Difference between revisions of "Wolves on the Border"
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| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
| development = | | development = | ||
| primarywriting = | | primarywriting = | ||
| − | | pages = | + | | pages = 338 |
| − | | cover = [[Jim Nelson]] (original)<br />[[Peter Peebles]] (reprint) | + | | cover = [[Hanzo]] (original)<br />[[Jim Nelson]] (original cover design)<br />[[Peter Peebles]] (reprint) |
| interiorart = | | interiorart = | ||
| illustrations = | | illustrations = | ||
| publisher = [[FASA]] (original)<br />[[Roc Books]] (reprint) | | publisher = [[FASA]] (original)<br />[[Roc Books]] (reprint) | ||
| − | | productioncode = | + | | productioncode = 8612 |
| year = 1 March, 1989 (original)<br />1 May, 1996 (reprint) | | year = 1 March, 1989 (original)<br />1 May, 1996 (reprint) | ||
| ISBN10 = 0451453883 | | ISBN10 = 0451453883 | ||
| ISBN13 = 978-0451453884 | | ISBN13 = 978-0451453884 | ||
| − | | MSRP = | + | | MSRP = 4.95 US$ |
| content = | | content = | ||
| era = [[Succession Wars era]] | | era = [[Succession Wars era]] | ||
| − | | timeline = [[ | + | | timeline = 14 September [[3021]] - 17 August [[3028]] |
| series = | | series = | ||
| precededby = | | precededby = | ||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
{{quote|''LIFE, DEATH, HONOR, FEALTY'' | {{quote|''LIFE, DEATH, HONOR, FEALTY'' | ||
| − | [[Bushido]] ''governs all these concepts. As a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] of the [[Draconis Combine]], [[Minobu Tetsuhara]] was bound by ''Bushido'' | + | [[Bushido]] ''governs all these concepts. As a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] of the [[Draconis Combine]], [[Minobu Tetsuhara]] was bound by ''Bushido''—a code that demands loyal service—to the devious [[Tai-shu|Warlord]] [[Grieg Samsonov]].'' |
''But when Minobu came upon a strange blue and gold ''[[Archer]]'', the field littered with its vanquished opponents, and its weapons now empty, ''Bushido'' also dictated that he not destroy an honorable but helpless warrior. And so he rescued [[Jaime Wolf]].'' | ''But when Minobu came upon a strange blue and gold ''[[Archer]]'', the field littered with its vanquished opponents, and its weapons now empty, ''Bushido'' also dictated that he not destroy an honorable but helpless warrior. And so he rescued [[Jaime Wolf]].'' | ||
| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
== Plot Summary == | == Plot Summary == | ||
| − | + | ===Prologue=== | |
| + | In [[3021]], [[Wolf's Dragoons]] (under contract to the [[Lyran Commonwealth]]) battle [[Draconis Combine]] forces on [[Dromini VI]]. During the fighting, ''[[Tai-i]]'' [[Minobu Tetsuhara]]'s command lance encounters a lone mercenary ''[[Archer]]'' that has valiantly destroyed a tank unit, but is now shut down with excess heat and helpless. Following his ''bushido'' code, Tetsuhara spares the enemy over the objections of his subjugate [[Jerry Akuma]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Book 1: Honor=== | ||
| + | Following the Dromini debacle, Tetsuhara was stripped of his command and denied the right to pilot the family 'Mech, a PNT-9R called ''Katana Kat'' which has passed on to his brother [[Fuhito Tetsuhara]]. When Wolf's Dragoons are contracted by the Draconis Combine, Minobu Tetsuhara is promoted to ''[[chu-sa]]'' and assigned as their chief [[liaison officer]] (service with the [[Professional Soldiery Liaison]] being considered a shameful assignment). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Tetsuhara joins Wolf's Dragoons on their first combat mission for the Combine, an attack against [[Quentin]] IV. He meets and is deeply impressed by their CO, Jaime Wolf. During the fighting the [[dispossessed]] Tetsuhara, piloting a borrowed Dragoon ''[[Vindicator]]'', encounters the same ''Archer'' from Dromini VI, again in a critical situation. Together with Dragoon MechWarrior [[Dechan Fraser]] he rescues the ''Archer'' again, only to find its pilot is none other than Jaime Wolf personally. | ||
| + | |||
== Featured characters == | == Featured characters == | ||
| − | * | + | * [[Jerry Akuma]] |
