Author Topic: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]  (Read 5131 times)

Formerly Wu

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The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« on: 23 March 2022, 19:37:55 »
Thought I'd share some of my unit history that I've been working on. Largely interpolated from experiences during my various modded HBS Battletech careers plus some deep dives into the excellent Brush Wars sourcebook.

Updated 1/2024

The Crashlanders

History
The mercenary outfit known simply as the Crashlanders began as Revenant Company, a part of the Fifth Regulan Hussars under the command of Force Captain Leon Shay. Alongside the rest of their regiment, they joined Anton Marik’s revolt against the Free Worlds League in 3014. In January 3015 the Principality of Regulus officially declared for the Captain-General under growing evidence of Capellan involvement in the rebellion, decisively turning the tide against Anton’s forces. With the political position no longer tenable and his MechWarriors facing either destruction on the battlefield or dispossession and exile, Shay chose to desert. In March, the already mauled Fifth was attacked by their fellow First and Second Regulan Hussars on McKenna. During the confusion of the retreat, Shay commandeered part of the regiment’s transport reserve and fled, first to Westerhand and then onward to the Rimward Frontier.

With no experience running a mercenary company, few resources, and many enemies, the former Revenants had a difficult first year. By 3016 the company had been reduced to a single lance in strength. Critically short on supplies and bouncing between unreliable, low-paying employers, the discouraged survivors began calling themselves “crashlanders,” a reference to their ignominious arrival on Westerhand.

On the brink of dissolution, the unit was effectively bought out by the itinerant Taurian noblewoman Sylvia Ruiz. The leader of a mercenary reconnaissance lance, Ruiz brokered a position as Shay’s new second in command in exchange for bailing out the company’s finances. Finally able to afford the staff required for proper maintenance and security, the deal also brought in an experienced new executive officer in the form of Commander Meifeng Kincade. A longtime professional in the business aspects of war, she has made an effective team with Shay despite their tendency to butt heads. A successful trade protection contract with the Aurigan Coalition repaired the company’s reputation somewhat, and as of the beginning of 3018 they are garrisoned on Lyreton and seeking new employment.

While the Revenant Company survivors initially maintained the Fifth Hussar camouflage scheme, they have mostly converted to the bold, individualist designs preferred by their new Periphery cohorts. Only Bnr. Wieczorek’s Orion retains the unit’s original tan-and-brown. The unit insignia is a stylized meteorite impact in monochrome.

MRB Rating
28 [C]

Force Description

BattleMechs
2 Lances/Regular/Questionable
CO: FCpt. Leon Shay
XO: Cmdr. Meifeng Kincade
2iC: Lt. Sylvia Ruiz

Conventional Infantry
1 Foot Company/Regular/Reliable
Support Cmdr: Cpt. Ricardo Davies
1 Motorized Company/Green/Reliable
Infantry Cmdr: Cpt. Barati Chan

Support
The Crashlanders have two Leopards, FWLDS Powell and FWLDS Akatsuki. Both have been modified to replace their aerospace bays with the additional accommodation and cargo space required for independent operation. However, the limits of the Leopard chassis means that they cannot support any significant auxiliary forces while on deployment.

Two companies of infantry support BattleMech operations. The first is a support company that splits its personnel between a veteran platoon of scouts equipped with Ferret light scout VTOLs, a platoon of salvage engineers, and a motorized platoon of MPs. The second is a motorized infantry company tasked with securing the company's forward operating bases.
« Last Edit: 27 January 2024, 23:04:49 by Formerly Wu »

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #1 on: 23 March 2022, 19:38:14 »
Combat Personnel


Force Captain Leon Shay
Callsign: RICOCHET
BattleMech: MAD-3M Marauder
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: FCpt. Shay is a veteran of the Regulan Hussars. He is a cunning and tenacious commander, but his career consistently suffered from his insubordinate ego and a reputation for backroom dealing. His desertion from the Fifth was the culmination of a long term rivalry with Col. Nathan Pierce, whom Shay considered unfit for command but was unable to effectively challenge via Regulan Hussar dueling traditions. It was only through his force of will and personality that the company survived the dark days of 3016, and he doesn’t let anyone forget it. He cultivates a roguish “silver fox” affect with a distant, wry sense of humor and an ever-present but seldom lit cigar. His Marauder is painted teal and dark grey with a prominent white stripe.


