Gunnery Sergeant Ian "Dee" Merritt

Ian's senses of duty and loyalty got him into some difficult situations throughout his career. He picked up his nickname, "Dee", because of his penchant for refusing orders that he did not believe were good ideas. He has bounced between lance commander and wingman more times than anyone in the recent history of the MIIO SOG.

Also during his SOG years, Ian somehow managed to "acquire" a Kuritan Fifth Sword of Light Warhammer battlemech. Ian refuses to discuss the how he got the 'mech, but he has admitted (after several too many drinks at the Bragging Kilt Tavern in McArthur) that he used the 'mech on several of his cross-border ops.

Ian currently wants to return to Gray Mesa, on Errai, because he was made a Marshall of the region by Count Franko Bhromia when the former marshall was killed assisting the Northwind Irregulars track down the MAS package (which turned out to be Melissa Steiner herself).

Ultimately, Ian would like to return to his home on Northwind with his wife, Jenessa Clearsky-Merritt (who he accidentally married on Errai when he gave a plains raider a gift of trinkets that was interpreted as a dowry). He is utterly devoted to his wife, even though he didn't learn her name until after they were wed. He has been struggling to learn her odd Marik-French dialect while teaching her about his life, language, and universe.

Ian also speaks a little Kuritan Japanese, but no one would ever mistake him for a native speaker, since most of what he knows he has learned from his 'mech's computer - and its former owner had a penchant for poetic language: were Ian to say "Target locked" in Japanese, it would come out in a strong Northwind accent and might be loosely translated as "Dishonorable Davion ronin prepares to bloom into glorious flame."

Ian is not too sure about his current band of cohorts - "Rabid" van Doorn fascinates Ian - everyone seems to recognize this famous arena 'mech pilot. Ian personally thinks arena combat is a tremendous waste of time, and he may occasionally rib "Rabid" over it.

"The traitor Visp Lewyn, former captain of the former Screaming Banshee" - this is how Ian thinks of Visp. She is competent with her mechanical and tech skills (she patched critical reactor damage on Ian's mech early on), and she hasn't betrayed him since Northwind, so he has no reason to dispose of her - as long as she doesn't betray him again. Ian repeatedly prods at her by referring to her full title (as he's provided her).

The Comstar spy, Daniel, holds a special place in Ian's list of spies and traitors. Ian intentionally used a very heavy-handed technique to let Daniel know his cover was blown. In return for not simply blowing Daniel out an airlock or feeding him a shell full of double-ought buckshot, Ian expects Daniel to keep Ian appraised of certain goings-on.

Sir Geoffrey Sinclair is the person Ian trusts the least - even counting the known spies and traitors. Ian knew about a video monitoring system in the team's former dropship, the Screaming Banshee, and he found out that the video feeds connect to a recording system in the captain's office - the very same room that Geoffrey was so quick to claim when the team took over the dropship. It is not clear to Ian whether Geoffrey is a spy or simply a pervert (Ian would believe the former far more quickly), but Ian holds Geoffrey in a high degree of distrust.

Of all Ian's teammates, JC rates highest in Ian's books. A fellow veteran (even is she was from a line 'mech unit) who has faced the elephant (seen action), Ian almost instantly liked JC. Her penchant for grumbling about the unpleasant conditions of the systems she visits has rubbed off - to the point that Ian has offered contributions to her eventual travelogue, "Systems I Hate" (or whatever her final title is).

The other crew members have yet to make a significant impression on Ian. Red, another Northwinder, has proven her title, "Queen of the Techies", was well-suited. Fiona, also hailing from the Benwyvis Valley on Northwind, has been a pleasant reminder of the enjoyable oddness of Ian's home. The new 'mech pilot, Ryoko, with her diminishing flock of reptilian chickens, rates well with Ian for no other reason than that she was able to drive a 'mech the first time she hooked up to one (and a live 'mech at that, not a simulator).