ComStar Historical Archives

Retired from the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces, Hauptmann Erik Mahler and his wife Hilda were enjoying a nice vacation cruise on the liner Silver Eagle when it was hijacked and taken to an asteroid base in the Draconis Combine. Unknown to almost everyone one board, the Mahlers' dining companion, a young woman calling herself Joana Barker, was none other than Melissa Steiner, heir to the Lyran throne and betrothed of First Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns.

When Melissa revealed her identity, Mahler immediately insisted on acting as her bodyguard and he and the Silver Eagle's captain guarded her while Kurita troops attempted to locate the young princess. Although Captain Von Breunig was killed during the Kurita assault, Mahler managed to take out one attacker before he was seriously injured by a katana cut to his left shoulder. Melissa and the Silver Eagle were saved through the intervention of the Kell Hounds and the sacrifice of Patrick Kell and Erik returned with his wife to their homeworld of Alyina. Although his injury healed, he retained a scar on his shoulder and suffered stiffness in that arm.

When the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere twenty years later, Alyina was targeted by Clan Jade Falcon. Federated Commonwealth forces led by Prince Victor Steiner-Davion, the son of Melissa Steiner, were driven from Alyina but the Prince himself was saved by the actions of his friend Kai Allard-Liao, who was thought to have perished in the act. Finding himself alone after the FedCom withdrawal, Allard-Liao lived for several days off the land, raiding the gardens of local residents. One such garden belonged to Erik and Hilda Mahler. Drawing upon his years of combat service, though long past his prime, the retired MechWarrior surprised Kai and offered him shelter within his and Hilda's home. They were already sheltering another refugee, Deirdre Lear, a doctor with the FedCom military.

After a few weeks' rest and recovery from their ordeal, Kai and Deirdre were given supplies by the Mahlers and Erik drove them to the nearest town, where it was hoped they would be able to get off a message to their comrades and a rescue could be organized. While planning their next moves, Mahler demonstrated that the years had not dulled his abilities and he could still remember basic survival procedures, including secret ComStar accounts set up to facilitate soldiers getting messages out from behind enemy lines. Mahler dropped off Allard-Liao and Lear at the town of Dove Costoso and returned to his wife.

Although Kai and Deirdre were captured while attempting to get a message out over the HPG, they managed to escape into the Alyina wilderness and eventually ally with the local Jade Falcon commander against the forces of ComStar, which had launched a takeover attempt throughout the entire Inner Sphere and the Clan Occupation Zones. Erik and Hilda assisted Kai and his Clan allies in fighting ComStar, with Hilda providing shelter and supplies and Erik lending a hand in the planning of a raid against the local ComStar garrison. The old Hauptmann also gave Kai a bit of advice about his turbulent relationship with Deirdre Lear, confiding that even though he and Hilda had fought terribly when they first met, they had stuck it out and had been rewarded with many years of love. The fate of Erik and Hilda Mahler under the Jade Falcon occupation is unknown.

• Sources Used:
• Lost Destiny;
• Warrior: En Garde