Romona Marsh

Romona Marsh has been part of the Andurien Rangers leadership from a very young age. Her father was formerly the XO to Major General Tracy Fenton. Her appointment to command the First Andurien Rangers, however, was entirely due to her own competence. Her outgoing personality in some interviews led to a nation-wide joke meme, after a journalist asked “Romona?” and she answered with “WHAT?” in the most nasally voice possible. Most Andurien, when their name is called by friends, instinctively now say “WHAT?” in a similarly nasally voice.

Early life

Romona Gilberts was born on Andurien to a military family. Her father served as Executive Officer to the Andurien Rangers command structure. This led the young girl to be raised in an incredibly strict household and be educated almost strictly in military schools. Before even joining any official military academy, Romona had cut her teeth in ‘mech piloting in her father’s old BattleMaster.

At the Humphreys Training Academy, Romona loved the basic survival training enough she requested to help with them, serving as a “warrant cadet” to help the instructors. She saw herself become an instructor at the academy, but her father requested she join the First Andurien Rangers to replace him as XO. Graduating on a Captain billet, Mrs Gilberts always behaved like a drill instructor, even with veteran soldiers.

Operation TRIUMVIR

During Operation TRIUMVIR, Lieutenant-Colonel Marsh (after her marriage) was deployed to El Giza to reclaim the lost world. Her forces were mostly fighting The Ponti to counter their light scouts with her own highly mobile forces. She fought a duel with The Ponti’s commander, Humberto Curry, which ended in a draw.

Operation REBOUND

Promoted after her actions during TRIUMVIR, the now Colonel Marsh served in a defensive position with the First Andurien Rangers. Command stationed her at the border of the independent worlds that the Duchy wanted to annex. From Deschenes, she organized a mobile defense with nearby worlds. This led the Andurien Defense Force to want to establish Deschenes as a primary defense headquarters for that region, a task which Colonel Marsh was given in conjunction with the Magistracy of Canopus First Canopian Fusiliers.

Battle of Deschenes

After the death of Ilsa Centrella, Colonel Marsh was not pleased with the fact her colleague Viviana Aranda, of the MAF was ordered to try to take over Deschenes. The two had a cozy relationship since starting to work together. Her orders for the conflict were to inflict as little harm to infrastructure on the world while cutting off the First Canopian Fusiliers. Romona Marsh wanted the Fusiliers to surrender rather than fight a decisive, costly battle for both sides.

As she took the upper hand by capturing the planetary energy grid, Colonel Marsh brought Viviana Aranda to the negotiation table. Both were wanting to simply “live and let live”, letting the Fusiliers leave the planet. However, further orders from the MAF wanted the First Fusiliers to fight to the death. The following missive from the Andurien government revealed some salacious details about the Magistracy criminal activities, which Romona Marsh used to convince Viviana Aranda to defect to the Duchy of Andurien with her forces.

Personal life

Romona Marsh is married to Locas Marsh, a bureaucrat on Xanthe III. The two are somewhat estranged as Romona is on long-term deployments, but their children enjoy the presence of both their parents. Her two oldest have recently joined the Humphreys Training Academy.

Romona Marsh’s BattleMech

Colonel Marsh pilots a CNS-5M Cronus.