Sara Heart
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Sara Heart-Rose | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Also known as | Sara Heart-Rose |
| Affiliation | Stone Hearts; Black Heart Roses |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Colonel |
| Family | |
| Spouse | Johann Rose |
History[edit]
Sara Heart-Rose was known for her eccentric hobby: collecting famous and rare BattleMechs.[1][2]
She inherited the Stone Hearts BattleMech company from her father and used it to expand her collection. She grew up around 'Mechs as a mercenary brat, Sara developed an obsessive fascination for the machines, reportedly renovating a Javelin from the scrap heap at age fifteen and restoring an Assassin by age eighteen. The scope of her hobby increased dramatically after she inherited command of her father's small mercenary company. Unfortunately, her administrative and tactical skills are not at the same level as her technical abilities, with her ever-expanding collection causing increasing financial hardship for the unit.[1][2][3]
With her unit assigned to garrison the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon world of Great X in the late 3050s, she met the dashing and handsome Johann Rose, and both commanders seemingly fell in love and married following a whirlwind romance, combining their commands into the Black Heart Roses.[1][2]
After several good contracts, the unit signed a garrison contact in the Niops Association. Despite the rumblings of imminent Hegemony attacks, the garrisoning of the Niops Association was relatively quiet for the Black Heart Roses, with the Association providing Star League technology to bolster both the unit's BattleMechs and infantry forces, including a battalion's worth of Nighthawk battle armor. At that time, the marriage between Sara and Johann Rose's however became increasingly rocky after Johann was rumored to be romantically involved with the unit's NAM liaison, Captain Alicia Carmichael. While having entirely legitimate reasons for training closely with the infantry officer, Carmichael's beauty resulted in increasing tensions between the mercenary unit's co-commanders, especially after Rose charmed Carmichael into providing the Nighthawks for his troops.[2]
As of 3067, the eccentric collection of BattleMechs from Sara Heart-Rose included Gray Noton's famed Rifleman Legend-Killer, an Axman allegedly owned by Adam Steiner, a Victor previously piloted by Victor Ian Steiner-Davion and sold for scrap by his sister following her rise to power, an antique Striker, and a pair of rare Spartans. At this point only a battalion of her collection were combat ready, with an additional battalion's worth of 'Mechs in varying states of repair.[1] Though lacking the MechWarriors to pilot them, by 3071 thanks to Niops Association technicians and salvage from the Marian Hegemony raid against the Association, an additional company Heart-Rose's collection was brought back online, with many of unit's Thugs, Highlanders and Black Knights restored to Star League Defense Force specifications.[2] During this period Heart-Rose would be interviewed by an obscure Niops news journal about her collection and specifically the infamous Legend-Killer, discussing that she acquired the 'Mech during the 3060s having "fallen off the back of a truck" and that a teardown revealed the secrets of Legend Killer were a lot more subtle than rumors held.[4]
In early February 3071[3] the unit was deployed against elements of the VI Legio Ripariensis who came to Niops V to plunder the world's Star League-era technology. As the Legio approached the warehouses they discovered that it was defended by two companies of Niops Association Militia troops. The Legio's commander, Legatus Onufry Sopaczak, attempted to marshal his troops. However Colonel Heart-Rose launched a surprise attack with her battalion of BattleMechs into the rear of his formation. Rose's Briar Patch Guards, newly equipped with advanced Mk XXII Nighthawk battle armor, attacked the spread-out Marian troops. The Nighthawks of the Guard were noted for their takedown of VI Legio commander's Starslayer, the Marian troops breaking at the sight of their commander being defeated by mere infantry.[2][5]
Tensions between Sara and Johann increased following the unit's success against the Hegemony, with increasingly public and vocal rows over Johann's relationship with Carmichael and the ever mounting expense of Sara's collection. At the time many openly believed that the unit and its commanders would part ways when the Niops contract was due to expire in 3073.[2]
Political strife over the 3070s had affected the Niopian government. The unit attempted to stay neutral in these affairs, but it did not last. In February 3076, the Briar Patch Guards led by Leutnant-Colonel Johann Rose freed military and political prisoners, as well as his alleged lover Alicia Carmichael.[6][7] The Niops Association Militia demanded that Black Heart Roses surrender their prisoners. Colonel Heart-Rose demanded that her husband return the prisoners to the military authorities of Niops. When he refused her orders, Colonel Heart-Rose held her 'Mech forces back as NAM forces moved to attack the Briar Patch Guards. However, NAM did not recognize Colonel Heart-Rose's 'Mechs' neutrality and forced her to defend her unit.
After the ensuing battle, Lieutenant-Colonel Rose surrendered and took responsibility for his action so his troops would survive the battle. The unit's 'Mech forces suffered heavy damage, with only a company of 'Mechs left and none fully operational. The infantry force remained operational and its ability to fight led to the withdrawal of their amnesty.
The Niops Association agreed that the militia forces that had attacked Heart-Rose's 'Mechs were clearly only defending themselves. The merc unit was allowed to leave without any charges pressed against them. However, the DropShip carrying the 'Mech forces of Black Hearts Rose's was lost due to an engine explosion. Salvage tugs which recovered the wreck did not find any signs of Colonel Heart-Rose nor her 'Mechs. Media reports hint at possible sabotage being the cause. The MRBC struck the unit name from the active rolls of mercenaries and declared them defunct.[6][7][8]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mercenaries Supplemental II, p. 23: "Force Briefs Supplemental - Black Heart Roses: Marriage of Convenience"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 33: "Force Briefs Updates - Black Heart Roses"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Whatever the Mess You Are, You're Mine
- ↑ BattleTech: Legends, p. 59: "RFL-3N Rifleman[Modified?] Legend-Killer"
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3075, p. 12: "Nighthawk Mk. XXII" - unit's not named but actual armor used noted
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 20: "Timeline of the Jihad"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 55: "The Jihad in Review"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, pp. 88–89: "Black Heart Roses Dead" - Unit actions on Niops and its alleged destruction by sabotage