Lieutenant Sylvia Ruiz
Callsign: LARK
BattleMech: GRF-1N Griffin
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: Lt. Ruiz is the Crashlanders’ new second in command. Hailing from a wealthy Taurian noble family, her somewhat eccentric personality never adapted well to the regimentation of military life. After a few unsuccessful years serving in planetary militias, she struck out on her own to form a mercenary band of fellow misfits and iconoclasts. Upbeat and optimistic to a fault, she has nevertheless struggled with her image as a dilettante who bought her commission. She tends to overextend herself in attempts to compensate. Her Griffin is a battle-scarred family heirloom decorated with a rotating series of her artistic endeavors, currently a teal and white alpine gradient scheme.


Banner Ibrahim Wieczorek
Callsign: LONGSHOT
BattleMech: ON1-K Orion
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: A professional soldier through and through, Bnr. Wieczorek is the longest serving member of the group except for FCpt. Shay, having begun his career in the Marik Militia. A stolid and dependable anchor on the battlefield, he has also had the most trouble adapting to the loose, unpredictable life of a mercenary. He does not relate well to the new additions to the company- especially Lt. Ruiz, whom he perceives as a rich girl playing at BattleMechs. Still, he appreciates no longer being required to pull double duty as the unit’s executive officer, a role for which he was entirely unsuited. He prefers to spend his free time grousing with the older members of the support crews.


Serjeant Vivian Kashani
Callsign: RIVET
BatleMech: TBT-5J Trebuchet
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: Sjt. Kashani is the only survivor of the company’s fire lance, which was wiped out in a disastrous incident on Úr Cruinne. The loss of her comrades hit the formerly dependable MechWarrior hard. She became personally withdrawn, overly cautious in battle, and let her ‘Mech fall into disrepair. The recent influx of new blood seems to be bringing her out of her shell, however. With help from Lt. Ruiz and Sgt. Thomas she has redecorated her olive green Trebuchet with dedications to her fallen comrades. Kashani’s older brother Laszlo was the unit’s executive officer when they were part of the Fifth Regulan Hussars. The two were not close; Laszlo’s decision to stay with the Fifth suited Vivian just fine.


Serjeant Mario Kristoff
Callsign: KILO
BattleMech: HER-2S Hermes II
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: Sjt. Kristoff is a thick-jawed, muscular man with a heavy Italian accent. His size and deliberate speech patterns often give the impression of a dull thug, but this is far from the truth. Fiercely loyal to his compatriots, he is often found in the thick of combat, drawing fire to protect his lance mates. Conversely, he has a habit of treating unit assets as personal property. It was his under-the-table deals with local black marketeers that kept the company afloat when they could no longer afford supplies or parts. His Hermes II sports a painstakingly maintained black and tan paint scheme. He can often be found hovering near its MechBay, pestering any AsTechs who dare approach.


Sergeant Sten Hayashizaki
Callsign: SNAKE
BattleMech: LCT-1V Locust
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: A ronin from the Draconis Combine, Sgt. Hayashizaki still follows the bushido spirit even as he flagrantly rejects its conservative social strata and presentation. He can often be seen practicing swordsmanship in the MechBay during transit, the traditional martial forms contrasting with his punk attire and flippant attitude. He pilots his weathered grey Locust like he has a death wish- intentionally dashing across enemy lines of fire before disappearing into cover, only to re-emerge and continue harassing from another angle. What dishonor drove him from the Dragon’s service and to fight with such little regard for his life is his secret to keep.


