Eridani Light
Horse
Unit History
Formation of the
First Regimental Combat Teams
The Eridani Light Horse
Against the Usurper
The First Succession War
Evacuation
Dissension in the Ranks
Return to Duty
Vacation on New Karlsruh
Defense of Hesperus II
Contract with Davion
Unit Information
Unit Description
Contract Requirements
Typical Mission Work
Unit Traditions
Eridani Crests
Formation
of the First Regimental Combat Teams
In 2651, First Lord Cameron sent several Star
League military regiments on maneuvers just beyond the Rim Worlds
Republic. Military analysts observing the maneuvers subsequently
filed a report criticizing the five regiments' lack of
coordination, interservice rivalry, and general lack of common
sense. To avoid the wrath of the First Lord, the military High
Command quickly organized some regiments into Regimental Combat
Teams.
Designed to promote interregimental cooperation,
the RCT's, as they became known, contained four combatant
regiments and a single support and transportation element. One
officer, usually the most experienced of the four regimental
leaders, commanded the RCT and trained his four regiments to work
towards a common objective. Unlike most other military
formations, the RCTs were permanently assigned to a section of
the Star League. There, the units became familiar with their
territory and developed a sense of belonging, which was presumed
to work to their advantage.
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The
Eridani Light Horse
Formed in 2702, the 3rd Regimental Combat Team,
which consisted of two Striker Regiments and two Light Horse
Regiments, established residence near the Periphery in the
Rasalhague Military District. Though it had no opportunity to
prove itself in battle, the 3rd RCT trained constantly. The
officers became adept at combat diplomacy, as they often had to
fend off local accusations that they were nothing more than an
occupation force.
In 2681, the cutbacks of the House militaries ordered by
Michael Cameron's Edict of 2650 began to bear bitter fruit.
Hundreds of Kuritan MechWarriors had become ronin, masterless
samurai who knew no other trade than warfare. They began
contesting each other in duels of honor --- duels that eventually
began to produce Champions, around whom a whole new dueling cult
arose to rival that of Solaris VII. Many of these Champions
became legends both on and off the dueling circuits, and the
cockier ones began striding up to the edges of Star League bases
and delivering challenges to those within. The 3rd RCT acquitted
itself well in these duels, winning 30 out of 48 challenges given
them by the time the practice ground to a halt in 2751.
This incredible record was likely due to the unit's heavy
involvement in the SLDF's Gunslinger program. The greatest
Gunslinger ever to hail from the 3rd RCT was Major Kyle Sessions,
who piloted a Wyvern-class BattleMech to 17 victories and
suffered only one loss before his retirement in 2735.
This bitterness reached the boiling point in 2749, when
terrorists, hired by the Prince of Rasalhague, assassinated the
Commander of the 3rd RCT. The blow mobilized the entire 3rd RCT,
which descended and occupied the major cities on all ten worlds
in their districts. For 23 days 'Battlemechs patrolled the
cities, waiting for Draconian forces from Luthien to strike. When
the Prince dispatched troops to the Trondheim city of Eridani,
the well-trained units of the 3rd RCT chased them off with little
trouble. The RCT received its unit nickname of the "Eridani
Light Horse" when a sympathetic journalist reported that the
RCT 'Battlemechs had scattered the Combine 'Battlemechs,
"Like spirited Eridani stallions chasing after fat, clumsy
Luthien cows." After this humiliation, the Prince of
Rasalhague had no choice but to arrest, try, and execute the
assassins after a speedy trial. Due to evidence that might have
linked the Draconis Combine directly to the assassination,
Coordinator Takiro Kurita declined to publicly back the move of
his impetuous underling, but neither did he move to replace the
errant Prince. Events were to shortly foreshadow the entire
incident, however --- the Star League itself would soon be at
risk.
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Against
the Usurper
The crisis with the Prince of Rasalhague quickly
paled beside the news of the turmoil resulting from the death of
the First Lord. First Lord Simon Cameron was killed by a
mining robot in what was apparently a freak accident in February
of 2751. Throughout the next 15 years, the Light
Horse participated in many of the declared and undeclared wars
that broke out in the Periphery. In 2766, after the New
Vandenberg Campaign, the Light Horse was rotated off the front
lines and back to their station in the Rasalhague Military
District.
