Team Banzai

Overview

The enigmatic Team Banzai is a peculiar mercenary regiment that is well known for the scientific genius of its commander Dr. Banzai and some other members while at the same time being classed as elite combatants.

History

Formation and Early Years

Created in 3015, Team Banzai was under contract to the Federated Suns throughout its existence and was based on New Avalon.

Fourth Succession War

Battle of Northwind

Team Banzai was sent to reinforce the Davion garrison on Northwind in mid-January of 3029. The garrison consisted of the 5th Deneb Light Cavalry and the mercenary battalion, Bradley's Bravos, who had been recently accepted into the Kell Hounds as the Kell Hounds's 3rd Battalion. Two regiments of BattleMechs from House Kurita were sent to invade the planet. During the initial stages of the invasion, half of the 5th Deneb Light Cavalry were struck down with food poisoning. Team Banzai managed to arrive in time to reinforce the garrison's forces. However, the remaining healthy members of the Light Cavalry were lured out of their defensive positions by the 36th Dieron Regulars and were cut to ribbons by the 5th Sword of Light. The Bravos attempted to save the Light Cavalry by crushing the Genyosha and moving up to relieve the Light Cav. In the end the Genyosha was a tough adversary and mauled both the Bravos and Team Banzai in the ensuing engagement.

Team Banzai's leader, Doctor Banzai was injured by Tai-sa Yorinaga Kurita. Banzai's second-in-command, Major Tommy Lester, conversed with Major Scott Bradley of the Bravos about how to handle the situation. They had both lost a number of companies to the elite Genyosha regiment. Tommy told Scott that ISF sources had informed the Genyosha that the Kell Hounds were on Northwind; consequently, the Kuritas had come calling. Since Scott's Bravos had only recently joined Hounds as the 3rd Battalion, the Genyosha mistakenly thought the main body of the Hounds were on planet. This allowed the rest of the Kell Hounds to attack the Genyosha base while they were already fully engaged.

Tommy offered to assemble the remnants of Team Banzai to fight a delaying action to hold-off the incoming Kurita forces long enough to allow the injured Dr. Banzai, the remains of the Bravos, and 5th Light Cavalry to get off planet. However, Scott replied that he had already formed his surviving people into an Omega Company. The Omega is already loaded up with Inferno SRMs and planned a suicide run against the Kurita forces to buy enough time for the rest of Team Banzai to get off world.

Tommy and Scott's meeting was interrupted by the arrival of the entire brigade of the Northwind Highlanders. The Highlanders were hired out of the service of Maximilian Liao by Hanse Davion and were sent to relieve the beleaguered defense. A fringe benefit was that they could also reclaim their ancestral homeland of Northwind. The Highlanders easily brushed aside any resistance by the 5th Sword of Light and its supporting units and secured the planet. After the battle for Northwind concluded, it was found that Team Banzai had less than a battalion-sized force remaining, and the unit departed for New Avalon. The First Prince Hanse Davion authorized the transfer of the Team's wounded to the NAIS's Medical Center on New Avalon.

Battle of New Avalon

Approximately a month after the battle on Northwind, the Team arrived on New Avalon in with its wounded. Doctor Banzai soon recovered from his injuries and began to work with the New Avalon Institute of Science as the rest of his people recovered from their injuries.

However in September, a raiding force consisting of House Liao's elite Death Commandos struck the planet. The Doctor rallied his able-bodied men and, at the side of Prince Davion, destroyed the Commandos in a brutal battle. In the end, they were barely able to save the Institute from destruction. What was not known to House Davion or Team Banzai was that the raiders were disguised ComStar ComGuard force, disguised as Death Commandos. This "false flag" attack was meant to preserve ComStar's technological monopoly in the Inner Sphere, a monopoly threatened by the NAIS.

Clan Invasion

During the Clan Invasion Team Banzai didn't participate in much front line combat. Instead they developed new technology and weapons for use by other soldiers, including what would become the Inner Sphere Standard power armor. Team Banzai sent eight battle armor troopers equipped with prototype battle armor to Planting in 3051 to test the armor in combat against Elementals.

