Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - The BattleTech Dynasty - Chapter 8, Brother Against Sister - 3062-3067

Abe Sargent · 12-14-2014, 06:06 PM

Because this is the final chapter of our Kilts and Commandos Dynasty, and because it’s been more than a year since the last pure chapter was penned, I will be beginning this dynasty with a state of affairs, as things stand, on January 1, 3062. I’ll hit up the final timeline for 3062 in the previous thread and wave in the new stuff from this chapter into it.

Dramatis Personae –

Duke Braham Essex - 60, Was a MechWarrior. Born the son of a military adjutant to the Capellan Forces on Acamar. His mother passed away in childbirth. Quite rare these days but not unheard of. Raised on his parent’s homeworld of Epsilon Eridani, Braham was raised a bit by his adopted family in the Capellan barracks. Although he spent some time on Acamar with his father, both his father and himself considered EE their home. Like many children, Braham wanted to be a MechWarrior from an early age, and despite the lack of family resources to purchase one, he was determined. When his father died in a raid on Acamar by the Dracs when he was 11, he continued to train and push harder and harder. After testing well enough to gain entry to the Martial Training Academy on Tikonov, he continue to push himself until he graduated as the best MechWarrior in his class of 23. With a high set of credentials and references, Braham was a recruit for the Northwind Highlanders, a house mercenary unit for the Capellan Confederation. During the Second Succession War, the Federated Suns captured the planet of Northwind, and House Liao used the atrocities committed by House Davion to cement the loyalty of the Highlanders, and pledged to them full independence should Liao recapture Northwind. Over the centuries, Capella failed again and again to capture Northwind, and the Highlanders continued to be among the elite units serving House Liao. Then, in 3028, Hanse Davion secretly contacted the Highlanders prior to launching the Fourth Succession War. He offered to give them Northwind in return to fealty to him. After discussing it for a long time, the Highlanders decided to leave their many years of service to Capella and pledged loyalty as a house unit of the Federated Suns (not even a mercenary unit any more). In return, Davion gave them an amount of freedom. A small minority of Highlanders chose to defect from the unit, believing that their contract with Capella should be honored. Among those defectors was Braham Essex. He defected and was assigned by the Capellan Confederation to fight with the veteran Blackwind Lancers.

The Fourth Succession War had begun. When Candace Liao falls in love with a Davion spy, she decides to use the war to declare the St. Ives Commonality now independent of the Capellan Confederation. This succession brings many military units from the CCAF with her, including the Blackwind Lancers.

Once again faced with choosing to defect from his unit or defect from his state, Braham Essex chooses to leave the Lancers. By now, the Tikonov Free Republic has been created, with one of the highest and most trusted military leaders, Pavel Ridzik, choosing to also vacate the realm he had served all of his life in order to create a new state. The planet of Epsilon Eridani joined the Tikonov Free Republic. In the wake of these dissidents, and two elite units Braham was serving leaving to join others, he realized that the Confederation was falling apart. With his own homeworld no longer a part of the Confederation, he felt his loyalty waning. Braham also felt no love for the St. Ives Compact, Tikonov Free Republic, or Federated Suns. Choosing instead to form his own mercenary company, the Kilts and Commandos, he left for Outreach, making some contacts with other disaffected MechWarriors from the Northwind Highlanders and the Blackwind Lancers.

At the age of 16, Braham Essex arrived at the Martial Training Academy on Tikonov. While there, he distinguished himself enough to warrant placement with the Highlanders, and he met Ted Izumo, an instructor. Essex has won the Liao Sunburst of Gallantry during battle with the Highlanders for the destruction of several enemy Battlemechs after his lance mates all fell, and completing the objective by himself. It is the most minor of Liao decorations and regularly given out.

After graduating from the Tikonov Academy, Essex served a full tour of duty with the Highlanders and had begun his second term with them when they left. He then served with the Lancers for most of his remaining term before they too defected.

In January of 3031, he took his first contract as the commander of the Kilts and Commandos, a new mercenary unit built from the disaffected from the old Capellan Confederation. Over time, he won various contracts, battles and campaigns, and built his unit to almost two regiments of troops.

He began by piloting his own a medium fire support mech he took with him when everything fell apart, a Dervish, but upgraded to a heavier Orion, which was lost in combat. Then he purchased a heavy and iconic Warhammer before moving to a Cataphract, a Liao design that had been used by the Governor of a planet that Braham killed while doing a contract for the St. Ives Compact.

