Difference between revisions of "Vedet Brewer"

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{{Update Needed|[[A Bonfire of Worlds]], [[Era Report: 3145]], and [[Field Manual: 3145]], [[Shattered Fortress]]}}
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{{Update Needed|[[A Bonfire of Worlds]]|[[Era Report: 3145]]|[[Field Manual: 3145]]|[[Tamar Rising]]|[[Elements of Treason: Opportunity]]}}
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{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}}
 
{{InfoBoxCharacter
 
{{InfoBoxCharacter
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| image              =  
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| image              = Vedet Brewer TamarRising.png
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| name                = Vedet Brewer
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| caption            = Vedet Brewer, ca. 3152
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| birthdate          =  
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| name                = Vedet Gerald Greydon Brewer<ref name=EoT:Oc27>''Elements of Treason: Opportunity'', ch. 27</ref>
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| birthdate          = [[3090]]<ref name=TRp91>''Tamar Rising'', p. 91: "Vedet Brewer profile"</ref>
 
| died                =  
 
| died                =  
 
| othernames          = Vedet Brewster
 
| othernames          = Vedet Brewster
 
| affiliation        = [[House Brewer]]
 
| affiliation        = [[House Brewer]]
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| profession          = [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]]<br/>[[Duke of Hesperus II]]
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| rank                =
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| title              = [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]]<ref name=TRp91/><br/>[[Duke of Hesperus II]]<ref name=TRp91/>
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| position            =
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| profession          = Noble
 
| parents            =  
 
| parents            =  
 
| siblings            =  
 
| siblings            =  
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| spouse              =  
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| spouse              = [[Cassandra Mylonasa]] (lover)<ref name=EoT:Oc8>''Elements of Treason: Opportunity'', ch. 8</ref>
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| children            =  
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| children            = [[Callisto Mylonasa]]<ref name=TRp17>''Tamar Rising'', p. 17</ref>
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Vedet Brewer''' (born ???? - died ????) was a [[thirty-second century]] [[Lyran Commonwealth|Lyran]] nobleman, the Duke of [[Hesperus II]] and CEO of [[Defiance Industries]] in the 3130s. He was of African descent, with powerful ambitions and willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals.  
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'''Vedet Gerald Greydon Brewer''' was a [[thirty-second century]] [[Lyran Commonwealth]] nobleman, the [[Duke of Hesperus II]] and CEO of [[Defiance Industries]]. An ambitious and ruthless leader, he seized the [[Archon|Archon's]] throne of the Commonwealth in [[3141]], abdicating two years later and fleeing to the Commonwealth's hinterlands. In [[3151]] Brewer established a new nation under his rule, the [[Vesper Marches]].
  
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He publicly voiced his opposition to [[Archon]] [[Melissa Steiner II|Melissa Steiner]]'s policies of strengthening the borders of the Commonwealth and not attacking other nations when she administered them with the fall of the [[HPG]] Network. His influence and ambitions later became worrisome for the Archon.
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A critic of [[Archon]] [[Melissa Steiner II|Melissa Steiner]] in the years following the [[Blackout]], Brewer publicly voiced his opposition to her policies of merely strengthening the borders of the Commonwealth and not attacking other nations. His power and influence was such that Archon Steiner gave him a leading role in [[Operation HAMMERFALL]] in the late 3130s, where Brewer ostensibly proved himself a worthier leader to the [[Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces|LCAF's]] generals. After [[Clan Wolf]] turned upon the Commonwealth in [[3140]] he deposed Melissa Steiner the following year in a military-backed coup. His tenure as Archon lasted barely two years and was marked by a failure to halt the Wolves' advance into the Commonwealth, leading to Brewer's downfall and Melissa's restoration.
  
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He has a history of backing certain families on Hesperus in an effort to control powerful figures. One such person is [[Bernard Nordhoff]], who became the Lyran commanding officer with the backing of Duke Vedet.
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Exiling himself to the Commonwealth's remote regions, Brewer never gave up his claim to the Archonship. Following [[Clan Jade Falcon|Clan Jade Falcon's]] abandonment of their Occupation Zone he took control of [[Melissia]] in March [[3151]] and proclaimed himself ruler of the Vesper Marches.
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==History==
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===Early Years===
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Brewer spent some time at [[Melissia]] about [[3121]]. There, he became lover of a noblewoman named [[Cassandra Mylonasa]]. He fell in love with her and, before being forced departing offplanet by political reasons, proposed her to marry him, but she wasn't able to leave. Vedet was forced to abandon the planet, and his family on Hesperus II kept him grounded on planet several years, and monitored all his communications, preventing him to contact Cassandra, but he attempted it anyway, in vain.<ref>''Elements of Treason: Opportunity'', ch. 11</ref>
  
