Isobel Carlyle

Isobel Carlyle
Personal
Also known as	"Bel"
Born	3131
Affiliation	House Carlyle
Profile
Position(s)	MechWarrior
Profession	Noble
Family
Parents	Gardner Carlyle (father)
Siblings	Ronan Carlyle

Isobel "Bel" Carlyle was a Lyran Commonwealth noble. She was cashiered from the LCAF despite her loyalty to the Lyran Commonwealth when her unit, the Twenty-sixth Arcturan Guards, went over to the newly formed Tamar Pact. Bel and her brother Ronan Carlyle, along with other former members of the 26th, formed the new Gray Death Legion on Garrison.

Personal History

Early Life

Born into House Carlyle of Odessa, she was expected to join her family in their work of restoring the plague-ravaged world to its previous greatness. However, the Blackout, which fell on her first birthday, changed her future. As she grow into an Inner Sphere ravaged by war, Isobel rejected her father's pacifism and sought to emulate her grandfather Alexander Carlyle, a hero of the LCAF who fought in the Word of Blake Jihad and his parents, Lori Kalmar and Grayson Death Carlyle, founders of the mercenary Gray Death Legion. Isobel devoured every record of their exploits and made headbands and skull emblems, the symbol of the Legion, part of her attire.

LCAF Service

Isobel, or Bel, as she shortened her name, inspired by his grandfather Alexander, or Alex, followed his big brothjer's steps into the LCAF, enrolling in the Coventry Military Academy in 3147. There she excelled in both MechWarrior and anti-Mech infantry training programs, though she was disciplined in early 3148 by taking a squad of fellow cadets in unauthorized field exercises, to break up a criminal kangaroo-rustling operation. His brother Ronan testified in her favor. Isobel called her team Carlyle's Commandos, taking the name of his ancestor's early mercenary unit. The disciplinary hearing was interrupted by the attack of the Clan Jade Falcon, in the Battle of Coventry (3148). Bel was authorized to lead her Commandos in a flanking attack of First Falcon Striker Cluster, after they razed the town of Whitting. despite her attack being intended only a distraction, the Commandos disabled a Binary of Falcon 'Mechs using satchel charges, before they were forced to fall back. When the Falcon advance was driven back from the academy, the surviving members of Bel's company deployed with the rest of the Training Battalion to relieve the Lyran forces defending Coventry Metal Works' industriplex. Seeing her brother Ronan's Gauntlet threatened by Falcon Elementals, Bel led her Commandos into the fray, scattering the battle-armored troops and shoring up the Lyran defenders. Ronan congratulated Bel after the victory.

After the Battle of Coventry ended, Bel joined her brother in the ranks of the 26th Arcturan Guards, after sahe graduated of the academy with honor in 3150, as a newly commisioned first lieutenant, in the Third's Battalion's second company, w2hich she still named Carlyle's Commandos.

After graduating, Ronan was assigned to the less prestigious Third Lyran Regulars, which wounded his pride. After a few years in the service, during which he served in the KSK 9, where he meet Jennifer Kipping, Ronan met General Sarah Regis at a war games conference. That meeting propelled Ronan's career. Recognizing the young officer's potential, Regis incorporated him into her Twenty-sixth Arcturan Guards, and soon Ronan commanded the Second Company, Third Battalion of the unit He arranged his sister's transfer to the unit when she graduated from the CMA in 3150.

Isobel and Ronan followed the Twenty-sixth to Arcturus, believing they were on a legitimate mission. They only uncovered the truth on 13 August 3151, when they heard General Sarah Regis' announcement about the resurrection of the Tamar Pact. Both talked about that, and they agreed to try to find how many Lyran loyalists were in their ranks. In a later meeting of the troops, General Kathleen McQuade explained the official defection of the Twenty-sixth; those who wanted to remain in the LCAF had to leave. Ronan and Isobel exited from the ranks, but there were only a handful who followed them.

Ronan took command of the loyalists, and once their commercial DropShip arrived to the lyran system of Garrison, both were arrested. After a week of interrogation, She was freed... and dishonorably expelled from the LCAF, along with all the other loyalists, including Ronan, by orders of the garrison commander, Hauptmann-General Timofey Bondayehr.

Ronan sent a message to his parent, and while awaiting the answer, he, along with his sister and most of his people, which continued following him, to a salvage yard propiety of his family. The owner gave it to him so the loyalists can exploit it. Ronan's intentions were to obtain enough money to buy a ticket to Odessa, but the 14 September, after finding a Clan OmniMech Gargoyle, Isobel told him than most of their people wanted to remain together, under his command. Then they took the first steps to creating a mercenary unit.

Mercenary Career

The 26 October, BOth Carlyle's people already had a functional unit, and received the visit of Kipping again. The 26 scout company had defected, to try to free some Hinterlands planets, and all the Lyran units were unable to stop them... but Ronan's people were, and were contracted to do so with their still unnamed unit. They had three working BattleMechs, including Isobel's Hatcheman, several tanks and infantry armored and unarmored, but the defectors were much bigger.

By suggestion of Isobel, the newly formed unit took the name of the Gray Death Legion, and they intercepted the defectors and immovilized their logistical vehicles. Knowing than her mission was doomed, the 26th leader, Kommandant Liesl Wagner, surrended the unit.

The 29th October, Ronan meet with Isobel in a hotel, and she gave him a message from Odessa. On it, their father congratulated both for their actions and gave them more funds. Isobel surprised Ronan showing him than the defector General Kathleen there. She informed them about the lyran's plans to cashier all the 26th members, and offered the newly born Legion a contract with the new Tamar Pact in a few months, if they were big enough. After the general departed, Ronan and Isobel departed too, as suggested by her, to receive the 26th people and made sure they knew they weren't alone... and had a place in the Legion, if they wanted it.

BattleMechs

During her time with the Twenty-sixth Arcturan Guards, Bel Carlyle piloted a Shadow Hawk which she took in the Coventry Military Academy, which she dubbed "Tyche", apparently partly in homage to the legacy of "Boss Lady", the legendary Shadow Hawk piloted by her great-grandmother Lori Kalmar-Carlyle. Bel used it with great success against the Falcons, crushing several Elementals with Tyche's battlefists. After graduating, the Academy Commander Petra Kühn granted Bel the permission to take Tyche with her into her new posting. With the formation of the Tamar Pact, she became disposessed. In the new Gray Death Legion on Garrison, Bel still wanted a Shadow Hawk, but as it wasn't none available, she moved on to piloting a Hatchetman.

Bibliography

• BattleTech: Legends
• Mercenary's Honor (novella)
• The Price of Duty (novella)
• Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 12