Martha Mathias
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Martha Mathias | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Also known as | "Big Mama" |
| Affiliation | Capellan Confederation |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Colonel |
Martha Mathias was an officer with the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces.
History[edit]
"Big Mama" Mathias was the commanding officer of Kingston's Legionnaires in 3025.[1]
Her unit was assigned to defend Heligoland, and despite ComStar placing the Federated Suns under a communications interdiction after the invasion of Sarna in mid-3029, the Capellan Operations Command of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns received enough positive reports from the fifth wave of Operation RAT to launch the sixth wave in the second week of August 3029. The decision to launch wave six was in part driven by contact from planetary governments in the unconquered region of the Sarna Commonality, indicating that the perceived threat of being annexed by the Free Worlds League was prompting a groundswell of opinion among those governments that being absorbed by the Federated Suns was a preferable alternative to being conquered by House Marik. The countless raids and invasions by the Free Worlds League Military over the centuries had embedded an intense hatred of House Marik among the planetary populations within the region, and confidence in the Capellan Confederation's ability to defend them was falling.[2]
Heligoland was one of the targets of the sixth wave, with the invasion assigned to the Sixth Crucis Lancers Regimental Combat Team. Defending Heligoland at the time were Kingston's Legionnaires, a medium-weight 'Mech regiment. Rather than assaulting the Lancers' drop zones, the Legionnaires assumed defensive positions in the hills around the planetary capital city, Helio. This presented Marshal Orval Gossiage with a problem, as assaulting a strong enemy in a well-chosen defensive position was a recipe for casualties. When Gossiage's reconnaissance teams confirmed that Helio's only source of water was a reservoir located more than fifty kilometers away, Gossiage ordered the Lancers to capture the reservoir, cut off the water supply to Helio, and wait. Two weeks later, Colonel Martha Mathias of the Legionnaires had no choice but to attack, only for the Legionnaires to be mauled by the Lancers.[3]
Faced with a losing prospect Mathias contacted Gossiage with an offer to withdraw the Legionnaires and the planetary militia off-world, provided a number of set conditions were met. Those conditions revolved primarily around ensuring that the local population were treated fairly, but also included the demand that the Legionnaires and their families be transported to Minnacora, a nearby system still in Capellan hands. Knowing that he was placing his transport ships at risk, Gossiage decided to agree to the terms, and dispatched four DropShips and his two smallest JumpShips to transport the Capellan forces away. Everything went well, and Gossiage's role in preventing further bloodshed on Heligoland was noted by the AFFS, but he was also warned for risking the ships and the lives of their crews.[3]
It is not known how this would be seen by Chancellor Maximilian Liao.[citation needed]