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==History==
 
 
===The Troubles of Skye===
 
===The Troubles of Skye===
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On November 25th, [[3134]], Duke Vedet met with [[Trillian Steiner-Davion]] and his guest, a renegade [[Republic of the Sphere|Republic]] nobleman named [[Jasek Kelswa-Steiner]], the leader of a pro-House Steiner splinter group known as the [[Stormhammers]]. In a dinner, Jasek would ended up convincing Trillian and the Duke that in interested of the Commonwealth to aid his cause to invading Jade Falcons and assuring that the Clan would not strike back. The Duke and Trillian were convinced to provide Jasek the aid he sought. Releasing a number to the Lyran Armed Forces including Hesperus's guarding [[WarShip]], ''[[Mjolnir#Named Vessels|LAS Yggdrasil]]'' in December [[3134]], to aid his efforts to fight [[Clan Jade Falcon]]'s invasion of [[Skye]].<ref>''Blood of the Isle'', pp. 166-171 Chapter 24 - First appearance of Vedet Brewer, Trillian Steiner-Davion, and the meeting that allowed House Steiner to aid Republic forces fighting on Skye.</ref>
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On November 25th, [[3134]], Duke Vedet met with [[Trillian Steiner-Davion]] and his guest, a renegade [[Republic of the Sphere|Republic]] nobleman named [[Jasek Kelswa-Steiner]], the leader of a pro–House Steiner splinter group known as the [[Stormhammers]]. Over dinner, Jasek convinced Trillian and the Duke that it was in the interests of the Commonwealth to aid him in invading the Jade Falcons, assuring them there would be no retaliation from the Clan. In December [[3134]], the Duke and Trillian provided Jasek military aid to fight [[Clan Jade Falcon]]'s invasion of [[Skye]], sending him LCAF forces that included Hesperus' guarding [[WarShip]], [[Yggdrasil (Individual Mjolnir-class WarShip)|LAS ''Yggdrasil'']].<ref>''Blood of the Isle'', ch. 24, pp. 166–171: First appearance of Vedet Brewer, Trillian Steiner-Davion, and the meeting that allowed House Steiner to aid Republic forces fighting on Skye</ref>
  
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===Operation Hammerfall and Glory Seeking===
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===Operation HAMMERFALL and Glory Seeking===
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In March [[3137]], [[Trillian Steiner-Davion|Trillian Steiner]] arrived at Hesperus II to inform Duke Vedet that he was offered a position as Campaign Leader by the Archon for [[Operation Hammerfall]]. Taking the opportunity to gain even more power, he accepted. However, leery of the Archon's offer he and his military aide [[Colonel]] [[Bernard Nordhoff]] planed to take actions against Trillian when the time was right.
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In March [[3137]], [[Trillian Steiner-Davion|Trillian Steiner]] arrived at Hesperus II to inform Duke Vedet that he was offered a position as Campaign Leader by the Archon for [[Operation HAMMERFALL]]. Taking the opportunity to gain even more power, he accepted. However, leery of the Archon's offer, he and his military aide [[Colonel]] [[Bernard Nordhoff]] planned to take action against Trillian when the time was right.
  
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Duke Vedet assembled his own regiment with his own people, naming it the [[1st Hesperus Guards]]. The Duke had been assigned to fight in the [[Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey]]. While General Nordhoff was assigned to fight in the [[Marik-Stewart Commonwealth]].
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Duke Vedet assembled his own regiment with his own people, naming it the [[1st Hesperus Guards]]. The Duke had been assigned to fight in the [[Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey]], while General Nordhoff was assigned to fight in the [[Marik-Stewart Commonwealth]].
  
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He planned to take advantage of the invasion by moving ahead of the military time table and pummel the Duchy into submission early. With no leadership, he hoped to take worlds he conquered and install himself as their new leader and, possibly of the Lyran Commonwealth.
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He planned to take advantage of the invasion by moving ahead of the military timetable to pummel the Duchy into submission early. With no leadership, he hoped to take control of the worlds he conquered and install himself as their new leader, gaining enough power to ultimately contest the throne of the Lyran Commonwealth.
  
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He got his first taste of combat and victory on Shanta in July 3137 against Shanta Home Guard. Shanta was a soft target world in his invasion plans.
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The Duke received his first taste of combat and victory on Shanta in July 3137 against the Shanta Home Guard. Shanta was a soft target world in his invasion plans.
  
 
Later, in August, he ordered the complete destruction of the [[Millungera Militia]]. He became accustomed to and fascinated with military life and killing.
 
Later, in August, he ordered the complete destruction of the [[Millungera Militia]]. He became accustomed to and fascinated with military life and killing.
  
