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So obviously they will fight elsewhere than on the ground. NRWR and CC will be the rulers of space for the age to come.
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Feb 4, 2016 00:32
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I think this new Star League has a dozen problems to solve before they can turn their eyes to the Cappellans. Sounds like we're well and truly off the beaten track now though.
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Feb 4, 2016 00:38
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Biggest problem with the New Star League that I can think of is that it's (tentatively) being backed by ComStar and last I remember, ComStar is in bed with Amaris and the NRWR.
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Feb 4, 2016 00:41
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W.T. Fits posted:Biggest problem with the New Star League that I can think of is that it's (tentatively) being backed by ComStar and last I remember, ComStar is in bed with Amaris and the NRWR. On paper, anyway. If I recall the last conversation between the ComStar leadership and President Fu Manchu of NRWR, they were at least in part getting bullied into it. Maybe this is ComStar's effort to get some powerful friends to go upside the NRWR's head?
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Feb 4, 2016 00:49
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State of the Inner Sphere 3035: Part 3 Operation Mingtiao “We make this announcement with the approval of ComStar, knowing full well that We have brought this interdiction upon ourselves,” Romano Liao’s lips moved slowly, her face devoid of expression entirely. Neither contrition nor rage twisted her perfect features, and her voice of icy disdain rang with authority rather than the madness House Davion claimed ran through the Liao bloodline. Her jade green robes resplendent in gold-embroidered goats that matched the new year had been carefully designed to nearly glow when projected in a holotank. Her make-up, her hairstyle, her costume, her whole demeanor had been designed to make Romano Liao seem like the most beautiful woman in the Inner Sphere. Even the slightly miniaturized Celestial Throne at her back had been designed and positioned to make her seem larger-than-life to the people of the Capellan Confederation. Just one of the numerous “finishing touches” her lover, Justin Xiang, had insisted on. They people would doubtless be angry at the impending interdiction, and Romano Liao’s carefully-cultivated imperial majesty had been designed, in part, to cool that anger. It would be clear to most from her frigid demeanor alone that ComStar was forcing the Celestial Throne to admit culpability, not that the Capellan Confederation had actually done anything wrong. “This will be a time of great hardship for the people of the Capellan Confederation, but We ask that you all remain calm and stand proud. Citizenship awaits those who do not falter in the face of the troubles to come, to those who continue to support the Celestial Throne with all their heart and loyalty. To Our citizens, We say only that you have the Celestial Throne’s gratitude for what you may be forced to endure. To my military commanders, I instead ask that you begin following our worst-case scenario: Operation Mingtiao exactly as presented in the Field Operations Manual. The timetable will be set on the day you receive this message.” Her stern, almond-shaped eyes swept back and forth as though regarding a vast crowd of people. “To the citizens once more: We ask only that you not lose faith. The Celestial Throne will do everything in Our power to end the interdiction as swiftly as possible. To ComStar: we stand ready to make concessions, whenever you see fit to present us with your demands.” The message ended without a goodbye, only a standardized outro that told the people of the Capellan Confederation that the message had come from an official source on Sian. Villius Tejh watched it in silence, tapping his lower lip with the tip of his finger. “We have the Capellan field manual, yes?” he asked an aide. “What is Operation: Mingtiao?” The woman bowed her head, “Standard operating procedure in case of compromised communications,” she announced, having anticipated the Primus’s question. “Withdraw in main force to the nearest major staging world or manufacturing center, sacrificing the safety of any minor worlds as necessary to prevent elements of less than regimental size from being picked off piecemeal. There is a four-week timetable for assembly after which any unit that fails to report is to be considered compromised.” Tejh nodded. “Cutthroat, but sensible.” “They’ve also requested we delay the broadcast until we can do so simultaneously across the Capellan Confederation, as not doing so could result in friendly fire incidents.” Tejh nodded again. That was a request he could accede to. He’d been Precentor Sian for a long time, he could afford to show the Celestial Throne that ComStar was also willing to negotiate. “Very well. Follow the Celestial Throne’s directive. They’ve paid to have the message broadcast to every one of their worlds, and we are still ComStar, after all.” ************************************************************ The dying began all at once. A dropship, painted black and running on minimal power, drifted silently through Capellan space for weeks before turning at the last instant and overwhelming the small orbital space station with electromagnetic energy from their drive flares. The sudden deceleration pushed the craft well above two gravities as they slowed to a halt and men in full EVA gear fired magnetic grapples in the direction of the nearest hatch. They swarmed from the ships like ants from a compromised nest, pouring through the airlock before opening fire with low-velocity SMGs and soft bullets. Their number and equipment had been carefully chosen to avoid damaging any of the precious equipment. The commandos had numbers and surprise, and cut down white-robed defenders with ease. The scene repeated itself over and over again, and in a twenty-four hour span precisely three weeks after Romano Liao’s speech was broadcast to the whole of the Capellan Confederation, commando teams had seized over ninety-percent of ComStar’s space-based HPG network. Bloody, costly battles still remained to be waged over ground facilities, those same receiving stations were largely unimportant. If the Confederation lost a few to booby traps or spite, the Confederation would hardly feel the loss. All ComStar knew was: a few weeks before the first day of 3035, the whole of the Capellan Confederation had suddenly gone dark. State of the Inner Sphere: 3035 Capellan Confederation The Capellan Confederation has effectively seized the HPG network in their territory, losing less than a handful to sabotage or accidents. The ground-based assaults were far more costly, but resistance from ComStar facilities ended one way or another the fourth week after Romano Liao’s broadcast—right on schedule. With interstellar communication now firmly under the control of the Celestial Throne, the Capellan Confederation has effectively severed all ties with the rest of the Inner Sphere and have begun negotiating peace with what remains of the Duchy of New Syrtis. For the time being the Capellans don’t seem outwardly aggressive, but any further attempts to seize worlds from Capellan space could result in that world falling silent forever. Duchy of New Syrtis After losing the bulk of their industrial capacity to the Draconis Suns, the Duchy of New Syrtis appears to be seriously considering peace negotiations with the Capellan Confederation. What few save Justin Xiang and Romano Liao know, is that Duke Hasek is a Capellan puppet—and the Duchy of New Syrtis is perfectly positioned to pass intelligence from Justin’s “abandoned” spy networks back into the Confederation. The Duchy has received a stay of execution for the time being, and Hanse seems content to leave the remainder as a buffer between the Capellans and the heart of the Federated Suns. Taurian Concordat The Taurian Concordat’s invasion of the Duchy of New Syrtis continues, but their poor judgement in attacking the Capellan Confederation as well may soon come back to bite them. They’ve made no progress in Capellan space since Romano Liao’s initial broadcast, and any opportunity they may have had to seize a few more worlds has already dried up. 