Less than six months later on December 27, First Lord Richard
Cameron was shot dead by Stefan Amaris. While awaiting the return
of General Kerensky's forces from the Periphery, the Eridani
Light Horse prepared for raids against Usurper forces, but was
denied permission to stage from Combine space. Most of
Coordinator Minoru Kurita's family had been taken hostage by
Amaris, and the Combine could not afford to be seen as supporting
the returning Kerensky or any other SLDF force. The Light Horse
transferred its base of operations to the Free Worlds League
after some initially heated talks with Captain-General Kenyon
Marik, and having gotten settled the unit commenced operations
immediatel Realizing that the Light Horse could not
take the Usurper's forces head-on, Colonel Ezra Bradley,
commander of the RCT, decided to launch hit-and-run strikes
against the weaker worlds surrounding Terra. He hoped that these
raids would disrupt Amaris's defensive preparations.
Bradley's plan achieved great success until the
19th Striker Regiment dropped on Amity. During a mission to
disrupt operations at one of New Earth's many BattleMech
factories, the 19th Striker Regiment was ambushed by three heavy
Usurper regiments. Evidence points to a Kuritan agent within the
19th Striker's high command tipping Amaris to the raid, possibly
a "good-faith" effort on the Coordinator's part to
resolve the hostage situation. As well, the Combine held a
vendetta against the Light Horse for the loss on Trondheim and
for defeating many of their ronin in the Gunslinger duels. No one
has ever accused House Kurita of forgetting a slur to their
honor.
If such is the case, no Kuritan family members were released
to compensate the Coordinator for his efforts --- and the 19th
Striker was completely and utterly destroyed, a betrayal the
Eridani Light Horse has never forgotten or forgiven.
Though sorely tempted to retaliate, Colonel
Bradley continued his hit-and-run tactics until the Light Horse
linked up with General Kerensky and his forces. Upon General
Kerensky's return from conquering Amaris' own Rim Worlds Republic
in 2772, Marik rescinded his permission for SLDF personnel to
base from Marik space. The move (apparently to repay an old
grudge against Kerensky) forced the surviving Eridani to stop
their heretofore successful raiding campaign and rejoin the
Regular Army in preparation for the real war to come. Then, and with great glee, the Eridani Light Horse
avenged the loss of the 19th Regiment in long and bloody battles,
whose climax was the invasion and liberation of Terra.
Emperor Amaris made a strategic blunder in 2774 by ordering a
limited withdrawal of his forces to worlds protected by forts or
Strategic Defense Systems. Twelve worlds were voluntarily
relinquished to General Kerensky, two of which were within a
single jump of Terra itself. In addition, the recapture of Carver
V was a major morale coup; three Marine regiments had been
holding out there since Amaris' coup eight years prior. The Light
Horse, which ran supplies to the beleaguered troops during this
period, received a healthy share of the credit for the success of
the Marines' guerrilla campaign.
Assaults on Republican holdings and consolidating liberated
territory took nearly three years, but preparations for the final
assault of Terra itself were complete by late January of 2777.
From eight worlds surrounding mankind's home, the returning Army
surged like a vengeful wave composed of warships, aerospace
fighters, BattleMechs, tanks and infantry---no amount of
automated high-tech defenses, no suicidal defense, could keep the
enraged SLDF from retaking the Cradle of Humanity back from the
man who had defiled everything the Star League stood for.
The fighting continued without quarter, savage and brutal,
until the last Republican units surrendered at the orders of
Stefan Amaris himself in November of 2779. Always in or near the
forefront of battle during the final campaign for North America,
the Light Horse performed as a skirmishing and flanking unit on
the corps level and witnessed the retaking of the Court of the
Star League, although it did not directly participate.
Ten years of war had come and gone, and with it, most of the
Regular Army as well. A staggering 75% loss average crippled the
SLDF, ensuring that when the High Council finally dissolved and
all-out war erupted between the Great Houses, Kerensky's
remaining forces would not be able to stop it. Rather than be
swayed to the side of one of the soon-to-be-warring Houses, the
aging General prepared his force to leave the Inner Sphere
altogether.