Sergeant Eli Thomas
Callsign: FLEX
BattleMech: STG-3R Stinger
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: [See Below]


Sergeant Lydia Mendez
Callsign: VESPA
BattleMech: ASN-21 Assassin
Status: Operational [3018]
Personal File: Sgts. Thomas and Mendez form a cohort of deliberately obscure origin. Their odd dynamic has prompted rumors that they are siblings, reconciled ex-lovers, or many stranger things. The two refuse to discuss the matter, instead saying that they are just old comrades. Despite their very different personalities they appear to have an intuitive understanding of the other’s thought processes, making them excellent lance mates in the field. Thomas is the more talkative and bombastic of the two, although he tends to be more cautious in combat. His Stinger is painted stark white with a deep blue rayskin pattern. Mendez is reserved and standoffish in person, but in combat tends to overcommit and needs Thomas to rope her in. Her battered Assassin, nicknamed “Lefty” by the company’s techs for the number of times it has lost its arm, sports a red and black camo scheme with white chequering on the shoulder.


Inactive Personnel

Serjeant Emile Jansen
Callsign: SLIDE
Mech: WSP-1A Wasp
Status: MIA, Holt [3014]
Personal File: In December 3014 the Fifth Regulan Hussars launched an ill-conceived assault on the Stewart Dragoons Home Guard stationed on Holt. The attack ran afoul of two supporting loyalist regiments of heavy armor. Their line broken, the Hussars tried to pull back, but the Home Guard proved impossible to shake off. Sjt. Jansen was separated from the rest of the Revenants during the early stages of the counterattack. Despite sporadic contact over the course of the battle, the confusion of the retreat meant that he was never able to rejoin the company. His battered Wasp was found after the battle by loyalist recovery crews. Evidence suggests that he successfully ejected, but he has never been found and his fate remains unknown.

Serjeant Brooke Bustelo
Callsign: HOT CHIP
Mech: CN9-A Centurion
Status: KIA, Holt [3014]
Personal File: [See Below]

Serjeant Soren McVey
Callsign: CRICKET
Mech: TDR-5S Thunderbolt
Status: KIA, Holt [3014]
Personal File: In many ways Sjts. Bustelo and McVey could not have been more different, despite their similar fate. McVey was the youngest member of the Revenant's battle lance, piloting his father’s Thunderbolt. Considered a “babyface” by the rest of the company, he seemed well poised to follow in his family’s footsteps of upright service to the Principality. Bustelo, on the other hand, was a chronic troublemaker only retained due to Shay's indulgence of her vices. During the retreat on Holt, McVey’s 'Mech was immobilized by leg actuator damage from an ambushing Harasser. A recovery team was called up, but the other members of the battle lance had expended their ammunition and were unable to provide cover. Bustelo volunteered to step out of the fire lance and provide a rear guard. Unfortunately, the pursuing Home Guard forces arrived sooner than expected. The two ‘Mechs were overrun and both pilots killed in action.

Serjeant Denzel La Paz
Callsign: FRACTURE
BattleMech: FLE-4 Flea
Status: AWOL, McKenna [3015]
Personal File: A true believer in Anton Marik's cause, Sjt. La Paz was the only MechWarrior that declined to desert with Shay in 3015. Despite this, he remained loyal enough to the captain to not betray his plans prior to his departure. With so few forces remaining Col. Pierce could not afford to discipline him, and so La Paz remained active in the Fifth until the regiment’s surrender on Fuentes in May. During the following reprisals he was summarily dispossessed of his ‘Mech, and eventually chose to defect to the Capellan Confederation. He currently serves as a Pegasus pilot in the Fifteenth Dracon.

Serjeant Fabian Lew
Callsign: MULLIGAN
BattleMech: HBK-4J Hunchback
Status: KIA, Úr Cruinne [3016]
Personal File: [See Below]

Lieutenant Priska Drodsinski
Callsign: GRANDMASTER
BattleMech: ARC-2R Archer
Status: MIA, Úr Cruinne [3016]
Personal File: Neither Sjt. Lew nor Lt. Drodinski were natives of the Principality of Regulus. Lew hailed from the Rim Commonality, whereas Drodinski was widely ribbed for the Russian accent that betrayed her Cappellan ancestry. However, the two were reliable members of the company until the disaster on Úr Cruinne. Deployed as part of a non-MRB approved mercenary contract in a desperate attempt to shore up finances, the Revenant’s fire lance found itself atop a forbidding, icy bluff, supposedly awaiting a pirate convoy. As a blizzard moved in, their employer’s supporting forces turned on them. The lance found itself trying to defend itself against tanks and infantry at point blank range with nowhere to maneuver. Sjt. Kashani’s Trebuchet had jump jets that allowed her to disengage, but the others were not so lucky. Lew was killed outright and Drodsinski forced to eject. The suddenly hostile environment forced Shay to evacuate, precluding any attempts at rescue or recovery.

