Another Company for Alpha Strike - Stiltson's Company, 2/Addicks DMM, ca. Civil War Era

Stiltson’s Company, 2/Addicks DMM, ca. Civil War Era

Oliveria’s Light Strike Lance

Leftenant Jay Oliveria, Skill 3, Centurion CN9-D (Speed Demon SPA)

Staff Sergeant Joyce Tay, Skill 4, Wolverine WVR-7D

Sergeant Yee Hwang, Skill 5, Flea FLE-17 (Speed Demon SPA)

Sergeant Max Andreyev, Skill 4, Jenner JR7-D (Speed Demon SPA)

Stiltson’s Attack Lance

Hauptmann Rhonda Stiltson, Skill 3. Spider SDR-7M (Speed Demon SPA)

Master Sergeant Khalil Miller, Skill 3, Sentry SNT-04

Sergeant Anni Andrassen, Skill 5, Hornet HNT-151 (Speed Demon SPA)

Sergeant Jasmine Jansons, Skill 7, Valkyrie VLK-QD (Speed Demon SPA)

Dubois’s Scout Lance (Forward Observer SPA for all units, 3 units have Maneuvering Ace or Eagle Eyes)

Leftenant Harold Dubois, Skill 3, Watchman WTC-4M

Staff Sergeant Melody Russo, Skill 3, Ostsol OTL-5M

Sergeant Sumio Hoffmann, Skill 4, Locust LCT-3M

Sergeant Walker Salcedo, Skill 4, Javelin JVN-10P

Total Point cost for the company is 284. A link to download a set of Alpha Strike Cards for the company can be found here.

Bios of Company Mechwarriors

Leftenant Jay Oliveria: Leftenant Olivaria is a solid ‘Mechwarrior, a so-so officer, and a devout Methodist from Defiance. His religion makes him a severe, and by many accounts, glum man with a dour outlook on life, and a command style best described as “stern but fair”. He is very much a “by the book” officer, and will not stray out of line one iota, which makes him sometimes unpopular with his fellow junior officers as he is not a man who is given to rash risks. In fact, one could say for a Strike Lance leader, he is a bit too cautious, but his caution has saved the rest of his lance many times, as he has a good eye for an ambush.

His background is from a middle-class family on Mallory’s World, his father was a English Composition teacher at the high school level, his mother, a nurse practitioner at a local hospital. Oliveria was a standout graduate from the Conroe Training Battalion, and attended the PDZ OCS where he graduated towards the middle of his class in 3055.

Staff Sergeant Joyce Tay: Staff Sergeant Tay is at best, a mediocre NCO who only got promoted because she is an exceptional athlete who always wins intermural trophies for the 2^nd Battalion. Her skills as a ‘Mechwarrior are average, and she probably would be best at a desk job somewhere, but Hauptmann Stiltson cannot manage to get rid of her, as her reputation as an arrogant pain in the ass proceeds her. She really does look down on everyone she meets, seeing them as her physical inferior, and it rubs the rest of the company the wrong way. At least she is an even-tempered person in combat, and willing to take a bit more risk than Leftenant Oliveria, even if she poorly qualified to weigh that risk properly.

What the rest of the company does not know is that her parents on Eldire IV were killed during a Kurita raid in 3041 when she was away on a class trip in high school. She has never forgiven herself, or the Combine, and is burning with a desire for revenge, and might take some stupid risks to get that revenge. She is a graduate of the Kilborne Academy, class of 3046, and ranked towards the middle of her class.

Sergeant Yee Hwang:  Sergeant Ye Hwang is a recent graduate from the Bell Training Battalion (class of ’59), and is very green, having graduated towards the bottom of her class. She is a likeable ‘Mechwarrior, and is popular in the company, even if her skills need a lot of work, and Leftenant Olivaria is doing what he can to assist in that endeavor, as well as calm her down in combat, as she does have a nasty habit of wading into a fight without much thought. She is a supporter of Katherine’s, as she believes Victor abandoned the FedCom to go “play soldier rather than do his job” and she thinks Katherine will do better in this regard.

Sergeant Hwang is from the world of Argyle, and her parents were both former infantrymen in the AFFS, having met during the War of ’39. She was born two years later and followed her parents into the infantry, serving with several March Militia commands. She has excelled in the rest of her military career until recently, capturing a pirate Flea single-handedly (the same one she pilots now).

Sergeant Max Andreyev: Sergeant Andreyev is a graduate of the Sarna Martial Academy, class of ’40, and is a native of Second Try. His loyalties were suspect as a former Liao citizen, with his family both having been infantrymen with the Second Try Home Guard, and both died in the defense of the world during the 4^th War, Max wound up living with the family of a distant cousin on Chesterton. Thus, Max was posted far from home in a March Militia unit.

He is a meek fellow, not wanting to rock the boat any, as the DMI pretty much thinks he is a potential traitor, but probably would have made a better ‘Tech than a ‘Mechwarrior, as he enjoys tearing apart his old Jenner, captured from the DCMS in the 3^rd Succession War. Somehow, he has managed to wring a lot of speed out of the old girl, and his dogged nature with things mechanical has gotten him noticed by Hauptmann Stiltson.

Max is cautious in battle, as he knows nobody is going to give him another ‘Mech if he loses this one, but he isn’t a coward, just smart about how and when he fights. In this, his style matches Leftenant Olivera’s.

Hauptmann Rhonda Stiltson: Hauptmann Stiltson is a well-known figure in the Addicks DMM, loved by some, loathed by others due to her cunning nature. She uses her people with as much concern as one shows a pawn on a chessboard, and displays a tactical brilliance that has made her one of the leading lights of the Addicks DMM. In short, she is a model AFFC officer. All of this probably would have earned her a transfer to a frontline unit, it if it wasn’t for the fact that she has turned down such transfers on multiple occasions. She realizes that such a transfer might come with a demotion to Leftenant, and she’s already been a lance leader once.

