Editing Operation Excalibur

{{InfoBoxProduct
| image               = Operation Excalibur.jpg
| name                = 
| type                = Novel
| author              = [[William H. Keith, Jr.]]
| development         = 
| primarywriting      = 
| pages               = 336
| cover               = [[Roger Loveless]]
| interiorart         = 
| illustrations       = 
| publisher           = [[Roc Books]]
| productioncode      = 
| year                = 1 August, 1996
| ISBN10              = 0451455266
| ISBN13              = 978-0451455260
| MSRP                = $4.99
| content             = 
| era                 = [[Clan Invasion era]]
| timeline            = 26 April [[3057]] - 3 January [[3058]]
| series              = [[Saga of the Gray Death Legion]]
| precededby          = [[Tactics of Duty]]
| followedby          = [[The Dying Time]]
}}
'''''Operation Excalibur''''', by [[William H. Keith, Jr.]], is the sixth book of the [[Saga of the Gray Death Legion]]. It continues the storyline from the previous book, ''[[Tactics of Duty]]'', as the conspiracy of Lyran nobles and officers gains momentum and threatens to crush the [[Gray Death Legion]].

{{BCNovel|on 26 June 2010}}

== From the back cover ==
{{quote|''The mercenary code was broken by the Gray Death Legion during their desperate fighting on the planet [[Caledonia]]. At least, that is the ruling of the courts. And the judges decide to hit below the belt—[[Grayson Carlyle]], revered leader of the now outlawed [[mercenary unit|mercenary band]], is stripped of his title and holdings, and the legion is banished from [[Glengarry]], the planet they've called home for years.''

''All seems lost, but Carlyle and his legendary troop of hardened warriors know they've been set up—and they have a trump card yet to play. Their dangerous scheme just might work, with the help of [[House Steiner]]—and enough guts and firepower to restore the name and the might Gray Death Legion to its rightful place of honor. But should they fail, they could lose a great deal more than their reputation...''}}

== Plot Summary ==
[[AFFC]] [[Field Marshal]] [[Brandal Gareth]] feels the [[Federated Commonwealth]] is crumbling. He has taken [[Daniel Brewer]], scion of [[House Brewer]] and heir to the Duchy controlling [[Hesperus II]], under his wing since the boy was twelve years old, has gained his trust and has begun isolating him from his family, arranging a few convenient deaths in the process. With Daniel now holding the title of Duke, Gareth is the de facto ruler of Hesperus II and has set plans in motion with his coconspirators to carve his own empire out of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] portion of the Federated Commonwealth—a plan called [[Operation EXCALIBUR|Operation Excalibur]]. The Gray Death Legion, fanatically loyal to [[House Steiner]] and granted a landhold on [[Glengarry]], stands in the way of his plans and that is why he set up the Legion for failure in their contract on [[Caledonia]]—leading the Legion to side with the rebels on Caledonia and defeating Gareth's [[Third Davion Guards]] in the process, while Grayson Carlyle himself was heavily wounded in an assassination attempt (the events from the earlier novel, ''Tactics of Duty'').

Using the events on Caledonia as a pretext, Gareth moves strong forces under his command against the Legion remnant on Glengarry and demands their surrender. However, [[Lori Kalmar-Carlyle]] mounts an effective defense and sends a message to the Legion's third battalion at Caledonia. Realizing that they have been set up and that their landhold is endangered, [[Davis McCall]] and [[Alexander Carlyle]] move third battalion (with the wounded Grayson Carlyle in cryostasis) back in all haste, enlisting the free trader ''[[Caliban (Individual Merchant-class JumpShip)|Caliban]]'' to quickly bring them to a [[pirate jump point]] in the Glengarry system. Their timely arrival leads to the retreat of Gareth's forces.

However, the Gray Death Legion must still answer for their actions on Caledonia and its senior officers are summoned to [[Tharkad]] for an inquiry. (En route, they learn of the proclamation of the [[Lyran Alliance]].) Grayson Carlyle, who lost his left arm, left eye and the ability to pilot a BattleMech, sinks into depression and does not seem to properly defend himself, subjecting himself to the mercy of the court on Tharkad when he could have called for a [[MRBC]] trial instead, and refusing to make use of his noble title. The crushing result is that he is stripped of his rank and noble title, and the Gray Death Legion is given ninety days to leave Caledonia. His son Alexander Carlyle receives a transfer ticket to a regular Steiner regiment and leaves the Legion.

