Fortune's Son

Fortune's Son
Short story by Loren L. Coleman
First Publication
Published	2003
Published in	Record Sheets: MechWarrior Dark Age I
Publisher	FanPro
Pages	4
Chronology
Era	Dark Age era
Timeline	ca. February 3134 (see notes)
Series
Shades   —

Fortune's Son is a short story by Loren L. Coleman that was published as introductory fiction for Record Sheets: MechWarrior Dark Age I.

While a stand-alone story, it is also the sequel to the short story Shades.

Plot Summary

The narrator, Zander Shienzè, is a member of the Shienzè clan on New Home. He bitterly remembers how his family had once stood for this world and how his father paid service in blood to Devlin Stone during the formation of the Republic of the Sphere, only for Stone to apparently forget this; the family has lost the title of baron since. The Shienzè clan's ruin was the Cavalqueros clan's gain. After the Blackout and the loss of the New Home's HPG station, and therefore without Republic eyes to watch over him, Planetary Governor Clarence Whitman's rule has degraded into a grab for more land, resources and power, and now he has allied with the Cavalqueros, the one clan with enough power to oppose him.

Piloting a Spider, Shienzè, who now leads a local rebellion, springs an ambush on a vehicle convoy hoping to capture a pair of Bellona Hover Tanks that the Cavalqueros had bought and supposedly gifted to Whitman. However, the cargo under the tarps on the flatbed JI-100 turns out to be a PNT-10K2 Panther that powers up to spring a trap on the would-be ambushers in return. The hard-fought battle is ultimately a draw when Shienzè in his mauled 'Mech manages to critically damage the Panther with a Death From Above maneuver and manages to regroup his forces. The damaged Panther escapes, but Whitman's reinforcements turn tail, leaving Shienzè to salvage at least some wrecked vehicles.

Featured Characters

• Zander Shienzè
• Justin Tamberlane
• Planetary Governor Clarence Whitman (mentioned)
• Lars Davidson (mentioned)
• Devlin Stone (mentioned)

Featured Places

• New Home
• Galatea (mentioned)

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

• Spider
• PNT-10K2 Panther
• Arbalest (mentioned)

Vehicles

• Condor Heavy Hover Tank
• Fox Armored Car
• Giggins APC
• JES I Tactical Missile Carrier
• JI-100 Transportable Field Repair Vehicle
• Joust Medium Tank
• SM1 Tank Destroyer
• Shandra Advanced Scout Vehicle (mentioned)
• Bellona Hover Tank (mentioned)

Notes

• Although the story is undated, it is said that Zander is already fighting for one and a half years against the government after the Blackout which would date the story to around February 3134.