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Origins and History
The Jade Falcons, one of the mightiest of the Crusader Clans, draw much of their
philosophy and prowess from the teaching of four of its founding members.
Elizabeth Hazen, Daniel Mattlov, Carl Icaza and Lisa Buhallin each contributed
in their respective branch of service. This combined attitude towards life and
combat has created, over the centuries, a fearsome assemblage of warriors
dedicated to preserving their way of life.
During the Second Exodus War, the Jade Falcons established one of the best
combat records of all the Clans. Only the Wolves were as successful. The Falcon
Khans were optimistic that ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky would choose their Clan to
host his BloodHeritage. ilKhan Kerensky's decision to join his future with the
Wolves shocked the entire Falcon community. Many warriors bitterly complained to
the Khans about this turn of events. The Falcons had proved themselves to be at
least the equals of the Wolves during the war - was the sentiment commonly
expressed. The situation bordered on outright mutiny until word came that the
ilKhan was preparing to make an inspection tour of the Falcons' holdings. The
Falcon Khans response was characteristically brutal and abrupt. In what is now
referred to as "the Culling," the leaders of the rebellious movement were
rounded up and executed.
During the Golden Century following the death of ilKhan Kerensky, the Falcon
leaders withdrew from interacting from the other Clans, a result of intercaste
conflict. The Khans sold much of their civilian fleet to other Clans, an act
which would come back to haunt them in the future. Only the quick thinking of a
few merchants prevented the collapse of Jade Falcon commerce. By establishing
themselves as middlemen and bankers, the Falcon merchants were able to enrich
the Clan despite their many restrictions.
The Falcons became one of the most conservative Clans, banning the lower castes
from having any voice in Clan affairs. Their strict adherence to conformity and
strength through unity is one of their greatest assets.
Call to Crusaders
When the call went out to reclaim the Inner Sphere, the Jade Falcons were
amongst the strongest proponents for invasion. Many warriors traveled throughout
the Pentagon worlds preaching the Crusader cause. Only the dominance of Clans
Wolf and Coyote in the Grand Council forestalled any invasion votes. The tide
turned in the year 3000 when Khan Nadia Winson of Clan Ghost Bear proposed
invasion once more. The Crusader Clans had the advantage vote-wise, but only the
clever plan proposed by Khan Kherlin Ward of Clan Wolf prevented invasion.
Ward's plan to send an expeditionary force to learn the status of the Successor
States proved resourceful enough that enough Clans agreed to the proposal. Many
contended, however, that the force should be led and manned by trueborn warriors
claiming that freeborns would be unsuitable and untrustworthy of such a mission,
but that motion was swiftly defeated. In 3005, Wolf's Dragoons entered the
service of House Davion.
Over the next thirty years, the reports from the Dragoons were received further
and further apart until they finally stopped in the early 3030's. The Crusaders
used this to prove their point that the freeborn force was as untrustworthy as
predicted. The Crusaders, particularly Falcon ristar Elias Crichell, argued
eloquently that the time had come for invasion. It took another fifteen years
and the accidental arrival of the Comstar vessel Outbound Light to bring matters
to a head.
In 3047, Smoke Jaguar Khan Leo Showers presented evidence, gained from the
interrogation of the Outbound Light's crew, to the Grand Council that showed
that their worst fears were coming true. Far from what they had believed, the
Successor States were on the road to recovery and rapidly gaining back their
technological edge. Technology which had long been denied the Inner Sphere was
being rediscovered and rebuilt at a tremendous rates. Scientific advances in all
areas, especially military, were given highest priorities and the Federated
Commonwealth appeared as though it would emerge victorious over its rivals.
Invasion
The invasion of the Inner Sphere brought both great honor and shame to the Jade
Falcons. The incursion into the Periphery showed just how bad and, in several
notable cases, how good the Inner Sphere militaries were. since many outlying
worlds were too poor to defend themselves properly, many of the Jade Falcon
conquests in the Periphery revolved around Falcon MechWarriors battle lone
errant Inner Sphere warriors. To the surprise of some within the Falcon
community, a number of these battles were not as one-sided as they expected.