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In early September, Duke Vedet received word of the [[Royal Guards|Royal]] regiments that had been kept in reserve for Hammerfall were being deployed into the old Skye region of the Republic, taking away forces he was counting on for aid for his campaign. He begins to see his mistake underestimating Archon Melissa and swears not to do it again.
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In early September, Duke Vedet received word that the [[Royal Guards|Royal]] regiments kept in reserve for Hammerfall were being deployed into the old Skye region of the Republic, taking away forces he was counting on for his campaign. He began to see his mistake in underestimating Archon Melissa and swore not to do it again.
  
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Later in September, he & his guards are deployed to Marik-Stewart Commonwealth world of [[Bondurant]] to assist the now badly damaged [[3rd Lyran Regulars|Third Lyran Regulars]]. Here, his officers begin to see his lack of military training as he faces off for the first time with a skilled and determine enemy. He shows fear for the first time in years and falls for a trap by [[Silver Hawk Irregulars]] & local militia unit [[Bondurant Bombardiers|The Bondurant Bombardiers]].
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Later in September, he and his Guards were deployed to the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth world of [[Bondurant]] to assist the now badly damaged [[Third Lyran Regulars]]. Here, his officers began to see his lack of military training as the Duke faced off with a skilled and determined enemy. The Duke showed fear for the first time in years and fell for a trap set by the [[Silver Hawk Irregulars]] and local militia unit [[Bondurant Bombardiers|The Bondurant Bombardiers]].
  
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He orders General Nordhoff and his Third to his aid, thinking he has found the Silver Hawks. Nordhoff orders artillery fire on the area, and Vedet is victim of friendly fire. This begins to cause Duke Vedet to think Nordhoff's loyalty is in question.  
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He ordered General Nordhoff and his Third to his aid, thinking he had found the Silver Hawks. Nordhoff called in artillery fire on the battlefield, and Vedet was a victim of friendly fire. This caused Duke Vedet to begin to question Nordhoff's loyalty.
  
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He is on Simpson Desert on 2nd December, and orders General Nordhoff to delay for three days before going to Tamarind to fight the [[First Tamarind Regulars]]. He hopes they will destroy the [[1st Steiner Strikers|Broken Sword]] battalion, and kill Trillian Steiner.
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The Duke arrived at Simpson Desert on 2nd December, ordering General Nordhoff to delay for three days before moving to Tamarind to fight the [[First Tamarind Regulars]]. He hoped they would destroy the [[1st Steiner Strikers|Broken Sword]] battalion, killing Trillian Steiner in the process.
  
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On 6th December, on Danais, Duke Vedet and the Hesperus Guards were attacked by the planetary militia "Daredevils of Danais", who somehow got into the rear area of the Duke's forces from thick forests. The Daredevils and the Silver Hawks Irregulars had led the Duke to believe the world was lightly defended as his forces took its capital city of Breckenridge. The city had been stripped of vital supplies the Duke needed, thus he ordered the retail store be raided for supplies.
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On 6th December, on Danais, Duke Vedet and the Hesperus Guards were attacked by the planetary militia "Daredevils of Danais", who somehow infiltrated the rear area of the Duke's forces through the thick forest. The Daredevils and the Silver Hawk Irregulars had led the Duke to believe the world was lightly defended as his forces took its capital city of Breckenridge. The city had been stripped of vital supplies the Duke needed, causing him to order retail stores to be raided for supplies.
  
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All facilities that Lyran forces tried to use were sabotaged. The city had become a symbol and rally point for the population to fight the invaders.
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All facilities that Lyran forces tried to use were sabotaged. The city had become a symbol and rallying point for the population to fight the invaders.
  
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Two days later, A Guard military aide, Hauptmann Klein, advised the Duke that he was leading them into a trap.  By the 9th, the Duke's forces are faced with civilian attacks, being influenced by Silver Hawk’s campaign to train civilians to resist the Lyran occupation more thoroughly, thus, making him feel unsafe, even within the confines of his own base. By January [[3138]], Duke Vedet learns that [[Clan Wolf]] has entered the conflict in the Marik-Stewart region.  Operation Hammerfall's actions are suspended until Wolf forces finished moving in. His operations had as well slowed down considerably on Danais by efforts of civilian and guerrilla fighters, thus he orders the citizens of Breckenridge all be arrested and locked up.
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Two days later, a Guards military aide, Hauptmann Klein, advised the Duke that he was leading them into a trap.  By the 9th, the Duke's forces were faced with attacks from civilians who had been trained in irregular warfare by the Silver Hawks, which made him feel vulnerable even within the confines of his own base. By January [[3138]], Duke Vedet learned that [[Clan Wolf]] had entered the conflict in the Marik-Stewart region.  Operation Hammerfall's actions were suspended until Wolf forces finished deployment. His operations had slowed down considerably on Danais from the efforts of civilian and guerrilla fighters, and he subsequently ordered widescale arrest and imprisonment of the citizens of Breckenridge.
  