It is all a ruse though. [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] is aware of Gareth's conspiracy and wants Carlyle to find out how deep it runs. Pretending to be embittered by the verdict and desperate to find employment for the Legion elsewhere, Carlyle hires his unit out to Brandal Gareth of all people. Gareth accepts, though he remains suspicious, and the Gray Death Legion is integrated into the defense of Hesperus II.

Gareth announces the formation of his "[[Free Star Republic]]" on 15 December [[3057]]. On 18 December, the Gray Death Legion moves to capture the 'Mech factories of Hesperus II and hold them against Gareth's forces while Grayson Carlyle sets out to call in reinforcements (as the [[HPG]] station is effectively under Gareth's control). He manages to evade his watchdog officer and sends a [[JumpShip]] to [[Furillo]] where a fleet of Lyran Alliance vessels is already waiting for the word to move to Hesperus II with the [[1st Royal Guards|First Royal Guard]] regiment. Their arrival ends Gareth's coup, which hinged on his control of the Hesperus II 'Mech factories, though Gareth and his senior officers escape with several ''[[Excalibur (DropShip class)|Excalibur]]''-class [[DropShip]]s.

In the aftermath, Grayson Carlyle is reinstated as Baron of Glengarry and he and his wife Lori are awarded the [[McKennsy Hammer]] by Katherine Steiner-Davion personally.

==Featured characters==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Alexander Carlyle]]
* [[Grayson Death Carlyle]]
* [[Caitlin DeVries]]
* [[Charles Dillon]]
* [[Daniel Brewer]]
* [[Walter Dupré]]
* [[Jonathan Frye]]
* [[Brandal Gareth]]
* [[Ileus Home]]
* [[Lori Kalmar-Carlyle]]
* [[Sun-Tzu Liao]] (mentioned)
* [[Thomas Marik (False)|Thomas Marik]] (mentioned)
* [[Willy Schubert]]
* [[Katrina Steiner-Davion]]
* [[George Irwin]]
{{div col end}}

==Featured systems==
* [[Gladius (system)|Gladius]] (nadir jump point)
* [[Glengarry]]
* [[Hesperus II]]
* [[Tharkad]]
* [[Thuban]] (nadir jump point)

==Featured BattleTech==
===BattleMechs===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*''[[Apollo (BattleMech)|Apollo]]''
*''[[Archer]]''
*''[[Assassin]]''
*''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]''
*''[[Banshee (BattleMech)|Banshee]]''
*''[[Battle Hawk]]''
*''[[Cataphract]]''
*''[[Catapult]]''
*''[[Centurion (BattleMech)|Centurion]]''
*''[[Cicada]]''
*''[[Cyclops]]''
*''[[Defiance (BattleMech)|Defiance]]''
*''[[Dervish]]''
*''[[Dragon]]''
*''[[Enforcer]]''
*''[[Griffin]]''
*''[[Gunslinger]]''
*''[[Hatchetman]]''
*''[[Hercules (BattleMech)|Hercules]]''
*''[[Highlander]]''
*''[[Hunchback]]''
*''[[JagerMech]]''
*''[[Jenner]]''
*''[[Marauder]]''
*''[[Nightsky]]''
*''[[Orion]]''
*''[[Penetrator]]''
*''[[Quickdraw]]''
*''[[Rifleman]]''
*''[[Salamander (BattleMech)|Salamander]]''
*''[[Shadow Hawk]]''
*''[[Stalker]]''
*''[[Thunderbolt]]''
*''[[Trebuchet]]''
*''[[UrbanMech]]''
*''[[Valkyrie]]''
*''[[Victor]]''
*''[[Vindicator]]''
*''[[Warhammer]]''
*''[[Wasp]]''
*''[[Wolverine (BattleMech)|Wolverine]]''
*''[[Zeus]]''
*''[[Scavenger]]'' [[IndustrialMech]]
{{div col end}}

===Aerospace fighters===
*''[[Corsair (Aerospace Fighter class)|Corsair]]''
*''[[Seydlitz]]''

===Vehicles===
*[[J-27]]
*[[Mobile HQ]]
*[[Pegasus (Combat Vehicle - Hovertank)|Pegasus]]

