The rank of Marshall is retired with Anne O'Brien.
2814
By 2814 ARMD has not done well as a mercenary outfit. The unit participates in several small police and defensive actions, but only at the company level. No large contracts are coming their way as the big named units seem to be sucking them up. With the unit's finances in a desperate state, ARMD is contacted by a mercenary agent looking for a Regimental sized unit to take part in a war in the periphery.
All the big units have passed on this one as the agent will not disclose the employer until the contract is signed. Desperate and on the edge of dissolving the unit Commanding Colonel Andrew Sessions accepts the contract.
The news of the employer when it comes is a shock to both sides, ARMD will undertake its first big contract as a unit in the employ of the Taurian Concordat. The memories of the 2575-2598 war are still fresh in the Concordat, tales of the "Cameron Monsters", referring to ARMD are still told by mothers to their children. Unfortunately, both sides are stuck, ARMD needs the money and the Taurians have been unable to hire anyone else to participate in their war against the Canopians.
An understanding is struck. ARMD will put a black cover across the famous Unit badge and will travel within the Taurian Concordat as "Sessions Regulars", they will also spend the entire war based on warships, starbases and remote outposts, they will be kept as far away from the Taurian Civilians as possible.
The next two years are deeply uncomfortable for ARMD, they are being paid and paid well, but the Taurians go out of their way to keep the unit on as tight a leash as possible, restricting their access to ammunition and parts resupply and basing them in the most uncomfortable places they can find. The 3rd company 2nd battalion spent 3 months in an open cargo hold with one toilet and one shower available.
ARMD actually do a very good job for the Taurians and as a direct result of their efforts, the Taurian-Canopiean Compact of 2816 is signed in October of that year.
2816-2830
For the next 15 years, ARMD manages to keep its head above water. Shipping out to worlds across the inner sphere. ARMD service with nearly every house at this time with the exception of House Liao.
2830
The 2nd battalion is destroyed on Alula Australis defending the HPG Station from the Kuritan 2nd Sword Of Light. The 2nd Battalion defends to the best of their ability, but when it becomes clear they are outmatched by the Kuritan regiment they surrender and agree to terms. After the surrender the Kuritans ignore the terms of the surrender, they seize all ARMD assets on the planet including a rare Overlord class dropship and execute all surrendered ARMD personnel. The Kuritans afterward state that "House Kurita does not make agreement with Mercenary scum"
ARMD is unable to make good the losses and the Regiment is reduced to 2 Battalions.
2930
ComStar becomes embroiled in a serious political conflict with the Draconis Combine when Coordinator Hugai Kurita's older sister, Necess Kurita, asks to join the organization. Hugai responded in mid-November by dispatching a squad of ISF agents to take back his sister from the ComStar hospice on Luthien by force.
When the Comstar First Circuit received word of the event, the body debated whether to acquiesce to the Coordinator or escalate the conflict and ultimately chose to support the Primus's hard-line stance. Though a number of members of the First Circuit called for an Interdiction, the Primus refused the move with support from Precentor Dieron, pointing out that House Kurita's honor and pride would force them to resist it and that only military response could satisfy the Combine's honor. While reluctant, the First Circuit ultimately chose to support York's hard-line stance and use military force to back the will of ComStar.
Though the Order lacked a true military, with the Precentors approval the organization used its capacity as the Mercenary Review Board to sign contracts with almost six regiments worth of crack mercenary units, a force considered large enough prompt the Coordinator to reconsider. The ace in the hole was a unit called the Bandersnatches, a ROM employed mercenary unit in close proximity to Luthien. Primus York then contacted Precentor Hendriks and evoked the never-before-used Emergency Powers Act of the Communications Protocol of 2787, allowing her to operate without interference from Terra and directly telling her the kidnapping could not stand.
ARMD is hired on a strict 12-month contract with the understanding that it would involve combat with the Draconis Combine. Thirsting for revenge against the Kuritans, ARMD travels to Terra to begin preparations for combat drops across the Combine.
While he traveled from Terra with the remaining mercenary forces, York placed the Bandersnatches en-route to Luthien and all ROM elements on the world under Hendrik's direct command along with the order to use whatever force necessary to enforce the will of Blake and ComStar. Hendrik's outlined her plan to use the Bandersnatches as the Sword of Damocles and perform a combat drop directly onto the Unity Palace to cripple or destroy House Kurita leadership. This audacious plan received York's full support. The planned attack forced the Coordinator to step back and release his sister.
In 2933 York would further use the affair as the justification to propose to the First Circuit the formation of a standing military for ComStar.
