Pride Anthology 2023
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 | Not Canon The subject of this article does not contribute canonical content to the BattleTech universe, either because it is not intended to or because it is not an official product. |
| |
| Pride Anthology 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Anthology |
| Author | (see text) |
| Development | Milla Koponen (Editor) |
| Pages | 82 |
| Cover Artwork | Samantha Richardson |
| Interior Artwork | Pride celebration art by Jordan Bowlby |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fan work |
| First published | June 2023 |
| MSRP | free |
| Content | |
| Era | (see text) |
The BattleTech Pride Anthology 2023 (subtitled "Queer Tales from the Inner Sphere" on the cover and "The unofficial BattleTech FanZine" in the imprint) is a fan publication that was published in early June 2023 in electronic format.
Contents
Canonicity[edit]
In its "Copyright" section the anthology describes itself as a fan project, associated in no way with Catalyst Game Labs nor The Topps Company.
When it was launched, CGL acknowledged it as a laudable fan work. This endorsement, combined with a preface ("Word by the Amazing") by high-profile BattleTech authors Bryan Young and Michael A. Stackpole, led some people to mistake it for an official, possibly canonical or apocryphal product. Despite being looked upon favorably by CGL, it remains an unofficial fan product and as such is entirely non-canonical.
Content[edit]
Masquerade[edit]
On 6 June 3129, with his career as an arena MechWarrior in the Solaris Games in decline, Ian "John" Matsumoto sits in a bar and muses about his unfulfilling life as a dispossessed Sanglamore washout piloting borrowed 'Mechs. Even his current identity is a fake persona mandated by his current contract. John admires the barkeep, Sammi, and notes that while she is probably as much a professional worker as he is, she works with a smile on her face. He tries to talk to her, and she remarks that she hasn't been able to pry a good story out of him so far.
They are interrupted by a rude bully customer, Victor Smithson, who proceeds to molest Sammi. John, who has past history with Victor from their days at Sanglamore, tells himself to stay out of it, but before long finds himself confronting Victor who is all too eager to start a fight. It ends with John breaking Victor's nose and kicking him in the ribcage, incapacitating him. Distressed, Sammi tells John to hide from the police in her appartment where he later confesses that he admires her and wants to be a woman like she. It turns out Sammi herself, having been disowned by her father, transitioned into a woman on Solaris VII. As Sammi pledges to support them, Vivian Matsumoto feels safe for the first time.
Small[edit]
- by Albert Ross
The first-person narrator, Katja Utkina, volunteered for military service in the jubilant celebrations when the Tikonov Free Republic was formed. Her poorly trained infantry unit is deployed to Procyon by July 3029 as part of Pavel Ridzik's 2nd Republican Guards. They unexpectedly come under attack immediately upon landing and the platoon is decimated by a Hermes II. A handful of survivors grab Standard SRM Launchers from a destroyed supply vehicle and against all odds manage to down the 'Mech. The narrator, shocked and emotionless after the carnage, proceeds to shoot the MechWarrior.
Given a medal for "unflinching bravery", she still has to muster all her courage on 28 February 3030 when she returns to Elgin II to see her fiancée, Elena; but she is finally home, with a wedding to plan...
Test Drive[edit]
Under Whip's leadership, some independently registered mercenaries have formed an informal pirate band and found success. The freewheeling, free-loving group had a lucky streak and meets with Dark Caste members from Clan Hell's Horses on Kirchbach for a black market deal in late August of 3149. Their Clan contacts have a surprisingly large cache of military hardware, and a deal is made whereby Whip's group will trade an Overlord-Two for several 'Mechs. As they are inspecting 'Mechs, an astech pulls Whip aside and informs them that they are all slaves or bondsmen, and in the process of revolting. Working in concert with the astechs as the uprising unfolds, Whip and his group escape towards their DropShip with a number of 'Mechs, even duping Clan Hells's Horses with a false story that they were hired to eliminate a suspected black market operation by Clan Sea Fox. The astech, Guts, is subsequently welcomed into the unit.
Dragon Slayer[edit]
Elemental Point Commander Sana and her battle armor point intercept a Draconis Combine Raven during a snow storm on Mualang in January 3151. The mission is to capture the 'Mech, to find out where it came from and to where it is sending its data; the MechWarrior is considered redundant. The Elementals swarm the 'Mech and tear off the canopy to reveal a beautiful, extremely tall MechWarrior inside. It is love at first sight for Sana. The MechWarrior, Iora, explains that she is so tall because she is transgender, and seems to be equally smitten by Sana who proceeds to claim the willing Iora as bondswoman.
Old Wounds, Old Words[edit]
- by Russell Zimmerman (ties into the short story Seal the Deal by the same author)
No family showed up for the graduation of Hannah Rippon-Hart from the War College of Buena on 19 May 3047 despite her being second-best in her class. She is further disappointed to learn she was commissioned as a Leutnant to the militia on Vendrell, her home planet. She feels the reason why she is being snubbed is that she transitioned from Yusuf only a short time ago. Belatedly, the DropShip Ceridwen arrives to pick her up, explaining that they were delayed by a hydrogen leak on the JumpShip. The ship belongs to Mountain Wolf BattleMechs; CEO Brandon O'Leary is Hannah's grandfather.
Hannah vents her anger and frustration out on the ship's pilots. The senior pilot, Goodman, subsequently confronts her about it and demands she apologize to his co-pilot. Hannah throws a fit about being treated as a stupid Muslim girl, only to be lectured by the calm and controlled Goodman about how she was misusing Jewish words and how the halachal recognizes a whole bucketfull of genders. He also mentions on the sidelines how his own grandmother called him, revealing himself to be a transgender person. He also explicitly says that Hannah's grandfather knows, and told him Mountain Wolf BattleMechs's marriage benefits would extend to anyone he filed the paperwork for. Finally, he asks Hannah if she heard the recording - of which Hannah had been unawares so far. As it turns out, her grandmother had suffered a hip injury that prevented her from coming and Hannah's beloved grandfather would not leave her, so he sent the Ceridwen and recorded an audio disk for Hannah that she had missed so far. But there is also the implication that he had something apologetic to say about Hannah's father, suggesting that he decided not to come on which Hannah believes was because she transitioned.