Taman Malthus

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Taman Malthus
Personal
AffiliationClan Jade Falcon
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ProfessionStar Colonel

Taman Malthus was an Elemental and officer in Clan Jade Falcon who was active during the Clan Invasion through the Jihad era.

Personal History

Bloodname

Malthus first came to wide-spread attention during the so-called Year of Peace during the Clan Invasion. After the destruction of the Jade Falcon Guards on Twycross in 3050, the Bloodheritage of Adler Malthus, and indeed the entire Malthus Bloodhouse as a whole, were in disgrace, with saKhan Timur Malthus being forced to resign. When it became time to conduct a Trial of Bloodright for the legacy, all eligible MechWarriors declined to compete for it. Taman successfully claimed the Bloodname, though many warriors derided him for it, even some among his fellow Jade Falcon Elementals.[1][2] So complete was the Malthus disgrace that after the Battle of Twycross, Taman Malthus was the only member of House Malthus to remain active in the Inner Sphere for some time.[3]

Alyina

It was thus unsurprising that Malthus, nominally a Star Captain in the Second Falcon Jaegers, was assigned to command the Falcon garrison on the newly-conquered world of Alyina when the war resumed, a task which held little opportunity for glory or achievement.[4] During this time, Malthus was nominally under the command of Demi-Precentor Khalsa, the planetary administrator under the Clans' agreement with ComStar.[5]

When David Jewell, an AFFC soldier stranded on Alyina, escaped from a ComStar compound along with Doctor Deirdre Lear, Khalsa demanded that Malthus and his Elementals hunt the man down. Malthus correctly made many deductions about his target, among them that Lear had escaped with him of her own free will.[6][7] On 9 March, Malthus examined a body purported to be David Jewell that had been brought in by a local bounty hunter. Malthus was not only able to determine that the body was a fake, he was further able to discern that the ComStar agent present had engaged in corruption and had been tricked into allowing the real David Jewell to escape.[8] Malthus had his troops bid for the right to hunt Jewell down, a bid which the Elemental Corbin won. After Corbin was killed by Jewell, Malthus bid only his bare hands to kill Jewell and silencing all his subordinates who were including their battle armor in their bids.[9][10]

On 1 May, Malthus and his Elementals cornered Jewell and Lear at Tedesco Pass. Malthus honorably bargained with Jewell, promising he would not send Lear back to Khalsa and that if Jewell won, he, Lear and the AFFC prisoners would all go free. Though Jewell fought well, Malthus' superior strength if not skill eventually started to win out, and he was on the verge of victory. During their fight, Khalsa and armed Com Guards troops suddenly appeared in a helicopter gunship, killing two of the Elementals in one of the opening moves of Operation SCORPION. Jewell was presumed killed falling off the side of a cliff, and Malthus, Lear and the other Elementals, named Locke and Slane, were captured.[11][12] Four days later, Jewell emerged alive and rescued Lear, Malthus and the surviving Elementals at Dove Costoso, with Malthus killing Khalsa through his cell bars. It was only then that Malthus learned that Jewell was, in fact, Kai Allard-Liao, destroyer of the Falcon Guards on Twycross. Malthus made an agreement with Allard-Liao to release the AFFC personnel if Allard-Liao helped defeat ComStar.[13][14][15] Allard-Liao worked well with Malthus and his two men, recovering the Gauss Rifle from Yen-Lo-Wang and training Allard in the use of Elemental battle armor. They prepared for the assault with the assistance of historian Gus Michaels.[16][17] Joining forces, Malthus, Locke, Slane and Allard-Liao attacked the ComStar camp, freeing the prisoners and retaking control of the planet.[18][19]. The four attackers survived the fight, but Gus Michaels apparently died after saving them.

