Forever Faithful

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Forever Faithful.jpg
Forever Faithful
Product information
Type Novel
Author Blaine Lee Pardoe
Pages 306 (print)
317 (PDF)
Cover Artwork Anthony Scroggins
Publication information
Publisher Catalyst Game Labs
Product code 35824
First published 23 February 2019
ISBN-13 978-1941582770
MSRP $ 13.95 (print)
Content
Era Clan Invasion era
Timeline 19 April 3060 - 11 December 3130

Forever Faithful, by Blaine Lee Pardoe, was released digitally and as a print-on-demand book on February 23, 2019. A spiritual (if not actual) final entry in (or sequel to) the "Twilight of the Clans" saga that concluded the Clan Invasion era, its storyline bridges through the Jihad era and connects to Pardoe's Dark Age era novel, Surrender Your Dreams.

Teaser Text

“ SEMPER FIDELIS

In the year 3060, the reborn Star League has destroyed Clan Smoke Jaguar, conquered their home world Huntress, and scattered the few remaining Jaguar warriors to the winds. Now the League seeks to end the Clan invasion for good by using former Smoke Jaguars against their own people.

Meanwhile, two bitter enemies seek to salvage a future for the last Jaguars in existence: Trent, who betrayed his wayward Clan to help them regain their honor, and Paul Moon, a disgraced warrior torn between his pledged loyalty to the Star League and a duty to the Smoke Jaguar civilization he was born to protect.

But power-hungry predators lurk in Clan space, waiting for the right time to strike the vulnerable Star League forces. And to the victor will go the spoils: the priceless artifacts of a destroyed Clan and the sacred genetics of the final generation of Smoke Jaguar warriors.

Trent and Paul Moon must fight tooth and nail against would-be conquerors to save the soul of the surviving Jaguar people before they are consigned to the annals of history. But will their divergent plans tear the survivors apart, or lead them toward freedom?

”

Plot Summary

Framework story

Working on his memoirs during the night from 10 to 11 December 3130, Paladin Victor Steiner-Davion recalls how he had misjudged and wronged Trent back on Huntress, and the unexpected ripple effects this had on history. However, he ultimately decides to delete all parts of the story that go beyond Trent's supposed death on Huntress, feeling he cannot be the instrument of those revelations for which he figures the universe is not yet ready.

Main story

After the reformed Star League has crushed Clan Smoke Jaguar on Huntress as an object lesson to the Clans, they proceed to Strana Mechty for a Great Refusal against the whole Clan Invasion. However, Victor Steiner-Davion regards the former Smoke Jaguar Clansman Trent as a traitor and denies him the chance to fight in the Great Refusal as a warrior. Khan Severen Leroux of Clan Nova Cat, who have sided with the Star League against the Clans, makes Trent his bondsman and then immediately reinstates him to warrior status, so that he can participate in a trial by combat against Clan Ice Hellion as part of Clan Nova Cat in the Great Refusal after all. Star Captain Inanna takes Trent under her wing, making prophetic predictions about his fate and future.

The Nova Cats use Trent's notoriety as traitor to provoke the Ice Hellions during the trial, thus channeling them in a predictable fashion in order to defeat them. The plan succeeds, but Khan Severen Leroux is killed over the course of the trial and Trent suffers lethal injuries. It is duly reported that Trent died of his injuries. What is not reported is that Trent in fact "died" three times on the operating table, only to be revived each time. Between Galaxy Commander (and future Khan) Santin West, Inanna, and Trent it is then decided that Trent, scarred beyond recognition and with some additional plastic surgery, should live on under a new identity, assuming the name "Baldur". The Nova Cats believe that Trent has some fateful role to play yet. Baldur and Inanna are then assigned to a diplomatic mission to Huntress.

