Editing Jez Howell

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| name                = Jez Howell
| birthdate           = [[3022]]<ref>''Exodus Road'', ch. 19: Trent states that he is 33 in 3055 making his year of birth 3022. Jez is from the same ''sibko''</ref>
| died                = [[3055]]
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]]
| rank                = [[Star Captain]]
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}

'''Jez Howell''' was a [[Star Captain]] of [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] during the [[Clan Invasion]]. She was a ''[[sibkin|sibmate]]'' of [[Trent (Clan Smoke Jaguar)|Trent]].

==History==
===Beginnings===
Jez, a trueborn, was decanted from the [[Howell (Bloodname)|Howell bloodline]] and a member of the Grey Lynx ''sibko'' of Clan Smoke Jaguar. She was contested by her ''sibmate'' Trent to in order to prove his instructor's actions. Although she was easily defeated by Trent, Porcini knocked him down to make an example of him on what it meant to be a Smoke Jaguar warrior.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 8</ref>

===Battle of Tukayyid===
Like the other Clans, Jez would fight the Inner Sphere on the world of [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Tukayyid]]. Sharing her Jaguar traits, she would stubbornly refuse to obey general orders and retreat. Instead, Jez would continue to combat with [[Com Guards|Com Guard]] forces. As the situation was getting worse for Jez, she would finally comply with the orders to retreat with her ''[[Warhawk (Masakari)|Warhawk]]''.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 12</ref> Little did Trent know, that his actions to save his ''sibmate'' would eventually cost him for the rest of his career. Despite the loss on Tukayyid, Jez would be hailed as the "Hero of Tukayyid" while twisting her lies and gloating to Trent about the truth. Jez would also be given Trent's nomination for the [[Howell (Bloodname)|Howell Bloodname]], which she would fight for and win.

===Sabotaging Trent===
Seeking another opportunity to earn the Howell Bloodname, Trent had joined the [[Grand Melee]]. Using his newly acquired [[bondswoman]], Trent would task [[Judith Faber|Judith]] to make repairs on his 'Mech.

Trent fought well in the battle, not rushing into the mad confusion at the core of the [[Circle of Equals]] but stalking the battle from its edge. He defeated first a ''[[Cauldron-Born]]'', followed by a ''[[Arctic Cheetah|Hankyu]]'' and then a ''[[Nova (Black Hawk)|Nova]]'', but during the later confrontation, his 'Mech's Hip Actuator locked up and froze his 'Mech in place without warning or clear reason, having not taken direct hits to that area. Helplessly frozen in place, the last other remaining 'Mech — a ''[[Mad Dog (Vulture)|Mad Dog]]'' mounting paired [[Gauss rifle]]s — approached him from the rear and in a final exchange of fire, punched through his rear armor and damaged his reactor heavily enough to force an automatic shutdown.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 32</ref>

This lost would devastate Trent greatly. Initially he, would angrily cast the blame on Judith for costing him his victory, however, both of them uncovered that this was a sabotage effort. It would soon be revealed that Jez's personal technician was responsible.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 33</ref>

===Beaver Falls===
After the ambush, both Trent and Jez would partake in the orders to level Beaver Falls after gaining information from a tortured civilian. This was instructed by [[Paul Moon]] as a way to punish the populace and teach them a lesson about starting an uprising against the Jaguars. Despite Jez agreeing with him, she nonetheless committed the order. When Beaver Falls was destroyed, she would take another plan of Trent and present it the the [[Star Colonel]] herself. Being pleased with the plan, Paul would allow Jez to carry it out, with Trent participating in the destruction of the village of Chinn, under her supervision against bandits.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 52</ref>

===Death and legacy===
Jez's arrogance would cause her downfall. She would reveal to Trent on how little she cared about Clan traditions and the ways of [[Nicholas Kerensky]]. Jez would also tell him that no matter how many times he saves her or how many plans he makes, she would always take his plans and use him as her scapegoat. The worse offense came when Jez fully admitted that she was responsible for sabotaging Trent's 'Mech, denying him the Howell Bloodname. Furious, Trent demanded a Circle of Equals to end the feud, but she stated that since he had no Bloodname and she did, they were not "equals". Trent paused and agreed with her as he quickly fired at her ''Warhawk''&#39;s cockpit, killing her.<ref>''Exodus Road'', p. 71</ref>

Jez's attitude (along with Paul) towards Trent would give him plenty of reasons to become a traitor. Howell's ego, ruthlessness, and lack of honor would show how far the Jaguars had fallen as a Clan. When she died, Paul Moon would use her as a way to demoralize Trent, even using him as an honor guard for Jez's ''[[giftake]]''. Her Bloodname would go to Trent's closest friend, [[Russou Howell]].

==BattleMechs==
During the [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]], Jez Howell was a well-known ''[[Warhawk (Masakari)|Warhawk]]'' pilot up until her death at the hands of Trent.

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Exodus Road (novel)|Exodus Road]]'' (novel)


[[Category:Clan Smoke Jaguar Characters|Howell, Jez]]