The Lone Shark Saga

The Lone Shark Saga
Product information
Type Short story
Author Blaine Lee Pardoe
Publication information
Publisher MechForce North America (AWOL Productions)
First published
Content
Era Clan Invasion Era
Timeline Battle of Tukayyid - 10th of July 3057

The Lone Shark Saga is a short story by Blaine Lee Pardoe that was published in five parts in Mech magazine.

Plot summary[edit]

This five-part story narrates the exploits of Star Commander Carlton Davis from Clan Diamond Shark. Several scenarios accompany the story allowing players to recreate the action: The Gravest Loss is the engagement on Tukayyid, The Test is Carlton's second Trial of Position, a ClanTroops scenario Raid on the Dark Eyes to find lead, an untitled MechWarrior scenario to steal a ComStar Guillotine back from Hansen's Roughriders, and an untitled Solaris duel for the story's conclusion.

Part One[edit]

During Tukayyid, Star Commander Carlton Davis in his Timber Wolf is leading his Ripper Star (minus one 'Mech already lost) against battered elements of the Com Guard 85th Division in Kozice River Valley while being covered by Frenzy Star led temporarily by MechWarrior Aldo.

While moving through a gully, they are ambushed by a Com Guard force containing one Guillotine, one Thug, one Sentinel one Crockett and one Hussar. They fend off as best they can, but the Star is blasted, his 'Mech among them and he has nearly all his body broken. Frenzy Star is also wiped out, and when rescued by Aldo he discovers his intention on treachery, blaming him on the defeat of the forces. He destroys all 'Mech ROMs and injects a sort of poison gotten from contacts from the Dark Caste to Carlton.

After the fight, along one WarShip of the Clan, a council of Bloodnamed Warriors stands to decide what to do with Carlton, who has lost all memory of most of his life. He has been accused by Aldo of incompetence and after the hearing judgment is passed: he is stripped of his rank but not of his Bloodname, and offered to either join the Dark Caste or join a training sibko until he regains is memories or redeems himself as a Warrior.[1]

Part Two[edit]

Having already joined the Golden Crest Sibko and is fighting his last test along Cadet Jodi, both piloting a Timber Wolf. He starts shooting at a Summoner, when another Timber Wolf, going to attack Cadet Jodi passes very near him and Carlton blows it. But the Summoner is still there, and piloted by a Warrior who shared sibko with two of the Warriors under Carlton's command on Tukayyid. Carlton is victorious, killing the MechWarrior and earning the rank of Star Commander. He does not accept the rank, he has some flashes of memory on Tukayyid and to find the truth he needs to find the ROMs of those he fought against.[2]

Part Three[edit]

Carlton travels to Solaris VII where he starts a career as Arena Gladiator. We see him fighting in The Factory, with a Marauder for the Hangmen Cooperative against Thad Cutter, from Tandrek Stables piloting an Atlas. Both warriors have exchanged fire twice with Carlton getting the upper hand, but when the Atlas comes for a third time, Carlton's plan unfolds, and after enduring two full rounds of Atlas' power, his shots against the floor end up destroying the base of the Atlas, that falls 40 feet to end trapped in the bottom of the Arena. Carlton asks Thad to surrender, but he doesn't. Carlton kicks his enemy cockpit and wins the match.

He is asked to join a woman who knows his full name in a meeting at 2 a.m. in the Star League Park. The woman turns out to be Loucynda Byrd. She offers Carlton information on a survivor of the Com Guard unit he fought on Tukayyid that is still piloting the same 'Mech and whose ROMs could help him prove his innocence. She wants him to mount a rescue mission for Dr. David Courtney Vining of Vining Engineering and Salvage Team, who has been kidnapped by The Dark Eyes Stables and is being used both to blackmail Bromley Stables to throw their fights and interrogated to get more information on the technology he uses and the 'Mechs he designs. He is offered to train and lead a team armed with ten Clan battle armor (at least one of the belonging to Clan Ghost Bear).

His two points beat the defending Hatchetman and the infantry defending the base where the Doctor is held and rescue him in less than ten minutes and losing only four members of the team.

The Doctor is told by Loucynda to lie to everybody and just tell he was on vacations. Then he shares with Carlton the name of the ComStar Adept, now Precentor Victoria Alexander stationed on Bromhead, near the Periphery. Loucynda though warms him that if he goes there, he will find the truth he wants but it will hurt his Clan.[3]

Part Four[edit]

Carlton travels to Bromhead to meat Precentor Victoria Alexander, the pilot of the Guillotine, where she is now temporarily assigned to the 79th Division, where she asks her to help him to find what happened in the battle. She confirms that his most dangerous fight was the one were Carlton was involved, and that there was one unit asking for support to the other, but as this did not happen, they were able to cripple both Clan Stars. She confirms that they were not jamming the message either. She was trapped for three hours in his 'Mech. Carlton asks for the ROM, but it turns out the 'Mech has been stolen by terrorists, though ComStar ROM thinks it is the Hansen's Roughriders who have stolen it for its high tech as they are not able to buy refit kits themselves. ComStar intends to storm the place with two Level II units in 48 hours under confirmation from Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht, but Carlton does not like the idea as it risks destroying the 'Mech and the clues he needs. Showing a gun through in theory he has been scanned and he had no weapons, he tells the Precentor that the two together can recover the 'Mech. The fight nearly cost the Precentor her life, but finally both are able to recover what is left of the 'Mech. Carlton is shocked when he sees it and for a moment thinks to destroy it as it will cast a black mark on his Clan.[4]

Part Five[edit]

Back in Clan Space, on Niles in June 29 3057, he explains to Khan Hawker what he has found and accuses Aldo. Though the Khan wants to take Aldo for investigation, Carlton tells him it is better to have everything nailed and confirmed as he has many supporters who also think Carlton is not fit. Some days later, Aldo is presented in front of the Bloodnamed Warriors and is shown the proof of his crime. Marked as guilty, he asks for a Trial of Refusal. Carlton accepts and bids only himself (instead of the hundred-to-one odds Aldo would be having).

On the 10th of July, on the Ortonvile Plains of Niles, Carlton piloting a Gargoyle faces Aldo and his Executioner. Aldo charges to kill his opponent, but Carlton waits patiently and used his marksmanship to blow off his enemy's head.

After the fight, Carlton confesses to his Khan that Aldo had rigged his 'Mech to explode with a kill switch, but Carlton ordered a Technician to remove it, and that he tricked Aldo to confess by feinting a memory recover.

Carlton's legacy is restored and he is accepted back to Clan Diamond Shark's touman.[5]

Notes[edit]

There was no Khan Diana Hawker during the Clan Invasion. The Khan at that time was Ian Hawker.

Featured BattleTech[edit]

BattleMechs[edit]

Battle Armor[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Mech Magazine, Issue 3
  2. Mech Magazine, Issue 4
  3. Mech Magazine, Issue 5
  4. Mech Magazine, Issue 6
  5. Mech Magazine, Issue 7