(From Conflicts of the Post-Blackout Era, Galatean Free Press)
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| Steel Wolf insignia |
The Steel Wolves were one of the first of the so-called
Splinter factions to emerge following the HPG blackout. Originating in the
Bright Fang and Wolf Trap militia clusters under the command of Prefect Kal
Radrick, the Wolves quickly grew to be the largest of the factions. At their
peak, the Steel Wolves boasted between six and nine clusters of troops (the
actual number is hard to find due to a number of reasons, not the least of
which is the high turnover of ranking Steel Wolf officers), although only three
of those possessed any actual BattleMechs.
Much of this early growth came
from the large number of non-Wolves who flocked to the Steel Wolves banner.
While many of them were from elsewhere in the Republic, some came from as far
away as the Taurian Concordat. The Steel Wolves also soaked up a number of
failed Wolf in Exile cadets, offering them a second chance at being Warriors
that they would not have otherwise had.
Initially one of the most
aggressive of the splinter factions, the Steel Wolves soon had carved out a
small number of worlds for their own from Prefectures III and IV, centered on
their capitol of Tigress. However, this initial aggression quickly stalled
after their defeat on Achmar, with the Wolves switching largely to small raids
of questionable value. The death of Kal Radrick at the hands of Anistasia
Kerensky, followed by her taking command of the Steel Wolves, served to
reinvigorate the faction.
Her first act was a bold one, an
attempt to take Northwind with a limited force and use it as a stepping stone
to Terra. While the attempt failed, it also served to embolden her command and
prompted a second attempt at Northwind. While she was aided by the treacherous
black Paladin, Ezekiel Crow, Kerensky was again driven off-world, but at the
same time, the damage had been done.
With distrust and confusion rife
among the ranks of the Republic Command, the Steel Wolves launched an assault on
Terra, aimed at taking the homeworld of humanity for the Steel Wolves. This
assault saw the commitment of the entire Steel Wolf force, both in her main attack
in Siberia as well as other attacks across Europe and the Americas aimed at
tying up the Republic defenders. The result was a failure, with the Steel
Wolves driven back by the combined forces of the Republic and Tara Cambpells’ Highlanders.
The failed assault on Terra cost Kerensky heavily, both in
terms of manpower and equipment as well as morale. Victories against the
Falcons on Skye and then Ryde helped regain some of that, which combined with
the immunity she won from Countess Campbell, helped repair her standing with
her troops somewhat. Following their defeat in the second battle of Skye, the
Wolves retreated to Galatea to lick their wounds, flaunting their freedom from
Republic Law.
What started as a layover grew and stretched out, especially
after Anastasia Kerensky was severely injured in a BattleMech accident. Months
of inactivity saw discontent grow among the remaining Steel Wolves, especially
as questions and rumors began to circulate among the Wolves as to her plans for
their future. Her announcement of the formation of the Wolf Hunters in June
3135, transforming the would-be Clan into a Mercenary unit, proved to be the
last straw for many.
Over the next few weeks, the bulk of the Steel Wolves simply
left her command. The defections ranged from individual warriors to entire
clusters of troops, many angered over what they saw as Kerensky's betrayal of
their ways. Defections were especially high among the "adoptees”
who had joined the Steel Wolves; having given up their old lives to become
Clan, they were especially bitter at having that taken away from them without
having a say in the matter.
Ironically, many of those former Steel Wolves would become
mercenaries themselves. Left on Galatea with no way off, they lacked any other
viable options. Many of them joined other units in groups or as individuals,
while a few of them tried to form their own units. The Steel Wolf Corps,
composed entirely of armour and infantry, was a typical case of the latter. Few
of these units would last, as many of the Warriors in them, lacked the savvy
and business skills to actually run a mercenary command.
While the Steel Wolves fell apart, their “empire”
likewise collapsed. With the entire Steel Wolf force away, the worlds they had
taken were divided between the Cappellan advance and the pro-Davion Swordsworn
forces. Tigress itself peacefully joined a pro-Federated Suns protectorate
through the negotiation of Erik Sandoval-Grossel; the result was the Steel Wolf
holdings had all but vanished by the end of 3135.
Of the Steel Wolves who had chosen to leave, the largest concentration
consisted of a pair of Clusters that had defected wholesale. Star Colonel
Varnoff Fetladral commanded a mixed cluster of BattleMechs, Armour and
Infantry, while Star Colonel Xera had command of nearly all of the Steel Wolves’
Aerospace assets, as well as several Dropships and a Jumpship. The pair of them
formed an alliance under Fetladral’s control, intending to retake Tigress and
rebuild the Steel Wolves.
The new Steel Wolves took a winding path through Prefectures
VIII and VII, skirting around Fortress Republic while engaging in raids on
former Republic worlds in order to build up their strength. Along the way,
Fetladral began to separate out Xera’s loyalists, aiming to weaken her strength
while also skirting around the borders of Clan honour.
Matters came to a head in October 3136 when Fetladral’s
Steel Wolves caught up with Anastasia Kerensky’s Wolf Hunters over New Canton. Kerensky
offered a Trial of Grievance between the two to resolve their conflict.
Fetladral agreed to the trial, while plotting to instead betray Kerensky and destroy
the Wolf Hunters. Learning of his treachery, Xera broadcast his intent across
the Steel Wolf force, publicly revealing his plans.
Xera’s actions effectively ousted Varnoff
Fetladral from command of the Steel Wolves; while several loyalists chose to leave
with him, the majority remained under Xera’s command. However, realizing that the
goal of retaking Tigress and the rebuilding of the Steel Wolves’
holdings had become impossible, Xera was forced to surrender to the inevitable.
As an irony, the last of the Steel Wolves became mercenaries as well, becoming
the very thing they had fought against turning into.
While the Steel Wolves have survived the last decade, their
numbers have continued to wither. Existing as a mercenary unit with Clan
trappings, recruitment has been difficult, resulting in losses taking their
toll on the unit’s strength. By 3145, the Steel Wolves consisted of a single under
strength Cluster under Xera’s command, presently employed by the Free
Worlds League. Advisedly, the League has been sure to station them away from the
Wolf Empire, while also ensuring that they remain isolated from the Clan Protectorate.
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