Editing Bear's Den (Individual Black Lion-class WarShip)

{{infoBoxIndividualVessel
| image      = Bear's Den.jpg
| vesselname = Bear's Den
| prevname   = 
| type       = [[WarShip]]
| class      = [[Black Lion]]
| prevclass  = 
| servicesince =
| serviceuntil = 8 May [[3067]] (destroyed)
}}
==History==
=== Golden Century ===
In [[2926]] the ''[[Black Lion]]''-class battlecruiser [[CGB]] '''''Bear's Den''''' encountered the ''[[Corone]]''-class [[destroyer]] [[Regal Claw (Individual Corone-class WarShip)|CSR ''Regal Claw'']] in the [[Bearclaw]] system. Commanded by [[Star Commodore]] [[Rachel Lankenau]], the ''Regal Claw'' was attempting to launch a retaliatory attack following a raid on the [[Lum|Lum Naval Yards]] by the Ghost Bears; the ''Bear's Claw'' immediately challenged the lighter WarShip, and despite the superior skill of the Snow Raven personnel, the ''Bear's Den'' successfully destroyed the ''Regal Claw''.<ref name="TRO:GCp60">''Technical Readout: Golden Century'', p. 60, "Corone"</ref>

=== Clan Invasion ===
Attached to [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Ghost Bear)|Beta Galaxy]] during the [[Clan Invasion]] of the [[Inner Sphere]] in [[3050]], the ''Bear's Den'' was transporting Beta Galaxy from [[Holmsbu]] to [[Damian]] on 17 May as a part of the second wave of [[Operation REVIVAL]], to reconquer the world following a reported uprising. The ''Bear's Den'' took the risk of using a [[pirate jump point]] to shorten the travel time.<ref name=GBL>''Ghost Bear's Lament''</ref> It was struck by a rogue asteroid within seconds of arriving in-system.<ref name=GBL/><ref name="ICp52">''Invading Clans'', p. 52</ref><ref>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 52</ref> The angle at which the ''Bear's Den'' was struck localized most of the damage to a single attached [[DropShip]] (the ''[[Overlord-C]]''-class ''[[Sharp Claw]]''<ref name=GBL/>), but this meant that in addition to destroying the DropShip and damaging the ''Bear's Den'', an entire [[Cluster]] of troops were killed. The ''Bear's Den'' suffered damage in this incident that could not be repaired without Clan facilities.

Beta Galaxy abandoned the [[WarShip]] and went on to conquer Damian to fight the [[Black Omen]], the [[mercenary unit]] defending the planet. Because Damian lacked a functional [[HPG]], Beta Galaxy was unable to inform the Clan leaders of what had happened. When what had happened subsequently came to light as a result of another Ghost Bear unit being assigned to locate Beta Galaxy, the loss of so many warriors in an accident caused great sadness amongst the warrior caste, who decided to conduct the traditional ceremonies honoring the dead in the Damien system. The deployment of so many troops to Damien for the two days of ceremonies slowed the Ghost Bear's third wave actions noticeably.<ref name="ICp21">''Invading Clans'', p. 21, "Wave Two"</ref>

By [[3058]] the ''Bear's Den'' had been repaired and was one of two WarShips assigned to the [[Clan Ghost Bear]] Naval Reserve, operating alongside the ''[[Cameron (WarShip class)|Cameron]]''-class battlecruiser CGB ''[[Dieron's Run]]'' under the overall command of [[Star Commodore]] [[Elissa Snuka]].<ref name="ICp38">''Invading Clans'', p. 38, "Clan Naval Reserve"</ref> The ''Bear's Den'' was attached to Beta Galaxy again by [[3061]], and was often serving as the Ghost Bear flag vessel during naval engagements.<ref name="FM:WCp86">''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 86, "Naval Assets"</ref> The ''Bear's Den'' remained an active part of the [[Clan Ghost Bear Touman|Ghost Bear ''touman'']] for the next six years;<ref name="FM:Up60">''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 60, "Naval Assets"</ref> in May [[3067]] the ''Bear's Den'' was involved in the second naval battle for [[Alshain]], a [[Trial of Possession]] initiated by forces from [[Clan Nova Cat]] for the ''[[Leviathan II|Leviathan]]''-class battleship CGB ''[[Rasalhague (Individual Leviathan-class WarShip)]]'' which was undergoing construction in the Alshain shipyards at the time.<ref name="FM:Up81+"/>