The battle for the planet Strang, however, nearly proved a disaster for the
Falcons. The planet Strang is long-reviled in Clan history as the homeworld of
one of Stefan Amaris' most sadistic commanders, Baron Gunthar Von Strang. Khan
Crichell personally led the Turkina Keshik in an assault on the planet,
confident that his forces would quickly destroy the defenders. Fortune favored
the defenders and Strang's forces managed to slow the approaching Falcon forces.
The Falcons continued their approach, this time sending a flight of recon
fighters ahead to scout the terrain. The Falcons advanced, fighting into the
rain-filled night, and smashed their way into Von Strang's citadel. The tide
nearly turned when a Falcon fighter, returning to refuel, spotted the remainder
of Strang's military positioned to ambush the Keshik from behind. This warning
save the Turkina Keshik. The Falcons wheeled around and fought Von Strang's
forces at pointblank ranges. The battle raged on until finally Von Strang's
forces crumbled under the assault. Victorious, the Falcons renamed the capital
city and then moved on to the next phase of the invasion.
The first wave of attacks on the unsuspecting Federated Commonwealth highlighted
the differences between the two societies. The hard hitting Falcon Clusters, led
by the Turkina Keshik and the Falcon Guards, mercilessly crushed every FedCom
unit it opposed. The Falcon's frontal assault strategy was effective in a number
of instances, primarily because FedCom troops were trained in every strategy
except that. The concept of mounting a full frontal assault was unheard of by
most Inner Sphere strategists, because of the logistics and high attrition rates
assigned to that method of battle. The Falcons strings of success's shattered
that concept entirely and planetary defenders found themselves resorting to
small scale hit and run tactics to survive. These efforts rarely worked, but did
allow the defenders to evacuate many elements to safety.
The Falcons suffered their first defeat on Twycross in 3051, when Prince Victor
Steiner-Davion led an elite force to retake the world. The plan nearly collapsed
entirely when it was discovered that the elite Falcon Guards Cluster was still
on Twycross. Caught between a Falcon PGC and the Falcon Guards, the FedCom
forces attempted to blast their way through the PGC. Only the efforts of Kai
Allard-Liao prevented the Falcon Guards from smashing through the FedCom rear.
The death of ilKhan Leo Showers sent the invading Clans home for a years
conferring and to elect a new ilKhan. Khans Crichell and Chistu conspired with
other Crusader Clans to elect a new ilKhan who would have to do their bidding.
Together, they nominated Clan Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky to the post of ilKhan.
Their plan was to force the Wolf Khan to bend to their desires, thus slowing the
Wolves while their own Clans caught up. To the surprise of many, ilKhan Ulric
refused to play their game. Instead, he brought forth the Steel Vipers and Nova
Cats into the invasion force. The Nova Cats were teamed with their longtime
rival the Smoke Jaguars. Being teamed with the hated Steel Vipers galled the
Falcon Khans, but ilKhan Ulric's requirement that the Jaguars and Falcons cede
worlds for their new "partners" made things even worse. Although the Smoke
Jaguars and Nova Cats quickly reached an accommodation regarding the exchange of
worlds, the Jade Falcons made the Vipers fight Trials of Possession for every
world. Even so, in 3052, the invasion resumed as the trueborn of six Clans
returned to begin the conflict anew.
The resumption of hostilities brought many more new battles for the Jade
Falcons. However, the Falcons felt the sting of defeat again in November 3051 on
Alyina when Prince Victor Steiner-Davion barely escaped a trap laid by the
Second Falcon Jaegers. This minor setback was more than compensated by an
impressive string of victories over Federated Commonwealth forces.
When ilKhan Ulric Kerensky announced that there would be a proxy battle for
Terra on the planet Tukayyid, the Falcon Khans were as enthusiastic about the
battle as any others. The battle for Tukayyid was perhaps one of the most
intense battles fought by the Clans. Although the Jade Falcons fought with valor
and skill, in the end, the superior numbers and sheer guile of the Com Guards
prevailed and the Falcons were awarded a draw.
