Difference between revisions of "Jacob Bannson"
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{{InfoBoxCharacter | {{InfoBoxCharacter | ||
| image = Jabob Bannson.jpg | | image = Jabob Bannson.jpg | ||
| caption = | | caption = | ||
| name = Jacob Bannson | | name = Jacob Bannson | ||
| − | | birthdate = | + | | birthdate = 3097<ref name=EDDAp14>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 14, "Jacob Bannson"</ref> |
| died = | | died = | ||
| affiliation = [[Bannson Universal Unlimited]] | | affiliation = [[Bannson Universal Unlimited]] | ||
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| children = | | children = | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''Jacob Bannson''' (born | + | '''Jacob Bannson''' (born [[3097]]) was the richest man in [[The Republic of the Sphere]] prior to the [[Blackout]]. His economic success should have gained him the status of [[Republic of the Sphere#Knights|Knight]], but his own vindictive and greedy nature prevented him from attaining this honor. After the Blackout plunged the Republic into chaos, Bannson set his sights upon the highest office of all: [[Exarch]] of The Republic.<ref>''Ghost War'', pp. 137-138</ref> Unleashing his collection of mercenaries dubbed "[[Bannson's Raiders]]" upon various targets, Bannson also sought to further his goals by collaboration with [[House Liao]] when the [[Capellan Confederation]] invaded [[Prefecture V]]. Despite his wealth and notoriety, Bannson disappeared from the interstellar scene by the mid-3130s and his final fate remains unknown.<ref name=ER3145p14>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 14, "Whatever happened to the man who had everything?"</ref> |
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| Line 19: | Line 18: | ||
Bannson is a short, stocky man with green eyes, red hair and a bristly beard.<ref name="Ghost-War-109">''Ghost War'', pp. 109-110</ref> | Bannson is a short, stocky man with green eyes, red hair and a bristly beard.<ref name="Ghost-War-109">''Ghost War'', pp. 109-110</ref> | ||
| − | === | + | ===Early Life=== |
| − | + | Born on [[St. Andre]] to a family of modest means, Bannson's parents owned a small business that was nearly ruined by a larger corporation during an attempted takeover. In a harbinger of his future behavior, young Bannson displayed both his business acumen and petty vindictiveness when he successfully oversaw a hostile takeover of this corporation, purely out of vengeful spite. By the age of twenty Bannson had spread his budding business empire across three systems, prompting investigations from regulatory bodies into his allegedly shady practices. No charges were proven and in these victories Bannson forged a positive reputation among the local working classes as somebody who had beaten the system. Bannson's mercantile empire expanded further when he provided evidence that resulted in the conviction of many powerful business leaders on racketeering charges - with Bannson Universal as the main beneficiary.<ref name=EDDAp14/> | |
| − | + | A seeming epitome of the self-made individual who embodied Republic values by rising from his humble origins with talent and hard work, Bannson was hailed by many in the business world as an example to follow. But for all his commercial savvy and public charisma, he could never fully shake off rumors of dodgy business practices, and the Republic [[The_Republic_of_the_Sphere#Senate|Senate's]] placing restrictions upon his business in [[3129]] angered Bannson greatly. However, he was also granted the right to establish garrison forces at Bannson Universal facilities across Prefectures IV and V; between this and skimming off arms shipments as early as 3129, it appeared as though Bannson was contemplating a confrontation well before the Blackout hit the Republic.<ref name=EDDAp6>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 6</ref> <ref name=EDDAp13>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 13</ref> Thus, when an opportunity for vengeance came three years later, Bannson was both able and willing to take advantage of it.<ref name=EDDAp14/> <ref name=ER3145p14/> | |
| − | + | ===Post-Blackout=== | |
| + | There was some speculation that Bannson had arranged for the collapse of the [[HPG]] network, as he was the only known person within the [[Inner Sphere]] to have the financial ability to hit 80% of the generators at once. However, such allegations didn't take into account the fact that Bannson would suffer far more than he would gain through the loss of interstellar communications.<ref name="Ghost-War-109" /> | ||
| − | Bannson disappeared from the public eye for four months in mid-[[3135]] before he was sighted in the [[Rasalhague Dominion]] being stalked by Capellan agents. Around this time the [[Fortress Republic]] went up, cutting Bannson off from much of his wealth. The last known sighting of Bannson was in August [[3136]], on [[Tybalt]], | + | Nonetheless, Bannson quickly worked to build up his power base amid the chaos. His aptly-named Bannson's Raiders attacked multiple targets such as [[Ozawa]], [[Mirach]] and [[New Rhodes III]], gaining both spoils and combat experience despite losing more often than winning.<ref name=EDDAp6/> In addition, he also sought to purchase manufacturers of military hardware, and through his media empire was more successful than the other faction leaders at winning support for his cause.<ref>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 7</ref> <ref name=EDDAp13/> |
