Shrill Keshik (Rasalhague Dominion)

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History

The Shrill Keshik - also known as the Trinary Galaxy Command of the Clan Ghost Bear Beta Galaxy - served as the personal unit of the Clan Ghost Bear Loremaster, which during the Clan Invasion was Laurie Tseng. The Keshik was composed entirely of her lifelong friends and in battle worked together seamlessly as one unit, with Tseng rarely having to issue orders.[1]

Operation REVIVAL

During the second wave of Operation REVIVAL Beta Galaxy was forced to travel to Damian, a world captured in the first wave of attacks. In common with the other worlds conquered during the first wave, Damian had been left with a minimal Clan garrison, and the population had promptly revolted, aided by the mercenary Black Omen unit who had gone into hiding on the planet. On jumping into the system on the 17th of May 3050, Beta Galaxy suffered a tragedy when their WarShip collided with a small asteroid that destroyed one of the attached DropShips, wiping out a complete Cluster. As Damian lacked an HPG Beta Galaxy was unable to contact their Clan, but occupied themselves with destroying the Black Omen and regaining control of Damian. The Black Bears subsequently came to investigate and discovered the abandoned WarShip (which needed repairs that couldn't be performed in the system) and Beta firmly in control of Damian. As news of the tragedy spread, every unit in the Ghost Bear touman present in the Inner Sphere and not on active duty traveled to Damian to engage in two days of mourning alongside Beta Galaxy.[2]

As a part of Beta Galaxy the Shrill Keshik was involved in the battle for Soverzene, where Laurie Tseng led Beta in a long and traditionally conservative campaign in the face of various underhanded tactics thrown at the Ghost Bears by the defenders. The victory on Soverzone was considered a hard-fought one,[1] waged against two front-line Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery regiments - the Second Alshain Regulars and the Twenty-seventh Dieron Regulars, both of whom were determined to exact a heavy toll on the invading Clan forces. The two DCMS commanding officers - Tai-sas Jasick Yoshiro and Ano Tars - were aware of Soverzene's role as a significant supplier of materials to industrial worlds in the region and had planned in advance to fight a mobile defense, with supplied stashed around Soverzene's main continent to support their campaign.[3]

During the battle for Tukayyid the Shrill Keshik and the other elements of Beta Galaxy faced the Com Guard First and Fourth Armies in battle. Assigned alongside Delta Galaxy to capture the city of Luk, the Shrill Keshik faced the less-experienced Fourth Army. The initial landing was unopposed, and Beta Galaxy quickly dispatched the Com Guard 121st Division, but were forced to draw back when the Twelfth and Ninety-first Divisions inflicted heavy damage on Delta's Twentieth Polar Bear Attack Cluster. This defeat cost the Ghost Bears their first chance of seizing Luk.[4]

As Beta Galaxy withdrew from Luk to reinforce the attack on the city of Spanac they were ambushed by the Twelfth Division, which took advantage of the Holth Forest to destroy the Seventh Bear Guards. The rest of Beta Galaxy made it to Luk, and alongside Delta Galaxy, overran the Ninety-first Division's positions and captured their supplies. The senior Com Guard officer, Precentor Katherine Luarca, withdrew the 103rd Division from Spanac in response. Mustering the largely-untouched Fourth Army Divisions alongside her own troops, Luarca attacked Spanac under cover of a Fourth Army artillery barrage, with elements of the Fourth Army supporting the Twelfth and Ninety-first Divisions as they raided Spanac's suburbs. The Ghost Bear khans responded by leaving Beta and Delta to hold Spanac in the face of the Com Guard attack, while Alpha Galaxy attempted to capture Luk.[4]

A narrow defeat at Luk following a last-minute counterattack by the 103rd Division and the survivors of the 308th Division forced Alpha to withdraw to Luk, and the Ghost Bear khans reluctantly declared their part in the Trial for the planet at an end, rather than face renewed attacks from Com Guard elements freed up by the defeat of other Clans across the planet. With Spanac under Ghost Bear control, breached defenses at Luk and slightly greater losses taken by the First and Fourth Com Guard Armies in comparison to the Ghost Bear forces, the Ghost Bears were determined to have achieved a minor victory.[4]

First Combine-Ghost Bear War

During the First Combine-Ghost Bear War the Keshik as involved in battles on Dumaring or Najha (or both); while other elements of Beta Galaxy saw action on Mualang and Gunzburg.[5]

