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Call of Duty | |
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Product information | |
Type | Novel |
Author | Blaine Lee Pardoe |
Pages | 271 |
Cover Artwork | Ed Cox |
Publication information | |
Publisher | Roc Books |
Product code | LE5856 |
First published | 10 October 2001 |
ISBN-10 | 0451458567 |
ISBN-13 | 978-0451458568 |
Content | |
Era | Civil War era |
Timeline | 11 February 3063 – 10 May 3063 (3 February 3063 prologue) |
Series | Archer Christifori novels |
Preceded by | Measure of a Hero |
Followed by | Operation Audacity |
Call of Duty, by Blaine Lee Pardoe, is the second novel about Archer Christifori's experiences during the Federated Commonwealth Civil War.
Archer Christifori's story is preceded by Measure of a Hero and concludes in Operation Audacity.
The novel was made available on BattleCorps on 27 February 2011 as a PDF file (text only, without cover, pictures, or any other interior artwork except for the usual BattleCorps frame graphics). The PDF copy includes a disclaimer stating that it was created from a pre-final edition text that might differ from the printed version and that canon-wise, the print edition trumps the PDF edition.
Contents
From the back cover[edit]
“ | The planet of Odessa is caught between two adversaries whose personal antagonism may cost them much more than their lives.
On one side is Count Nicholas Fisk, ruler of Odessa and a staunch supporter of Katrina Steiner, the ruler of the Lyran Alliance. In an effort to help stamp out the rebellion against Katrina's rule that has sprouted up across dozens of Alliance worlds, Count Fisk hopes to lure one of the more successful rebels to ultimate destruction. On the other side of the conflict are Leftenant General Archer Christifori and his Archer's Avengers, who support Prince Victor and his bid to oust Katrina. Though he knows that Odessa is a trap, the possibility of winning over the famed mercenary unit Snord's Irregulars to the cause is too tempting to pass up. But where peace is expected, battle ensues. And the black and white of friend and foe quickly turn to shades of gray while treachery abounds. |
” |
Summary[edit]
The novel tells another tale of internal strife from the FedCom Civil war, once again following the work of Archer Christifori as "Archer's Avengers" take the fight to another Katherine-held world.
The plot progresses with a single major plot line and two major viewpoints. Archer is tasked by Victor to recruit Snord's Irregulars to his cause, with the understanding that their existing, long-standing contract with the Lyran Alliance is coming to an end. The Irregulars are stationed on the world of Odessa, near Tharkad. It is the holding of Count Fisk, who's son Luther was responsible for the death of Archer's sister. For their part, the Irregulars have been holding to a clause in their contract that doesn't allow them to become involved in internal conflicts.
Fisk plans to use a false flag attack on the Irregulars and the Avengers to cause them to fight each other, ensuring neither side can be a threat to Katherine's reign over the Lyran Alliance. The attack catches both Rhonda Snord and Archer in the field as they attempt to make initial contact after the Avengers make planetfall. The attack pits a lance of the Wolverton's Highlanders against two of the Irregulars', and another lance against the single Rotunda transporting Archer. Archer and Rhonda survive the attack, but each loses a close friend to the assaults.
Command of the Irregulars temporarily falls to Rhonda's daughter, as she is rendered comatose by the attack. Alexandria Natasha Snord leads the Irregulars in multiple actions against the Avengers but ends up getting pushed back into the ruins of old Bealton.
Archer lays siege to Old Bealton, with multiple company-level actions occurring between the forces over time. In the interim, limited communications with the Irregulars leads the Avengers' intelligence officer Major Katya Chaffee to suspect that something is off with the Irregulars and the ambush on Archer that started the fighting. Chaffee is able to take advantage of a returning company's arrival and their spotting of the approach of the rest of the Wolverton's Highlanders forces making planetfall to get approval for further investigation. This investigation leads to the capture of the lances responsible for the false flag ambushes that instigated the conflict.
Armed with the information captured along with the Wolverton 'Mechs, Archer is able to get himself captured by the Irregulars just as Rhonda Snord regains consciousness. He is able to convince her and her daughter that the attack on them was caused by Fisk and the Highlanders. The two then join forces to defeat the Highlanders, going on to capture the Fisk family in a raid on their field command center.
Archer finishes his mission by convincing the Irregulars to Join Victor's side, not in fighting in the civil war directly, but by garrisoning the world of Tukayyid to prevent further attacks by the Clans while the Federated Commonwealth is busy fighting itself.
