Evan Kaiple

Evan Kaiple
Personal
AffiliationRepublic of the Sphere
Profile
ProfessionMechWarrior

Evan Kaiple was a MechWarrior in the Republic Armed Forces.

History[edit]

Sheratan[edit]

By January 3135, Evan Kaiple served under Captain Pozzi[1] assigned to Pittston, in Sheratan inside in Prefecture IV. He passed the days patrolling while seeing that the people was getting more hostile to RAF forces by the day.[2] As days passed, he saw that the people was getting hostile and more organized, and he hinted that maybe a revolt was brewing.[3] On February his theories were somehow confirmed as RAF forces came under Artillery attacks, which meant that some faction was backing up the planet's malcontents[4] The rebellion though was not very well-planned as RAF forces crushed them. After that action, in his journal he explained that he feelt his unit was going to be shipped elsewhere.[5]

His feeling proved to be right when he found himself in the JumpShip Stone's Arm and being told they were moving to another Prefecture. Gossip on the ship was that the destination was Prefecture V, and his diaries showed he wanted a front was post.[6] Transit was not straightforward, and some infighting between the crew, even himself happened during it.[7]

Styk[edit]

His unit arrived at Lorelei, Styk, Prefecture V near the end of February, where he was very surprised to be assigned to protect Tao 'Mechworks.[8] After digging on the news, he found out he had been assigned there because a reporter named Jacquie Blitzer on New Aragon wrote about some problems were brewing on Styk.[9] Itching for action, he asked to go on patrol on 4 March 3135.[10] Days stayed calm until the 14th of same month, when a hovercar crossed a line it shouldn't have and was destroyed by defending units, him among them.[11]

Just four days after that, the Heart of Stone JumpShip moved his unit to another planet,[12] transported by the Hercules X JumpShip. His unit was still under Captain Ponzi's orders.[13] He was moved to the Liberty to the front. While reading the news, he found out that Jacob Bannson had married a high-ranking Capellan Confederation citizen.[14]

Elnath[edit]

His unit did a combat drop on Elnath trying to dislodge Capellan Confederation forces already on planet,[15] but things got worse, as it turned out that even mercenary and militia forces were against them and pushing the RAF forces.[16] By 8 April 3135, he was on the run, separated from his unit and trying not to give up his position.[17] After more than a week wandering alone in the icy wastes of the planet, he reunited with RAF forces from another unit and was able to get some sleep.[18] When news arrived of his unit, he discovered that half was dead and that most of the living were incapacitated. He was also told that RAF forces were outnumbered and that they couldn't get off planet. And as a final gem, he was told that the Exarch dissolved the Senate about two weeks earlier.[19] After only a little rest, the Capellan forces came in hard and blasted the ground behind them. He described the first leg of the retreat as terrible, because any mechanical failure, even something minor like stumbling in the snow or slipping on ice, meant that you were doomed. The RAF lost half a dozen 'Mechs and an unknown amount of vehicles in just ten minutes. RAF forces had no strategy beyond just running, but at least they had a seam to squeeze through. That was the price the Capellans paid for coming: they couldn't keep them totally surrounded. He felt that RAF forces had one chance, and hopefully it would be enough.[20]

RAF forces were able to escape of planet, feeling defeated—or routed, to be more precise. In the DropShip Unvanquished, he discovered Styk had fallen and now Tao 'Mechworks was creating 'Mechs for the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces.[21] The Heart of Stone transported him to another unknown destination after RAF forces lost Elnath, and he thought he was going to be sent to fight Clan Jade Falcon.[22] They trained a lot while traveling, fighting simulated battles against several different enemies.[23] On 13 May 3135, he got into a good fistfight while defending Exarch Jonah Levin.[24] Still in transit in May, his unit was moved through different JumpShips—the Intrepid[25] then the Kerensky's Dream—with his new CO suddenly demanding stricter adherence to protocol and increasing training for fighting against Clan Jade Falcon forces.[26]

Skye[edit]

The unit discovered that the next mission was on Skye. His unit was going to execute a combat drop from the DropShip Blaze of Glory. The direct drop on top of Falcon forces expected to find half a regiment or so stationed at an old base called Base Shetland a couple hundred kilometers from New London. Their mission was a smash and grab to extract someone.[27][28] It didn't start well, as no Clan forces were in the base and then they were attacked by Falcon units that had been hidden nearby.[28] RAF forces were scattered and his unit drew some pursuit, some artillery, some infantry, and some 'Mechs (an Ursa, a Koshi, and a Hatchetman). Evan and his unit took to the hills and divided into two groups of two. He made a wide circle and avoided artillery, and after that, they counterattacked by jumping over a small hill and hammered the Clan forces completely blowing them off the hill. But the three Falcon 'Mechs all went after the other two from his squad and he had not heard from them after that, so his unit prepared to track them down.[29] He and his teammate found the Falcon 'Mechs' tail and went in a four to three fight, where they downed the Koshi, making the other two Clan 'Mechs run.[30] Globally, the fight for the base was a mess, as it exchanged sides frequently and he and his lancemate were always on the wrong side of the Jade Falcon line.[31] After several days trying to reunite with RAF forces, they got ambushed and only Kaiple was barely able to reach the base.[32][33] While his 'Mech was being repaired, he was assigned to patrol duty in another. While on patrol, he found his colleague and the RAF was able to bring him back to be buried.[34]

