Drew Catelli

Drew Catelli
Personal
Died	20 October 3057
Affiliation	Federated Commonwealth
Profile
Rank	Colonel
Profession	MechWarrior

Drew Catelli was the Northwind Consul Guard commander, representing the interests of the Federated Commonwealth on Northwind in 3057, year in which he became the main responsible of the Battle of Northwind (3057), which caused the planet's independence.

History

Early Career

At some point in his career Drew would serve as a MIIO operative.

Northwind

Eventually, Catelli ended in Northwind, as aide-de-camp to Drake Burns, the planetary Consul, apparently a loyal and common one... but in fact, he had great ambitions and was making his own plans. On 11 September 3057, when a Death Commando of Highlander origins, Loren Jaffray arrived, he talked about that with the Consul, showing a deep distrust towards the newcomer. On 19 September, after Catelli had attempted to kill Jaffray and Colonel William MacLeod, failing, when MacLeod announced his intentions to retire the Highlander regiments from the now independent Lyran Alliance, he suggested than Jaffray was manipulating him and even threatened the highlander. Later convinced Burns to call out the Third Royal Guards RCT and crush the highlanders. On 22 September, Catelli informed Burns about a secret Warrior's Cabal, MacLeod's plans to secede from the Commonwealth, and convinced him to force the Highlanders to deliver the Suns' Jaffray as spy.

A day later, one of Catelli's agents put a virus into the Highlanders' Mechs, making them believe than in a field exercise, they were fighting against the Guards and vice versa, but Jaffray uncovered the truth and Catelli, to do not expose himself, had to order the fight to cease, but when MacLeod ordered his forces to follow him, part of the regiment, led by Major Chastity Mulvaney, instead stayed loyal to the Suns. Catelli reluctantly agreed to leave the rebels go, and even to leave Tara as a neutral ground. Despite the fact than both sides separated without fight, a Highlander Civil War had began. The Third Royals RCT's soon joined the fight. His commander, Marshall Harrison Bradford ordered Catelli to stage some incident to take control of Tara, allowing him to prepare a death trap for Stirling's Fusiliers when they landed. Drew happily agreed, but he continued with his own plans. On 4 October, Lepeta, Catelli's agent, created the incident, killing in cold blood Burns with a Highlanders' weapon to blame them.

The same day, Catelliy informed Mulvaney and Bradford of the murder, and took Burns' place as ranking member of the diplomatic staff. When Bradford, in private, asked him if he was behind the crime, Catelli acted as a scandalized and shocked man, making him believe his innocence.

On 17 September, Catelli intercepted Mulvaney getting out of Tara. He distrusted her, but believed she ignored Tara's trap, so he had to let her go. He only understood his mistake on 20 October, when all the loyal highlanders, led by Mulvaney, left the Davion's camp, ordering his men to pursue her, and a battle ensued. When his trap was disarmed and the Fusiliers joined the fight against the Davion forces, his Guards were devastated, so he had to flee with some of his men.

Death

Catelli, abandoning almost all his men, fled to a warehouse filled with explosives in the spaceport, where he joined with Lepeta. Seeing than he need his assistant's help to escape, decided to not kill him... not yet, but found himself surrounded by the Highlanders. He threatened to blow half Tara, but in vain: his trap had been disarmed. Drew refused to surrender, so Mulvaney fired into the explosives, blowing all the warehouse. Drew, Lepeta and what remained of the Guards were reduced to charred hulks, without any survivor.

BattleMech

Drew Catelli's 'Mech was an Atlas.

Bibliography

• Highlander Gambit (novel)