Esbern Rand

Esbern Rand is a Mechwarrior serving within the Rasalhague Dominion’s Phi Galaxy. Through remarkable circumstances, he serves as Galaxy Commander against the Capellan Confedetaion on behalf of the Wolf Empire’s Star League Defense Force.

Stern, serious, he rarely spoke save to those few he absolutely trusted. He was known to be quite effective in logistics and in knowledge of top-down operations. He is also an impressive duelist. However, these skills did not make him as effective a battlefield commander. When fighting from the front, Esbern allegedly froze multiple times in his early career. He became more effective at delegation in such circumstances over the years. He surrounds himself with skilled individuals to help mitigate his issues.

History

Esbern Rand’s Early Life

Esbern was decanted into an extended artificial womb as part of Project Soul Jar on Balmung II, within the sanctum of a sibko of Project Inheritance. The extended womb contained him until he was 16 years old. Sometime in 3140, then-Galaxy Commanders Paul and Shelly Rand demanded the termination of Project Soul Jar. When they were informed that one specimen survived from among the same progeny that produced them, they were intrigued and ordered him transferred into the sibko proper of Project Inheritance.

He had a great deal of trouble adjusting to a social setting, having spent his first sixteen years in a brainwashing dream. After a few weeks of seemingly under-achieving and showing a willing avoidance of socialization, another Elemental within the sibko saw fit to try and haze him. When the other Elemental reached to grab Esbern, he struck the larger male in the throat and crushed his trachea. Due to the nature of Project Inheritance, their Ursari did not prevent nor punish the killing, especially when it was made clear Esbern was not intent on continuing to fight others.

Blooding

In the days leading up to his Trial of Position, it became known to Galaxy Commander Joshua Bekker that the twins Paul and Shelly Rand were vying to have Esbern maneuver into authority and oust him from his role. Joshua attempted a counter-maneuver, but to no avail. In Esbern’s Trial, he and his fellow cadet Julianna declared a free-for-all, in which he achieved four kills and earn the rank of Star Colonel. One of these kills was surrendered to him by Julianna in order to secure his position while she retained the other two, earning the rank of Star Commander. Within a month, he was bid into Phi Galaxy and sponsored to compete for the Rand bloodname by multiple members of its command structure.

Early Service

Esbern held a largely logistical role as a Star Colonel, managing a garrison at Thule and helping to administer Mercenary and Corporate Security forces. By June 3146, all Colonels of Phi Galaxy were in position by order of the Khan or SaKhan. Due to shameful failures of Galaxy Commander Joshua Bekker, they were unable to halt Hell’s Horses raids. A vote of no-confidence against Bekker was issued by the commanders of his unit. Joshua issued a Trial of Refusal against Star Colonel Esbern Rand, who accepted and chose to fight unaugmented. Joshua Bekker lost soundly, but was left alive. The then Star Colonel Bekker was later transferred to a garrison at St. John to reinforce Kappa Galaxy, unable to face his former subordinates.

After assuming the mantle of Galaxy Commander by the vote of his fellow Colonels and the ascent of Khan Dalia Bekker, Esbern Rand set to work repairing the reputation of Phi as a logistical support Galaxy and training new warriors to the standards of the Clans during Operation REVIVAL. Esbern did not support Clan Ghost Bear and the Rasalhague Dominion joining the New Star League. He viewed it as a form of betrayal of the ideals of his Clan, and the greater good.

His opinion was not taken in consideration when Dalia Bekker and Hjalmer Miraborg commited 3 of their second-line galaxy to the defense of the New Star League. The Capellan – Star League War would teach Esbern Rand more about command and combat than he had learned both in the Iron Womb and commanding logistical units against raiders and pirates.

Esbern Rand’s Battlemech

Esbern Rand pilots a Reaver named “King of Diamonds”.