Editing Loren Jaffray

{{Update Needed|[[Field Manual: ComStar]], [[Northwind Highlanders (scenario pack)]], [[Starterbook: Wolf and Blake]], [[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]}}

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Loren Jaffray.jpg
| caption             =
| name                = Loren Jaffray
| birthdate           = [[3025]]<ref name=IoWpp13-14>''Impetus of War'', pp. 13–14: Jaffray was 33 in 3058, when the novel was set</ref>
| died                = 
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Jaffray]]
| rank                = [[Colonel]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = 
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = Yes, but unnamed
}}
'''Loren Jaffray''' was born in the [[Capellan Confederation]]. The grandson of a [[Northwind Highlanders]] member who remained loyal to the Confederation after the reclamation of [[Northwind]], when the Highlanders abandoned their mercenary contract with the Confederation and took employ with the [[Federated Suns]] instead,<ref name=HGp10f>''Highlander Gambit'', pp. 10–12</ref> Loren Jaffray became one of the Confederation's elite [[Death Commandos]],<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 32</ref> but eventually joined the Highlanders.<ref name=HGp349>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 349</ref>

==History==
===Family history===
Loren Jaffray descended from a family with a long military tradition, the [[Clan Jaffray]]. His grandfather, [[Corwin Jaffray]], served with distinction in [[McCormack's Fusiliers]], and did not want to break with the Capellan Confederation<ref name=HGp10f/> when the Highlanders returned to their ancestral homeworld [[Northwind]] after joining with the [[Federated Suns]] in [[3028]], during the [[Fourth Succession War]].<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', pp. 9–13</ref> After the war, Loren Jaffray's father served [[Chancellor]] [[Romano Liao]] as a Death Commando.<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 36</ref>

===Early career===
Loren Jaffray was a major in the elite Death Commandos. He was loyal as all Death Commandos are to the [[Chancellor]] of the [[Capellan Confederation]], who at the time was [[Sun-Tzu Liao]].  Most of his activities during time period would be classified as state secrets.

===Mission to Northwind===
In late [[3057]], Chancellor [[Sun-Tzu Liao]] ordered Loren Jaffray to go to Northwind "privately and on vacation" to deliver a message—House Liao would offer support for an independent Northwind and free the Highlanders from Prince [[Victor Steiner-Davion]].<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 33</ref> Jaffray's real mission was to remove Northwind from the [[Federated Commonwealth]], and neutralize the Highlander regiments or otherwise deprive the Federated Commonwealth of their service by any means. Death Commandos would be waiting for his signal at a hidden point in the system during his mission to Northwind.<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 37</ref> He was expected to sacrifice his life or honor to accomplish the mission.<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 38</ref>

In the brief conflict for independence on Northwind, Jaffray became a central figure. After delivering his message to the Northwind Highlanders of [[MacLeod's Regiment]], they voted to recall the Assembly of Warriors for a [[Warrior’s Cabal]]<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 118</ref> so that the full assembly could vote on Jaffray’s proposal. This in turn caused a division in the ranks of the Highlanders. A trial of honor ensued and the [[Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth]] got involved as well as a group of the Consul Guards and the [[Third Royal Guards]], eventually including the [[First NAIS Cadet Cadre]],<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', pp. 140, 338</ref> came to blows, until Jaffray helped to win the conflict. In helping MacLeod's forces win, Jaffray realized that he was in a no-win scenario and sacrificed his honor to achieve a partial success—he accomplished the goal of taking Northwind out of the Federated Commonwealth, also severing the relationship between the Highlanders and Prince Victor Steiner-Davion in the process;<ref>''Highlander Gambit'', p. 341</ref> he was then offered the opportunity to join the Highlanders.<ref name=HGp349/>

Although this could be construed as treason from a Death Commando, Chancellor Sun-Tzu had expected this outcome. Jaffray's fellow Death Commandos expected to be ordered to track him down and execute him, but Sun-Tzu ordered them to leave him alone as he still considered the mission a success.

===Stirling's Fusiliers===
Jaffray was appointed to serve as Colonel [[Andrea Stirling|"Cat" Stirling]]'s executive officer. He began training the [[Stirling's Fusiliers]] by first revamping the training setup. He emphasized all areas of training, including hand-to-hand combat, demolitions and survival techniques.<ref>''Impetus of War'', pp. 13, 17</ref> He wanted them to be well-trained to fight the [[Clans]].  Eight months into this training, the Highlanders received a visit from [[Omiko Kurita]], who brought a contract offer to fight [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] on [[Wayside V]].<ref>''Impetus of War'', pp. 36–39</ref>

===Northwind Hussars===
Jaffray's brilliantly unorthodox actions against Clan Smoke Jaguar during the Wayside operation convinced the Clan Elders that he was the man to command a new anti-Clan regiment, the [[Northwind Hussars]]. This move was not without consequences; some regimental commanders still did not fully trust Jaffray's Capellan origins, creating additional friction between the colonels and Clan Elders.<ref name=MS56>''Mercenaries Supplemental'', p. 56: "Northwind Hussars: Clan's Bane"</ref>