In the aftermath, Malthus honored his agreement, regarding Kai Allard-Liao a superior warrior. Malthus' actions on Alyina helped to restore honor to the Malthus Bloodname.[20][21][22] Malthus' presence on Alyina prevented him from participating in the Battle of Tukayyid, but in the immediate aftermath of that conflict, he was listed as being back with the Second Jaegers.[23]

Aftermath

As of 3055, Malthus held the rank of Star Colonel as commander of the Second Jaegers, and he continued to command the Alyina garrison. In September of that year, Malthus agreed to provide recharges to the Kell Hounds' JumpShips during the Red Corsair affair, an act he had been unwilling to perform for Wolf Clan Khan Phelan Ward. Malthus agreed to this out of respect to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Allard of the Kell Hounds, the uncle of Kai Allard-Liao, whom Malthus considered a comrade.[24]

In April 3056, Malthus and a contingent of his Elementals, more precisely Locke and Slane, made plans to visit Kai Allard-Liao, now Solaris Grand Champion, during his title defense on Solaris. They were repeatedly delayed due to the bureaucracy of negotiating between ComStar and the Federated Commonwealth government. Allard-Liao, meanwhile, was facing a crisis at the instigation of his uncle, Tormano Liao. At Allard-Liao's request, Malthus and his troops launched a covert assault on Tormano's Mandrinn's Estate on Solaris, rescuing Deirdre Lear and the son she shared with Allard-Liao, David Lear. The Elementals easily eliminated Liao's Free Capella guards even they were about to execute Doctor Lear.[25] Meeting with Allard-Liao afterwards, Malthus reaffirmed their friendship and camaraderie, and praised his young son.[26]

Upon his return to the Occupation Zones, Malthus would speak of his time on Solaris VII with grudging admiration for the Solaris arenas, realizing they had more in common with the Clans own Circle of Equals than most Clan warriors would care to admit.[27] Malthus apparently spoke freely among the Clans of Allard-Liao's reuniting with Doctor Lear, and their later marriage, as the rumor spread outside the Jade Falcon Clan.[28]

New Conflicts

When the Refusal War broke out in 3057, Malthus and his command were assigned to defend Devin. Khan Natasha Kerensky sent the Wolf Clans' Third Battle Cluster against the Jaegers and the First Striker Cluster in October. Extreme weather conditions plagued the conflict, with heavy winds and electrical storms causing havoc on both sides. The Jade Falcons would ultimately win despite horrendous losses.[29][30] On 2 January, 3058, Malthus was reportedly on Wotan when the Grand Kurultai met to elect a new ilKhan. When Vladimir Ward challenged Elias Crichell over the latter's qualifications as a warrior, Crichell attempted to summon Malthus to serve as his second. Ian Hawker of Clan Diamond Shark pointed out, however, that because Vlad had challenged Crichell's qualifications and not the vote, the newly made ilKhan was not entitled to a second.[31] In the aftermath of the conflict, the Second Jaegers were rebuilt, though it is indicated their experience level dropped a great deal due to the turnover in personnel.[32] Despite this, because of his past achievements, Malthus' new recruits were particularly loyal to him, eager to learn and obey.[33]

The Second Falcon Jaegers, led by Malthus, played a major role in Khan Marthe Pryde's incursion into the Lyran Alliance in 3058. In February, the Jaegers teamed with the Seventh Falcon Regulars to crush the Twenty-second Skye Rangers on Engadine, using a combat drop to surround and stun the defenders.[34] In March, the Jaegers spear-headed the assault on Coventry, using a Pirate Jump Point and performing an combat drop, a tactic Malthus had specifically trained them in,[35], then pushing aside elements of the Tenth Skye Rangers' Third Battalion to secure the spaceport for the additional Falcon units approaching the planet.[36] The Jaegers continued to distinguish themselves throughout the Coventry campaign, gaining valuable fighting experience.

