Gray Death Legion

The Gray Death Legion is a fictional mercenary company. It exists within the fictional BattleTech Universe, appearing in seven novels within the series as well as having their own game source book, more than any of the other fictional mercenary regiments within the Battletech universe.

In the BattleTech novels the Gray Death legion is known throughout the Inner Sphere for their use of original tactics and anti-mech infantry. They are the creators of the Gray Death Battle Armor and known for their longstanding loyalty to House Steiner. The Gray Death Legion found a Star League memory core on Helm. Copies of the Gray Death memory core, as it would come to be known, were distributed throughout the Successor States in an effort to promote recovering lost technology.

Early History

The Gray Death Legion was formed on the planet Trell I by Grayson Death Carlyle, a mercenary apprentice who had used inventive tactics in order to keep the planet from being used as a beachhead for a Draconis Combine invasion of Lyran Commonwealth space. He formed and trained a militia unit called the Trellwan Lancers to combat Combine forces. After forcing Duke Ricol and the Combine forces to flee, Carlyle reformed the Lancers into the Gray Death Legion mercenary unit. [cite book | last = Keith Jr. | first = William H. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Decision at Thunder Rift | publisher = Fasa | date = 1986 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = ISBN 0-931787-69-6 ]

The Legion headed for the mercenary planet Galatea in order to bolster their forces and find work. The Legion negotiated a contract under which the Legion would be required to act as a training cadre to the planet Verthandi's rebel army. They ran the Draconis Combine blockade, only to be trapped on Verthandi until they could win their way home. Grayson Death Caryle eventually took de facto command of the Verthandi rebel forces due to his greater experience and superior equipment. The Gray Death Legion made many raids against the Draconis Combine forces which culminated in an attack on the Combine-held capital city. With the help of Lyran Commonwealth forces summoned by the Gray Death Legion's jumpship, Verthandi was liberated from the Draconis Combine. [cite book | last = Keith Jr. | first = William H. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Mercenary's Star | publisher = Fasa | date = 1986 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = ISBN 1-55560-030-1 ]

Almost immediately following these events, a representative from the Duke of Irian and the Free Worlds League signed the Legion to its service. As part of their contract the Gray Death Legion was given the planet Helm as a holding. The Legion fought against the Capellan Confederation for their employers. When ComStar discovered a Star League storehouse on Helm, they feared that the Legion would discover the memory core and threaten ComStar's monopoly on lost Star League technology. ComStar operatives set up a plot in cooperation with a rogue faction of the Free Worlds League to discredit the Legion and frame them for war crimes. The Free Worlds faction, led by the Duke of Irian, wished to use the "new" technology to wrest control of the Free Worlds League from Janos Marik. The Gray Death Legion landed on Helm too late to save their families, but held off the Duke's forces, found the storehouse and evacuated much of the technology and the Helm memory core offworld. [cite book | last = Keith Jr. | first = William H. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Price of Glory | publisher = Fasa | date = 1987 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = ISBN 1-55560-038-7 ]

Personalities

Grayson Death Carlyle

Founder of the mercenary command known as the Gray Death Legion, forged from the remainders of his father's mercenary unit, Carlyle's Commandos, which was destroyed in a treacherous sneak attack by periphery bandits in a scheme engineered by Hassid Ricol, the Red Duke. Known for his innovative battlefield tactics. Pioneered the use of anti-BattleMech infantry. In 3028, on the eve of the Fourth Succession War, Carlyle's Gray Death Legion discovered the Helm Star League Library Core on planet Helm in the Free Worlds League. Died in 3065 of cancer. He was married to Lori Kalmar-Carlyle, his second in command, who also died in 3065. They had one child, Alexander Carlyle.

Lori Kalmar Caryle

Davis McCall

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Alex Caryle

Gray Death Legion Novels

*Decision at Thunder Rift
*Mercenary's Star
*The Price of Glory
*Blood of Heroes
*Tactics of Duty
*Operation Excalibur
*The Dying Time

References