Campaign of the Month: June 2014
Battletech (Farscape) : The New Breed
Commandante Jorge Ernesto Vásquez
Warlord of New Patagonia
Description:
Commandante Jorge Ernesto Vásquez is the “Warlord” of New Patagonia, commanding a private army for a time, known as “Tupamaros”, or more colloquially as the “Army of New Patagonia”. He presently commands the 4th (Foot) Rifle Infantry Battalion of The Oriental Republic of San Isabels national army.
Vásquez has always excelled as an athlete, and was noted as being quite well-read, with noted interests in H.G. Wells, Robert Frost and Adidas Camus, the latter being a famous 25th century Terran author who wrote about colonial politics among the stars.
Vásquez has become a skilled bureaucrat and administrator, and is considered a Veteran NPC Infantry Officer. He remains a skilled tactician and loves chess. He is also a capable infantry trooper himself, noted for his accuracy and often surprises his official troops in the 4th (Foot) Rifle Infantry Battalion with surprise inspections whenever they are on maneuvers. He holds an official position within the San Isabel military as a battalion commander of the 4th, and while their loyalties are mixed, they still support him.
His family consists of his wife and three children; the eldest Jelena Noura “Gigi” Vásquez (born in 3003 ), a model of some national fame; Bella Vásquez (born in 3005 ), also a model; and Anwar Vásquez (born in 3009 ), still a student but noted as having an interest in a military career like his father. His wife, Celia de la Serna y Llosa has her own wealth from her father’s real estate efforts in the capital of Montevideo before he died. She operates a civilian graphics design business as her personal career, and is moderately successful.
Bio:
Born the eldest of five children to a wealthy San Isabel family, Jorge Ernesto Vásquez, was typically pampered, but always had an affinity towards the good things of life. He was raised a nationalist, and his father often hosted veterans of the national military in his home, honoring their efforts to defend their nation. Taking an interest in military matters, he seemed destined to become a soldier.
Taking military training early in his youth, Vásquez quickly rose through the ranks, but took a break while he earned a medical degree on the army’s dime, before returning to the military as an officer. He continued for many years, eventually marrying Celia de la Serna y Llosa, a noted model and aristocrat, and eventually gained the position of Commandante (military commander) of the northern province of New Patagonia.
It is not known how, exactly, El Gas got their hooks into him, but within a year of taking the position as Commandante, Vásquez became the leader of their private army, Tupamaros, following a power struggle that led to the unfortunate (and accidental) death of Horacio Jorge, the previous leader of the armed militia. For over a decade, Vásquez has attempted to regulate this private army of thugs and ne’er-do-wells into a viable force for the national good, but was unable or unwilling to do so. While he rarely visited these troops in the field, he commanded them from his headquarters in New Patagonia (capital of the northern province), along with the 4th Infantry Battalion, leaving most local officers to make the daily decisions.
While the national army command tried to pull his control over the local 4th Infantry Battalion away from him, they could never officially do so, as he has never actually broken any laws, and is still generally respected by the 4th Battalion’s officers. The last thing they needed was a civil war, or to force his hand against them. In early-3026, the bulk of the most dangerous portion of the Tupamaros was eliminated by the Iron Dingoes in a government-sanctioned raid as they moved to take control of Lake Aurin. The remaining forces have since broken into tiny bandit squads that pose no real danger to the northern army or its territories.
Following this collapse of the Army of New Patagonia, Commandante Vásquez has continued in his position as a regional warlord, but accepts directives from the national military command, regarding protection of the district from his own former mercenary army. He has ultimately proven to be a nationalist at heart, and is concerned for the nation his family lives in and calls home.
