Editing Fidelis

{{Update Needed|[[Surrender Your Dreams]]|[[Shattered Fortress]]|[[Forever Faithful]]|[[Rock of the Republic]]|[[Children of Kerensky]]}}
{{InfoBoxOrganization
| image = Fidelis Logo.png
| Type = Military Organization
| Founded = [[3062]]{{cn}}
| Dissolved = 
| Parent Organization = [[Republic of the Sphere]]
| Headquarters = [[New Earth]]{{cn}}
}}

Born of the survivors of [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]], the '''Fidelis''' were a secretive group of elite soldiers who fought for [[Devlin Stone]] during the [[Word of Blake]] [[Jihad]] and afterwards for the [[Republic of the Sphere]]. Following their participation and victory in the [[ilClan Trial]], some members would rejoin Clan society by re-forming Clan Smoke Jaguar after the end of the Dark Age Era.<ref>''Children of Kerensky'', ch. 13</ref>

==Overview==
The Fidelis were a warrior society where every member was extensively cross-trained in different modes of combat, from piloting [[BattleMech]]s to standard [[infantry]] duty, as well as combat engineers with technical skills to customize their equipment and bypass security devices.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', pp. 138</ref>

==History==
The Fidelis kept their history to themselves. This was more than tradition to them; it was their law and their creed. The little that was known indicates that they were created during the [[Jihad]] and were referred to at the time as [[Stone's Shadows]], having pledged themselves to [[Devlin Stone]] until their unspecified debt could be repaid.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', pp. 37</ref>

==The Great Refusal and Civil War Era==

====Wayside V====
Following the events of the [[Great Refusal]] and destruction of the Smoke Jaguars, many of their assets were claimed by other clans and the [[Second Star League]]. The ex-Jaguar warrior's fortunes also foundered with some of them being absorbed into the Star League, becoming bandits groups like the [[Dark]], or pirate leaders like [[Russou Howell]], refusing to integrate into other clans or the Inner Sphere. [[Paul Moon]] on the other hand, reflected on his shame after experiencing the disarray the ex-Jaguars were in. Moon later come into the contact with the man he scorned (and helped destroy the Jaguars), [[Trent (Clan Smoke Jaguar)|Trent]] or "Baldur" as he was now known by within Clan Nova Cat. Despite the hatred that both held for each other, they cooperated together on saving the Jaguar remnants. They focused on safeguarding any personnel and genetic legacies left in the Clan homeworlds. With the help of Nova Cats, [[Inanna_(Clan_Nova_Cat)|Inanna]] and new Khan [[Santin West]], it was then decided that planet [[Wayside V]] would become the haven for ex-Jaguar members while they were rebuilding. Inanna would join the Jaguar remnants, wishing Santin luck and success on leading her former Clan.<ref>Forever Faithful, ch. 34–36</ref>

====Encounter with Clan Goliath Scorpion====
The Jaguar remnants were found out by the Clan Goliath Scorpion Watch upon capturing Huntress. They learned that a group of survivors were lead by former Star Colonel, Paul Moon to Wayside V. Eager to capture the last of the Smoke Jaguars as isorla, Scorpion Galaxy Commander, Rik Myers followed the survivors with his cluster to find them. Myers challenged Paul to a Trial of Possession for the Fidelis in order to absorb them into Clan Goliath Scorpion. The trial was intense, but the Fidelis were victorious. <ref>Forever Faithful, pp. 234–238</ref>

A large majority of the [[35th_Scorpion_Cuirassiers_(Escorpión_Imperio)|35th Scorpion Cuirassiers]] personnel were captured as bondsmen while their equipment became isorla, including Rik Myers himself. Because of the lack of food supplies that the Scorpions had, they were forced to grow their own to survive. After debating on what to do with the Scorpion survivors, a choice was given to them: those who wanted to stay with the remnants were allowed to do so, but those who did not would be sent back to their clan. They also had to remove all records of the Jaguar remnants' location upon departure. While some Scorpion warriors stayed with the group, the other half were sent back to their parent clan in disgrace, such as Myers. <ref>Forever Faithful, pp. 268–269</ref>

