Garth Radick

Garth Radick
Character Profile
Died 16 May 3052[1]
Affiliation Clan Wolf
Rank Khan
Profession MechWarrior

Garth Radick was a Clan Wolf officer who served as saKhan and later Khan during the Clan Invasion.

History[edit]

Early History and Career[edit]

Conal Ward, a patron of Garth Radick

Like most Clan warriors who served during the Clan Invasion Era, little is known of Garth Radick's career prior to Operation REVIVAL. It is known that he was tapped by Galaxy Commander and fellow Crusader Conal Ward to take command of Beta Galaxy at some point, and presumably became saKhan of the Wolves thereafter.[2] A charismatic leader, Radick and Beta Galaxy became a magnet for warriors among those Wolves who favored the Crusader philosophy. Because they followed a commander with the same beliefs they held, morale in Beta Galaxy was at an all-time high, and this was reflected in their performance.[2]

Clan Invasion[edit]

Call to Arms[edit]

In November 3048, Khan Leo Showers of Clan Smoke Jaguar proposed an invasion of the Inner Sphere to the Grand Council, using the discovery of a ComStar exploration vessel as justification. Only Clan Wolf voted against the invasion, and Ulric Kerensky demanded a Trial of Refusal. Facing four-to-one odds, the Wolf Clan warriors nearly triumphed before being overwhelmed, with the Third Battle Cluster taking horrendous losses.[3] Beta Galaxy's Eleventh Battle Cluster also took heavy losses, and because of this, Radick kept them in reserve for much of the invasion while the Cluster rebuilt.[4]

Periphery Warmup[edit]

Radick and other Crusader leaders among the Wolves were able to convince Ulric to participate fully in the invasion, beginning with the conquest of the Periphery. [5] In August 3049, Radick and the Silver Keshik easily crushed the Blackstone Guards on Blackstone. [6] Later, he and Ulric observed the Golden Keshik's attack on The Rock.[7]

Third Wave[edit]

Beta Galaxy, Garth Radick's command

In July 3050, Radick led the Silver Keshik as well as elements of the 341st Assault Cluster in an attack against the Federated Commonwealth world of Planting. Defended by the Forty-first Avalon Hussars RCT, the defenders put up a very potent defense, refusing to engage the Wolves directly and instead initiating a series of carefully planned ambushes. Frustrated, Radick was forced to break his bid, calling in the 3rd Battle Cluster as reinforcements. The invaders were then able to destroy the Hussars.[8] Radick himself would later comment:

They conducted night operations with no thought for honorable behavior—but I admired their ruthless efficiency.
  — Khan Garth Radick, Clan Wolf, Rasalhague, 12 July 3050

Later in July, Radick was present during the bidding for, and invasion of Rasalhague, the capital of the Free Rasalhague Republic. Bidding against Clan Ghost Bear was very fierce, with only three clusters chosen for the assault, including the 352nd Assault Cluster from Radick's Beta Galaxy. It is unclear if Radick himself saw combat, but the 352nd routed the Third Freemen near the city of Ymir close to Rasalhague's south pole, and later took part in the brutal fighting for the capital city of Reykjavík. Clan Wolf would ultimately achieve its objectives and take the planet.[9]

Fourth Wave[edit]

In September, Radick led the Silver Keshik and the 352nd Assault Cluster in the invasion of Kandis. Opposing them were the remnants of the Third Freemen and two mechanized planetary militia regiments. The Freemen had learned their lessons from Rasalhague, conducting a mobile, hit-and-run campaign. It took several days for Radick to recognize and adjust to the strategy, but once his troops captured the enemy commander, resistance soon collapsed. [10] Radick attended the Grand Kurultai at Radstadt on 1 November. IlKhan Showers had just been killed, and the Khans decided to return to the Clan Homeworlds.[11]

Interim[edit]

Back on Strana Mechty, Radick participated in the questioning of Phelan Wolf during High Council sessions when Ulric's enemies attempted to discredit him. Radick ultimately helped guide Phelan's questioning to validate his entry into the Warrior Caste. [12] Curiously, Radick then didn't show any hate of freeborns characteristic from the trueborns crusaders. Later, the Crusader Khans later attempted a bold maneuver by nominating Ulric Kerensky to take Leo Showers' place as ilKhan. They believed that Ulric would have to name a Crusader from the Wolves to take his own place, one such as Conal Ward. With both Khan positions held by Crusaders, the Wolves would effectively become a Crusader clan. Everyone was stunned when Ulric named Natasha Kerensky to the post. Despite many protests, Natasha easily passed her Trial of Position, and took her place next to Radick.[12][13] Publicly, Radick supported this move.[12]

Wave Five[edit]