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Feb 4, 2016 00:50
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Feb 4, 2016 00:58
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Well okay then. Let me just find an appropriate image for this... Okay there we go: 
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Feb 4, 2016 01:00
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... annnnd that just put them at the top of the Star League's poo poo list. They better finish summoning Space Godzilla quick.  Still, good job taking most of those HPGs in-tact, (Death?) Commando teams! An impressive feat even with the advantage of real logistics and planning, even more so under the constraints of Battletech. I very much can't wait to see what the rest of the plan is.
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Feb 4, 2016 01:01
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Hahahahaa. The CC are amazing and hilarious.
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Feb 4, 2016 01:02
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Well here I was, worried that conflicts across the inner sphere might simmer down and reach reasonable conclusions.
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Feb 4, 2016 01:09
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Plot moving forward and yet still in a ridiculously unstable and violent state. Nicely done PTN.
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Feb 4, 2016 01:28
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State of the Inner Sphere 3035: Part 4 Crusade The dull roar of the Leopard-class dropship Night Hunter’s engines died with a piercing whine as it settled on its landing struts. The ground had barely had time to cool when Khan Leo Showers descended the boarding ramp, stepping into the frigid Strana Mechty winter. The air bit his dark skin, but the crispness of the taste was delicious after spending half-a-month of heavily-recycled air. No matter how good the oxygen scrubbers, dropships always stank of sweat and oil. Those scents were familiar, perhaps even comforting, to all Clan warriors, but Leo would be the first to admit he preferred being on the ground, even on a world so different from Huntress. Strana Mechty was the birth-world of his Clan’s totem animal, after all. He was no stranger here. His entourage of aides and bodyguards fanned out behind him, but Leo motioned for them to linger a bit. A figure leaned casually against a wall on the far side of the tarmac. She was powerfully muscled but her strength was more subtle than Leo’s own. Khan Robin Steele of Clan Coyote was one foe the young Khan had learned not to underestimate. They’d come to blows once before, a trial of refusal on the tarmac outside the Grand Council chambers—a contest that had resulted in a mutual knock-out. With a draw, the original ruling should have stood, but Leo had withdrawn his Clan’s claim. Although he was a Mechwarrior himself, he often trained with his Elemental bodyguards. There were few enough Mechwarriors who could meet him unarmed on even terms, any who could was worthy of respect. “They have been silent for nearly five months. Any idea what the Widowmakers want this time?” he inquired, his deep voice carrying even though he spoke quietly. Khan Steele inclined her head, then adjusted her field cap, letting the brim shield her eyes from the sun’s glare. “The Ice Hellions are back.” “Ah,” Leo grunted. “The final decision whether or not to annihilate the Ice Hellions? Are you here to try to talk me out of it?” “That would be my guess,” she affirmed darkly. “And no, I am not. Clan Coyote will support a Smoke Jaguar claim.” He nodded at that, not seeing any need to press her farther. The Coyotes had economic deals with nearly every Clan, the Ice Hellions among them. That she was here suggested she hoped those deals would continue even if the Smoke Jaguars wound up with the bulk of the Ice Hellion holdings but all the same she hadn’t tried to bargain with him. He liked that. It would have been a mistake to think their Clans close, the Smoke Jaguars had no real alliances, but they were on amiable terms with the Coyotes for the moment. As far as Khan Showers was concerned, the Smoke Jaguars needed no allies, they were more than capable of simply seizing any sites or resources their war machine had lacked. Of the forces remaining in the Homeworlds the Smoke Jaguars were the strongest although, Leo was forced to admit, the Ghost Bears would have been close to an even match. “Has everyone else arrived?” The Khan of the Coyotes rolled her shoulders and turned towards the door, preparing to return to her own deligation. “You are the last to arrive—and you are very nearly late at that.” “It was unavoidable,” Leo replied. A half-truth, he could have left days earlier, but the Smoke Jaguars had been preparing for the Ice Hellions’ return or, if the vote fell through, a hard reprisal against whichever of the Homeworld Clans had chosen to block them. His timetable had pushed everything to the last minute—a single delay and the Smoke Jaguars might have missed this sudden and urgent summons from the ilKhan. It did mean they’d reestablished connection, so whatever trouble had silenced the Crusade must have finally been hammered out. The Grand Council chamber was largely silent as Leo and his entourage took their seats. He’d left his saKhan to continue his Clan’s preparations. If all went well, they’d launch the first wave the moment he sent the word—likely mere minutes after the close of the meeting. “Well, that is everyone,” Asa Taney’s voice was strong enough, but in a thin and breathy way Khan Showers had long come to associate with Aerospace fighters. He projected well enough, he simply didn’t have the upper body strength to lend his voice real power the way