Settling with five regiments worth of full-time troops as part of a compromise with liberal elements on the First Circuit, York placed the new military under the shared control of the Primus and First Circuit. Building his military around the core of the now disbanded Bandersnatches, outfitted from ComStar's SLDF stockpiles, York tapped the vast resources of ROM to fund its creation. He also managed to convince the First Circuit to approve millions of C-Bills to transform the Sandhurst Royal Military College, from a ROM training school, back into a full military academy. Upon publicly announcing the formation of the branch to the stunned House Lords, York took great pains to convince them the ComStar Guards would be a light infantry force trained only for defensive purposes and stationed strictly on Terra.
ARMD never gets the chance to fight and are discharged on Terra 6 months short of the contract end. Only partial payment is made, leaving ARMD to pay their own way back to New Home. This is a major financial loss to the Regiment and the beginning of a refusal to ever make deals with ComStar again.
2986
Third Succession war starts.
2991
The Draconis Combine launches an attack on New Home. Due to a lucky schedule change, both Battalions of ARMD are on the planet. The 2nd Sword of Light drops to the west of Arcadia, on the exact same ground Colonel Sevil had fought with across with the Republicans 200 years before. This time it is the Sword who are savaged. Under the command of Colonel Aaron Bagby (a direct descendant of the famous Wally Bagby of the battle of Ayr) ARMD gets its chance for revenge. The 2nd Sword, expecting a 3rd rate mercenary outfit, advance with next to no tactical discipline towards Arcadia. As they advance into the city they fire randomly into the suburbs, killing and destroying at random.
The 1st and 3rd Battalions ambush and crush the Draconis troops. The Sword manages an escape but loses nearly a complete battalion in the process.
2998
ARMD raid Fomalhaut in the Draconis Combine for supplies. The raid is far more successful than the Regiment could have imagined.
3012
New Home is raided by the Capellan Confederation.
The Capellan Confederation launched an assault on the Planet of New Home in 3012, with the intent of bringing it under their ever-widening sphere of influence. The units sent to assault the planet were the 4th Capellan Irregulars, a battle Mech Battalion, the 7th, 81st and 90th Armoured Regiments, and the 101st Infantry Division. Unfortunately, one ARMD Battalion was away on contract, only the 3rd Battalion was present to face the invasion with a dozen stiletto aircraft for air support.
The Leader of this Battalion, Major Harold 'Guts' Rickley devised a plan to resist the assault. He ordered all available drop ships to land in and around the Arcadia Starport, the sole start port still operational on the planet. The intent was to provide a defensive umbrella around the start port using the dropships heavy weaponry, making a drop directly on the port impossible. The heavy anti-ship weaponry based around the start port kept the Capellan jump ships from supporting the drop directly.
As Rickley predicted, the Capellans readied for a ground assault on the space-port, landing some 50 clicks west of his positions. During the course of the first night, 3/1/3 "Omega lance" consisting of 2 Jenner II's, a Cicada and a spider made a blacked out, passive sensor raid on the enemy landing site. Catching the Capellans still trying to sort out the landing "Omega" lance was able to destroy a considerable amount of the landed supplies, including a massive fuel bladder which exploded, engulfing a "Leopard" class drop ship caught with its doors open.
After doing a quick supply count, the Capellans figured they had three days to take the spaceport before their supplies ran out. Their comms were being jammed by spaceport control and more of their dropships had been damaged by a Stiletto strike.
Resolving to take the Spaceport in a single action, the Liao Commander ordered an all-out assault. Within an hour of ordering the advance, the Capellan lead elements were reporting minefields on all approaches to the spaceport except a single valley. The Valley, named Rushing Waters Canyon was a dry valley, despite the name. A recent project by the Space-port committee had dried it to make it available for emergency cargo traffic, making its name rather deceptive.
Wary of a trap, the Capellan's advanced, their Crawlers at the front to take the brunt of any defense, with the Capellan Mechs scattered throughout the column to provide support. The single Assault Company comprised a rearguard.
When the first Tank exited the valley on the Starport side, all hell broke loose, the ARMD 3/1 Company, comprised of manly light mechs, powered up and shook off their camouflage. The 3/1 had been refitted with close-range weaponry and were placed right at the end of the valley, using the element of surprise to their advantage, they began to destroy the 90th Armored wholesale. The 3/1 used speed to outmaneuver the enemy tanks slow turret rotation, picking them off at will.