Tukayyid
ilKhan Ulric Kerensky accepted ComStar's terms to fight a proxy battle for Terra
on Tukayyid, but met some resistance when he presented the plan to the other
Khans. Most of the Khans, however, were enthusiastic about what they felt sure
would be an easy victory, and when the kurultai convened on the Dire Wolf to bid
for Tukayyid, all the Clans bid fiercely. Khan Chistu and Khan Crichell won a
good position on the assault schedule, and considered themselves well revenged
against Clan Wolf for the ilKhan's many decisions humiliating Clan Jade Falcon.
The Falcons were scheduled to assault the cities of Olalla and Humptulips.
The following excerpt is from Jade Falcon Galaxy Commander Mar Helmer's report
on the battle for Tukayyid.
"My Khan, this is my report. Gamma, Delta, and Vau Galaxy DropShips entered the
atmosphere of Tukayyid without incident and landed unopposed on the Prezno
Plain. Star Colonel Aidan Pryde led the Falcon Guards to cover the right flank
of our advance, the Second Falcon Jaegers of Delta Galaxy covered the left
flank, and the First Falcon Jaegers and Twelfth Falcon Regulars attempted to
seize Robyn's Crossing and Plough Bridge, the two vital spans crossing the
Prezno River..."
The First Falcon Jaegers encountered a series of heavily fortified positions two
kilometers out from Robyn's Crossing. Star Colonel Rard Hoyt sent his Cluster's
faster 'Mechs out to enfilade the ComGuard's 403rd Division, while his heavy
OmniMechs launched a direct attack on the enemy positions. The battle was long
and fierce, but the 403rd held its positions, even in the face of fighter
strafing and Arrow IV bombardment. The Falcons' first break came when a Star of
Elementals managed to slip behind the ComGuard lines and attack the 403rd's HQ.
This "headhunter" attack killed Precentor Robert Maigatter, commander of the
403rd, and destroyed vital supplies and communication equipment. The ComGuard
troops broke, allowing the Jade Falcon galaxy to penetrate their lines and
annihilate more than 70 percent of the 403rd Division. In a simultaneous attack,
the 305th Assault Cluster, backed by the 124th Striker Cluster, smashed through
the troops of the 214th Division guarding the approaches to Plough Bridge. The
214th broke and scattered under the heavy Jade Falcon fire.
Meanwhile, Star Colonel Senza Oriega began her assault on the Robyn's Crossing
bridge approaches. The ComGuards 388th Division (the White Banshees) dropped
back to pick up the remnants of the 403rd Division and occupy preset artillery
and heavy concrete emplacements for tanks and infantry, and the Twelfth Falcon
Regulars could make no headway against this determined defense. Star Colonel
Aidan Pryde of the Falcon Guards broke the stalemate by leading several stars of
jump-capable OmniMechs and Elementals on an unexpected flanking attack. The
ComGuards, now under fire from multiple directions, fought hard, but to no
avail. The Falcon Guards' Star Captain Joanna seemed to take particular pleasure
in blasting ComGuard units out of their pillboxes and then ruthlessly destroying
them. Twenty minutes after the tide of the battle turned, Clan Jade Falcon
controlled Robyn's Crossing. With the 124th Striker Cluster and the 305th
Assault Cluster in command of Plough Bridge, Clan Jade Falcon prepared to cross
the Prezno River.
Khan Chistu awarded the honor of crossing first to Star Colonel Senza Oriega and
the Twelfth Falcon Regulars, a decision the Falcon Guards protested, as it was
their assault that allowed the Clan warriors to seize the bridge. Their protests
had no effect. The Falcon Guard warriors knew that the Khan's decision added
further shame to their unit's tainted history and reflected badly on their
unorthodox commander, but there was no time for bidding or Trials of Refusal.