====Custos of the Fidelis====
While the Jaguar remnants were victorious, it came at a heavy price. "Baldur" was mortally wounded during the Trial and was transported to a hospital to treat his injuries. With his dying breath, "Baldur" asked Paul to honor two requests from him: to lead their people until their revival came and to remind [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] of his folly of how badly he treated him during the Great Refusal. With these promises made, "Baldur" succumbed to his wounds. While searching through his former colleague's notes, Paul came across plans called the ''Unopened Work'' detailing how the former Jaguar remnants should be structured and the name for the leader. Paul chose Custos (after the word ''Custodian'') as a way to redeem the Jaguars under his command and named the Jaguar remnants into the ''Fidelis'' (meaning 'faithful' in Latin) in honor of Trent.<ref>Forever Faithful, pg. 34–37</ref>

==The Jihad Era==
When the Word of Blake traveled to Wayside V, they would offer Paul and his Fidelis a chance to get revenge on the Clans who destroyed them, mistaking them for the [[Not-Named Clan]]. <ref>Forever faithful, ch. 38</ref> Paul laughed at their confusion and refuse their offer, stating that they are of a different clan origin. Angered by the refusal, the Blakists threatened the Fidelis to work with them or they would become their enemies. After refusing the Blakists offer again, they would attack them and swear vengeance upon them.<ref>Forever faithful, ch. 38</ref> Later on, both Devlin Stone and Victor Steiner-Davion traveled to the planet as well to make a deal with the Fidelis to fight for the nascent [[Republic of the Sphere]] in exchange for New Earth; a new colony close to Terra. After the deal was made, the Custos would pull Victor aside privately and chastise him for his poor treatment of Trent. Afterward, Paul and his Fidelis would travel to combat Blakists forces.<ref>Forever faithful, Epilogue</ref> On Terra, Paul Moon would say a few words to honor his late partner and posthumously spread his ashes to acknowledge him as the first Jaguar to touch the world's soil. Paul and his Fidelis would continue to fight the Blakists until their destruction in 3081.

{{ApocryphalContentStart}}
In November [[3076]] forces from Devlin Stone's allied coalition on [[Yorii]] discovered two Blakist reeducation camps from which previously interred [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] warriors had already freed themselves from their captors. The Clansmen were presumed to have originally been prisoners captured by the [[Draconis Combine]] during either the battle for [[Huntress]] or [[Operation Bulldog]].<ref name="JHS:Tp23">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 23</ref><ref name="J:FRp56">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 56</ref> Evidence suggested that the Word had purposefully abandoned the Jaguars in the hope that Stone would destroy them. The Jaguar warriors had armed themselves with a mixture of Word of Blake 'Mechs and there was a short bout of fighting between them and Coalition forces who mistook them for Blakist defenders before Stone somehow brought it to an end.<ref>''Total Chaos'', p. 161</ref>
{{ApocryphalContentEnd}}

One of the Fidelis' first missions to Stone was, on 10 December [[3077]], the capture of their-theorically-former prison guard of Yorii, Preceptor ''Ojeda'', on the dead world of [[Killbourn]]. They managed to capture him alive, but the prisoner was accidentally killed during their extraction.<ref>''Chaos Campaign Scenario: Dig Two Graves''</ref>

By 22 August [[3078]], the Fidelis, or "Stone's Shadows" as they were known, were already feared and cursed by the Blakists. That day, a team led by the "Custos" landed on [[Terra]], in Columbia, with orders to seize a series of bridges across the Potomac river.<ref>''Forever Faithful'' Epilogue</ref>

==Dark Age Era==
After the Jihad Era ended, the Fidelis would continue to serve Exarch Stone and the Republic admirably until Paul and his people were betrayed by him. This would sour ties between him and the Republic and Fidelis. Paul's group would remain isolated from Terra as a result.