As the Capellan Mech's advanced to meet the threat, ARMD's 3/2 Heavy company powered up on the top of the valley walls. The ARMD Heavies took a heavy toll among the enemy mech lances. Explosives that had been laid along the sides of the Valley walls, were set off, destroying more tanks, mechs and killing thousands of the Liao infantry who were now moving into the valley.
The commander of the Capellan forces signaled a general retreat, cursing his officers for "failing to advise him of the trap" Rickley wasn't finished with him yet. The Stilettos came in overhead running an attack mission the entire length of the valley, firing armor-piercing missiles into the positions of the rear guard Liao assault mechs, damaging them heavily. This was followed by the commitment of the 3/3 Medium Company to the battle. The 3/3 powered up and advanced into the rear of the burning Liao column. Leaving the cave they had been hiding in position near the entrance to the canyon, they utterly decimated the remaining Capellan forces.
The ARMD 3rd Battalion, having lost a lance worth of Mechs at this point (two Jenners a Catapult and a Hunchback) chased the retreating enemy back to the over of their dropships. The Capellans were forced to abandon one dropship and flee with whatever they were able to load up.
All told the ARMD destroyed the 4th Capellan irregulars, the 90th armor savaged the 7th and 81st armoured during the retreat and captured the entire 101st before they were able to escape the planet.
After the battle, the citizens of Arcadia renamed the Rushing Waters Canyon "Gallipoli Gap" in honour of the defense of the city. A statue of Harold Rickley was erected at the mouth of the valley to remember his successful action.
3014
Capellans again raid New Home, again they are repelled but they inflict great losses on ARMD forces.
Studying the failure of 3012, the Capellans identified many mistakes made during the assault.
Firstly, they had neglected to properly scout the attack corridor.
Second, they lacked air support, although it didn't make a great difference during the battle, the attack run of the Stilletto's had damaged enough Assault mechs to make the attack of the ARMD medium company a success.
Third, the Capellan Warriors were inferior in terms of professional ability, panicking at the first sign of the enemy.
Learning from these lessons, the Capellans incorporated new tactics and training into the battle plan for their second raid.
The Capellans launched the second raid on New Home in 3014. Having hired out the 1st Battalion via proxy they would again face the 3rd Battalion who had defeated them in 3012. The Capellan Forces jumped to the closest LaGrange point and dropped their forces. They landed in the same place as the battle of 3012, 50 kilometres from the spaceport.
The Capellans had brought the 3rd, 5th and 12th Mech Companies (detached) that had been specially created for this raid. The 40th, 67th and 87th Armoured Brigades were in support along with several squadrons of Helicopters and ground assault aircraft. Against this force, ARMD were able to deploy the 3rd Battalion, several old tanks and the same small force of Stilletto multi role attack aircraft.
Harold 'Guts' Rickely was still in command of 3rd Battalion. Unlike the previous battle where he showed fore sight and a strong grasp of the terrain and tactics, Rickely prepared his forced much as before. He expected that the Capellans would make exactly the same assault and mistakes as 3012. Intending to use his tanks as bait, he intended to draw the enemy into "Gallipoli Gap" before assaulting from all sides.
However, the Capellans had come prepared and had learned from the previous battle.
Instead of waiting for daybreak before assaulting, they sent the 3rd independent company into the gap and ran the 5th and 12th along each side of the valley, before the ARMD forces were completely deployed. Within 15 minutes ARMD had lost two lances of Mechs and were fighting a desperate rearguard action. Soon the Capellan Armoured units joined the Mech Companies driving through Gallipoli gap. Even with Lances reinforced by trainees, ARMD was on it's last legs. When the Capellans finally called in Air support to finish the job, all but two of the ARMD Mechs were standing. Rickley and cadet Jacob Roskill, who was to earn the callsign "Three Mechs" after going through three mechs in this engagement.
Rickley ordered Jacob to fall back, and revealed his only trick of the engagement. Two Long Tom Artillery pieces ARMD had taken in the Formahault raid, ordering the operators to use his co-ordinates as a beacon, he charged into the midst of the Capellan forces. The heavy artillery shells wreaked havoc among the Capellan mechs, but also led to the death of Colonel Rickely.
Having achieved their goal, the destruction of the 3rd, the Capellans made an orderly retreat salvaging most of their lost Mechs and several ARMD mechs.
3016
In a final raid that caught the remaining battalion, the 1st, on the planet, the Capellans again raid New Home. The 1st fights a running battle across West Island, striking and disappearing for months. After 3 months, the 1st is out of ammunition, food and fuel. A negotiated settlement with the Capellans allows the last remaining ARMD battalion to disband and retire to their homes.
