TekTeam Technical Services

TekTeam Technical Services (aka TekTeam) is a mercenary unit with notable technical skills.

Canonicity

TekTeam, invented by Gerald Hall, featured in a number of his articles that were published in the BattleTechnology and MechForce Quarterly magazines, neither of which is currently considered canonical anymore. For lack of being mentioned in a canonical source so far, the unit and its exploits as published must be considered apocryphal.

History

In 3024 and starting with a single Mule class DropShip converted into a mobile repair base, Thomas Kim from the St. Ives Compact and his wife Sarah from a wealthy commercial family in the Lyran Commonwealth, built a premier salvage and repair firm known throughout the Inner Sphere as TekTeam Technical Services. His technical skill and her financial savy led to the creation of a most innovative and successful organization. Their first SAR (Salvage, Acquisition and Repair) team was a company-sized combined arms unit that supported a unit of highly skilled and innovative technicians. The security element supported the technical element in a reversal of roles from most other mercenary units. The SAR company would have a lance of Mechs, all of which would have two hand actuators to assist with the salvage of damaged and abandoned military equipment on the battlefield. The composition of the first TekTeam Mech lance was a Fire Javelin, a Griffin, a Wolverine-M and a Grasshopper. These Mechs offered a nice blend of speed, armor protection, battlefield endurance and firepower. They would be supplemented by several fast but capable armed vehicles like Savannah Masters, Pegasus and Condors. For defensive missions, a handful of large tracked vehicles with LRM’s and other heavy weapons are included. Air cover was provided by rotary wing VTOLs, Guardian VTOL conventional close support fighters and a lance of AeroSpace fighters. Infantry trained as astechs provided a supporting role. In the defense, the use of minefields was key to the survival of TekTeam SAR companies. Scouts would be an integral part of each SAR company. They would not only covertly travel to gain intelligence on threats and for any possible clients, but they would also spend considerable amounts of time in harm’s way on the battlefield, looking for equipment to salvage. TekTeam scouts were skilled with a wide variety of weapons, surveillance devices, vehicles and even used animals such as Tabyrinths to travel swiftly and quietly on the ground in order to complete their missions. TekTeam’s scouts were often unsung heroes who were greatly respected by the other members of each SAR company. To give an idea of the eclectic nature of TekTeam’s order of battle, the first lance of AeroSpace fighters to join the unit consisted of a pair of ex-Kuritan Shilone’s. They were a long way from the Combine when they became part of TekTeam.

The Mule became a mobile home for the unit as it travelled from planet to planet, selling their services to the highest bidder. When the Mule was converted to the mobile repair base configuration, a dozen Mech bays were installed, half a dozen heavy vehicle bays, a dozen light vehicle bays and a pair of small craft bays. Normally aerospace fighters were based in the small craft bays though. Each bay was equipped with supplementary repair and maintenance equipment to enhance the SAR company’s ability to rapidly repair and refit a client’s equipment as well as the team’s own equipment. The Mech bays on a TekTeam Mule lead to a quartet of doors capable of dropping Mechs from orbit just like what the Union, Leopard or Overlord can do with theirs. The doors to the Mech bays and the small craft bays were hidden behind movable panels to conceal the unique nature of a TekTeam Mule. Enough accommodations for over one hundred personnel were also installed in the Mule’s former cargo bays. The DropShip’s armor and armament were also upgraded since the Mule was likely to see some combat in the course of performing its mission. While these modifications ate into the Mule’s cargo bays, there was still more than enough space for the fuel, food, spare parts and other supplies needed for an extended mission. Usually, they provided technical services to mercenary units that couldn’t afford to maintain a permanent technical staff to service their equipment.

Tactics

TekTeam Technical Services (TTS) is primarily a mercenary technical unit that sells its services to the highest bidder rather than a traditional mercenary military unit. TTS is primarily made of company-sized subunits known as SAR (Salvage, Acquisition and Repair) Companies. Each SAR Company is based in a DropShip that is modified to be a mobile repair base, usually a Mule class cargo ship. Each SAR Company has an combined-arms security element centered around a lance of Mechs, a company of vehicles, a company of infantry and a lance of aerospace fighters. Their primary purpose is to defend the DropShip but they also assist with salvage missions. To that end, all Mechs must have two operational hands actuators. There is a heavy tactical focus on combined arms ambushes with a significant use of mines. From 3052, a squad or more of BattleArmor are included with each SAR company.

Composition

3054

BattleMechs (The Iron Packrats) - 2 Companies/Veteran/Reliable

• CO/ Major Sara Ann Kim

TekTeam Technical Services Air Support - Composite Conventional/Aerospace Wng

• Wing Comdr: Major Douglas Kerr

TekTeam Technical Services Armor - Two Companies/Veteran/Reliable

• Armor Cmdr: Major Stephen

TekTeam Technical Services Infantry - One Battalion/Elite/Reliable

• CO: Major Julia Greer

Notes

There is some confusion about the JumpShip used by TekTeam between approximately 3030 and 3054. Some reports have the vessel named the Phoenix while others referred to her as Lorelei's Hope. One thing is clear. The Royalty class JumpShip design was unique in the Inner Sphere by the time of the 4th Succession War with a history that dated back to the Rim Worlds Republic and the 1st Star League. This JumpShip was lost in action against the Clans in 3054.

The current disposition for TekTeam Technical Services is unknown. The most recent reports indicate that the unit had been specifically targeted by the Word of Blake during the Jihad. As a result, the unit had gathered all SAR units and dependents and left in the direction of the Deep Periphery. The unit's Star Lord was transporting three Mules, an Elephant and a salvaged Snowden space station. The Snowden had most of its mining equipment removed. The available space was then used to expand its shipyard facilities and personnel accommodations. Some rumors say that the unit is in search of one of the derelict RWR Navy Pinto's and possibly also lost colonies far out in the Deep Periphery.

References

• BattleTechnology
• MechForce Quarterly
• Author's Notes