Editing Paul Masters

{{Update Needed|[[The Hunters]]|[[Forever Faithful]]}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Paul Masters BTLegends.jpg
| caption             = 
| name                = Paul Masters
| birthdate           = [[3012]]<ref name=BT:Lp108>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 108</ref>
| died                = early [[3069]]<ref name=BT:Lp108/>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Masters]]
| rank                = [[Colonel]]
| title               = [[Count of Gibson]]<br/>[[Knight of the Inner Sphere]]
| position            =
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = [[Jean Masters]] (mother)<ref name=BT:Lp108/><ref name=IWc2>''Ideal War'', ch. 2</ref>
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}
Sir '''Paul Masters''' was a [[Free Worlds League]] military commander, nobleman, and [[Knight of the Inner Sphere]].

==History==
===Early Life===
Paul Masters was the son of Free Worlds League hero [[Jean Masters]], who served as a [[Force Commander]] in the [[First Marik Militia]] prior to the [[Fourth Succession War]]. He grew up on tales of his mother's bravery and courage in the cockpit of a [[BattleMech]], which led him to attend the [[Allison MechWarrior Institute]].

While serving in the cadet company, he was on maneuvers with the [[Second Sirian lancers]] on Procyon when they were [[Battle of Procyon (3030)|attacked]] by Tikonov guerillas.  Paul drove back the fanatical infantry charge, killing hundreds in the process.  After returning to the Institute he graduated with honors but never forgot the carnage he inflicted.<ref name=BT:Lp108/>

Placed in his mother's old unit as a Lieutenant he was assigned as an aide to [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] [[Thomas Marik]] which resulted in Masters and Marik becoming lifelong friends. By [[3039]] he had been promoted to [[Force Commander]] in command of Second Battalion where he fought in the final [[Battle of Andurien (3039)|battle]] of the [[Andurien Secession]], once more being appalled by the destruction war wrought.<ref>''Phoenix Hawk Lore and Blueprint''</ref><ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 82: "A Tale of Two Cities: Baroda and Jojoken"</ref>

===Formation of the Knights of the Inner Sphere===
In [[3054]] Masters was brought to [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] by Thomas Marik, where he approached him in forming a new military unit based on ideals of Chivalry.  To get more understanding of what Thomas wanted, he was asked to read the ancient novel, ''[[w:Le Morte d'Arthur|Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' by Sir Thomas Malory.  After reading the entire book in one sitting, he became enthusiastic on what Thomas was trying to do, and became one of its founding Knights.

He was among the hundred and fifty [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarriors]] who attended the ceremony of activation of [[Knights of the Inner Sphere]] on January 1st, [[3055]].  After the ceremony, Thomas introduced Paul to [[Word of Blake]] [[Precentor]] [[William Blane]], an old friend of the Captain-General during his [[ComStar]] days.  Blane told Thomas and Masters during the meeting about trouble on [[Gibson]], where his Word of Blake settlers were facing rebellion against them.  Thomas decided to send Masters with Blane back to Gibson to investigate the situation.

On Gibson, Masters soon discovered a number of conspiracies between the Principal of the Principality of Gibson and Countess Dystar, locals and Word of Blake settlers.  With each of the sides fighting among themselves and individuals attempting to take control for themselves, Masters became a fugitive on the planet after a falling-out with the Word of Blake 'Mech lance he had been assigned to, as he had witnessed them slaughtering civilians. Blane was arrested by Assistant Precentor Starling during this time as well as Starling assumed command of the Blakist forces on Gibson. With the assistance of the local rebels, Masters managed to have Duchess Dystar and her Principal, Hsien, war among themselves with their mercenaries. Masters and other locals rescued Blane from captivity.

By February, Thomas Marik and the entire Knights of the Inner Sphere regiment arrived on-planet, trying to resolve the situation. During this time, Masters was given the lands and title as Count of Gibson to help restore order to the planet.<ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 5</ref> Citing Dystar's poor actions that led to the volatile situation on the planet.
Colonel Nathen Roush of the Regulan Hussars pledged his forces to support Dystar's attempt to regain her lands and joined [[Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake|Precentor Martial]] [[Trent Arian]] in their fight against Masters and the Knights.

When renegade Blakist forces and Knights faced off in the capital city, members of the Gibson Freedom League deployed two Regulan Davey Crockett nuclear weapons against the Regulan and Blakist forces on the battlefield. Reeling from the damage inflicted on them, Precentor Arian surrendered to Marik rather than continue fighting in the city.<ref name=IWc22>''Ideal War'', ch. 22</ref>

===Task Force Serpent===
In [[3058]] Inner Sphere factions came together to re-form the [[2nd Star League|Star League]]. Captain-General Thomas Marik agreed to submit troops as part of the two-pronged [[Trial of Annihilation]] against one of the Clans to end the Clan threat. Masters by then had become a Colonel and commanding officer of the [[1st Knights of the Inner Sphere]].  His regiment was assigned as the [[FWLM]] contribution to [[Task Force Serpent]], also selected by Thomas Marik to serve as the task force's conscience to keep them from becoming mindless killers.

He and his troops helped the Task Force troops sharpen their skills against the [[ComStar Invader Galaxy]] on the [[FedCom]] world of [[Defiance (system)|Defiance]].