When Clan Wolf Khan, Alaric Ward landed on New Earth in 3150, he met with the aging Custos Paul Moon. Moon discussed his support of him for take Terra and his cut ties to the Republic of the Sphere due to the soured relations their betrayal caused. During this time, Paul and Alaric would also discuss another topic: the resurrection of Clan Smoke Jaguar. For Paul, this was a way to redeem Clan Smoke Jaguar to make up for their past actions during Operation Revival, for Alaric, this was a way to invalidate the Second Star League, seeing them as a sham. Both parties reached an agreement that once Clan Wolf won the ilClan Trial, Clan Smoke Jaguar would be reformed as a clan once more. As such, all remaining Fidelis personnel would be claim as isorla to Clan Wolf until the deed was done.<ref>Children of Kerensky, p. 175</ref>

{{ApocryphalContentStart}}
Even after their evolution into the Fidelis, all were bound by this oath, with their lives forfeit if necessary to fulfil their (unspecified) destiny. Those few in the Republic that knew about them felt that Stone had struck a dangerous bargain with them.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', p. 171</ref>
Only a little was known about them, prior to their joining with Stone, although it seems that they were betrayed by an unspecified individual at some point which caused them to turn to Stone for mutual aid. 
{{ApocryphalContentEnd}}

Unbeknownst to most, Stone and Prince Victor were secretly invited to [[Wayside V]] to meet what would be the core of the Fidelis by Paul Moon in August 3077 after their colony had repelled a Blakist incursion. Paul, as acting Custos, bargained his people's fighting strength in exchange for moving the colony into the Inner Sphere.{{cn}}

====Fulfilling their Pledge====
{{ApocryphalContentStart}}
The Fidelis were based on land gifted to them on [[New Earth]] after the Jihad, where they remained a potent military force, but weren't deployed until the crisis that started with the fall of the [[HPG]] network and the instigation of the [[Fortress Republic]] protocol.<ref>''Era Report: 3145'', pp. 12–17</ref> The Fidelis supplied [[Damien Redburn]] with [[Battle Group Venator (Fidelis)|Battle Group Venator]] under the leadership of Group Commander Adamans for special operations outside the fortress.{{cn}}

First unveiled in action around 3135, their forces were in the thick of every major action that the [[Republic Remnant]] engaged in, proving crucial to success time and time again. The Fidelis were praised not only for their military prowess but also for the proficiency and aptitude of the technical staff they provided to assist the efforts of the Republic Remnant; those techs were being credited with not only being capable of repair equipment seemingly regardless of the level of damage but to incorporate improvements to the equipment in the process.<ref name="ER:3145p42">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 42: "Fidelis"</ref>
{{ApocryphalContentEnd}}

====Fortress Republic====
Under Redburn orders, the Fidelis became one of the key units of the [[Republic Remnant]], based on planet [[Callison]], their capital. They fought against the [[Clan Wolf]] invasion of the Remnant in [[3149]], losing their sole WarShip, the Flatus, in the defense of planet [[Dubhe]].<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 70</ref>
However, the same year, after The Wall of the Fortress was raised, and Stone sent forces to Callison to reunite Remnant and Fortress, Redburn chose to resist them. Initially, the Fidelis stood with Redburn, but after the fight broke out, they changed sides and concentrated their fire on Redburn's [[Black Knight]] 'Mech, downing it and forcing the Remnant forces to surrender.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 71</ref>

By [[3150]], when Wolf Empire's forces attacked New Earth, the Fidelis home, they surrendered the planet without firing a single shot, for unknown reasons.<ref>''Divided We Fall'', p. 11</ref>

The same year, the Fidelis were released from their oath pledged to the Republic.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', p. 291</ref><ref>In [http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,28855.msg664098.html#msg664098 this] official [[BattleChat]] [[Line Developer]] [[Herbert A. Beas]] indicated that the last chapter of ''Surrender Your Dreams'' might be rendered noncanonical due to changes in franchise's plans for the timeline. That chapter has since been removed from reprintings of the novel, relegating the epilogue to noncanoncial status.</ref>