an Elemental or even most Mechwarriors could. “Let us get this meeting started.” Leo’s eyes immediately flashed to the darkened Widowmaker alcove. The holographic emitters that had been installed for the sake of the Goliath Scorpions, Burrocks, Star Adders, Steel Vipers, Hell’s Horses, Sea Foxes, Snow Ravens, and Jade Falcons were all dark. Nine Clans in the Inner Sphere, and none of them were the Smoke Jaguars. Heat rushed to Leo’s face as his temper surged. He brought it under control a moment later. The Smoke Jaguars were known for being rash and aggressive, but the Khan of the Jaguars never allowed himself to make an important decision in a fit of anger. Fury, like steel, was best when it had been cooled and tempered into a razor’s edge. “We should wait for the ilKhan, quiaff?” Khan Din Steiner asked, from the Cloud Cobra’s enclave in the far corner. As one of the weakest of the Clans, the Cloud Cobras had been relegated to seats near the periphery of the Clan council chambers. Asa Taney spat on the floor. “Natasha the so-called Kerensky is a traitor. She has kept the truth from us all. She has forced nearly all of the other invading Clans to follow her. Only the Goliath Scorpions and Burrocks resist—the others, the Steel Vipers, Widowmakers, Hell’s Horses and Jade Falcons have turned their backs on the Way of the Clans!” A low murmur rose among the assembled Khans, but it was Robin Steele who raised her voice in protest. “Bold accusations from a Clan desperate to avoid absorption—or worse! You have proof of Natasha Kerensky’s betrayal, quineg?” Asa Taney’ affixed the Khan of the Coyotes with a hard stare. “A descendant of the usurper Stefan Amaris yet lives!” The chambers exploded in anger, and Khan Showers was surprised to find his voice joining the others in protest. Stefan Amaris had acknowledged no children. To think that he might have had a bastard—or worse, hidden the birth of a legitimate heir to the Rim World’s Republic when the war with the Star League Defense Force turned against him—was a nightmare. Taney held his tongue until the outrage faded and more and more of the assembled Khans began cajoling him to speak. “I have brought with me recordings of a direct challenge made by Stefan Amaris the Seventh,” Taney spat on the floor again, as though the name was vitriolic bile. “When they learned of it the Sea Foxes and Snow Ravens did what any good and Honorable Clan must—they set out immediately to confront this Amaris and burn his vile bloodline from the stars. I have also brought with me an order signed by the ilKhan herself, and sent to all of the invading Clans. The message, she claims, is a hoax, and all Clans are not only to ignore it, but to avoid broadcasting it home.” Taney pressed onward, his rhetorical fury capturing even Khan Showers’s interest. He was building to some grand—and obviously rehearsed—point, but the Smoke Jaguar Khan felt the desire to leap on the man and tear his throat out with his teeth diminishing all the same. “Only the Goliath Scorpions and Burrocks, ever the Widowmakers’ enemies, resist her. The Goliath Scorpions informed the Burrocks of this travesty, and the Burrocks shared Amaris’s transmission with us. They both attempted to transmit this information to the Council, here,” Taney paused, letting the implications sink in, “but the Widowmakers control the Exodus Road. I have not spoken with the Scorpion Khan, but as far as the Burrocks knew, you were all appraised of this nearly a year ago. My Khans, we can not—” A chime rang through the council chambers as the Khan of the Blood Spirits depressed one of the buttons set into their stone desk, requesting the floor. It was rare for a Clan to put in a formal request to speak when the ilKhan was not present, but the Blood Spirits were nothing if not polite. Taney’s expression soured with anger at the interruption, but he acknowledged the Blood Spirits with a nod. “Yes, Khan Arc Keller?” “While the Blood Spirits have always harbored—well call them suspicions—of Widowmaker perfidy, please be aware that we can and should not take the words of the Khan of an abjured Clan at face value. I propose a recess,” Arc Keller held a hand to eloquently forestall Taney’s sputtering. “You will disseminate your ‘proof’ to all Clans assembled here, and allow us, say, three days to verify its authenticity.” The muscles in Asa Taney’s face worked furiously, as though he wanted to spew a stream of invective at Keller. “That is,” he cleared his throat, “fair.” ************************************************************ When Khan Showers returned to the Grand Council chambers, his already tempestuous mood had worsened considerably. It was bad enough he was now likely to be declined the chance to destroy the Ice Hellions, but now it seemed the insufferable Asa Taney had been correct: Natasha Kerensky had betrayed them. It irked him that, like Asa Taney, he could think of no other reason that the ilKhan would choose to keep the news of a surviving Amaris from the homeworld Clans. She did not mean to pursue Amaris, that alone was clear enough, but she’d abandoned the Snow Ravens and Sea Foxes to—and that was where Khan Showers lost the thread. Her motives were baffling, and he wondered if it was even worth the effort trying to learn to think like a traitor. Taney himself had returned to his Clan’s bench, having relinquished the floor to Khan Keller in the last session. Keller himself was relaxed, flanked by a pair of warriors who bore no sign of Clan or house. Showers ignored them as Keller stood tall and motionless, even though he’d likely been in place long before any of the other Khans had begun to file in. Khan Showers was the last once again. He abhorred wastefulness and, in fact, prided himself on punctuality. He always arrived within a heartbeat or two of any scheduled meeting’s