Difference between revisions of "Marcus Kotare"

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[[Star Colonel]] '''Marcus Kotare''' was a high-ranking [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] commander. He appeared in two PC games: a cameo role in [[MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries]] and as the main antagonist in [[MechCommander: Desperate Measures]].
 
  
In 3060, during [[Operation Bulldog]], Kotare was captured by [[SLDF]] authorities and placed under house arrest, pending a court-martial for war atrocities. Kotare was widely believed to be mentally unstable and an incredibly dangerous sociopathic murderer, since he would not hesitate to use extreme amounts of violence (that were considered highly dishonorable by Clan standards, even by the Smoke Jaguar [[Warrior Caste]]) against his enemies. As Bulldog progressed he managed to escape, acquire a single drop-ship and lead a small contingent of Jaguar warriors into the Periphery.  
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[[Star Colonel]] '''Marcus Kotare''' was a high-ranking [[Smoke Jaguar]] officer, appearing in a cameo role for Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries and as the main antagonist of the [[MechCommander (Video Game)|MechCommander]]: Desperate Measures expansion campaign.
  
He headed for the world of [[Cermak]], it was located in the near-periphery, core-ward of the Occupation Zone. It had once been a major [[Star League]] base, one of the reasons the Jaguars had chosen it in 3049 to build a [[HPG]] relay station for communication to the Homeworlds. In the 10 years it had been in their control the Jaguars had slowly rebuilt several of the facilities, factories, hydroponics units and defences. A small secondary [[Elemental]] training facility was also located here.
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Records on Kotare's life and character are scarce. Davion intelligence cites he became of note when he was captured by [[Star League Defense Force]] authorities, awaiting court-martial for war atrocities while under house arrest. He was considered by [[Davion]] command mentally unstable and willing to use extreme measures against his enemies that were found dishonorable by the [[Clans]] themselves; extreme even to the standards of the Smoke Jaguar warrior caste. He escaped house arrest midway through [[Operation Bulldog]] and acquired a dropship, escaping into the [[Periphery]] with a small contingent of Jaguar warriors.
  
When he arrived on Cermak he found it defended by a single cluster of Mechs and vehicles commanded by [[Star Colonel]] [[Burnell Wirth]]. Kotare assumed command, reorganised the defences and attempted to re-arm his command with weapons from some of the deeper and as yet undisturbed Star League vaults.
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Kotare landed on the world of [[Cermak]] in the Periphery, notable for having been a major Star League base in the past... yet over time becoming a junk heap. His interest was exclusively in the technology maintained in vaults on-planet containing [[Star League]] era technology such as the [[Long Tom]] and [[MechCommander (Video_Game)/Equipment#Rail_Gun|Rail Gun]](?). When Kotare arrived, the planet was the site of an Elemental training facility and one Cluster under the command of Star Colonel [[Burnell Wirth]], as well as many old bases and structures. Kotare assumed command and reorganized defenses under his control.
  
Kotare organised his forces into two provisional combined arms Clusters. Each was equipped with mainly Mechs and armour, but they did also contain a few elementals and fighters. The paint schemes reported during later fighting indicated that the equipment came from at least three different Clusters, perhaps four. Much of it was even [[Clan Nova Cat]] in origin, in fact it would appear that only the Clan Symbols on these Mechs were repainted as some still bore the insignia of the Nova Cats [[Omicron Provisional Galaxy (Clan Nova Cat)|Omicron Galaxy]].
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Kotare organized two provisional combined arms Clusters, equipped with a mix of [[Battlemechs]] and [[Omnimechs]] and vehicles supported by [[Elementals]] and aerospace fighters, as well as setting up planetary guns to ward off invasions. The clusters were reinforced with technology acquired from Star League vaults. The defenses were a rag-tag group consisting of forces from multiple clusters and in some cases even other clans, with a possible heavy influence from Clan Nova Cat.
  
It has been speculated that the drop-ship Kotare took over was a partially loaded Nova Cat [[Overlord-C]] belonging to Omicorn Galaxy, many of whose warriors had joined the false Star League. This would account for the amount of Nova Cat equipment that he had available to him. It also begs the question did any Nova Cats aid his escape? Or even joined him shocked by the treacherous actions of their Khans?
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Kotare's primary goal on the planet acquire Star League era technologies, some of which he outfitted his commanders with and placed on his own mech. He strove to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons from deeply buried and sealed star-league vaults, said to have been enough ordinance to wipe out entire planets. He set up a makeshift operation using dropship engines to power drills for the purpose of breaking into the vaults.
  
