John Christopher

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John Christopher
Character Profile
Born 3031[1]
Affiliation ComStar
Word of Blake
Rank Demi-Precentor[1]
Profession MechWarrior

John Christopher was the commander of the Word of Blake's Task Force Steel.[1]

History[edit]

Early History[edit]

Christopher was born on Terra to a ComStar family: his father was a junior officer in the Com Guards, first a MechWarrior with a Terra-based unit and then an instructor of survival at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy.[1]

ComStar[edit]

Christopher joined the Com Guards in 3048, himself having graduated from Sandhurst. He fought Clan Wolf with the 282nd Division on Tukayyid in 3052, was credited with two Wolf Spider OmniMech kills and awarded the Star of Honor.[2] He then was assigned command of the Com Guard unit on Tharkad, becoming deeply immersed in Clan intelligence gathering. He developed a friendship with Demi-Precentor Sharon Gardbaum, assisting her in becoming a qualified 'Mech pilot. The relationship with Gardbaum would eventually develop further.[1]

During his time on Tharkad, Christopher began exploring rumors regarding Primus Myndo Waterly's reported resignation and subsequent death, and the conspiracy theories regarding the possible contributing roles of both Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht and Primus Sharilar Mori. At first, he labeled the rumors as secessionist propaganda from the Word of Blake, but his military assignment afforded him information that cast further doubts on the official record. Following the mid-3054 defection of family friend Daphne Chrysler, a close colleague of his father, to the Word of Blake, he reconsidered his stance on the issues and weighed in heavily with the Word's version of events. He defected that October.[1]

Word of Blake[edit]

Christopher traveled to the Word's capital on Gibson, meeting up with Chrysler, who introduced him to Trent Arian, Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake. Following that interview, he was offered (and accepted) a battalion command in the Second Division of the Word of Blake Militia, despite it being a comparatively lesser role than his previous ComStar position. For Operation ODYSSEUS, Arian chose Christopher to lead Task Force Steel in its mission to secure Sandhurst. His intimate knowledge of the British terrain helped decide the result of the overall assault.[1]

After Terra fell to the Word, Christopher was assigned to act as the Second Division's executive officer.[3] He later assumed command of the Second Division after Precentor Daphne Chrysler was killed in a training accident.[4]

Later in his career, Christopher would be promoted to Precentor Delta/Epsilon VII, in charge of the Word of Blake ROM's feared Light of Mankind special forces unit.[5]

Personal Description[edit]

Christopher has brown hair, with a mustache and beard. A V-shaped scar on his right cheek reportedly came from a youthful duel, but rumors exist that it was a result of another incident. He is known to display the scar with pride. He focuses on his personal grooming, always making sure his entire appearance, including his hair and boots, is flawless. He speaks clearly and with distinction.[1]

BattleMech[edit]

John Christopher is best known to pilot the Warhammer, piloting a WMH-7CS variant during the Battle of Tukayyid[2] and a WHM-7M variant during Operation ODYSSEUS.[1]

Notes[edit]

  • The year of Christopher's birth has been determined from The Fall of Terra noting that he was twenty-seven years old in 3058.[1]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 The Fall of Terra, p. 70
  2. 2.0 2.1 BattleTech: Battle of Tukayyid, p. 168: "Warhammer WHM-7CS"
  3. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 52
  4. Field Manual: Updates, p. 90
  5. A Guide to Covert Ops, p. 79

Bibliography[edit]