As it is, she continues to run, in her mind, one of the best light companies in the AFFC, and she has the results to prove it, as she has won multiple awards for excellence in training exercises, and has made that training work in spades in fights with both pirates, and the DCMS. Captain Stilltson likes where she is, and would not trade it for the world.

Hauptmann Stiltson was born in 3009 on Bryceland, her parents ran a small farm and their daughter had exceptional skill behind the controls of an AgroMech. It wasn’t long before she received a scholarship to the Robinson Battle Academy, where she excelled, graduating 3^rd in her class in 3029, and then first in her OCS class in 3030. She missed the 4^th War by months, but was in the thick of it in the ’39 War with the 17^th Avalon Hussars. She won the FedSuns Star for conduct on An-Ting, leading her lance to cover the retreat of a MASH from the advance of the Ryuken.

In 3036, she was promoted to Captain, and sent to the Addicks DMM for what was supposed to be a TDY, but Stiltson settled on Addicks, marrying a local business consultant, and producing two children with him, both are currently serving in the AFFC. Further promotion has been slow, and at 53, it may not be long before Stiltson decides it is time to hang up her spurs. But there is one more war coming, and Stiltson doesn’t want to miss it.

Her Spider is distinctive with gold edging, and is a warning to enemies, that Stiltson and her company have arrived to wreak havoc.

Master Sergeant Khalil Miller: Master Sergeant Miller is a cautious, careful man, so much so, that he is not seen as one of the more effective NCOs in the battalion, he was sent to Stiltson’s Company on the principle that there was little damage he could do there. His promotions have come mostly based on inertia, and the fact that overall, he is a decent ‘Mechwarrior, even if he is an at best, average NCO. At the age of 55, he is thinking very hard about hanging up his spurs, as he realizes his time in the cockpit is slowly ending.

That said, he has been kept there mostly because of his solid loyalty to the Archon Princess on New Avalon, even in the face of the widespread dissatisfaction with her throughout the AFFC, but Miller has always been loyal to whomever occupies the throne, as he is fond of saying, “We salute the rank, not the person wearing it.” But Miller knows, there might be a time he may have to shoot people wearing the same uniform he does.

He is a solid, but overly cautious person in a fight, much to Stiltson’s frustration, and will often try to temper her more aggressive plans, some have made some not so charitable charges that in fact, Miller is little more than a coward. The truth is, he just wants to live to see his grandchildren grow up. The fire in the belly left him a long time ago. His pessimistic nature doubts that will happen, but he has a little bit of hope left that, perhaps, he might beat the odds.

Miller was born in 3007 on Exeter, to a family of accountants, the last thing they thought their only son would want to be was a ‘Mechwarrior, but his early aptitude surprised them, as well as the AFFS recruiter. Miller graduated the Robinson Battle Academy in 3023, and had a very solid record with the 1^st Robinson Rangers. He was married (his wife has been deceased three years), with three children, until his oldest died in the Clan invasion with the 2^nd New Ivaarsen Chasseurs on Anywhere in 3050. At that point, Miller requested a militia position, which was granted, and he joined Stiltson’s company as the new SNCO, which is a position he holds today. He is a broken man, hurt by the loss of his oldest son, and his wife. He is living simply for his grandchildren, and little else.

Sergeant Anni Andrassen: One of a pair of recent graduates from the Conroe Training Battalion (Class of ’61), Andrassen is very, very green, and her skills show it. Some in the company wonder aloud if she or her fellow ‘Mechwarrior, Jasmine Jansons, should have even been allowed to graduate. But, unlike Jansons, Andrassen shows some promise, and she has a good bit of common sense, her egotistical nature (“I’m a ‘Mechwarrior!”) has rubbed a lot of non- ‘Mechwarrior personnel the wrong way, but it is beginning to soften as she becomes more exposed to the “real” AFFC, and how it really works. As Master Sergeant Miller puts it “Andrassen will settle down, and fly right, she just needs a little time.” Whether she has that time is a very open question, in any event, Stiltson has both ‘Warriors in her lance where she can keep a close eye on them.

Andrassen was born in 3041 to a pair of AFFS vehicle crewmen in the Clovis DMM, both were a pair of devout Unifinished Book believers, and their daughter is the same, and for all of her egotism about being a ‘Mechwarrior, she still follows religiously the tenets of the Unifinished Book movement. She earned a slot with the Conroe Training Battalion because of her academic grades, and her score during the “skull cap” test. She did reasonably well as a cadet, graduating towards the middle of her class, but somehow thinking that she was now part of a “’Mechwarrior elite”. Ironically, it was this attitude that the training battalions were meant to stamp out.

Sergeant Jasmine Jansons: Sergeant Jansons is the embarrassment to a long standing Lyran military family from Skye. Generations of Jansons have served Skye well (and too often, wound up in the ranks of Free Skye), Jasmine, however, as a second child, and a daughter, was enough of a disappointment to her father, but her inability to become little more than a mediocre ‘Mechwarrior led to her father exiling her to the Robinson Battle Academy in Davion space. She was the class goat in the Class of ’61 and was assigned to the Addicks DMM on the virtue of her academic scores (which were top notch). Jansons is simply put, an inept fool behind the controls of her Valkyrie. 

Worse, a burning desire to prove herself to her father, and her nation’s monarch has made her bold to the point of reckless in combat. It’s a combination that might get her killed, and Stillson has decided that it’s best she ride herd on Jansons personally, so at least she survives her four-year enlistment, and she can be quietly mustered out before anything else happens.

(Note: The truth about Jansons is quite different. Her real name is Stephanie Goltz, and she is a LIC operative inserted into the Addicks DMM to ensure the unit remains loyal to Katherine. The rest of her past is fiction, though there was a Jansons family, but it was wiped out during the last Skye Rebellion in 3057. No one in Davion space, except perhaps a historian or an intelligence officer would know that, which makes it a pretty good cover. Her skill is really 4, but she will not reveal it unless the circumstances are dire).