FedCom Civil War

Although they were no longer an active fighting force by the time of the FedCom Civil War, Team Banzai nevertheless worked behind the scenes on New Avalon to undermine the rule of Katherine Steiner-Davion. When the Allies finally invaded New Avalon, the Team became increasingly active in disrupting the Loyalists's communications and finally assisting in the capture of the capital. In the aftermath of the war, the unit was reformed into the New Avalon Cavaliers, a reinforced Regiment.

Officers & Notable Members

3025

Notable Team Banzai personnel include (as of 3025):

• Dr. B. Banzai - Enigmatic scientific genius and elite MechWarrior. He is the leader & founder of Team Banzai. He is known for his medical skills He was knocked into a coma after fighting the Genyosha's Tai-sa Yorinaga Kurita on Northwind. He soon recovered, and by July started work at the New Avalon Institute of Science (NAIS) with experiments in bionic replacements for soldiers. Some months later, he led the remains of Team Banzai to defend the Institute from the Confederation's Death Commandos.

Physically he is noted for his blue eyes.

• Major Tommy Lester - A slender man with blonde hair and glasses, Lester is the mercenary unit's second-in-command and aide to Dr. Banzai. He was one of the Team's MechWarriors who fought the desperate battle against the attack at the NAIS.

• Reno - A dark-haired man with a rugged face.

• Rawhide - Early member of Team Banzai and a MechWarrior. He was the member of the team who made contact with the Northwind Highlander's brigade who arrived to rescue Davion forces. He was moderately injured at the battle around the New Avalon Institute of Science, losing a lung.

• Yvonne Morticia - Commander of the Team Banzai JumpShip Nth Dimension; a DropShip pilot; and a renowned sharpshooter in her personal Orion BattleMech (named Lurch).

• DuPrichard Mechalam - Former Team Banzai member, commander of the Department of Military Justice in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS), holding the appointment of Marshal (rank).

• Darc Horse - Freelancer MechWarrior who worked alone or with Team Banzai, and also offered his services to the Blazing Aces

• Professor Douglas Running-Elk - He is a Scholar and MechWarrior, born on Terra. He was originally the driver for the team's Coolant Truck, when he indirectly captured a Grand Dragon in a bid to save a Kurita MechWarrior during the latter part of the Battle of Northwind. He later became intern to Dr. Banzai at the NAIS on New Avalon where, by 3039, he asked to join the staff.

3054

As of 3054, Doctor Anna Banzai has assumed command of the unit. Team Banzai is still listed as based on New Avalon at full strength with an Elite experience rating. Their loyalty is listed as "Fanatical".

Gallery

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  Hatchetman

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Composition History

3025

Team Banzai (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)

Contract: AFFS

• CO: Dr. B. Banzai

The unit is organized into three 'Mech battalions:

• 1st Battalion: The Hong Kong Cavaliers:
• 2nd Battalion: The Blue Blazers:
• 3rd Battalion: The Radar Blazers:

3040

Team Banzai (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)

Contract: AFFC

Other Information

• Although the full name of unit leader "Dr. B. Banzai" is never given, Team Banzai as a whole is obviously a reference to the 1984 cult science fiction film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. Several of the individuals in the unit have names from the movie, including Rawhide, Reno and Perfect Tommy. Additionally, the Team's 1st battalion was named the Hong Kong Cavaliers, the name of Buckaroo's band in the movie. It was eventually phased out of the BattleTech franchise by renaming the unit, presumably due to real world legal concerns.

• When not in combat, Team Banzai members teach advanced courses at the College of Engineering (part of the New Avalon Institute of Science). Working on all kinds of items from children's toys to BattleMechs, they are credited with several innovations including an improved cooling shirt for House Davion MechWarriors and most importantly, the famously unconventional Hatchetman BattleMech (which is produced in, and generally associated with, the Lyran Commonwealth instead of the Federated Suns) and later its heavy counterpart, the Axman (a joint Steiner/Davion venture).

Bibliography

• ClanTroops
• Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised
• Historical: War of 3039
• Objective Raids
• Record Sheets: Unique 'Mechs
• Warrior: Coupé
• Warrior: Riposte