Trent (Clan Smoke Jaguar)

This article is about the Clan MechWarrior. For the planet, see Trent.

Trent

Trent (circa 3030 – 30??) was a member of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Among ComStar-ROM he is known as a traitor to his former Clan, having played a part in its destruction. For the Clans and the rest of the Inner Sphere, he is assumed dead.

Appearance

During the Battle of Tukayyid, Trent was heavily wounded. His right arm's muscles had to be upgraded with artificial myomer-muscles and its bones had to be strengthened with carbon-nanotubes, making this arm extremely strong. The right half of his face (including nose and lips) is covered with a pale artificial skin. A metal frame had to be installed in his right eye socket, to ensure mobility of his re-budded eye.

History

Sibko

Trent was born sometime around 3030 on Londerholm, a trueborn of the Howell bloodline and a member of the Grey Lynx sibko of Clan Smoke Jaguar. It was in his sibko that Trent first realized that something was not quite right in his world: Kitmaster Porcini demanded from Trent to explain to him what it means to be a Smoke Jaguar. Trent's answer was, that words would be flawed and he challenged Porcini to a duel, to give him the answer. Porcini agreed that this was the correct answer. Nevertheless, Trent would have no chance against Porcini, so he would fight his sibko-sister Jez. Trent defeated Jez in a circle of equals, defeating her with a swift chop to her throat. But before Trent could enjoy his victory, Porcini kicked his legs from beneath him, saying, that Trent knew what it was to be a Jaguar cadet, but not to be a Jaguar warrior. For the rest of his life, he would remember this day as that which set so much of his life in motion - his rivalry with jez, his disdain for Clan politics and intrigue, all of it could be traced back to this moment in the Mountains of Londerholm in his mihd.

Tukayyid

By 3052, Trent had risen to the rank of Star Captain. Before the Battle of Tukayyid, he talked with Star Colonel Benjamin Howell who assured him that he would nominate Trent to one of the Howell-Bloodnames that would surely be vacant after such a grand battle.

Star Captain Trent commanded Bravo Binary of the 267th Battle Cluster in Beta Galaxy. Trent, piloting a Timber Wolf, fought against the Com Guards in the swamps of the Racice Delta. A superior tactician and thinker, especially compared to most of his peers in the Smoke Jaguars, Trent correctly saw through the tactics the ComGuard were using to successfully grind down the Jaguars in the Delta. He tried several times to warn his Star Colonel as to what was unfolding, only to be cut off mid sentence every time, his superiors either unable or unwilling to admit to the grave danger of their situation and that the Jaguars were in retreat, no matter how much they called it 'reorganization'.

What was left of Trents Star, himself and his Starmate Roussou, were ordered to divert from the 'reorganization' and link up with Jez to pull her out, Trents old Nemesis stubbornly refusing to obay the orders to pull back that had come down from Galaxy command. Piloting a Warhawk, Jez stubbornly refused both her orders and their assistance in favour of skirmishing with ComGuard forces. At the cost of Schultz, the last remaining warrior from his Binary, Trent moved to support her before a pair of ComGuard Battlemechs could finish her off, engaging and defeating a Com Guards Crab, the pilot of which he claimed as isorla, greatly impressed with the pilots skill and courage. Moments later however, ComGuard reinforcements arrived on the scene, a full company of Battlemechs with massive artillery support. Finally obeying orders in the face of the massive counter attack, Jez withdrew her crippled Omnimech as Trent posed as a target to gain her valuable seconds to get out of of the trap. Promptly, the ComGuard forces turned their attention to his own Battlemech and in a hail of Arrow-IV and inferno missiles, his Mech was torn to pieces, his final conscious act reaching blindly for the eject lever through the inferno of his cockpit. He life was saved, partially by the actions of his new Bondsman, but he suffered grevous injuries from the flames of the Inferno missiles. His right arm and the right side of his face had been extensively burnt and his right eye had been damaged to the point of needing to be replaced with a cybernetic one. While Clan medical science could easily repair the cosmetic damage, such a waste of resources for the sake of vanity would in no way be tollerated by the warrior cast and Trent would have something of a nightmare apperence for the rest of his life.