Leftenant Harold Dubois: Leftenant Dubiois is a skilled ‘Mechwarrior and an excellent leader, were he not from a wealthy ‘Mechwarrior family with deep links to the Citizens for Davion Purity, and a cocky bastard to boot, he might be serving with a line regiment somewhere, but his attitude, along with his family’s questionable background, has exiled him to this backwater. To his credit, he has managed to make the best of it, and is an even-tempered, competent leader in combat, and his men tolerate his cockiness away from the cockpit as a result.

Dubois is a graduate of the Robinson Battle Academy, class of ’54, and has done well since graduation, earning a slot in a OCS class in ’56 and graduating towards the top of his OCS class. Promotion in a DMM comes slow, and he has been a Leftenant for 6 years. It’s been frustrating for Dubois, but his family’s background has stalled his career.

Staff Sergeant Melody Russo:  Only daughter of a wealthy family that owns a variety of interests throughout the Federated Suns, Melody has no interest in either becoming heir to the family business, nor being an officer, though she would be competent and well qualified to do both. Instead, she is happy enough piloting the company’s only heavy ‘Mech, and being a Lance SNCO. She likes the challenge of riding herd on Leftenant Dubois, although he is a solid enough Leftenant that she doesn’t have to do that very often.

The rest of the company likes Russo, with her only real vice is being a “foodie”. Any new restaurant in the company’s AO is like a siren song to Russo, and she is an avid fan of cooking shows, using the rest of the company as her gastronomical guinea pigs. To her credit, she is a very good cook and competition to be said guinea pigs is quite fierce, though it is said she passes the annual PT tests by thinner and thinner margins.

Russo graduated in the middle of her class in the Conroe Training Battalion, (class of ’30), she then served with the 22^nd Avalon Hussars, until requesting transfer to the Addicks DMM to be closer to her parents. She has developed into a very fine NCO, one that is being consciously groomed for an NCO slot at either battalion or regimental HQ, but that won’t come for a few years at least. The only worry is that she is a bit reckless in a fight, and might get herself killed, but in this, Dubois does a good job of reigning her in.

Sergeant Sumio Hoffmann: Sergeant Hoffmann is a ‘Mechwarrior that is in it for the status. A stereotypical rich kid (and only child to boot), he is lazy to a fault and the bane of Staff Sergeant Russo’s existence, Hoffmann is in and out of all kinds of trouble, mostly of the wild parties and paternity suit kind. He’s been kicked out of three other units, including the Clovis DMM, and wound up here as kind of a “last chance” before an other than honorable discharge.

Hoffmann knows this and is determined to straighten out and fly right, or at least, what he thinks is straighten up and fly right. So far, his own efforts have done little but frustrate Staff Sergeant Russo. That said, he is a competent ‘Mechwarrior who is smart and even-tempered in a fight, all things said, he does well enough.

A graduate of the Sakahara Academy, class of ’59, he was something of a dubious legend, as his spoiled and lazy ways cut quite the swath through the academy and surrounding community. His graduation was seen as “good riddance.”

Sergeant Walker Salcedo: Sergeant Salcedo is an obnoxious fellow who thinks money equals some sort of moral superiority, and he is willing to do anything to get the kind of money he thinks would make him a good person. His appeals to the other members in the company to invest in his “get rich quick” schemes have managed to alienate just about everyone. He’s even been decked by Max Andreyev, which surprised everyone.

Salcedo is also a graduate of the Conroe Training Battalion, class of ’45, and his parents were both teachers on Exeter, who were surprised that their son aspired to be a ‘Mechwarrior. Salcedo is almost embarrassed of his origins, and his attempts to “kiss up” to the wealthier members of the company is another black mark against him as far as the rest of the company is concerned.

His combat style is bold, almost reckless, and is met with grudging admiration and concern, depending on who you ask. 

Another of My Companies for Alpha Strike, Campbell's Company, Black's Battalion - 7th Crucis Lancers

Campbell’s Company, Black’s Battalion, 7^th Crucis Lancers, ca. Civil War era.

Rivas’s Striker Lance

Leftenant Krystal Rivas, Skill 3, HSN-7D Hellspawn (Speed Demon SPA)

Staff Sergeant Guillermo Clark, Skill 1, CN9-D5 Centurion (Speed Demon SPA)

Sergeant Charlie Williams, Skill 3, ENF-5D Enforcer

Sergeant Jitika Rossi, Skill 4, VLK-QD Valkyrie (Speed Demon SPA)

Richard’s Assault Lance (Demoralize or Multi-Tasker SPA)

Leftenant Vilhemina Richard, Skill 1, NSR-9J Nightstar

Staff Sergeant Haley Bell, Skill 1, FLC-8R Falconer

Sergeant Braden Szabo, Skill 3, RFL-5D Rifleman

Sergeant Keeshawn Hogan, Skill 3, RFL-6D Rifleman

Campbell’s Command Lance

Captain Broderick Campbell, Skill 1, PPR-5S Salamander (Tactical Genius SPA)

Master Sergeant Anika Yilmaz, Skill 1, TLR-01B Templar

Sergeant Stephan Bell, Skill 1, SGT-8R Sagittaire (Marksman SPA)

Sergeant Moses Kennedy, Skill 1, PTR-4D Penetrator (Antagonizer SPA)

Total PV for the Company is 642 Points, A set of Alpha Strike cards for the company can be found here.

