Gannon's Cannons

Revision as of 13:46, 11 December 2018 by Pserratv (talk | contribs) (Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine)

Template:InfoBoxMercUnit

History

The Gannon's Cannons mercenary unit were formed from the remains of Carlton's Cavaliers after that unit had suffered losses during the fighting on Cumbres in February 3067, and were mistakenly tried and blacklisted for the crimes of another unit there, Dortman's Devils. Even though the prosecution's case was shredded by the ranking Cavalier officer, Gannon "Cannon" Derer, the Cavaliers were never formally acquitted because of a general amnesty declared by Peter Steiner-Davion at the end of the FedCom Civil War that saw their case dropped. It had a lasting negative effect on the image of Carlton's Cavaliers. With their CO badly injured, the unit was about to dissolve when Derer took command of the Cavaliers' remains and renamed them Gannon's Cannons in mid-3067.[1]

Their first contract, a strike against the Word of Blake-controlled warehouses on Keid in Interstellar Expeditions employ, saw Gannon's Cannons with no home to return to, as it occurred at the same time as Wayne Waco's attack against Wolf's Dragoons and the scouring of Outreach in mid-October of 3067.[1]

Gannon's Cannons were named as one example of a relatively small mercenary unit with their own transportation that had been small and mobile enough to avoid attention and destruction over the course of the Jihad.[2]

As of 31 October 3085 Gannon's Cannons were stationed on Atocongo in the Lyran Commonwealth, at 85% nominal strength and implicitly in Commonwealth employ.[3]

At some point after 3129 and "shortly" before the Draconis Combine's invasion of the Republic of the Sphere's Prefecture II, Gannon's Cannons carried out a strike mission on Pike IV under contract to the DCMS.[4]

After the successful mission on Pike IV, the Cannons were hired by the DCMS as an auxiliary unit to provide garrison support on the Combine's Republic acquisitions. The unit nearly disbanded after suffering major losses during a Dominion raid on Styx, though after heavy fighting the intruders withdrew long enough for the Cannons to mount up and give chase.[5]

As of 31 December 3145 Gannon's Cannons were stationed on York in the Lyran Commonwealth, listed as a battalion at 85% nominal strength and implicitly in Commonwealth employ. By this time they were under the command of one Major Gannon Derer II.[6]

Notes

  • In 2011 Gannon Derer, the six year old son of a Catalyst Agent, BattleTech volunteer, fact-checker and playtester, was diagnosed with leukemia. The Demo Agent group began to assemble and paint up BattleTech miniatures as gifts for the boy in his favorite colors, and came to name the unit Gannon's Cannons. The unit was then canonized through being mentioned in Field Manual: 3085, and later received a full writeup by Craig Reed in Total Chaos.[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Total Chaos, pp. 19-21
  2. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 120
  3. Field Manual: 3085, p. 160
  4. Technical Readout: 3145, p. 124
  5. Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine, p. 38 "EXR-2X Exhumer"
  6. Field Manual: 3145, p. 182
  7. According to a blog entry by Ben Rome and this forum posting by Demo Agent "Bosefius"

Bibliography