The Trial was devastating for both sides, with half the Ghost Bear fleet destroyed and similar losses on the part of the Nova Cats; the Trial was initiated by the Nova Cats' [[Transcendent Naval Star (Clan Nova Cat)|Transcendent Naval Star]], but the local commanding officer of the Ghost Bear naval forces refused the Nova Cat ''[[batchall]]'' and ordered an immediate attack.<ref name="FM:Up81+">''Field Manual:  Updates'', p. 81, "The Second Naval Battle of Alshain"</ref>

As the battle began a second Nova Cat Star, the [[Vision Naval Star (Clan Nova Cat)|Vision Naval Star]] arrived, while a second force of heavy Ghost Bear WarShips including the ''Bear's Den'' began moving to support the ''[[Nightlord]]''-class battleship CGB ''[[Ursa Major]]'' and her four-strong destroyer group. [[Star Admiral]] Leroux of the Transcendent Naval Star managed to convince the commander of the second Ghost Bear force that the Trial was a legitimate and honorable trial, effectively splitting the Trial into two separate naval engagements; as a result, the Trial didn't degenerate into a mass brawl, but it still devastated both the Ghost Bear and Nova Cat fleets.<ref name="FM:Up81+"/>

The ''Bear's Den'' was responsible for destroying the Nova Cat flagship, the ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate ''[[True Vision]]'', but not before the ''True Vision'' and her attached [[aerospace fighter]]s and DropShips had destroyed both the ''[[Fredasa (WarShip class)|Fredasa]]''-class corvette ''[[Black Ghost]]'' and the ''[[York (WarShip class)|York]]''-class destroyer ''[[Ursa Minor]]''. After destroying the ''True Vision'' the ''Bear's Den'' found itself locked in a duel with the ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruiser ''[[Blood Oath]]'', each ship supported by various DropShips - including two new ''[[Nekohono'o]]''-class DropShips in the case of the ''Blood Oath''.<ref name="FM:Up81+"/>

Even as the heavier armor and weapons of the ''Bear's Den'' crippled the ''Blood Oath'', another Nova Cat WarShip intervened, the ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyer ''[[Faithful]]'', which had just survived a duel with the ''[[Cameron (WarShip class)|Cameron]]''-class battlecruiser ''[[Dieron's Run]]'' that had claimed the ''Blood Oath's'' sister ship ''[[Bond]]''. The crew of the ''Bear's Den'' were intent on finishing the ''Blood Oath'' and failed to spot the ''Faithful'' until it was too late; the ''Faithful'' lashed the ''Bear's Den'' with a broadside whilst launching battle taxis and a pair of DropShips (the ''[[Dragon's Heart]]'' and ''[[Enlightenment's Truth]]'') for an attempted boarding action of the ''Bear's Den''. Ghost Bear fighters were able to destroy the ''Faithful'', but not before fourteen battle taxis full of [[Elementals]] had managed to board the ''Bear's Den'', resulting in a titanic battle for control of the ship. As the boarding action raged, the ''Bear's Den's'' ammunition magazine exploded; whether the explosion was a result of the boarding action or a final volley from the dying ''Blood Oath'', the result was the same. The blast consumed the ''Bear's Den'' and killed all boarding crew from the ''Dragon's Heart'' and the ''Enlightenment's Truth''.<ref name="FM:Up81+"/>

During its last battle, the DropShips ''[[Bear's Roar]]'', ''[[Crystal Warrior]]'', ''[[Frost Giant (Individual Broadsword-class DropShip)|Frost Giant]]'' and ''[[Frost Brand]]'' were attached to the ''Bear's Den''.<ref>''Trial of Retribution''</ref>

The Ghost Bears were the victors in the Trial, but the losses taken on both parts made the victory a pyrrhic one at best.<ref name="FM:Up81+"/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Era Report: 3052]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Ghost Bear's Lament]] (Part I: Instrument of Destruction)''
* ''[[Invading Clans]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: Golden Century]]''
* ''[[Trial of Retribution]]''

[[Category: Individual WarShips]]
[[Category: Individual Battlecruisers]]
[[Category: Individual Black Lion-class WarShips]]