| + | |||
| + | Unconfirmed rumors indicated that Bannson also played a role in the [[Daniel Peterson|Black Paladin]] scandal of [[3133]]. He also managed to secure an alliance with House Liao in [[3134]], with [[Chancellor]] [[Daoshen Liao]] marrying his cousin [[Ki-Linn Liao|Ki-Linn]] to Bannson to cement the deal.<ref name=ER3145p88>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 88, "Ki-Linn Liao"</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Disappearance=== | ||
| + | Bannson disappeared from the public eye for four months in mid-[[3135]] before he was sighted in the [[Rasalhague Dominion]] being stalked by Capellan agents, though rumors that Ki-Linn had dispatched [[Death Commandos|Death Commando]] hit squads after Bannson were never confirmed. Around this time the [[Fortress Republic]] went up, cutting Bannson off from much of his wealth. The last known sighting of Bannson was in August [[3136]], on [[Tybalt]], when his own soldiers in [[1st Bannson's Raiders|The Scourge]] mutinied and took him prisoner to be turned over to Republic authorities.<ref name=ER3145p14/> <ref>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 19, "Timeline of Events"</ref> <ref name=ER3145p88/> | ||
Since then, while Bannson's assets were offered in support of local governments and military forces outside the Wall, it was unknown whether Bannson himself was the benefactor or somebody else using his fortune. Nor was he ever confirmed alive or dead, making Bannson's final fate a mystery.<ref name=ER3145p14/> | Since then, while Bannson's assets were offered in support of local governments and military forces outside the Wall, it was unknown whether Bannson himself was the benefactor or somebody else using his fortune. Nor was he ever confirmed alive or dead, making Bannson's final fate a mystery.<ref name=ER3145p14/> | ||
| − | === | + | ==Philosophical and/or political views== |
| − | Rumors suggested that Bannson wanted to | + | Both prior to and following the Blackout, Jacob Bannson's driving motivation was his dedication to destroying his enemies before they could do likewise to him. His definition of 'enemy' seemed to cover anybody who crossed him or threatened his interests, but primarily applied to the [[Nobility|noble class]] that had snubbed him despite his successes and wealth. This enabled Bannson to publicly pose as a champion of the 'working man' and win support from the 'lower' classes of Republic society, but in truth he only cared about bolstering his own power.<ref name=EDDAp13/> <ref name=EDDAp14/> Rumors also suggested that Bannson wanted to establish his own "Great House" or state.<ref>''A Silence In The Heavens'', p. 57</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | Bannson demonstrated no loyalty to his native state when it entered the post-Blackout crisis. At first merely establishing himself as another splinter faction warlord carving out his own fiefdom, Bannson later actively, if secretly, courted the support of House Liao when the Capellans crossed the pre-Blackout border. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 37: | Line 44: | ||
==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
| + | * ''[[A Silence in the Heavens]]'' (novel) | ||
| + | * ''[[Era Digest: Dark Age]]'' | ||
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]'' | * ''[[Era Report: 3145]]'' | ||
* ''[[Ghost War]]'' (novel) | * ''[[Ghost War]]'' (novel) | ||
Revision as of 23:38, 16 May 2020
Jacob Bannson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 3097[1] |
| Affiliation | Bannson Universal Unlimited |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Family | |
| Spouse | Ki-Linn Liao |
Jacob Bannson (born 3097) was the richest man in The Republic of the Sphere prior to the Blackout. His economic success should have gained him the status of Knight, but his own vindictive and greedy nature prevented him from attaining this honor. After the Blackout plunged the Republic into chaos, Bannson set his sights upon the highest office of all: Exarch of The Republic.[2] Unleashing his collection of mercenaries dubbed "Bannson's Raiders" upon various targets, Bannson also sought to further his goals by collaboration with House Liao when the Capellan Confederation invaded Prefecture V. Despite his wealth and notoriety, Bannson disappeared from the interstellar scene by the mid-3130s and his final fate remains unknown.[3]
Contents
Biography
Description
Bannson is a short, stocky man with green eyes, red hair and a bristly beard.[4]
Early Life