The first high profile action the unit saw was in 3034, when the unit was contracted to fight alongside the Rasalhague Rebellion as they formed the Free Rasalhague Republic. As many elements in the Draconis Combine fought against this in the Ronin Wars, the battle pitted some Combine elements against themselves, the new Rasalhague units, fighting, and mercenaries. At the end of the War, most of the mercenary units had used minor clauses in their contracts to not help out the Republic, but Braham forced his unit to assist, and was rewarded with the Rasalhague Star. At the end, the FRR developed a dislike for mercenaries, and hired them rarely, but Kilts and Commandos is treated with respect and will eventually become one of the main FRR military forces in the mid to late 3040s.

After taking a contract in 3037 on the planet of Somerset, Braham’s Cataphract was destroyed in an ammo explosion. The ejection seat failed to function properly and Braham was flung from the wreckage. His body was broken, burned, bruised and bloody. After a long recovery, Braham lost his left leg and left arm, and they were replaced by myomer limbs. His skills degraded and he had the skills of a regular pilot again.

On Feb 3, 3038, Braham Essex emerged from almost a year’s convalescence and had been training and retraining with his troops on Epsilon Eridani. He began training with his unit again. While most of Kilts and Commandos joined the combined assault on the Draconis Combine in the War of 3039, Braham took one company and fought in the final year of the Andurien War and served at the Fall of Andurien, the bloodiest campaign in the first half of the 31st century. While there, he won the Andurien Epaulet.

After Andurien fell, Braham moved to Solaris VII and began a campaign as a gladiator MechWarrior. After showing some flash, Braham allied himself with Starlight Stables and worked his way up the system. He won a Grand Melee, placed in another, and climbed up the rankings to #8. His only duel he lost was to the #1 ranked MechWarrior. He is elite status again as a MechWarrior.

Receiving an interesting contract from ComStar, Braham chose to leave his Solaris VII career behind and led a company of mechs in a 5 year mission for the ComStar Explorer Corps, exploring beyond the periphery in the unknown. He came back recently, and has been organizing the unit, and moving most to contracts with the Free Rasalhague Republic.

After piloting mechs like Orion, Atlas, Hunchback, Jenner in the Solaris arenas, and an Awesome for the Explorer Corps, plus the Exterminator in a stealth mission, he is continuing in a modified Orion as the CO of a new Shadow Company, a powerful elite company with all LosTech mechs that operates independent of the command structure of his mercenary unit.

After the ComStar contract finished, Braham’s unit was drawn into the Clan Invasion and performed quite well. Kilts and Commandoes emerged from the first half of the 3050s with more mechs, men, and medals, than most other units in the Inner Sphere.

The legacy of Essex was secured in 3057. After Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion chose to replace a dead Joshua Marik with a duplicate in order to keep the Free Worlds League in the dark and supplying his troops, the veritable battle was enjoined as the gig was revealed by the Capellan Confederation. The Capellan, led by House Liao, and FWL, led by House Marik, launched join attacks into the Federated Commonwealth in retribution.

In a short period, numerous planets had been recaptured by Marik and Liao. Marik finishes their war goals and sues for peace, leaving the Caps un-allied. They take their gains, but foment rebellion and guerrilla warfare on the remaining planets. Wrested from the FedCom control was the creation of a No-Man’s land that was a hotbed of independent planets, small burgeoning states, and rampant pirates called the Chaos March.

Into this was Braham Essex, who chose to order the General on planet in Epsilon Eridani to quell all rebellion. It was brutal and fast, and ended bombings and other terrorist actions on the planet. Instead of being complimented, Braham and the General were chastised by the local planetary government and ordered to the council on the hook for going outside the chain of command.

They came alright. On the head of a large army. Government was disbanded, elections were held, and Essex was elected head of the government in EE, the first democratic elections they’ve held in quite some time.

Essex reached out and helped nearby systems win their freedom, and then began the Celestial Coalition. Elected as its head, Duke Essex began a long-term campaign to adopt numerous nearby Chaos March systems into the Coalition. He’s had to organize intelligence, military, explorations, economic, industrial, and diplomatic requirements since his election to lead the CC.

His goals appear to continue to grow the state, and not content to rest on its laurels. Form the three founding members, his state has carved a 13 system big nation. And its growing. The economy is quite strong and enabled him to grow the nation in a variety of ways.