While the Council Lords were vying for control of the Star
League, the Eridani Light Horse returned to the Rasalhague
Military District, striving to remain impartial. They waited
patiently for General Kerensky to call them into action to
restore order to the Star League.
When approached by the General's emissaries, however, the
Eridani could not bring themselves to leave their homeworlds of
Rasalhague. Too many felt they would be abandoning not only their
friends and homes, but also the Star League itself; it only took
the 80th Heavy Cavalry Battalion, which Kerensky himself had once
commanded, half an hour to decide to remain. In the end, only a
few scattered lances decided to leave with the Exodus.
When the call came, however, it summoned them to join the
remaining loyal Star League forces and to leave the Interior
forever. Ironically, the Light Horse felt such a sense of
belonging to the area they defended that it proved to be stronger
than their loyalty to General Kerensky. Only a few lances of the
3rd RCT decided to leave the Star League. The entire 82nd Heavy
Cavalry Battalion, once commanded by General Kerensky himself,
needed only half and hour before deciding to stay. Colonel
Bradley sent a regretful communiqué to General Kerensky,
expressing both the Light Horse's undying loyalty to the Star
League and General Kerensky, and its desire to remain and uphold
the traditions of the Star League Armed Forces.
And on November 5, 2784, the Exodus Fleet jumped out from New
Samarkand into the yawning Periphery, not to be seen again for
nearly three centuries. That day, the members of the 3rd RCT took
down the banner of the Star League and lowered the Eridani unit
standard to half-mast. The gesture survived to the modern day as
one of the unit's many traditions.
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The First
Succession War
In the hellfire that erupted after Kerensky's
exodus, the Light Horse remained aloof. Minoru Kurita,
Coordinator of the Draconis Combine, made numerous offers of
employment to Colonel Bradley, who rebuffed the overtures. Only
when Minoru threatened to cancel all trade with the unit did he
finally get the attention of the Light Horse commander. Long
negotiations between the two sides produced a mutual defense and
nonaggression pact. The Draconis Combine agreed to tolerate the
presence of the Eridani Light Horse in Kurita space as long as
the unit defended its worlds and made no move against the
Combine.
The Light Horse easily handled the few tentative
thrusts by the Lyran Commonwealth against its home worlds. On the
other side of the Combine, however, the Kuritists suffered a
disastrous campaign against the Federated Suns. In the battle for
Kentares IV, Minoru Kurita was killed, and his insanely violent
son Jinjiro succeeded him. In 2796, Jinjiro avenged his father's
death by massacring 50 million civilians on Kentares IV.
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Evacuation
After hearing of the Kentares Massacre, the
Commanding officers of the Light Horse began Preparing to move.
Though everyone from the unit commander down to the most
inexperienced warrior hated to leave their worlds, most realized
that a confrontation with the psychotic Jinjiro was inevitable.
By June of 2798, most of the Eridani Light Horse
had launched and were waiting for the dependents of the 8th Recon
Battalion and 50th Heavy Cavalry Battalions to leave the planet
Sendai. Furious with the units' desertion, the administrator of
Sendai captured and held those families hostage, demanding that
the entire unit lay down its weapons and turn itself over to him.
When the Light Horse failed to meet the disarm deadline, he
ordered his troops to execute the two thousand dependents.
Enraged, the 8th and 50th battalions dropped on
the planet. The resulting battle lasted for a week and ended
after every political official and Combine Battlemechs was hunted
down and slaughtered. Forces from Rasalhague appeared in the
system, but, when informed of the administrator's deeds, they
soon withdrew. The 8th and 50th returned grim and battered.
Although the officers of the two units had acted without orders,
Colonel Bradley refused their resignations. Today, the 50th Heavy
Cavalry (nicknamed "The Bloody Half Hundred" because of
Sendai) and the 8th Recon Battalion are tradition-bound to
protect the dependants of the Light Horse.
After leaving Sendai, the Eridani Light Horse
crossed the Inner Sphere and entered the Free Worlds League.