| + | * [[Hamilton Atwyl]] | ||
* "Gentleman" [[John Clavell|Johnny Clavell]] | * "Gentleman" [[John Clavell|Johnny Clavell]] | ||
| − | * | + | * [[Willard Gibbs]] |
* [[John Hayes]] | * [[John Hayes]] | ||
| − | * | + | * [[Takiro Ikeda]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Dechan Fraser]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Natasha Kerensky]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Takashi Kurita]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Colin MacLaren]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Michi Noketsuna]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Grieg Samsonov]] |
* [[Lynn Sheridan]] | * [[Lynn Sheridan]] | ||
| − | * | + | * [[Minobu Tetsuhara]] |
* [[Thomas West]] | * [[Thomas West]] | ||
| − | * | + | * [[Jaime Wolf]] |
* The [[Bounty Hunter]] | * The [[Bounty Hunter]] | ||
== Featured places == | == Featured places == | ||
| + | * [[Awano]] | ||
* [[Barlow's End]] | * [[Barlow's End]] | ||
* [[Benet III]] | * [[Benet III]] | ||
* [[Dromini VI]] | * [[Dromini VI]] | ||
* [[Misery]] | * [[Misery]] | ||
| − | * [[Quentin]] | + | * [[Quentin]] IV |
| + | |||
| + | ==Featured BattleTech== | ||
| + | ===BattleMechs=== | ||
| + | *''[[Archer]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[BattleMaster]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Commando]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Crusader]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Cyclops]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Enforcer]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Griffin]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Javelin]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Locust]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Marauder]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Ostscout]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Panther]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Phoenix Hawk]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Rifleman]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Scorpion (BattleMech)|Scorpion]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Shadow Hawk]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Stinger]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Valkyrie]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Vindicator]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Wolverine]]'' | ||
| + | ===Aerospace fighters=== | ||
| + | *''[[Lucifer]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Sparrowhawk]]'' | ||
| + | ===Vehicles=== | ||
| + | *[[Harasser]] | ||
| + | *[[Mobile HQ]] | ||
| + | ===DropShips=== | ||
| + | *''[[Leopard]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Leopard CV]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Fury (DropShip class)|Fury]]'' | ||
| + | *''[[Overlord]]'' (''[[Chieftain (Individual Overlord-class DropShip)|Chieftain]]'') | ||
| + | *''[[Union]]'' | ||
| + | *unspecified DropShip ''[[Starblade]]'' | ||
| + | ===JumpShips=== | ||
| + | *unspecified JumpShip ''[[Okomaru]]'' | ||
| + | ===Other=== | ||
| + | *''[[Hephaestus Station]]'' | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
| − | *The novel ranks very high on fan ratings and is consistently named among the best [[BattleTech]] novels published so far. | + | *The novel ranks very high on fan ratings and polls and is consistently named among the best [[BattleTech]] novels, if not the single best BattleTech novel published so far. |
| − | *The linked [[BattleCorps]] stories ''[[Feather Versus Mountain]]'' and ''[[Rise and Shine]]'' are tie-ins to the novel, providing what amounts to an extra chapter | + | *The linked [[BattleCorps]] stories ''[[Feather Versus Mountain]]'' and ''[[Rise and Shine]]'' are tie-ins to the novel, providing what amounts to an extra chapter. They describe the fighting in the city of Cerant on An Ting that leads up to Jerry Akuma's death in more detail, and shed some light on what happened after the novel's prologue scene with a focus on the minor character of ''Chu-i'' Gibbs (whose first name was given as "Willard") and his relationship with Jerry Akuma. |