Bios of Company Mechwarriors

Leftenant Krystal Rivas: Every Company Commander in the Inner Sphere has at least one cross to bear. And, for Captain Cambell? Leftenant Rivas is his cross. She is a graduate of NAMA, class of ’61, and won’t let anyone forget it. The idle speculation around the battalion is that she graduated near the bottom of her class. Simply put, Rivas is incompetent as a leader, but a passible ‘Mechwarrior. There is a betting pool in some of the other companies in Black’s Battalion on when she finally leads her lance into an ambush, much to the chagrin of the rest of her lancemates. The worst part is, as bad of a leader as she is, she actually is cocky enough to think she is doing a good job and that she is the best ‘Mechwarrior in the Company. Neither, is of course, true. She is insufferable when she gets a ‘Mech kill, and the rest of her lance has been fortunate in that SSG Clark is a far better leader, and has proven to be competent enough to get the lance out of whatever trouble Leftenant Rivas gets them into. Her only virtues, thus far, is her utter loyalty to Victor’s cause and her calm nature under fire, even if she is making all the wrong decisions.

Noone can figure out where the attitude comes from, as her background is that of humble origins, her parents were tailors who owned their own small shop on Conroe. Krystal had barely qualified for a scholarship to NAMA, except for her excellent kinesthetic reactions. Captain Campbell is stuck for now, none of the other battalions want Leftenant Rivas, so all he can do is hope and pray she doesn’t get the whole lance killed before SSG Clark can take over.

Staff Sergeant Guillermo Clark: Staff Sergeant Clark has a real problem on his hands, his lance leader’s toxic leadership is threatening to tear apart the lance. He’s already defused several “plots” to “frag” Leftenant Rivas, and he is aware they’re stuck with her. He is hoping the Loyalists will solve the problem and kill her, but she seems to have the devil’s own luck in getting out of the situations she puts the lance in. SSG Clark is dreading when that luck runs out. It’s keeping him up at night, and contributing to a nasty case of insomnia.

For all the problems he has, SSG Clark is one of the best NCOs in the Battalion, and he realizes he is there to step in when Leftenant Rivas finally screws up so badly, she has to be relieved. At least, that’s what Captain Campbell has told him. Clark himself is from middle class origins, he grew up the son of middle class government bureaucrats on Exeter and from all accounts, was a studious and mild-mannered child, so it was a surprise when he applied for, and got into the Albion Military Academy in 3033, graduating with the class of ’37 in time for the ’39 War with the 2^nd Crucis Lancers. He then spent his career with the Crucis Lancers, moving from one regiment to another. His wilder off-duty nature came out at the academy, and away from the company, he is a playboy and dedicated bachelor, but he is careful not to let that side of his life sully his military career. In a fight, he is a solid leader and even tempered. He is the rock that the lance always gathers around in a tough spot. It is this nature, plus his ability to always find fun when off duty on any planet that makes him a popular member of the company.

Sergeant Charlie Williams: Sergeant Williams is a ticking time bomb. Simply put, Charlie has become addicted to pain medication. He became addicted when a doctor overprescribed codeine to treat a recent sports injury. To make matters worse, Williams has only recently graduated to Oxycodone. It hasn’t affected his performance, either on the battlefield, or in his other duties, yet, but it is a matter of time before it does. He goes to great lengths to hide his addiction, because to him, being a ‘Mechwarrior is all he has, and all he ever wants to be.

Charlie came from an average middle-class upbringing on Zilang, his parents were moderately successful farmers and he was the youngest of four siblings. When Charlie graduated from Warrior’s Hall in 3052, he half expected an assignment with the Syrtis Fusiliers, but was instead assigned to the 7^th Crucis, which was a happy surprise for Charlie, as he had never invested that much in the “hate the Capellans” mantra that pervaded Warrior’s Hall. He has been with the 7^th ever since, and has served well, being a competent ‘Mechwarrior that has the potential to go far. He is an even-tempered fellow in a fight and a solid professional, but the slowly burgeoning addiction threatens all this.

Sergeant Jikita Rossi:  Sergeant Rossi is fresh from the Coventry Military Academy, Class of ’60. But she earned her slot as a ‘Mechwarrior for her conduct under fire as part of the Timbiqui Militia as an infantryman during a Marik raid in 3059. She won the Alliance Star, and a slot at Coventry when she came to the attention of Duke Bradford. The Duke, noting she was an orphan whom had grown up in an orphan’s home that was part of a network of such homes established by the Duke’s late wife. Her scores at the academy were stellar, and she graduated 2^nd out of 357 that year. She turned down OCS, stating she preferred to be a humble mechwarrior, and instead asked for posting to the 7^th Crucis Lancers, which struck many as an odd choice, but she has found a home with the 7^th, and the Lance. She is a solid, even tempered ‘Mechwarrior, and though a bit naïve off-duty, often being shocked at the behavior of Staff Sergeant Clark, she is popular with just about everyone. She has even managed to make time for a family of her own, getting married in February 3062 to a fellow ‘Mechwarrior in the battalion. The marriage is a happy one, and has produced a baby girl, though securing child care on short notice can be troublesome, but she and her wife are doting parents.

Leftenant Vilhemina Richard:  Leftenant Richard is everything Leftenant Rivas is not. A graduate of the Sakahara Academy, Class of ’56, she is a careful, studious officer dedicated to improving herself as both a ‘Mechwarrior and an officer. She appreciates the trust Captain Capmbell has placed in her by putting her in charge of the Assault Lance and is determined to not let him down. This can occasionally make her a bit personally reckless under fire, (though she is a deadly shot, and that ability has gotten her out of more trouble than not) even if she is careful with the lives of the rest of her lance. It has gotten her lectured by Captain Campbell on “What is a dead Leftenant worth?”, but overall, she has proven to be a solid, competent leader of the Assault Lance.

Personally, Leftenant Richard is a bookworm, constantly studying the Clan enemy, and if she isn’t doing that, then she is studying the Lyran Stock market. She is a far-sighted woman, and realizes she cannot be a ‘Mechwarrior forever, so she might as well make some money for her retirement, and has made some very judicious and smart stock trades that have already made her a rich woman. So much so, she is often asked for financial advice by other members of the Battalion. It’s another reason she hates the “proto communist Clans”.