Clans Wolf and Ghost Bear were already making rapid advances in their
operational areas, and every Falcon warrior wanted to beat the Wolves. Star
Colonel Senza Oriega, in her Executioner, led the Twelfth across the bridge.
Just as she reached the center of the span, explosions ripped the bridge as
hidden ComGuard demolition charges detonated. With a sickening screech of
tearing metal, the bridge collapsed into the Prezno River, carrying two full
Trinaries of the Twelfth Cluster with it and killing Senza Oriega, among others.
Almost immediately, ComGuard fighters and artillery began to pound the Falcon
positions, with 'Mechs and tanks from the 111th and 201st ComGuard Divisions
taking up positions on the opposite side of the river.
The Fifth and Fourteenth Fighter Trinaries swept the ComGuard fighters from the
sky and followed up with ground attacks against the 201st Division artillery
positions and ground forces. Meanwhile, the Falcon Guards and Second Falcon
Regulars used jump-capable OmniMechs to leap across a narrow part of the
swift-moving Prezno, losing eleven 'Mechs and a Star of Elementals in the
process. Once across, the units split up, the Falcon Guards moving to secure
Robyn's Crossing and the Second Falcon Regulars taking Plough Bridge. The 111th
and 201st Divisions fought a brave delaying action, but the damage suffered in
the massed fighter attacks combined with the unexpected speed of the two-pronged
Falcon attack forced them to retreat toward Olalla. When both sides of the
wrecked bridges were secure, engineers brought construction equipment to build
pontoon bridges and allow the bulk of the Clan forces to advance across the
Prezno.
The Falcon Guards and Second Falcon Regulars, meanwhile, moved closer to Olalla.
Weak resistance by the tanks and light 'Mechs of the 77th Division resulted only
in ComGuard deaths. Star Colonels Aidan Pryde and Marthe Pryde led their troops
into the outskirts of Olalla before realizing that the city did not match
intelligence information gathered during the bidding for Tukayyid. Suspecting a
trap, Star Colonel Aidan Pryde ordered his units back out of the fake city, but
even as he gave the order, the survivors of the 111th and 201st Divisions, along
with the main part of the 77th Division, charged from concealed positions and
engaged the Falcon forces.
Alpha Trinary's Heavy Star bore the brunt of the fierce fighting, but the
ComGuards lost many 'Mechs in the initial skirmish, the Crockett piloted by the
commander of the Second Battalion of the ComGuard 201st Division being the first
to fall when struck in the head by an ER PPC from Star Commander Jula Huddock's
Executioner. The ComGuards retaliated by destroying a Mad Dog with a massed
laser barrage, executing the pilot as he ejected. The remainder of Alpha Heavy,
now surrounded and cut off from the rest of the Falcon guards, annihilated an
entire company of ComGuard 'Mechs before being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers
of their opponents. Star Commander Huddock's Executioner fell last, toppling to
the ground surrounded by the wreckage of ComGuard 'Mechs. Aerospace support
allowed the Falcon Guards to break out of the ComGuard trap, in the process
wiping out the last of the 201st and 77th Divisions in return for the ruthless
executions of the brave warriors of Alpha Heavy.
The 89th and 94th Falcon Clusters and the First Falcon Velites crossed the
pontoon bridges as soon as they were completed and joined the Falcon Guards and
Second Falcon Regulars. The combined Clan force moved relentlessly though the
city of Olalla, driving the ComGuards before them. Just as it seemed that the
Falcons controlled the city, the entire uncommitted reserves of the ComGuard
Third and Eleventh Armies, six divisions strong, arrived from Humptulips by
DropShip. These fresh units immediately assaulted the Falcon advance forces
while the ComGuard Fourth Army, reinforced by the remnants of the 388th and
214th Divisions, began an all-out attack on the Falcon bridgeheads. Khan Chistu
committed Peregrine Galaxy to support Robyn's Crossing, and Gyrfalcon Galaxy to
Plough Bridge, leaving no reinforcements available for Star Colonel Aidan Pryde.
