Ardan Sortek

Ardan Sortek
Ardan Sortek
Character Profile
Born 2993[1]
Died 20 April 3067[2][3]
Affiliation House Sortek
Rank Prince's Champion
Title(s) Knight of the Realm[4]
Parents Adriaan Sortek (father)
Vela Sortek (mother)
Siblings Felsa Sortek
Spouse Candent Septarian[3]
Children Adriaan Sortek II[3]
Valisa Sortek[3]
Terias Sortek[3]
Meschach Sortek[3]
Brittan Sortek[3]
Katriel Sortek[3]
Conner Sortek

Ardan Sortek was the Prince's Champion and a close personal friend of Hanse Davion.

History[edit]

Early Years[edit]

Ardan Sortek was born at his family's estate, Sortek Hall, on New Avalon in 2993.[1] He later graduated from the Albion Military Academy as a Leftenant and was appointed a Lance Commander in the Seventeenth Avalon Hussars.

In 3013 on Addicks, Ardan was preparing an offensive against the Draconis Combine with Hanse, who was having dinner with Major Dana Stephenson, a friend of Ardan's.[5] Later, Ardan began dating Dana's friend Major Elaine Masters despite the fact she was older than him. In the Battle of Halstead Station, Ardan saved Hanse's life but could not save Dana's; however, he confirmed her death and recovered the engagement ring Hanse had given her.[6] Ardan's relationship with Elaine didn't last, as he wasn't ready to start a family yet.

In 3019, Ardan commanded a raid on the Draconis Combine planet of Nashira in which he and his men destroyed several important Combine computer research facilities despite overwhelming odds. For his heroism, Ardan was promoted to Commanding Officer of the Davion Heavy Guards and awarded the Federated Suns' highest honor, the Medal Excalibur.

Ardan gave up his command when he requested to be part of the task force that would retake Stein's Folly in 3025.[1] After a rough landing, and leading successfully the ground assault, Ardan's Victor was destroyed by a Liaoist 'Mech, and left him alone, wounded and weak, in the jungle. After what appears to be a contact with a primitive alien species, was recovered by Liao troops, under orders of Pavel Ridzik.[citation needed] They then were taken to a secret base on planet, where he recovered. There, he discovered a double of Hanse Davion before being rescued by a Davion unit and sent to Tharkad. Later, Sortek returned to Stein's Folly on a secret mission, investigating the base, and found proof of a Liao plan to substitute the real Hanse with a Double, before the base self-destructed.[7]

Sortek and Hanse were arrested under orders of Hanse's double but were rescued by Sortek's men, and managed to arrive at New Avalon. There, with help from the Lyran ambassador, they managed to prove that his friend was the real Hanse, ensuring the failure of the Liao plot.[8] Not much later, Ardan led the Davion counterattack and liberation of the planet Redfield, successfully taken by Liao forces. Hanse would later appoint Ardan to the exalted position of Prince's Champion.[citation needed]

Leftenant Andrew Redburn was asked to take a tour of Lyran space with Ardan Sortek in 3027. They briefly stopped on Pacifica and met with Leftenant Colonel Patrick Kell and his Kell Hound mercenary battalion in March. Draconis Combine forces shortly thereafter invaded the planet and he, assisted by Hauptmann-General Sarah Joss, fought with the Kell Hounds to defend the planet from Kuritan invasion. There, Arden found himself in at least one duel against an Awesome piloted by the Second Sword of Light Sho-sa Tigna Zatka, a duel which he won, destroying the enemy 'Mech.[9]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

After the creation of the Tikonov Free Republic, Ardan was posted as Pavel Ridzik's liaison officer, but the two did not get along, with Sortek secretly calling Ridzik The Littlest Tzar to Hanse Davion.[10]

On July 21st, 3029 on Elgin, Ridzik complained to him, venting his frustrations at having to move his JumpShip assets from various worlds as this could lead him to feel that he was vulnerable. The conversation was one that Ardan had expected, including Ridzik complaining about the continually forestalled return of the would-be capital world of his realm. Sortek reminded him that if Hanse Davion pulled economic aid, the Republic would fall.[11]

Ridzik's plan to rid himself of the Davion overseer was prevented by Pavel's assassination. Ardan took Ridzik's place as the provisional leader of the Republic, which afterward became part of the Sarna March of the Federated Commonwealth.[12]