During the year-long journey to [[Huntress]] the capital world of the Jaguars, the task force encountered and defeated a pirate band, executing their leadership. This upset Masters and his people due to their beliefs of honorable conduct.  A short time later, the Task Force fought a small flotilla of WarShips and a JumpShip from [[Clan Ghost Bear]] traveling to the Inner Sphere.  Upon defeating them, the task force discovered that the Bears' lone civilian JumpShip had been carrying thousands of civilians. Task Force commander [[Morgan Hasek-Davion]] ordered that the Clansmen would either become bondsmen to the Task Force, or be marooned on a habitable world.  Again Masters, and others among the [[Eridani Light Horse]] were at odds with the decision.  Masters offered to take in a number of the [[bondsman]] civilians as the most civilized way to handle the situation.

On March 5th, [[3060]], the Task Force arrived at Huntress. Masters' 1st Knights and [[House Liao]]'s [[Kingston's Legionnaires]] were directed to take the Jaguars' training base at the city of New Andery.  There, Master's Knights and his allies encountered large numbers of never before seen [[ProtoMech|ProtoMechs]], which inflicted considerable amounts of damage to them.  The fanatical assault cost Masters his ''[[Anvil]]'' BattleMech.

On the 19th, two makeshift [[Galaxy|Galaxies]] of Smoke Jaguar forces arrived from the desperate fight from their now former Occupation Zone.  Masters and his Knights were assigned with the Northwind Highlanders and posted southwest of Lake Osis, soon becoming known as the Southern Army for the SLDF forces. A second group of Jaguar reinforcements arrived, led by saKhan [[Brandon Howell]], and these forces drove the Knights and Highlanders into Dhuan Swamp, with Master's Knights being reduced to only one quarter their original strength.<ref>''Twilight of the Clans'', p. 12: "The Conquest Continues - Master's knights get clobbered by Clan reinforcements"</ref>  Half of the Southern Army was routed and killed. During the Clan attacks the Knights managed to rescue the [[1st Kathil Uhlans]] and help the Southern army fight off Clan forces.

Eventually, the remains of First Prince [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor Steiner-Davion's]] Task Force Bulldog arrived and assisted the remaining Serpent forces in mopping up the remaining Jaguar forces on Huntress.  After conducting a [[Trial of Refusal]] to end the invasion of the Clans, Steiner-Davion returned to Huntress and spoke with Masters.  He designated Masters as Star League liaison to the Clans, despite Master's misgivings of the Prince's ambitions.<ref>''Twilight of the Clans'', p. 13: "A Blow to Morale/Deep into the Jaguar's Fangs/On To Strana Mechty"</ref><ref>''Prince of Havoc'' - Victor Steiner-Davion chats with Paul Masters on Huntress to become SLDF Liaison to the Clans; he told Victor, prior to his departure to send a replacement as soon possible, not wanting to remain as permanent ambassador{{cn}}</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Updates'', pp. 8, 150</ref> Sir Paul returned to the [[Inner Sphere]] prior to [[3067]], when he was promoted to [[General]] of the [[Knights of the Inner Sphere]] brigade.<ref>''Field Manual: Updates'', pp. 150, 160</ref>

===Civil War, Jihad, and Death===
In [[3068]] Sir Paul led a [[FWLM]] task force to the Lyran world of [[Giausar]]. There the First Knights of the Inner Sphere, [[20th Marik Militia]], and several other small mercenary forces engaged the [[One-Eyed Jacks]].<ref>''Mercenaries Supplemental Update'', p. 93</ref>

Reports from the city of Helmdown on [[Helm]] in [[3069]] had Masters facing down an attack on that settlement by the [[Word of Blake]]'s [[Fifty-second Shadow Division]] headed by [[Precentor]] [[Damien Lucille]].  Though Masters was outnumbered, his sense of honor compelled him to engage Lucille in a duel as the Blakist force made their way into the outskirts of the city.  The fight did not go well for Masters, as Lucille's cybernetic modifications gave him an edge over the aging Knight, and he was subsequently slain by a point-blank PPC blast into the cockpit of his ''Phoenix Hawk''.  <ref>''BattleTech: Legends'', pp. 116 - 121, "For the Promise"</ref>

==BattleMechs==
The BattleMech Masters piloted during most of his career, including the Gibson campaign, was a ''[[Phoenix Hawk]]''.<ref name=IWc2/><ref>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 11'', p. 10</ref> During [[Task Force Serpent]] his machine was an ''[[Anvil]]'', which he lost in the battle of New Andery. Later he replaced with a captured ''[[Nobori-nin]]'' OmniMech, which he used the last stage of the campaign.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Paul Masters TotC.jpg|Sir Paul Masters at age 47 from ''[[Twilight of the Clans]]''
Paul Masters BTLegends.jpg|Masters from ''[[BattleTech: Legends|BT:Legends]]''
Phoenix Hawk (Roc) BTLegends.jpg|Masters' ''Phoenix Hawk'', "''Roc''", from ''BT:Legends''
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[BattleTech: Legends]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Free Worlds League]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
* ''[[Historical: Brush Wars]]''
* ''[[The Hunters]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Ideal War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''
* ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental Update]]''
* ''[[Phoenix Hawk Lore and Blueprint]]''
* ''[[Prince of Havoc]]''
* ''[[Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 11]]''
* ''[[Shadows of War]]''
* ''[[Sword and Fire]]''
* ''[[Twilight of the Clans]]''


[[Category: Free Worlds League Characters|Masters, Paul]]
[[Category:Notable Phoenix Hawk Pilots|Masters, Paul]]