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Duke Vedet and his guards are later relieved from their position on Danais, and are moved to capture the world of [[Helm]].  They arrive nearly at the same time as [[Star Colonel]] [[Alaric Wolf]]'s [[Cluster]] arrives in system.  The Duke shares his intel with Wolf Star Colonel trying to gain favor with him, but is almost completely ignored by his efforts by the Wolf officer.  Vedet is left out of the initial attack on the capital city of Helmsdown in late April.  However, Wolf forces call off the attack due to unexpected resistance.
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Duke Vedet and his Guards were later relieved from their position on Danais and moved to capture the world of [[Helm]].  They arrived at nearly the same time as [[Star Colonel]] [[Alaric Wolf]]'s [[Cluster]].  The Duke shared his intel with the Wolf Star Colonel in an attempt to gain favor but was almost completely ignored.  Vedet was left out of the initial attack on the capital city of Helmsdown in late April.  However, Wolf forces called off the attack due to unexpected resistance.
  
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After a few run-ins with Alaric, Duke Vedet's dislike toward the Wolf leader becomes increasingly hostile. Even the arrival of Trillian Steiner does not improve things as she attempts to get him and Wolf to move along with the invasion. Not until the arrival of the newly renamed Broke Sword battalion, now [[1st Steiner Strikers]] does the battle for the planet resume in late May.
+
After a few run-ins with Alaric, Duke Vedet's attitude toward the Wolf leader became increasingly hostile. Even the arrival of Trillian Steiner did not improve things as she attempted to coax him and Wolf to continue the invasion. The battle for the planet did not resume until late May with the arrival of the newly renamed Broken Sword battalion, now [[1st Steiner Strikers]].
  
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After Wolf forces strike into the city, Vedet orders his artillery on top of a nearby mountain side, to strike down on the defending Silver Hawk forces.   Vedet and his Guard manage to cage in the defending Hawks and pressures them to surrender.  However, the Wolves are not told of the surrender and some Hawk forces are not being part of it. Vedet's victory over the Hawk's is stolen and he is forced to attack the Hawks, after they tried to defend themselves against Wolves. This ends in a massacre, which is promptly covered up by Trillian Steiner.  Vedet, by this time, is furious with the Wolf leader and vows not to work with them again.  Rumors of the Wolves leaving the planet for the capital of [[Stewart]], prompts the Duke to muster his guard off planet to attack the Marik-Stewart capital.
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After Wolf forces pushed into the city, Vedet ordered his artillery stationed on a nearby mountainside to fire down on the defending Silver Hawk forces. Vedet and his Guards managed to cage in the defending Hawks and pressured them to surrender.  However, the Wolves were not told of the surrender and some Hawk forces did not take part. Vedet's victory over the Hawks was stolen and he was forced to attack them after they defended themselves against the Wolves. The [[Battle of Helm (3138)]] ended in a massacre, which was promptly covered up by Trillian Steiner.  By this time Vedet was furious with the Wolf leader and vowed never to work with them again.  Rumors of the Wolves leaving the planet for the capital of [[Stewart]] prompted the Duke to muster his Guards off the planet to attack the Marik-Stewart capital.
  
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On June 5th, Duke Vedet lands his forces south of the capital city of New Endinburgh. He learns prior to the landing, that Captain-General Anson Marik is still in the city.  Leading his forces from south, he dispatches a company to the west to cover a temporary Dropship port which he believes the Silver Hawks and the Captain-General will attempt to escape from.  Later, he learns of a motorcade of limos traveling within the city itself. He believes it is Anson attempting to escape. Duke Vedet leads his forces to attempt to intercept the motorcade. Colonel Roderick Steiner & his command lance and Alaric's Wolf Command Star rush out try to snatch the prize Duke Vedet is after.  When Vedet arrives, he is nearly killed after his infantry forces surround the limos and are overwhelmed by powerful explosions from them.
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On June 5th, Duke Vedet landed his forces south of the capital city of New Edinburgh. He learned prior to the landing that Captain-General Anson Marik was still in the city.  Leading his forces from the south, he dispatched a company to the west to cover a temporary DropShip port which he believed the Silver Hawks and the Captain-General would attempt to escape from.  Later, he learned of a motorcade of limos traveling within the city itself, assuming it to be Anson attempting to escape. Duke Vedet led his forces to intercept the motorcade. Colonel Roderick Steiner along with his command lance and Alaric's Wolf Command Star rushed out to try and snatch the prize from Duke Vedet instead.  Vedet arrived first but was nearly killed when the motorcade exploded, destroying his infantry forces surrounding the vehicles.
  
