Yeddim's Kickers
Something over eight months old and thus past the six month danger zone (when most merc' units fail), the Kickers operate primarily around the Fronc Reaches and the Canopian/League border region. While they've worked for most possible employers in the area and have had great success, they don't appear to have made much of an impression on most - their best relations are with Lyran and League interests and these are marginal due to their preference for quick missions that let them cash in before moving along. As a result, the unit has little opportunity to build up a stable relationship with any one patron. If they have any specialisation it might be anti-pirate missions - local pirate groups have little fondness for them, although they too are believed to have hired the Kickers a few times.
Overall MRB Rating: D- (274)
Mech Colours: Red and Black
Command LanceCaptain Tansy 'Frosty' YeddimThe Kicker's founder and commander, Captain Yeddim's family settled in the Aurigan Reach at some point after the fall of the Star League, reputedly returning from deeper in the Periphery. She originally served as a soldier of House Espinosa but her family fell out of favour on Coromodir and she's since then worked as a mercenary. A deadly accurate shot, she's brought down 36 BattleMechs in her career so far but holds the Kickers together more through steadfast courage than any particular tactical acumen.
Frosty's
Warhammer 'Snowman' has been stripped of its secondary lasers and machineguns to fit extra armour and heatsinks.
Sergeant Eileen 'Fido' GashiThe most experienced mechwarrior in the company, Eileen Gashi is another founding member. Hailing from the Lyran Commonwealth, where she appears to have graduated technical school, she worked her way across the Inner Sphere as a technician before making a well-deserved jump into the cockpit. While she only claims 20 'Mech kills, she's an excellent team player and often 'opens up' a target for the rest of the lance to finish.
Gashi's
Marauder 'Doghouse' has a completely rebuild armament that appears to involve a lostech heavy ultra autocannon, with a pair of large lasers supplementing it. Both arm actuators have been upgraded, suiting Gashi's in-your-face tactics.
Mechwarrior James 'Arbiter' BixbyThe most recent addition to the Kickers, Bixby is another Lyran, although he's from a far wealthier background than Gashi and attended both Somerset and Albion academys. Five years service in LCAF with a Storm Company doesn't appear to have inspired Bixby to stay with the service and he turned mercenary after his mandatory service - there are some suggestions he crossed paths with the Kickers two months ago after piloting a Hatchetman prototype alongside them in battle - if so then their Lyran ties may be stronger than otherwise thought. While relatively inexperienced, he's an excellent mechwarrior.
Bixby's
Griffin 'Judgement' has paired medium lasers in the right arm and twin SRM launchers in the same shoulder - he's eager to obtain access to a GRF-1S like that he used with LCAF if one can be salvaged somehow.
Mechwarrior Josephine 'Battlecry' KelmendiAnother scion of the Aurigan nobility, Kelmendi has past ties to Yeddim and joined her in founding the Kickers. While she isn't remarkable as a mechwarrior, her cunning and courage make her one of the captain's chief advisors. Off the battlefield, she's quite the gambler and this may contribute to the high risk-high reward employment strategy of the Kickers.
Kelmendi's
Centurion 'Freedom!' is a mostly stock CN9-A model save for the autocannon, which may be an old SLDF LB 10-X autocannon to judge by its performance.
Support LanceLieutenant Davud 'Quarterback' KudoScion of a noble Marik trading house, Davud Kudo is the oldest of founding members of the Kickers and may be responsible for the dropship that makes their rapid interstellar movements possible. A fine pilot, Kudo also has a shrewd eye for tactics and this is reflected in the fact that almost alone of the company his medical history indicate that alone of the company he's suffered not even the slightest injury in his career so far.
Kudo's
Thunderbolt 'Gridiron' is battlefield salvage unlike most of the companies heavies (which were mostly pieced together from boneyard chassis). Gridiron's original owner was unlucky enough to be killed by multiple cockpit hits while fighting against the Kickers, who retreived the 'Mech after their victory. The Mech trades the usual large laser for a larger LRM rack and a secondary SRM rack, along with the usual medium lasers. At one point it was believed to be fitted with a rare Snubnosed PPC but the current whereabouts and condition of the lostech weapon are unknown outside the Kickers.
Sergeant Kara 'Wall' SandeepSandeep is the only Kicker who can match Kudo's thus far spotless medical record, but lacks his experience - she joined the Kickers about four months after their founding, when their need for a back-up mechwarrior while Miguel Raji was sidelined left them recruiting. An Aurigan, Sandeep lacks the noble background of many of the Kickers but has shown herself to be a determined and reliable member of the company - some say that Captain Yeddim has taken a particular shine to the younger woman, giving her several pointers in gunnery.
Sandeep has no permanently assigned 'Mech - she generally uses whichever of their small assortment of back-up machines is in best shape. Currently this is either a
Firestarter or a
Jenner, both modified to use only four medium lasers. Rumours has it that the Kickers have a second
Jenner currently undergoing some form of upgrade or repair process.
Mechwarrior Miguel 'Yukon' RajiThe last of the founding Kickers, Raji was unfortunate enough to suffer serious injury early in their history and spent several months in their dropships medical bay. Back in the field again he's had to work to get back into form and seen new arrivals promoted ahead of him, which could be a cause for dissent in the future. Raji hails from the Canopian nobility, one of the many men looking for avenues of advancement outside the matriarchal state.
Raji's
Phoenix Hawk 'Gold Fever' was previously operated by Davud Kudo, who handed it down to him after obtaining his current Thunderbolt. (Raji's original
Commando had had to be scrapped after the mission that left the mechwarrior so severely wounded.) The 'mech swaps its large laser for a third medium laser and a pair of small lasers. While Kudo piloted it, the 'Mech had an experimental COIL system, whether this was removed due to personal preference or damage is unclear.
Mechwarrior Ma'ayan 'Rampage' MalikThe Kicker's second outside recruit, Malik has the least experience with them so far. She appears to be the classic Federated Suns mechwarrior-knight, brave and tactically astute, but injuries suffered shortly after Raji returned to active piloting mean she's had little chance to show this so far. House Malik is one of several Capellan March houses that have suffered as a result of Michael Hasek-Davion's ambitions over the last few years, their lands and titles stripped only a few years ago.
Malik's
Blackjack 'Revenge' may be the last vestige of House Malik's former glory. The autocannon have been removed and the torso lasers upgraded to larger models. Armour reinforcements allow Malik to use it aggressively against much heavier 'Mechs, getting close for pinpoint barrages at weak spots in their armour.
Yes, another HBS Battletech unit, but this one coalesced quite nicely for me.
