William Smythe
Sarna News
William Smythe | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Died | 2872 |
| Affiliation | Clan Fire Mandrill |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Star Colonel |
William Smythe (born 28?? - died 2872) was a Star Colonel and the ranking officer of Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa Smythe-Jewel during its downfall at the hands of Clan Hell's Horses and Clan Coyote.[1]
Biography
Details about the life of William Smythe prior to the events of 2872 are non-existent. If he was the same commander of the raids that secured the OmniMech technology from the Coyotes, and later Elemental technology from Clan Hells Horses, then he was indeed a crafty and treacherous foe who was not afraid to use the restrictions of Clan society against other rival Clans.
Mandrill's Honor
During the Golden Century, Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa Smythe-Jewel acquired OmniMech technology by way of what the Coyote's termed "dubious bidding practices". While the Coyotes filed a formal protest with the ilKhan, the Mandrill victory would eventually be ruled fair by the Grand Council. Years later in 2870, Kindraa Smythe-Jewel would again involve itself in a similar incident, but this time against the Hell's Horses over their Elemental technology. A livid Horse Khan Eric Amirault demanded the Annihilation of the Fire Mandrills for their treacherous bidding which left a Kindraa Payne unit severely mauled after being unwittingly used as a decoy, while the Hell's Horses would still lose their technology to the Smythe-Jewels after facing a unit that was much stronger than anticipated.[1][2][3]
Sweet Revenge
The Smythe-Jewels would return to their normal routine soon enough, as all of the Clans again settled down after the OmniMech Trials had largely ended. Rumors of war between the Hell's Horses and Coyotes were rife, allowing the Kindraa to relax its stance. Then in 2872, a task force led by Hell's Horses Khan Amirault appeared over the world of Foster in the Kerensky Cluster. As the combined Hell's Horses/Coyote force burnt towards Foster for their landing, Khan Amirault would broadcast a wilting batchall, calling out the Smythe-Jewels and also announcing the purpose of their invasion: to punish the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel for their past treachery.[1]
Star Colonel William Smythe would answer back in kind,[4] sending his Aerospace and Naval assets to greet the invaders before they could land. The large Aerospace Fighter contingent that the Horses had brought along served them well, defeating all comers. Once on the ground, the Coyote's 100th Assault Cluster, led by Coyote saKhan Katarina Steele, would attack the main Kindraa force. Simultaneously, the Horse's 'Mechs and Armor from their 666th Mechanized Assault Cluster and Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry Cluster harried the flanks of the Smythe-Jewel line. In a moment of desperation, and in an attempt to break the invaders, Star Colonel Smythe would lead his remaining forces in a drive that nearly got through the lines. But in the end he would die in a hail of fire from a combined Horse/Coyote reinforced Trinary, leaving the shattered remnant of his Kindraa to the command of Star Captain Tomas Jewel. With little left to defend with, Star Captain Jewel would lead the survivors in fleeing the scene of the battle. But before long, the fleeing Smythe-Jewel force was intercepted and pinned down by a force of Kindraa Payne 'Mechs that had been sent out to "secure their borders" after they had heard about the invasion. The last of the resistance was crushed after 26 hours of fighting, and the treacherous Kindraa Smythe-Jewel was no more.[1][5]
Legacy
With his death, so went his Kindraa. Star Colonel William Smythe's legacy was likely taken away with the Hell's Horses, who claimed half of the genetic legacies contained in the Smythe-Jewel compound vaults, if they did not destroy it outright. The Horses also claimed most of the salvage from the battle. The Coyotes kept the enclave on Foster, as well as the remaining legacies, though they would share some of each with Kindraa Payne for their role in the victory. The passing of Kindraa Smythe-Jewel would be a jarring reminder to the rest of the Fire Mandrills of their greatest weakness, their factionalism.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 54, 55, 56 - "Hell's Fury"
- ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 41, 42 - "Righteous Vengeance"
- ↑ Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 9 - "Bad Blood"
- ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 56 - Beginning of the End
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 39, 40 - "Death of a Kindraa"