Meanwhile the last ranking Smoke Jaguar officer (and Trent's nemesis), Star Colonel Paul Moon, awakens in a hospital with a bionic replacement arm, among other injuries. He struggles to grasp the enormity of his and his Clan's defeat–in a Trial of Annihilation that he himself had called and for which he had set the terms and conditions. He is taken bondsman by Eridani Light Horse intelligence officer Major Kris Blau. Blau hopes that the Smoke Jaguar civilians will look up to Moon and accept him as a leader. As it turns out, many surviving warriors and even many Smoke Jaguars from other castes are unable to accept their total defeat. Moon is initially tasked with serving in a tech team affecting 'Mech repairs under Sgt. Gardenhire, where his knowledge is useful. Moon in turn is surprised about the satisfaction the menial task (which he considered beneath him) gives him.

When news of the Great Refusal and the death of the ilKhan come to Huntress on 24 April 3060, civil unrest grows among the dejected Smoke Jaguar population, and entire regions degenerate into lawless zones where chaos and brutality reign. Russou Howell, "The Jaguar", begins to recruit a guerilla army in the jungles on Huntress and many leaderless warriors are attracted to his stubborn resistance even when it is unclear what he is fighting for. After the guerillas conduct several raids, Blau turns to Paul Moon about assessing the guerillas' motives and agenda. Moon feels that working with the Star League to contain the guerillas gives him an opportunity to put his warrior skills to use again for a meaningful purpose, and he too begins to gather leaderless warriors around him.

When the Nova Cat delegation arrives at Huntress, Paul Moon does not recognize Baldur. Because of the descent of Huntress into disorder, Blau and Moon suggest to re-arm the warrior caste and raise a militia, to give them a purpose over joining the guerilla simply for a lack of options. With the support of the Nova Cat delegation, and Baldur in particular who has taken the Smoke Jaguars' fate to heart, the plan is implemented. Moon also meets with The Jaguar in the jungles to appraise him and his intentions. They reach a detente of sorts, and Paul Moon decides that the surviving Smoke Jaguar population must be evacuated elsewhere to preserve at least the spirit of his people. At the same time, Baldur and Inanna reach the same conclusion after helping a sibko of twelve-year-olds. Although the logistics are staggering, Baldur draws up a plan to set up on Wayside V.

It is expected that the other Clans will soon descend on Huntress to secure themselves the spoils. Clan Goliath Scorpion is the first to arrive on 7 August 3060, with a fleet of JumpShips and the destroyer GCS Sagitta. Ambitious Galaxy Commander Rik Myers of Alpha Galaxy (Clan Goliath Scorpion) announces a Trial of Possession for the Warhawk factory at Rakt-Jabada and all territory within a hundred kilometers, including the spaceport and all former Smoke Jaguar personnel. The militia platoon of former Smoke Jaguar warriors under Paul Moon, dubbed the "First Ghost Platoon", is included in the defense. The Goliath Scorpions are victorious.

After the battle, Baldur and Inanna confront Paul Moon about their idea of relocating the remaining Smoke Jaguars, and reshaping them into a new society. Moon balks, and Baldur challenges him to a duel in a Circle of Equals to determine whose vision they will follow to safeguard the remains of the Smoke Jaguars. In the unaugmented fight, Baldur wins against the hulking elemental by removing the power cell from Moon's bionic arm–having only recently received the arm, Moon was unprepared for this while Trent/Baldur has been living with a bionic arm for many years. At the conclusion of the fight, Trent reveals himself to Paul Moon and the former enemies make peace.

Featured characters

Featured Places

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

Vehicles

Aerospace Fighters

DropShips

WarShips

Other

Notes

  • The front page shows Trent's last stand on Wayside V, against the attacking Goliath Scorpion forces.
  • The appearance of an Araña among the 35th Scorpion Cuirassiers, and that it would be identified as such by the defenders, in a battle in 3062 is noteworthy for two reasons: The design was reportedly only put into production in 3087 and had supposedly been specifically designed for a situation that Clan Goliath Scorpion was not yet in, nor would have expected, beforehand, namely the formation of the Escorpión Imperio; that anachronism aside, it is an IndustrialMech (MilitiaMech) design that should have no place in such an elite frontline unit. It could be assumed that the Araña appearing in this novel was an early prototype, possibly a BattleMech (or OmniMech) design from before the Araña project became finalized as a MilitiaMech.

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