Staff Sergeant Haley Bell:  Staff Sergeant Bell is a competent, solid NCO who pairs well with his more reckless Lance Leader (and often finds himself trying to rein her in). He is a coarse, cigar chomping fellow whose nature hides a deep intellect, and an ability to spot an opportunity, both battlefield, or financial, and with careful assistance from Leftenant Richard, he too has become a very rich man. He and the Leftenant often joke they should open a brokerage house once their ‘Mechwarrior days are over. He likes to make money, the honest way, and it’s this ability that makes him love the Federated Commonwealth.

Staff Sergeant Bell hails from Liao in the Sarna March, and attended the Sarna Martial Academy, class of 45, last in a long line of Capellan ‘Mechwarriors steeped in the Lorix Order. That he was willing to become a FedCom ‘Mechwarrior has made no difference to his family, as it matters more someone is carrying on the Bell warrior line, than whom that line serves. Since the Capellan Confederation has retaken Liao, and most of his family, he worries he might one day have to kill a member of his family, he hopes not, but it is a worry in the back of his mind.

Sergeant Braden Szabo:  Sergeant Szabo is a competent ‘Mechwarrior in the field, level headed in a fight, and responds to orders quickly. In garrison? No so much. He falls for every sad story and get rich scheme imaginable, often to the consternation of Leftenant Richard and Staff Sergeant Bell. It’s gotten him the unflattering nickname of “Szabo the Sucker”. Szabo is a graduate of Bryceland Academy, class of ’58 and has been an otherwise competent warrior, who came up through the ranks after some rather conspicuous gallantry (that got him the Silver Sunburst) during a pirate raid as a tank crewman on Marlette. He then was assigned to the 7^th Crucis on graduation at his request.

Szabo fights for his family back on Marlette. His father is a retired police officer, and his mother a school teacher who have been happily married 30 years, Szabo sends home a vid of every ‘Mech kill he gets so they can know what he does. (He edits them for the less than pleasant bits). Were he less gullible, Staff Sergeant Bell would consider him for an SNCO slot for another company, as it is, he doesn’t dare because he’s afraid of what his own men would do to him.

Sergeant Keeshawn Hogan: Sergeant Hogan is a quiet, meek fellow for a ‘Mechwarrior. Hidden under that quiet exterior is a burning, almost fanatical loyalty to Victor Steiner-Davion. He graduated in the middle of his class from Albion last year and he is a native of New Avalon. His parents were long serving veterans with the Davion Guards. They died with the 1^st Davion Guards when they mutinied against Katherine’s rule. Hogan has a burning desire to avenge their deaths, as well as the round up and disappearance of his sister, who was also on New Avalon as a grade school teacher. He is a competent warrior, even if he never says much, even tempered in a fight, and a good man to have beside you.

Captain Broderick Campbell:  Captain Campbell is the product of the “fighting nobility” one often sees in the Federated Suns. He is the heir to the Dukedom of Markesan, or at least was before his parents were arrested due to their loyalty to Victor. It was enough that he is Victor’s man, through and through. He is a very skilled officer, and very good tactician, with his contagious optimism leading the company out of one tight spot or another when the situation required it. He is also calm and unflappable in a fight, often chiding his subordinates for screaming on the radio. He is a graduate of NAMA, class of ’45, and graduated with honors, soon attending OCS where he again, graduated with honors. He is fiercely proud that even with his noble birth, nobody in the AFFC ever gave him a damn thing. He earned it.

Captain Campbell is the rock, along with Master Sergeant Yilmaz, that the company depends on, and were Captain Campbell to die, it isn’t clear what would happen to the company.

Master Sergeant Anika Yilmaz: Master Sergeant Yilmaz has seen and done it all since 3039. She is a graduate of the War College of Goshen, class of ’37 and first saw action in the War of ’39 with the 33rd Avalon Hussars and survived the unit’s destruction at the hands of the Steel Vipers on Orkney in 3051. After a hospital stay, she was reassigned to the 7^th Crucis Lancers, where she has remained. The experience has made her a bit reckless facing the Clans, especially the Steel Vipers, on some level, wishing to avenge the lost souls of her fellow warriors. Outside the cockpit, she is a woman of culture, and probably the only ‘Mechwarrior who has taken the time to take up a very expensive hobby, wine collecting. It’s this hobby that has made her eager to find the proverbial “pot of gold” salvage, so she can retire and be a bon vivant full time.

As a cultured person, she doesn’t resort to that old standby of SNCOs, profanity. That doesn’t mean she cannot professionally dress down anyone around, she can, and do so in rich English that would make any English professor at an Inner Sphere university weep with joy at the rich and proper use of English.

On the battlefield, she and Captain Campbell make a deadly team, often their plans and actions complement each other, without needing to say so much as a word to the other. It’s the intense training schedules both leaders insist upon that in this case, pays off in spades.

Sergeant Stephan Bell:  Sergeant Bell (no relation to Staff Sergeant Bell) is a rather odd bird, even by Company standards. His fickle nature is legendary, as he will often spend hours agonizing over the most trivial of non-military decisions, much to the consternation of all around him. That, coupled with his fanatical devotion to his New Avalon Catholic faith, make him an acquired taste. He isn’t pushy about his faith, but he is willing to talk when asked, much to the chagrin of the listener, but for the most part, he is private about his faith. But secretly, he is convinced the Clans are the agents of the antichrist, even if the Pope on New Avalon hasn’t said as much. He doesn’t think much of Katherine either, seeing her as someone who has “forsaken God”. Sergeant Bell is from Imbrai III, his parents are both university professors at the local college. He is reckless on the battlefield, seemingly ignoring incoming fire, which often miraculously doesn’t touch him (this is more to the fact that most pirates have bad aim and lousy training than anything else). It’s something that concerns Captain Campbell, as he worries the recklessness will only get worse the more the pirates miss.

