The Gentlemen Bastards / TGMB

A Brief History of The Gentleman Bastards by Daniel T. Andrews, Company Historian.

Special Operations the “88th Squadron”

Where do I begin? The Bastards where previously known as 88th Squadron, set up in a joint venture between the then UPE Army and Navy as a rapid reaction force to deal with any threats the ever-expanding humanity might encounter. Made up of crack pilots, marines and mech army units, the 88th was the definition of Elite within the UPE.

Although rumoured to be involved in a lot of ‘black work’ their first official engagement was against the Tevarin at the start of the first Tevarin war in 2541. Under the command of Colonel Jack “Ironhide” Glota, the 88th where ordered to engage the vanguard of the Tevarin invasion fleet and hold them until the UPE navy could mobilize the fleet and reinforce their position.

The 88th struck the Tevarin vanguard in the Centauri system, striking from the shadows of the Centauri asteroid belt it was a quick and bloody battle (if you could call it a battle), Colonel Glota ordered the Tervarin to be killed to a man, no quarter was given. The Tevarin fleet, not knowing the fate of their vanguard jumped into the Centauri system, they quickly realised what had happened and prepared for battle. Colonel Glota worked quickly and landed his ground units on Saisei and they dug in, the rest of the fleet retreated to the asteroid belt. For three days and nights the 88th defended the Centauri system reaping bloody havoc in the Tevarin lines and causing huge casualties before the UPE Navy arrived and forced the Tevarin into retreat. This was to be the bloodiest battle the war would see and set the 88th up as one of the most feared and legendary units to ever have cut a bloody path through history.

The birth of The Gentleman Bastards

The 88th’s reputation grew across the ‘Verse, they were the most feared unit the UPE had at there disposal and were well known for their particular brand of bloody savagery and merciless resolve. Each battle they often left one or two survivors, the rest of the 88th’s foes were brutally killed, these survivors where always found with a single red rose in hand. Thus the term ‘Gentleman Bastards’ was coined amongst their enemies. No one to this day knows why they leave a survivor and a lot less why they leave them a red rose, maybe it’s significant? maybe it’s some cruel joke? maybe they just like red roses? only the Bastards themselves know why.

The Second Tevarin War, The UEE, Imperator Messer and the Decimation of The Bastards.

By 2603, the UEE has been formed and Ivar Messer has crowned himself as Imperator Messer becoming the most powerful man alive. Messer immediately seen the Bastards as a threat having seen them in action personally and knowing their fame – although there was no indication the Bastards would rebel having served loyally, he decided that since they weren’t ‘his’ men that they should be eliminated, after-all, he became Imperator by being a ruthless bastard himself. Late in the year 2603 seen the second Tevarin war started, under Warlord Corath ‘Thal the Tevarin wanted to reclaim their homeworld and so the Imperator saw an opportunity and set his plans in motion…

Second in command, Captain James Voy noticed a subtle change in the Bastards new ‘recruits’ that were ment to replace the losses the company had suffered, a number of them being pilots and marines of some renown themselves, political-type men, educated men, not the usual bottom-of-the-barrel shit they have been sent lately. The Captain took his concerns to the ageing Ironhide, but he was an old soldier, the loyal-til-death type and dismissed it out of hand, then the news came down that orders had been issued by the Imperator himself. The Colonel read out the mission brief to the officers, they where to strike deep behind enemy lines and take out Warlord Corath ‘Thal himself. A suicide mission. They all knew it, even if the Colonel didn’t.

The Company mobilized and set out, they reached deep within Tevarin territory before a busted fuel line in one of the old Vanguards gave way and imploded killing everyone on board (somehow I don’t think it was a coincidence). Shit luck, but they may as well have put up a big sign and a disco ball telling every Tevarin within 100 clicks that they where there, from here on in they would have to fight for every kilometre. The fighting was brutal and ruthless, wave after wave after wave of Tevarin struck, men dead or dying everywhere, the Tevarin gave no quarter and where given none in return, they lost over half the fleet but still they fought on towards Corath ‘Thal and his flagship – fucker probably wasn’t even there anymore but what choice did they have?

In a rare reprieve, Colonel Glota had realized he wasn’t coming back from this, this was a one way mission, but he would damned if he let The Gentleman Bastards die on his watch so he devised a plan. He split the fleet in two (or what was left of it) and took the majority of his best marines and ships still worthy of the name and pushed deeper into Tevarin territory. He left a young lieutenant by the name of MacLean in charge of what was left with orders to hide behind one of the nearby moons and as soon as he got the chance, jump to the Taranis system where he could lay low.

The rest of the Company pushed on, to their surprise they had cut a bloody path to fringe space, to their even bigger surprise they found Corath ‘Thal’s flagship still there, they seized their chance. The Colonel loaded every last Marine he had on to the remaining Redeemers and rammed them straight into the flagships hull, most of them died but the remainder he re-grouped and headed straight for the bridge killing every Tevarin in their way, even the Warlord’s elite warriors fell before them. By the time he reached the bridge he was left with two men, he had more holes in him than a Vanduul firing range but with one last effort he pushed on through the doors and there he was – about 8ft away – Warlord Corath ‘Thal with a very surprised look on his face.

Colonel Jack “Ironhide” Glota took four steps in that room before he was cut down by Corath ‘Thal’s Elite Guard, he was a sour breath away from putting his knife through that fuckers neck. It was in that spot, with three Tevarin blades sticking through his body, that the legendary Colonel Glota died.

Warlord Corath ‘Thal surveyed in disbelief the devastation from the window of his bridge, thousands of his warriors dead, hundreds of the enemy dead, how did this happen? He stared back into the room at the dead commander who had led the charge through so valiantly, who is this man? He noticed something in the dead mans hand…

A single red rose…

The Present

Hell, now it’s time to make our own Legends. Welcome to the ‘Bastards!