The Plague (Bandit Caste)

[KayEmm]

The Plague

The Bandit group known as the Plague first rose to prominence during the early 3060s. As fighting spread across the Homeworlds, especially over the former Ghost Bear, Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat enclaves, there was an upswing in activity from Bandit groups who sought to take advantage of this chaos. The Plague was among those, launching attacks on a number of different former Smoke Jaguar enclaves for reasons that were, at the time, unclear. Their attacks focused primarily on gathering supplies and capturing civilians, but also served to disrupt activities. Even though they travelled to several different worlds, their attacks began to focus on the Vinton system.

By the start of 3068, the Plague consisted of a mixed trinary of BattleMechs, vehicles and conventional infantry. Their equipment was primarily made up of older Clan designs, as well as some SLDF units that were either looted from caches or salvaged. The unit only possessed a single OmniMech, being a vintage Woodsman operated by their leader. Likely due to a shortage of parts it sported a unique configuration incorporating a battery of Rocket Launchers.


Personalities

 
Keith

Age: 40 (born 3028)

Position/Rank: Leader of the Plague

A Wolf Clan Trueborn, Keith failed his Trial of Position and so was relegated to the technician caste. For several years he served with a reserve unit stationed in the Homeworlds while the Clan’s warriors were fighting for glory in the Inner Sphere. Embittered and feeling that he had been denied what was due to him, Keith wound up killing a pair of MechWarriors in a brawl before fleeing the Wolves. It was not until 3060 that he was seen again as a part of a Bandit Caste group. By 3063, Keith had risen to the leadership of the Plague, killing their prior leader for the position.

Ruthless and embittered, Keith is driven by a certain sense of entitlement, feeling that he should have been a warrior regardless of his performance. He has a particular hatred for the Invading Clans, seeing them as having squandered an opportunity that should have, by all rights, been his. His own leadership is based more on brute force and coercion than any real respect for his men, but at the same time he seeks to limit losses in order to keep his forces in fighting shape.

[KayEmm]

In 3068, Keith began to step up the Plague's activities on Vinton. In mid-January, the unit struck at a Clan Diamond Shark storehouse facility. While in an outlying enclave, it still was packed with valuable supplies. Keith chose to field his entire force and overwhelm the defenders with sheer numbers, a risky move given the possibility of defeat.

His overkill approach proved to be a sound decision. The Diamond Sharks had recently moved an entire slohama Trinary onto the site. Composed of vehicles and conventional infantry, the force outnumbered the Plague on paper. However, the bandits had the advantage of BattleMech forces. In addition, while the broken terrain around the facility hampered the vehicles on both sides of the battle, the Sharks reliance on conventional forces hurt them even more.

Ultimately, the Plague were successful in their attack. The Shark forces were driven back long enough for Keith and his forces to pillage the supplies and escape. While they had suffered losses, they also came out ahead on salvage and equipment.

However, the true reason for the attack would not become apparent until later