starting time, wasting as little of his own time as possible. That this proclivity tended to irritate his rival Khans nearly made the effort worth it in and of itself. Keller began as soon as Leo found his seat. Khan Showers’ lips curled into a smile as he caught Keller’s sour, worried expression. The Blood Spirit mastered his emotions soon enough, but for the man to show anything at all was either a small victory for Leo Showers or proof that even the normally unflappable Blood Spirits had been disturbed by Taney’s recordings. “My fellow Khans,” Keller began slowly, drawing things out in a manner Leo found annoying. The Blood spirits spent too much time playing politics, they were the peacemakers and mediators of the Clans, but as far as Khan Showers was concerned they had far too little spirit and saw far too little blood. The Clans would survive just fine without the Blood Spirits, he thought, vowing to put that to the test if this little meeting didn’t proceed in a way that favored him. “By now, you have verified what Clan Blood Spirit has always known,” Keller’s words drew Leo’s attention like a BattleMech that had lost a leg. Leo’s face contorted into a silent, angry snarl as Keller continued. “The Widowmakers are traitors, and have been since Khan Nicholas Kerensky challenged them so long ago. I believe—as I suspect Asa Taney believes—that the Widowmakers mean to seize Terra, and use an obscure piece of Nicholas Kerensky’s writing to name themselves the ilClan. As ilClan, they could choose to forego our sworn vengeance force all the Clans to negotiate the founding of a new Star League. With Natasha Kerensky at its head!” “This cannot be permitted,” one of Khan Keller’s bodyguards broke in. Showers had ignored the men, assuming them nothing more than aides, but the man’s head was hard and craggy and he bore himself like a warrior. His complete lack of Clan and House markings had gone nearly unremarked, but now they stood out like a Freebirth at a bloodname trial. “The blood of the Widowmaker Kerenskys is impure,” the man continued, his firm and even tone catching Khan Showers by surprise. He spoke as though he’d been addressing Khans on equal terms his entire life, and he stood proudly without any sign of contrition for his outburst. Khan Showers found himself nodding: this one had seen blood. He liked that. “The Widowmakers,” the speaker continued, aware he was being assessed but unintimidated, “have tainted nearly the whole of the Kerensky bloodline. What you currently know as ‘Blood House Kerensky’ is actually an offshoot of the Karrige line, genetically modified to better resemble the bloodline they seek to replace. The Kerensky bloodline is known for its vision—and the Widowmakers have none. The blood of Nicholas Kerensky does not mix well with that of traitors: ilKhan Natasha is no Kerensky! She has no more claim to the bloodname than she does to that,” the warrior paused, affixing Leo with predatory gaze, “of Khan Leo Showers. Or that of Khan Yvonne Hazen. Or yours, Khan Tyrell Bekker. She and hers would replace you all, if they could.” “And who are you, to raise such an accusation?” Khan Showers’ voice carried without the aid of a microphone. The Council Chamber was large, but even it would fail to contain his rage if Khan Keller’s arrogant guest was wasting his time. “I am Erik, of the true house Kerensky. Khan Leo Showers, you met my sibkin Ulric in battle on Tranquil five years ago. He serves at Natasha’s side, our eyes and ears within the Widowmakers. You, also, have looked me in the eyes. You know I speak the truth.” “And you hope Khan Leo Showers will vouch for you, quineg?” Khan Sainze of the Fire Mandrills snorted. Khan Keller’s other companion, a woman with hair as black as tar stepped forward. “House Ward stands behind the exiled House Kerensky. We have served as the guardians of the Kerensky bloodline—maintaining it under the noses of the Widowmakers—for over two hundred years. To our own ruin.” Ruin was the word for it, Khan Showers knew. The Widowmakers had stripped the old Wolf blood house of honors and relegated the lot to solahma duties. That House Ward had clung to their tenuous existence in spite of the decrees of the Widowmaker Khans did not impress him. That they had fought and kept their bloodline out of the hands of other Clans to remain a Widowmaker exclusive, in spite of their shame, did. “Clan Blood Spirit,” Khan Keller spoke once more, “also verifies the identities of these individuals. We have supported the true Kerensky bloodline since the beginning, when they had no where else to turn. They,” Keller paused dramatically, “are all that remains of Clan Wolf, remaining in self-imposed exile for all of these years.” “Why have you not brought this to our attention before now?” Asa Taney howled, his tiny face purpled with rage. His Clan still stood on the precipice of annihilation, even proving the Widowmaker betrayal wasn’t enough to exonerate him. “The time was not right,” Erik answered coldly, his thoughtful eyes barely seeing the Ice Hellion. “We knew the Widowmakers would succumb to their nature sooner or later. And now that there can be no question of their dishonor, we of Clan Wolf can approach this council once more.” Erik held his arms wide, “We ask that the Grand Council acknowledge Clan Wolf once more, that you strip Natasha and her perfidious kin of their stolen bloodnames,” he paused, skewering Asa Taney with his gaze, “and that Khan Asa Taney’s as-yet unspoken call for a renewed invasion be heeded: the First Crusade has failed, it is time for a second!” “With you,” Khan Showers hissed, “at its head? Laughable! Even should we choose to recognize a reborn Clan Wolf, you have no troops! No bloodnamed warriors! No equipment!” “Neg,” Erik replied. “We would not seek—” “A unique opportunity presents