Red Raiders
Sarna News
| Red Raiders | |
| Formed | 2589 |
| Affiliation | Pirate |
| Parent Command | N/A |
History
The origin of the pirate unit known as the Red Raiders was an Armed Forces of the Federated Suns BattleMech regiment that deserted during the Reunification War, the 237th Light Cavalry Regiment.[1] The 237th had taken heavy damage in a wasteful military operation against the Taurian Defense Force on Sterope,[2] and the survivors had abandoned the Federated Suns, taking their dependents with them.[2][1]
Having settled on a world they dubbed Tortuga Prime, the survivors of the 237th found that survival was difficult on their new homeworld; while the planet had mild seasons, a benign climate and a lack of infectious diseases, it also had water that was heavily alkaline and loaded with heavy minerals, requiring extensive treatment to be fit for consumption or use in agriculture. One of the officers from the 237th, Major Frederick "Krasny" Koloniv, had been elected as leader of the population of Tortuga Prime, and he worked with the other surviving officers from the 237th to come up with a plan. Krasny decided to take their remaining demi-battalion of 'Mechs and raid border worlds to secure grains, foodstuffs, skilled workers and equipment to support their survival efforts on Tortuga Prime.[1]
Having decided on piracy and banditry to support the population of Tortuga Prime, Krasny renamed his military forces the "Red Raiders" and went on to spend the better part of fifteen years savaging border worlds for people and resources. His initial raiding campaign ran from 2589 to 2597, with the Red Raiders striking outlying regions on border worlds that were largely unmonitored; Krasny had his troops seize food and round up skilled workers and their families, livestock, and useful machines and equipment. When they had what they came for, the Red Raiders would then burn any evidence of their presence, leaving many worlds in the dark about the raids; it would often be months before the planetary governments realized that outlying settlements had been raided.[1]
Krasny's leadership of the Red Raiders lasted until 2604, when a raid against the Federated Suns world of Memphis went wrong, costing the Raiders three of their 'Mechs. Lieutenant Mitch Hibbert, one of the officers in the Red Raiders, challenged Krasny for leadership of the Raiders aboard the bridge of the DropShip Crossroad. Hibbert ended the challenge by running Krasny through with a shard of armor from one of the Raiders' heavily-damaged 'Mechs, and was promptly elected to the title of duke of the Pirates of Tortuga.[1]
Officers
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of the Red Raiders | |||
| Major | Frederick "Krasny" Koloniv | 2589 - 2604[1] | |
| Lieutenant | Mitch Hibbert | 2604[1] | |
Tactics
Unknown.
Composition
Unknown.