In the recent assault his command of 50 [[OmniMech]]s had been overrun by over 500 Inner Sphere machines, such odds to his mind just showed how dishonourable the "barbarians" were. To survive he knew he would have to increase his potential fire-power, make anyone thing twice about launching an assault. He had discovered Star League records that indicated that the lower vaults contained both Nuclear and Chemical weapons as well as hinting at the existence of Biological weapons. Many Clansmen who were aware of his plan were shocked at the idea of unearthing such devices. However, Kotare stated that these were the weapons of the original Star League, if they had them as a deterrent then how could employing them as such again be wrong? Really, he argued, if you criticise these weapons you criticise the Star League, and no Clansman would want to be seen to do that.
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His plans were complicated by discovery at the hands of the [[Explorer Corps]], which had been searching the Periphery for remaining Smoke Jaguar units. Yankee and Zulu companies of the 1st Batatalion of the [[1st Davion Guards]] were deployed with mechs, vehicles and artillary with command managed by a [[Mech Commander]], immediately who immediately began a guerrila war against Kotare's forces. Kotare was spread out and fiercely protective of his operation, missing opportunities to strike at the attackers while favoring a defensive strategy and retaliating with undermanned strike forces. Kotare suffered many losses, including his few bloodnamed warriors, [[Katherine Furey]] and [[Marcus Osis]], leaving him with only two - Wirth and himself.
  
The [[Explorer Corps]] had been scouring the Periphery since September 3059 trying to locate any Jaguar units that had survived the main assault of [[Operation Bulldog]]. One team located the planet of Cermak, the limited scans shows the planet was Industrial, they required no more information to request a Search and Destroy unit be dropped on the Planet. That Job fell to Yankee and Zulu companies of 1st [[Battalion]] of [[1st Davion Guards|the 1st Davion Guards]]. They landed at both companies of 'Mechs, supported by armour and artillery on the planet in December 3059.
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Having suffered brutal losses in manpower, mech numbers, command and equipment, Kotare opted for a defensive strategy (or "camping"). The Davions destroyed his supply lines, training facilities and orbital defense guns one by one as his troops were proven again and again far too spread out, eventually leaving him with only Wirth's forces and his own command trinary. He split his remaining forces up over four drilling sites, personally defending one and placing Wirth in command of another, and placed a few mechs in defense of the primary entryway into the region. The Davion's Zulu company destroyed the outer defenses and and the drill sites. Kotare was defeated and presumably killed in action while piloting his ''[[Turkina]]'' [[OmniMech]] and supported by a minefield.
  
The Davion Battalion had employed its mobile tactics successfully on [[Port Arthur]], aided by the Mech Commander tactical package. Using these methods again it set out on a campaign of divide on conquer, isolating first Stars and then Trinaries away from support before destroying them. Marcus Kotare seemed too preoccupied with drilling into the Star League Vaults to mount any organised counter attack.
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Kotare, while competent enough to build a seemingly strong defense and being one of the most successful rogue Jaguar commanders short of [[Galaxy Commander]] [[Brendon Corbett]], was defeated at every turn by Davion guerrillas, being the rear end of irony: while massive forces of Inner Sphere hunters chased after stars of clanners, individuals or in many cases simply phantoms, he commanded one of the largest surviving bands of Smoke Jaguar warriors and was destroyed by a comparatively small and insignificant force, with his strategies falling flat and his operation resulting in total defeat. The nuclear ordinance was eliminated, and the clan suffered one of its worst defeats in the effort to regroup, possibly excluding the defeat of Corbett. While Kotare has the smallest sliver of possibility for survival, it is extremely unlikely this was the case.
 
 
This preoccupation, to be fair, probably came from the fact that he had ordered his only drop-ships engine removed to power the digging equipment. While that operation continued his forces were marooned on the planet. Although, a bolder Commander might have forced this issue, by counter attacking and trying to capture the Guards drop-ships.
 
 
 
The loss in combat of his only Bloodnamed warriors, Star Captains [[Katherine Furey]] and [[Marcus Osis]] was a blow, as was the head-hunter attack that captured three more Star Captains; Rathbon, Dulaney and Kulin. His defences were being stripped of competent field commanders. This is perhaps why he chose to defend bases than meet the enemy in the open. However, this tactic only spread his troops out thinner.
 
 
Eventually the Davion Guards had broken through the perimeter defences, and had cornered the command trinaries of both Clusters at the entrance of the weapons vault. The ensuing fight saw the destruction of the drop-ship engine, thus stranding any survivors on the planet. It also saw the deaths of both Marcus Kotare and Burnell Wirth.  
 
