Jump to content

Black Knight Legion

From BattleIntelligence
(Redirected from Striker Lance)
Black Knight Legion
Black Knight Legion
Affiliation Mercenary
Cameron Guild
Parent Command Independent

The Black Knight Legion was a mercenary unit of the Inner Sphere. The legionnaires were famous throughout the Inner Sphere for having two purposes: money and quality. With their fearsome reputation of fearless warriors they proved themselves deadly, efficient and reliable. However, like most mercenaries, they did not care about ethics, fighting always for the highest bidder.

Resurgence Era Update: History Post 3153

Specializing in Mech and air combat as well as espionage the Black Knight Legion is well known in the Rimward Inner Sphere. After rebuilding from the FedCom Civil War they again found themselves all but destroyed in the Word of Blake Jihad. Finding long term employment with the Federated Suns, they were stationed on New Avalon during the rebuilding.

Rotated to Periphery duties the Black Knight Legion found themselves sidelined when the Draconis Combine attacked Palmyra and later, New Avalon. Receiving the call of the First Prince, Julian Davion, they returned to the rally point and followed him back to New Avalon to retake the Federated Suns' Capital world.

The AFFS stationed the Black Knight Legion on New Avalon to assist, should the Combine attempt to retake the world. They were also given recon duties on Albion, New Scotland, and Brunswick to hunt for raiding DCMS troops that were left behind. It was up to the Prince's Champion Erik Sandoval-Groell to push the Combine out of the Federated Suns.

Just a short time later, in 3153, the Word of Blake arrived at New Avalon. Already participating in defensive operations with the AFFS, they were as ready as they could be to defend the world. Kit was more than happy to keep his unit in the Word of Blake's crosshairs considering the size of payments that were rolling into the Legion's accounts.

Participating in the deadly fighting at Phase Line Bravo, the Black Knight Legion was pivotal in holding the line as the Blakists poured out of Barrington. Multiple attempted breakthroughs were blunted by the Legion.[1][2]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Black Knight Legion
Colonel Michael Lawhorn 30??-3063[3]
Colonel Eric McClair 3063-3096[3]
Colonel Thomas McClair 3096-3134[2]
Colonel Kit McClair 3134-present[2]

Composition History

3153[2]

  • Black Knight Legion
    • Company Task Force
      • 5 Battlemech Lances
      • 4 Aerospace Squadrons
      • 1 Platoon Infantry
  • Alpha Lance
  • Striker Lance
    • Hellbringer Mk II - Sergeant Jeff Solomon (M)
    • Hellbringer Mk II- Corporal Lucas Radclife (M)
    • Victor - Corporal Karly Auten (F)
    • Argus - Lance Corporal Lana Mosby (F)
  • Flanker Lance
  • Hammer Lance
  • Havoc Lance
    • Hellbringer Mk II - Sergeant
    • Vulpes - Corporal
    • Cougar - Corporal
    • Cougar - Lance Corporal
  • Coyote Platoon (Special forces)
  • Phoenix Squadron (Rondel-class fighters)
  • Sundance Squadron (Cutlass-class fighters)
  • Raven Squadron (Dagger - class fighter Recon Squadron)
  • Nova Squadron (VTOL Recon Squadron)

Support Personnel Callsigns

  • Badger - Tactical guidance/Support
  • Mandril - Intel Officer
  • Howler - Tech Officer
  • Coyote - Special Forces Platoon Captain

Dropship/Transport

  • Cactus Wren - Okinawa
  • Rattler - Union
    • Alpha Lance
    • Hammer Lance
  • Wild Hog - Leopard
    • Havoc Lance
  • Arabian - Leopard
    • Flanker Lance
  • Cholla - Leopard
    • Striker Lance

(The naming of formations and craft typically follows the pattern of animals or dry climate themes, similar to the unit emblem being a saguaro cactus.)

Tactics

High maneuverability and skilled in all environments are the Black Knight Legion's selling points. "No mission too desperate, no job too dirty." continues to be the slogan that remains with the Legion from its founder, Colonel Michael Lawhorn.

The unit uses frequent communications on missions between the lances or wings deployed and the Support Personnel. It is not uncommon for those opposed to the Black Knight Legion to find themselves under aerial attack before or after a frontal assault and a flanking attack, all while being jammed by ECM. The decades and wars have kept this unit sharp.

Legion lances are frequently seen containing Clan Cougars and Hellbringer MkII's. Leading from the front, the Colonel (Callsign Black Six), pilots a Black Knight as each of his predecessors before. The unit keeps one of both chassis in reserve for the needs of the mission and so that the unit's namesake is always in the fight.[2]

Color Scheme

The Black Knight Legion's colors consist of a maroon/dark red with gold and yellow highlights in a jagged pattern along the legs and sides of the 'mechs, occasionally reaching along the back of the 'mech as well.[4]

Canonicity (PC Game information)

The Black Knight Legion was initially introduced as the protagonist unit in the computer game MechWarrior 4: Black Knight. Computer games do not fall under the current definition of canon for the BattleTech universe even though they are official, licensed BattleTech products, and are considered apocryphal. However, the Black Knight Legion is referenced as accepting a Steiner contract to depose Duke Ian Dresari in Recognition Guide ilClan, vol. 21, an approved canon source. Unlike the events of the game, they are noted as being defeated by Allied forces on that planet, and no other details about them currently exist.[5]

The Resurgence Era clarifies what took place in the time after their defeat on Kentares IV.[6]

History (pre-3153)

Sedaris Insurrection

The Legion outmaneuvered, outfought, and outlasted the "rebel upstarts," securing the world for its nominal government and restoring order.

