Sword and Fire

Sword and Fire.jpg
Sword and Fire
Product information
Type Novel
Author Thomas S. Gressman
Pages 280
Cover Artwork Bruce Jensen
Publication information
Publisher Roc Books
First published 01 August 1998
ISBN-10 0451456769
ISBN-13 978-0451456762
Content
Era Clan Invasion era
Timeline 3 January 3060 - 13 March 3060
Series Twilight of the Clans
Preceded by Freebirth
Followed by Shadows of War

Sword and Fire, by Thomas S. Gressman, is the fifth book in the Twilight of the Clans series.

The novel was made available on BattleCorps on 02 November 2009 as a PDF file (text only, without cover, pictures, or any other interior artwork except for the usual BattleCorps frame graphics). The PDF copy includes a disclaimer stating that it was created from a pre-final edition text that might differ from the printed version and that canon-wise, the print edition trumps the PDF edition.

From the back cover[edit]

“ An awesome mission has been assigned to Task Force Serpent: to destroy Huntress, homeworld of Clan Smoke Jaguar, the Inner Sphere's greatest menace. But the invasion has suffered a serious blow: Marshal Morgan Hasek-Davion has been struck down by an unknown assassin. With the fate of the entire Inner Sphere in jeopardy, only one other daredevil warrior is brave—and reckless—enough to bring the enemy to its knees...

She is General Ariana Winston of the famed Eridani Light Horse mercenary brigade, and now commander of Task Force Serpent. The battle ahead is dangerous and uncertain, but Winston and her courageous comrades have the upper hand with hard-earned battle skills honed to fighting-edge perfection—and a secret weapon that could destroy Huntress for all time...

”

Summary[edit]

This story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Major Ryan the DEST leader, then General Winston. With additional viewpoints from the Fox Teams, Paladin Masters and North-wind Highlander perspectives.

The novel opens with the DEST infiltration of Mount Szabo, and the destruction of its command and control center, and Reagan Space Defence System.

Then the novel covers the same day, 12 March 3060, the invasion of Huntress by the SLDF. Each of the major landings, and key battle objectives.

The Eridani light horse ground just outside Loterra, and mount Szabo. The capture of the genetics repository goes fairly well, and there are not major casualties.

The Knights of the Inner Sphere ground new a training center, and face stiff opposition from clan omnimechs, and the first encouter of ProtoMechs, which Paladin Masters refers to as "ocelots". Actual ProtoMech type unknown. They are described as 6m tall, with missiles, autocannons and lazers. The Knights are initially repulsed, but call in reserve com guard elements, who drop directly onto the battle and the clan forces are defeated in detail.

The Highlanders ground near a factory. There they also encounter omni-mech forces, as well as substantial 2nd line clan and inner-sphere mechs, as well as a very large contingent of ProtoMechs. The Highlanders name the ProtoMechs "Boggarts". During the battle, the clan forces are baited into concentrating on the Black Watch Highlanders, via the units association with the SLDF, while the remaining highlanders bypass them and seize the factory. It is later revealed that the factory was the source of the ProtoMechs, but that they are likely unusable by inner-sphere forces because of the need to implant the enhanced imaging neuro circuitry on the pilots.

The battle for a training facility by the 11th Lyran Guards does not go well, with General Brian Getting blown out of here mech in an engagement with a Caulron-Born omnimech. The battle turns decisively against the Lyrans, so they call in an orbital bombardment that wipes out a heavy omni-mech trinary to turn the tide.

The perspective of the Kathil Uhlans is not covered in detail, but it is said to have been another battle for a training facility, but this one was unused at the time of contact, so the battle was over quickly.

During the battle, the Fox teams landed around the Falcon Eyrie to ensure the Falcons stayed out of the fight, were engaged by two points of elementals, and one of the teams took heavy casualties leading the elementals away from the other observation teams.

Spoken of, but not given a point of view, was work done by the Nekakami assassins, noticed primarily in explosions occurring in areas outside of battle zones. The Nekakami had been secretly assigned to the task force, known only to Marshal Hasek-Davion, then General Winston. Their task was to assassinate all high ranking clan officials on the planet that didn't fall in battle, so the task force soldiers wouldn't have to deal with it.

The battle was over in 12 hours, with orders to carry out the destruction in detail of all military and manufacturing facilities on the planet being controversial, but started the next day.

Each unit was also supposed to gather technology and spares to keep, and return to the SLDF headquarters. It is revealed that General Brian was secretly holding back the best materiel found at the training center for use by the Lyran Alliance only.

Featured characters[edit]

Featured places[edit]

Featured BattleTech[edit]

'Mechs[edit]

AeroSpace[edit]

Vehicles[edit]

DropShips and Small Craft[edit]

JumpShips and WarShips[edit]

Infantry Equipment[edit]


Foreign-Language Editions[edit]

German[edit]

A German edition, translated by Reinhold H. Mai, was published by Heyne in 1999 as Feuer und Schwert (ISBN 9783453148888).[1] This was republished as an EPUB by Ulisses Spiele in 2021 as BattleTech Legenden 42 : Feuer und Schwert (ISBN 9783963318344).[2]

Hungarian[edit]

A Hungarian edition, translated by Novák Gábor, was published by Beholder in 2003 as Kard és tűz.[3]

Spanish[edit]

A Spanish edition, translated by Jaime de Marcos Andreu, was published by Timun Mas in 2000 as A sangre y fuego.

Covers[edit]

  • Original 1998 cover. Art by Bruce Jensen.

  • 1999 German edition.

  • 2021 German edition (reprint).

  • 2003 Hungarian edition.

  • Spanish edition.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for Feuer und Schwert
  2. ↑ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for BattleTech Legenden 42 : Feuer und Schwert
  3. ↑ Beholder product page for Kard és tűz

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