itself,” Khan Asa Taney interrupted, his expression, so heated before had grown placid. “Clan Ice Hellion has been abjured—by rights, Clan Ice Hellion exists no more. Erik of the true Kerenskys, once the Grand Council has stripped the Widowmakers of their bloodlines and returned them to you, you will try for a name? You will be Khan of the Wolves, Qiaff?” Erik stared at Taney for a few long moments, “Aff, it is likely. We have undergone the bloodname trials for two centuries, although they are meaningless until the Grand Council returns those names to us. I lead the Blood House of Kerensky—” “—And House Ward stands behind House Kerensky, always,” the black-haired woman interjected. “So yes,” Erik finished. “I will be Khan of the Wolves.” “I challenge you,” Asa Taney’s eyes sparkled. “For control of Clan Wolf. Should I win, Clan Ice Hellion will absorb your blood houses into our number. Should you win,” he paused, “you will absorb Clan Ice Hellion in its entirety.” “Interesting,” Khan Keller interrupted cautiously. “On behalf of Clan Wolf, I accept,” Erik answered without hesitation. “What is your bid?” Taney smiled. “I bid one roll of the dice. We will test your ‘Kerensky Vision,’ Erik of the Wolves. Whoever guesses closest to the result without going over, wins. Should both parties lose, whichever of us guessed nearer to the target number wins instead.” Erik nodded slowly. “In that case, the time and place shall be here and now. And,” he continued boldly, “Clan Wolf choses ‘one.’” Showers’ eyes narrowed. It was a risky bid, with six numbers Taney could simply say ‘two’ and have five chances in six of success. Taney held up a dice, holding is tongue as he shook it in his hand. He threw it at the table, letting it bounce across the room in Erik’s general direction. While the dice flew, he called simply: “Seven.” The dice rattled to a stop. Erik didn’t even stoop to look at it, but Khan Keller did the honors. As he rose, a wry smile curled his lips upwards. “It is decided,” Keller’s intonations were grave. “The dice has come up ‘one.’ It seems that no matter Khan Taney’s bid, he was destined to lose. What says the Grand Council? Do we recognize,” he turned, affixing Khan Showers once more, “a re-armed and repopulated—with proven warriors—Clan Wolf?” Khan Showers slammed his fist on the affirmative button on his plinth. He was the first, but the others’ votes came almost immediately as well. The voting board flashed green in its entire, save for those Clans who weren’t present. It was the first time Khan Showers had ever seen a unanimous Grand Council vote, even the normally contentious Fire Mandrills had been swept up in the fervor. “It’s decided,” Keller said. “The Grand Council welcomes Clan Wolf back into the fold.” “Clan Wolf moves,” Erik began immediately, “that the Kerensky Bloodnames be stripped from Clan Widowmaker, and returned to Clan Wolf. Where they belong.” That vote was likewise unanimous but the new Khan of the reborn Wolves pressed on, “ex-Khan Asa Taney of the Ice Hellions, your choices brought your Clan to ruin. The Wolves move that Asa Taney be stripped of his bloodname, that it may fall to another,” before Asa could sputter a protest Erik continued, “However, in gratitude for his contributions to Clan society as a whole, the Wolves ask that a new bloodline be created: the Hellion bloodline, available to truly exceptional individuals nominated by the Khans of any Clan, and that Asa, the blooded warrior formerly of house Taney, be granted the first bloodname of this new house.” Leo wasn’t sure what drove his choice, likely simple curiosity, but he approved the request of the Wolves. There was some dissent, but little enough. The other Khans had either bought into Erik’s rhetoric already or were equally curious. The motion passed, leaving Asa Taney—Asa Hellion now—bereft of Clan. “The Wolves have one final motion before we relinquish the floor. We all owe Asa Hellion a debt of gratitude,” Erik’s lips curled into a sly smile. “The Wolves nominate Asa Hellion for the position of ilKhan. As he is without a Clan, he is impartial and should be perfect for the position. Let the new Hellion bloodname live or die on Asa’s success!” Khan Showers glowered. His hand hovering over a negative vote. Asa Taney—Asa Hellion now—was an incompetent who’d only brought this proof before the council and then sacrificed his own Clan in a last-ditch effort to save his own life from the Smoke Jaguar reprisal. That the Wolves were eager to distance themselves from Asa Hellion was hardly a surprise. Khan Showers was no coward, he did not fear Natasha Kerensky’s wrath, but the likelihood of the rest of the Grand Council voting him in was slim. There would be too much support for Khan Bekker, even with the bulk of his allied Clans chasing Stephan Amaris’s descendant. The Wolves had hit on the solution immediately, raising Khan Showers’ estimation of this Erik Kerensky. If they—and Leo himself--could not be the ilKhan, wasn’t it best to have someone weak and nearly powerless in the role? Asa Hellion had no Clan behind him, could offer no real censure. He would be a loud, staggeringly obnoxious figurehead while the Clans who formed the council conducted their business as they saw fit. He smacked the affirmation with his fist, locking his dark eyes with the new Khan of the Wolves for a long moment. Erik Kerensky stared back, his expression calm. It wasn’t quite an open challenge, just an attempt to meet strength with strength. Leo nodded, almost imperceptibly. “Clan Wolf relinquishes the floor to the new ilKhan,” Erik bowed his head, then took the Widowmaker Clan’s chair. “Khans of the Clans,” Asa began petulantly, as though angered by the delays that had preserved his life. “Our first Crusade has been betrayed. I call for a second! There will be no bidding, no trials, no