Knight Joy – Nomad Republic
Battle for Terra
Nomad Republic’s Knight Joy was a Republic Knight that fought during the Clan invasion of Terra. Her Doloire took on many public names but, regardless of the fierceness of her Battlemech’s names it was her character that all who survived knows – Clan and Inner Sphere alike. Her Battlemech was never found after her final battle on Terra, participating in the routing of Jade Falcon forces in Japan. However, this was not uncommon. Many Mechwarriors in the Republic’s Paladin and Knight ranks seem to have simply vanished before the official surrender of the Republic.
It seemed she was in nearly all the main battles, quickly being redeployed. Initially, she was part of a reaction unit that deployed within the hour of confirming the Clan Wolf landing zone in Australia. She was there, fighting alongside the Redburn Guards. While she disagreed with what Damien Redburn did that forced the Fidelis to act in a manner they deemed dishonorable, she understood that they had felt abandoned and barely able to survive in the Remnant. She did all she could to show him and his Remnant warriors that they no longer had to fight battles alone.
Her Doloire was often seen augmenting the Command Lance alongside Redburn and the Anderson brothers. An Atlas III, twin Laments, and a Doloire was a devastating mix. Early in the fighting her mech was pitch black but, that was going to change in the future.
As the battle plans changed due to the Wolves landing in Australia and not in Geneva as expected, once the tides began to turn under the strength of the entire Clan in Australia, she was re-deployed into Asia. This was to prepare forces that were understrength in areas not expecting to see fighting so soon. While some Wolves were following Zellbrigen, many were not and the unseasoned troops needed to learn what to expect.
She lived out of her mech for days on end as she moved from cluster to cluster of troops. From a Republic Knight growing morale, to fighting alongside Republic personnel, and giving kind words to wounded Mechwarriors, she was present and a great many saw her. The hope that she provided as well as raising the spirit of Republic troops cannot be understated. Such an impact was made that even after devastating losses, such as Operation Four Horsemen, we could gather accurate descriptions of her.
She was a Mechwarrior in appearance, through and through, nearly two meters tall, fair skin, long brunette hair, and a muscular build – feminine of course – but could be heard jabbing at the men in the weight room for “skipping leg day”. Another Mechwarrior that kept a very low profile was occasionally seen with her, he wore a ring just as she did but no one knows his name. Some information hints that he was severely injured at one point from his physical features but no one can confirm it.
Republic troops that she visited while they were wounded said that there was a specific scent she wore, something they had never experienced before or could figure out. It almost seemed to entirely dissipate the horrid stench of injury and death in the medical areas. The medics reported numerous times that her presence alone seemed to help the injured heal faster – they speculate it was hope.
While still in Asia, after multiple battles and dead Wolves to her name a couple of techs approached her in the mechbay as they were about to repair her Doloire. Still pitch black, they had a few ideas. Of course, the usual, names, were suggested to be added to the mech. However, one tech suggested they avoid names altogether as it was clear the pitch black Doloire stood for hope. His suggestion was to inspire fear and rage in the enemy. She had already proven she could stand against Star Commanders and Captains, in the most recent battle, she sent a Gauss Slug directly through the head of a Savage Wolf, unfortunately, not Alaric’s.
After approving the idea she moved to the barracks area, excited to see the result she agreed upon in the morning. She was not disappointed. A personal accounting from one of the techs (the one whose idea it was, was killed just days later) was as though he was watching a film of it happening, the way he shifted into a thousand mile stare.
———
“It was about 0500, the techs were lined up around her Doloire, proud as can be. Then the bay doors retracted from the barracks. Dead silence filled the bay as she emerged from the light in the tunnel. She was in a jumpsuit that flattered her figure but not overly so. She did not look up at the machine, in fact she covered that field of her view as she approached the bay her Doloire was in.” he said.
He gave a long pause, smiling…
“She looked up enough to see the technicians around the feet of the machine and the looks of tense excitement, I remember making direct eye contact as she looked among us. Then her hand fell to her side as she looked up. She kept her face completely straight and neutral the entire time.”