In the aftermath of these conflicts, the Second Jaegers were regarded as one of the most active Clusters in the Jade Falcon Touman, though their high-turnover rate still rated them as a regular unit.[37] Around this time, the Jaegers adopted a new insignia in honor of Malthus' experiences, depicting an Elemental fighting beside a Centurion.[38] As of December 3059, the Jaegers had split their unit between Romulus and Seiduts.[39]

In 3062, the Jaegers were garrisoning Sudeten when they were attacked by the One-Eyed Jacks mercenary command. The Jacks wanted revenge on the Jaegers for the capture of the Blackjack School of Conflict years earlier. The mercenaries used numerous inventive and under-handed tactics and gave a good accounting of themselves, though the Jaegers inflicted heavy casualties on them before the Jacks withdrew.[40]

Despite their experience and the ability of Malthus, the Jaegers did not take part in the Falcon Incursion of 3064. By late 3067, Malthus remained in command of the Second Jaegers, who were at three-quarters strength and still based on Sudeten.[41]

Jihad

When the Word of Blake Jihad began, it was not long before the Falcons attempted to take advantage of the situation. In June 3069, Malthus led a massive Falcon force - including elements of Iota, Mu and Rho Galaxies in an attack on Graceland, where they faced the First Kell Hounds, commanded by Daniel Allard whom he had briefly met years earlier. The fighting stretched into July, as the Falcons abandoned zellbrigen, looking to overwhelm the mercenaries. Exposing the Hounds' command element to attack by three clusters, Malthus personally engaged Allard in battle, killing the legendary mercenary commander. Akira Brahe took command of the Hounds, recovering Allard's body and withdrawing from the planet with the survivors.[42][43]

Taman Malthus' further career and death have not been chronicled. It is known that by 3085, he no longer held any listed command position in the Jade Falcon Touman.[44] It may therefore be assumed that he was killed during the Jihad.

Malthus' exploits would continue to inspire the Falcons well after his time, and his genetic heritage would live on in generations of accomplished descendants.[45]

Personality and Traits

Taman Malthus was described as a very large and physically powerful individual, even by Elemental standards.[46] As a warrior, he was widely acknowledged as an accomplished fighter, and like most prominent Clan Elemental officers, Malthus was ranked elite in terms of skill.[23] Based on Elias Crichell's choice of Malthus, an Elemental, as his Champion, among all the other Falcons on Wotan, he must, by this time, have been considered one of the most distinguished warriors of the entire Clan.[31] Based on the "detective work" he conducted while hunting down Kai Allard-Liao on Alyina, he was highly intelligent and insightful, not allowing his arrogance to blind him to what his foe was doing, as many Clan commanders did while facing "freebirths".[7] Though certainly a Crusader in terms of his political views, his extraordinarily high opinion of Kai Allard-Liao after those events demonstrate that he could come to respect Inner Sphere opponents, though most could not meet the standard set by Allard-Liao.[21] His actions during the Clan Invasion and afterwards helped restore honor to House Malthus, which had gone from being one of the premier lines in Clan Jade Falcon to facing the abyss.[20] He was considered a celebrity by many in the Clans,[33] and his later career, though not fully chronicled, distinguished him as a hero of the Jihad.[45]

