William Le Marchant

William Le Marchant
Character Profile
Affiliation Capellan Confederation
Rank Sang-shao[1]

William Le Marchant was the commanding officer of the Red Lancers by 3085.[1]

History[edit]

Sang-shao Le Marchant, serving with the Red Lancers, was stationed on Sian in 3085.[1] Le Marchant continued to command the Red Lancers twenty-six years later, leading the unit during the Capellan Crusades.[2]

The first major action the Red Lancers participated in during the Crusades did not occur until [[3113] when, in response to an incursion into Capellan space by a berserk Kai Allard-Liao and his Fifth Hastati Sentinels, the Lancers and Death Commandos were stationed on Sakhalin in order to ambush the Republic commander. When the opposing forces clashed at Bedlam's Barrow on 14 January, the Red Lancers fired solely at Allard-Liao's supporting Hastati troops in order to provide the Death Commandos with an opportunity to kill Allard-Liao. Although Allard-Liao battled like a man possessed and the soldiers of the Fifth Hastati threw themselves into harm's way to protect him, a lucky missile strike to Allard-Liao's cockpit succeeded in ending his life, and the depleted Fifth Hastati and reinforcing Stone's Lament troops couldn't prevent a Capellan victory.[3]

Although Allard-Liao's force had been defeated, the crusading Capellan military remained in disarray. Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao gathered the victorious Death Commandos and Red Lancers and brought them to Liao, hoping that his presence on the battlefield would invigorate the struggling Dynasty Guards and tip the balance of the conflict back in the Confederation's favor. On 8 March, the Capellan troops made a surprise attack against the Ninth Hastati Sentinels in the ruins of Chang-an, nearly driving the Republic force to rout before the intervention of an elite company of Amaterasu shored up the defender's resolve. Just as the Capellans began to waver, Sun-Tzu dropped from the sky in a golden Emperor and declared Liao and its people as his, altering the entire flow of the battle. As the Red Lancers desperately tried to protect their lord, the Republic forces converged and quickly downed the Chancellor's 'Mech. The rage this inspired in the Capellan soldiers finally accomplished Sun-Tzu's goal, invigorating the attackers and driving the Republic forces into a full retreat.[4]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 33: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces Deployment Table"
  2. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 13: "Combatants"
  3. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 25: "Touchpoint: Sakhalin"
  4. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 27: "Touchpoint: Liao Ascends"

Bibliography[edit]