Editing Nelson Geist

{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}}

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Nelson Geist OTPRedCorsair.jpg
| caption             = Nelson Geist, ca. 3055
| name                = Nelson Geist
| birthdate           = [[3007]]<ref name=OTP:RCp9>''Operational Turning Points: The Red Corsair'', p. 9: "Nelson Geist profile"</ref>
| died                = 25 October [[3055]]<ref name=NSp333>''Natural Selection'', p. 333</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[Federated Commonwealth]]<br/>[[Kell Hounds]]
| rank                = [[Kommandant]]<ref name=OTP:RCp9/>
| title               =
| position            =
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = [[Jon Geist]]<ref name=OTP:RCp9/>
}}

'''Nelson Geist''' was a [[Lyran Commonwealth|Lyran]] [[MechWarrior (pilot)|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===
[[File:Nelson Geist GoCP.jpg|thumb|left|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]].<ref>''Ghost of Christmas Present'' in ''First Strike'', p. 125</ref>

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]].<ref>''Ghost of Christmas present'' in ''First Strike'', p. 131</ref>

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.<ref>''Ghost of Christmas present'' in ''First Strike'', p. 138</ref>

===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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 8</ref> After that, he returned to Kooken's Pleasure Pit, becoming [[Kommandant]] of the planetary militia.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 9</ref>

===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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 15</ref>

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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 18</ref>
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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 51</ref>

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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 162</ref>

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 [[31st Wolf Solahma Cluster|31st Wolf ''Solahma'' Cluster]], downed easily two Wolf 'Mechs.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 236</ref>

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 31st 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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 269</ref>

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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 312</ref>

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]].<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 317</ref>

===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.<ref name=NSch40>''Natural Selection'', Ch. 40</ref>

===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.<ref>''Natural Selection'', p. 346</ref>

==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.<ref name=NSpro>''Natural Selection'', prologue</ref> 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.<ref name=NSch40/>

==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]]''.<ref>''Ghost of Christmas Present''</ref> At some point this ''BattleMaster'' was upgraded to the BLR-3S configuration.<ref name=NSpro/> As a copilot for the Red Corsair he briefly piloted her ''BattleMaster''.<ref name=NSch20>''Natural Selection'', Ch. 20</ref>

==Notes==
His presence on Wotan in June of 3050 may implicate than he served in the [[Wotan Tamar March Militia]].<ref>''Jade Falcon Sourcebook'', p. 39</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Ghost of Christmas Present]]'' (short story)
* ''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]''
* ''[[Natural Selection]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Operational Turning Points: The Red Corsair]]''


[[Category:Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Geist, Nelson]]
[[Category:Kell Hounds Characters|Geist, Nelson]]