invasions corridors, no schedule! The Clans will attack the Inner Sphere as we were always meant to! But first,” Asa hissed, raising a finger towards an empty seating section in the back corner of the room, “can anyone tell me where the Cloud Cobras have gone?” State of the Clans 3035 Clan Wolf Whether the Wolf Clan is a savior newly risen from the dead, or a fresh coat of paint covering up the typical Ice Hellion variety of failure is unclear, but the prospect of a Kerensky bloodline untainted by Widowmaker treachery and madness is an enticing one nonetheless. Nearly all of the Homeworld Clans now stand in support of Clan Wolf and a renewed invasion of the Inner Sphere. Clan Cloud Cobra An exception that proves the treachery of the Clans who invaded alongside the Widowmakers, the Cloud Cobras fled Strana Mechty the moment it became clear which direction the winds were blowing. Quick thinking by Khan Din Steiner enabled the Cobras to warn the homeworld elements of the Steel Vipers and Star Adders, and while they were forced to leave the bulk of their production facilities behind, they were able to rescue anything already mobile: Olympus stations, orbital manufacturing facilities and the like. A small number of Solamha units from each Clan remained to delay the impending Second Crusade, forcing the Clans loyal to Clan Wolf to annihilate them before they could seize Task Force Serpent’s homeworld holdings. Clan Jade Falcon Asa Hellion has never forgiven the Hell’s Horses for choosing the Jade Falcons to press the invasion over his own Clan. While the Jade Falcons have agreed to hold the bulk of their forces back to await the Second Crusade, the ilKhan was unsatisfied. If the Jade Falcons wanted to be considered loyal, Asa demanded they distance themselves from their own Alpha galaxy, either by joining Clan Wolf or forming a new Clan with the ground forces of Clan Snow Raven. Clan Snow Raven Clan Snow Raven’s naval elements have long-since vanished into the Inner Sphere, seeking the head of the Amaris descendent. While Asa Hellion originally painted them as loyal Clanners, without any real leadership the ground forces they’d left to protect their homeworld holdings were nearly useless. Unwilling to let the Ghost Bears command the lot, the ilKhan allowed any Snow Raven forces who desired to join the Clan Wolf touman; and announced the creation of a new Clan including all the forces that remained. Clan Stone Lion Formed from the loyal but weakened forces of Clan Snow Raven and Clan Jade Falcon, Clan Stone Lion now harbors a deep-seated hatred of the ilKhan. Clan Stone Lion is now a staunch ally of the Wolf Clan, who not only absorbed several elite units from both Clans, but actively cautioned Asa Hellion against his stupid, short-sighted plan from the outset. Clan Ghost Bear One of the most powerful military forces in Clan space, Clan Ghost Bear is too strong to antagonize. They’ve taken control of the remaining Sea Fox forces, and have done what they can to maintain ties with the Snow Ravens now dispersed among Clan Stone Lion units. The former Jade Falcon Khans have not proven amenable to continued associations with the Ghost Bears however, which has left the Bears furious at the ilKhan and Clan Fire Mandrill for supporting him “beyond the all boundaries of reason or sense.” Clan Sea Fox Those few Sea Fox forces left in Clan space are now under Clan Ghost Bear’s direct control. Clan Fire Mandrill The Fire Mandrill Kindraa have nearly all fallen in line with the new Wolves. Although they’re still fractured, keeping the Fire Mandrill Kindraa should stave off any infighting. The Mandrills have placed themselves almost directly under ilKhan Asa Hellion’s control, as the various Kindraa hope that their warriors and their warriors alone might be selected to join his new, ‘elite’ bloodname house. Clan Nova Cat The Oathmaster of Clan Nova Cat spent a week on a spiritual journey, fasting and sweating in a lodge on Strana Mechty before joining in the homeworld purge of Widowmaker forces. Although the Oathmaster would only relate what she saw to her Khan, the Khan’s orders were clear: Clan Nova Cat was to follow the Wolves. Clan Smoke Jaguar Eager for a chance to engage the barbarous forces of the Inner Sphere with tooth and claw, the Smoke Jaguars launched a lightning attack within minutes of the Grand Council’s dismissal. They targeted numerous holdings of the Widowmakers, Steel Vipers, and Hell’s Horses, nearly doubling their homeworld territories before the other Clans could organize their first assaults. At the ilKhan’s orders, the Smoke Jaguars left only the Goliath Scorpion and Burrock holdings alone. After all, the Goliath Scorpion hatred of the Widowmakers was legendary, even the Wolves agreed the Scorpions at least couldn’t have turned traitor at Natasha Kerensky’s request. Clan Coyote Clan Coyote has had to scramble to renew or replace trade agreements broken by the result of the Grand Council’s meeting. The Coyotes still express vocal support for the ilKhan, and were able (or permitted, if one asked a Smoke Jaguar) to seize a few key Star Adder worlds and facilities to bolster their limited resources. Clan Blood Spirit Clan Blood Spirit surprised everyone by joining the attack on Widowmaker holdings not with words, but with a new weapon: small, ultralight BattleMechs that seemed a cross between a traditional `Mech and a set of Battle Armor. These ‘ProtoMechs’ proved surprisingly effective en masse, with the Clan Council deciding that, like Battle Armor, a point of five ProtoMechs would be the equivalent of a single BattleMech. Clan Blood Spirit augments these ProtoMechs with more traditional BattleMechs piloted by their bloodnamed warriors, but some among the Clans, the Nova Cats most vocally, consider these ProtoMechs to be wasteful and un-Clanlike.