The Star Captain awoke almost a month after the battle to discover that the Smoke Jagaurs had been soundly defeated by the ComGuard. But even worse for him personally, he learned that Jez had claimed that she had saved his life in the Delta, not the reverse. With both their Omnimechs lost in the fighting, no proof existed that his former Sibkin was lying. Compunding his situation, Trents old friend Star Colonel Benjamin Howell had bitterly spoken out against his Khan Lincoln Osis in the immediate aftermath of the fighting when all thought their leader was dead, declaring that they may have won if their 'former' Khan had not bid too low, supporting the elevation of the more flexible and inventive Brandom Howell to the post of Khan. And when their Khan was in fact found to be alive and returned to the leadership, the notoriously ruthless Osis marked the Star Colonel for one of his enemies and forced him to nominate not Trent for an open Howell bloodname as the Star Colonel had promised, but Jez, the Crusader Hero of Tukayyid. Confronted later by Jez who freely admitted her actions and lies, Trent castigated her for betraying her honor and everything a Clan Warrior stood for by her deception, only for Jez to sneer back at him that it was the Victors who wrote history, and to the Victors went the spoils.

Trent spent weeks in convalescence and training on the way back to the Smoke Jaguard occupation Zone while his isorla, Judith Faber, was assigned as his Bondsman and Tech. Upon arriving on Hyner, Trent sought out his final option for the Bloodname he so desired via the Grand Bloodname Melee. As per the standard rules of the Bloodname contest, any Unblooded warrior with a valid claim on the Bloodname not nominated for one of the open slots was free to enter the Melee, with the final survivor taking the last open slot in the contest. Judith managed to get his Omnimech operational with some unexpected help from Master Tech Philip, Jez's personal tech who had ill treated her from the moment of her arrival. With his new Battlemech at hand, Trent confidently entered the Trial, agreeing with his new Bondman when she compared the tactical environment to the freewheeling matches on Solaris in that Survival, not Destruction, was the key to victory - although he was not impressed by her comparision of the Clans trial with Inner Spheres entertainment.

Trent fought well in the battle, not rushing into the mad confusion at the core of the Circle of Equals but stalking the battle from its edge. He defeated first a Cauldron-Born followed by a Hankyu and then a Nova, but during the later confrontation, his Mechs Hip Actuator locked up and froze his Mech in place without warning or clear reason, having not taken direct hits to that area. Helplessly frozen in place, the last other remaining Mech - a Mad Dog mounting paired Gauss Rifles - approached him from the rear and in a final exchange of fire, punched through his rear armor and damaged his Reactor heavily enough to force an automated shutdown.

Trent, had failed.

At first furiously convinced that his Bondsman had incompetently put his Mech together or even sabotaged it outright, the two quickly discovered strong evidence that it had in fact been sabotaged by the Master Tech, Jez's personal tech, but sabotaged in a way that it would be impossible to prove. Scared and marked by the failure on Tukayyid, his Bloodname chances taken away from him by Jez, twice, any hope Trent held of advancement from this point forward were all but gone forever.

Service in shame

Trent was assigned to the 3rd Jaguar Cavaliers of Delta Galaxy. To Star Colonel Paul Moon, Trent's mere existence was a shame; Trent was defeated on Tukayyid and did not have the grace to die there. He even dared to have a member of the Inner Sphere as a Bondsman. Paul Moon's view was emboldened when Trent spewed "lies" (claiming that he had saved Jez, not the other way round) and "excuses" (the sabotage of his Mech). Paul Moon refused Trent's demands for a re-trial and further shamed him by assigning him under Jez' command. He still had the rank of Star Captain, but he had to command a Star in the Binary of Star Captain Jez.

