This is the unit I've been using in most of my BattleTech/MegaMek. I apologise for the errors that my spellchecker didn't catch.
Dossier: Stewart’s Rifles Mercenary Group
FORMATION
The formation of the Stewart’s Rifles took place during the Marik - Liao invasion of the Sarna March. The founding members of the unit were actually members of the Elgin Militia, including several members of a small landholding family that held a seat in Elgin’s Landholders Council, the local form of government. This landholder, one Anthony Stewart, had fought in the War of 3039 against the Federated Commonwealth, but repatriated back to Elgin afterwards and maintained his landholdings and seat on the council.
On September 15, 3057, hard-line elements of the Landholders Council took control, consigning almost a third of their number to the gallows. Though Anthony Stewart was not a proponent, his hard-line political leanings, as well as a promise that the militia members that were part of his family would not fight, kept him on the council. On September 16, the 15th Marik Militia (The Polyphemus Division) jumped in system in support of the New Landholders Council, who began fighting amongst themselves almost immediately for the lands freed up by their deceased brethren. Various council members granted land-holds to the officers of the LCAF’s 5th Republican Guards, the ‘Mech garrison regiment assigned to Elgin, and seats on the council for their support of the new government. This sparked an internal mutiny that turned the companies and battalions of the 5th Republican against itself over the weeks that followed. The few remaining members of the Landholders Council were supported by the Polyphemus Division, who in support of the council, engaged the scattered 5th Republican units across the planet.
Over the next week, Anthony Stewart declared that his land-hold would be neutral in the fighting and open to all those who would respect it as such. No fighting would be permitted, and all wounded would receive equal attention. The surrounding land-holders were persuaded to sign an agreement to that effect, and for several days, the Stewart’s territory became the calm eye of a hurricane of bloodshed. After a particularly bloody three way fight between two factions of the 5th and the 15th’s fourth battalion, a cadre of Word of Blake MechWarriors, wounded on all three sides streamed into the Stewart’s territory. Upon hearing of this, the officer in charge of the WoB cadre, Precentor-IX Arcturus Gallifrey, led an expedition to the Stewart’s homestead where the wounded were recovering. After he collected his own warriors, he cruelly ordered the execution of the remaining wounded and claimed any equipment he could get his hands on as salvage. In the process, Anthony’s youngest son (Samuel, 14 yrs) was killed when he attacked the Precentor.
Word of this quickly reached Stewart’s oldest sons, Gabriel and Richmond, ’MechWarriors in the Eglin Militia, in the capital city. They had already been planning actions against the 15th, and were galvanized into action. Almost a company of ‘MechWarriors had drifted into the capital city and were “in hiding†at the Stewarts townhouse there, as well as several other family members. Over the next two days, Gabriel, Richmond and several other trusted family members enacted a plan that would not only put them in a position to strike back, but remove a number of BattleMechs from the WoB’s force in the process.
By late early afternoon of September 31, nearly seventy percent of the personnel in the WoB compound were suffering from acute diarrhea and dehydration due to several liters of laxitrine having been surreptitiously added to the compound‘s water supply. This made it very easy for Stewarts people, disguised as Word of Blake replacements to enter the compound and acquire thirteen operational ’Mechs from the twenty that were stationed there, as the remaining staff was none too healthy themselves, and severely overworked. In the process, they also acquired over two hundred fifty tons of supplies, loaded on trucks and ’Mech recovery vehicles, meant for the Marik company to refit and rearm with.
It was nearly four hours before the real replacements arrived at the HPG compound and discovered the missing ‘Mechs and supplies. The four hour head start Stewart’s people had prevented timely pursuit from Elgin City, but the units in the field were advised of the rogue company moving towards the Corvalis Mountains and the township of Hemming. There, the 3rd company, 2nd battalion, of the 15th Marik Militia was waiting for the very ‘Mechs and supplies that Stewart’s people had liberated. With the Elgin Militia and Republican ‘Mechs out of position to assist or be a threat, the Marik Militia moved to intercept Stewart’s rogue company before they could make contact with the guerilla force.
After linking up with the guerilla forces, Stewart spearheaded several pitched engagements against the Word of Blake and Marik forces. After two months of fighting and hit and run actions, the Blake and Marik forces were removed and Elgin was returned to the control of the Council of Landholders. They declared their world independent of the Federated Commonwealth, as many surrounding worlds of what would soon be known as the Chaos March had done.
Gabriel Stewart assembled the members of his resistance group and presented them with the option of joining him in forming a mercenary band and leaving Elgin or remaining to become members of the Elgin Militia. Stweart’s Rifles were formed, consisting of two companies of BattleMechs, two vehicle lances, and several platoons of infantry. The crew of the Excalubur class DropShip MegaDuce joined their cause and the entire force lifted off world to Outreach. From there, the company took their first contract under Duke Timothy Bentlen on the Draconis Combine world of Korramabad.
Korramabad Contract
The world of Korramabad had been recently been in the throws of revolution. Duke Timothy Bentlen had recently been victorious over the last ruler of the planet, former Duke Taikara Imushiu and hardline forces loyal to the previous coordinator of the Combine. Stewarts Rifles were brought in to support the Duke’s forces in a one year garrison contract to protect the worlds industrial diamond production facilities from pirate raids.
Gabriel planned to use the time on Korramabad to fully intrigrate the unit and develop their tactics while training with the Duke’s forces and the Korramabad Militia. Roughly three months into their contract, word reached the Duke’s ears that Hiro Imushiu, former Duke Taikara’s son, had assembled an attack force and was intent on winning back his father’s world, thus erasing the stain on Duke Taikara’s honor. The resulting action was four months of heavy combat that only ended when Hiro was killed on the battlefield, ending the conflict. The remaining soldiers from Hiro’s command committed ritual suicide rather than be taken captive by Duke Bentlen’s forces and returned to the Combine. Stewart’s Rifles and the Korramabad Militia split the salvage from the fighting and netted them enough material to rebuild and increase their strength to a full battalion of BattleMechs, as well as netting them two O-Bakemono artillery BattleMechs.
Trent Contract
In mid 3059, Stewart’s rifles accepted a two part contract from the Bolan March Militia to garrison the Lyran Alliance world of Trent and act as instructors to a small, militia run academy in the city of Lawndale. This relatively short, one year contract landed the Rifles in the middle of a rivalry between the militia’s academy and a privately run military academy in the same city, a black market arms scheme being perpetrated by the militia academy’s head master, and a mineral rights conflict between the two premiere mining concerns in the star system.
As Stewart’s Rifles worked on training the cadets of the militia academy, behind the scenes manipulation placed the private academy firmly in the camp of Grace, Sloane, and Paige Minerals when called in the mercenary band known as the Alaskan Light Horse Brigade, who was on retainer to the corporation. Their objectives were to seize the spaceports, militia academy, and mining sights belonging to Taylor Mining. Stweart’s Rifles snagged the Alaskan Light Horse forces while the fought for control of the city of Lawndale in what would become known as the Lawndale Civil War.
The conflict concluded when GS&P executive Angier Sloane was killed by his son Thomas, who had sided with the militia, and immediately took over his father’s position. Thomas immediately called a cease fire.
The remainder of the Rifle’s stay on Trent passed fairly quietly as both sides licked their wounds and mourned their dead.
Current Status
As of 3060, Stewart’s Rifles is composed of four companies of BattleMechs, three companies of infantry equipped with Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor, two lances of fire support vehicles, and a six-ship Aerospace fighter squadron.
