1st Bear Regulars (Rasalhague Dominion)

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Crest of the Rasalhague Dominion
First Bear Regulars
Formed Before 2861
Affiliation Rasalhague Dominion
Clan Ghost Bear (previous)
Parent Command Tau Galaxy


History

Has served for over two hundred years. After Operation Bulldog concluded, the First Bear Regulars were sent to raid Luzerne by their commanders. They faced the 17th Recon Regiment, which contested the landing. The Regulars forced the Recon unit aside, and the mercenary forces responded by showering the Regulars with Arrow IV artillery missiles.[1]

First Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War

Despite being a garrison force Tau Galaxy commands were heavily tasked during the First Draconis Combine / Ghost Bear War. Clusters from Tau were responsible the capture of worlds held by both Clan Nova Cat and the Draconis Combine, as well as reprisal raids against Clan Wolf and Clan Hell's Horses[2] following the Hell's Horses invasion of the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone as a result of the machinations of the Wolf Khan, Vlad Ward.[3]

In fact, Tau's performance in various Trials of Possession were responsible for the Bears taking Itabiana from the Nova Cats and Kiamba from the Combine, then recapturing Goito from the Hell's Horses before seizing Stanzach - again, from the Hell's Horses - and then Gunzburg from the Wolves.[2]

The Jihad

Vega and Cebalrai

After Xi Galaxy lost the Fifth Bear Regulars to the Word of Blake attack on Radstadt during the Jihad, the Ghost Bears transferred the First and Second Bear Regulars out of Tau Galaxy and into Xi to allow Xi to join offensive operations against the Blakists.[4] After capturing Vega[4] in August 3075[5][6] Xi Galaxy supported Omicron Galaxy, with the First serving alongside such units as the Seventh Bear Regulars and the Sixty-ninth Provisional Garrison Cluster. It was alongside Omicron Galaxy that the First attacked the world of Cebalrai in the Word of Blake Protectorate, deploying in mid-August 3075.[7]

Having established landing zones, the First Bear Regulars - along with the Seventh Bear Regulars and Sixty-ninth PGC - swiftly pushed the defending forces from the Cebalrai Protectorate Militia and their supporting mercenaries off the continent of Lennori and continued to pursue them across Sarrina, a pursuit that culminated in a bloody three-day campaign to seize control of New Wade, the capital city of Cebalrai. New Wade was secured by the Ghost Bears on the 18th of August and the government re-established; concerns about rogue Blakist units and supporters led to the First remaining in place to both act as guards and recuperate from their losses.[7]

The Seventh Bear Regulars and the Sixty-ninth PGC continued to harry the retreating Cebalrai Protectorate Militia and their supporting mercenary forces, pursuing them back to Dragga, where the Blakists still controled the three main cities. The main Blakist strength was at Kamrin, a heavily industrial city, and the Ghost Bear forces were driving deep into the city when the Blakists acted out of desperation and detonated a chain of five neutron bombs that had been concealed under the city. The results were devastating for the Seventh Regulars and the Sixty-ninth PGC, who were collectively reduced to just a handful of survivors,[5][6][7] and the First were lucky to escape the same fate.[4]

With the Ghost Bears still in control of the bulk of Cebalrai the Tenth Provisional Garrison Cluster was deployed to the planet to secure Dragga, a campaign that took until at least the 23rd of August;[7] even with the Blakists annihilated,[8] the casualties inflicted on the Seventh Regulars and the Sixty-ninth PGC were such that Omicron Galaxy halted offensive operations temporarily to reassess the campaign and attempt to recover its strength.[7]

The Republic of the Sphere established a memorial to the Ghost Bears who died liberating Cebalrai; a huge sculpture of a Ghost Bear, carved from obsidian, was placed in the center of Kamrin, the location of the final conflict between the Ghost Bears and the Blakists.[8]

Ko, Lyons and New Earth

Xi Galaxy went on to liberate Ko in late July 3076 and Lyons in August 3076[9][10] before rejoining Omicron Galaxy for the attack on New Earth. Omicron and Xi were part of[4] a contingent of roughly four Galaxies of mixed Clan forces drawn from the Lyran Alliance front of Operation SCOUR struck at New Earth on the 8th of February 3078, meeting heavy resistance.[11]

The initial attack was rebuffed, with the Clan forces having retreated by mid February; while the media reported that the SDS in the New Earth system had been destroyed or at least heavily damaged, it also reported that up to four Clan WarShips had been destroyed, and that the Clan forces had been forced to retreat due to the presence of not just the anticipated Protectorate Militia Divisions and Militia Division, but also at least one Shadow Division. There were also unsubstantiated rumors that the forces from the Ghost Bears, Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf had arrived at different times, with the Ghost Bears arriving early, and then failed to work together.[12] One of the destroyed WarShips was subsequently identified as the Aegis-class heavy cruiser CJF Frost Falcon;[13] another was the Volga-class transport CGB Ursine Boatman,[14] and the third the Vincent-class corvette CSR Huninn, a vessel from the Clan Snow Raven Ice Storm Naval Star assigned to support the Ghost Bear Dominion during the Jihad.[15] The Ghost Bear ground forces were lucky to escape from the trap, and the damage taken made New Earth the last campaign of the Jihad for both galaxies.[16]