==ilClan Era==
As a reward for the Fidelis-turned-Wolves defeating the Jade Falcons on Terra, Alaric would keep his word and re-form the Smoke Jaguars on Terra, with Paul Moon attending. Knowing Alaric's favoring of symbolism, he wanted to do this to invalidate the Second Star League's destruction of them as a Clan a century ago. As with Clan tradition, the Smoke Jaguars would fill positions for the titles of Khan, saKhan and Loremaster.<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', p. 582</ref> The Clan was composed of Fidelis Warriors that chose to rejoin the Clan way, but some would instead choose to stay with their old organization.<ref>''Children of Kerensky'', ch. 13</ref>

==Political and Social Structure==
The culture of the Fidelis was loosely based on that of [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]]. However, unlike their progenitors, they eschewed the caste system as they believed it was too restrictive on their society's belief in freedom. They held the last copy of the Jaguar [[Remembrance]], which they referred to as ''[[The Unopened Work]]'', the only known copy to survive the Road of Pain. This took on a mystical significance for them and became the center of many of their ceremonies.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', p. 234</ref> The Fidelis displayed an extreme animosity towards [[Clan Jade Falcon]] and [[Clan Wolf]]. This animosity was the subject of some speculation amongst their allies, with one theory being that the Fidelis were in some way related to [[Clan Wolverine]].<ref name="ER:3145p42"/> They were also very thorough in removing any potential leads to their origins. Depending on the state of their remains after death, any Fidelis who fell in combat were either flash-cremated on the spot or had an implant called the "Blessed Release" activated in their left shoulder to chemically destroy their DNA.{{cn}}

==Military==
The Fidelis military consisted of a ''Century'', which was one hundred of their very best warriors plus their augmenting trainees. They always had a century ready for service to the Republic. The Century consisted of two Battle Groups, with each Battle Group composed of three ''Umbras''. An Umbra was described as being similar to a [[company]] of 'Mech forces with combined arms units attached.<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', pp. 174–175</ref>

Fidelis troopers followed orders unquestioningly and executed their assignments with an alacrity and competency that shamed other so-called professionals.<ref name=ER:3145p42/> Each soldier is trained first as technicians to enhance their equipment effectiveness before moving onto infantry duties (unarmored and then armored). Last, they would learn to use Combat Vehicles and finally BattleMechs before earning their place in a Century. Each soldier also customized their own equipment from BattleMech configuration down to their personal sidearms.{{cn}}

===Naval Assets===
The Fidelis controlled a single [[WarShip]], the ''[[Flatus]]'', a ''[[Dante (WarShip class)|Dante]]''-class frigate formerly known as the [[CSV Bordeaux|CSV ''Bordeaux'']] which was disabled - and believed destroyed - at [[Luyten 68-28]] during the Jihad and subsequently salvaged by the Republic.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 139</ref>

===Rank Structure===
A Battlegroup was commanded by a '''Group Commander'''. Armored vehicles crews were known as '''Jagers''' and were led by '''Lead Jagers''' while infantry were '''Superstities'''.

==Color Scheme==
The Fidelis painted their equipment in black and gray with bright-red highlights.<ref>Rock of the Republic, pg 83</ref>

==Rulers==
The [[Custos]] was the Fidelis' leader, described as the leader and more: the Custos was also the past and future of their people.

* [[Paul Moon]], 3062 - 3156<ref>''Surrender Your Dreams'', Finis 1, Finis 2</ref>
* [[Adamans]], 3156 -

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Chaos Campaign Scenario: Dig Two Graves]] on [[Shrapnel Issue 14]]''
* ''[[Divided We Fall]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Hour of the Wolf]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''
* ''[[Surrender Your Dreams]]''
* ''[[Total Chaos]]''

[[Category:Military Organizations]]