RAF forces were pulled off-planet in the Unvanquished after the arrival of Knight Castor Hobbes and some fresh forces having completed their task. First he was happy and hoped for a new assignment, but he discovered the planet was lost after three days because of the Knight's incompetence.[35][36] In mid-July, he was still in travelling in the JumpShip Indomitable towards an unknown destination, though he thought they were likely going to the new border of Prefecture II or III.[37] They were told their target was Shinonoi's continent of Matsuda, not far from the capital. The zone was best described as thousands of kilometers of farmland. The commanders asked their troops to think about tactics for low cover.[38] He thought about using 'Mechs as bait and leading enemies to the corn crops where combat vehicles and battle armor could surprise them,[39] and passed the revised tactic up within the chain of command.[40]

Shinonoi[edit]

Evan Kaiple's unit landed on Shinonoi and the best estimates put the nearest enemy about 250 km to the north. They set up a base camp and was assigned to a new platoon, led by Captain Michelle Cane.[41] RAF forces were exhausted after three days marching, wading through the ripe fields because enemy fire came in regularly and there were some skirmishes with light 'Mech patrols, two or three in a group that were hidden. Though the RAF outnumbered these Draconis Combine forces and the fights weren't difficult, they were exhausted by the time they reached the area where the real fighting was.[42] The situation became worse: combined assault 'Mechs, infantry, and aerial support blocked their path and RAF forces were constantly taking and abandoning new positions. Kaiple felt the planet would be lost, but believed holding out longer would preoccupy DCMS forces there and affect how many other worlds the RAF might lose.[43] To that end, the RAF continued with their delaying tactics. His unit got to a river that coursed through a fifteen-meter-deep ravine. Slopes were gentle enough to let them walk down easily but steep enough that they could quickly disappear from view. After going down, Captain Cane gave the order to immediately move to the Draconis left flank. The main force stayed to draw their fire as they ran, then they came out of the ravine hard. The DCMS forces weren't entirely surprised, but they weren't expecting RAF forces to come on so fast. The whole DCMS front eventually rippled and the timing was perfect: the bulk of RAF force turned there and hit them while they were confused. They fell back and were chased all day.[44]

On 7 September 3135, Kaiple caught up to a Rokurokubi that was separated from its squad and took it on.[45] After so many days of fighting, RAF forces were finally near Rising Sun City.[46] The RAF tried to conquer the city block by block. Kaiple was not happy with securing buildings because the enemy had jump-capable 'Mechs that could counter this tactic, but Captain Michelle Cane was adamant.[47] He was proven right when the DCMS finally attack from behind. The first wave charged the RAF flank and had them reeling pretty quickly, and then a second wave dropped from above. Though the DCMS lost most of their units in the second wave, they did considerable damage. The total number of RAF losses was unknown and his unit still hadn't recovered. RAF forces were lost on unfamiliar streets that, suddenly, were filled with enemies waiting for an ambush.[48]

By the 26th of September, his unit hadn't yet regrouped and DCMS forces refused to fully engage. They knew the city well so they could find a hiding place, wait, and take a few potshots when they could, before moving on to a new hiding place.[49] The situation kept as it was, with several night attacks by DCMS forces.[50] Finally, they got the retreat order; RAF forces were leaving again, beaten back.[51]

His unit retreated on the JumpShip Stonewall, but the ship was not moving. Captain Cane seemed to know Fortress Republic had been established, but she did not tell him,[52] and the announcement was finally made on 14 October 3135. Some people were going to go home first chance they got; others were going mercenary, figuring they didn't have a country anymore so they probably also didn't have a paycheck. Still others like Kaiple wanted to stay. Though some circumstances had changed, the big picture hadn't: there was still a Republic and it still had enemies, so Kaiple would fight them.[53] Some days later while on the JumpShip, Kaiple received a verigraphed message oddly marked for his eyes only: there was a meeting in the enlisted quarters of Company Bravo at 2300 hours the next day.[54] Kaiple realized going to the meeting was a mistake. It was some sort of recruitment for an unknown action, and the others threatened to blackmail him with photos of his fight with another soldier a few months back, applying leverage on him.[55] They wanted to mutiny and take over the ship, and they wanted Kaiple to be in a very specific place in two weeks, or else face a court martial for his previous acts.[56] He didn't want to be court-martialed nor lose his 'Mech, so he went along with it to give him time to think about what he would do when the time was near.[57] The mutineers cut contact with him and avoided telling him their plan for November 11.[58] Kaiple decided not to help the mutineers when one of them came asking for codes on the 11th. He outran him and found a place to hide inside the JumpShip.[59] The mutiny failed, and he found himself under arrest by the ship's brass, accused of conspiring to mutiny.[60] While under interrogation, Kaiple tried to make his captors understand he foiled the mutiny.[61]

