Team Banzai

Overview

The enigmatic Team Banzai is a peculiar mercenary regiment that is well known for the scientific genius of its commander Dr. Banzai and some other members while at the same time being classed as elite combatants.

History

Created in 3015, Team Banzai was under contract to the Federated Suns throughout its existence and was based on New Avalon.

When not in combat, Team Banzai members teach advanced courses at the College of Engineering (part of the New Avalon Institute of Science). Working on all kinds of items from children's toys to BattleMechs, they are credited with several innovations including an improved cooling shirt for House Davion MechWarriors and most importantly, the famously unconventional Hatchetman BattleMech (which is produced in, and generally associated with, the Lyran Commonwealth instead of the Federated Suns) and later its heavy counterpart, the Axman (a joint Steiner/Davion venture).

Fourth Succession War

Battle of Northwind

Team Banzai was sent to reinforce the Davion garrison on Northwind in Mid-January of 3029. The garrison consisted of the 5th Deneb Light Cavalry and the mercenary battalion, Bradley's Bravos, who had been recently accepted into the Kell Hounds as their 3rd Battalion. Two regiments of BattleMechs from House Kurita are sent to invade the planet. During the initial stages of the invasion half of the 5th Deneb Light Cavalry are struck down with ptomaine food poisoning. Team Banzai managed to arrive in time to reinforce the garrison's forces. However the remaining members of the Light Cavalry that were well enough to deploy, had already been lured out of their defensive positions by the 36th Dieron Regulars, and were cut to ribbons by the 5th Sword of Light. The Bravos had attempted to save the Light Cavalry by crushing the Genyosha, and then moving up to relieve the Light Cav. In the end the Genyosha proved to be a very tough adversary and mauled both The Bravos and Team Banzai in the ensuing engagement.

Team Banzai's leader, Doctor Banzai was injured by Tai-sa Yorinaga Kurita. Banzai's 2nd in command, Major Tommy Lester conversed with Major Scott Bradley of the Bravos about how to handle the situation. They had both lost a number of companies to the elite Genyosha regiment in the last encounter. Tommy tells Scott that the Genyosha had been told by ISF sources that the Kell Hounds were on Northwind and consequently the Kurita's had come calling. Since Scott's Bravos had only recently joined Hounds as their 3rd Battalion, the Genyosha mistakenly thought the main body of the Hounds were on planet. Which allowed the rest of the Kell Hounds to attack the Genyosha base while they were already fully engaged.

Tommy offered to assemble the remains of Team Banzai to fight a delaying action to hold-off the incoming Kurita forces long enough to allow the injured Dr. Banzai, the remains of the Bravos, and 5th Light Cavalry to get off planet. However, Scott replies that he has already formed his surviving people into an Omega Company. The Omega is already loaded up with Inferno SRMs and plans on a suicide run against the Kurita forces to buy enough time for the rest of Team Banzai to get off world.

Tommy and Scotts meeting is interrupted by the arrival of the entire brigade of the Northwind Highlanders. They had been hired out of the service of Maximilian Liao by Hanse Davion and had been sent to relieve the beleaguered defense. A fringe benefit being that they were also reclaiming their ancestral homeland. The Highlanders easily brush aside all resistance from the 5th Sword of Light and its supporting units, and secure the planet. After the battle for Northwind had concluded, Team Banzai had been reduced to less than a battalion sized force, and departs for New Avalon. The 1st Prince Hanse Davion authorizes the Team's wounded to be transferred to the NAIS's Medical Center on New Avalon.

Battle of New Avalon

Month after the battle, the Team arrived on New Avalon in with its wounded. Doctor Banzai soon recovered from his injuries and began to work with the New Avalon Institute of Science as the rest of his people recovered from their injuries.

However in September, a raiding force in the form of House Liao's elite Death Commandos struck the planet. The Doctor rallied his able bodied men and, at the side Prince Davion, destroyed the Commandos in a brutal battle. In end, they were barely able to save the Institute from the brink of destruction.

FedCom Civil War

No longer an active fighting force by the time of the FedCom Civil War, they nevertheless worked behind the scenes on New Avalon to undermine the rule of Katherine Steiner-Davion. When the Allies finally invaded New Avalon, they became more and more active in disrupting the Loyalists communications and finally helping to take the capital itself. In the aftermath of the war, the unit was reformed into the New Avalon Cavaliers, a reinforced Regiment.

Officers & Notable Members

3025

Notable Team Banzai personnel include (as of 3025):

• Dr. B. Banzai - Enigmatic scientific genius and elite MechWarrior. He is the leader & founder of Team Banazi. He is known for his medical skills He was knocked into a coma after fighting the Genyosha's Tai-sa Yorinaga Kurita on Northwind. He soon recovered, starting work with New Avalon Institute of Science with experiments & bionic replacements for soldiers by July. Some months later, he leads the remains of Team Banzai to defend Institute from Confederation's Death Commandos.

Physically he noted for his blue eyes.

• Major Tommy Lester - Is a blonde-headed, glasses wearing, slender man whom acts as the mercenary's unit second-in-command & aide to Dr. Banzai. He is among dozen of the Team's MechWarriors whom fought desperate battle against the attack at New Avalon's NAIS.

• Reno - Dark hair, with rugged face man.

• Rawhide - Early member of Team Banzai & MechWarrior. He was member of the team whom made contact with Northwind Highlander's brigade who arrived to rescued Davion forces. He was moderately injured after Battle of New Avalon's NAIS, losing a lung.

• Yvonne Morticia - Commander of the Team Banzai JumpShip Nth Dimension, DropShip pilot and renowned sharpshooter in her personal Orion BattleMech.

• DuPrichard Mechalam - Former Team Banzai member, commander of the Department of Military Justice in the AFFS holding the rank of Marshal.

• Darc Horse - Freelancer MechWarrior who worked alone or with Team Banzai, and also offered his services to the Blazing Aces

• Professor Douglas Running-Elk - He is a Scholar & MechWarrior, born on Terra. He was originally, driver for team's Coolant Truck, when he indirectly captures a Grand Dragon in bid save Kurita Mechwarrior during the latter part of the battle of Northwind. He later becomes intern to Dr. Banzai at the NAIS on New Avalon, where by 3039 he asked join the staff.

3054

As of 3054, Doctor Anna Banzai has taken command of the unit. It is listed as still being based on New Avalon at full strength with an Elite experience rating. Their loyalty is listed as "Fanatical".

Gallery

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  Hatchetman

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Composition

3025

The unit is organized into three 'Mech battalions:

• 1st Battalion: The Hong Kong Cavaliers:
• 2nd Battalion: The Blue Blazers:
• 3rd Battalion: The Radar Blazers:

Other Information

• Although the full name of unit leader "Dr. B. Banzai" is never given, it is obviously a reference to the Buckaroo Banzai movie. Several of the individuals in the unit have names from the movie, including Rawhide and Perfect Tommy. Additionally, one of the sub-units was named the Hong Kong Cavaliers, the name of Buckaroo's band in the movie. It was eventually phased out of the BattleTech franchise by renaming the unit, presumably due to real world legal concerns.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised
• Objective Raids
• Record Sheets: Unique 'Mechs
• Warrior: Coupé
• Warrior: Riposte