Lieutenant Suneeti Ravati
Callsign: BLACKBIRD
BattleMech: WVR-6M Wolverine
Status: Discharged, Detroit [3016]
Personal File: [See Below]

Serjeant Elyse Kotokis
Callsign: UNDINE
BattleMech: SHD-2H Shadow Hawk
Status: Discharged, Detroit [3016]
Personal File: The Úr Cruinne incident was the last straw for Sjt. Kotokis. After a year of deprivation and misfortune, she considered Shay’s failure to properly vet their employers responsible for the loss of their comrades. Following Regulan Hussar protocol, she challenged him to a duel for company leadership. Shay refused the duel, but also did not contest her claims. Instead, he offered any who wished to leave a discharge with their ‘Mech. Kotokis and Ravati both took him up on the offer and together contracted transport to the Magistracy of Canopus. Shay regrets the loss of Lt. Ravati the most; as the company’s second in command, her quiet but keen mind was often the lynchpin for tactical operations. No contact has been made with the two since their departure, leaving the company in the dark about their fortunes.
« Last Edit: 02 March 2024, 17:40:28 by Formerly Wu »

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #2 on: 23 March 2022, 21:13:27 »
Wow, that's a great writeup.
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snakespinner

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #3 on: 23 March 2022, 23:02:48 »
Good write up. :thumbsup:
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DOC_Agren

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #4 on: 27 March 2022, 20:40:32 »
I like it, I hope there will be more
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Middcore

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #5 on: 29 March 2022, 17:15:59 »
I really like this writeup. One thing that does confuse me a bit is the use of the rank "Force Captain" for the CO. The FWL uses "Force Commander" instead of "Major" a Captain is just a Captain to my knowledge... unless this was a Regulan-specific thing I've overlooked?
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Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #6 on: 29 March 2022, 23:46:15 »
I really like this writeup. One thing that does confuse me a bit is the use of the rank "Force Captain" for the CO. The FWL uses "Force Commander" instead of "Major" a Captain is just a Captain to my knowledge... unless this was a Regulan-specific thing I've overlooked?
It is! The Hussars are a bit old-fashioned and use Andurien style ranks. Good catch!

Glad folks like the writeup!
« Last Edit: 30 March 2022, 00:15:14 by Formerly Wu »

Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #7 on: 30 March 2022, 18:26:04 »
Excellent write up!  I'm a sucker for refugees from Anton's Revolt...  8)

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #8 on: 30 March 2022, 23:13:19 »
Excellent write up!  I'm a sucker for refugees from Anton's Revolt...  8)
I saw your thread after posting mine and thought "ah, another man of culture."  8) Great work on that by the way!

Anton's Revolt is such a great background- it's got the "fought for the losing side" pathos of your Firefly Browncoats, but without the silver lining of having an actually noble cause.

Middcore

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #9 on: 31 March 2022, 08:37:53 »
It is! The Hussars are a bit old-fashioned and use Andurien style ranks.

But Staff Sergeant and Lieutenant JG don't exist in the old Andurien ranking system.
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Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #10 on: 31 March 2022, 09:00:28 »
But Staff Sergeant and Lieutenant JG don't exist in the old Andurien ranking system.
Ah, indeed you're correct. I'd been working off of FM: FWL and the footnotes of the Sarna military ranks table, but going back to the 1987 volume I now see the full table of Andurien ranks, including the variant spelling of Serjeant.

Consider it corrected! I appreciate the rigor.

Middcore

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #11 on: 31 March 2022, 09:07:12 »
Ah, indeed you're correct. I'd been working off of FM: FWL and the footnotes of the Sarna military ranks table, but going back to the 1987 volume I now see the full table of Andurien ranks, including the variant spelling of Serjeant.

Consider it corrected! I appreciate the rigor.

Those original Marik handbook Andurien ranks are weird as heck, especially since Andurien province is supposed to be Southern European-influenced with Italian as a commonly spoken language.