Duke Braham Essex
State Academy, State University, Two Terms of Service.
Piloting Skill - 2
Gunnery Skill - 2
Influence - 3
Member Modifiers - -2 family, +3 friends, +6 unit

Age: 60
Decorated: Liao Sunburst of Gallantry; Rasalhague Star; Andurien Epaulet

Skills:

Edge: 5
Tactical Genius
Gunnery: Ballistic
Ace Maneuvering

Myomer Left Arm, Left Leg

12-14-2014, 06:06 PM	#6
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Because this is the final chapter of our Kilts and Commandos Dynasty, and because it’s been more than a year since the last pure chapter was penned, I will be beginning this dynasty with a state of affairs, as things stand, on January 1, 3062. I’ll hit up the final timeline for 3062 in the previous thread and wave in the new stuff from this chapter into it. Dramatis Personae – Duke Braham Essex - 60, Was a MechWarrior. Born the son of a military adjutant to the Capellan Forces on Acamar. His mother passed away in childbirth. Quite rare these days but not unheard of. Raised on his parent’s homeworld of Epsilon Eridani, Braham was raised a bit by his adopted family in the Capellan barracks. Although he spent some time on Acamar with his father, both his father and himself considered EE their home. Like many children, Braham wanted to be a MechWarrior from an early age, and despite the lack of family resources to purchase one, he was determined. When his father died in a raid on Acamar by the Dracs when he was 11, he continued to train and push harder and harder. After testing well enough to gain entry to the Martial Training Academy on Tikonov, he continue to push himself until he graduated as the best MechWarrior in his class of 23. With a high set of credentials and references, Braham was a recruit for the Northwind Highlanders, a house mercenary unit for the Capellan Confederation. During the Second Succession War, the Federated Suns captured the planet of Northwind, and House Liao used the atrocities committed by House Davion to cement the loyalty of the Highlanders, and pledged to them full independence should Liao recapture Northwind. Over the centuries, Capella failed again and again to capture Northwind, and the Highlanders continued to be among the elite units serving House Liao. Then, in 3028, Hanse Davion secretly contacted the Highlanders prior to launching the Fourth Succession War. He offered to give them Northwind in return to fealty to him. After discussing it for a long time, the Highlanders decided to leave their many years of service to Capella and pledged loyalty as a house unit of the Federated Suns (not even a mercenary unit any more). In return, Davion gave them an amount of freedom. A small minority of Highlanders chose to defect from the unit, believing that their contract with Capella should be honored. Among those defectors was Braham Essex. He defected and was assigned by the Capellan Confederation to fight with the veteran Blackwind Lancers. The Fourth Succession War had begun. When Candace Liao falls in love with a Davion spy, she decides to use the war to declare the St. Ives Commonality now independent of the Capellan Confederation. This succession brings many military units from the CCAF with her, including the Blackwind Lancers. Once again faced with choosing to defect from his unit or defect from his state, Braham Essex chooses to leave the Lancers. By now, the Tikonov Free Republic has been created, with one of the highest and most trusted military leaders, Pavel Ridzik, choosing to also vacate the realm he had served all of his life in order to create a new state. The planet of Epsilon Eridani joined the Tikonov Free Republic. In the wake of these dissidents, and two elite units Braham was serving leaving to join others, he realized that the Confederation was falling apart. With his own homeworld no longer a part of the Confederation, he felt his loyalty waning. Braham also felt no love for the St. Ives Compact, Tikonov Free Republic, or Federated Suns. Choosing instead to form his own mercenary company, the Kilts and Commandos, he left for Outreach, making some contacts with other disaffected MechWarriors from the Northwind Highlanders and the Blackwind Lancers. At the age of 16, Braham Essex arrived at the Martial Training Academy on Tikonov. While there, he distinguished himself enough to warrant placement with the Highlanders, and he met Ted Izumo, an instructor. Essex has won the Liao Sunburst of Gallantry during battle with the Highlanders for the destruction of several enemy Battlemechs after his lance mates all fell, and completing the objective by himself. It is the most minor of Liao decorations and regularly given out. After graduating from the Tikonov Academy, Essex served a full tour of duty with the Highlanders and had begun his second term with them when they left. He then served with the Lancers for most of his remaining term before they too defected. In January of 3031, he took his first contract as the commander of the Kilts and Commandos, a new mercenary unit built from the disaffected from the old Capellan Confederation. Over time, he won various contracts, battles and campaigns, and built his unit to almost two regiments of troops. He began by piloting his own a medium fire support mech he took with him when everything fell apart, a Dervish, but upgraded to a heavier Orion, which was lost in combat. Then he purchased a heavy and iconic Warhammer before moving to a Cataphract, a Liao design that had been used by the Governor of a planet that Braham killed while doing a contract for the St. Ives Compact. The first high