ComStar Historical Archives

Colonel Charles K. Winston, former commander of the Twenty-first Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse, was one of the best-loved members of that venerable mercenary unit. A longtime veteran of the unit, Winston considered the former Star League RCT to be more family than a job. He was married in 2995 to another Light Horser, a M.A.S.H. physician, and both of their daughters, Ariana and Gloria, were raised in the traditions of the unit, though only Ariana followed her father into service as a MechWarrior; Gloria pursued a career as a historian.

By the year 3025, Colonel Winston was the oldest line officer still in service with the Eridani Light Horse. Although he still maintained the vigor and skill of a much younger man, a medical examination revealed that he was suffering from a heart condition that threatened his future. Admitting the truth to only his family and Brevet General Nathan Armstrong, Charles began making plans for his retirement, initially intending to serve only another year. However, he was convinced to stay on for a few more years, despite the concerns of his family and doctor.

Winston's health finally caught up with him during the Fourth Succession War. By 3029, the Eridani Light Horse was stationed on Kawich by their Davion employers, positioned to counter any possible Liao raids. As it happened, a Capellan force arrived in January. A single battalion from the Warrior House Hiritsu moved on the town of Samanan, unaware that the Twenty-first Striker, with Colonel Winston in command, was waiting in ambush. As the Hiritsu forces approached, Winston ordered his armor and infantry units to hit them. In a rolling ambush, the Light Horse units harried the Warrior House battalion as they tried to press forward to their goal. By the time the Capellans reached their target, they had lost an entire company of BattleMechs and were ripe for a full-on assault from the rest of the Twenty-first Striker. Winston ordered his 'Mechs forward and all three of his battalions ripped into the surprised Hiritsus. There were no survivors.

Though the Twenty-first was victorious in their mission, their single casualty in the battle was the most devastating. Colonel Winston, seated in the cockpit of his Battlemaster, succumbed to his medical condition and suffered a heart attack. He was rushed to the Light Horse field hospital, where he was attended by the best physicians in the unit. Erroneous reports of his death on Kawich eventually made their way to the Davion High Command, but Winston actually survived the heart attack, though in a greatly weakened condition. After giving one last service to his beloved unit, Charles Winston's own failing body had forced him to retire. The mantle of leadership of the Twenty-first was passed to his Executive Officer, Jamal Fallehy.

Charles may have been out of action, but he wasn't finished with the Eridani Light Horse. Shortly after the end of the war, his eldest daughter, Ariana, entered basic training with he mercenary unit. Using his connections within the organization, Winston ensured that Ariana would receive no special treatment on account of who her father was, but would either succeed or fail on the strength of her own abilities. Though it was a struggle for her, it was a satisfying day for Charles when his daughter graduated at the top of her class, winning a slot in his old unit, the Twenty-first Striker. Charles watched with pride as Ariana rapidly rose through the ranks. He followed her career with the practiced eye of someone who had been there before and the bond between father and daughter was strengthened over the years by the perceptive and useful advice he gave her. By 3039, Ariana was in command of a battalion and in 3045 she surpassed her father's achievements when she succeeded Brevet General William Erik Petersen as commander of the entire Eridani Light Horse.

As a long-time Light Horse member, Winston was steeped in their traditions, which stretched all the way back to the golden age of the Star League. The morale of the unit was devastated in the early 3050's with the arrival of the descendants of the Star League Defense Force, mutated beyond recognition into the Clans. Along with the rest of the unit, Charles was distraught to learn what had become of Kerensky's children. Perhaps this dismay contributed to his worsening health, for he died a couple of years later in 3053, mourned by his comrades and family both.

Physical Description and Personality

Charles Winston was a small man, short and thin with the build of a long-distance runner. In many respects, he was almost a negative image of his daughter Ariana: light-skinned while she was dark, short while she was tall, lean where she was muscular. Though he was not physically impressive, his demeanor more than made up for it. Many a raw recruit was surprised to hear the thunderous voice that emanated from Winston's mouth and though he was well-loved by his men, he was also feared. Still, he possessed an almost innate ability to bring out the best in his troops, a trait which he passed along to his daughter.

• Sources Used:
• NAIS 4th Succession War Military Atlas Vol. 1;
• Shadows of War;
• Sword and Fire;
• The Hunters;
• The Mercenary's Handbook;
• Twilight of the Clans