Tomoe Sakade

Tomoe Sakade
Character Profile
Died 3063
Affiliation Draconis Combine
Rank Tai-shu
Title(s) Warlord of Pesht
Spouse Theodore Kurita
Children Hohiro Kurita
Omiko Kurita
Minoru Kurita

Tomoe Sakade was the wife of Coordinator Theodore Kurita and an officer in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. She was also an agent for the Order of Five Pillars.

History[edit]

Early Life and Career[edit]

Tomoe Sakade was adopted by O5P as a young child, to be educated and trained to serve the Order. At some point, she requested training as a Mechwarrior, which the order saw fit to provide. On at least one occasion, she answered directly to the head of the Order, Florimel Kurita, aunt of Takashi Kurita.

In her most important assignment, she was chosen to attend the Wisdom of the Dragon school on Kagoshima, where she was assigned to observe and protect the Heir to the throne of the Draconis Combine, Theodore Kurita. During their training, Sakade and Kurita were considered rivals among the best of the academy. On the night before their graduation in 3018, the Order gave her the assignment of testing Kurita’s mettle. While Kurita was being tested for indoctrination into the Sons of the Dragon with a series of feigned assassination attempts, Sakade attacked the heir herself, disguised in a full-body sneaksuit. Theodore proved remarkably skilled in fighting back, and she was forced to injure him in order to escape. When she reported this, she regarded it as a failure, but Florimel Kurita insisted she had been successful, for she had proven the heir to be strong, and learned that Tomoe herself was not invincible. [1]

Sakade continued to follow Theodore Kurita, as the heir was not aware she was the woman he fought that night. She remained part of his command lance as he was transferred through several commands, and eventually they became lovers.

In 3019, in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on Takashi Kurita on Rasalhague that resulted in the execution of, among others, the noble woman to whom Theodore was to have joined in an arranged marriage, Theodore proposed to Sakade. Even after she revealed that she was an agent with O5P, he still wished to marry her. Having fallen in love with him, she consented.[2]

Marriage and Family[edit]

Sakade married Theodore Kurita in 3019, and four years later gave birth to a son, Hohiro, in 3023. Omi and Minoru would soon follow. Her marriage and children with Theodore were kept secret for many years with the assistance of Internal Security Force and O5P.

Fourth Succession War[edit]

In 3028 at the outbreak of the Fourth Succession War, Kurita and Sakade were with the 11th Legion of Vega on Marfik, with Theodore in command. The planet was attacked by the 4th Skye Rangers. Though badly outclassed, the Legion gave an excellent accounting of itself in a guerrilla-style campaign that lasted several weeks. Sakade proved crucial in helping her husband escape the planet.[3] They headed to Vega, successfully leading the defense of that world.[4]

Sakade would continue to serve at her husband's side for the remainder of the war, both on his command staff and in battle on Dromini VI.

Revelations and the War of 3039[edit]

On 18 August 3033, Theodore and Tomoe finally revealed their family to Takashi at the Coordinator's birthday celebration. It was then revealed that Tomoe claimed Ingrid Magnusson, a descendant of the first Prince of Rasalhague, as an ancestor. It was further revealed that she was descended from Duncan Cameron and Johanna Kurita, who survived the purges of Stefan Amaris at the fall of the Star League. Forced to confront these revelations, Takashi Kurita reluctantly accepted Tomoe and her children.[5][6]

During the next few years, Tomoe continued to aid her husband as part of his shitenno, building new units and implementing a new, more flexible military doctrine. They were well aware that the alliance between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns would eventually turn their eyes to the Combine.

In 3039, Hanse Davion finally struck. AFFS and Lyran troops attacked all along the border. Theodore Kurita and his rebuilt DCMS were ready, however. In addition to his defensive plans, Theodore planned a bold counterattack designed to convince the allies that the Combine was much stronger than it actually was. With Sakade now holding the rank of Tai-sa, Theodore entrusted his wife with one of the most critical thrusts of Operation Orochi. Commanding a Ghost battalion, Sakade executed an impressive attack on Le Blanc deep in the Draconis March. She was able to not only smuggle her battalion onto the planet, but was able to recruit three more battalions of mercenary troops. She and her troops were aided in these activities by yakuza elements.[7] In early July, they struck to great effect, sending the Robinson DMM into retreat.[8]

Taking two of her battalions, Sakade then struck at New Ivaarsen. Though outnumbered heavily by the New Ivaarsen Chasseurs and the local militia, Sakade was able to cause a panic in the local populace by striking at smaller, less defended cities. After several months of heavy fighting, her force was reduced to a third of what she had originally attacked with, and she was forced to order a retreat. Nevertheless, the point had been made. New Ivaarsen was too close to Robinson for Hanse Davion to ignore the threat, and he soon ordered a full recall.[9] The War of 3039, as it came to be known, was considered a great success for the Combine, and validated Theodore’s doctrine.

