The unit paints their units in a gradient, starting with a dark gray near the bottom and rising through shades of blue to the top. This is supposed to resemble light filtering through water, seen from the ocean floor. The unit’s crest is a light red circle with a breaking wave in blue and white.
History
Major Robert Clarkson, commanding officer of the “Rising Tide” mercenary unit, follows a unique approach to organizing his forces. Similar to the way many bands of Periphery pirates operate, each member of Rising Tide has a number of ‘shares’ allocated to them, based on their combat position and length of service with the unit. After successful contract completion, each share pays out equally from the unit’s profits.
Decisions in a combat theater are made following the military chain of command, with Major Clarkson typically commanding from the field in his Battlemaster. Outside of combat, however, the unit tries to operate as a true democracy, with each member having one vote, regardless of position. Votes are made on prospective contracts, major equipment purchases, and new employee hires.
Another point that sets the Rising Tide apart from many other mercenary units is their dedication to both ongoing training and long-term care of dependents and survivors. The Rising Tide requires all combat personnel to undergo 50 hours of training each year, paid for out of the unit’s general fund. Mechwarriors and Pilots can be found attending everything from astech certification programs to hypserspace physics lectures by Kearny-Fuchida field experts. Widowers or widows of members slain in battle receive a generous pension, as well as an open door should they wish to work (or continue to work) for the Rising Tide. Many former spouses can be found in the battalion’s administrative and medical sections.
Because of his dedication to ongoing education, Major Clarkson maintains an excellent working relationship with several prominent Inner Sphere colleges and academies. Rising Tide personnel and their families receive tuition discounts at Coventry Military Academy, NAIS College of Military Science, and Lloyd Marik-Stanley Aerospace School. In exchange, regular graduates of those schools are given special consideration if they wish to join a mercenary unit after graduating, rather than serve in a House army. It is rumored that at least one of the Rising Tide’s pilots trained at, and graduated from, Sandhurst Roya l Military Academy on Terra, but both Comstar and Major Clarkson refuse to discuss these rumors.
Rising Tide does not maintain strong ties to any one major House, but they are notoriously reticent about working for the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine. It should be noted that neither House has a particularly stellar record with mercenaries in general.
Alpha Company
Alpha Company of the Rising Tide is commanded by Major Clarkson, and has most of the battalion’s assault ‘Mechs. They prefer to field designs with more mobility, eschewing Atlases and Awesomes in favor of Zeuses and Marauders. Their crest is the Rising Tide’s standard breaking wave, with an ancient Terran Iowa-class battleship riding the barrel of the wave.
Beta Company
Rising Tide’s Beta Company is led by Captain Butler, who is distantly related to Janos Marik, piloting a Grasshopper. Every ‘Mech in Beta Company is equipped with jump jets, allowing them unmatched flexibility in battlefield positioning. Their crest is a breaking wave with a bright red speedboat cutting across the front.
Delta Company
Delta Company is composed mainly of light and medium BattleMechs. Captain Christine Swanson commands the company from her rare and often-underestimated Phoenix Hawk LAM. Delta Company prides itself on reconnaissance and extraction missions. A silver submarine lurks beneath the breaking wave on Delta Company’s crest.
Gamma Company
Gamma Company is a mixed vehicle company, composed of a lance of assault tanks, a lance of Manticore and Bulldog heavy tanks, and a lance of hovertanks. They are commanded by Captain Derek, driving a Behemoth. Gamma Company typically deploys a lance in support of each BattleMech company, either to complement their forces or provide a strong center for them to fall back to. Their crest is a breaking wave, upon which rides a Von Luckner tank with surfboards instead of tracks.
Mu Company
The Rising Tide’s Aerospace support: a lance each of Sparrowhawk, Shilone, and Stuka fighters. Captain Danielle commands from her Shilone. The unit’s crest is a breaking wave on a black background with stars.
Insignia by: LegendKiller
Paint Scheme by: Xinxspuz
Mech repainted by: LegendKiller
View on Sarna.net: –
View on Camospecs.com: –
Original Artwork: flyingdebris for Piranha Games Inc.
Template: Sightsonyou/LegendKiller
Additional Template work: LegendKiller