With the Ghost Bear operations against the Word of Blake coming to a close, the First and Second Bear Regulars were returned to Tau Galaxy, which made Tau one of the largest galaxies in the Ghost Bear touman in 3079.[16]

The Dark Age

During the years immediately after the Jihad Tau acted as a supporting force to Rho and Omega Galaxies. A lack of BattleMechs had led to Tau containing vehicle-based transport Novas as well as vehicle Binaries manned by native Rasalhagians; while the proportion of Inner Sphere technology in use with Tau dropped after the initial rebuilding efforts, by 3085 nearly a quarter of Tau's equipment was still of Inner Sphere origin.[17]

With the collapse of the HPG network after Gray Monday Tau Galaxy was posted to the Periphery border of the Rasalhague Dominion; given Tau's status as a secondline galaxy only slightly below frontline status, this seemed an odd move to observers outside the Dominion. Tau's posting prompted speculation that the Dominion was preparing for a potential attack from the Clan Homeworlds and that the Dominion perhaps believed the various Homeworld Clans were responsible for the events of Gray Monday.[18]

Tau's posting wasn't without problems; while Galaxy Commander Ezekial Vong was on a diplomatic mission to Santander V he evidently insulted Inheritor Warden Seb Hutardo; more surprising to outside observers was the decision by the Dominion Council to demand that Ezekial Vong perform surkai to the ruler of such an unimportant microstate.[18]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Bear Regulars (Clan Ghost Bear)
Commanding Officers of the 1st Bear Regulars (Ghost Bear Dominion)
Galaxy Commander François Cote 3061 - 3067[19]
Galaxy Commander Jason Hall 3085[20]
Commanding Officers of the 1st Bear Regulars (Rasalhague Dominion)
Galaxy Commander Ezekiel Vong 3145[21]

Tactics

Unknown.

Composition History

3061

First Bear Regulars

3067

First Bear Regulars (Elite/Fanatical)[19]

- At this point in time the First were stationed on Stanzach and were at fifty-seven percent of full strength. Three quarters of the Cluster were equipped with Clan technology, with the remainder using Star League era equipment. Almost half of the First were equipped with OmniMechs or equivalent technology.[19]

3079

First Bear Regulars (Elite/Fanatical)[14]

- In 3079 the First were stationed on Santander V and were at fifty-five percent of full strength. Less than a third of the Cluster were equipped with OmniMechs by this point.

3085

First Bear Regulars (Elite/Fanatical)[20]

- At this point the First were stationed on Nox and had rebuilt to two-thirds of full strength. Slightly more than a third of the Cluster were equipped with OmniMechs or equivalent technology by this point.[20]

3145

First Bear Regulars (Veteran/Reliable)[21]

- Stationed on Holmsbu at this point in time, and were just below full strength; in common with the remainder of Tau Galaxy the First had no OmniMechs or equivalents deployed.[21]

Notes

Game Rules

3061

  • In common with every other unit in the Clan Ghost Bear touman at this point in time, the units within the First Bear Regulars receive a +1 modifier to any dice roll on Random Weight-Class tables to determine Star or Binary/Trinary type.[22]
  • When fighting in the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone and acting as defender, the First Bear Regulars begin the battle with full ammunition loads regardless of any scenario rules that might limit access to such ammunition.[23]
  • When the First Bear Regulars are fighting in the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone and acting as defender the opposing player may not set up any hidden units.[23]

References

  1. Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 18
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 61, "Tau Galaxy"
  3. Field Manual: Updates, p. 60, "Overview"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Field Report: Clans, p. 10, "Xi Galaxy"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 18, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54, "The Jihad In Review"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 47, "Cebalrai Free, But At What Cost?"
  8. 8.0 8.1 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 6, "Cebalrai World Profile"
  9. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  10. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56, "The Jihad In Review"
  11. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 58, "The Jihad in Review"
  12. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 66, "Failed Gambit?"
  13. Field Report: Clans, p. 15, "Fleet Assets"
  14. 14.0 14.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 11, "Fleet Assets"
  15. Field Report: Clans, p. 18, "Fleet Assets"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Field Report: Clans, p. 10, "Omicron Galaxy"
  17. Field Manual: 3085, p. 121, "Tau Galaxy"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 163, "Tau Gaalxy"
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Field Manual: Updates, p. 78, "Tau Galaxy"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 127, "Tau Galaxy"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 172, "Tau Galaxy"
  22. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 180, "Clan Ghost Bear"
  23. 23.0 23.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 182, "Tai Galaxy"

Bibliography