Marik immediately granted them a place to stay until both sides
could work out a mercenary contract. Colonel Bradley pledged his
unit to the Free Worlds League in exchange for a secure world for
the unit's families, a steady supply source, and a modest fee.
The Eridani Light Horse figured prominently in
Marik offensives during the Second Succession War. Besides
spearheading attacks against Lyran-owned worlds, such as Ilion
and Dieudonne, they also repulsed a Kurita attack against the
planet Danais.
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Dissension
in the Ranks
When the Third Succession War erupted in 2866,
Colonel Bronson, commander of the Eridani Light Horse,
renegotiated a contract with the Free Worlds League. Pleased with
the unit's performance, the League Parliament considerably
sweetened the Light Horse's original contract, giving them titles
and free access to League supply centers.
Some Light Horse soldiers perceived this
newfound affluence to be a threat to their tradition as defenders
of Star League principles. They felt that Colonel Bronson was
selling out, making the Eridani Light Horse no better than any
other band of mercenaries. Major Johnson, commander of the 151st
Regiment, became the leader of this internal dissent. However,
Bronson ignored the dissidence, as he ignored the old Star League
traditions.
In 2869, Major Johnson led the 151st out of the
Free Worlds League to the Periphery, and the majority of the
other two regiments followed him. Left with only his family, a
few loyal officers, and a couple of loyal lances, Colonel Bronson
moved his force to a small, but resource-rich world just out-side
the borders of the League, where he began to recruit Periphery
riffraff into a mercenary force.
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Return to
Duty
Shunning the mercenary life, the Light Horse
gradually deteriorated on its Periphery world as its resources
ran low. With nothing to trade, the unit had to resort to farming
the poor soil to survive. Then, in 2871, a regiment of bandits
raided the Eridani supply center. Although the Light Horse drove
off the raiders, the bandits carried away or destroyed most of
the unit's supplies.
Light Horse officers conferred for days to
figure out how to stave off impending starvation. Finally, they
worked out a compromise to hire out their military services to
those retaining the honor and integrity of the Star League. At
this time, the Light Horse adopted most of its present traditions
to remind the soldiers of its principles. After gaining the
approval of his men, Colonel Johnson traveled to the Lyran
Commonwealth to negotiate a contract. Steiner agreed to all of
Johnson's terms, including the control of a planet for the unit's
dependants. Unfortunately, Colonel Johnson died while the Light
Horse transferred to its base on New Karlsruh. His successor,
Jennifer Dirkson, adopted the rank of Brevet General to show both
her authority over the three regiments and her willingness to
resign if she ever placed mercenary considerations over Eridani
tradition.
From 2872 to 2945, the Eridani Light Horse
served the Lyran Commonwealth along the Draconis Combine border.
Its fame spread quickly throughout the Inner Sphere, and Kuritist
units learned to fear the sign of the trotting brown horse.
In 2900, the 151st Light Horse Regiment dropped
onto the Kurita-controlled world of Radalah, expecting to find
only a battalion of garrison troops. After quickly seizing the
cities of Auptsmon, Tiel, and New Freisburg, the 6th and 8th
Recon battalions encountered Kurita's elite 3rd Proserpina
Hussars Regiment. The Hussars cut off the two recon battalions
from the 50th Heavy Cavalry Battalion, which was encamped in New
Freisburg, and laid siege to the city. Too weak to assault the
Hussar's position, the two recon battalions conducted hit-and-run
attacks on the Kuritists, drawing more and more forces against
them. Eventually, the sieging force became so depleted that the
50th Heavy Cavalry was able to storm the Hussars, escape New
Freisburg, and retreat to Auptsmon, where Eridani Dropships were
waiting to lift the regiment offplanet. For its spirited fighting
against the heavier regiment, the 151st Regiment earned its
nickname of "The Dark Horse Regiment."
Brevet General Dirkson retired in 2926 and was
succeeded by Montgomery Wilson, who also took the rank of Brevet
General. Every commanding officer of the Eridani Light Horse has
since also adopted this rank. Wilson split the unit into
battalions, which launched numerous strikes against Kuritist
worlds, including Caledonia, Dawn, and Wheel. For two months, the
82nd Heavy Cavalry Battalion occupied St. John, one of the Light
Horse's charges during Star League days.