The Jihad

During the Jihad Beta Galaxy was an active part of the Ghost Bear campaign against the Word of Blake, carving a bloody path to Terra and taking heavy losses; by the end of the Jihad, the Shrill Keshik commanded a much-reduced Galaxy, with only two Clusters still active.[6][7]

The Dark Age

Following the defeat of the Eighteenth Battle Cluster on La Grave at the hands of the First Falcon Jaegers in or around 3137, the Shrill Keshik and the other elements of Beta Galaxy were hungry for revenge, training extensively for a rematch against the Falcons. The opportunity for revenge still hadn't appeared by 3145, because of threats along both of the Rasalhague Dominion borders keeping the Dominion forces occupied.[8]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Shrill Keshik (Clan Ghost Bear)
Loremaster Laurie Tseng 3049 - 3061[9]
Commanding Officers of the Shrill Keshik (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Loremaster Laurie Tseng 3061 - 3085[9][10]
Commanding Officers of the Shrill Keshik (Rasalhague Dominion)
Loremaster Hans Kabrinski 3145[11]

Tactics

The Keshik follow their totem which mean they wait and see to make the right decision. The unit also use their Elementals supported by 'Mechs in flanking attacks to surprise the enemy. [9]

Unit Insignia

The unit logo of the Shrill Keshik was a white bear standing on its haunches, with a black hunting bird resting on its forearm, as though the bear was a falconer.[1]

Composition History

3058

Galaxy Command Trinary (The Shrill Keshik)[12]

3061

Trinary Galaxy Command (The Shrill Keshik) (Trinary/Veteran/Fanatical)[1]

  • CO: Loremaster Laurie Tseng[1]
- At this point in time the Shrill Keshik was located on Strana Mechty.[13]

3067

Trinary Galaxy Command (Trinary/Veteran/Fanatical)[14]

  • CO: Loremaster Laurie Tseng[14]
- At this point in time the Keshik was stationed on Strana Mechty and was operating just below full strength. The Keshik was fully equipped with Clan OmniMechs.[14]

3079

Trinary Galaxy Command (Trinary/Veteran/Fanatical)[7]

- At this point in time the Keshik was barely above half strength, although it was still fully-equipped with Omni-technology. The Keshik was stationed on Gunzburg, alongside the Fifth Bear Guards.[7]

3085

Trinary Galaxy Command (Trinary/Veteran/Fanatical)[10]

  • CO: Loremaster Laurie Tseng[10]
- Stationed on Engadin, the Keshik was almost at full strength in this point of time and was fully equipped with Omni-technology.[10]

3145

Trinary Galaxy Command (Trinary/Elite/Fanatical)[11]

  • CO: Loremaster Hans Kabrinski[11]
- At this point in time the Keshik was fully-equipped with Omni-technology and at full strength. The Keshik was stationed on Krenice.[11]

Game Rules

3061

  • In common with every other unit in the Clan Ghost Bear touman at this point in time, the units within Beta Galaxy receive a +1 modifier to any dice roll on Random Weight-Class tables to determine Star or Binary/Trinary type.[15]
  • The player controlling the Shrill Keshik or another element of Beta Galaxy may choose the map sheets used in any battle rather than rolling randomly.[16]
  • The player controlling the Shrill Keshik or another element of Beta Galaxy always chooses his or her home edge first, unless prohibited by scenario rules.[16]
  • The player controlling the Shrill Keshik or another element of Beta Galaxy always sets up second, unless prohibited by scenario rules.[16]
  • Each Star within the Shrill Keshik is counted as a single unit when determining movement and when making attack declarations.[16]
  • Once per turn a single unit from the Shrill Keshik may make an attack using the range from another Shrill Keshik unit, as though both units were equipped with C3 systems. This is not considered a breach of Clan honor, and is not subject to blocking by ECM.[16]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89
  2. Invading Clans, p. 21, "Wave Two: Disaster Strikes"
  3. Invading Clans, p. 24, "Wave Four: Renewal"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Invading Clans, p. 28-29, "Tukayyid: World of Fate"
  5. Field Manual: Updates, p. 60-61, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  6. Field Report: Clans, p. 9, "Beta Galaxy"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Field Report: Clans, p. 11, "Beta Galaxy"
  8. Field Manual: 3145, p. 162, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 89 "Shrill Keshik Profile"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  12. Invading Clans, p. 39, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  13. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 163, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 77, "Beta Galaxy (Night Howlers)"
  15. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180, "Clan Ghost Bear"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180, "Beta Galaxy"

Bibliography