Rhonda Snord

Rhonda Snord
Rhonda Snord
Character Profile
Born 2999[1]
Died 22 January 3073[2][3]
Affiliation Snord's Irregulars
Parents Cranston Snord (father)[1]
Children Alexandria Snord (adopted)[4]

Rhonda Snord was the freeborn daughter of Cranston Snord. She succeeded her father as commander of the Snord's Irregulars mercenary unit.

History[edit]

Early life[edit]

Rhonda and her father departed from Clan space in 3005 when she was six years old as part of the Dragoon Compromise. During the journey, Jaime Wolf and Cranston agreed that it would be best if Snord split off from the main group to form an independent mercenary unit that would focus on locating old Star League technologies and artifacts. Snord's Irregulars were the result of this plan.

Early career with the Irregulars[edit]

Having grown up with the unit, it was only natural Rhonda would follow her father as a MechWarrior. Although she was readily accepted by the unit, during her first action on Phecda, she was seriously wounded in both legs, and would have been rendered incapable of piloting a 'Mech if not for the medical assistance of Wolf's Dragoons.

Taking command and the War of '39[edit]

In 3037 having already suffered one heart attack, Cranston stepped down as commander of the Irregulars. He turned command over to Rhonda. She built the unit into a full battalion. The unit was completely equipped with Star League Defense Force BattleMechs the Irregulars had discovered on Phecda and Volders after cooking up a scheme with Jaime Wolf to confound Comstar.[5] The unit would go on to serve with distinction in the War of 3039, all the while continuing to seek Star League-era technology.

Clan Invasion and Operation MERLIN[edit]

Shortly after the first verified information of the Clans' contact with the Inner Sphere in 3050, Rhonda and her father, Cranston Snord, met with Jaime Wolf to discuss how the Dragoons and the Irregulars would respond to the invasion. There Rhonda declared her loyalty to the Inner Sphere and promised to work against the invaders.[6]

In 3051 during the Clan Invasion, Rhonda led her unit on a mission into Clan-occupied territory, seeking the location of Camelot Command, an ancient Star League outpost. On Apollo, the Irregulars won a Trial of Possession against Clan Jade Falcon for the information they needed, absorbing the captured Clan warriors as bondsmen. After fighting their way off planet, they found the SLDF base in the Dark Nebula. At the base, they made numerous discoveries and were able to activate several of Camelot Command's defenses.

It was not long before the Falcons came calling, determined to take the base from the mercenaries. After a long fight, the Irregulars emerged victorious, incorporating the captured Clan warriors and equipment into their unit roster. At this time, Rhonda reorganized the Irregulars into two full Clusters.

FedCom Civil War[edit]

During the FedCom Civil War, the Irregulars were stationed on Odessa in 3063 with a contract that was about to expire. Archer Christifori and his Avengers soon arrived, seeking to offer the Irregulars a contract to join Victor's forces. A Loki operative was able to start a brief conflict between the Irregulars and the Avengers. When the deception was discovered, the Irregulars agreed to leave Katherine's employ, effectively leaving Odessa in Victor's hands. Not wanting to fight in the Civil War, the Irregulars instead relocated to the Clan border where they later opposed the Clan Jade Falcon incursion into the Lyran Alliance.

Jihad[edit]

During the Word of Blake Jihad, Rhonda was among the high-ranking dignitaries killed by the Donner Bombing on Arc-Royal in early 3073.[3][7][3]

Children[edit]

Rhonda adopted a young girl who was orphaned during a Free Worlds League raid. She named the child Alexandria Natasha Snord, and as of 3051 she was being raised on Clinton by her godmother, Misha Auburn. She later joined the unit and became Rhonda's second in command by the time of the FedCom Civil War.[citation needed]

BattleMechs[edit]

Rhonda Snord piloted a Shadow Hawk earlier in her career. When Snord's Irregulars started deploying Star League 'Mechs, she switched to a Highlander. The words "Heavy Metal" were painted on the barrel of the Gauss rifle, and several external speakers were mounted, which she would use to flood the battlefield with twentieth-century rock and roll. Despite her fondness for Elvis Presley, she is well aware of the disruptive value provided by heavy metal music.[8]

Quotes[edit]

Tune in tight, you dunderheads. Until further notice, I am the acting commanding officer of this unit. I expect that we'll get in as much trouble while my father is gone as we would if he were here. Rock and roll is here to stay!
  — Rhonda Snord to the Snord's Irregulars upon taking command of the unit, 3037[5]
Colonel Wolf, sir, with all due respect, the Irregulars will stand behind the Federated Commonwealth and the rest of the Inner Sphere. Among other things, the problem with the Clans is that they just don't have a sense of humor. Frankly, we think it's time we gave them something to wonder about...and something to fear. I can't wait to hear them squeal when I play "Shake, Rattle and Roll" over the comm...
  — Rhonda Snord, in response to Jaime Wolf's question on whether the Irregulars would resist the Clan Invasion, 3050[6]

Behind the Scenes[edit]

In MechWarrior 5: The Dragon's Gambit, Rhonda Snord was voiced by Jennifer Tiles.[9]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cranston Snord's Irregulars, p. 14
  2. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents p. 36
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 36–37: "Around the Sphere - The Lyran Alliance - Bombings and Barbarism"
  4. Mercenary's Handbook: 3055, p. 69
  5. 5.0 5.1 Rhonda's Irregulars, p. 9: "New Irregulars"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Rhonda's Irregulars, p. 10: "Invasion of the Clans"
  7. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 118
  8. Rhonda's Irregulars, p. 17
  9. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, closing credits

Bibliography[edit]