 
 
While much larger Inner Sphere units had been chasing down small bands of Jaguar troops even individual warriors, and in many cases just phantoms. Ironically the smallest Inner Sphere hunting band defeated possibly the single largest concentration of Jaguars.
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
*Kotare piloted a customized ''[[Turkina]]'' [[OmniMech]].
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*Kotare piloted a customized ''[[Turkina]]'' [[OmniMech]] wielding Star League technology.
  
 
==Reference==
 
==Reference==

Revision as of 23:10, 25 April 2016


Star Colonel Marcus Kotare was a high-ranking Smoke Jaguar officer, appearing in a cameo role for Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries and as the main antagonist of the MechCommander: Desperate Measures expansion campaign.

Records on Kotare's life and character are scarce. Davion intelligence cites he became of note when he was captured by Star League Defense Force authorities, awaiting court-martial for war atrocities while under house arrest. He was considered by Davion command mentally unstable and willing to use extreme measures against his enemies that were found dishonorable by the Clans themselves; extreme even to the standards of the Smoke Jaguar warrior caste. He escaped house arrest midway through Operation Bulldog and acquired a dropship, escaping into the Periphery with a small contingent of Jaguar warriors.

Kotare landed on the world of Cermak in the Periphery, notable for having been a major Star League base in the past... yet over time becoming a junk heap. His interest was exclusively in the technology maintained in vaults on-planet containing Star League era technology such as the Long Tom and Rail Gun(?). When Kotare arrived, the planet was the site of an Elemental training facility and one Cluster under the command of Star Colonel Burnell Wirth, as well as many old bases and structures. Kotare assumed command and reorganized defenses under his control.

Kotare organized two provisional combined arms Clusters, equipped with a mix of Battlemechs and Omnimechs and vehicles supported by Elementals and aerospace fighters, as well as setting up planetary guns to ward off invasions. The clusters were reinforced with technology acquired from Star League vaults. The defenses were a rag-tag group consisting of forces from multiple clusters and in some cases even other clans, with a possible heavy influence from Clan Nova Cat.

Kotare's primary goal on the planet acquire Star League era technologies, some of which he outfitted his commanders with and placed on his own mech. He strove to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons from deeply buried and sealed star-league vaults, said to have been enough ordinance to wipe out entire planets. He set up a makeshift operation using dropship engines to power drills for the purpose of breaking into the vaults.

His plans were complicated by discovery at the hands of the Explorer Corps, which had been searching the Periphery for remaining Smoke Jaguar units. Yankee and Zulu companies of the 1st Batatalion of the 1st Davion Guards were deployed with mechs, vehicles and artillary with command managed by a Mech Commander, immediately who immediately began a guerrila war against Kotare's forces. Kotare was spread out and fiercely protective of his operation, missing opportunities to strike at the attackers while favoring a defensive strategy and retaliating with undermanned strike forces. Kotare suffered many losses, including his few bloodnamed warriors, Katherine Furey and Marcus Osis, leaving him with only two - Wirth and himself.

Having suffered brutal losses in manpower, mech numbers, command and equipment, Kotare opted for a defensive strategy (or "camping"). The Davions destroyed his supply lines, training facilities and orbital defense guns one by one as his troops were proven again and again far too spread out, eventually leaving him with only Wirth's forces and his own command trinary. He split his remaining forces up over four drilling sites, personally defending one and placing Wirth in command of another, and placed a few mechs in defense of the primary entryway into the region. The Davion's Zulu company destroyed the outer defenses and and the drill sites. Kotare was defeated and presumably killed in action while piloting his Turkina OmniMech and supported by a minefield.

Kotare, while competent enough to build a seemingly strong defense and being one of the most successful rogue Jaguar commanders short of Galaxy Commander Brendon Corbett, was defeated at every turn by Davion guerrillas, being the rear end of irony: while massive forces of Inner Sphere hunters chased after stars of clanners, individuals or in many cases simply phantoms, he commanded one of the largest surviving bands of Smoke Jaguar warriors and was destroyed by a comparatively small and insignificant force, with his strategies falling flat and his operation resulting in total defeat. The nuclear ordinance was eliminated, and the clan suffered one of its worst defeats in the effort to regroup, possibly excluding the defeat of Corbett. While Kotare has the smallest sliver of possibility for survival, it is extremely unlikely this was the case.

Notes

  • Kotare piloted a customized Turkina OmniMech wielding Star League technology.

Reference

Bibliography