Bell is a graduate of the Sakahara Academy, Class of ’50 and missed the Clan invasion, as he was doing duty with the 5^th Crucis Lancers, but was soon reassigned to the 7^th (His Company CO found him odd, and just wanted him out of there). In short, he is an odd, but solid ‘Mechwarrior, who is a deadly shot and a solid member of the Command Lance.

Sergeant Moses Kennedy: Sergeant Kennedy is, on paper, an above average ‘Mechwarrior from a minor Davion ‘Mechwarrior family. Yet somehow, he is still a disappointment and a blacksheep of the family. Perhaps it was a hedonist nature that came out during his days at the Robinson Battle Academy. Perhaps it was his actions since, multiple paternity suits, the fights in casinos and the plain personal mayhem he has left in his wake, he has been disowned long ago by his family, it doesn’t matter to Moses really, he made a pile of money in the Rochester Luxury Lotto and is using it as a nest egg for when his enlistment runs out in 3 years. You see, Moses never wanted to be in the military, Moses wanted to be a musician. The truth is, Moses is quite a good guitarist, and if given an opportunity, could probably make it big. But the fact is, his lifestyle would probably get him in a lot of trouble.

Kennedy is pretty lazy in garrison, but a tiger in a fight, often with the rest of the Command Lance having to wade in to get him out of whatever trouble he got himself into, whether it be off or on the battlefield. In short, he keeps the Company interesting, but it’s an “interesting” many in the company would rather do without.  

An aerial done shot of elements of Campbell's Company, ca. early 3065

Three quarters of the Command Lance, ca. 3065

The first of my companies for Alpha Strike

As promised, I wanted to post this because I had promised I would. Hey, it was a fun company to build, and it has been a hoot to run as well. It turns out to be a well-balanced Battlemech Company, and I am considering adding Infantry and Vehicle assets to it as well to turn it into a Battalion Task Force, but what vehicles, that is an interesting question, perhaps you the reader might be of help?

Note: This was developed from an earlier article on my old blog, I changed a few things to bring it into line with the company as it exists now. I also want to give a shout out to Too Fat Lardies, their Platoon Forward supplement was very useful in generating the personalities of the 'Mechwarriors listed here.

IP and Picture are from Too Fat Lardies

Kilo Company, 3/1st Robinson Rangers RCT, ca. 3056

   Shelton's Sweep Lance

         Leftenant Mackenzie Shelton, Skill 2, Phoenix Hawk PXH-3D (Blood Stalker SPA)

         Staff Sergeant Galit Foster, Skill 3, Dart DRT-4S (Blood Stalker SPA)

         Sergeant Danica Kemeny, Skill 3, Battle Hawk B-H-K305 (Blood Stalker SPA)

         Sergeant Riku Ready, Skill 3, Commando COM-5S

    Ebner's Battle Lance (Lucky SPA for Lance, 6 point)

         Leftenant Thorben Ebner, Skill 3, Osprey OSP-15

         Staff Sergeant Tomi Filpek, Skill 3, Phoenix Hawk PXH-3S

         Sergeant Kaja Fairburn, Skill 4, Dervish DV-7D

         Sergeant Dominik Lis, Skill 4, Vindicator VND-1SIC

     Peak's Fire Lance (2 'Mechs may be designated as having Sniper SPA per turn)

         Hauptmann Jezebel Peak, Skill 3, Zeus ZEU-9S

         Leftenant Drysten Roche, Skill 3, Marauder MAD-5D

         Sergeant Major Alice Gibbs, Skill 4, Catapult CPLT-K2

         Staff Sergeant Fishel Baardsson, Skill 4, Quickdraw QKD-5M

The company, with skill costs, totaled out at 400 points according to the MUL. Alpha Strike Cards for the company can be found here.

Bios of Company Mechwarriors

Shelton’s Sweep Lance

Leftenant Mackenzie Shelton: Leftenant Shelton hails from Emporia, near Robinson in the Draconis March. Shelton grew up in a working class home, his mother and father both farmers, and knew little of the wars that racked the Successor States except for the occasional Combine deep raid. Shelton signed up with the AFFS as an infantryman in 3046, and served on the Clan front with the 5th Davion Guards, and was one of the few survivors of the debacle on La Grave, having a scarred face from an inferno round to prove it, along with a Fedcom Medal of Honor for leading the 12 men of his platoon through Jade Falcon lines to safety. He was a 21 year old PFC at the time. Shelton was selected for Battlemech training and attended a crash course at the Pandora College of Military Sciences until 3053, when he was selected for OCS after having graduated in the top 10% of his class. He was commissioned as a Leftenant in 3054 and was assigned to the 1st Robinson Rangers soon after to replace the previous lance commander who had died in a Steel Viper raid.

Shelton is a cautious fellow, he has seen the Clans up close and personal, and he knows their power. He won’t spend any lives or equipment he doesn’t have to, and he fights smart. He keeps up on the latest information on ‘Mech technology, as he is obsessed with closing the technological gap with the Clans, seeing that as the primary reason for their superiority on the battlefield. He is an average leader in the field, realizing he has a lot to learn from SSG Foster.

Staff Sergeant Galit Foster: SSG Foster has been with the 1st Robinson for most of her military career, and has seen lance commanders come and go. Her family held a minor patent of nobility on Robinson itself, though she was the second child, and thus, unlikely to inherit. She is a graduate of the Robinson Battle Academy, Class of ’29 and saw some action during the tail end of the 4th Succession War and again saw combat during the War of '39. SSG Foster has a bit of a temper and doesn’t hesitate to demonstrate it when she is displeased. She does realize she is getting older and would like to move up to an open NCO position at battalion or regimental headquarters, but realizes the competition is tough for those slots. (She doesn't know it, but Hauptmann Peak is ready to award her a field commission if the lance loses another Leftentant, she has done so well in the role of lance leader in the past). She is the lance’s “rock” in combat and is a very competent combat leader, having demonstrated it most recently during the last Steel Viper raid where the last lance commander was killed.

