Trisha Swanson

Trisha Swanson
Personal
Affiliation	Cenotaph Stables
Profile
Title(s)	Solaris Grand Champion
Profession	Arena Gladiator

Trisha Swanson was the 3135 Solaris Games Grand Champion.

History

Trisha Swanson was known for using her 'Mech's superior speed to evade fire and leap around their enemies. Trisha's pinpoint accuracy allowed her to pick away her enemies exposed parts. She was a MechWarrior fighting under Cenotaph Stables' banner.

In the first round of the tournament, Trisha was matched against Boris Vassilev. Boris attempted to repeat his performance in the qualifying rounds, but his Malice and him were outmaneuvered and outmatched by Trisha and her Scourge, who were finally able to taking him down.

In his Quarterfinals match, he was paired with Joshua Simmons. It was a close-run fight, but Trisha used her Scourge superior speed to evade fire and leap around Joshua's Mangonel. Trisha's pinpoint accuracy allowed her to pick away at Simmons' legs, eventually toppling him.

In the Semifinal match, she was paired against Moira Hernandez. Moira, the tournament revelation, gave it all, but without the speed advantage she had enjoyed for the last two rounds, and with her Violator chewed up from facing down heavier machines without ample time for repairs, it was only a matter of time before Trisha Swanson put the Violator down for the count. Trisha did her stable proud, however, doing only as much damage as was necessary in order to win the match, holding back some of the Scourge's prodigious firepower to keep from endangering her opponent's life.

In the final, he was matched to Levi Haynes. Though Trisha had beaten several assault 'Mechs over the course of the tournament, the betting odds were heavily against her in this matchup. With both 'Mechs equipped with jump jets, much of Swanson's advantage from her earlier matches was negated, and if her 'Mech was faster, it was also seriously outgunned. Given a day and two nights to make good the damage from previous combats, both 'Mechs were in good condition when they entered the championship arena, although they both still bore the scars of five long days of fighting.

From the beginning of the battle, it was obvious that Swanson intended to make Haynes chase her, using the available cover to the best of her ability and using her superior speed to keep out from under the Marauder IIC's weapons. Although he had to be careful of his heat, Haynes could afford to be liberal with his PPC fire, while Swanson had to take care not to waste shots with her Scourge's Gauss rifle. This allowed Haynes to keep Swanson on the run for the first four minutes of the match.

It was a testament to Trisha Swanson's skill that she managed to keep her Scourge relatively undamaged during these intense four minutes, though her machine lost a significant amount of armor to repeated PPC strikes. At four minutes and 36 seconds into the battle, Trisha fired her Gauss rifle for the first time, skipping a shot off the sloped armor of the Marauder IIC's torso as Haynes desperately twisted away.

This single shot changed the initiative of the match, as it put Haynes on the defensive, allowing Swanson to stop dodging and attack. Two more gauss rounds followed the first in quick succession, the first missing completely as Levi hit his jump jets in a desperate bid to escape, and the second striking the Marauder IIC in the right rear just as it was landing, destroying one of the jump jet units and effectively grounding the assault 'Mech.

From this point on, Swanson used her red and white Scourge like a light 'Mech, circling around the beleaguered Marauder IIC and firing on Haynes with her quartet of medium lasers and her Medium Pulse Laser, keeping him on his toes while she set up for the kill with her Gauss rifle. Haynes, however, proved that he deserved his spot in this championship match, luring Swanson into overcommitting herself to get off a gauss shot. When she popped out from behind cover at close range, Levi was waiting, and fired a point-blank salvo of ATMs at the Scourge, staggering the smaller 'Mech with missile impacts.

Trisha was able to keep her 'Mech standing, however, and got in the gauss attack despite the fearsome missile assault, disabling one of Levi's ER PPCs even as her medium lasers scored on the blue and silver 'Mech's ATM launcher, causing a series of minor explosions. The significance of this strike didn't become evident for some time, as Swanson ducked her Scourge out of the Marauder IIC's line of fire before Haynes could fire another volley of ATMs.

Swanson returned to her light-'Mech tactics, demonstrating the exceptional training provided by Cenotaph Stables, by wrenching her damaged heavy 'Mech around in maneuvers that would challenge a light 'Mech. It was almost not enough, however, as Haynes was able to set up a missile shot on Trisha's Scourge while the Scourge was in mid-jump, soaring over one of the obstacles scattered about the arena. It quickly became evident that Swanson's laser hit on the launcher had caused more damage than was initially apparent, however, as only three missiles actually launched, the others detonating in their tubes and causing a massive explosion that nearly gutted the 'Mech of the Starlight Stables champion. Haynes attempted to fight on, however, until Swanson darted around his flank, taking out his second PPC with a pinpoint gauss strike and leaving him nearly defenseless. Not willing to fight on with only his two small lasers, Levi Haynes broadcast his surrender, leaving Trisha Swanson the 3135 Solaris VII Grand Tournament Champion.

BattleMechs

Trisha Swanson piloted a Scourge during the 3135 Gran Tournament.

Bibliography

• Dark Age: LinkNet Articles (3136)