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Feb 4, 2016 01:47
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Welp. Welp welp welp welp/
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Feb 4, 2016 02:06
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PoptartsNinja posted:Taney smiled. “I bid one roll of the dice. We will test your ‘Kerensky Vision,’ Erik of the Wolves. Whoever guesses closest to the result without going over, wins. Should both parties lose, whichever of us guessed nearer to the target number wins instead.” 
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Feb 4, 2016 02:09
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Goddamn I love this thread. Holy poo poo though. Does Comguard have ANY idea what happened to their forces in Cappellan space?
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Feb 4, 2016 02:15
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At least for me, it seems things are going in unexpected directions. Exciting directions.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:16
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CC doing well for themselves, and Asa
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Feb 4, 2016 02:21
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An Ice Hellion as ilKhan? They're already hosed.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:24
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Wolves are back, Ghost Bears are still Ghost Bears, Asshat Taney is going to try and poo poo up the place and then get stabbed by one of his "Elite" warrior house that turns out to just be a dumping ground for people with more ambition than sense from other Clans. Which would be fitting, given the leadership. I hope the Widowmakers get completely ruined by this second crusade. 
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Feb 4, 2016 02:31
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We should probably change the thread title to Let's Rewrite Clan History. 
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Feb 4, 2016 02:43
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State of the Inner Sphere 3035: Part 5 Pulling Back the Curtain “We’ve got a good bunch,” Jason Youngblood mused as he watched the latest training exercise. They’d finally settled on a roster for their Mercenary Company, but they still hadn’t settled on a name. The Kalma-Youngblood Mercenary Company LLC may have been descriptive, but it wasn’t the kind of name that brought in contracts. And they’d need a contract soon, the money they’d made from the Bounty Hunter’s operation in Clan space was, while not running out, exactly, lower than Jason liked. “Crescent Hawks,” he reiterated. “Crescent Hawks.” “I’ve told you, I don’t like it,” Duncan glowered, the indecisive Free Worlder crossing his arms petulantly. “I know you want to honor your old man’s lance, and that’s great. But no offense, Jason, he lost, and that’s not the kind of legacy I think we should be aiming for.” Jason flipped him off, and Duncan shook his head. “We’ll come up with something. We just need some more time to think—we can still be the Hawks. The something-other-than-Crescent Hawks, honor your old man that way while still being something new. Y’know?” “That your crew out there?” the range master asked, his face nearly lost behind his thick, bushy beard. When Duncan nodded, the man clapped his hands on his rotund belly. “A good crew. They fight like demons. Planning on taking the Inner Sphere by storm?” “If necessary,” Jason replied with a shrug. “But hopefully it won’t come to that.” The man laughed, but he was already moving on. Box seats cost money, and he had to make sure nobody had snuck in. Jason slouched almost bonelessly in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Demon Hawks?” Duncan sighed. They hadn’t come up with anything better. “Yeah, sure. Why the hell not?” State of the Clans 3035 Triumvirate Task Force The forces of Clan Snow Raven, Clan Sea Fox, and one trinary of Clan Ghost Bear have entered the boundaries of the Duchy of Andurien. They’re now running silent as they approach the reported New Rim World Republic capitol and the waiting Stefan Amaris VII New Rim Worlds Republic Is feeling pretty confident about their chances. Clan Wolverine / Minnesota 331st Has arrived on Andurien en masse in anticipation of the arrival of the Clan invasion force. They’re scattered strategically, so their elite, highly-trained division can bolster the regiments of the Republic Marshalls and regular line troops. Demon Hawks Formerly Kalma-Youngblood Mercenary Company LLC, the Demon Hawks have a full roster and are now actively shopping for Mercenary contracts. 17th Recon Regiment The 17th Recon Regiment has taken a contract with the Free Worlds League. They’ve seen several front-line actions against the Capellan Confederation Kell Hounds Serving the Republic of Skye directly as the Red Corsairs. Gray Death Legion Still dead. 