“Then we saw the corner of her mouth raise ever so slightly into a grin.”
“’That is perfect!’ She exclaimed as she swung a fist and then clapped her hands. She began shaking the tech’s hands, as everyone clapped and cheered, she patted them on the shoulder, one by one, thanking each one by name, including me.”
———
At this point in the interview it was like he was in a different world, not answering any additional questions. He later added that her smile was captivating, even showing us a picture she took with every tech in the bay lined up beside her and up in the rafters around the Battlemech. Every single tech in the bay had done some part of the new addition to the Battlemech.
A massive wolf pelt now draped across the front and back of the Battlemech. There’s a white eye of the dead animal and the other red, blood running down from where she shot that Wolf Battlemech in the cockpit – through the head in other words.
Just like as it had been for weeks, she was deployed once again, this time to Geneva. This is where many of the warriors in her order of Knights of the Sphere were deployed. Only now, she would be facing the heinous devastation of Malvina’s forces. The dropship that brought her into the combat zone gave her a view of the devastation of the orbital bombardments. Many fortifications had been leveled and the redoubt walls had massive holes through them.
Her first contact was a hot drop directly into a battle. Of course, she was not alone. She had taken in a bondsman – one that was more than happy to help kill Falcons. It turned out, and it was kept very quiet until she left the Wolf front, the Savage Wolf’s pilot survived after she took the mech down. This former Star Captain was quite lucky as the Slug ripped off a cybernetic arm that could easily be replaced. It was replaced with one far more efficient and that possessed superior technology. This is one of the perks of controlling the main planet from the Word of Blake and their technology research that was left over.
We do have a copy of her BattleROM from this hotdrop, what was copied while she was present in Geneva.
———
“Radick, follow me out, secure the LZ.”
“Aff, Knight Joy.”
A pair of massive mechanical dropship arms held the Doloire and Savage Wolf side by side. Seconds later it released them, the portable boosters soon engaging to slow their descent. The dropship itself was providing covering fire into a visible street with Falcons down it. Seconds later, the pair of Battlemechs landed, under fire from a handful of vehicles.
A flash illuminated her cockpit as one of her gauss slugs ripped through a Cizin, sending the 45 ton hovercraft into the ground, rolling. On the right side of the screen a barrage of fire is seen from the Savage Wolf, tearing another Cizin apart.
“Lady Joy, this is Captain Thompson, Armor is deployed on the Starboard side and we are lifting off, farewell.”
“Solid Copy Captain, fly safe!”
Both Battlemechs began to walk forward as the Mechwarriors could feel the pressure against their mechs as the Leopard began lifting off, its massive thrusters pushing huge quantities of air outwards. As it reached 20 meters up it began receiving and giving return fire, beginning its escape run.
The deployed forces began to move into formation with the two Battlemechs. A pair of JES II Missile Carriers began laying down fire through a pair of streets they could see directly down, ahead of them. Multiple types of Battle Armor such as Cavalier and Taranis suits followed in a trio of SM1 Tank Destroyers making their way to the fighting.
Looking hopeful as though this hot drop flanking maneuver might play out, the Republic reinforcements continue firing down the streets they were entering.
“Wretched Falcons!” Radick yelled over their channel as the Savage Wolf committed an Alpha Strike against a Gyrfalcon and he rushed around a street corner ahead of the Doloire.
The lead SM1 Tank Destroyer was hit by a pair of PPCs two intersections ahead. It dropped its port side skirt, sending it out of control and into a building, the floor above collapsed on it. In unison, the second two rotated and unloaded an ungodly amount of autocannon fire where the PPCs originated from once they reached the same intersection. Seconds later an explosion threw debris over the Destroyers and they continued on to find additional targets.
———–
Shortly after this engagement the Falcons began to flee the area, which was the warning sign of an orbital strike. Each warrior’s HUD gave NAV points to where an underground entrance was and they, along with their support units, made best speed. Once the massive door closed a thunderous roar could be heard above them.
