Andrea Stirling
Sarna News
Andrea Stirling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Also known as | Cat |
| Born | 3016[1] |
| Affiliation | House Stirling |
| Profile | |
| Rank | Colonel[1] |
| Title(s) | Paladin Exemplar[2] |
| Profession | MechWarrior |
| Family | |
| Children | At least one child |
Andrea "Cat" Stirling was an officer with the Northwind Highlanders and one of the founding Paladins of the Republic of the Sphere.
Contents
History[edit]
Early career[edit]
As a trademark, Stirling had an incredible patience and deviousness.[1] Born and raised among the Highlanders, she followed in her mother's footsteps and became a MechWarrior. Stirling quickly proved her mettle and in 3025, she was serving as the commanding major of Second Kearny Highlanders, First Battalion. The death of Colonel Darrel MacHenry made her a candidate to take command of the full regiment; however, she declined, saying that Major Cochraine had more experience.[3]
Stirling's Fusiliers[edit]
A few years later, in 3050, Stirling would take over command of McCormack's Fusiliers, renaming them "Stirling's Fusiliers." And, not content with that, she shown time and time her cunning, leading the regiment to victory always.[1]
In 3057, during Operation GUERRERO, the Fusiliers were far from Northwind, but were the first regiment to return home after a conflict erupted between pro-Davion Highlanders and pro-Capellan Highlanders. After making a hot combat drop on Tara's spaceport, the 20 October, she led her regiment to fight the Third Royals. Stirling ordered her forces to disarm the explosives set by Drew Catelli, which saved the city of Tara and the Highlanders from Catelli's trap.[4]
Shortly after the conflict was resolved, Stirling offered Loren Jaffray the position of second in command of the Fusiliers, which Jaffray accepted. [5]
Wayside V[edit]
In 3058, Jaffray was putting the Fusiliers on form, but some of his subordinates, mainly Majors Cullen Craig and Kurt Blakadar, argued insistently against his changes, even going directly to Andrea, but she gave Jaffray her full support.[6] That year, when the Draconis Combine contracted the Highlanders to take a Periphery planet, Wayside V, the Fusiliers were chosen. on the way, she had a meeting with her officers, including their liaison, Sho-sa Elden Parkensen, and they planned the imminent battle. The 3 July, when they arrived at Wayside, they found a full Galaxy, Tau Galaxy (Clan Smoke Jaguar), with a WarShip in orbit. Without alternatives, she ordered the Fusiliers to land. She made a batchall to the Jaguars' commander, Devon Osis, before landing.[7] Once on the ground, she took command of the landing zone and allowed Jaffray to search Parkensen's impact zone, which allowed Loren to save the officer.[8] After meeting all the surviving highlanders, Andrea asked her officers for options, eventually allowing Loren to make a desperate move: to escape the system and, with a small task force, to draw Clan Nova Cat forces there to fight the Jaguars.[9]
The 5 July, she led the Fusiliers in the battle of the Isthmus, holding the Jaguar attacks. Despite the losses, she refused to call Blakadar's flank force until the time was right, which allowed them to crush the Cluster, though at a high cost. She downed Star Colonel Roberta's Executioner, despite being engaged in a duel against Parkensen, which made him furious.[10] The 13 July, she presided a officers' meeting, to decide what to do. She had to reprimand the Major Craig for telling than Jaffray won't return, and sent a small task force to destroy the Jaguars' airfield. The 22 July, when she asked for a rear-guard to cover the Fusiliers' retreat, craig volunteered to lead it. She began fearing Cullen may crack under the pressure.[11]
The 25 July, she was contacted by Devon Osis, to show her the slaughter of her rear-guard forces. She was furious and insulted the Jaguar commander for killing surrendering soldiers, but Osis wasn't moved.[12] Stirling led the defense against the Jaguars final assault, the 8 August. The arrival of Clan Nova Cat forces turned the tide, and when the Cats had finished off Tau's remains, the Nova Cats' commanding officer, Star Colonel Santin West talked her. He was enraged by Jaffray's posing as a Jaguar, but at the end, Andrea convinced him to depart without harming the Fusiliers.[13]
The 9 September, Stirling, along with most of her officers, was on Wildcat Station when Parkensen raised the Combine's flag there, which finished the Highlanders' contract, before departing. She later promoted Blakadar to replace Jaffray, which had received his own regiment too.[14]
Paladin Exemplar[edit]
Stirling was one of the original seventeen Paladins of the Republic. She negotiated the incorporation of Northwind with Emil, which convinced her to take the step to make a Covenant with the Republic. but also, in secret, he allowed the Highlanders to keep a great quantity of 'Mechs in secret, which, decades later, were used to form the Grey Watch.[15][16]
BattleMech[edit]
Andrea Stirling was known to pilot a T-IT-N10M Grand Titan.[1]
Notes[edit]
Sterling was listed as being born in 3016 in the Northwind Highlanders scenario pack but in the novel Impetus of War Andrea was described as being 20 years older than Loren Jaffray who was 33 at the time of the events of the novel, (i.e. in 3058) placing her birth in 3005, this article assumes that 3016 is correct.[17]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Northwind Highlanders, p. 48: "Andrea Stirling" profile
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 178: "Paladins"
- ↑ House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 82: "Second Kearny Highlanders Unit Profile"
- ↑ Highlander Gambit, pp. 333–338
- ↑ Highlander Gambit, p. 349
- ↑ Impetus of War, ch. 5
- ↑ Impetus of War, ch. 9
- ↑ Impetus of War, ch. 11
- ↑ Impetus of War, chs. 13–15
- ↑ Impetus of War, chs. 25–27
- ↑ Impetus of War, chs. 30–37
- ↑ Impetus of War, ch. 42
- ↑ Impetus of War, ch. 48
- ↑ Impetus of War, Epilogue
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 17: "The Paladins"
- ↑ Perception of Victory
- ↑ Impetus of War, pp. 13–14