Sergeant Danica Kemeny: SGT Kemeny is a very optimistic person, who believes she is part of a great effort to stop the ravening advance of the “rapacious clan menace” or whatever the current line of FedCom propaganda is these days. Kemeny hails from Kentares IV, growing up in a middle class family, he mother a schoolteacher, and her father a hovercar salesman. It surprised her family when she joined the Conroe Training Battalion as a chance to “do her part”. (Her father blamed the constant lessons about the Kentares Massacre in school). She was assigned to the Clovis DMM for several years, seeing action against several Combine raids until 3053, when she asked for a transfer to the 1st Robinson on their eve of departure for the Clan front. It is a decision she has never regretted. For all of her optimism, she is a placid, even tempered mechwarrior in combat and has proven to be a very talented light ‘mech pilot.

Sergeant Riku Ready: SGT Ready hails from Gibbs and as a Steiner ‘mechwarrior, he cannot believe he was “unfortunate” enough to be stuck with these “Davion plebeians”. The only good thing about all this is that he gets to kill those “proto-communists from the Periphery” (ie: The Clans). He is in total agreement about the “Clan menace” needing to be stopped, but he is a bit cautious when it comes to him personally doing the stopping. Born to middle class parents, he left the import/export business to sign up with the LCAF in 3050 when the call went out to stop the Clans. By the time Ready was ready to go to war two years later, the invasion had ended, and there was a dilemma on what to do with him. Riku spent another two years cooling his heels with the 15th Lyran Regulars, chasing pirates who were fleeing the Jade Falcons. But things changed in 3053 as a number of Davion units needed replacements due to recent casualties, he was selected (some think it was because of the fact Ready kept pestering his last company commander for a transfer to a unit on the Clan front) and arrived at the 1st Ranger’s cantonment on Kooken’s Pleasure Pit on January 2nd, 3054.

He is not a popular person in the company, but he is skilled, if he would just stop dedicating kills to Katrina and Melissa Steiner like he was on Solaris, that might go a long way to helping him fit into the company.

Ebner’s Battle Lance

Leftenant Thorben Ebner: Leftenant Ebner is a recent product of the Pandora College of Military Science, class of 3050, and then was selected for OCS. Ebner has lost friends to the Clan invasion, and his signing up was a source of consternation to his middle class parents, who ran a successful tax attorney firm on Borghese.  To them, other people signed up, not him. But Leftenant Ebner had dreams of glory, nobility, and all that came with in his eyes. He has begun to see the truth behind the shiny medals now that he is in the real world, but he still has not lost that sense that somehow, he is the best thing that has happened to the 1st Robinson Rangers.  Happily for all concerned, he is actually a very good officer, so there is something to back up the boastful nature and he is careful with the lives of his men and women while in combat (though not always his own life). Who knows, perhaps one day, he might be Marshal Ebner? His lance knows that on some level, the boasts are covering up a raft of insecurities about his professional abilities, so they tolerate it for now.

It doesn’t help his attitude that Ebner’s wealthy parents paid top dollar to have a rare Star League Osprey refitted and assigned to him as his ‘Mech. The trouble is, the damn thing draws all kinds of fire from enraged clanners, and tends to be a source of not so minor irritation to the rest of the lance.

Staff Sergeant Tomi Filipek: Staff Sergeant Filipek comes from a long line of police officers on David. She was not interested in continuing the family tradition of walking a beat in the planetary capitol and wanted to see the stars. Her cheery disposition, along with a few favors, got her a slot with the Kilbourne Training Battalion, and she graduated with distinction in 3039, just in time for Hanse Davion’s abortive invasion of the Combine, where Tomi first saw action with the 17th Avalon Hussars on An Ting, and won the Silver Sunburst for her actions there, but she lost a lot of friends by the time it was all over, and requested a transfer to the 1st Robinson, which was granted as soon as the cease-fire went into effect. She served with the 1st and was seen as a cheery, steady and competent presence in Kilo Company. It was for this reason, that she was made SSG of the Battle Lance in 3050. She is a very skilled combat leader, and if Leftenant Ebner got himself killed in a bit of glory-seeking (which, thankfully for all concerned, hasn’t happened yet), SSG Filpek could fight the lance very easily.

Sergeant Kaja Fairborn: Sergeant Fairborn is from a middle class family on New Valencia, with her mother as a technical writer for a small tech firm, and her father is a firefighter. A graduate of the Conroe Training Battalion, she graduated in the middle of her class, her class ranking would be higher if she wasn’t such a discipline problem in barracks. Kaja is at heart, a hedonist, and that nature has gotten her into a measure of trouble during her time with the 1st Robinson, and has ensured that she will probably never get promoted. Lately, the seeming unstoppable nature of the Clans has convinced her that the end of the Inner Sphere is at hand, and the time to “eat, drink, and be merry” is at hand. She thinks she personally hasn’t got a chance, but intends to fight as long as she can to make sure the Clans don’t reach Davion space, but wonders if that will make much of a difference. Her mindset is similar to many a German soldier in 1945, feeling trapped between duty and the reality of the situation. But, the fact is, the Federated Commonwealth is far from beaten, but Fairborn cannot be convinced otherwise.

Sergeant Dominik Lis: Sergeant Lis has, to say the least, a very odd background. He was found on the doorstep as a baby on an orphanage on Conroe, with a note attached to his bassinet stating that his mother was the last of a minor Capellan ‘mechwarrior family that had been killed during the war with Canopus. He grew up an orphan, not realizing that there was a minor trust being held for him when he reached 16, not the least of which was a Vindicator battlemech.