She continued to aid Geneva’s defense until it had nearly fallen. Exarch Jonah Levin himself redeployed her to Japan, one of the last few strongholds that had not been hit yet. With the Falcons deploying to the Americas, Asia and Australia overrun by Wolves, it was time to go – he knew her value for morale by word of mouth and even in her short time in Geneva he had witnessed it.
Landing in Japan, an untouched area, appearing so normal and peaceful, she met with the Commanding Officer. As we know from history, the entire country was ready to defend itself. Her presence amplified that courage. A great many, from foot soldiers to fellow Mechwarriors, greeted her over the following days.
Then, the day finally came. Shadows covered the cities as dropships began hot dropping Battlemechs. Warning sirens blared across the country. She and Radick ran into the mechbay. They paused as a Peacekeeper lumbered by, massive foot fall after massive footfall. Two Shiros followed behind, followed by a Hitotsume Kozo. They crossed the bay before a Grand Dragon and Exhumer reached them.
Scrambling into their Battlemechs and powering them up, they entered the column to exit the hardened bunker. Fighting was happening across Tokyo, many of the Falcons foolishly landed inside redoubt walls, making them easy prey for getting swarmed.
Dropships that had landed were deploying ground forces outside the city. Following the HUD Nav Points to their area of operation they were set upon by a pair of Shrikes. Radick spotted them exploding out of a massive warehouse on Knight Joy’s flank. He accelerated into a sprint, slamming into the nearest one that was trying to sink its hand’s talons into the Doloire’s rear armor.
Both the Shrike and Savage Wolf collapsed into a mess of Battlemech limbs on the ground, both attempting to stand more quickly than the other. Lady Joy swung her Doloire and met the standing Shrike’s gaze. Both unleashed Alpha Strikes on each other. However, the Doloire’s Actuator Enhancement System gave Lady Joy the edge, especially paired with the pulse lasers.
Like strikes of lightning, the pulsing blue flashes melted armor across the Shrike’s torsos. Her opponent took to the air on columns of flame as the massive machines fired on each other. It landed on a building and knowing the city sector was evacuated, Knight Joy fired on the structure. It shook, and before the Shrike’s jump jets could recharge, fell through the collapsing structure. A burst of glass and dust blew out on the bottom floor as the Shrike hit the ground and the building collapsed on it.
Clear of her target, she turned to help her bondsman. In shock she looked on. Radick’s Battlemech was missing an arm and had been forced up against a building by the sheer power of the Shrike. Before she could even open fire, she could only watch as the Autocannons fired into the cockpit and the mech’s internals. It wasn’t a clean, single slug, like her own, but a barrage of hellfire.
The Doloire surged forward, unleashing her Gauss Rifle into the rear armor of the Shrike, not even this beast could withstand such an impact. The Shrike tilted forward over the limp Savage Wolf, its own head smashing into the building. A second later Lady Joy’s Doloire punched straight through the Battlemech’s Center torso. She ripped the arm upwards towards the cockpit, knocking it loose and tearing it away from the Battlemech. In the process the pilot was crushed.
There, the Shrike collapsed in a heap next to the dead Savage Wolf. Just confirming her suspicion, she looked down and saw the fire burning the motionless Savage Wolf. His metal hand clutching the armrest of the burning, destroyed combat couch.
She persevered on and helped the local citizens repel and destroy the Falcon attackers to the last. Before returning to the mechbay she was communicating with the base itself before they were interrupted by an ‘eyes only’ communication, which cut her off from the base.
Minutes later the Doloire dropped off the radar. A city camera picked up the last images of her Battlemech before it vanished. She had clearly added additional details to the paint, regardless of the damage. Lightning bolts lined the arms and golden talons lined the Doloire’s waist.
She was a hero of the Republic and many hope to see her again.
—
As of the end of 3152 Knight Joy is leading the battalion tasked with evacuating as many civilians as possible on the planet of Abbeville to the ships of Nomad Republic. This is the first ground based combat between forces from the Inner Sphere and the Word of Blake since the Word of Blake Jihad.