For over 1000 years ARMD has fought across human space taking part in many of the greatest events in Human history, with this final ignominy of defeat at the hands of the Capellans, the Australasian Royal Mechanised Division is no more.
3025
The Third succession war ends.
3030
New Home becomes part of the Tikonov Free Republic. The leader of the Republic, Pavel Ridzik, had allied with the FedSuns and promised not to attack the Capellan Conferation as part of the succession of the TFP. He did however go on the offensive against the much larger Free Worlds League. Ridzik's Republican Guards were able to surprise and defeat League troops on worlds like Hall. Many ex ARMD warriors made up units within the Republican Guard. Captain-General Janos Marik's fear of the nascent Federated Commonwealth kept him from retaliating. Chancellor Liao did retaliate, in the only form he could, he had Pavel Ridzik assassinated.
3041
The people of the Tikonov Free Republic chose to end their short-lived independence and join the Federated Commonwealth's Sarna March, bringing their conquered League worlds with them.
3045
New Home has a reputation of providing an excellent cadre of Warriors. Even tho ARMD no longer exists, the long history and family ties to the Division remain within the families of the planet.
3045
A group of mechwarriors return on leave to New Home. They are the first generation of New Home warriors to have not served within ARMD from childhood. Each warrior has trod a different path, some were educated in House schools and served with House Units, some trod the path of the mercenary, training and fighting for pay across the galaxy. Six men, friends from boyhood return at the same time to catch up with families and rest from the efforts of the 4th succession war. Current loyalties matter nothing, they are all men of New Home.
During a week long hike through the mountains of South Island, the leader of the group falls down a steep, densely forested ravine. When he comes to he finds himself lying in front of a massive, vine covered set of doors. The doors are meters high and wide, easily big enough for a mech. Approaching the massive slabs of metal he finds a smaller human sized door and sets his hand against the lock plate. He experiences a sharp pain on his ring ringer and when he looks down he can see a single drop of blood.
The door slides open and into a vast mech bay.
He enters, marvelling at the sheer size and scale of the place and the wonders of the mechs, powered down and sleeping in their bays. He explores further into the complex and in one large and luxuriously appointed room, sitting on a massive desk he finds a leather bound book made of actual sheets of plas. On the cover is embossed the sigil of ARMD, an emblem he had only seen on public buildings in Arcadia and on the old uniforms of marching veterans on remembrance day parades.
On the cover:
"The Complete and Unabridged History of the Australian Mechanised Division: 2014-3016.
Internal Intelligence
Commanders Eyes only
Fidelis Ultra Nex"
He opened the book and sat down to read. 12 hours later he looked up, tears in his eyes, pride in what had been gained in blood and fire, sorrow in what had been lost. Why had he never known this?, why did his parents not school him in this history and the traditions of his forebears?.
Leaving the hidden cache, walked outside to call his brothers. Bringing them inside the cache and showing them the mechs, he explained what he had found in the book. They made copies and each of the six got a single copy, signed by all of them. Each took the book home and over the next weeks, each read and learned of the history of their ancestors, history lost in a single generation.
Meeting together at the cache 3 weeks later each looked into the eyes of the others and each man nodded. None of them returned to their units, each was now a deserter. Calls went out to the old families of New Home, messages were sent to those who were off planet fighting in other peoples wars, messages which simply said "Come Home, the tradition is reborn"
Several hundred returned over the next year, many bringing family mechs, some escaping with their unit mechs. All of them leaving existing service. Young ones, sensing something special was happening kept their ears open to find out what was going on.
Each man, knowing they have deserted their units takes a new name to protect their families. It quickly becomes a tradition and each returnee also takes a new "Nom de Guerre"
The first Six
Battalion Commander
Major
Call sign: Nav
Company Commander
Captain
Call sign: Athelstane
Company Commander
Captain
Call sign: Bluemaxx
Company Commander
Captain
Call sign: Slide
Lieutenant
Call sign: Ceefood
Lieutenant
Call sign: heLLman
Lieutenant
Call sign: ZathrasZero
3048
A request is sent to the ComStar Mercenary registrar to transfer ownership of the ARMD Mercenary Corporation to a dummy company on New Home. The registration of ARMD had never been cancelled, it had simply been allowed to lapse so the transfer by low level ComStar functionaries was easy and quiet.
In June of 3048, a "new" Battalion paraded for the first time on its old grounds. Wealthy backers had purchased the old barracks of the 4th RCT outside of Arcadia and gifted it to the unit.
Agents appeared in the recruiting halls of the inner sphere looking for work for the new unit.
ARMD was reborn.
3049
Today
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