Thomas Frederick Bradford
Sarna News
Thomas Frederick Bradford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal | |
| Also known as | Frederick Bradford[1] |
| Born | 3008[1] |
| Affiliation | House Bradford |
| Profile | |
| Title(s) | Duke of Coventry[2] |
| Profession | Noble |
| Family | |
| Parents | Harrison Bradford (father) |
Duke Thomas Frederick Bradford was a mid-thirty-first century was the noble ruler of the Lyran Alliance planet of Coventry. Bradford was noted for his intense loyalty towards First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion and his hatred of Victor's sister, Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion.
Contents
History
Thomas was the legitimated bastard son of Harrison Bradford. Some time prior to January 3050, Thomas would succeed his father as Duke of Coventry. He also succeeded his father as a notorious womanizer. At the age of seventeen he made a pass at a mature, beautiful woman thirty-two years his senior. That woman, Archon Katrina Steiner, was amused and flattered.[3][4]
Fighting the Clans
Bradford showed his support for Prince Victor by personally asking him to rid his planet of the Clan Jade Falcon invaders in 3058, instead of asking Archon Katherine. Victor was happy to oblige, leading a multinational task force to Coventry to confront the Jade Falcons, who had already wreaked havoc on the planetary infrastructure and economy. The Jade Falcon incursion into the Lyran Alliance ended when Victor offered hegira to Khan Marthe Pryde, who ordered her forces to leave Coventry without firing a shot. This incident led to the re-formation of the Star League and the subsequent destruction of Clan Smoke Jaguar and the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty.[5]
Less than a year later, Bradford used his status as CEO of Coventry Metal Works to ensure the first runs of Stiletto BattleMechs went to pro-Victor units such as the First Davion Guards, ostensibly for "field testing."[6] Bradford circumvented normal procurement channels several times in this period, such as when he sent the 22nd Skye Rangers a pair of Hauptmann OmniMechs in recognition for the 10th Skye Rangers' action in saving his world,[7] or outfitting the Coventry CPM with cutting-edge hardware.[8]
Bradford also opposed the rebuilt Coventry Military Academy's new commander, [[Billie Piper], in her efforts to indoctrinate the cadets at his world's academy. As tensions continued to rise in the early 3060s, their clashes grew in frequency and ferocity.[9]
FedCom Civil War
The LAAF was not keen on seeing another attack on Coventry, and garrisoned it with three regiments of troops. However, the conflicting loyalties of these forces drove tensions ever higher. On Christmas Day of 3062, the FedCom Civil War came to Coventry when the newly formed 1st Coventry Jaegers, a unit completely loyal to Archon Katherine, were ordered to disarm the Coventry CPM, who were equally loyal to Duke Bradford. The Jaegers, backed up by the Free Worlds League-based mercenary unit Kristen's Krushers, wiped out the CPM and the Coventry Military Academy. When Colonel Kristen Marik, commander of the Krushers, protested against the iron-handed policies of Jaegers CO Colonel Jason Walker, Walker saw the opportunity to attack a scion of the hated House Marik. Walker quickly ordered his unit to attack the weakened Krushers, forcing them off-world. Archon Katherine used her propaganda machine to blame Victor (and by extension, Duke Bradford) for the slaughter of the CPM and nearly instigating an international incident by "ordering" the Jaegers to attack the Krushers.[10]
Victor himself and his Allied forces arrived on Coventry on October 17, 3063. By this time, Archon Katherine had "informed" Colonel Walker that Victor had come to destroy the Jaegers in retaliation for their destruction of the CPM; as a result, the Jaegers refused to surrender to Victor and were nearly destroyed to the last man by December 12, returning control of the world to Duke Bradford.[11] Following the Civil War, Bradford eagerly threw his support behind the new Archon, Peter Steiner-Davion.[12]
Family and Legacy
Bradford was married and had two sons.[1]
Notes
Storms of Fate and Field Manual: Lyran Alliance depict Harrison Bradford still holding the title of Duke of Coventry as late as 3064.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Shattered Sphere, p. 53, "Thomas Frederick Bradford Profile"
- ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 80, "Planet Profile"
- ↑ House Steiner (the Lyran Commonwealth), p. 154
- ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 95 - Thomas Bradford personal profile
- ↑ Shattered Sphere, pp. 38-40
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3067, p. 56 - Stiletto deployment
- ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 102
- ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 111
- ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 39 - Coventry Military Academy profile
- ↑ FedCom Civil War (sourcebook), pp. 37-39
- ↑ FedCom Civil War (sourcebook), p. 85
- ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 99