Wolf's Dragoons
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Wolf's Dragoons is a fictional mercenary force that exists in the fictional Battletech universe.
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[edit] History
Wolf's Dragoons is a name that is synonymous with the best traditions of the mercenary profession operating within the Inner Sphere. Considered to embody the ideals of honor, professionalism, and integrity that the less scrupulous members of the mercenary trade are sometimes portrayed in having. Initially of Clan origins, but have since integrated both Clan & Inner Sphere traditions and personnel.
[edit] First Appearance
Wolf's Dragoons first turned up in the Inner Sphere in 3005, led by Jaime Wolf and Joshua Wolf, with the mysterious Natasha Kerensky as their assistant. Their initial appearance caused a panic for the Federated Suns planet that they made first contact with. From the start, quite a bit of suspicion would fall on the group due to the forces that they had brought with them: five regiments of pristine Battlemechs complemented with a number of support units, dropships, and jumpships. For a mercenary unit to have this level of independent support was unheard of at the time. (Source: FASA Sourcebook Wolf's Dragoons)
The Dragoons would first work for House Davion. For 5 years they attacking worlds that had belong to House Liao, until their contract expired. When the Federated Suns tried to renegotiate they were politely informed that this was not an option. The Dragoons moved on and served House Liao next. One stipulation in their contract was that the Dragoons would not be used to attack their former employer.
During their employment with the Capellan Confederation, the Dragoons became involved in an attempt by Anton Marik, of House Marik, to overthrow the Captain-General of the Free Worlds League. During the course of this action, Anton Marik's forces took the families of the Dragoons hostage including Joshua Wolf. A rescue force, led by Natasha Kerensky, was sent to deal with the situation. The rescue was only partly successful. Joshua Wolf was amongst the casualties, but Natasha had managed to kill Anton Marik.
In 3015, the Dragoons left the employ of House Liao and went to work for the Free Worlds League. There they were given the mission of assaulting Hesperus and to harry forces of House Steiner. For the next 4 years they worked for House Marik. Then in 3019, the Dragoons regrouped their forces following particularly devastating losses and disappeared, only to reappear a few months later resupplied and back to full strength. At this time they also left the employ of House Marik and started to work for the Lyran Commonwealth.
Katrina Steiner used the Dragoons to launch attacks on the Draconis Combine, and for the next three years they did so without hesitation. Then in 3022, the Dragoons informed the Archon that they would be leaving her service to take up work with the Draconis Combine. As always, their contract forbid the Dragoons from being used against their former employer.
The Dragoons employment with House Kurita was initially very good and they were used to attack House Davion. For the next five years, they successfully worked alongside the DCMS. They would also assist in the creation of the Ryuken, a group of 5 regiments created in homage to the Dragoons. However, the relationship with DCMS would eventually deteriorate. The Coordinator had decided that either the Dragoons would join the DCMS fully or that they would be destroyed. The Dragoons fought back. On the planet of Misery, the Dragoons were forced to face off against the Ryuken. (Source: Battletech Novel Wolves on the Border)
Following the devastating battles on Misery, the remaining Dragoons made their way to the Federated Suns. Unlike before, Jaime Wolf requested that the Dragoons be used to garrison worlds that would come under attack by the Draconis Combine. What then followed could almost be regarded as a war within a war, as the Draconis Combine focused their efforts on the Dragoons during the initial phases of the Fourth Succession War.
In the relative peace that followed the Fourth Succession War, the Dragoons were granted the right to settle upon the world of Outreach. During this period, Natasha Kerensky was sent throughout the Inner Sphere to recover war orphans and bring them back to Outreach. Once there, the orphans were given a home, educated, and eventually in most cases, joined the Dragoons. This process allowed the mercenary force to rebuild itself without becoming dependent upon any of the Inner Sphere houses.
In 3035, Natasha Kerensky restructured the Black Widow Company into a battalion strength unit organized with a unique configuration not seen before by the Inner Sphere. Each company, normally composed of twelve mechs, were now composed of fifteen mechs and were termed a "trinary". What was not revealed was that this type of configuration was a common element among the Clans, something that would only make sense much later. It would be another 15 years before its significance would be realized by the Inner Sphere. (Source: Battletech Supplement More Tales of the Black Widow)
[edit] The Clans
Over the next 15 years, the Dragoons rebuilt their depleted resources by increasing their industrial base, forming alliances, and making additional preparations. In 3050, the whole of the Inner Sphere erupted into chaos when the Clan Invasion hit the worlds of the Free Rasalhague Republic, the Federated Commonwealth, and the Draconis Combine. In 3051, during a lull in the Invasion, Jaime Wolf called a conference on Outreach, a planet Dragoons consider their home. All the heads of the various Inner Sphere houses and several mercenary leaders were invited. It was at the start of this conference that Jaime Wolf revealed the true origin of the Dragoons - they were originally a part of Clan Wolf and a scout force for The Clans, which were, in turn, revealed to be the descendants of the Star League Defense Force. (Source: Battletech novel Lethal Heritage)
During the Clan War, while under contact to the Federated Suns, the Dragoons were sent to Luthien, along with the Kell Hounds. Both mercenaries were known to have long standing grudges against the Draconis Combine. These were the only forces Prince Hanse Davion could send to help his old enemy, while honoring his word about not sending Federate Sun forces into the Combine, a deal which was struck on Outreach.
That battle resulted in a reorganization of the Wolf Dragoon as a whole. When the war did come to an end, the Dragoons found themselves with captured Clan forces, known as bondsmen, who were honorbound to work for the Dragoons. It was Colonel Wolf's idea to use captured Clan Elemental forces to form a similar unit in the Dragoons. This would be one of the changes that would result in the Wolf's Dragoons civil war. Since some of the new Dragoons felt there was preference to the older Dragoons. This went against the mentality of the Clans, who believed youth should lead and the aged be left to other duties besides combat. It was only when Maeve, with no honor name at the time, killed Alpin Wolf, among other loses, that the war ended. (Source: Battletech novel Wolf Pack)
In the aftermath of the war, it ended the era of five Colonels commanding Wolf's Dragoons. Colonel Jamie Wolf became Commander Jamie Wolf, which was a sign that he was ending his days as a field commander. Commander Maeve Wolf was given field command of the mercenary forces. To help rebuild and deploy forces in the Fedcom civil war, along with three other mercenary 'houses', the Dragoons would adopt smaller mercenary units.
[edit] Word of Blake: Jihad
The Dragoons had never trusted Comstar or the Word of Blake, and this distrust escalated into open conflict in the late 3060s. During the subsequent Word of Blake Jihad, the Dragoons lost their homeworld and were reduced to a single regiment. Overall command of the Dragoons at this time formally passed to Jamie Wolf's genetic daughter (Conceived as part of a Clan Eugenics program) Maeve Wolf.
[edit] References
Pryor, Anthony (1989) Wolf's Dragoons. Chicago, FASA Corp.
Stackpole, Michael (1995) Blood of Kerensky Trilogy, Chicago, FASA Corp.
Charrette, N. Robert (1992) Wolf Pack, Chicago, FASA Corp.
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries (2002)
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