J. Elliot Jamison


J.Elliot Jamison
J.Elliot Jamison
Character Profile
Died 7 December 3067[1]
Affiliation Wolf's Dragoons
Rank Colonel
Profession MechWarrior
Spouse Jaella Domichardt (lover)

J. Elliot Jamison was the commanding officer of the Zeta Battalion of Wolf's Dragoons for the majority of that unit's existence.

History[edit]

Early life and career[edit]

Little is known of Jamison’s early life. It is known that he was likely born on the Clan Homeworlds, almost certainly a freeborn birth. At some point, he was chosen to join Wolf's Dragoons, who were performing reconnaissance for the Clans in the Inner Sphere.

He was promoted to command Zeta Battalion upon the death of his predecessor, Colonel Simpson Pollock, who was killed during the Dragoons' legendary assault on Hesperus II in 3019.[2] Though Jamison would continue and even build on Zeta's firebrand reputation, he would also bring much-needed stability to the unit. His three predecessors all fell in combat, averaging less than five years in command each.

In 3023, the Dragoons and Zeta Battalion would enter the employ of the Draconis Combine. Jamison and Zeta Battalion served with distinction. In 3026 during a campaign on Barlow's End, Jamison was forced to take command of Alpha Regiment as well as Zeta Battalion, due to an assassination attempt that rendered Major Kelly Yukinov incapacitated. When it was revealed the elite Eridani Light Horse was on planet and the plan was compromised, Jamison was able to organize an orderly retreat despite the incompetence of the Kuritan commander and the interference of liaison officer Jerry Akuma.[3]

In the months that followed, matters would only worsen between the Dragoons and their Kuritan employers.

Misery and Fourth Succession War[edit]

In April of 3028, the BattleMechs of Wolf’s Dragoons squared off against seven of the best regiments the Draconis Combine could field; four regiments of Ryuken, the 17th and 21st Galedon Regulars and the 8th Sword of Light. The Battle of Misery would be an epic conflict with both sides taking tremendous casualties. The warriors of Zeta Battalion inflicted massive losses on the Kuritans with the highest kill rates of any unit. This came at great cost, however, as Zeta also suffered the greatest losses of any Dragoon unit. Of the forty total MechWarriors and officers under Jamison’s command, twenty-four met their deaths on Misery.[4] The Dragoons emerged triumphant in one of the largest clashes of BattleMechs in decades.

In the aftermath of the fighting on Misery, Zeta Battalion joined the other Dragoon support units on Robinson, protecting the Dragoon civilians while the reorganized front-line units continued to fight Kuritans along the Combine-Federated Suns border as part of the Fourth Succession War. Near the end of the war, those Dragoon survivors were besieged by the DCMS on Crossing, making their final stand. Jamison, with transport support provided by the mercenary unit Miller's Marauders,[5] reorganized his battalion with other surviving Dragoons and arranged a rescue. The sudden appearance of Zeta’s assault 'Mechs broke the spirit of the Galedon Regulars regiments, compelling one unit to surrender and forcing two others to retreat. The war with Takashi Kurita had ended in a victory for Wolf’s Dragoons.[6]

After the war, Jamison joined the rest of the Dragoons on the new Dragoon homeworld of Outreach.

Clan Invasion[edit]

By 3050, Zeta Battalion was once again active and up to full strength, though little information is available on their exact activities. They were not listed among the Dragoons' units who fought in the Battle of Luthien during the Clan Invasion.[7]

Dragoon Civil War[edit]

In 3054, taking advantage of divisions within the Dragoons, Elson Novacat, and Alpin Wolf successfully challenged to remove Colonel Jaime Wolf from command (despite some questionable tactics). A firm believer in the traditions the Dragoons had adopted from the Clans, Jamison and Zeta Battalion sided with Elson during Jaime Wolf's Trial of Refusal. In the end, the senior Wolf proved victorious, and Jamison, still adhering to his principles, once again served loyally as Wolf reorganized and rebuilt the Dragoons.

