Ace Darwin

Ace Darwin
Personal
Died	3067
Affiliation	Ace Darwin's WhipIts
Career
Profession	MechWarrior
Family
Spouse	Elizabeth O'Bannon (Partner)
Children	Annabelle Darwin-O'Bannon

Ace Darwin was the commanding officer of the unorthodox mercenary unit Ace Darwin's WhipIts.

History

Hailing from the Lyran Commonwealth, Ace Darwin was able to secure admission to the prestigious Nagelring, though he was ultimately expelled during his second year for repeated violations of the curfew, dress code, dormitory rules and the Nagelring Code of Conduct. The ejection ultimately did not seem damage the charismatic Ace, who gathered an expanding circle of friends and connections which would come in handy when he opted for a career of a mercenary instead.

Military Service

Darwin served a three-year tour with the planetary militia on Kooken's Pleasure Pit, where his poor discipline ensured he wouldn’t be invited to reenlist. In 3035, during his final patrol before discharge, he discovered that his lancemates had repainted his Commando in pink and baby blue. While on that patrol, he encountered an unidentified Panther and engaged it in combat. After losing his 'Mech’s primary weapon, Darwin charged the enemy and ejected as both 'Mechs plunged into a canyon. He was later recovered by militia reinforcements, while the opposing pilot was found dead from the fall. As the victor, Darwin was awarded the Panther as salvage. His unit gave it a pink paint job as a parting gift, and lacking the funds to repaint it, he had no choice but to keep it.

With the WhipIts

Scorning any military rank in favor of just "Ace", his piloting skills far outshining his lacking leadership skills and only basic command of tactics, the unconventional "unit" he formed had only one permanent fixture - himself. After securing a contract Ace then reached out to his available friends to make up the balance of the unit size required, resulted in a "grab bag" unit with Ace often as surprised as his employers at what the end result was.

Contract on Anywhere

Ace and his unit didn't participate in the War of 3039 but found other employment. In October 3044, a group of archeologists with Interstellar Expeditions contracted the WhipIts to provide security while they performed a dig on an abandoned Star League-era city on the planet Anywhere, in the Lyran Commonwealth. The WhipIts by then, were reduced to Ace himself and two other 'Mechs. Soon after, the local government attacked the archeological site, intending to seize all Lostech. A battle between the local police and militia 'Mechs and Ace Darwin's people followed. The WhipIts defeated them and protected the IE team while they evacuated. Ace was forced to return to the camp while battling a militia Crusader to recover his technician, [[Sevrin, who insisted that he also take a fridge. Ace reluctantly took it. After escaping the planet, Sevrin explained than the fridge was filled with Coolant Flush bottles and SLDF neurohelmets. He and Darwin's team tasted the drinks, which had turned bad, before giving a neurohelmet to each of the three MechWarriors. He was said to be planning to reverse-engineer the drinks and began producing them, as well as the neurohelmets.

Contract on Small World

In 3054, Ace had been inactive from mercenary work for about a full year, during which he mad a stint as holovid stuntmen in Solaris VII and had a short relationship with one of O'Bannon's sisters. The 17 June, his XO Nyla informed him than they had a garrison contract on Small World by the AFFS. He accepted, bored after so much inactivity. The 10 August, the WhipIts were on Small World. After installing themselves into their new base, Darwin and some of his men assisted to a banquet, where they meet the planetary's Duke. During the celebration, Ace uncovered than the WhipIts' small and cramped base, due to a mistake, had to be shared with the 2nd Battalion of Harlock's Warriors. Together, both mercenary leaders argued with the Duke, but he refused to solve the problem, and instead throw them out of the party. Days later, tensions began growing between the WhipIts and the Warriors: some of Ace's men attacked some Warriors playing soccer with pink-tinted spray, and days later, some Warriors replied stealing some WhipIts' vehicles, though they returned them shortly. Tired of all the conflict, the 16 August, Ace ordered both unit's members to assemble and to drink together, focusing their hate against the real culprit: the Baron.

Further Contracts

Despite the ad hoc nature of the unit, Ace and his WhipIts proved highly successful, and by 3059 they had completed fifteen contracts with only one default. Their most recent contract at the time was with the Sarna Supremacy for an offensive raid from Kaifeng against the Capellan Confederation that instead turned into defensive campaign. Though the elite Warrior House Hiritsu easily defeated the defenders, Ace and his friends gave a far better performance than the Kaifeng Sarna March Militia.

Ace becomes famous

The unit’s success continued unabated—until disaster struck: Ace became famous. During the early years of the FedCom Civil War, one of the Immortal Warrior holovids introduced a character clearly inspired by Ace and his WhipIts. This fictional version, accompanied by a similarly eccentric team of elite fighters, played a crucial role in the film’s dramatic climax, helping the Immortal Warrior save the day. The resemblance was unmistakable, and soon Darwin found himself a minor celebrity, even becoming something of a cult figure in certain entertainment circles.

However, the spotlight proved a double-edged sword. The WhipIts effectively dissolved as Ace became enamored with his newfound fame and surrounded himself with a circle of self-indulgent showbiz "friends." He failed to realize how fleeting such attention could be. When public interest inevitably shifted and the media moved on, Ace was left alone, broke, and reportedly battling a K-Z addiction.

WhipIts Reborn

Making his way back to Outreach in 3065, Major Kenneth Petruzzelli of Harlock's Warriors encouraged him to get back in the saddle with the reborn WhipIts soon recruiting for a mission to liberate a monastery on the reportedly dead world of Austerlitz in the Periphery. Used by the Marian Hegemony for raids against worlds along the Periphery Lyran border, Ace with the aid of his friends including Solaris Grand Champion Elizabeth O'Bannon was able to route the Marians, with Ace himself defeating the commander in personal combat, carrying the severed head of his opponent's Wolf Trap triumphantly back to the WhipIts DropShip.

Death

Ace Darwin was reportedly killed during the First Battle of Outreach in 3067. He had assembled a unit consisting of roughly two companies of 'Mechs, but was ambushed by elements of the Waco Rangers and his infamous pink Panther was destroyed by a Warhammer in Waco Rangers colors.

BattleMechs

Darwin piloted a captured Draconis Combine Panther that he painted light pink and named Pink Panther, which is upgraded with Double Heat Sinks, and an ER PPC. Ace lavished attention upon his Pink Panther, often being found in off duty hours applying a fresh coat of wax to the 'Mech. Despite its bright coloring, Ace's Panther rarely suffered any damage with most opponents underestimating how much damage the 'Mech can do until it was too late. Following the mission on Austerliz, Ace made extra room in his cockpit, using parts from a Wolf Trap, to install a beverage cooler beneath his lucky fuzzy dice.

Bibliography

• Ace Darwin and the Battle of the Beer Fridge (short story)
• Ace Darwin and the Sidewinder Canyon (short story)
• Ace Darwin and the Great Small World Prank War (short story)
• Ace Darwin in Paradise (short story)
• Field Manual: Mercenaries
• Mercenaries Supplemental II
• Mercenaries Supplemental Update