When the Invasion finally resumed, Radick returned to the Inner Sphere and to Beta Galaxy. In November 3051, Radick pulled rank to win the bid for the prestigious world of Sevren with all of Beta Galaxy, opposed by the Twenty-fifth Arcturan Guards RCT. The Arctic Wolves were attacked almost immediately upon landing, blunting their initial offensive and forcing a series of inconclusive battles. The 3rd Battle Cluster finally found a weak point in the lines of the Arcturans, which they quickly exploited to cause severe damage behind the lines and putting the AFFC troops on the defensive. After a battalion headquarters was destroyed by Elemental headhunters, the defenders were forced to retreat, and Radick claimed the world for Clan Wolf.[14] The initial lightning strike by the 25th Arcturan Guards RCT had allowed the 25th - nicknamed "the Kewran Wolfhounds" - to keep the initiative against Beta Galaxy for longer than any other RCT had managed or would manage against the Clans up until the Truce of Tukayyid.[15]

In December, Radick and Beta Galaxy invaded another valued world, the planet Kobe, defended by the [Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards]] RCT had earlier been pushed off Tamar by Alpha Galaxy, and the planetary militia. During the initial fighting, Beta managed to severely injure the commander of the Twenty-sixth, Hauptmann General Joy Corelli. Her replacement, Leftenant General Jinders Green-Davion managed to stabilize the situation, but the Guards were too damaged to hold Kobe, and they retreated to Thun. [16] Radick, by now impatient to destroy the Twenty-sixth once and for all, took Beta Galaxy and followed the Guards to Thun. The remaining Lyran Guards were well deployed, and it looked as if they might hold. After an initial push by Elemental headhunter Stars failed, Khan Radick personally led a low-level drop to finally decide the issue, pushing the Guards into an off-world retreat.[17]

Tukayyid and Death[edit]

On Tukayyid, Radick, Khan Natasha Kerensky and ilKhan Ulric Kerensky found their forces facing ComStar's Tenth Army, composed of some of the best soldiers the Com Guards had to offer. [18] During a major counterthrust by ComStar's 282nd Division, Radick brought up the 341st Assault Cluster to crush the Com Guards while Phelan Wolf harried their rear. Trapped between Radick and Natasha Kerensky's Thirteenth Wolf Guards, the 282nd was forced to retreat with very heavy losses, although they did succeed in delaying the Wolves long enough to form a defense around the city of Skupo. [18] [19] Despite all involved Wolf forces taking serious losses during the campaign, they successfully achieved their objectives. Khan Garth Radick, however, was killed leading Beta Galaxy in the Porozistu Mountains when the cockpit of his 'Mech was destroyed by the Gauss shot from a ComStar Highlander whose pilot recognized Radicks Khan insignia. Garth's 'Mech falls later from a cliff, crushing his 'Mech's head.[18][19] His position was taken by Phelan Ward.

Personality and Traits[edit]

Radick was atypical of most Clan MechWarriors, left alone commander. And not only for being short, stout and nondescript. Nevertheless, his natural charisma and willingness to serve from the ranks made him popular among his warriors. He was considered the leader of the Crusader movement within the Wolves, but many of his political machinations were overly complicated and inflexible. Likewise, as a military strategist, his plans relied on guile and deception, but failed more often than not, due to their overly complicated and inflexible nature, and unexpected enemy action often led to failure.[20][21]

Phelan Wolf described Radick as having mousy brown hair and a thick build who kept a pleasant look on his face, but decided that there was far more to the Khan.[12] Like most Bloodnamed Clan warriors, he was considered an elite MechWarrior.[22]

It is possible, though by no means certain, that Ulric Kerensky helped promote Radick's career so his Crusader opponents within his own Clan would have a strong but ineffective leader.[23]

During Phelan Kell's interrogation to decide if Kell was to be adopted into Clan Wolf, Radick did not show any hostility to Phelan; instead, he appeared friendly and respectful to Kell. It is unknown if this was due to orders from Ulric or an attribute of his own personality.[24]

BattleMechs[edit]

Garth Radick piloted an Executioner OmniMech during the Clan Invasion, usually favoring the close range, energy weapon capabilities of the 'A' variant.[22]

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • Some wording in the text of the Wolf Clan Sourcebook seems to suggest that Radick commanded Delta Galaxy prior to taking command of Beta. This seems to be a typo referring to Conal Ward.[2]

References[edit]

  1. We Do the Impossible
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 83: Beta Galaxy: Notes
  3. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 25: Invasion
  4. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 89: 11th Battle Cluster: Notes
  5. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 27: Periphery Warmup
  6. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 56: The Periphery: Blackstone
  7. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 28: The Rock
  8. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 60: Planting
  9. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, pp. 35–37: Rasalhague: The Attack
  10. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 63: Kandis
  11. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 41: Year of Peace and Dread
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Blood Legacy, p. ??
  13. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 42: Year of Peace and Dread
  14. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 64: Sevren
  15. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 61: "25th Arcturan Guards RCT: The Kewran Wolfhounds"
  16. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 67: Kobe
  17. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 67: Thule
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, pp. 50–51: Wolf
  19. 19.0 19.1 Lost Destiny, pp. 304–305: Radick's forces engage the Com Guards, he is slain by a Highlander
  20. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 84: Khan Garth Radick
  21. BattleTech: Battle of Tukayyid, p. 158
  22. 22.0 22.1 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 83: Galaxy Command
  23. Battletech: Legends, p. 158
  24. Blood Legacy, ch. 5

Bibliography[edit]