Anyway, I hope I didn't come across as pedantic or nit-picking... I had completely forgotten Andurien used Force Captain (stuff like "Thegn" and "Banner" always got my attention more) and was confused.
I write BattleTech fanfics. You can find them all on ScribbleHub, and I welcome your comments.

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #12 on: 31 March 2022, 09:11:58 »
Those original Marik handbook Andurien ranks are weird as heck, especially since Andurien province is supposed to be Southern European-influenced with Italian as a commonly spoken language.

Anyway, I hope I didn't come across as pedantic or nit-picking... I had completely forgotten Andurien used Force Captain (stuff like "Thegn" and "Banner" always got my attention more) and was confused.
Oh no worries at all! I'm all about nitpicking- I've edited the original post like ten times since first posting it to fix stuff exactly like that.  :D

In any case it gave me the opportunity to re-evaluate the rank structure I had set up for the 3014 force. I realized I had three lieutenants in the battle lance and none in the other two, which seemed a little less than ideal! A few posthumous promotions and demotions later and I think things should work out.

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #13 on: 23 March 2023, 21:07:05 »
I revisited my lore a bit, so the post is now updated. Not many huge changes, but I gave up on the pipe dream of trying to fit the company's support package into the DropShips, which let me expand on that side of things. I also added a bit more of a cynical spin on their "merger" (really a buyout, when I thought about it) and added a bit of color to the personnel profiles.

Enjoy!
« Last Edit: 23 March 2023, 21:27:37 by Formerly Wu »

Hotwire

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #14 on: 23 April 2023, 16:42:43 »
This is excellent, and in my opinion captures the essence of what BattleTech is supposed to be. Great job!
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Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #15 on: 20 January 2024, 00:13:31 »
Having spent much of the holidays playing around with HeroForge, I worked up a portrait of Captain Shay:



I'd like to go back and build out the rest of the unit too, based on their HBS generated portraits. Let's see if I have the time and energy for it.

Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #16 on: 20 January 2024, 05:09:04 »
Glad to see you're still at it! :)

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #17 on: 23 January 2024, 00:08:50 »
Some more portraits, along with the HBS Battletech pilots they were based on:

Lt. Ruiz, "Lark"


Bnr. Wieczorek, "Longshot"
« Last Edit: 27 January 2024, 23:23:21 by Formerly Wu »

Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #18 on: 23 January 2024, 04:17:52 »
Nice work!  The HBS art is definitely more grizzled, but I like your style.

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #19 on: 23 January 2024, 13:10:48 »
There's definitely a "spent no more than 45 minutes in HeroForge" quality to the new portraits for sure, haha.

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #20 on: 27 January 2024, 23:02:19 »
The other two survivors of Revenant Company:

Sjt. Kashani, "Rivet"


Sjt. Kristoff, "Kilo"
« Last Edit: 27 January 2024, 23:18:34 by Formerly Wu »

Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #21 on: 28 January 2024, 00:57:05 »
It's hilarious that HBS dressed those two identically... ;D

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #22 on: 05 February 2024, 21:54:00 »
Not the only time it's happened either- I guess they only have so many models!

Sgt. Hayashizaki, "Snake"


Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #23 on: 06 February 2024, 04:21:27 »
I see HeroForge went with the hilariously large nose ring... :D

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #24 on: 06 February 2024, 21:35:20 »
Yep, no way to scale it sadly. I even tried scaling his whole body up- the ring still stayed huge.

Since it's made for printing miniatures I guess there's certain details that can't go below a certain size, but it's still irritating.

Formerly Wu

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #25 on: 02 March 2024, 17:39:40 »
Final two active MechWarriors- a pair on the battlefield and in fashion. I might go back and do my XO as well, but I don't have an HBS portrait lined up, so it might be a while before I can visualize her.

Sgt. Thomas, "Flex"


Sgt. Mendez, "Vespa"
« Last Edit: 02 March 2024, 17:41:51 by Formerly Wu »

Daryk

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Re: The Crashlanders [Mercenary, 3018]
« Reply #26 on: 02 March 2024, 17:51:56 »
Progress is progress... we can wait! :)