===DropShips===
*''[[Excalibur (DropShip class)|Excalibur]]''
*''[[Fortress]]'' (mentioned)
*''[[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]]'' (''[[Europa (Individual Leopard-class DropShip)|Europa]]'', ''[[Ganymede]]'', ''[[Io]]'')
*''[[Monarch]]'' (''[[Orion (Individual Monarch-class DropShip)|Orion]]'')
*''[[Mule]]'' (''[[Miranda]]'')
*''[[Overlord (DropShip class)|Overlord]]'' (''[[Starfall]]'')
*''[[Seeker]]''
*''[[Union (DropShip class)|Union]]'' (''[[Defiant (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Defiant]]'', ''[[Deimos (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Deimos]]'', ''[[Endeavor (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Endeavor]]'', ''[[Lightning (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Lightning]]'', ''[[Phobos (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Phobos]]'', ''[[Ravager (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Ravager]]'', ''[[Utopia]]'', ''[[Valiant (Individual Union-class DropShip)|Valiant]]'')
*unspecified DropShip ''[[Merlin (Individual DropShip)|Merlin]]''

===JumpShips===
*''[[Invader]]'' (''[[Blue Star]]'')
*''[[Merchant]]'' (''[[Caliban (Individual Merchant-class JumpShip)|Caliban]]'')
*unspecified JumpShips ''[[Durandel]]'', ''[[Enif (Individual JumpShip)|Enif]]'', ''[[Stardancer]]''

===Other===
* [[NL-42 "Battle Taxi"|NL-42]]

==Notes==
* This novel introduced the [[Defiance (BattleMech)|''Defiance'']] [[BattleMech]] to [[canon]], though the design would not receive formal stats until ''[[Technical Readout: 3075]]'' over a decade later.
* BattleTech appears as a game within the universe in this novel: Caitlin DeVries and Sharon Kilroy play a game of holographic BattleTech at one point aboard the ''Endeavor''. In the same scene, two other men play chess with animated BattleMech images as playing pieces.
* The front page shows the moment in which Lori Kalmar's 'Mech defeated Daniel Brewer's Mech, but the BattleMech appearing isn't a [[Defiance]] but a [[Warhammer]].

==Foreign-Language Editions==
===German=== 
A German edition, translated by [[Reinhold H. Mai]], was published by [[Heyne]] in 1997 as ''Operation Excalibur'' (ISBN 9783453109278).<ref>Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for [https://d-nb.info/950651664 ''Operation Excalibur'']</ref>  This was republished as an EPUB by [[Ulisses Medien & Spiel Distribution GmbH|Ulisses Spiele]] in 2017 as ''BattleTech Legenden 32 : Operation Excalibur'' (ISBN 9783963310331).<ref>Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for [https://d-nb.info/1155723198 ''BattleTech Legenden 32 : Operation Excalibur'']</ref>

===Russian===
A Russian edition was published by [[Армада-пресс]] (Armada-Press) in 2002 as ''Операция «Экскалибур»'' (ISBN 5309003215) as part of a series produced in collaboration with [[Дрофа]] (Drofa). <ref> Science Fiction Lab Book description for [http://fantlab.ru/edition12515 Операция «Экскалибур»]</ref> <ref> National Library of Russia description for [https://webservices.nlr.ru/util/?method=recordFormat&vid=07NLR_VU1&sysid=000287421&format=037&base=NLR01 Операция «Экскалибур»]</ref>  In an online post, the formally listed translator, E. Drozd, disowned this translation due to extensive changes made by others within the publishing house.<ref>Archived posting from fantasy.open.by for [https://web.archive.org/web/20030603164533/http://fantasy.open.by:80/2003011602.html Операция "Эскалибур"]</ref>

==Covers==
<gallery>
Image:Operation Excalibur.jpg|Original 1996 cover. Art by Roger Loveless.
Image:Operation Excalibur german.jpg|1997 German edition. Art by [[Les Dorscheid]].
Image:BattleTech Legenden 32 - Operation Excalibur.jpg|2017 German edition (reprint).
Image:Операция «Экскалибур».jpg|2002 Russian edition.
</gallery>

=References=
<references/>


[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:BattleCorps publications]]
[[Category:Classic BattleTech novels]]
[[Category:Works by William H. Keith, Jr.]]
[[Category:German Editions]]
[[Category:Russian Editions]]