Later Career[edit]

As of 3054, she held the rank of Tai-sho and commanded the Kagoshima Prefecture in the Pesht Military District.[10] In effect, she was responsible for the defense of the heart of the Combine, which now stood on the Clan border. She stood by Theodore as he finally ascended to the throne later that year.

In 3058, the Kokuryu-kai organization plotted to assassinate Theodore Kurita on his 61st birthday. During a parade by the Otomo, their commanding officer, a Black Dragon sympathizer, attempted to personally kill the Coordinator using his BattleMech. With the assistance of Camacho's Caballeros and the Ninth Ghost Regiment, Sakade was able to defeat the plot, personally killing the Otomo commander, Oda Hideyoshi.[11] (The official story was later released that Hideyoshi died in his sleep.)

She prepared a report on the status and readiness of the DCMS for the Director of Intelligence of the Star League Defense Force, Jerrard Cranston.[12]

Combine-Ghost Bear War and Death[edit]

Early in the Combine-Ghost Bear War in 3062, Warlord Teyasu Ashora of the Pesht Military District was killed fighting the Ghost Bears on Schuyler. Theodore promoted his wife to take Ashora's place, the first woman ever to become a District Warlord.[13]

Although the troops under her command fought well and several counterattacks were executed in what should have been a repeat of the successful Operation Orochi, this was not enough to completely halt the Bears' advance. Lingering prejudice against a woman in command had led to many commanders in the field to believe her strategy flawed. Taking liberties with their orders and the overall timing of the operation or finding other ways to stall or circumvent her orders resulted in only half of the operation going off as planned, leaving several regiments short on support or firepower.[13]

Shamed by her subordinates' actions, Sakade committed seppuku on Luthien in early 3063 in accordance with the bushido code,[14] opening the way for the Coordinator to salvage the situation with a new Warlord.[13] Her honorable death also shamed her detractors and proved them wrong; they were awarded the Honor of Wakizashi after the conflict.[13]

She subsequently became the first woman to be honored with the Glory of the Fallen Samurai, her name having been put forward by Kiyomori Minamoto of the Pesht Military District.[13][15]

Personality and Traits[edit]

A beautiful and dangerous woman, Tomoe Sakade was entirely devoted to her husband and his vision to reform the Combine. A master of ninjutsu, she proved her skills in battle both in a BattleMech and personal combat on many occasions, and was considered an equal in the latter by Ninyu Kerai Indrahar. She was willing to accept any role necessary in the pursuit of her duties, from soldier to spy to assassin to noble lady-of-the-court to a commanding General.

At some point prior to 3058 she gifted her husband with Hokusai's 1814 work The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, at least the third original work by the artist he possessed.[16]

BattleMechs[edit]

For much of her early career in the DCMS and into the Fourth Succession War, Sakade piloted a Panther.[17] In the last few years of her career and up until her death, she piloted a Naginata. Upon her death, she bequeathed this 'Mech to Lainie Shimazu of the Otomo (who had previously been part of the 9th Ghost Regiment) for her assistance in saving Theodore from the Kokuryu-kai assassination attempt in 3058.[18]

Speculation[edit]

  • It is entirely possible that the information indicating Tomoe's descent from both the Kurita and Cameron bloodlines was fabricated to ensure the continued stability of the Combine. The timing of the revelation was extraordinarily convenient given the circumstances. Nevertheless, there is no hard evidence to the contrary.

References[edit]

  1. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 39–40
  2. Heir to the Dragon, p. 91
  3. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 162–163
  4. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 192–193
  5. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 39–40
  6. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 265–273: Theodore Kurita reveals his marriage and family to his father.
  7. Heir to the Dragon, pp. 327–330
  8. Historical: War of 3039, p. 117
  9. Historical: War of 3039, p. 118
  10. Objective Raids, p. 28
  11. Black Dragon, p. ??
  12. Shattered Sphere, pp. 61–62
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 73
  14. Field Manual: Updates, p. 104
  15. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 153
  16. Black Dragon, ch. 21
  17. Heir to the Dragon
  18. Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 78

Bibliography[edit]