Nelson Geist

Nelson Geist
Personal
Born	3007
Died	25 October 3055
Affiliation	Federated Commonwealth Kell Hounds
Profile
Rank	Kommandant
Profession	MechWarrior
Family
Children	Jon Geist

Nelson Geist was a Lyran MechWarrior and, briefly, a member of the Kell Hounds mercenary group prior to his death in the Red Corsair affair where he played a pivotal role.

History

Early Life and Career

Geist on patrol, 25 December 3027

Nelson Geist was born on Kooken's Pleasure Pit, growing up in an arid region. He trained at the Nagelring academy, and in 3027 was assigned to a winter semester training with Gregg's Long Striders on Ford.

He arrived there a month prior to Christmas and volunteered to the Yule Patrol, at Christmas time, expecting to earn his comrades' respect with a borrowed Phoenix Hawk BattleMech.

Geist's boring patrol became his baptism of fire when he was attacked by Anti-Nick and the Elves from Hell, a lance of bandits who raided on Christmas from time to time. Using the jump jets of his 'Mech, Geist managed to down a Jenner before Nick decided to engage Geist with a BattleMaster.

Despite Nick's BattleMech weight advantage, Geist managed to defeat Nick by burying Nick's 'Mech with an avalanche. Geist jumped over the snow and threatened to shoot Nick in the cockpit if he didn't surrender, and the bandit was forced to give up. Geist took Nick's BattleMaster as his new 'Mech.

Clan Invasion

During the Clan Invasion, Geist fought Clan Jade Falcon forces on the planet Wotan, where he lost two fingers, but managed to escape with his 'Mech. After that, he returned to Kooken's Pleasure Pit, becoming Kommandant of the planetary militia.

Red Corsair affair

In the year 3054, a pirate force of regimental size, led by a woman calling herself the Red Corsair attacked Kooken, causing heavy damage to the battalion of Robinson Rangers and the Grave Walkers defending the planet. This resulted in the mobilization of the Kooken's Reserve Militia. Geist led the Militia against the pirates in an attempt to buy time for the Rangers and Walkers to reach the battle, but it was a fruitless effort; the invaders were equipped with Clan technology, and the Militia never stood a chance.

Geist approached the Red Corsair's BattleMaster, fighting a duel against her, but like his men, he was easily defeated. He considered ejecting from his downed 'Mech, in a suicidal attempt to damage the Red Corsair's 'Mech, but in the end, simply surrendered. Geist and the Militia were captured by the bandits, and used as forced labor. As his injuries prevented him from assisting, and he had the respect of his men, the bandits nominated him overseer of their people.

Geist began to uncover more data about the bandits, like the fact they don't behave as real pirates. When he saw the Corsair in flesh and bone, feel immediately attracted by her, and the feeling appears to be mutual. When she show him his room, Geist was surprised seeing it was like a holovid pirate leader room, suspecting than the Bandits ignore everything about the real pirates, and have inspired in the holovid series to pose as pirates. She said him he knew too much to leave him free, but not enough to kill him.

In May, during the bandit's attack on planet Zhongshan, Geist used his relative authority to send food captured by the pirates to an orphanage. The Corsair was furious after hearing it, and attacked Geist, informing he had ordered his people to destroy the orphan house as punishment. Geist managed to knock her unconscious, left her in the infirmary, to be healed by an accidental blood poisoning, and ordered the Bandits to don't attack the orphan house, and informed ComStar about the possible attack, telling them to evacuate the orphans.

When Victor Steiner-Davion hear about it, was unable to believe Geist had joined the pirates, but ordered an investigation. Meanwhile, Geist was punished by the Corsair. After she had been healed, put Geist inside a virtual world, forcing him to take care of children. Geist accepted his prison, exploring the city and familiarizing himself with the constellations... but when attempted to enter an underground room, his helmet punished him with a strong electric shock. Not too later, Geist and the corsair became passionate lovers.

In June, The Corsair took Geist as her copilot in the assault of planet Deia, against the defenders, the mercenaries Zimmer's Zouaves. Forcing Geist to fight, threatening to kill his comrade militiamen, he downed two enemy 'Mechs, gaining the freedom of two of his friends.

In the next battle, this time against the Thirty-first Wolf Solahma Cluster, downed easily two Wolf 'Mechs.