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Vacation
on New Karlsruh
Although very successful, the Light Horse's
raids severely depleted the battalions. In 2946, the Commonwealth
Military granted the entire unit leave to rest and resupply on
New Karlsruh. Brevet General Wilson used this time to recruit
more mercenaries and to repair his damaged 'Mechs. Both the 3rd
and 7th Striker Battalions of the 21st Regiment had to be almost
completely rebuilt. While Wilson and two 'Mech companies were
visiting mercenary guild halls looking for talent, Colonel
Haviarre of the 71st Regiment was in charge of the Light Horse.
In the same year, word of the Eridani Light
Horse's activities reached the ears of Commander Russel Bronson,
son of the Light Horse commander deserted in 2869 and leader of
the mercenary legion Bronson's Horde. Wishing to wreak revenge on
the "Mutineers," Bronson broke off his contract with
the Federated Suns and traveled to New Karlsruh.
Bronson's attack took the Eridani Light Horse
completely by surprise. With only twelve hours to prepare,
Colonel Haviarre ordered the 50th Heavy Cavalry and the 8th Recon
Battalions to move the Light Horse families to the mountains. The
remaining five battalions quickly fanned out to meet the three
incoming regiments. Bronson landed his Dropships under an
umbrella of aerospace fighters, but soon, the Eridani fighters
mustered and reestablished aerospace superiority. The surprise of
Bronson's attack became his downfall as the Light Horse fighters
destroyed the straggling Dropship reinforcements and wreaked
havoc on the heavy 'Mech forces below. Undaunted, Bronson urged
his units on, Searching for the Eridani High Command. Although
his assault lances pounded the lighter units, the Light Horse's
recon battalions soon outmaneuvered the slow 'Mechs. The 12th
Armored Infantry Battalion alone felled two lances of 'Mechs.
Commander Bronson himself joined the ranks of the Dispossessed
when his Cyclops fell under a barrage of missiles from several
Chippewa AeroSpace Fighters. Miraculously unscathed, he led his
remaining forces offplanet, vowing revenge.
Though it took substantial damage, the Eridani
Light Horse gained enormous plunder from Bronson's Horde. By
2949, the unit was fighting for Steiner against the Free Worlds
League. The worlds of Oliver, Thera, Alula Australis, and Corcrya
all felt the sting of the Light Horse. Eridani battalions raided
several military bases deep within the League, including Nathan,
Procyon, and Feng Pau. In 2955, Brevet General Kerston succeeded
Brevet General Wilson.
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Defense of
Hesperus II
In 2998, House Steiner planned a planetary
assault against Kalidassa, a Marik-controlled world with some
functioning 'Mech production facilities. Three of the five
Steiner regiments on Hesperus II formed the core of the assault
group, and the Light Horse's 21st Striker Regiment and 50th and
82nd Heavy Cavalry Battalions replaced them in the garrison. When
the Marik forces on Kalidassa recognized their attackers, they
informed the High Command that Hesperus II was without its crack
defenders. As a result, Marik decided to send a reconnaissance
force to determine Commonwealth strength on the planet. League
Dropships descended on Hesperus II, deposited nine recon
companies at various locations and withdrew. The garrison
commander on Hesperus II ordered the 21st Regiment to leave the
easily defensible city of Tallowrand to ferret out the enemy
scouts; a task better suited to a recon unit. Too slow to deploy
efficiently, the striker regiment took heavy damage from the
Marik scouts, which withdrew before the heavy 'Mechs could engage
them.
Within weeks, Marik landed four regiments to
strengthen his position on the planet. Again the garrison
commander ordered the Light Horse units to engage the enemy.
However, the Eridani regimental commander disobeyed his orders to
march to Marik's landing zone, and stationed his artillery along
the mountain passes to Hesperus II's industrial center, where he
knew the invaders would be heading. The Light Horse force allowed
two reconnaissance companies to cross the mountain range
unmolested, and then the bulk of the army, three regiments
strong, attempted to pass. Long Tom cannons shelled the force and
the area, sealing the pass and splitting the army in two. With no
room to maneuver, the League units were sitting ducks for the
Eridani 'Mechs and tanks. Timely assistance from Steiner 'Mechs
enabled the Light Horse to overwhelm half of the invading force,
and the remaining enemy units retreated offplanet.
