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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Breveted Colonel | Colonel |
| James Lockheart | Zhao Zi Long |
| Current Roster: 11 Players | Overall Public Reputation: 27 |
| Current Employers: Marian Hegemony & Capellan Confederation | Current Contracts: PY-PH-06-02 & CC-GW-06-02 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 7th of June, 3078 |
| Unit Description From the Succession Wars to the Clan Invasion, from the FedCom Civil War to the current chaos of the 5th Succession War. Constant and increasingly escalating warfare destroyed worlds and killed billions. What many failed to account for, and was indeed ignored when reported, was that the years of fighting decimated something else. Something intangible - a soldier's soul. Most soldiers persevered, barely retaining their sanity by loosing themselves among their brethren and unit. Some commit suicide. Others flee, searching for a place to rediscover their direction, humanity and soul - or simply to escape from court martial charges of desertion, cowardice and mutiny. A group of such warriors from all over the Inner Sphere and Periphery met on New Hedon, the capital of Herotitus and formed the unique and unconventional Black Stars mercenary command. Though technically a single command, the Black Stars operate like no other mercenary unit. It is basically a collective of small units ranging from individual soldiers, to an entire Battlemech lance or more. These small units sub-contract jobs from the Black Star leadership that runs the operations, and is simply called the 'Cell'. Consisting of soldiers who have stayed for the longest with the Black Stars, the 'Cell' negotiates all contracts after filtering through suitable ones and getting a majority vote from the current sub-contracted units. The Black Stars make no preference for their recruitment. They would just as readily hire a retired Colonel from the AFFS as they would a washed out Periphery Mechjock seeking to escape gambling debts. There have been been cases of former Word of Blake soldiers fighting alongside former ComGuards within the unit. The Black Stars offer autonomy and a safe haven to individuals in the very eye of the turmoil in the current universe. The founding members of the Black Stars decided to gave the fragmented members of the unit at least a passing sense of unity and belonging by deciding on a simply black star as the unit insignia. It also reflected the fact that the unit's loyalty was to itself, which may change from battle to battle hence the preclusion of a traditional 'House' or 'Unit' colours. It may also be noted that being a simple to spray and/or stencil on design, a new unit sub-contracting under the Black Stars can put up the small logo quickly, and remove them just as easily when they inevitably decide to leave. However, as long as one is a member of the Black Stars, the unit always takes care of their own. With uncountable number of sub-units signing up and leaving, below are the currently sub-unit commands enrolled under the Black Star banner: Sharp Shooters: a tank unit led by Zhao Zi Long, the current nominated representative for the Black Stars since 3078, the Shooters possesses of a company of C3 linked Ajax and Manteuffel OmniTanks, and another of mixed Demolisher variants. Badger tracked IFVs support 3 Level Is of Battle Armour troops armed with Demon series suits. Jack-O-Lanterns: one of the pioneer sub-units that signed up with the reborn Black Stars under Zhao Zi Long in 3068, the JoL specializes in scouting, recon and raiding, the unit is made up mostly of lighter Battle Armour squads, further supported by a range of equally light and fast moving conventional units. Trouble Inc.: one of the last remaining of Zhao's founding sub-units, Trouble Inc. had grown massively since those half a decade ago, although the unit still maintained its focus on its large VTOL fleet. Unlike the JoL, Trouble Inc. went the other way and went for some of the heaviest Battle Armour, and can also currently lay claim to having a full star of Clan tech 'Mechs within its ranks. Headhunters: one of the only two 'Mech-centric sub-units amongst the Black Stars mercenary collective, the Headhunters also accounted for half of the Black Stars' total aerospace fighter strength - with the latter being all of Clan manufacture. Winter Hunters: in the chequered history of the Black Stars under Zhao Zi Long, two units stood out in that they were led by Clanners. The first, the Hell Falcons fell when its leadership were ironically lost to a particularly deadly bar fight rather than conventional combat. The second, was the Winter Hunters, led by a Clan Elemental simply known as Aleksei. Currently consisting of a Star of mixed Inner Sphere and Clan Battle Armour, the unit is also supported by a smattering of support vehicles. Mortuus Legio Victrix: the strange, and some say downright eerie unit said to be of Marian origin is one of the newer sub-units that signed up with Black Stars only a few years ago. Every single piece of equipment, from Battle Armour, to vehicles, to BattleMech and aerospace fighters were chosen for one reason above all others - speed. Alpine Rangers: the newest of the current lot, the Alpine Rangers sub-unit started off with a platoon of experienced mountain troops, and had very rapidly exploded to include BattleMechs, VTOLs and even their own DropShip transport. |