Massacre of Canteron

The Legionnaires held their ground and sold their lives dearly while successfully evacuating the planet's royal family from Capellan Confederation forces.

Watch Dogs

Working for the Corvatti Corporation, the Legion wiped out the pirates threatening Corvatti mining assets.

While working for Corvatti, the Legion was approached by a Lyran Alliance mercenary liaison officer, Major Carissa Dupree, and offered a contract to take back Kentares IV on behalf of Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion.

MODL Hunt

Sneaking Striker Lance aboard a Corvatti dropship, Colonel Michael Lawhorn instructs them to search for and destroy a pair of Mobile Orbital Defense Lasers (MODLs) in the two weeks before the rest of the Black Knight Legion makes planetfall.

Clean Sweep

While the Legion is preparing a plan to strike a few Dresari bases located in the Cascade Mountains, they are ambushed by a mix of Dresari and Steiner assault mechs, killing the Colonel, multiple Legion personnel, and destroying at least three lances of Black Knight Legion 'mechs. In an act of desperation, Duke Ian Dresari agreed to a non-aggression pact in the Steiner-Davion conflict with your Lyran liaison, Major Carissa Dupree, with the stipulation of the destruction of the Black Knight Legion. As the immediate ranking 'mech officer, Captain Eric McClair takes command, leading from Striker Lance.

Resurgence Era Historical Update

At the outset, the fighting in the Jeteel seemed to be going well for the KFA and Black Knight Legion. That is, until once more the Steiner assault units engaged in the fight. While attempting to clear the city of checkpoints the more confident KFA forces and Black Knight Legion began to spread out to attack targets. A lone Dire Wolf under the callsign of Squire helped to engage some of the Dresari reinforcements during one of these missions. Using that targeting and tracking data the Steiner battlemechs deployed both to the KFA HQ and to try to headhunt Eric McClair of the Legion. Crushing and scattering the KFA forces some fled into hiding and some to try to rally with the Legion forces.

Eric signaled the Legion to fall back to their dropships and took what few KFA survivors they could. The fighting back to and in the LZ was brutal with multiple Legionnaires falling, such as Greg Mathers and Robert Olson. However, the Legion was able to lift off with a company of mechs rookie Mechwarriors were still training to use and some KFA members would be taking possession of as they joined up with the mercenary unit.

After departing the system they found small contracts to fulfill in the Federated Suns as they too turned against Katrina Steiner for her people's treachery in the murder of so many Legionnaires, including the former CO Michael Lawhorn.

Reprisal

Moving towards the the ruined capital city of Jeteel, Striker Lance sets up a staging area amidst the chaos and coordinates with the Kentares Free Army rebel forces to form a plan to route Dresari's forces and put the city under rebel control.

Once the city has been taken, Eric leads Striker lance to the Palace Grounds to put an end to Duke Ian Dresari, and then departing from Ketares with a lead on Major Dupree.


Payback

The Black Knight Legion departs for Voltrat III, a volcanic moon with a barely breathable atmosphere, where Steiner has several munitions depots and 'mech works facilities. Most importantly, however, is that it is Major Dupree's current command post. A quickly executed deployment catches the Lyrans off guard, and the Black Knight Legion quickly take or destroy any Steiner bases to deter the Legion's goal to get revenge on their former employer.[2]

Composition History

3062

Black Knight Legion operate at least a reinforced company:

  • Alpha Lance
  • Striker Lance
  • Flanker Lance
  • Hammer Lance
  • Havoc Lance (Destroyed along with Alpha, Flanker, and Hammer)
  • Coyote Platoon (Special forces - reprograms missile facilities on Voltrat 3)
  • Phoenix Wing (Stiletto-class fighters, provided support during the Corvatti Corporation contract)
  • Sundance Wing (Stiletto-class fighters, provided support during the Corvatti Corporation contract)
  • Raven Wing (Recon Wing, provided spotting reports during the Corvatti Corporation contract)
  • Nova Wing (Recon Wing, provided spotting reports while the Legion was on Voltrat III)

Other personnel

References

  1. ↑ Resurgence - Cataclysm Chapter 9
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Resurgence
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 MechWarrior 4: Black Knight
  4. ↑ Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight
  5. ↑ Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 21, p. 8
  6. ↑ Black Knight Legion#Resurgence Era Update: History Post 3153

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://battleint.net/index.php?title=Black_Knight_Legion&oldid=210193#3062"