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Furious, the Duke orders New Endinburgh palace to be attacked, in hopes Anson is still there. His [[infantry]] forces penetrate the palace's defenses and end up killing Marik in a fierce fire fight.
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Furious, the Duke ordered New Edinburgh palace to be attacked, in the hope that Anson was still there. His [[infantry]] forces penetrated the palace's defenses and killed Anson in a fierce firefight.
  
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By the 10th of June, Duke Vedet orders no public mourning be held for the slain leader.
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By the 10th of June, Duke Vedet ordered no public mourning be held for the slain leader.
  
 
===Military Coup and Archonship===
 
===Military Coup and Archonship===
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Chosen by House Steiner's military cabal, on March 17th of [[3141]], Vedet lead bloodless military coup on [[Tharkad]]. With his 1st Hesperus Guards and senior officers of the LCAF at his back, he would unseat Melissa Steiner and claim title "Acting Archon". One few acts as Archon, he would designate his 1st Hesperus Guards as his own person body guards over the [[Royal Guards]].  His brief two year reign did little to reverse Commonwealth losing war against both [[Clan Wolf]] and [[Clan Jade Falcon]] as they made head way to the capital.  By [[3143]], in fear of facing both Clans on Tharkad, he fled the planet and leaving to Melissa Steiner who was free from house arrest by frantic military leadership of the LCAF.  
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Chosen by House Steiner's military cabal, on March 17th of [[3141]] Vedet led a bloodless military coup on [[Tharkad]]. With his 1st Hesperus Guards and senior officers of the LCAF at his back, he unseated Melissa Steiner and claimed the title of "Acting Archon". One of his few acts as Archon was to designate his 1st Hesperus Guards as his own personal bodyguards in place of the [[Royal Guards]].  His two-year reign did little to reverse the Commonwealth's failing war against both [[Clan Wolf]] and [[Clan Jade Falcon]] as the enemy forces made headway toward the capital.  By [[3143]], in fear of facing both Clans on Tharkad, he fled the planet and ceded control to Melissa Steiner, who was freed from house arrest by the frantic military leadership of the LCAF.
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===Exile and the Vesper Marches===
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Duke Vedet took his personal regiments anti-spinward within the Commonwealth to the world of [[Alekseyevka]], where they would be granted asylum by [[Margrave]] [[Diego Widmer]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 120–123: "Succession War/Commonwealth Guards" - Duke Brewer's actions in his brief term as Archon</ref> Nonetheless, after Widmer's secession from the Commonwealth and formation of the [[Buena Collective]], Brewer refused to bring his troops to Widmer's aid when the LCAF moved in [[3148]] to crush the rebel nation. Instead, he simply responded to Widmer's plea for assistance with the message "I hope you have an exit strategy."<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 49</ref>
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In [[3150]] Archon Trillian Steiner requested that Vedet use his regiment against another ex-Lyran breakaway state, the [[Timbuktu Collective]], but he stayed just as aloof as he did with Widmer. Instead, he took the Hesperus Guards and headed towards the Melissia Theater, with even the LIC unable to determine his ultimate goal.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 91</ref>
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Brewer revealed his intentions in January [[3151]] when he took the Guards into the [[Melissia]] system. Intending to make a bold strike against the Jade Falcons and gain political capital in his effort to reclaim the Archonship, Brewer instead discovered that the world had been abandoned by the Falcons. After several weeks of laying the groundwork, he persuaded both the independence-minded Melissia Republic and pro-Lyran nobles to accept his authority as their new leader. With Melissia under his control, Vedet Brewer proclaimed the formation of the [[Vesper Marches]] in March and called upon all Lyrans desiring a strong government to support him.<ref name=ICp112>''IlClan'', p. 112: "The Absent Duke</ref>
  
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Duke Vedet would lead his personal Regiments anti-spin within the Commonwealth to world of [[Alekseyevka]] where they would be granted asylum by [[Margrave]] [[Diego Widmer]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 120-123, "Succession War/Commonwealth Guards" - Duke Brewer's actions in his brief stay as Archon.</ref>
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==BattleMech==
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On Melissia Brewer piloted an ''[[Atlas III]]''.<ref>''Elements of Treason: Opportunity'', ch. 24</ref>
  
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==Character Notes==  
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==Notes==
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Duke Vedet is a trained Mechwarrior, despite lacking military schooling. He was only instructed by private instructors. He operates a new redesigned ''[[Atlas_(BattleMech)|Atlas]]'' Class BattleMech.
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* Duke Vedet is a trained MechWarrior, despite lacking military schooling. He was only instructed by private instructors. He operates a new redesigned ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]'' BattleMech.
  
