Born in the Periphery, Tom's life started out relatively peaceful. but then pirates attacked the mining plant that both is parents were employed at. The mercenaries that were contracted to protect the planet's assets found a vicous battle to defend the plant, but many of its workers were killed or seriously wounded. Among the casualties were both of Tom's parents. Guilt overwhelmed members of the unit and they took him in.

Tom took a strong interest in the military arts, as he felt a certain measure of responsibility for his parent's deaths, even though he was all but ten at the time. He wanted to ensure that he would be in a position to fight for his family and friends, so the military life style suited him best.

He took to his training like a duck to water. He quickly became a professional soldier, and with the amount he excelled, his sponsors within the mercenary unit fought to have him sent to one of the best military academies in the whole Inner Sphere, and so he was off to New Avalon. He trained to be a Mechwarrior, but then went one step further, with the blessing of his sponsors, and took the Special Forces training that proceeded. Afterwards, he returned to the Periphery and rejoined the mercenaries who sponsored his training.

His career has been a long one, starting with a two-year stint with the mercs. Tom was shipped off to another location to do a four-year term, helping with a paramility unit, acting as a liaison between the mercenaries and the government that employed them. This resulted in his being recruited into Federated Suns service. He did three tours with the Davion Heavy Guard, but he knew at the age of 34, it was time to move on or get assigned to a desk. This led him to join the Wellington Death Dealers, a mercenary group with an office on Outreach, but they are based near the Arc Royal Cordon.

The first two years with the Death Dealers had him seeing action against the Clans. Afterwards, he saw his combat time inside a BattleMech begin to dwindle, and by the end of his career with the Death Dealers, his 'Mech time was reduced to training and simulators. The unit was trying to push Tom into a command and control position, but when Schaefer Keller formed his own unit, taking Caitlin Robinson with him, he took a gamble and asked for a position.

The gamble was real, because had Schaefer not taken him, the unit was going to dump him for disloyalty to the Death Dealers. Tom feels that he still has many good years of BattleMech combat left in him, but that was only part of the reason he asked for a position. Five years ago, he and Gerald Robinson were on mission when Gerald was fatally wounded. Tom promised his good friend that he would look out for his daughter, Caitlin.

While Caitlin Robinson, the Pale Horsemen's logistics officer, is not Tom's family, he has always treated her like she was his own daughter. When she started seeing Schaefer Keller, the protective father instincts were activated, generating an instant dislike for the young man. Tom had to swallow his pride in order to ask him for a spot in the Pale Horsemen, something that did not sit well with the veteran Mechwarrior. However, given the situation with the Death Dealers, and the fact that Caitlin was going with Schaefer not matter what Tom said, he did just that.

While he did not expect any kind of command spot on the Pale Horsemen roster, because Schaefer was aware of Tom's disliking for him, Tom was surprised at both the speed of Schaefer's acceptance of Tom into the unit, and that he immediately promoted him to the unit's second in command. However, Tom has refused a commissioned rank because, "I work for a living!"

Tom has a strong work ethic, not wanting to let anyone out work him, in spite of his age. He also feels responsible for the men and women he serves with, even when he is not in command. Some consider that a positive trait, but sometimes Tom refers to it as his cross he has to bare.

This page was created by: Copyright November 3, 2004.