Loren Jaffray was also behind the Hussars' use of [[Clan Rose|Rose hunting tartan]], a blue background overlaid primarily with green, secondarily with red. Jaffray's unorthodox decision was seemingly inspired after learning that [[Jeremiah Rose]] unsuccessfully petitioned the Clan Elders to form an anti-Clan unit before forming the [[Black Thorns]] mercenary unit, receiving Clan Rose's permission to use their tartan.<ref name=MS56/> Following the crippling of [[Rianna Rose]], Loren Jaffray joined her and Jeremiah's father [[Corneilus Rose|Corneilus]] in petitioning the Clan Elders to allow the Black Thorns to recruit from the Highlanders.<ref name="MSp20">''Mercenaries Supplemental'', p. 20: "The Black Thorns: Rebuilding the Burnt Bridges"</ref>

===Jihad===
At the start of the Jihad, Loren Jaffray and the Northwind Hussars were stationed on [[Ueda]] in the employ of the [[Second Star League]].<ref name=MS56/>

By the late 3060s, Jaffray had become CO of the [[Ghosts of the Black Watch]]. The unit was badly mauled in January [[3069]] while assisting the rescue of [[Hohiro Kurita (31st c.)|Hohiro Kurita]] from the [[Word of Blake|Blakist]] facility at [[Fortress Dieron]]. Jaffray and the survivors eventually escaped [[Dieron]], pursued by the [[Opacus Venatori]], on 23 March [[3074]], Loren led the remaining Ghosts in a recon on [[Odessa]], falling into an ambush by the Venatori. The unit was effectively destroyed, with Loren's 'Mech downed by Preceptor [[Berith]] and exploding, apparently killing him.<ref>''Jihad Turning Points: Dieron'', p. 7: "Ghosts of the Black Watch"</ref><ref>''Lost Ghosts'' in ''Shrapnel'', issue #9, p. 118</ref>

===Dark Age===
Jaffray was declared KIA after the Jihad, but in fact he was still alive and operating clandestinely. By September [[3083]], his superior, Andrea Stirling, noted that he had not reported in for some time.<ref>''Lost Ghosts'' in ''Shrapnel'', issue #9, p. 119</ref>

==Family and Children==
At some point Jaffray had a child, as his granddaughter [[Cadha Jaffray]] was a [[lieutenant colonel]] in the Northwind Highlanders.<ref>''Grey Watch Protocol'', p. 144</ref>

===Relationships===
Loren had a mutual respect relationship with McLeod, and a similar one with Andrea Stirling. His more intense relationship was with [[Chastity Mulvaney]]; when they met, she deeply mistrusted and hated him. During the battles, they began respectying each other, and after Northwind was independent, both began a romantic relationship. However, it is unknown if they had sons.<ref>''Highlander Gambit'' ''Impetus of War''</ref>

==BattleMechs==
[[Image:Rifleman RFL-6X Loren Jaffray IOBF107.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Loren Jaffray’s ''Rifleman''.]]
Jaffray's first known 'Mech, which he used in a Death Commando training operation, was a ''[[Hussar]]''. In the battles for Northwind, he piloted a ''[[Gallowglas]]'', a present from MacLeod, its previous pilot, until losing it in the last battle.

On Wayside V, Jaffray piloted a ''[[Penetrator]]''.<ref>''Impetus of War'', p. 98</ref> Later, when he posed as a Smoke Jaguar officer, he piloted [[Kerndon]]'s ''[[Warhawk]]''.<ref>''Impetus of War'', p. 277</ref> During the [[3067]] [[Battle of Odessa (3067)|Battle of Odessa]], he piloted an RFL-6X ''[[Rifleman]]''.<ref name="ASAH">''Alpha Strike: Ad Hoc Unit Cards'': "Joshua Franco"</ref><ref>[https://camospecs.com/listing/rifleman-rfl-6x-7m-3/ Loren Jaffray's RFL-6X Rifleman]</ref> And in his ''final battle'', he fielded a Clan ''[[Cauldron-Born]]''.<ref>''Lost Ghosts'' in ''Shrapnel'', issue #9, p. 115</ref>

==Rules==
<div class="gamerules">
===Game Rules===
Jaffray was a Heroic MechWarrior (Skill Level 1) with the [[Sniper]] Special Piloting Ability.<ref name=ASAH/>
</div>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Highlanders1.jpg|Loren Jaffray with Elder Parkensen
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Alpha Strike: Ad Hoc Unit Cards]]''
* ''[[Grey Watch Protocol]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Highlander Gambit]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Impetus of War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Jihad Turning Points: Dieron]]''
* ''[[Lost Ghosts]]'' (short story)
* ''[[Mercenaries Supplemental]]''


[[Category:Capellan Confederation Characters|Jaffray, Loren]]
[[Category:Northwind Highlanders Characters|Jaffray, Loren]]