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==Titles and Positions==
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* The ''[[Fenrir II]]'' is the result of a bet between Vedet (as Duke of Hesperus II) and Archon [[Adam Steiner]].<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth'', p. 8: "Fenrir II Assault Battle Armor"</ref>
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{{s-start}}
 
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{{s-bef|before=}}
 
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{{s-title|title=[[Duke of Hesperus II]]|years=[[]] - [[]]}}
 
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{{s-aft|after=}}}}
 
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{{s-bef|before=[[Melissa Steiner (32nd c.)|Melissa Steiner]]}}
 
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{{s-title|title=Archon of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]]|years=[[3141]] - [[3143]]}}
 
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{{s-aft|after=[[Melissa Steiner (32nd c.)|Melissa Steiner]]}}}}
 
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|}
 
  
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==References==  
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* Duke Vedet is sometimes listed as Brew'''st'''er rather than Brewer, primarily in Dark Age novels.{{cn}}
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==References==
 
<references />
 
<references />
  
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
 
* ''[[Blood of the Isle]]'' (novel)
 
* ''[[Blood of the Isle]]'' (novel)
 +
* ''[[Elements of Treason: Opportunity]]'' (novel)
 +
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
 
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
 
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
 
* ''[[Fire at Will]]'' (novel)
 
* ''[[Fire at Will]]'' (novel)
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* ''[[The Last Charge]]'' (novel)  
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* ''[[IlClan (sourcebook)|IlClan]]''
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* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]'' (sourcebook)
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* ''[[The Last Charge]]'' (novel)
 +
 
  
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[[Category: Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Brewer, Vedet]]
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[[Category: Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Brewer, Vedet]]
 
[[Category:Archons|Brewer, Vedet]]
 
[[Category:Archons|Brewer, Vedet]]

Latest revision as of 21:25, 7 February 2024

Vedet Gerald Greydon Brewer[1]
Vedet Gerald Greydon Brewer[1]
Personal
Also known asVedet Brewster
Born3090[2]
AffiliationHouse Brewer
Profile
Title(s)Archon[2]
Duke of Hesperus II[2]
ProfessionNoble
Family
SpouseCassandra Mylonasa (lover)[3]
ChildrenCallisto Mylonasa[4]

Vedet Gerald Greydon Brewer was a thirty-second century Lyran Commonwealth nobleman, the Duke of Hesperus II and CEO of Defiance Industries. An ambitious and ruthless leader, he seized the Archon's throne of the Commonwealth in 3141, abdicating two years later and fleeing to the Commonwealth's hinterlands. In 3151 Brewer established a new nation under his rule, the Vesper Marches.

A critic of Archon Melissa Steiner in the years following the Blackout, Brewer publicly voiced his opposition to her policies of merely strengthening the borders of the Commonwealth and not attacking other nations. His power and influence was such that Archon Steiner gave him a leading role in Operation HAMMERFALL in the late 3130s, where Brewer ostensibly proved himself a worthier leader to the LCAF's generals. After Clan Wolf turned upon the Commonwealth in 3140 he deposed Melissa Steiner the following year in a military-backed coup. His tenure as Archon lasted barely two years and was marked by a failure to halt the Wolves' advance into the Commonwealth, leading to Brewer's downfall and Melissa's restoration.

Exiling himself to the Commonwealth's remote regions, Brewer never gave up his claim to the Archonship. Following Clan Jade Falcon's abandonment of their Occupation Zone he took control of Melissia in March 3151 and proclaimed himself ruler of the Vesper Marches.

History[edit]

Early Years[edit]

Brewer spent some time at Melissia about 3121. There, he became lover of a noblewoman named Cassandra Mylonasa. He fell in love with her and, before being forced departing offplanet by political reasons, proposed her to marry him, but she wasn't able to leave. Vedet was forced to abandon the planet, and his family on Hesperus II kept him grounded on planet several years, and monitored all his communications, preventing him to contact Cassandra, but he attempted it anyway, in vain.[5]

The Troubles of Skye[edit]

On November 25th, 3134, Duke Vedet met with Trillian Steiner-Davion and his guest, a renegade Republic nobleman named Jasek Kelswa-Steiner, the leader of a pro–House Steiner splinter group known as the Stormhammers. Over dinner, Jasek convinced Trillian and the Duke that it was in the interests of the Commonwealth to aid him in invading the Jade Falcons, assuring them there would be no retaliation from the Clan. In December 3134, the Duke and Trillian provided Jasek military aid to fight Clan Jade Falcon's invasion of Skye, sending him LCAF forces that included Hesperus' guarding WarShip, LAS Yggdrasil.[6]

Operation HAMMERFALL and Glory Seeking[edit]

In March 3137, Trillian Steiner arrived at Hesperus II to inform Duke Vedet that he was offered a position as Campaign Leader by the Archon for Operation HAMMERFALL. Taking the opportunity to gain even more power, he accepted. However, leery of the Archon's offer, he and his military aide Colonel Bernard Nordhoff planned to take action against Trillian when the time was right.