During the space battle of the pirates against the Kell Hounds in the system Zanderij, he saw his opportunity to escape, killing a pirate before launching himself in a scape pod before the pirate DropShip Lioness was destroyed. The Hounds fighters rescued him.

Once in Arc-Royal, Geist received a mixed reception: Conal Ward, leader of the Thirty-first Wolf Solahma, accused him to be a mole and agent of the Corsair. Christian Kell offered him a place in the Hounds, but the Wolf Khan, Phelan Kell simply doesn't trust him. Geist offered himself to help the Hounds and Wolves to predict the next target of the pirated, but Phelan said him it wasn't necessary: they had made a trap for her in Arc-Royal itself.

While the trap was finished, Geist, who had been implanted with a localization chip, and was watched all the time by Bob Bates, a security officer, locked himself in a library, looking star maps. The attack of the Corsair triggered the Wolf and Hound ambush. His group was decimated, but all the pirated died fighting or committed suicide before being captured. Only the corsair and some of his 'Mechs and fighters managed to escape. Only then, Geist left his study and visited Phelan, offering him a deal: he know the secret base of the Corsair's location, and offered him in exchange to Phelan's permission to go with the strike force. Reluctantly, Phelan agreed. Then, Geist informed him that the virtual word's constellations were those of the planet Elissa, in the Clan Wolf Occupation zone.

During the trip, Geist was shocked when hear than Bates has coming, and will be watching him. Phelan denied him also the chance to fight. Despite his deception, Geist insisted and participated, expecting to rescue the last of his men held prisoner. During the trip, along with Bates, helped Christian with his BattleMech reparations, and spend all his free time in the combat simulators. He resigned from Kooken's militia and enlisted in the Hounds, with the rank of Major.

Death

Geist was one of the last casualties of the battle of Elissia, on 25 October 3055. He viewed the battle from afar, with Bates watching him. However, observing the Red Corsair's 'Mech, he recognized the movements of an inexperienced MechWarrior... so it could not be the Red Corsair. Geist knocked Bates unconscious, stole his hovercar, and drove it into the settlement. Thanks to his knowledge of the virtual word he located the "secret room" of the Corsair. The Red Corsair had just finished arming a nuclear mine capable of destroying the entire valley and everyone fighting in it. She told Geist that she was pregnant and that she loved him, using his moment of shock to lunge for a hidden machine pistol. He fired his shotgun, killing her, but not before she managed to fatally wound him. His last act was to take the Corsair's communicator, defiantly insulting the person who ordered the Red Corsair to activate the mine, before he died of his wounds.

Legacy

Geist's sacrifice managed to thwart the Jade Falcon-Wolf Clan plot to reignite the Clan Invasion with destruction of the Kell Hounds, and a possible Trial of Annihilation of the Wolves by the other Clans, as Conal Ward expected. His body was sent to Arc-Royal, where he was to be buried with honors among the other Hounds' fallen. Christian Kell himself went to Geist's home, convincing Dorete to accept his offer to take her and her sons to Arc-Royal, where the Hounds could take care of them.

Family

Geist had a son named Jon Geist, who served as a MechWarrior in the Tenth Lyran Guards under Victor Steiner-Davion. Jon was killed in action on Teniente, and was survived by his wife Dorete Geist and two twin children, Jacob Geist and Joachim Geist.

Relationships

Geist appears to have been very close to his son, and to his grandchildren too, as they are almost identical to him. His relationship with his son's widow, Dorete, was cold at best, as she hated him and all MechWarriors, blaming him for her husband's death. The relationship of Geist with the Red Corsair was a strange one, of hate and love, and she appears to feel the same. It remains unknown if she was really pregnant with his child, as she stated in her last words.

BattleMechs

As a cadet, Geist briefly piloted a borrowed Phoenix Hawk in his first battle against Anti-Nick, where he captured him and affirmed his intention to claim his BattleMaster. At some point this BattleMaster was upgraded to the BLR-3S configuration. As a copilot for the Red Corsair he briefly piloted her BattleMaster.

Notes

His presence on Wotan in June of 3050 may implicate than he served in the Wotan Tamar March Militia.

Bibliography

• Ghost of Christmas Present (short story)
• Jade Falcon Sourcebook
• Natural Selection (novel)
• Operational Turning Points: The Red Corsair