevent an possible Capellan attack.[9]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Illician Lancers
General Ellaine Steward 3025[10]
General Janos Fujikawa 3038 - 3046[11]
General Brenda Bradley 3046–3085[1][12][13]
General Cassius circa 3145–3151[7]
General Luciana Araya Morales 3151 - present[7]

Tactics

Mercenary Rating

The Illician Lancers have served the Federated Suns for several centuries under a contract that was brokered outside of the MRBC umbrella. They therefore possessed no official Dragoons Rating.[1]

Composition History

2786

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[14]

2821

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[14]

2830

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[15]

2864

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[15]

3025

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[10]

3046 - 3050

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[12]

  • First Illician Lancers (Fifty-ninth Strike) (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)
  • Second Illician Lancers (Twenty-first Rangers) (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[12]
  • Third Illician Lancers (Fourth Rangers) (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[12]
  • Fourth Illician Lancers (Ninth Rangers) (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[12]

3067

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Regular/Reliable)[17]

  • Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[17]
  • Fourth Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[17]
  • Ninth Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[17]
  • Twenty-first Rangers (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[17]

3079

Illician Lancers Brigade (3 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable)[18]

  • 59th Strike Regiment (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[18]
  • Fourth Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[18]
  • Twenty-first Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[18]

3085

Illician Lancers (4 regiments/Veteran/Reliable)[13]

  • Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)
  • Fourth Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[13]
  • Twenty-first Rangers (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[13]
  • Screaming Eagles (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[13]

3145

Illician Lancers (2 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable)[19]

Color Scheme and Unit Insignia

Traditions

The Lancers were an atypical group who kept their traditions for centuries. The choosing of leadership was a key matter—every few months, all high-ranking officers held a meeting, called a conclave, where a group of elders selected an officer as leader and give them the title General. The general could be reelected after a six-year term. Colonels were also elected by this group. The officers may be re-elected any number of times, provided they still had the necessary skills.[1][2][20]

In the conclaves, the Lancers kept an arch of stones said to come from their destroyed monastery on Sicily. The arch was incomplete and was missing the keystone with the Illician Order's seal until 3152. Around it there were regimental sashes honoring the long-destroyed Illician regiments. Under the arch, every new Lancer is sworn in, and every potential elder meditates under it before their solemn vows.[7]

Support

The unit owns one Star Lord-class and one Invader-class JumpShip and must hire additional assets for the transportation of the entire brigade. The brigade has enough DropShips to support their full range of operations.[1]

Units of the Illican Lancers

At its fullest size, the Illician Lancers brigade boasted nine separate BattleMech regiments. Though three of these regiments were lost, along with their records, during the fires of the early Succession Wars, the remaining six are listed as follows:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Mercenaries Supplemental, p. 39: "Illician Lancers"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 46
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 73: "Illician Lancers"
  4. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 17: "Operation Sovereign Justice"
  5. ↑ Field Report: AFFS, p. 20
  6. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 182: "Notable Mercenary Forces"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Riptides
  8. ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 69
  9. ↑ Dominions divided, pp. 53
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 136: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3025"
  11. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 129, "Menke (August-September)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 20 Year Update, p. 21: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Field Manual: 3085, p. 160, "Notable Mercenary Forces"
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 First Succession War, p. 140, "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (LCAF)"
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 Second Succession War, p. 100, "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces (LCAF)"
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 148: "Illician Lancers"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Field Manual Updates, p. 183, "Mercenary Employment Roster"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Field Report: AFFS, p. 20, "Irregular Forces"
  19. ↑ Field Manual: 3145", p. 182, "Notable Mercenary Forces"
  20. ↑ Combat Manual: Mercenaries p.46

Bibliography

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