Duke Vedet assembled his own regiment with his own people, naming it the 1st Hesperus Guards. The Duke had been assigned to fight in the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey, while General Nordhoff was assigned to fight in the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth.

He planned to take advantage of the invasion by moving ahead of the military timetable to pummel the Duchy into submission early. With no leadership, he hoped to take control of the worlds he conquered and install himself as their new leader, gaining enough power to ultimately contest the throne of the Lyran Commonwealth.

The Duke received his first taste of combat and victory on Shanta in July 3137 against the Shanta Home Guard. Shanta was a soft target world in his invasion plans.

Later, in August, he ordered the complete destruction of the Millungera Militia. He became accustomed to and fascinated with military life and killing.

In early September, Duke Vedet received word that the Royal regiments kept in reserve for Hammerfall were being deployed into the old Skye region of the Republic, taking away forces he was counting on for his campaign. He began to see his mistake in underestimating Archon Melissa and swore not to do it again.

Later in September, he and his Guards were deployed to the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth world of Bondurant to assist the now badly damaged Third Lyran Regulars. Here, his officers began to see his lack of military training as the Duke faced off with a skilled and determined enemy. The Duke showed fear for the first time in years and fell for a trap set by the Silver Hawk Irregulars and local militia unit The Bondurant Bombardiers.

He ordered General Nordhoff and his Third to his aid, thinking he had found the Silver Hawks. Nordhoff called in artillery fire on the battlefield, and Vedet was a victim of friendly fire. This caused Duke Vedet to begin to question Nordhoff's loyalty.

The Duke arrived at Simpson Desert on 2nd December, ordering General Nordhoff to delay for three days before moving to Tamarind to fight the First Tamarind Regulars. He hoped they would destroy the Broken Sword battalion, killing Trillian Steiner in the process.

On 6th December, on Danais, Duke Vedet and the Hesperus Guards were attacked by the planetary militia "Daredevils of Danais", who somehow infiltrated the rear area of the Duke's forces through the thick forest. The Daredevils and the Silver Hawk Irregulars had led the Duke to believe the world was lightly defended as his forces took its capital city of Breckenridge. The city had been stripped of vital supplies the Duke needed, causing him to order retail stores to be raided for supplies.

All facilities that Lyran forces tried to use were sabotaged. The city had become a symbol and rallying point for the population to fight the invaders.

Two days later, a Guards military aide, Hauptmann Klein, advised the Duke that he was leading them into a trap. By the 9th, the Duke's forces were faced with attacks from civilians who had been trained in irregular warfare by the Silver Hawks, which made him feel vulnerable even within the confines of his own base. By January 3138, Duke Vedet learned that Clan Wolf had entered the conflict in the Marik-Stewart region. Operation Hammerfall's actions were suspended until Wolf forces finished deployment. His operations had slowed down considerably on Danais from the efforts of civilian and guerrilla fighters, and he subsequently ordered widescale arrest and imprisonment of the citizens of Breckenridge.

Duke Vedet and his Guards were later relieved from their position on Danais and moved to capture the world of Helm. They arrived at nearly the same time as Star Colonel Alaric Wolf's Cluster. The Duke shared his intel with the Wolf Star Colonel in an attempt to gain favor but was almost completely ignored. Vedet was left out of the initial attack on the capital city of Helmsdown in late April. However, Wolf forces called off the attack due to unexpected resistance.

After a few run-ins with Alaric, Duke Vedet's attitude toward the Wolf leader became increasingly hostile. Even the arrival of Trillian Steiner did not improve things as she attempted to coax him and Wolf to continue the invasion. The battle for the planet did not resume until late May with the arrival of the newly renamed Broken Sword battalion, now 1st Steiner Strikers.

After Wolf forces pushed into the city, Vedet ordered his artillery stationed on a nearby mountainside to fire down on the defending Silver Hawk forces. Vedet and his Guards managed to cage in the defending Hawks and pressured them to surrender. However, the Wolves were not told of the surrender and some Hawk forces did not take part. Vedet's victory over the Hawks was stolen and he was forced to attack them after they defended themselves against the Wolves. The Battle of Helm (3138) ended in a massacre, which was promptly covered up by Trillian Steiner. By this time Vedet was furious with the Wolf leader and vowed never to work with them again. Rumors of the Wolves leaving the planet for the capital of Stewart prompted the Duke to muster his Guards off the planet to attack the Marik-Stewart capital.