With the bulk of the Jade Falcon forces pinned down at the bridges, a second
DropShip assault, bringing the forces of the First ComGuard Army led by
Precentor Katherine Luarca, began on Olalla. A lucky air strike by ComGuard
fighters destroyed the Jade Falcon Galaxy's ammunition depot at Robyn's
Crossing, and later analysis showed this to be the turning point of the
campaign. The 89th and 94th Falcon Striker Clusters and the Second Falcon
Regulars had begun to run low on ammunition, The Falcon Guards barely noticed
the loss, as Star Colonel Pryde had outfitted most of the Guard 'Mechs with
energy weapons. Khans Crichell and Chistu realized even if they defeated the
current assault, their troops carried insufficient ammunition and supplies to
take both their objectives. They reluctantly ordered a withdrawal.
Supported by the Fifth Fighter Trinary, the Falcon Guards, Second and Seventh
Regulars, and First Falcon Velites began to withdraw towards the bridgeheads.
Clan orbital surveillance vessels showed the ComGuard 309th Division in position
to cut off the Falcon retreat, and Star Colonel Marthe Pryde moved her Second
Falcon Regulars in an intercept course. This battle ranks among the bloodiest on
Tukayyid, exceeded only by the ComGuard Seventh Army's annihilation of Clan Nova
Cat's Alpha Galaxy. The Second Falcon Regulars suffered nearly 70 percent
casualties, but obliterated the 309th Division so completely that it never
re-formed. Marthe Pryde alone destroyed nine ComGuard 'Mechs, including the
Atlas piloted by Precentor Rennard Thordarson, commander of the 309th.
The four withdrawing Jade Falcon Clusters crossed the bridge at Robyn's
Crossing, smashing through the ComGuard 90th Division to reach their DropShips,
which landed at the Falcon's original LZ. The ComGuards managed to land two
Overlord Class DropShips carrying the 104th Division behind Jade Falcon lines,
with orders to stop the Falcons from leaving Tukayyid. This operation was timed
to coincide with an all-out rear assault on the retreating Falcons. The
ComGuards' plan to crush the Jade Falcon between the two forces failed when a
Trinary of Jade Falcon Elementals led by Elemental Star Commander Selima
attacked the ComGuard landing zone before the Overlords deployed their 'Mechs.
Star Commander Selima damaged a ComGuard Highlander in such a way that it fell
back into the 'Mech bay of the DropShip and exploded, causing a chain reaction
of blasts which reduced the massive ship to a blazing ruin. The Elementals
withdrew before the forces in the second DropShip could recover from the shock
of this loss, and the Elemental counterstrike, in addition to fighter strafing
and massive Arrow-IV missile attacks, allowed most of the Jade Falcons to safely
board their DropShips and leave the planet. Star Colonel Aidan Pryde almost
single-handedly foiled the final, desperate attempt by ComStar to interdict the
evacuation by destroying more than a company of ComGuard 'Mechs before he
himself was killed.
Refusal War & Coventry
After the Truce of Tukayyid was signed, Khan Elias Crichell and saKhan
Vandervahn Chistu initiated a number of plans aimed at repudiating the peace.
The first of these was the so-called "Red Corsair Incident." The Red Corsair, a
pirate with access to advanced weapons, launched a series of raids against both
Inner Sphere and Clan targets. Although the Khans involvement was never proved,
Wolf Watch leaders believe that the Jade Falcons contributed heavily to the
formation of the Red Corsair's pirate band and kept the unit supplied. It is
also alleged that the Falcon Khans conspired with Conal Ward, a disgraced Wolf
Crusader, to rekindle the war with the Inner Sphere. Only the efforts of Khan
Phelan Kell and the mercenary Kell Hounds prevented the war from renewing.
Unfortunately, the Khans' role in this matter will never be known.