Notes

  • Malthus is listed as being part of the Second Jaegers during the Battle of Tukayyid.[23] It is unclear if he was merely on temporary assignment as head of the Alyina garrison,
  • According to Field Manual: Crusader Clans, Marthe Pryde still commanded the Second Falcon Jaegers during the fighting on Devin in 3057.[47] This is contradicted by other sources which list her as a Galaxy Commander at the time, and name Malthus as a Star Colonel.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Lost Destiny, p. 108, Ulric comments on Taman winning a tainted Bloodname
  2. ↑ Lost Destiny, p. 162, Corbin mocks Taman's winning the Malthus Bloodname
  3. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Taman Malthus is the only Malthus remaining the Inner Sphere
  4. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus commands the Alyina garrison
  5. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Khalsa administers Alyina
  6. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Khalsa orders Malthus to hunt down David Jewell
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lost Destiny, pp. 98-99, Khalsa summons Malthus, Malthus makes deductions regarding Jewell's disposition
  8. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 146-147, Malthus examines the "body" of David Jewell
  9. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus faces Jewell in unarmed combat
  10. ↑ Lost Destiny, p. 205, Malthus conducts the bidding to hunt David Jewell, winning it himself
  11. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Khalsa triggers Operation Scorpion and captures Malthus
  12. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 217-223, Malthus and his point of Elementals track down David Jewell, taken prisoner by Khalsa
  13. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus kills Khalsa
  14. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus learns of Allard-Liao's identity
  15. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 242-248, Malthus and his Elementals are rescued by Kai Allard-Liao
  16. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 286-289, Malthus and his Elementals recover the Gauss Rifle
  17. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 306-310, Malthus and his Elementals train Allard-Liao in the use of battle armor
  18. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus and Allard-Liao retake the planet
  19. ↑ Lost Destiny, pp. 310-314, Malthus and Allard-Liao retake the camp and liberate Alyina
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Taman Malthus restores honor to his Bloodname
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lost Destiny, pp. 349-351, Malthus honors his agreement, considers Allard-Liao a superior warrior
  22. ↑ Bred for War, p. 43, Larry Acuff remembers Malthus and Allard-Liao liberating the camp
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 72, "Trinary Delta", Taman Malthus' rank, assignment and skill level
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Natural Selection, pp. 300-301, Taman Malthus provides jump charges to the Kell Hounds
  25. ↑ Assumption of Risk, pp. 336-338, Taman Malthus and his Elementals rescue Lear and her son
  26. ↑ Assumption of Risk, pp. 363-364, Taman Malthus meets with Kai
  27. ↑ MechWarrior's Guide to Solari VII, p. 63 "A Primer for the Solaris Games"
  28. ↑ Bred for War, p. 133, the rumor of Kai's marriage originated with Taman Malthus
  29. ↑ The Falcon and the Wolf, p. 26, "Aftermath", the Jade Falcons win a pyrrhic victory on Devin
  30. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 104, "2nd Falcon Jaegers (The Frost Falcons)", the Jaegers are successful on Devin but are shattered as a command
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Malicious Intent, p. 77, Crichell attempts to summon Taman Malthus to fight Vladimir Ward
  32. ↑ Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 13, "Combatants", "Second Falcon Jaegers", the Jaegers are rated a Regular experienced unity
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 13, "Combatants", "Second Falcon Jaegers", Taman Malthus is considered a minor celebrity among the Jaegers and his recruits are devoted to him
  34. ↑ Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 18, "Touchpoint: Engadine", Malthus leads the Falcons to victory on Engadine
  35. ↑ Operational Turning Points: Falcon Incursion, p. 13, "Combatants", "Second Falcon Jaegers", Taman Malthus trains his warriors in orbital drops
  36. ↑ The Battle of Coventry (scenario pack), p. 7, "Coventry", the Second Falcon Jaegers take the spaceport at Coventry
  37. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 104, "2nd Falcon Jaegers (The Frost Falcons)", as of 3060 the Jaegers are one of the most active Clusters in the clan
  38. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 104, "2nd Falcon Jaegers (The Frost Falcons)", the Jaegers new insignia
  39. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 154, "The Crusader Clans (Deployment as of 25 December 3059)", the Second Falcon Jaegers position in late 3059
  40. ↑ Mercenaries Supplemental II, p. 53, "One-Eyed Jacks: Blind Justice", the Second Jaegers find the One-Eyed Jacks
  41. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 72, "Crusader Clans TO&E", "Clan Jade Falcon: Iota Galaxy (Second Line)", the 2nd Falcon Jaegers in 3067
  42. ↑ Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 75, "First Kell Hounds Regiment", Taman Malthus leads a Jade Falcon force to Graceland, slays Daniel Allard
  43. ↑ Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 91, "Akira Brahe", Brahe witnesses Allard's death against Malthus on Graceland
  44. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, pp. 125-126, "Clan Military Forces: Clan Jade Falcon", Taman Malthus is not listed as a Falcon commander in 3085
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Technical Readout: 3145, p. 128, "Notable Units: Star Captain Benj Malthus", Benj Malthus is descended from Taman Malthus
  46. ↑ Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 73, "Elemental Star Captain Taman Malthus", Malthus' size
  47. ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 98, "Senior Khan Marthe Pryde", Marthe commands the Second Jaegers up to the Refusal War

Bibliography

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