Lorelei's Hope

Lorelei's Hope
Vessel Profile
Previous namesAmaris Star
TypeJumpShip
ClassRoyalty

The Lorelei's Hope was a Royalty-class combat transport JumpShip. Salvaged, refurbished and in the process also modified to some (unspecified) degree just prior to the Clan Invasion, it was a powerful asset for its mercenary owners on numerous assignments throughout the Inner Sphere. It may have been the last vessel of its otherwise extinct class.

History

The Amaris Star, as the vessel was originally named, had been transporting assault DropShips in the war against the Star League when it was ambushed and crippled by enemy WarShips. After limping to a planetoid belt "near the rimwards edge of the Inner Sphere" (possibly in the Dark Nebula)[1], the crew saturated the ship with nerve gas to repel a boarding attempt by a pursuing Confederate-class DropShip. This resulted in the death of all combatants on both sides before the gas was vented through a blown hatch, leaving both ships derelict.[2]

Shortly before the Clan Invasion, TekTeam Technical Services chanced across the Amaris Star. They salvaged the vessel, then refurbished and modified it with the help of the Belt Pirates and renamed it to Lorelei's Hope.[2]

After returning the Lorelei's Hope to service, TekTeam found its heavy weapons suite useful on many occasions. However, when assisting in the evacuation of Sudeten during the Clan Invasion, OmniFighters from Clan Jade Falcon approached the Lorelei's Hope and determined the ship's class (the Royalty class being associated with the reviled Stefan Amaris and his Rim Worlds Republic). They consequentially attempted to destroy the ship, though its heavy armament allowed the Lorelei's Hope to hold the fighters at bay until it could jump out with some damage.[2]

The technological recovery in the wake of the Clan Invasion allowed TekTeam to upgrade the Lorelei's Hope, including installing a Beagle Active Probe and a Guardian ECM system plus anti-missile systems.

It is thought that the Lorelei's Hope was eventually destroyed in action against the Clans at some point prior to 3062.[1]

Canonicity

The Lorelei's Hope is exclusively covered in BattleTechnology, Issue #20. While considered canon in its time, this magazine does not meet the current status for Canon in BattleTech. The magazine, and thus the write-up on the Lorelei's Hope published therein, must therefore be considered apocryphal.

Original author Gerald Hall later added some additional information in his Sarna.net BattleTechWiki article about the TekTeam mercenary unit. It should be noted that this information, which—unlike the BattleTechnology article—was not published in any official BattleTech publication or source, technically amounts to mere Fanon.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Author Gerald Hall provided additional information in his write-up for TekTeam, though this was never published and technically amounts to Fanon
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 BattleTechnology, issue #20, pp. 18–21: "The Saga of the Amaris Star"

Bibliography