| − | *The novel ''[[Redemption Rift]]'' | + | *The BattleCorps novel ''[[Redemption Rift]]'' narrates how Wolf's Dragoons take up service with the Draconis Combine again in the [[Dark Age era]] to fight against the Federated Suns, a situation similar to the setup in ''Wolves on the Border'' a century earlier. The opening scene of ''Redemption Rift'' prominently involves an old piece of pottery crafted by Minobu Tetsuhara himself and the characters use it to remind themselves of the historical implications of the situation. (The first chapter of ''Wolves on the Border'' begins with Minobu Tetsuhara painting a vase, which may or may not be the same item.) |
| + | *The climactic epilogue scene at the wedding —Jaime Wolf throwing Tetsuhara's swords at Takashi Kurita's feet—already featured in the previous BattleTech novel, ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]'', published five months earlier. | ||
| + | *Throughout the book, many scenes within Wolf's Dragoons are recognizable as [[Clan]] traditions. However, when the book was first published readers Would not be aware of this as the Clans were only introduced in a subsequent novel (''[[Lethal Heritage]]'') that was published six months later. It included the true original identity of Wolf's Dragoons as a scout and reconnaissance operation for the Clans as a big reveal at its end. | ||
== Covers == | == Covers == | ||
Revision as of 17:31, 11 September 2015
| |
| Wolves on the Border | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Novel |
| Author | Robert N. Charrette |
| Pages | 338 |
| Cover Artwork | Hanzo (original) Jim Nelson (original cover design) Peter Peebles (reprint) |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | FASA (original) Roc Books (reprint) |
| Product code | 8612 |
| First published | 1 March, 1989 (original) 1 May, 1996 (reprint) |
| ISBN-10 | 0451453883 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0451453884 |
| MSRP | 4.95 US$ |
| Content | |
| Era | Succession Wars era |
| Timeline | 14 September 3021 - 17 August 3028 |
Wolves on the Border, by Robert N. Charrette, narrates how Wolf's Dragoons, working as mercenaries for the Draconis Combine, become the target of a plot to either tie them to the Combine permanently against their will, or destroy them. Their liaison officer, Minobu Tetsuhara, a honorable warrior of House Kurita and close friend of Jaime Wolf, is trapped between friendship and duty.
The novel was made available on BattleCorps on 16 December 2009 as a PDF file (text only, without cover, pictures, or any other interior artwork except for the usual BattleCorps frame graphics). The PDF copy includes a disclaimer stating that it was created from a pre-final edition text that might differ from the printed version and that canon-wise, the print edition trumps the PDF edition.
Contents
From the back cover
| “ | LIFE, DEATH, HONOR, FEALTY
Bushido governs all these concepts. As a MechWarrior of the Draconis Combine, Minobu Tetsuhara was bound by Bushido—a code that demands loyal service—to the devious Warlord Grieg Samsonov. But when Minobu came upon a strange blue and gold Archer, the field littered with its vanquished opponents, and its weapons now empty, Bushido also dictated that he not destroy an honorable but helpless warrior. And so he rescued Jaime Wolf. Minobu was then assigned as liaison to the Wolf's Dragoons, one of the Combine's most elite mercenary units, who treated him with the respect due a fellow warrior. When the mercenaries refused to renew their contract with Samsonov, Minobu was instructed to destroy them. Now Bushido dictates that Minobu oppose his honorable foe, a man with whom he has served and who deserves far better than betrayal.... |
” |
Plot Summary
Prologue
In 3021, Wolf's Dragoons (under contract to the Lyran Commonwealth) battle Draconis Combine forces on Dromini VI. During the fighting, Tai-i Minobu Tetsuhara's command lance encounters a lone mercenary Archer that has valiantly destroyed a tank unit, but is now shut down with excess heat and helpless. Following his bushido code, Tetsuhara spares the enemy over the objections of his subjugate Jerry Akuma.
