Author Topic: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt  (Read 3633 times)

Colt Ward

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This came up in a conversation with my wife, sounded like it would be fun to create-


-Major Karen von Tunt at a high society charity ball-

Major Karen Von Tunt
Current Position-  Lyran Command mercenary liaison officer
Mech-  Firestarter 9S
Ancestral Home- an island of Tharkad's New Bismark Archipelago
Spouse- Colonel A. C. Hogarth (General Thomas Hogarth's youngest brother)
Catch phrase- "Let me speak to your superior!"

More to come
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Colt Ward

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #1 on: 06 May 2020, 16:05:56 »

Born on Tharkad to parents who had traveled from their ancestral home in the equatorial islands to the nation’s capital of Tharkad City for her birth, it was important to her mother for her children to be born in the center of Lyran power.  Her early life was relatively uneventful though her mother went through household servants faster than was the norm for her family’s social standing, in fact her mother’s peers made whispered comments about the number of servants employed by the von Tunts.  When she came of age, Karen was sent to Archon’s Preparatory School whose staff soon became familiar with her socially ambitious parents who were in regular meetings with the chancellor in an attempt to gain their daughter advantages despite her academic standings.  The only things that really got Karen into the school, and kept her there, were the von Tunt family’s distant relationship to the Steiners and Marsdens (2800s and 2600s respectively) and her maternal grandfather’s deep bank accounts.  Archon’s Preparatory School allowed Karen to meet and form social contacts with children from many of the great families of the Estates General, cadet lines of the Steiner family, and Lyran merchant ‘princes’ -her family viewed such contacts as more important than the academics she slogged her way through in the expensive classes.  Karen graduated in 3036 with a ranking of 1633rd in her class of 2142 though in her final years she was seen at parties with Randolph Brewster, on holiday back in the New Bismarck Archipelago amid classmates Nicholas Fisk and the Arcturus Marsdens, and of course the Archon’s Ball where she talked about great-aunt Nondi though the relationship was several times removed from being as close as she intimated.

Karen von Tunt was accepted into the Nagelring Class of 3040 and was a proud graduate of the Class of 3041.  Her entrance exams, in hindsight, were the high point of her academic career in that she did not live up to the promise of her test results.  Influence was expended (probably along with kroner) to see that none of the entrance exam proctors paid too much attention to her- in fact its questionable if she was even the one who took the tests in the first place, though she absolutely was the one who stumbled through her mechwarrior testing.  The brain wave patterns submitted and used during the test are the same ones that followed her on her career, that much is proven.  Karen von Tunt graduated 824th in the Class of 3041’s 827 graduates with a posting to the Lyran Regulars which caused a unfortunate general in charge of the LCAF Bolan quartermasters to be subjected to two hours of lecturing at the next Triad social event about how Karen was not ‘regular’ and should be immediately posted to the Royals regiment on Tharkad.  Baroness von Tunt had worked up quite a head of steam as she had worked her way up the ranks of several officers at the charity ball, going from kommadant, to Hauptman, to colonel before he pointed her to the general as a officer who outranked him.  “Young man/woman, I want to speak with a superior officer about a posting- should I talk to you or is there someone here more senior I should speak to?” has a way of quickly getting a senior officer pointed out.

Lieutenant von Tunt found her experience among the Lyran Regulars to be unbearable.  She spent time with many commoners, her company commanders were not fans of her frequent trips to the battalion headquarters to file complaints about her treatment- no one ever admitted or was found to have done the vandalism scratching out the first T on her issued gear that carried her first initial and last name to mark her equipment (marked as K Tunt) despite investigations.  After her initial tour she was transferred to the LCAF Inspectorate General Corps which did not help her skills as a mechwarrior since while the Firestarter her grandfather had purchased for her Nagelring graduation did follow her in the position she did not have to do more than meet the yearly proficiency qualifications.
« Last Edit: 06 May 2020, 16:09:52 by Colt Ward »
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

snakespinner

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #2 on: 06 May 2020, 17:19:41 »
Lyran nobles are perfect for this kind of write up.
Great name you chose.
Looking forward to the many future misadventures of the Von Tunt's. :thumbsup:
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ckosacranoid

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #3 on: 08 May 2020, 01:08:30 »
A Karen has become a mechwarrior....oh god, the horror that she is....

DOC_Agren

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #4 on: 11 May 2020, 18:44:30 »
Interesting I can't wait for more of her story
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Cannonshop

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #5 on: 12 May 2020, 08:32:05 »
:)
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kindalas

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #6 on: 12 May 2020, 10:26:48 »
I feel like I now understand why some mechs don't come with CASE.

Colt Ward

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #7 on: 14 May 2020, 20:35:10 »


"No Karen, you can't return unused ammo just because its the end of the fiscal year."

With her assignment to the quartermaster department of the Tamar Pact Captain von Tunt maintained her defense industry contacts and further developed those ties.  She was included as the Tamar staff representative of the 3048 Military Industrial Fact Finding Tour, which traveled to the primary producers across the Lyran state to determine their exploitation of the Helm data and what could be done to further increase production.  During her time on time on Coventry she renewed the acquaintance from Archon Prep of Shelly Bradford, the Duke's second cousin.  Using that social connection and LCAF funds (out of the test model program) she had her Firestarter upgraded to the new FS9-S standard which mounted some of the new tech for 'evaluation' by the quartermasters during the tour.  After a banquet for the visiting quartermaster officers hosted Duke Bradford Captain von Tunt led a committee writing a glowing recommendation of the adoption of the 9-S standard even though her mech's log showed less than twenty minutes of operation and none of the weapons being fired.