Born on St. Andre to a family of modest means, Bannson's parents owned a small business that was nearly ruined by a larger corporation during an attempted takeover. In a harbinger of his future behavior, young Bannson displayed both his business acumen and petty vindictiveness when he successfully oversaw a hostile takeover of this corporation, purely out of vengeful spite. By the age of twenty Bannson had spread his budding business empire across three systems, prompting investigations from regulatory bodies into his allegedly shady practices. No charges were proven and in these victories Bannson forged a positive reputation among the local working classes as somebody who had beaten the system. Bannson's mercantile empire expanded further when he provided evidence that resulted in the conviction of many powerful business leaders on racketeering charges - with Bannson Universal as the main beneficiary.[1]
A seeming epitome of the self-made individual who embodied Republic values by rising from his humble origins with talent and hard work, Bannson was hailed by many in the business world as an example to follow. But for all his commercial savvy and public charisma, he could never fully shake off rumors of dodgy business practices, and the Republic Senate's placing restrictions upon his business in 3129 angered Bannson greatly. However, he was also granted the right to establish garrison forces at Bannson Universal facilities across Prefectures IV and V; between this and skimming off arms shipments as early as 3129, it appeared as though Bannson was contemplating a confrontation well before the Blackout hit the Republic.[5] [6] Thus, when an opportunity for vengeance came three years later, Bannson was both able and willing to take advantage of it.[1] [3]
Post-Blackout
There was some speculation that Bannson had arranged for the collapse of the HPG network, as he was the only known person within the Inner Sphere to have the financial ability to hit 80% of the generators at once. However, such allegations didn't take into account the fact that Bannson would suffer far more than he would gain through the loss of interstellar communications.[4]
Nonetheless, Bannson quickly worked to build up his power base amid the chaos. His aptly-named Bannson's Raiders attacked multiple targets such as Ozawa, Mirach and New Rhodes III, gaining both spoils and combat experience despite losing more often than winning.[5] In addition, he also sought to purchase manufacturers of military hardware, and through his media empire was more successful than the other faction leaders at winning support for his cause.[7] [6]
Unconfirmed rumors indicated that Bannson also played a role in the Black Paladin scandal of 3133. He also managed to secure an alliance with House Liao in 3134, with Chancellor Daoshen Liao marrying his cousin Ki-Linn to Bannson to cement the deal.[8]
Disappearance
Bannson disappeared from the public eye for four months in mid-3135 before he was sighted in the Rasalhague Dominion being stalked by Capellan agents, though rumors that Ki-Linn had dispatched Death Commando hit squads after Bannson were never confirmed. Around this time the Fortress Republic went up, cutting Bannson off from much of his wealth. The last known sighting of Bannson was in August 3136, on Tybalt, when his own soldiers in The Scourge mutinied and took him prisoner to be turned over to Republic authorities.[3] [9] [8]
Since then, while Bannson's assets were offered in support of local governments and military forces outside the Wall, it was unknown whether Bannson himself was the benefactor or somebody else using his fortune. Nor was he ever confirmed alive or dead, making Bannson's final fate a mystery.[3]
Philosophical and/or political views
Both prior to and following the Blackout, Jacob Bannson's driving motivation was his dedication to destroying his enemies before they could do likewise to him. His definition of 'enemy' seemed to cover anybody who crossed him or threatened his interests, but primarily applied to the noble class that had snubbed him despite his successes and wealth. This enabled Bannson to publicly pose as a champion of the 'working man' and win support from the 'lower' classes of Republic society, but in truth he only cared about bolstering his own power.[6] [1] Rumors also suggested that Bannson wanted to establish his own "Great House" or state.[10]
Bannson demonstrated no loyalty to his native state when it entered the post-Blackout crisis. At first merely establishing himself as another splinter faction warlord carving out his own fiefdom, Bannson later actively, if secretly, courted the support of House Liao when the Capellans crossed the pre-Blackout border.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Era Digest: Dark Age, p. 14, "Jacob Bannson"
- ↑ Ghost War, pp. 137-138
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Era Report: 3145, p. 14, "Whatever happened to the man who had everything?"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ghost War, pp. 109-110
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Era Digest: Dark Age, p. 6
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Era Digest: Dark Age, p. 13
- ↑ Era Digest: Dark Age, p. 7
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 88, "Ki-Linn Liao"
- ↑ Era Digest: Dark Age, p. 19, "Timeline of Events"
- ↑ A Silence In The Heavens, p. 57
Bibliography
- A Silence in the Heavens (novel)
- Era Digest: Dark Age
- Era Report: 3145
- Ghost War (novel)
- By Temptations and by War (novel)