profile action the unit saw was in 3034, when the unit was contracted to fight alongside the Rasalhague Rebellion as they formed the Free Rasalhague Republic. As many elements in the Draconis Combine fought against this in the Ronin Wars, the battle pitted some Combine elements against themselves, the new Rasalhague units, fighting, and mercenaries. At the end of the War, most of the mercenary units had used minor clauses in their contracts to not help out the Republic, but Braham forced his unit to assist, and was rewarded with the Rasalhague Star. At the end, the FRR developed a dislike for mercenaries, and hired them rarely, but Kilts and Commandos is treated with respect and will eventually become one of the main FRR military forces in the mid to late 3040s. After taking a contract in 3037 on the planet of Somerset, Braham’s Cataphract was destroyed in an ammo explosion. The ejection seat failed to function properly and Braham was flung from the wreckage. His body was broken, burned, bruised and bloody. After a long recovery, Braham lost his left leg and left arm, and they were replaced by myomer limbs. His skills degraded and he had the skills of a regular pilot again. On Feb 3, 3038, Braham Essex emerged from almost a year’s convalescence and had been training and retraining with his troops on Epsilon Eridani. He began training with his unit again. While most of Kilts and Commandos joined the combined assault on the Draconis Combine in the War of 3039, Braham took one company and fought in the final year of the Andurien War and served at the Fall of Andurien, the bloodiest campaign in the first half of the 31st century. While there, he won the Andurien Epaulet. After Andurien fell, Braham moved to Solaris VII and began a campaign as a gladiator MechWarrior. After showing some flash, Braham allied himself with Starlight Stables and worked his way up the system. He won a Grand Melee, placed in another, and climbed up the rankings to #8. His only duel he lost was to the #1 ranked MechWarrior. He is elite status again as a MechWarrior. Receiving an interesting contract from ComStar, Braham chose to leave his Solaris VII career behind and led a company of mechs in a 5 year mission for the ComStar Explorer Corps, exploring beyond the periphery in the unknown. He came back recently, and has been organizing the unit, and moving most to contracts with the Free Rasalhague Republic. After piloting mechs like Orion, Atlas, Hunchback, Jenner in the Solaris arenas, and an Awesome for the Explorer Corps, plus the Exterminator in a stealth mission, he is continuing in a modified Orion as the CO of a new Shadow Company, a powerful elite company with all LosTech mechs that operates independent of the command structure of his mercenary unit. After the ComStar contract finished, Braham’s unit was drawn into the Clan Invasion and performed quite well. Kilts and Commandoes emerged from the first half of the 3050s with more mechs, men, and medals, than most other units in the Inner Sphere. The legacy of Essex was secured in 3057. After Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion chose to replace a dead Joshua Marik with a duplicate in order to keep the Free Worlds League in the dark and supplying his troops, the veritable battle was enjoined as the gig was revealed by the Capellan Confederation. The Capellan, led by House Liao, and FWL, led by House Marik, launched join attacks into the Federated Commonwealth in retribution. In a short period, numerous planets had been recaptured by Marik and Liao. Marik finishes their war goals and sues for peace, leaving the Caps un-allied. They take their gains, but foment rebellion and guerrilla warfare on the remaining planets. Wrested from the FedCom control was the creation of a No-Man’s land that was a hotbed of independent planets, small burgeoning states, and rampant pirates called the Chaos March. Into this was Braham Essex, who chose to order the General on planet in Epsilon Eridani to quell all rebellion. It was brutal and fast, and ended bombings and other terrorist actions on the planet. Instead of being complimented, Braham and the General were chastised by the local planetary government and ordered to the council on the hook for going outside the chain of command. They came alright. On the head of a large army. Government was disbanded, elections were held, and Essex was elected head of the government in EE, the first democratic elections they’ve held in quite some time. Essex reached out and helped nearby systems win their freedom, and then began the Celestial Coalition. Elected as its head, Duke Essex began a long-term campaign to adopt numerous nearby Chaos March systems into the Coalition. He’s had to organize intelligence, military, explorations, economic, industrial, and diplomatic requirements since his election to lead the CC. His goals appear to continue to grow the state, and not content to rest on its laurels. Form the three founding members, his state has carved a 13 system big nation. And its growing. The economy is quite strong and enabled him to grow the nation in a variety of ways. Duke Braham Essex State Academy, State University, Two Terms of Service. Piloting Skill - 2 Gunnery Skill - 2 Influence - 3 Member Modifiers - -2 family, +3 friends, +6 unit Age: 60 Decorated: Liao Sunburst of Gallantry; Rasalhague Star; Andurien Epaulet Skills: Edge: 5 Tactical Genius Gunnery: Ballistic Ace Maneuvering Myomer Left Arm, Left Leg __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent Last edited by Abe Sargent : 12-14-2014 at 07:49 PM.