Book 1: Honor
Following the Dromini debacle, Tetsuhara was stripped of his command and denied the right to pilot the family 'Mech, a PNT-9R called Katana Kat which has passed on to his brother Fuhito Tetsuhara. When Wolf's Dragoons are contracted by the Draconis Combine, Minobu Tetsuhara is promoted to chu-sa and assigned as their chief liaison officer (service with the Professional Soldiery Liaison being considered a shameful assignment).
Tetsuhara joins Wolf's Dragoons on their first combat mission for the Combine, an attack against Quentin IV. He meets and is deeply impressed by their CO, Jaime Wolf. During the fighting the dispossessed Tetsuhara, piloting a borrowed Dragoon Vindicator, encounters the same Archer from Dromini VI, again in a critical situation. Together with Dragoon MechWarrior Dechan Fraser he rescues the Archer again, only to find its pilot is none other than Jaime Wolf personally.
Featured characters
- Jerry Akuma
- Hamilton Atwyl
- "Gentleman" Johnny Clavell
- Willard Gibbs
- John Hayes
- Takiro Ikeda
- Dechan Fraser
- Natasha Kerensky
- Takashi Kurita
- Colin MacLaren
- Michi Noketsuna
- Grieg Samsonov
- Lynn Sheridan
- Minobu Tetsuhara
- Thomas West
- Jaime Wolf
- The Bounty Hunter
Featured places
Featured BattleTech
BattleMechs
- Archer
- BattleMaster
- Commando
- Crusader
- Cyclops
- Enforcer
- Griffin
- Javelin
- Locust
- Marauder
- Ostscout
- Panther
- Phoenix Hawk
- Rifleman
- Scorpion
- Shadow Hawk
- Stinger
- Valkyrie
- Vindicator
- Wolverine
Aerospace fighters
Vehicles
DropShips
JumpShips
- unspecified JumpShip Okomaru
Other
Notes
- The novel ranks very high on fan ratings and polls and is consistently named among the best BattleTech novels, if not the single best BattleTech novel published so far.
- The linked BattleCorps stories Feather Versus Mountain and Rise and Shine are tie-ins to the novel, providing what amounts to an extra chapter. They describe the fighting in the city of Cerant on An Ting that leads up to Jerry Akuma's death in more detail, and shed some light on what happened after the novel's prologue scene with a focus on the minor character of Chu-i Gibbs (whose first name was given as "Willard") and his relationship with Jerry Akuma.
- The BattleCorps novel Redemption Rift narrates how Wolf's Dragoons take up service with the Draconis Combine again in the Dark Age era to fight against the Federated Suns, a situation similar to the setup in Wolves on the Border a century earlier. The opening scene of Redemption Rift prominently involves an old piece of pottery crafted by Minobu Tetsuhara himself and the characters use it to remind themselves of the historical implications of the situation. (The first chapter of Wolves on the Border begins with Minobu Tetsuhara painting a vase, which may or may not be the same item.)
- The climactic epilogue scene at the wedding —Jaime Wolf throwing Tetsuhara's swords at Takashi Kurita's feet—already featured in the previous BattleTech novel, Warrior: Riposte, published five months earlier.
- Throughout the book, many scenes within Wolf's Dragoons are recognizable as Clan traditions. However, when the book was first published readers Would not be aware of this as the Clans were only introduced in a subsequent novel (Lethal Heritage) that was published six months later. It included the true original identity of Wolf's Dragoons as a scout and reconnaissance operation for the Clans as a big reveal at its end.
Covers
Original 1989 cover.
Art by Jim Nelson.
1996 reprint.
Art by Peter Peebles.
2002 German translation. Art by Jim Nelson.
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