Two years later, in 3054, guerrillas began to harass the 3rd Jaguar Cavaliers. They had only six 'Mechs, but they were able to hide with help from the population. Star Colonel Paul Moon ordered the destruction of the village Beaver Falls as a revenge. Trent tried to prevent that, as it contradicted the Clan ideals of keeping war contained, but he was ridiculed as soft and sentimental. Beaver Falls was eradicated.

Next, a traitor showed up, willing to tell of the hideout where the 'Mechs were parked, a huge cave in a canyon. Jez' unit was ordered to take these bandits out, but Trent felt that there was something wrong. During the battle, he realized that this was a giant trap that would kill all of them. He gave orders, contradicting Jez, eventually saving his unit and ensuring a victory. Trent had saved the day, but Paul Moon refused to promote that, with the excuse that Trent had disobeyed a direct order.

In early 3055, Trent derived a plan to lure the guerrillas out. A convoy of ammunition-transporters en route on a lonely street in the wilderness were used as bait. The bandits tried to capture the trucks, but Trent's Star was already on the scene and destroyed them with their superior combat skills. As Jez was the official commander of this operation, she was granted the honor of victory.

As a final punishment to the population, Paul Moon ordered the destruction of the village Chinn. Trent challenged Paul Moon to a Trial of Refusal, but he was beaten. Chinn was destroyed.

Judith tried to build a connection between her and Trent. She wanted to reward him for trying to save Chinn, so she told him one of her secrets. With the help of locals, she had discovered a Castle Brian. Standing within these historic walls, representing the goal of the Clans, Trent regained courage and inner strength. Judith and Trent both agreed that no one else was worthy to know of the place.

In April of 3055, a battalion of mercenaries appeared in the orbit of Hyner. Trent was the only one to realize that they were reinforcements to the guerrillas and would land near their former base. Trent offered Jez his advice and she agreed. A trap was set up, with various elements of the 3rd Cavaliers, under the command of Jez. As Trent had expected, the mercenaries landed near an old factory, surrounded by the hidden Clan 'Mechs. The mercenaries proved to be tougher opponents than the Clanners suspected and managed to break free of the trap and fled into the wilderness. In the final moments of the battle, Trent again saved Jez' life. He asked her how she would explain this defeat to Paul Moon and she answered that this was easy. She would lay all the blame on Trent, his bad advice being responsible. Trent was furious and demanded a Trial of Refusal, but she declined. She declared that she was a Bloodnamed ristar of Clan Smoke Jaguar and that he was a shame and a walking joke. Him saving her was the biggest mistake of his life.

Trent killed her with a shot to the cockpit and used Judith's skills as a Tech to alter the battle-ROMs. Paul Moon somehow had to deal with the unexpected death of one of his most beloved warriors and declared Jez posthumously a hero. She alone forced the mercenaries into retreat.

Betrayal by his Clan

Trent hoped that he would now get the command of the Binary, but Paul Moon pulled it off-duty, with the excuse of the heavy losses. Again, Trent's spirit was crushed. He realized that Clan Smoke Jaguar was corrupted and rotten to the core. Judith decided to tell him who she really was and offered him a deal. She was a ROM-agent and offered him the possibility to leave Clan Smoke Jaguar and join ComStar. But he would have to pay for it with information. Judith wanted the path to the Clan Homeworlds. Trent declined. There is no unitary map of the whole route. He would have to travel to the Homeworlds and back to write the map himself. So, Trent and Judith devised a plan. He would find a way to travel from the Homeworlds back to the Inner Sphere. Judith would record the stars as they traveled.

With rumors, Judith tricked Paul Moon into assigning Trent as honor-guard to Jez' giftake. He would have the duty to personally deliver it to the genetic chamber of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Once on Huntress, Trent would surely end up as solahma.