Post War[edit]

He and Andrew met with Archon Katrina Steiner and her daughter, Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. The pair soon found out that their initial meeting with "Melissa" was in fact the decoy Jeana Clay. Ardan was aware that the double was to be used to keep the Lyran side of the Alliance quiet while the real Melissa could stay with Hanse Davion.[13]

He ceased to be Prince's Champion upon Hanse Davion's death in 3052 and was replaced by Galen Cox. He was reinstated after Cox's apparent death in 3055, to be replaced again by Simon Gallagher under Katherine Steiner-Davion's regime. Afterward, he was forced into exile in 3060 alongside Prince Victor Steiner-Davion and Jerrard Cranston, all of whom served with the Star League Defense Force for the next several years.[citation needed]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

Ardan became the primary opponent of Katherine's rule leading up to the Federated Commonwealth Civil War, alongside Dukes Eric Dresari, Morgan Kell, Petyr VanLees, and Frederick Bradford. The death of Arthur Steiner-Davion drove Ardan and his cousin, Bishop Sortek, commander of the Davion Brigade of Guards and the First Davion Guards, to openly revolt. He then became Victor Steiner-Davion's second-in-command of the Allied Davion forces in the civil war.[citation needed]

In 3065, Ardan went to New Syrtis to try and convince George Hasek to join Victor's side of the war. He was rebuffed, but tried again after George's forces had managed to destroy Loyalists invading the planet. George refused to support Victor but would continue to defend the Capellan March worlds, though he did release the Davion Light Guards to Ardan, as well as gifting two Templar Assault OmniMechs.[citation needed]

Death[edit]

Sortek died on 20 April 3067, while in his Templar OmniMech, saving Victor's life from a Loyalist head-hunting attack during the final battle of New Avalon, the culminating battle of the Civil War.[14][2]

BattleMech[edit]

Family[edit]

Ardan's father was Major Adriaan Sortek, Baron of Crossroads Prairie on New Avalon, and a close friend of First Prince Andrew Davion.[1] His mother was Vela Sortek. He had one sister, Felsa, who had at least one male child of which Hanse Davion was the godfather.[15]

He had a cousin, Marshal Bishop Sortek, who was killed in action on New Avalon in mid-October of 3063. Ardan and Bishop last spoke to each other on September 23, 3063.[16]

Ardan and his wife Candent had six children: Adriaan, Valisa, Terias, Meschach, Brittan and Katriel. All served in the AFFS or government roles within the Federated Suns.[3]

Ardan is also recorded as having a seventh son, Conner Sortek, who fought for Devlin Stone during the Jihad. It's not clear if Conner was one of the six children mentioned above, using another name. Conner had a son, Justin Sortek (thus Ardan's grandson), who became the CO of the Davion Guards, the elite regiment of the Swordsworn.[17]

Behind the Scenes[edit]

In MechWarrior 5: Legend of the Kestrel Lancers, Ardan Sortek was voiced by Chris Phillips.[18]

Notes[edit]

  • One of the first characters introduced in one of the first BattleTech novels, The Sword and the Dagger, he was also one of the last to die in the final novel of the original series, Endgame. Effectively, this makes him the longest-running character in the original series of BattleTech novels before the start of the MechWarrior: Dark Age novel series.

Portrait Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 181 - Ardan Sortek Profile
  2. 2.0 2.1 Endgame, Ch. 32
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Historical: War of 3039, p. 24
  4. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 157
  5. Front Lines Irreplaceable p. 173
  6. Irreplaceable, p. 209
  7. The Sword and the Dagger p. 189
  8. The Sword and the Dagger p. 262
  9. The Kell Hounds, p. 40-41 "Blackened Panthers"
  10. Warrior: Coupé, p. 132: "Hanse remember Holovid he received from Ardan remarking his true feelings for Colonel Ridzik".
  11. Warrior: Coupé, p. 171: "Lord Colonel Ridzik press for return of Tikonov".
  12. 20 Year Update, p. 12: "Unification"
  13. Warrior: En Garde
  14. Field Manual: Updates, p. 14, "3067"
  15. The Sword and the Dagger
  16. FedCom Civil War, p. 77
  17. Davion Guards as part of the Swordsworn[1]
  18. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, closing credits

Bibliography[edit]