When Dominik aged out of the orphanage, he took his ‘Mech, and his trust, and hired an instructor to teach him what he needed to know to compete for a slot at the Robinson Battle Academy. His persistence, and his story paid off, but it is a decision that haunted Lis. He was hazed very badly at the Academy, including an incident that left a web of scars on his right arm, and Lis a very shy, withdrawn man.

Lis is quietly very grateful to the Federated Commonwealth, and is willing to fight to the death for her, but he is cautious with his ‘Mech, believing that were he to become dispossessed, he would not get another one due to his parentage.

Peak’s Fire Lance

Hauptmann Jezebel Peak: Captain Peak is a study in contrast in ranks. She was born to a working class family of general laborers on Conroe. She enlisted in the AFFC in 3046 and became part of a Manticore crew assigned to the 33rd Avalon Hussars.  She was picked out as a natural leader, and her pragmatic nature made her a smart, level headed NCO when she was selected for a tank commander position with the 33rd Avalon Hussars.  Her baptism of fire was against the Wolves on Suk II and she was the only survivor of her tank, let alone her platoon. She was badly wounded, spending the rest of the Clan Invasion in a hospital bed. It is something that torments her to this day and she lives for the chance to revenge the spirits of her men and women on the Clans. She is convinced that if she was more aggressive, more willing to close with the Clans, that her men and women would be alive today. Once she returned to active duty, she was selected for ‘Mech training and OCS, graduating first in her class in both. Her pragmatic nature made her a solid officer, but she became reckless when presented with Clan opponents. But, due to a dearth of qualified officers, she was assigned as a lance commander to the 1st Robinson. It wasn’t long before she was promoted to command Kilo Company after the previous commander was killed in a hovercar accident.

Most of Captain Peak’s tactical solutions revolve around organizing an attack as soon as possible, but that approach can border on the reckless, and it is beginning to with Hauptmann Peak. She is on the whole, a competent leader, but the guilt she is trying to expunge, as well as the vengeance she seeks, may get her and more of her men and women killed.

Master Sergeant Fishel Baardsson: MSG Baardsson comes from an odd background of his own. His was a prominent Rasalhague military family that had served the Draconis Combine for centuries. They were also Jewish, and secretly members of the SPA. When they were finally found out in 3020, the ISF showed no mercy, and a Davion merchant who owed Fishel’s father a favor got the young man to a cousin on Coventry, who got Fishel to some distant relatives on Robinson. In 3027, grateful to the Federated Suns for taking him in, and having been part of a military family in two realms (the Davion end of the family was a minor military family of some renown), he managed to get a slot at the Sakhara Academy, where he graduated towards the top of his class.

Fishel was then posted to a series of March Militia units, before being assigned to the 1st Robinson in 3042, where he has remained ever since, being made Master Sergeant (and Kilo Company SNCO) in 3050, on the eve of the Clan Invasion. Fishel is also a devout Jew, and observes as much as he can, even when in the field. He sees the Clans as little more than misguided fools who have yet to discover God, but unlike Vorster with the Fox’s Teeth, doesn’t feel that he needs to make them aware of that, and thinks religion is about self-discovery. MSG Baardsson is a man of refined tastes, and often takes in whatever cultural events he can attend, duty and religious demands notwithstanding. 

He is one of the few married men in the Company, having met his wife 15 years ago while on Mallory’s World. She is back there with his two children, on his insistence. He is a competent leader as well, and is a believer in bold, violent action, but unlike the Hauptmann, knows when it is time to call it a day.

Sergeant Drystan Roche: Sergeant Roche is a native of Wyatt, and how he wound up with a Davion line unit is to him, one of the vagaries of life in the Inner Sphere. Born into a family that made its money in a wildly successful cosmetics line, Roche was planning on taking over the family business. When the AFFC came knocking with draft papers in 3050, it knocked Roche’s whole world asunder. Happily, Roche had been trained on the family ‘Mech, and had been able to pay for the mech to be upgraded to the MAD-3S standard, as well as the best private training...when Roche reported six months later, the AFFC happily posted him to the Pandora CMS to polish his skills, and then he was reassigned to the 1st Robinson in 3055 as a replacement for a casualty.

Roche is a liberal minded person, and thinks little of all kinds of lifestyle choices, even if he personally, isn’t inclined to try them. He thinks the Clans could use a little exposure to life in the Inner Sphere, and that would set them straight on a lot of issues, so far, few have been willing to listen. He is even headed in combat, and has been helping run the family business from his duty posting, sending a flurry of ideas monthly via HPG.

Sergeant Alice Gibbs: Sergeant Gibbs is an old hand who is happy being a mechwarrior and nothing else. She likes only being responsible for herself and her aggressive nature suits her very well, even though her nature in combat is far more even handed. Her main problem is her hedonistic nature, which has gotten her in as much trouble as Sergeant Fairburn, they are often seen drinking and carousing together, even if Gibbs cannot always stand Fairburn’s gloomy nature when she is really drunk. Gibbs is level headed in combat, having a knack for being where she is needed. Gibbs has been shunted from unit to unit in her 25 year career with both the AFFS and AFFC, her homeworld of Layover being a memory, as she has not returned since she joined the Kilbourne Training Battalion in 3035. She says little about her family, except to say that they “got in the way of her fun”.

Her ‘Mech, a captured Kurita Catapult (K2 model) is the oldest ‘Mech in the unit, and no one has made any offers to upgrade Gibbs ride, figuring the Clans will either kill her off, or she will finally retire.

Some Photos

Kilo Company, 3/1st Robinson Rangers on Exercise, ca.  9 August, 3056, seen here are elements of the Sweep and Fire Lances

Kilo Company, 3/1st Robinson Rangers on Exercise, ca.  9 August, 3056, seen here are elements of the Battle, Sweep and Fire Lances

Kilo Company, 3/1st Robinson Rangers on Exercise, ca.  9 August, 3056, seen here are elements of the Battle and Sweep Lances.