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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Lieutenant General | Major |
| James Black | Roger Hayle |
| Current Roster: 6 Players | Overall Public Reputation: 53 |
| Current Employer: Chaos March | Current Contract: CM-DC-06-04 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 27th of November, 3079 |
| Unit Description The Black Wolf Rangers was formed on 1st Nov 3079 by the unification of a small group of dissatisfied Taurian Concordat soldiers Led by Captain James Black, and the remnants of a small ‘down-on-their-luck’ mercenary unit brought together by Lt Cheryl Wolfe. Cpt Black along with a few close members of his former unit, fed up with the political manoeuvring and Anti-Davion propaganda in the Taurian Concordat, set forth to create a mercenary command that they could control ‘who’ they fought for ‘when’ and ‘why’. While travelling to Terra the two groups led by Black and Wolfe agreed to form the BWR. Organized into a uniquely named Latin/Wolf unit and rank structure, the Ranger’s became well known for their Pack-like tactics and strategies. Adept at hit and run tactics, ambushes and deep recon, the BWR has served all Inner Sphere Realms save the Draconis Combine. Awarded the planet of Cimeron by the Federated Suns, the BWR stands ready to repulse the dragon in the spin-ward section of the Draconis March. Special training on Cimeron has begun at the New Academy of Military Studies near the Units mountain stronghold ‘The Fang’. Multiple venues of military arts can be studied but concentrates on the mech warrior, Armour and infantry lines. Aerospace fighter studies as well as specialized avenues such as artillery and engineer training is conducted as well. The Black Wolf Rangers have grown to a full brigade of combined arms force. Each of the three regiments has four battalions that have a mech, armour and Battle armour company apiece. Each Regiment is backed up by a full wing each of Aerospace fighters and Attack VTOL’. Having a wide range of materiel at their disposal each sub command is a well balanced combat unit capable of taking on a wide assortment of missions. |
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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Major | Captain |
| William Draka Norstrom | Susan Norstrum |
| Current Roster: 5 Players | Overall Public Reputation: -11 |
| Current Employers: Taurian Concordat | Current Contracts: PY-DC-04-03 & PY-CD-06-02 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 5th of October, 3079 |
| Unit Description The return of the 7th Cavalry to service was a surprise to many as combat took it's toll on many. Many had thought the 7th had finally went into history. Today the 7th cavalry is back into the mercenary scene with a new outlook and a new operational force called a transitional unit. This unique force allows for changing to combat needs at any time, even during combat without a loss to be able to complete it's mission. What's even more interesting is the number of clan units in the unit which all look bran new. The 7th is going back to it's roots as a defense force where it's proven history has kept the unit from being another name in history. |
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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Star Captain | TBA |
| Cade | TBA |
| Current Roster: 6 Players | Overall Public Reputation: 1 |
| Current Employer: Rasalhague Dominion | Current Contract: CZ-OR-04-03 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 6th of June, 3087 |
| Unit Description The Growling Bears is a new unit from the Rasalhague Dominion. It is an experimental force comprised of both Trueborn Warriors and Kungsarm Second line troops. It was envisioned as a flexible 'response team' to be deployed as needed across the Dominion as a direct result of the trouble the Dominion has faced in recent years. The Khan had the unit, a Trinary in strength initially but without that designation, staffed entirely by unblooded warriors hand-picked by Star Captain Cade, the unit's commanding officer. Cade is an unusual Ristar among the Ghost Bears. An aggressive but open minded warrior and a staunch Warden, Cade seems custom made to take the reigns of the new unit. |
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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Captain | Lieutenant Senior Grade |
| Erik Ingersoll | Jari Luftensteiner |
| Current Roster: 5 Players | Overall Public Reputation: 0 |
| Current Employer: Lyran Alliance | Current Contract: LA-DC-04-05 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 2nd of June, 3087 |