Back to Styx[edit]

Evan Kaiple arrived on Styx and knew he would be tried for a serious crime, with the one he was being blackmailed for now insignificant.[62] The mutineers wanted to take him down with them. It was a case of one's word against another's since the security cameras were stopped; things looked grim, but they make a mistake[63]: in front of the tribunal, Kaiple revealed images of one of the mutineers' ringleaders, taken while he was imprisoned, making threads to him in range of a camera. Thanks to a decent lip reader the charges against him were dropped.[64] He was out in five days and put on probation—it wouldn't be for long, as the enemy was approaching.[65]

Kaiple was assigned to a new company, of which he considered Charisse Perry to be the best pilot in the group.[66] His lance was next to hers on the 22nd of December and the RAF forces pushed the DCMS line back a good ten kilometers, with Charisse leading the charge the whole way. The fighting in Styx went back and forth; when the RAF got a ten-kilometer push on one side, the DCMS responded by coming into the suburbs on the other. Neither side could get the upper hand. This was a fight Kaiple wasn't running from; he would be a one-man planetary militia if needed—he wasn't giving up this ground.[67] Near the end of the year, RAF forces made a coordinated push on all fronts, hitting the DCMS hard and shoving them back. They couldn't get an artillery shell within five kilometers of the suburbs after the action if they tried. He went one-on-one with a Centurion. The Centurion had the weight but he had the speed, and he ran back and forth all afternoon, waiting to get the right angle on him, launching shots into his side, into his back, even charging him once or twice to keep him off balance. He took a lot of damage, but brought the Centurion down.[68]

It is not known what happened to him after 3135, but by 3136 Styx was in Draconis Combine hands.[69]

BattleMechs[edit]

Evan Kaiple piloted a Dasher.[70]

Notes[edit]

  • His journal never reveals under which RAF unit he serves.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 144: "19 January 3135"
  2. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 145: "21 January 3135"
  3. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 148: "31 January 3135"
  4. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 149: "02 February 3135"
  5. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 151: "09 February 3135"
  6. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 152: "14 February 3135"
  7. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 153: "18 February 3135"
  8. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 155: "23 February 3135"
  9. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 156: "28 February 3135"
  10. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 158: "04 March 3135"
  11. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 161: "14 March 3135"
  12. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 163: "18 March 3135"
  13. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 164: "23 March 3135"
  14. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 165: "28 March 3135"
  15. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 166: "30 March 3135"
  16. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 166: "01 April 3135"
  17. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 166: "08 April 3135"
  18. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 170: "13 April 3135"
  19. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 172: "20 April 3135"
  20. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 174: "25 April 3135"
  21. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 175: "29 April 3135"
  22. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 176: "04 May 3135"
  23. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 177: "09 May 3135"
  24. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 177: "13 May 3135"
  25. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 184: "18 May 3135"
  26. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 189: "27 May 3135"
  27. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 190: "01 June 3135"
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 192: "06 June 3135"
  29. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 194: "10 June 3135"
  30. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 197: "15 June 3135"
  31. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 198: "20 June 3135"
  32. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 199: "24 June 3135"
  33. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 200: "29 June 3135"
  34. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 202: "04 July 3135"
  35. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 203: "08 July 3135"
  36. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 204: "13 July 3135"
  37. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 205: "18 July 3135"
  38. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 206: "22 July 3135"
  39. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 207: "27 July 3135"
  40. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 208: "01 August 3135"
  41. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 216: "19 August 3135"
  42. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 217: "24 August 3135"
  43. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 218: "29 August 3135"
  44. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 219: "02 September 3135"
  45. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 220: "07 September 3135"
  46. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 221: "12 September 3135"
  47. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 222: "16 September 3135"
  48. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 224: "21 September 3135"
  49. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 227: "26 September 3135"
  50. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 228: "30 September 3135"
  51. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 229: "05 October 3135"
  52. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 230: "10 October 3135"
  53. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 231: "14 October 3135"
  54. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 231: "19 October 3135"
  55. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 233: "24 October 3135"
  56. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 234: "28 October 3135"
  57. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 236: "02 November 3135"
  58. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 237: "07 November 3135"
  59. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 238: "11 November 3135"
  60. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 239: "16 November 3135"
  61. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 240: "21 November 3135"
  62. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 241: "25 November 3135"
  63. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 243: "05 December 3135"
  64. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 244: "09 December 3135"
  65. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 245: "14 December 3135"
  66. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 247: "19 December 3135"
  67. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 248: "23 December 3135"
  68. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 249: "28 December 3135"
  69. ↑ Dark Age: LinkNet Articles (3136), p. 23: "Letters From Home -- Week 03"
  70. ↑ Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals, p. 147: "28 January 3135"

Bibliography[edit]

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