The next and most devastating ploy the Khans involved themselves in resulted in
the bloody Refusal War. When Wolf Supremists put Ulric Kerensky on trial for
genocide, the Grand Kurultai forced him out of office. The Crusader element in
the Kurultai attempted to repudiate the peace treaty, but Ulric declared a Trial
of Refusal. The Jade Falcons won the right to battle the Wolves, but, in a
surprise move, Ulric declared his intent on striking at every Jade Falcon world
in the Inner Sphere. The ensuing battles resulted in the deaths of Ulric
Kerensky and Wolf Khan Natasha Kerensky. Khan Phelan Kell led the best of the
Wolf Clan Wardens to the world of Morges where his forces, along with the Kell
Hounds, defeated two Jade Falcon Galaxies. The Wolf forces then retreated to
Arc-Royal, Phelan Kell's homeworld, to rest and rebuild their forces.
In a blatant power play, saKhan Chistu declared that the Wolves had been
absorbed by the victorious Jade Falcons. This plan fell apart when Wolf warrior
Vlad denied Chistu's version of Ulric Kerensky's death. The two warriors battled
and Chistu fell to Vlad. Vlad, in a deal he made with Khan Crichell, then
arranged for all the surviving Wolf Supremist and Crusader warriors to form the
core of a new Clan, the Jade Wolves. Shortly afterward, Khan Elias Crichell was
elected ilKhan by a narrow margin. Crichell's tenure as ilKhan was probably the
shortest in Clan history. Khan Vlad Ward of the then Jade Wolves declared a
Trial of Grievance, claiming that Crichell was not qualified for the position.
Brutally killing the aging Khan in hand-to-hand combat, Khan Ward declared Clan
Wolf lived again and it was decided to postpone another ilKhan vote for six
months. Marthe Pryde then stepped forward and assumed the position of senior
Jade Falcon Khan.
Though damaged by the Trial of Refusal, Clan Jade Falcon may yet gain the
pinnacle of power that both its Khans so coveted. It will take at least five
years to build the Falcon military to the strength it possessed before the Trial
of Refusal, and so during that time the Jade Falcons must maneuver to keep the
other Clans from declaring Trials of Possession to gain control of Falcon
holdings. In addition, the Refusal War so depleted the Jade Falcons' military
resources that any further losses could well make them easy targets for a Trial
of Grievance over their place in the invasion force, or even a Trial of
Absorption. Like the Wolves, the same weakness that makes them possible targets
for absorption also gives them every incentive to launch daring strikes against
the Inner Sphere or the exiled Wolves, to prove that they are not to be trifled
with.
To restore their lost prestige, the Jade Falcons are likely to conduct as many
military operations as possible with the limited troops at their disposal. To
keep casualties low, however, they likely will avoid engaging better-armed Inner
Sphere forces and target the formerly Falcon-occupied worlds "liberated" by Khan
Natasha Kerensky during the Refusal War. On many of these planets, the citizens
have protested violently against the Jade Falcons' attempts to bring them back
under control and will likely resist such attempts with any means at their
disposal. But perhaps the gravest threat Clan Jade Falcon may face comes from
within the Clan itself, for the Falcon lower castes are bearing the brunt of the
hardships the Clan now must endure, and their growing resentment may produce
widespread unrest at any time.
Eager to prove themselves strong despite their weakened condition and convince
the other Clans not to attack them, Khan Pryde recruited warriors from the ranks
of the freebirths and transferred aging solahma warriors, promising sibcadets,
and sib trainers to the front-line units. Jade Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde and
saKhan Samantha Clees then initiated a short-lived invasion of the Inner Sphere
with Cluster-sized forces against Lyran Alliance forces. Driving a path toward
Tharkad to draw out the best possible units out for battle, Khan Pryde assured
the inexperienced new Jade Falcons receive their trial by fire, blooding them
sufficiently to prepare them for true front-line duty. The invasion culminated
in one of the most violent battles in Inner Sphere history on the planet
Coventry, a vital planet only one jump above the treaty line. The Falcon forces
initially overwhelmed the defending Lyran forces, but the battle turned into a
stalemate as two regiments of the elite Wolf Dragoons, the entire Eridani Light
Horse and the Waco Rangers arrived to relieve the besieged defenders, the 10th
Skye Rangers. A cunning flanking maneuver by the Jade Falcons destroyed the Waco
Rangers not long into the campaign. The remaining Inner Sphere forces settled
into a long, grinding campaign of attrition.