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Feb 4, 2016 03:11
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Feb 4, 2016 03:13
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Well that poo poo got pretty crazy. Point of order: Iris Steiner has been previously established as having her canonical title of Grand Duchess, not a Countess.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:23
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This just keeps getting better and better. 
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Feb 4, 2016 03:23
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Southwest of the Free Worlds League is all NRWR, right? It looks like its two polities, because of the color difference/line.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:26
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Coffeehitler posted:Southwest of the Free Worlds League is all NRWR, right? It looks like its two polities, because of the color difference/line. It is, yes. It's split into the NRWR you knew about and the NRWR you didn't.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:27
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I love that they randomly have what I assume to be a single planet out by Clan space. Surely that won't end up as a horrible surprise to the Clan homeworlds. For that main chunk of NRWR space, do we know roughly how densely planets are packed in there compared to the Sphere?
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Feb 4, 2016 03:31
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PoptartsNinja posted:It is, yes. It's split into the NRWR you knew about and the NRWR you didn't. It's much like in the late Roman Empire, where the Goths were divided into Visigoths and Invisigoths.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:32
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PoptartsNinja posted:It is, yes. It's split into the NRWR you knew about and the NRWR you didn't. So, the NRWR have been expanding in territory as well as technology, with outposts everywhere, and are currently bigger than the Draconis Suns, if not most of the rest of the inner sphere combined. Clan civil war, Ice Hellions gone, Wolf back, Wolverine lying in wait. This is going to get messier. It will be glorious. 
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Feb 4, 2016 03:32
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All I have to say is holy poo poo this is incredible and way way better written and engaging that canon battletech. Bravo, bravo!
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Feb 4, 2016 03:36
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I'm getting the feeling that re: the characterization of the Kerenskys in this timeline, Aleksandr was a lot more of an rear end in a top hat while his crazy son Nick was a bit more sane. Still enough of an rear end in a top hat to create the Clan system, but deep down he'd rather have a Clan Empire ruling the Sphere rather than see it all burn down the way his dad wanted.Defiance Industries posted:It's much like in the late Roman Empire, where the Goths were divided into Visigoths and Invisigoths. 
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Feb 4, 2016 03:42
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AtomikKrab posted:not even steiner rules can save the CLAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP from the Montaigne Man! What if they adopt Scott Steiner Rules? Then even Randy Montaigne only has a -16 2/3 % chance of victory at SACRIFICE
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Feb 4, 2016 03:44
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Space Texas is about to fall on some hard times.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:46
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Watching PTN write Clan political machinations is glorious.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:46
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Back Hack posted:Space Texas is about to fall on some hard times. Well, robots are about to come and take their jobs. They won't even get the gold watch.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:49
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Just how populated the revealed section of the NRWR? Is it just claimed space, with most of the populace located near the Inner Sphere, or is it denser?
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Feb 4, 2016 03:52
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That Clan update, drat. This is the best Battletech fiction I've read in...probably ever. Significantly more interesting and exciting than the canon timeline. Clan Wolf out of nowhere! Protomechs! Asa Taney made into a figurehead and somehow unaware of it! New Star League! Capellans not being utterly incompetent!
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Feb 4, 2016 03:55
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Everything is awesome, this is the best.
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Feb 4, 2016 03:57
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PBJ posted:Just how populated the revealed section of the NRWR? Is it just claimed space, with most of the populace located near the Inner Sphere, or is it denser? It's in the Deep Periphery and there was an update long ago that gave us a picture of how Stefan Amaris VII was handling settlement efforts. That is, mostly hands-off aside from providing tech and keeping the local settlers in his debt. The NRWR might be like Canada, with the vast bulk of their population and industrial capacity bordering their be-Eagled neighbors. They may also have a few nasty surprises in the Deep Periphery, and more than any other power besides the Draconis Suns they look prepared to fight a protracted defense in depth. Wouldn't faze me if there's at least one planet far rimward that acts as an industrial hub for the other colonies, one more directly under Amaris' control, that could be retooled for military production given some time. And as far as we can tell nobody else knows about the Rimmers' deep periphery colonies besides them. Maybe ComStar. I'm imagining the Wobbies' Hidden Worlds except instead of hiding deep in the recesses of forgotten or forsaken Inner Sphere systems, they're all the way out where nobody else knows. Wouldn't be surprised if the Mojave series were designed out the deeps. Also lol there's the Hanseatic League In Space just chilling coreward of the Lyrans, nobody gives a gently caress about them and that's fine.
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Feb 4, 2016 04:01
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T.G. Xarbala posted:I'm getting the feeling that re: the characterization of the Kerenskys in this timeline, Aleksandr was a lot more of an rear end in a top hat while his crazy son Nick was a bit more sane. Still enough of an rear end in a top hat to create the Clan system, but deep down he'd rather have a Clan Empire ruling the Sphere rather than see it all burn down the way his dad wanted. Yeah, missed it on my first read, but it seems so from what he allegedly said to the Vipers. And the Vipers are less of an assholes this time?
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Feb 4, 2016 04:09
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