On June 5th, Duke Vedet landed his forces south of the capital city of New Edinburgh. He learned prior to the landing that Captain-General Anson Marik was still in the city. Leading his forces from the south, he dispatched a company to the west to cover a temporary DropShip port which he believed the Silver Hawks and the Captain-General would attempt to escape from. Later, he learned of a motorcade of limos traveling within the city itself, assuming it to be Anson attempting to escape. Duke Vedet led his forces to intercept the motorcade. Colonel Roderick Steiner along with his command lance and Alaric's Wolf Command Star rushed out to try and snatch the prize from Duke Vedet instead. Vedet arrived first but was nearly killed when the motorcade exploded, destroying his infantry forces surrounding the vehicles.

Furious, the Duke ordered New Edinburgh palace to be attacked, in the hope that Anson was still there. His infantry forces penetrated the palace's defenses and killed Anson in a fierce firefight.

By the 10th of June, Duke Vedet ordered no public mourning be held for the slain leader.

Military Coup and Archonship[edit]

Chosen by House Steiner's military cabal, on March 17th of 3141 Vedet led a bloodless military coup on Tharkad. With his 1st Hesperus Guards and senior officers of the LCAF at his back, he unseated Melissa Steiner and claimed the title of "Acting Archon". One of his few acts as Archon was to designate his 1st Hesperus Guards as his own personal bodyguards in place of the Royal Guards. His two-year reign did little to reverse the Commonwealth's failing war against both Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon as the enemy forces made headway toward the capital. By 3143, in fear of facing both Clans on Tharkad, he fled the planet and ceded control to Melissa Steiner, who was freed from house arrest by the frantic military leadership of the LCAF.

Exile and the Vesper Marches[edit]

Duke Vedet took his personal regiments anti-spinward within the Commonwealth to the world of Alekseyevka, where they would be granted asylum by Margrave Diego Widmer.[7] Nonetheless, after Widmer's secession from the Commonwealth and formation of the Buena Collective, Brewer refused to bring his troops to Widmer's aid when the LCAF moved in 3148 to crush the rebel nation. Instead, he simply responded to Widmer's plea for assistance with the message "I hope you have an exit strategy."[8]

In 3150 Archon Trillian Steiner requested that Vedet use his regiment against another ex-Lyran breakaway state, the Timbuktu Collective, but he stayed just as aloof as he did with Widmer. Instead, he took the Hesperus Guards and headed towards the Melissia Theater, with even the LIC unable to determine his ultimate goal.[9]

Brewer revealed his intentions in January 3151 when he took the Guards into the Melissia system. Intending to make a bold strike against the Jade Falcons and gain political capital in his effort to reclaim the Archonship, Brewer instead discovered that the world had been abandoned by the Falcons. After several weeks of laying the groundwork, he persuaded both the independence-minded Melissia Republic and pro-Lyran nobles to accept his authority as their new leader. With Melissia under his control, Vedet Brewer proclaimed the formation of the Vesper Marches in March and called upon all Lyrans desiring a strong government to support him.[10]

BattleMech[edit]

On Melissia Brewer piloted an Atlas III.[11]

Notes[edit]

  • Duke Vedet is a trained MechWarrior, despite lacking military schooling. He was only instructed by private instructors. He operates a new redesigned Atlas BattleMech.
  • Duke Vedet is sometimes listed as Brewster rather than Brewer, primarily in Dark Age novels.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Elements of Treason: Opportunity, ch. 27
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tamar Rising, p. 91: "Vedet Brewer profile"
  3. ↑ Elements of Treason: Opportunity, ch. 8
  4. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 17
  5. ↑ Elements of Treason: Opportunity, ch. 11
  6. ↑ Blood of the Isle, ch. 24, pp. 166–171: First appearance of Vedet Brewer, Trillian Steiner-Davion, and the meeting that allowed House Steiner to aid Republic forces fighting on Skye
  7. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, pp. 120–123: "Succession War/Commonwealth Guards" - Duke Brewer's actions in his brief term as Archon
  8. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 49
  9. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 91
  10. ↑ IlClan, p. 112: "The Absent Duke
  11. ↑ Elements of Treason: Opportunity, ch. 24
  12. ↑ Technical Readout: 3145 Lyran Commonwealth, p. 8: "Fenrir II Assault Battle Armor"

Bibliography[edit]

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