Meanwhile, Prince Victor Davion brought together a coalition force of elite
forces from across the Inner Sphere to stop the Jade Falcon advance. Prince
Victor consulted with Wolf Khan Phelan to enlist the Clansman's aid, but was
rebuffed. Instead, Khan Phelan sent Wolf warrior, Ragnar, to provide strategic
and tactical advise to the Inner Sphere forces.
Ten of the most elite regiments from the Successor States, led by Precentor
Martial Focht and Prince Davion, landed on Coventry. Working on the advise of
Ragnar, the Precentor Martial and Prince Davion arranged a meeting with Falcon
Khan Marthe Pryde at the small town of Whitting. There, the leaders of both
forces met to conclude the batchall. In a surprise move, the Inner Sphere
coalition offered Khan Pryde the custom of hegira. Such a move would allow the
Jade Falcons to withdraw from battle with their honor intact. To the relief of
the coalition leaders, she accepted and the Jade Falcons withdrew from Coventry.
Unknown to the Inner Sphere leaders, Khan Pryde's position was badly
compromised. She had received earlier in the day a message from Khan Vlad Ward
of the Wolves a message stating that he was preparing to conquer a number of
worlds in the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. Trapped between losing worlds to the
Wolves and a evenly matched battle with an elite Inner Sphere force, Khan Pryde
took the only option which would allow her to maintain her grip on the Falcon
worlds and quit the battlefield with much of her force intact.
Operation Bulldog
Khan Marthe Pryde sided with Wolf Khan Vladimir Ward to prevent the other
non-invading Clans from electing one of their own as ilKhan. Instead, the duo
successfully managed to elect Smoke Jaguar Khan Lincoln Osis as the new ilKhan.
In the process, they blocked Osis's plan to repudiate the Treaty of Tukayyid by
mandating that all Clans wishing to participate would have nine months to engage
in Trials of Position and then prepare for the next invasion.
In May 3059, the resurrected Star League Defense launched a major campaign into
Smoke Jaguar/Nova Cat space. None could imagine that the Successor States could
muster the unity and manpower to launch a full-scale counter invasion. Even as
the SLDF regiments ripped through the Smoke Jaguar/Nova Cat occupation zones,
Khan Marthe Pryde increased surveillance along her borders with the Lyran
Alliance. Though no activity was detected, Khan Marthe ordered her forces to
maintain an higher state of preparedness in case of a Lyran sneak attack on her
flank.
Death of a Clan
With the defeat of the Smoke Jaguars in the Inner Sphere and on Huntress, the
Clans found themselves with the unprecedented prospect of an Inner Sphere
invasion of Strana Mechty. The Star League Defense Force soon challenged the
Clans to a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. If the Inner Sphere won, the
invasion was over and the invading Clans would retain the worlds they had
conquered. If the Clans won, the invasion would resume. The Warden Clans refused
to participate in the Trial, leaving the eight Crusader Clans to face the SLDF.
As the Smoke Jaguars had only two Binaries of troops left, it was decided that
each Crusader Clan would only commit two Binaries to the battle.
The Jade Falcons were pitted against the ComGuards in the mountains of Strana
Mechty. Khan Marthe Pryde planned a masterful battle. She committed one Star of
assault 'Mechs against the ComGuards. The heavy ComGuard force reeled under the
Falcon's furious attack. The ComGuards managed to inflict significant damage
upon the Clan force but failed to dislodge it. The Falcons crippled several
ComGuard mechs before the second Falcon Star led by Khans Marthe Pryde and
Samantha Clees swooped in. Within minutes, the remaining ComGuards surrendered
to Khan Pryde.
However elated she was over avenging the Falcon's performance against the
ComGuards, Khan Marthe was soon notified of the results of the other battles.
The SLDF companies had won five of the eight battles. The SLDF had won the Trial
of Refusal. The invasion was over. |
