Edmund Hoyt

Edmund Hoyt
Personal
Died	2 May 3052
Affiliation	Clan Smoke Jaguar
Profile
Position(s)	Loremaster
Profession	MechWarrior

History

Edmund Hoyt was the Loremaster at the time of Operation REVIVAL. During the second wave of Operational REVIVAL, the Smoke Jaguars were increasingly frustrated at the difficulty they had maintaining control of the populations of the various worlds conquered in the first wave, as well as the fact that their rivals, Clan Wolf, were making faster progress. This resulted in the Smoke Jaguar warriors taking out their aggression on each other, in what started out as practice bouts but which became much deadlier contests. Edmund had to order an end to these bout to preserve the touman's strength, although this left the Smoke Jaguars venting their frustration on the populations of their various occupied worlds, increasing the frequency of rebellions amongst the population.

During the Fifth Wave of Operation REVIVAL in November 3051, Edmund personally led the First Striker Cluster in the attack on Hyner, dropping through heavy cloud cover to immediately engage the Second Arkab Legion at Trent's Glen. The Smoke Jaguars were startled to find that an entire battalion of their enemy's forces were piloting Star League-era BattleMechs and the Arkab Legion's use of hit-and-run attacks was slowly whittling them down. Eventually the Jaguars fought clear of the glen and turned to engage the Legion en masse. The implacable fury of the Smoke Jaguars eventually forced the Second Arkab's lines to break, with over half of the Legionnaires retreating back through the wooded glen. Although further battles were fought at Wessen and the Binar Heights the Legion was eventually able to give their pursuers the slip and escape off-world during a brilliant midnight operation.

Following the death in January 3052 of Dorian Wirth - the commanding officer of the Jaguar's Spirit Keshik, the lead formation of the Smoke Jaguar Alpha Galaxy - Edmund took command of the Keshik for the invasion of Kiamba. The battle on Kiamba saw the Jaguar's Spirit Keshik battle the Third Proserpina Hussars for control of the planet; the Hussars attacked the Keshik using their armor formations as soon as the Keshik had grounded, and as soon as the Keshik had rebuffed that attack, the Smoke Jaguar DropShips came under attack from the Hussars aerospace force, who managed to damage one of the DropShips before being beaten back. The Hussars' armor battalion retreated into Hecate's Swamp, pursued by the Keshik; as the Keshik entered the swamp, they were ambushed by an incendiary trap prepared by the Hussars that engulfed two Keshik Trinaries in flames. Edmund retaliated for the ambush by deploying a headhunter unit that tracked and killed Tai-sa Richard Weston and the majority of his command unit; this demoralized the Hussars, who retreated to Collins Ridge and fought a desperate last stand there. Two battalions of the Third were destroyed, but the surviving elements of the Hussars would be rebuilt later.

Tukayyid

The Loremaster was attached to the Sixth Jaguar Dragoons during the Battle of Tukayyid where his 'Mech provided mobility for Khan Lincoln Osis and his Elemental point. The Sixth suffered horrendous losses and Com Guard 323rd Division Acolyte Trevis Gray succeeded in defeating Edmund Hoyt, killing him with a well-placed laser shot to the cockpit, trapping an incapacitated Khan Osis beneath Hoyt's shattered 'Mech.

Hoyt's death, along with that of saKhan Sarah Weaver and the immobilization of Khan Osis, left Star Colonel Brandon Howell as the ranking officer in the field. Nonetheless, the confusion brought about by these losses, coupled with Howell's own decision to withdraw the remaining Smoke Jaguar forces, resulted in their defeat on Tukayyid.

BattleMech

Edmund Hoyt's BattleMech on Tukayyid was a Summoner.

Notes

• In the Tukayyid scenario pack and Invading Clans sourcebook, Hoyt was said to be Jaguar Khan, not Loremaster.

Bibliography

• Era Report: 3052
• Field Manual: Draconis Combine
• Invading Clans
• Tukayyid
• Two Roads Diverged (short story)