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Contract
with Davion
The Eridani Light Horse was also successful in
the Twelfth Battle for Hesperus II. Nevertheless, Light Horse
commanders were becoming increasingly irritated with working
under Steiner military leaders, many of whom showed amazing
incompetence. When contract negotiations with Steiner broke down
in 2999, Brevet General Kerston went to House Davion for
employment. Both sides struck a settlement in 3000, and the Light
Horse left New Karlsruh for Derby in the Crucis March.
Duke Davion split the Light Horse into
battalions and companies to carry out diversionary raids on both
Kurita and Liao worlds. These units' abilities to strike hard and
move quickly often convinced planetary garrisons that a full
regiment was attacking the planet. As these raids were perilous,
the Light Horse received substantial bonuses. A few of these
simulated assaults became real invasions when Eridani forces
realized that they could actually conquer the planet themselves.
When Brevet General Kerston stepped down in
3023, Brevet General Armstrong assumed command. One of his first
duties was to organize the defense of the planet Hoff, location
of the Meistmorn Academy, to repulse a Kurita Attack. Although
Wolf's Dragoons, under contract to Kurita, pounded Eridani units
in a furious onslaught, the Light Horse played cat-and-mouse with
the mercenaries, keeping them off-balance until Davion
Reinforcements arrived to flush the Dragoons offplanet. Eridani
losses were heavy, and Davion, pleased with the unit's
performance, granted the Light Horse time to rebuild its forces.
The Light Horse soldiers spent their vacation on
Derby and at the Federated Suns' New Avalon Institute of Science.
At the NAIS, they taught combat skills and Star League and
Successor State history, while participating in technological
research.
In 3025, the Eridani Light Horse
resumed fighting under the Davion banner against the Draconis
Combine.
- - - END OF RECORDED HISTORY - - -
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Unit
Description
The Eridani Light Horse is dedicated to
preserving the ways, traditions, and honor of the Star League
Armed Forces. Our lives hold no higher purpose than to remind the
Inner Sphere of the power and the glory that once unified us all.
Fate willing, we may again enjoy such benevolence.
To that end, we work only with those we
admire, those that manage to keep alive the old ways. The Lyran
Commonwealth and the Federated Suns are two such peoples.
As we admire some, there are those we despise.
Our hatred for the Draconis Combine is simple and requires little
explanation. They plumbed the depths of depravity when they
murdered our families to bring us to our knees. We will never
grant them mercy or expect it.
-General Armstrong at the ELH Combat Training School
Commencement Ceremonies, 3024
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Contract
Requirements
The Eridani Light Horse's only weakness is its
inadequate number of Techs. Therefore, Light Horse leaders always
insist that the employer furnish the unit with support personnel
to repair and maintain its 'Mechs. Also, they demand the right to
negotiate supply contracts with local commerce companies. This
allows them to bypass their employer's military bureaucracy,
which might neglect the needs of mercenaries in favor of house
units.
Like many other mercenary units, the Light Horse
requests a place to settle its dependents. This is a vital
contract point, as these mercenaries firmly believe in keeping a
sense of community. They also refuse to commit any act that would
violate the near-forgotten Ares Conventions. Thus, they will
never attack civilians, inflict undue harm on innocent peoples,
or execute prisoners.
Perhaps their only unusual contract point is that
the employer must allow Eridani support personnel into his
research facilities. Although this has irritated some employers,
it does ensure that Light Horse 'Mechs will be in the best
possible shape to fight for their employer. Only the wily Hanse
Davion has had the audacity to turn this contract point around.
He demanded that if he was to permit mercenaries into his New
Avalon Institute of Science, then the best of them must teach
there. With a laugh, General Armstrong accepted his condition.
