Well according to my file information I began thinking of this alternate universe about five years ago. A passage on page 12-13 from The Clan: Warriors of Kerensky (FASA 1709) was what got me going. Specifically, this sentence on page 12 “With a few ill-chosen words, McEvedy destroyed her power base and any hopes of liberalizing the Clans.†So what if she did not have that exact exchange with Nicholas Kerensky detailed on page 13 “Crossing the Lineâ€. Rather than being goaded into insulting the Clans as a whole she somehow steps back from the Cache Crisis and continues to investigate events that are unfolding around the Homeworlds. Say the Widowmakers are implicated in some dirty dealings and underhanded schemes as detailed in “Betrayal of Idealsâ€. Poor treatment of lower castes and the revelation that they had been the ones behind nefarious plots at this time could make the Widowmakers the targets of annihilation.
Imagine Wolverine and Wolf being chosen by the Grand Council to carry out this righteous sentence of justice. Is Nicholas killed in this conflict or at another incident? To be truthful I never developed this idea further so I’d love to hear thoughts on the subject. Perhaps is killed by Ellie Kinnison and the Steel Vipers get absorbed in 2824? Whatever you see happening three things I will insist upon for this alternate - is Clan Wolverine is still around. Right up till 3050 and beyond they are one of the strongest Clans right up there with Wolf and Jade Falcon. Two, the Clans are somewhat liberalized in their early thinking setting up some fundamental changes to their martial code. What these are exactly is up to you guys.
Three, the LAM becomes the primary Clan weapon of war thanks to the Wolverines who develop Heavy and Assault models in the early 2850s. This development short circuits any Omni-Technology or modular research for the Clans as it is incompatible with the hardwired LAM. [A little rant here; I never got the Clan fascination with Omni stuff as few appear respect to logistics and are often rigid wedded to their favorite weapon system. Wouldn’t the LAM have been better?] Warriors who can master the ‘Combat Triad’ (Mech, Fighter, and personal) become legendary and the aspiration of those who follow. Their fast moving style of warfare becomes the norm around the Homeworlds making the Wolverines perhaps even more powerful than the Wolves.
So how does this alternate affect the twenty Clans, here are some incomplete thoughts.
Wardens (Defenders of the Star League ideals)
Wolverine – creators of the LAM and one of the most powerful Clans, more liberal
Blood Spirit – akin to the Coyote’s but they never lost heart
Ice Hellion – stronger master of maneuver warfare benefits of the LAM
Crusaders (Would be Conquerors of the InnerSphere)
Wolf – the Clan of Kerensky is now more conservative and the chief rival of Wolverine
Jade Falcon – the growth of the Wolverines forces the Falcons to become close allies
In development
Ghost Bears – slow to adapt and hatred of the Wolverines could hamper their development
Star Adder – Less successful as the Clans are more militarily minded
Coyote – lost their scientific edge in this alternate thanks to Wolverine and their closeness to Wolf thanks to Jade Falcon
Snow Raven – still hate Wolverine?
Mongoose – survives, friend of the Wolves, more successful aerospace based
Sea Fox – never changed their name?
No idea as of yet
Burrock –
Cloud Cobra –
Hell’s Horses –
Nova Cat –
Goliath Scorpion –
Fire Mandrill –
KIA (no longer exists by 3050)
Steel Viper – absorbed or annihilated following Kinnison’s betrayal
Widowmaker – revealed to be behind several plots culminating in its annihilation in the 2820s
Smoke Jaguar – less successful than their canon counterparts, limped along until the outrageous action of Londerholm Revolt in 2912 caused their absorption
Well folks let me know what you think!