Gannon Derer

Gannon "Cannon" Derer
Gannon Derer
Character Profile
Affiliation House Derer
Rank Major
Parents William Derer (father)[1]
Kyle Derer (adoptive father)[1]

Gannon Derer was a Mercenary commander.

History[edit]

Early History[edit]

Gannon Derer was the son of William Derer, an adept in the Word of Blake. When William was assigned to a liaison posting on Tortuga Prime he left Gannon in the care of his brother Kyle, Gannon's uncle and a Lyran baronet who subsequently adopted Gannon. A key part of William's decision to leave his son in the care of his brother was that Gannon suffered from leukemia, and William knew that Gannon would receive better care in the Lyran Alliance through Kyle's position in the nobility than Gannon could receive in a primitive part of the Periphery.[1]

Gannon's leukemia went into remission during his early teenage years, but the experience left him filled with a sense of determination to overcome obstacles.[1]

Early Career[edit]

Gannon left the Lyran Alliance and spent several years as a mercenary MechWarrior, piloting a Warhammer that had belonged to his grandmother. After joining the Grave Walkers Gannon rose to the rank of Captain,[1] but the Grave Walkers took significant losses in the Jade Falcon incursion in 3064, with Gannon being one of the few members of the Grave Walkers to reach Arc-Royal. Now one of the Dispossessed, Gannon resigned from the Grave Walkers and took up work as a bartender and mechanic; the money Gannon earned went into paying for classes at the Arc-Royal Training Program, while he hunted for new opportunities and worked to keep himself in shape.[2]

It was while working as a bartender that Gannon met Philo Carlton, Commanding Officer of the mercenary unit Carlton's Cavaliers. Captain Carlton held several informal discussions with Gannon, and was so impressed by Gannon's knowledge and experience that he offered him a support position in the Cavaliers. Philo was in need of a new business manager as the Cavaliers' business manager was retiring, and Gannon accepted the job, going on to spend two years in the role. Gannon handled all of the Cavaliers financial, logistical and personnel matters, and quickly gained a reputation for been a sharp administrator and negotiator, ensuring that the Cavaliers stayed solvent.[2]

At the two-year point Philo commissioned Gannon as a Lieutenant, presenting him with a BLR-1G BattleMaster and one of the spots in the Cavaliers' command lance. When Duke Morgan Kell hired the Cavaliers and several other mercenary units to pin the Third Donegal Guards on Cumbres, the Cavaliers found themselves having to fight another mercenary unit, Dortman's Devils, who had gone rogue - disguising themselves as other mercenary units to loot and ravage towns on Cumbres. The Cavaliers defeated the Devils at the town of Westfield, but Philo was seriously injured in the battle and his Executive Officer (XO) had been killed. That left Gannon in command, and several more Cavaliers were killed or injured when the Donegal Guards found the Cavaliers in the ruins of Westfield several days later and attacked them, believing them to be pilots, before Gannon managed to convince the Guards that the Cavaliers were surrendering.[2]

The Cavaliers were put on trial, charged with the crimes that had been committed by the Devils; Gannon and the Cavaliers' legal counsel were mounting a smart defense that was demolishing the prosecution case when Archon Peter Steiner-Davion declared a blanket amnesty throughout the Lyran Alliance. That led to the prosecution dropping the case, but the media coverage had already destroyed the Cavaliers' public image. The Cavaliers returned to Arc-Royal only to find themselves blacklisted, and the unit came close to dissolving. Philo decided to retire, and asked Gannon to take command of what was left of the Cavaliers. Gannon did so, christening the unit Gannon's Cannons during the journey from Arc-Royal to Outreach.[2]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Total Chaos, p. 20-21, "Captain Gannon 'Cannon' Derer, Commanding Officer"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Total Chaos, p. 19-20, "Gannon's Cannons"

Bibliography[edit]