The Eridani Light Horse is well satisfied with
its relations with the Federated Suns. Prince Davion exceeded
most of the Light Horse's specifications - he even sells 'Mechs
to the unit at cost. General Armstrong respects the Prince, and
so he plans to remain in the Federated Suns for a long, long
time.
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Typical
Mission Work
Though the Eridani Light Horse is adept at
fighting large battles, they are wizards when it comes to
raiding. Their quick strikes have spawned many imitators, such as
Winfields's Brigade of the Lyran Commonwealth. What distinguishes
the Light Horse from all others is the skill and coordination of
each Eridani soldier. A typical objective lasts approximately
four hours, and roughly follows this sequence.
1)Aerospace fighters attack enemy
aerodromes, while recon lances drop onto the planet.
2)Recon lances gather information while striking at communication
centers, crippling the enemy's ability to respond.
3)Aerospace fighters establish aerospace superiority, then
command and strike lances drop to the planet.
4)Units strike at objective(s). Dropships transport support units
(artillery, tanks, and infantry) to prearranged recall points,
and then leave for a near-orbit.
5)Command, strike, and recon lances break off attacks after
allotted time has elapsed, and head for recall points, striking
at any military target that presents itself.
6)Support units cover the approach of the returning lances.
Dropships land, take aboard all personnel, and then lift off.
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Unit
Traditions
The most tradition-bound mercenary unit in the
Inner Sphere, the Eridani Light Horse has many memorials and
rituals that serve as a constant reminder of its illustrious
history and rigid honor. Some outsiders have commented that
Eridani observances seem almost religious.
For example, the 50th Heavy Cavalry and 8th Recon
Battalion are sworn to protect all the civilian members of the
Eridani Light Horse in memory of their families' executions on
Sendai. Whether escorting civilian transports or garrisoning
their settlement, only the 50th and 8th Battalion members are
involved in the safety of Eridani dependents.
Wherever they are encamped, all military units in
the Successor States set up two flagpoles: one for their unit
banner and one for their employer or House leader. Unlike other
units, however, the Light Horse has never flown the flag of its
employer. One flagpole remains bare, while the banner of the
Light Horse flies at perpetual half-mast. Originally, the Eridani
standard was just a prancing horse upon a sun-yellow disc. The
black border was added as a symbol of mourning for the exodus of
General Kerensky.
The Light Horse remembers the loss of the 19th
Striker Regiment on Amity through some curious traditions.
Whenever the three regimental commanders meet with the Eridani
commander, a place is set at the conference table for the
commander of the 19th. In addition, during social functions, the
host always says a prayer for the members of the lost regiment.
Retiring soldiers who serve the the Light Horse with distinction
become official members of the 19th Striker. They receive lapel
pins with the 19th's symbol, a rearing bronco, in honor of their
services and devotion to the Eridani Light Horse.
Every Light Horse member celebrates the
anniversaries of great victories and special birthdays, and
mourns the anniversary of lost battles and tragic deaths. Of all
the days of mourning, the most solemn occurs on the date of
General Kerensky's Exodus. All nonessential functions are shut
down as everyone gathers in the central park. There an honor
guard unfurls an ancient Star League standard and runs it up the
usually bare flag pole. The base commander then reads Colonel
Bradley's communiqué informing General Kerensky of the 3rd
Regimental Combat Team's decision to stay. As the honor guard
lowers the Star League standard, the military band plays the Star
League anthem softly and slowly.
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Each 'Mech in the Eridani Light Horse wears the prancing brown
horse on the front of it's chest. On the right shoulder is a
regimental patch, either the blue moon of the 21st, the black
horse of the 151st, or the white horse of the 71st. Beneath it is
the battalion symbol, like the 50th Heavy Cav's large, blood-red
"50" or the 17th Recon Battalion's Screaming Eagle
head. The company numbers or patch is located below the battalion
symbol.
Some unusual unit patches are the plague-infested rat for the
3rd Striker Battalion, the bloody knife of the 3rd Recon Company,
the unicorn patch of the 11th Recon Company, and the rather
risque anatomical patch of the 1st Support Company. All personnel
wear their Eridani, regimental, battalion, and company patches,
and some even have lance or platoon symbols.

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