Upon her return to Tamar, Captain von Tunt met then Lt Colonel AC Hogorth, brother to the region's general.  Several months later, as a engagement gift her future brother-in-law endorsed the recommendation for her promotion to Major.  Shortly after her promotion she and her fiancé attended the funeral on Hesperus of industry titan Randolph Brewster and his wife after their tragic accident.  She resumed her duties with the quartermaster corp, being placed in charge of the Tamar Pact's ammunition expenditures and tracking department.  To improve the accounting for her department with the end of 3048 looming, Major von Tunt was trying to return unused ammunition stores to their producers as 'surplus' thus drawing down the expenditures budget and making her department come in 'below' budget requirements.  During lunch with a military supplier, the supplier was infamously overheard to tell her, 'No Karen, you cannot return unused ammunition just because its the ed of the fiscal year.  It's not going to get you a credit with my company.'

The whispered statement made quite the rounds in the office pools.

Preparing for the next fiscal year, Major Karen von Tunt made quite a name for herself denying and indeed trying to block AFFC formations trying to requisition additional ammunition for battling some periphery pirates.  Her memo on the policy went as far as Tharkad before she suddenly found herself re-assigned to the mercenary liaison department.  Her complaints to 'Great-Aunt Nondi' Steiner went unanswered.

A.  It will be noted that the LCAF historically has not had to increase ammunition expenditures against periphery pirates as they rarely stand to fighting and the equipment encountered is in poor shape so that a minimal use of ammunition dependant weapons backed up by full use of energy weapons is enough to finish them.

B.  LCAF unit has historically captured pirate stockpiles of ammunition which demonstrates a decrease in ammunition requisitions due to captures.

C.  LCAF units historically report decreased pirate activity after destruction of a few of the larger bands, who also have larger ammunition stockpiles to capture.

Go kill some of these pirates you are citing as the need for more ammo and you will find replacement ammo.

     -Tamar Pact internal memo Dec 3048
« Last Edit: 14 May 2020, 23:38:38 by Colt Ward »
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

DOC_Agren

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #8 on: 14 May 2020, 21:51:59 »
wait I think I worked for her like 25 years ago
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

idea weenie

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #9 on: 15 May 2020, 14:37:35 »
Sometimes you have to spend ammo to make ammo

The other idea would be sending (the worst) half of the ammo captured to von Tunt for her supplies.  The fun part would be transporting it, as no sensible Dropship captain will let that ammo anywhere near their ship.

The fun is that the unit can leak to the Draconis combine about an ammo stockpile that is unfortunately poorly guarded, and see if the DC raiders are willing to steal it.  Then report back the loss of all that ammo and bill von Tunt for it as she never sent personnel to pick up the ammunition.  If she sends someone to pick it up, she signs the insurance forms and is responsible for any damages.  If she doesn't, her department budget gets charged full price for the loss for 'failure to secure vital military stockpiles'.

Sir Chaos

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #10 on: 15 May 2020, 15:08:49 »
Sometimes you have to spend ammo to make ammo

The other idea would be sending (the worst) half of the ammo captured to von Tunt for her supplies.  The fun part would be transporting it, as no sensible Dropship captain will let that ammo anywhere near their ship.

The fun is that the unit can leak to the Draconis combine about an ammo stockpile that is unfortunately poorly guarded, and see if the DC raiders are willing to steal it.  Then report back the loss of all that ammo and bill von Tunt for it as she never sent personnel to pick up the ammunition.  If she sends someone to pick it up, she signs the insurance forms and is responsible for any damages.  If she doesn't, her department budget gets charged full price for the loss for 'failure to secure vital military stockpiles'.

Or use the trick that Caradoc Trevena talked about in "Grave Covenant" - move all the stuff you cannot use any more in one particular location, then accidentally blow it up during a military exercise. Oops!
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Colt Ward

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #11 on: 15 May 2020, 15:11:38 »
 . . . what periphery raiders would everyone be freaking out about in 3049?
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Dave Talley

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #12 on: 15 May 2020, 16:48:37 »
why do i want to see her end up as a jade falcon merchant?
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Daryk

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #13 on: 15 May 2020, 17:25:56 »
Even THEY would kill her in a trial of grievance in half a heartbeat...

DOC_Agren

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #14 on: 16 May 2020, 18:15:16 »
. . . what periphery raiders would everyone be freaking out about in 3049?
Just some upstart pirate kingdoms on the move
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

Terrace

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #15 on: 17 May 2020, 11:52:08 »
"Torn apart by Elementals swarming her Firestarter" sounds like her likely fate.

NeonKnight

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #16 on: 17 May 2020, 12:04:20 »
Uh-uh.

As a Karen, she is quite robust and immune to a lot of plot contrivances...and even IF her 'Firestarter' was torn apart, she would, nay SHOULD survive to complain to further higher-ups that the vehicle of her creation/demise was their mistake :D
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Colt Ward

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #17 on: 17 May 2020, 14:26:25 »
So . . . am I hearing a memo should be drafted to Coventry Metalworks complaining of poor craftsmanship that mere infantry tore her mech apart?
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

mikecj

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #18 on: 17 May 2020, 17:32:32 »
This is horrifically brilliant!

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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snakespinner

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Re: Your friendly Lyran mercenary liaison- Major Karen von Tunt
« Reply #19 on: 17 May 2020, 20:11:26 »
A memo in triplicate should be sent to Coventry advising the poor quality of workmanship caused infantry to be able to destroy it.
She should ask for enough compensation to purchase an Atlas, a more suitable recon mech for someone of her stature. :)) :thumbsup:
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