Francis Lyman
Sarna News
- HEXTECH Review - Wave 3 Brings More Urban Options To Your Battlefield
- Your BattleTech News Round-Up For March, 2024
- Crashing 'Mechs With Jennifer Brozek, Author Of The Rogue Academy Trilogy
- Getting The Word Out With Rem Alternis, Catalyst Community & Marketing Director
- Bad 'Mechs - Yeoman
- Read more →
Francis Lyman | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Affiliation | Federated Suns |
| Profile | |
| Profession | MI5 Intelligence Analyst |
History[edit]
After Aaron's Eradicators, one of several volunteer Word of Blake MechWarriors fighting in mercenary units to gain combat experience without revealing the Word's military army crush House Davion-sponsored rebels on Bryant, where the crews from two enemy tanks and some surviving enemy infantry surrender, Raul Tinker's points that returning them to local law enforcement or reintegrating them into the population would only serve to sow the seeds of more uprisings. Killing them now would pacify the planet and save lives in the long run. Captain Randy Aaron objects to what he outright calls murder, but acquiesces when Raul and the Word of Blake volunteer for handling the dirty work, leaving his hands clean.
Some time later, at the site of the massacre, MI5 agent Francis Lyman begins piecing together what happened, and that the Word of Blake was behind the massacre of the Davion personnel. He resolves to personally make the culprits pay, as he had trained also some of these men.[1]
Some time later, while stationed on Markesan, Francis Lyman is promoted to counterespionage because, in hindsight, he was one of the operatives who reported on the Word of Blake's military endeavors and buildup relatively early. He is still resolved to bring Raul Tinker to justice following the massacre back on Bryant.[2]
When WoB is sent to Muskegon in the Federated Suns with orders to prevent the First Muskegon Capellan March Militia, a volunteer combined arms regiment raised by the locals, from leaving the world for deployment against the Word of Blake elsewhere, Raul Tinker thinks it would not be enough and instead opts to wage a war of terror to tie the militia down. Over the next months they carry out sabotage and terror acts including subway bombings, sabotaging large bridges, cutting the world's third-largest city off by destroying all six of its large traffic bridges and both underwater cable shunts, and destroying aerospace fighters on the ground. Four BattleMechs smuggled to Muskegon add a military dimension to the threat disguised as Capellan Confederation units. While this indeed raises security concerns and forces General Hanks to deploy his militia forces for security, ultimately the base of operations for the Word of Blake forces is found out. Francis Lyman still on Markesan identifies that the Capellan Confederation units are indeed Word of Blake forces and helps focusing the militia.[3]
When he learns of Raul Tinker's presence on Robinson as part of the reinforces sent by the WoB to their 33rd Division, he includes himself with the Robinson Rangers. He identifies Raul as a high value target among the defenders, but given the doggedly fought engagement the Rangers' commander bluntly refuses to risk his troopers' lives on a manhunt.
Raul continues to coordinate the defense from the frontline until his Grigori is downed by enemy assault 'Mechs. He ejects, but is knocked unconscious in the process. His recruits form up to protect and rescue him like they had done in simulation back on the DropShip. After the battle, when finally AFFS forces are able to retake the planet, he is able to see his nemesis BattleMech down but without his pilot.[4]