As part of the reorganization, Zeta Battalion would be reorganized according to Clan structure and equipment with three Trinaries almost exclusively made up of heavy and assault Clan OmniMechs.[8] Sometime between 3059 and 3067, Zeta would add two more mixed Trinaries with additional Clan OmniMechs, artillery, hovertanks, Elementals, and aerospace fighters.[9]

In the years following the Civil War, Jamison and Zeta Battalion continued to serve with distinction, both in training the rebuilt Dragoon regiments and in the field. They notably saw action around 3066 on Epsilon Indi, fighting an unknown unit using Clan technology.[9]

In 3058, Jamison was part of an inquiry board to judge the Twenty-first Centauri Lancers for their supposed part in Operation ODYSSEUS. After they were exonerated, Jamison read the Lancers' leader, Colonel Evelena Haskell, a letter from Jaime Wolf, fully understanding her acts to save the unit's families.[10]

Jihad and death[edit]

By 3067, Jamison, having commanded Zeta for over forty years, was said to have been grooming his longtime second in command, Major Tara Lucas, to take command.[9]

On 15 October 3067, rogue mercenaries led by Colonel Wayne Waco launched a surprise attack on Harlech City on Outreach at the beginning of the Jihad. During the fighting, Epsilon Regiment and the Home Guard ground forces were effectively destroyed, while Zeta Battalion, the Wolf Spider Battalion and Beta Regiment all took heavy damage before eliminating the rogue mercenaries. Jaime Wolf himself was killed while slaying Wayne Waco. Wolfnet intelligence soon concluded the attacks had been sponsored by the Word of Blake in response to Dragoon opposition to the Word in the Chaos March.[11]

In retaliation, the Dragoons and their allies from the Allied Mercenary Command formed Task Force Vengeance, a collection of units and Warships sent to make the Blakists pay for the attacks by striking at Mars in the Terra system, the very heart of the Word of Blake. Zeta Battalion was included in this assault, and the force reached their destination on 7 December 3067. However, the Task Force faced far greater than expected resistance while still in orbit, and was wiped out with few Dragoons surviving to land on planet. Colonel Jamison, however, survived, like most of Zeta. He sent Tara Lucas to attack Koryo, a dome housing the Blakist ROM headquarters. He and Tara parleyed with a Blakist Preceptor named Friel, but Elliot refused to surrender. While Lucas attacked, Jamison's cockpit was breached and he was killed. Tara took the command of the last Zetas until the group's annihilation.[1][12]

Personality and Traits[edit]

Colonel Jamison was described as strong, dashing and imposing.[4] He was described by Minobu Tetsuhara as "big and bulky as the assault BattleMechs he commanded."[13] Though fully capable of self-discipline and even excellent etiquette, Jamison was not above letting his pride in the Dragoons show through his temper when the reputation of the unit was questioned.[14] Despite his length of service under the command of Jaime Wolf, he seemed to be a hardliner regarding Dragoon-adopted Clan traditions, which was why he opposed Wolf during the Dragoon Civil War. After that conflict and the resolution according to Clan-Dragoon law, he once again became a great supporter of Jaime Wolf and his policies.

BattleMechs[edit]

For most of his career, Jamison was a renowned Stalker pilot.[4] After the reorganization of the Dragoons in 3055, it was strongly indicated that the Colonel upgraded his machine to a Clan OmniMech along with the rest of the unit, though the exact 'Mech he used at this point was unknown. However, he refused, saying he was too old to change of Mech, so at his last battle on Mars he once again piloted his Stalker.[15][16]

He was known as a sniper and specialist with the large laser.[17]

Quote[edit]

All right Zetas! Time to earn your pay![17]

Notes[edit]

A few years prior to the Battle of Misery, Jamison was romantically involved with another Dragoon, Major Jaella Domichardt.[18] It is unclear what became of Domichardt or their relationship.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, pp. 16, 18
  2. Wolf's Dragoons, p. 99
  3. Wolf's Dragoons, p. 35
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wolf’s Dragoons, p. 98
  5. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 212
  6. Wolf’s Dragoons, p. 43
  7. Luthien
  8. Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 19
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 120
  10. This Too Shall Pass, p. 343
  11. Shadows of Faith, p. ??[citation needed]
  12. The Last Day of Zeta
  13. Wolves on the Border, p. 88
  14. Wolves on the Border, p. 157
  15. The Last Day of Zeta
  16. Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 45
  17. 17.0 17.1 BattleTech: Inner Sphere Fire Lance, Pilot Cards: "J. Elliot Jamison"
  18. Wolves on the Border, p. 90

Bibliography[edit]