Irisz,
You asked me to do some digging into these re-emerged Roughnecks. This is the best that myself and the others you put on job were able to put together. I admit there’s a fair amount of speculation in filling in the gaps, but I think it’s solid enough.
Raymond’s Roughnecks were employed by the Word of Blake during the jihad. The unit was functionally destroyed in 3075 in combat with the Irregulars. Nina Raymond, the unit’s then commander, died in single combat with Annika Magyari. Colin Raymond, her older son, was captured; Bruce Raymond, her younger, survived and escaped with the rest of the command. From there we lose track of them, but conventional wisdom holds that they remained in the Word’s employ and were merged down into another command before being finally destroyed during operation SCOUR. (The MRBC’s claim that all the units that worked for the Word were destroyed has since been proven erroneous)
In the mid 3080s, a unit identified as Barret’s Bushrangers emerged in the Herotitus hiring halls, and were immediately snapped up by the Taurian Concordat. The unit was lead by one Bruce Barrett, a commander of unknown providence but clear prior experience. It’s worth noting that such is not exceptional in the Periphery mercenary market by any stretch of the imagination. The Bushrangers were a small command, equipped with a mixed force of battered Battlemechs and vehicles.
Despite the market they were working in, the Bushrangers managed to survive and grow over the years. They primarily worked for the Taurian Concordat, but also saw service with the other rimward states and minor powers. The unit proved to be particularly adept at pirate hunting, and was responsible for the destruction of several notable bands during their career. At some point around 3118, command of the unit passed to Coleen Barrett, the daughter of its previous commander (and presumably granddaughter of Bruce).
Under her command, the unit began seeking out contracts in the Inner Sphere. In 3121, the Bushrangers suffered substantial losses fighting against the DCMS on Misery, including their XO, Shane Packard. (Whom Jessie Raymond has identified as being her father). The unit then drops off the map.
The second unit to be involved in this is McDougall’s Iron Hose, an armour and infantry command. In 3122, the Iron Horse suffered severe losses while under contract to the Regulans, and apparently were dissolved, removing them from the MRBC rolls. The information supplied by Jessie Raymond indicated that Ron McDougall had married her mother, Connie Raymond, as a part of a merger between the two units. This union also produced a son, Ronnie Raymond.
Raymond’s Roughnecks first reappear in 3133 as a part of the Outreach Revival movement. The unit was apparently registered by the MRBC, however given the commission’s weakened state, they took little or no action to verify the connection to the prior incarnation. However, it seems no action was taken to follow through on the outstanding warrants held over the unit (Even though the provisions of Kings’ Tigers vs MRBC would have made it clear that the Roughnecks would have little to answer for). A cursory check of the (limited) information they provided to the MRBC lists Connie Raymond as the commander, and Ron McDougall as her XO. If there is more, it’s still on Outreach behind the walls of Fortress Republic.
Given the current dire state of the MRBC and the amount of contracts that are taken off the record, we cannot find much about the unit’s operational history since then. I can confirm that they were active in the Komorphoros civil war in 3137-38 working for the government, and apparently grew considerably of salvage and remnants of other units. Sometime in the last two-three years, Jessie and Ronnie Raymond both became active in the unit as Mechwarrior lieutenants, presumably being groomed to eventually take command of the unit.
Given the evidence available, especially Jessie Raymond’s own recall, I have to conclude that Raymond’s Roughnecks and Barret’s Bushrangers are one and the same. The most logical series of events is that Bruce Raymond and the remnants of the Roughnecks fled to the periphery and took refuge in the Concordat. He reformed the unit under an assumed identity, presumably to keep below the radar of Bounty Hunters and outstanding warrants. The unit continued to operate like this until Coleen Barret (nee Colleen Raymond) took control of it and returned to the Inner Sphere proper.
After the losses suffered on Misery (including the death of her husband and XO), the unit merged with McDougall’s Iron Horse. Based on Ronnie Raymond’s age, this happened no later then 3122. At or before this point, the unit had presumably returned to using the Raymond’s Roughnecks name, including Coleen/Connie reclaiming her surname (and thus passing it to her children).
The big problem is that I am still missing a gap from 3122 to 3133. It is possible that the unit continued to operate out of Herotitus during this time under its new name and thus was not subject to MRBC oversight. Another possibility is that the unit worked entirely outside of any regulatory agency during that period, or even continued to use the Barret’s Bushrangers name. Unfortunately, without access to HPG communication, it will take months if not years to retrieve any information from Herotitus.
The real threat comes in Connie Raymond’s apparent willingness to continue the feud between our two units. Mercenary history is rife with such feuds, and the consequences of them. The last thing we want is something blowing up in our faces because she’s still angry over something that happened a hundred and thirty years ago.
I’ve also expanded on my profiles of the key unit members.
Connie Raymond (aka Coleen Barrett): Born c3090, Periphery, presumed grand-daughter of Bruce Raymond. Major, commander of Raymond’s Rougnecks. A MechWarrior, but we have not yet been able to identify her individual BattleMech. Determined and driven, but clearly carries a lot of anger and resentment. If I was to speculate, I would imagine that her family being effectively exiled to the periphery and unable to use their real names did a lot to fuel her resentment of us and her desire to continue the feud. Raymond also exhibited something of a ruthless streak when she was willing to use her own son as a bargaining chip against us.
Ron “Big Ron” McDougall: born 3090, Galatea. A born Mercenary brat, Ron McDougall inherited the gutted wreckage of McDougall’s Iron horse in 3122. He and Connie Raymond formed an alliance to salvage both their units through merging them, with a dynastic marriage sealing the deal. Unlike Connie, Big Ron is far more relaxed and moderate, and clearly shows a lot deeper concern for the lives of his men (especially his son, Ronnie). The unit’s XO and a tank commander, he apparently prefers to lead from in the field. Big Ron does seem to be some sort of moderating influence on the unit as a whole, and does not seem to have any stake in the ongoing feud.
Jessie Raymond: born c3120, unknown; daughter of Connie Raymond and Shane Packard (deceased); Connie’s oldest child and only from her first marriage. A decent MechWarrior, Jessie is a lieutenant largely due to her parentage more then anything else, but shows little skill or aptitude for command. She comes off as somewhat socially inept and reserved, and somewhat naive. She also does not seem to have any stake in the ongoing feud, but is more going along with it because of her mother. Jessie is a useful weak link in the unit that could prove to be a valuable source of information. Given that she is currently in poor standing with her mother, she might even be convinced to leave the unit.
Ronnie Raymond: born c3122, unknown; son of Connie Raymond and Ron McDougall. Connie’s second child. A MechWarrior and officer, Ronnie shows only marginal skills for either, and again appears to have been promoted largely due to his parentage rather then any actual talent. Overly ambitious (and possibly somewhat resentful), Ronnie has been observed trying to recruit outside of the unit; whether this is to build a core of supporters loyal to him or even his trying to build his own unit is unknown. Regardless, Ronnie does seem to be loyal to the unit and his mother’s goals, whatever they may be.
