Ronan Carlyle

Ronan Carlyle
Personal
Born	3125
Affiliation	House Carlyle
Career
Rank	Hauptmann
Profession	Noble
Family
Parents	Gardner Carlyle (father)
Siblings	Isobel Carlyle

Ronan Carlyle was a Lyran Commonwealth noble, LCAF officer and finally refounding leader of the Gray Death Legion mercenary unit.

History

Early Life

Ronan was the eldest child of Gardner Carlyle, Count of Odessa, and great-grandson of Grayson Death Carlyle, founder of the famed mercenary unit of the Gray Death Legion, and grew up as a future heir to the title. However, Ronan, like his little sister Isobel Carlyle, decided to serve in the LCAF, unlike their forefathers.

LCAF Service

Ronan hoped to receive a posting in the Royal Guards Brigade upon graduation from the Coventry Military Academy, which happened in 3148. That year he testified in favor of his sister, which was was being disciplined. The hearing was cut short by the arrival of Clan Jade Falcon forces, beginning the Battle of Coventry (3148). Ronan fought in the battle, defending the Coventry Metal Works' industriplex. He was threatened by the Clanners' Elementals, but Isobel's arrival, charging into his rerscue, saved him.

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.

Ronan and his sister 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. He talked about that with his sister, 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, to Ronan's distress.

Ronan was the highest rank officer of the 216 loyalists, so he took command of them. Once their commercial DropShip arrived to the lyuran system of Garrison, he sent a report about the 26th defection to the planetary authorities. He was surprised to see the Hauptman-Kommandant Kipping receiving him... and even more when she arrested him, and all his people. After a week of interropgation, Ronan was freed... and dishonorably expelled from the LCAF, along with all the other loyalists, 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, his sister 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, Ronan'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 was. Despite Ronan's objections to work again with or for her, she contracted him and his still unnamed unit. They had three working BattleMechs, including Ronan's Gargoyle, 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. Ronan proved his tactical genius, using the Legion's three 'Mechs both as an anvil and a decoy: while the 26th attacked them heads-on, the Legion's VTOL, infantry and hoverbikes attacked them from the flanks, immovilizing their logistical vehicles. Knowing than her mission was doomed, the 26th leader, Kommandant Liesl Wagner, surrended the unit.

Two days later, Ronan presented himself into the general Bondayehr, meeting Wagner, which congratulated him for his victory. Faced to the general, Ronan was polite but cold. When the general attempted to pay the Legion less of the promised and denied him all the 26th salvage, Ronan threatened to denounce him to the MRBC before leaving, knowing he had win. The next day, Ronan meet with his sister 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. Ronan was surprised to see 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, 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.

Personality

As a Lyran officer, Ronan was well aware of the reality of the Lyran social generals but simply didn't take them as role models. As leader of the Legion, he led the unit with a strong sense of responsability to those in his charge and a collaborative leadership role, slowly assuming a father-figure role within the Legion. He was very protective of his little sister.

A strong tactician himself, Ronan proved to be a master of combined-arms tactics, using infantry, tanks and VTOLS as main attack units while he relegated BattleMechs to a decoy and distraction role. He was also very open to the ideas of others.

BattleMechs

Ronan piloted a Gauntlet OmniMech in his service to the LCAF. After became disposessed with the Arcturan Guards' defection, and replaced it with a salvaged Gargoyle OmniMech in the new Gray Death Legion.

Bibliography

• BattleTech: Legends
• Mercenary's Honor (novella)
• The Price of Duty (novella)
• Tamar Rising (Sourcebook)