Featured characters[edit]
- Sergeant Armisted of Charlie Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Bushwacker
- Colonel Scott Blackstone, commander of the Blackstone Highlanders (mentioned)
- Major Katya "The Brain" Chaffee, XO of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Journalist Andrea Kendrick Christifori (mentioned)
- Leftenant General Archer Kendrick Christifori, commander of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Penetrator
- Leftenant Francine Culver of Saber Lance of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Lucifer
- First Prince Hanse "The Fox" Davion (mentioned)
- Brevet Colonel Robert Feehan, commander of Wolverton's Highlanders, piloting a Tempest
- Corporal Fletcher of Snord's Irregulars
- Leutnant Luther Fisk
- Count of Odessa Nicholas Francis Fisk
- Captain Joey-Lynn Fraser, commander of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Gallowglas
- Lee Fullerton, Captain of the Angelfire of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Subaltern Wally George of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Watchman
- Major Alice Getts, commander of Sledgehammer Company of 1st Battalion the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), driving a Von Luckner
- Sergeant Major Adrian Glyndon, commander of the infantry of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Cadet Raymond Grace of the New Avalon Institute of Science (mentioned)
- Sergeant Anton Gramash
- Subaltern Andrew Hackley of Saber Lance of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Chippewa
- Randolph Hackman
- Captain Deb H'Chu of Snord's Irregulars
- Captain Harry "Hawkeye" Hogan of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Battle Hawk
- Sergeant Holt of the Sherwood Foresters of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Sergeant Major Darius Hopkins, commander of the infantry of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Damon Huntt of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a War Dog
- Grand Duke Morgan Kell of Arc-Royal (mentioned)
- Captain John Kraff, commander of the Muphrid Rangers of 1st Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting an Axman
- Kristofer of the Muphrid Rangers of 1st Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Fireball
- Coordinator & First Lord Theodore Kurita (mentioned)
- Colonel Anton Lentard of Loki
- Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao of the Capellan Confederation (mentioned)
- Captain Malcolm of the Odessa Defense Force (mentioned)
- Corporal Jimmy Manstein of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Vindicator
- Captain-General of the Free Worlds League Thomas Marik (mentioned)
- Corporal Mbenga of the Muphrid Rangers of 1st Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Firestarter
- Mistreli of Snord's Irregulars piloting a Black Knight
- Sergeant Muller of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Lynx
- Journalist Holly Neumann
- Star Captain Norris, commander of 2nd Battalion of Snord's Irregulars, piloting a Warhawk (Masakari)
- Duke Remington of Alcor (mentioned)
- Lieutenant Marcos Shake of Snord's Irregulars
- Captain Thomas "Prince John" Sherwood, commander of the Sherwood Foresters of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Nightsky
- Major Samuel "Shorty" Sneede of Snord's Irregulars, piloting a Lancelot
- Captain Paul Snider of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Colonel Cranston Snord, founder of Snord's Irregulars
- Major Alexandria Natasha "Tasha" Snord, XO of Snord's Irregulars, piloting a Spartan
- Colonel Rhonda Snord, commander of Snord's Irregulars, piloting a Highlander
- Private Staryn of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Raven (mentioned)
- Duke Arthur Steiner-Davion (mentioned)
- Archon-Princess Katherine "Katrina" Steiner-Davion
- Victor Ian Steiner-Davion
- Yvonne Steiner-Davion (mentioned)
- Andy Stickland of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Hercules
- Jack Strickland of Snord's Irregulars
- First Lieutenant Darren Stump of the Alcor Home Guard
- Leftenant "Smokey" Thai of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Caesar
- Leftenant James "Jimbo" Traki, commander of Stealth Lance of the Muphrid Rangers of 1st Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Scarabus
- Erwin Vester of Loki
- Von Kliff, commander of Fang Lance of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Grant Watkey of White Tiger Company of 2nd Battalion of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers), piloting a Clint
- Corporal Williams of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Colonel Jaime Wolf of Wolf's Dragoons (mentioned)
Featured places[edit]
- Alcor
- Clinton (mentioned)
- Huntress (mentioned)
- Kathil (mentioned)
- New Avalon
- Odessa
- Syrma (mentioned)
- Thorin (mentioned)
Featured Units[edit]
- 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- 11th Avalon Hussars (mentioned)
- 15th Arcturan Guards (mentioned)
- Alcor Home Guard
- Kathil Capellan March Militia (mentioned)
- Kell Hounds (mentioned)
- Snord's Irregulars
- Syrma Defense Force (mentioned)
- Wolf's Dragoons (mentioned)
- Wolverton's Highlanders (of the Blackstone Highlanders (mentioned))
Featured BattleTech[edit]
BattleMechs[edit]
- Anvil
- Assassin
- Axman
- Battle Hawk
- Black Knight
- Bombardier
- Bushwacker
- Catapult (mentioned)
- Caesar
- Centurion
- Cestus
- Cicada
- Clint
- Crab
- Enfield
- Excalibur
- Fireball
- Firestarter
- Gallowglas
- Guillotine
- Gunslinger
- Hatchetman
- Hercules
- Highlander
- Hollander
- Hunchback
- Hussar
- Jackal
- Javelin
- Jenner
- Kintaro
- Lancelot
- Lineholder
- Lynx
- Warhawk (Masakari)
- Mongoose
- Nightsky
- Panther
- Penetrator
- Raven (mentioned)
- Scarabus
- Sentinel
- Shogun
- Spartan
- Spider
- Stalker
- Stealth
- Tempest
- Thug
- Vindicator
- Vulcan
- War Dog
- Watchman
- Whitworth
- Wolf Trap
- Wyvern
Vehicles[edit]
DropShips[edit]
- Angelfire, Union-class DropShip of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Celtic Warrior Overlord-class DropShip of Wolverton's Highlanders
- Colonel Crockett Overlord-class DropShip of the 1st Thorin Regiment (Archer's Avengers)
- Rabid Hunter Overlord-class DropShip of Wolverton's Highlanders
- Roarke's Drift Union-class DropShip of Wolverton's Highlanders
- unknown Union-class DropShip (either Chard or Emerald Piper) of Wolverton's Highlanders
Foreign-Language Editions[edit]
German[edit]
A German edition, translated by Reinhold H. Mai, was published by Heyne in 2002 as In die Pflicht genommen (ISBN 9783453213227).[1]
Hungarian[edit]
A Hungarian edition was published by Beholder in 2008 as A kötelesség szava. [2]
Covers[edit]
2002 German edition. Art by Kevin McCann.
References[edit]
- ↑ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for In die Pflicht genommen
- ↑ Beholder product page for A kötelesség szava