| Unit Description Ingersoll's Armored Cavalry is a newly minted mercenary company as of 3087. They are led by ex-LAAF officers, including their commanding officer Captain Erik Ingersoll, once a Hauptmann-Kommandant in the Arcturan Guards brigade. The Cav was designed from the ground up to be an integrated, combined arms force, suited to many different roles on a modern battlefield, even fielding their own special operations team, drawn from specalists with LIC and LAAF field experience. The IAC's first, and current, contract concerns protection of a secondary storehouse of military hardware, a considerable distance from Patterson and the major population and industries. Along with a militia Firebase, there is a maglev line and a depot of military hardware which the LAAF does not want to fall into the hands of raiders. The IAC is currently tasked with protecting the area surrounding Firebase Khan from any such raiders. |
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| Commanding Officer | Executive Officer |
| Lieutenant General | TBA |
| Xavier Steele | TBA |
| Current Roster: 12 Players | Overall Public Reputation: 50 |
| Current Employer: The Nobility | Current Contract: FS-RE-06-01 |
| Game Type: Play By Forum Board | Unit Founded: 27th of April, 3069 |
| Unit Description Xavier Steele has been the commander of The Restless Souls Mercenary Unit since its inception in 3069. Although plagued by a shortage of 'MechWarriors, he has grown the unit into a full strenth Brigade with combined arms of tanks, infantry, as well as 'Mechs. Some at the DMM have suggested that he resign due to his getting along in years and allow new blood circulate through the ranks. This is unlikely to happen. Steele considers himself a mentor to all the Souls Colonels and Majors and so will stay on until he thinks one of his Senior Staff is ready to pick up the controls. "After that," as he always says, "I'll consider retirement." Senior Lieutenant Brandi Rodriguez, the units former-Executive Officer, has turned around the moral of the unit from an all-time low to above average high. This has been attributed to her background, that having been a lowly grunt herself, and her unorthodox style of command. The XO position has hit some hard times. After Brandi redirected her efforts to Battalion Adjutant, Nariko Matsuhita was recalled, however; within four short months she was Court Marshaled. With the serious injury that was sustained by Brandi in combat she was no longer an option for the XO position. Nariko's replacement was Christian Levesque who within a month of becoming the Restless Souls Executive Officer accepted an alternate posting to a Davion Guard Unit. Then came one of the Soul's lieutenants, namely Alex McCray. Alex took the reins of the XO seat and seemed to grab on to it for the long haul. He impressed by the sheer hours he spent every day deep into paperwork or at the controls of his mech. He was the winning ticket, but Lady Luck had something else in store for the Restless Souls and Alex succumbed to a terrible disease that kept him away from his posting for a long time. Without an XO for a long time Steele had to replace Alex with the Chief Logistics Officer, Anakin, an 'adopted' Wolf clanner. Anakin became one of the first clanners to obtain a senior posting in a DMM unit. He 'rejuvenated' the unit with new training programs that were a reminder of the enemy that almost conquered the Inner Sphere years back. He has been XO for over eight years now, but if he keeps up fighting like he does, the LLieutenant General might need to consider for yet another replacement. Each Battalion of the Restless Souls excels in a particular art of warfare. The Command Battalion, Primary Battalion, can defend a piece of property like it was an entire Brigade all by itself, and is considered the Souls' defensive experts. The Assault Battalion, called Sledgehammer, does best in the attack, using its massive size and long range firepower to blast through enemy positions. The Recon Battalion, nicknamed Eagle Eye, is best at raiding and recon. The 'Hunter-Killer' Battalion, Heaven's Fist, is feared around the Inner Sphere for the notorius ability to root out and apprehend high profiled enemy units. The Stike Battalion, Manticore, has mastered the art of long range fire power from behind cover with the resources to bring well over 1,000 long range warheads in on a target. With the increased size to Regiment and then to Brigade the Battalions have grown in size and in numbers. Their AeroSpace Fighter Support now two full Wings, Iron Falcon, can appear behind enemy lines at will and wreck havoc, even through the most heavily defended strong points. The Restless Souls Vehicle Regiment, commanded by Colonel Jason Fosdick as well as its Infantry Regiment, VTOL Regiment, a support Regiment, two AeroSpace Fighter Wings, its DropShip Fleet, and JumpShip Armada provide the Souls with the independence and staying power they need to stay viable. With the aquisition of three Landholds, a Countship and a Baronet, the Restless Souls now have a place to call home and a place where they can leave their dependents and draw upon for new recruits, perform training, garner yearly revenue, and have their very own Military Hardware Depots. The Brigade as a whole is considered a leader when it comes to defense. The Restless Souls have an uncanny ability to use the terrain and resources around them to their best advantage. Enemies who think a field is empty find themselves shocked when Restless Souls 'Mechs suddenly spring up around them. |
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