To the Homeworlds and back

During the travel to Huntress, Trent made friends with Star Commander Allen. Judith made records of how far the ship had jumped and what type of star it had reached. On Pivot Prime, Trent and several solahmas reconquered a Smoke Jaguar HPG-station with isorla 'Mechs and aid from Star Commander Allens' Elementals.

They reached Huntress in February 3056. Trent met with his old friend Benjamin Howell, who was now Galaxy Commander and head of all forces on Huntress. However, the garrison forces on Huntress were incredibly under-equipped and Khan Lincoln Osis didn't care. All supplies and new 'Mechs were shipped to the units in the Inner Sphere, so Benjamin Howell used illegal means to get access to any military supplies, such as isorla 'Mechs. Trent offered him help. Benjamin Howell would send him back to the Inner Sphere, among the fresh troops, and Trent would use his influence and position to arrange a flow of weapons back to Huntress.

Trent, now piloting a Cauldron-Born, arrived on Hyner in March of 3058 with a Trinary of green troops. Paul Moon had no choice and gave him command of the new Trinary.

'Death'

In April of 3058, Galaxy Commander Hang Mehta of Delta Galaxy ordered an attack on the Kurita world Maldonado. Paul Moon won the bidding with Trent's Trinary, a Supernova and another Trinary would attack the headquarter of the Draconian forces on Maldonado. Judith smuggled a message of this off Hyner to ComStar.

While the troops were on their way to Maldonado, Paul Moon received a message of Hang Metha. Benjamin Howell had been arrested and he had confessed that Trent was one of his aides. Paul Moon received orders to do everything he can to arrest Trent.

Paul Moon had given Trent the wrong map of Maldonado, so his forces were unable to rejoin with the rest of the deployed troops. Nevertheless, Trent received orders to commence with his mission. Judith's message had alerted ComStar and the 308th Com Guard Division had been sent to Maldonado to arrange the extraction of Trent from the rest of his troops.

During the battle, Trent's troops were surrounded and outnumbered by Draconian forces. He was just about to flee behind their lines when Paul Moon showed up with a Star of Elementals. He ordered the arrest of Trent. Chaos erupted when the Elementals attacked Trent and the Com Guards arrived. Trent activated the self-destruction of his Mech and ejected from it. The Smoke Jaguars fled from Maldonado, believing Trent was dead, but he was rescued by the Com Guards.

Screaming for vengeance

Trent was sent to Tharkad to meet Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht. He exchanged the information about Clan Smoke Jaguar for a position within the Com Guards. Anastasius Focht agreed and assigned Trent as his bodyguard.

Trent was among the multi-national forces that were sent to Huntress to aid Operation Serpent. Trent took no part during the final battles on Huntress and set foot on the planet after the Smoke Jaguars were defeated.

He accompanied the Inner Sphere forces that journeyed to Strana Mechty where a final Trial of Refusal was arranged. When Trent overheard that he would not be given a chance to fight his former Clan, he was outraged. He angrily confronted Victor Steiner-Davion and Anastasius Focht about their sudden betrayal, demanding that he only be given what was promised to him: a chance to fight for the Inner Sphere against the Clans. When it became obvious that Victor did not intend to honor Focht's agreement with Trent, Trent attacked Victor. Before any blows could be traded, Khan Severen Leroux knocked Trent to the ground and declared him a bondsman and abtakha of Clan Nova Cat. Severen Leroux then invited Trent to join his forces to fight against the forces of Clan Ice Hellion in this trial, which he accepted.

Unknown fate

Trent was a member of the Binary that fought against the Ice Hellions. It was a narrow victory for the Nova Cats. Trent's fate is unknown as he disappeared after the battle. However, Khan Leroux says that warriors will only know release when they die and that Trent will have that release. It can be assumed that Trent dies in battle against the Ice Hellions.

Bibliography

• Exodus Road (Novel)
• Prince of Havoc (Novel)