OBT Forum

Very nice story from the last Circus!

Just what parameters are you proposing for this collaboration masterarminas? My Little Tankies seems to be set pre-invasion but it could be Jihad centric at least in my opinion. Plus a host of events I didn't care for from the Wars of Reaving. It was interesting certainly but how did the Coyotes survive their collaboration with the Society? Are we focusing only on the Clan aspect of this alternate Jihad? I have a few threads I could certainly add to this.

Basically, in my head canon, the Scorpions have always "had a plan".  A contingency ever since the Wolverine Annihilation that they kept close to the vest.  An option for bugging out from the Clan Homeworlds if they felt their own survival was in doubt.

This plan was upgraded and added to by nearly all Khans of the Clan over the long years of the Clans existence . . . never spoken about openly, never implemented.  But always there.  And a lot of the reasons that the Scorpions stayed "stagnant" was because of the diversion of resources to stockpiles of equipment and materials and supplies hidden away against this contingency.

Fast forward to the Great Refusal and the aftermath.  The call for the Annihilation (and subsequent Abjurement) of the Nova Cats, with the other Clans failing to heed the "grace period" that the Grand Council had given that Clan.  It became obvious to the Scorpion leadership that the "social compact" of the Clans was failing and they began to give serious thought to Operation Xenophon.

It all came to a head when Brett Andrews was elected ilKhan . . . and he engineered the attack on Clan Wolf's Kerensky Blood Chapel.  That was the final straw that made the Scorpions decide to get the Hell out of dodge before it all came crashing down.

But even though the Grand Council had voted to void the Great Refusal, they still considered themselves bound by it, and decided not to enter the Inner Sphere, per se, but to instead take over one of the Periphery Realms--the Circinus Federation.  After all, General Kerensky had headquartered the SLDF on Circinus during the leadup to the Liberation of Terra.  It served as a base and a training center.

Now, I've already decided that the Scorpions will be working with the Nova Cats in the wake of the Great Refusal to offer a home to Cat Warriors left behind in the Homeworlds . . . and that they will wind up absorbing two-to-three Clusters (Garrison troops, sure) before the Adders and Hellions and Horses and Vipers can wipe them out.

What if . . . they Scorpions also decide to absorb the younger sibkos of the Jaguars as well?  They are six to twelve years away from becoming Warriors, but having those few hundred extra sibkin in the pipeline might just allow the Scorpions to expand (or sustain losses) in the years 3066-3072.

The Scorpions have as their own example of how this can be done the Bears Exodus to the Inner Sphere . . . and it once again showcased how the Clans are changing.  How the remaining Clans fought (in a fashion far from honorable) for what little the Bears left behind.

I can see the Scorpions being soured by this change in attitude and by the fanaticism of Andrews to the point where they decide to leave behind the Homeworlds in order to save their Clan.

Would they cooperate with any other Clan (or portion thereof)?  Well, that is where collaboration could come into play.  Certainly, they would coordinate with Clan Wolf, except that Clan Wolf is (if I read Wars of Reaving correctly) no longer present in the Homeworlds after the assault on the their Blood Chapel on Strana Mechty.

Of course, if--when--the Scorpions decide to implement Xenophon, it is going to have to be via sealed orders and hope--pray--that nothing leaks to the other Clans.  Can the Scorpions play a misdirection by abandoning one or more enclaves (Tokasha, Marshall, and Huntress) to provoke the other Clans into a fight over the resources of those systems, while they concentrate their entire Touman on Dagda and Roche (and Strana Mechty)?

If the Scorpion leadership learns that the Horse's (and Hellions) are about to conduct their own Invasion of the Invasion Corridors, does the Khan dare confide in either and other another option?  If they do, it could change the outcome of Operation Ice Storm dramatically . . . but if the Hellions or Horses leak rumors that the Scorpions are jumping ship, it could precipitate a calamity before the Scorpions are ready to depart.

I do see the Scorpions as members of the Inner Sphere Clans . . . the Council of Six in canon (Wolf, Jade Falcon, Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Hell's Horses, and Diamond Shark).  It becomes the Council of Seven and I can see the Scorpions staying on decent (if not great) terms with the former Clan Nova Cat.  Perhaps even moving that the Cats Abjurement be voided and the Clan permitted to rejoin their brother Clans in a Council of Eight.

As I said earlier, the Sharks need a place--a home--to base themselves out of.  Can the Scorpions aid them by pointing them at the former Lothian League or Illyrian Palatinate?  Having the Sharks between them and the Marian Hegemony can only strengthen the Scorpions position, and having two Clans on the border of the Free Worlds League would certainly make that Great House less . . . opportunistic and adventurous.  Plus, the Sharks might just try to absorb Niops--wouldn't that be fun!

What of the remains of the Hellions?  In canon, they were absorbed by the Scorpions and a Hellion eventually became saKhan.  Would that be possible here if the Hellions got hammered as badly in this AU as in canon?

There are many possibilities to explore.

Its a shame the Cateran Cluster got removed.   

The idea of Elemental Commando's being airdropped from Khirgiz's was always a cool vision

Ice Scorpions

In July of 3072, the Scorpion Exodus Fleet jumped into an uncharted system.  The advance pickets detected two WarShips, which were identified as the CIH Coterie and the CSJ Osis' Pride!

Communications were established with the Coterie, but even as they explained that the comms aboard the Pride were not functional, the advance pickets of the Scorpion Fleet came under attack by the single remaining Jaguar Aerospace Fighter Star.

The results of this attack were preordained as the Jaguar aerospace assets were barely functional and outnumbered by a substantial margin.  Star Admiral Jessica Ben-Shimon ordered a boarding action of the Pride sending a force of Elementals from the Einheriar Naval Star to take the vessel before it could escape.

The confrontation was swift and relatively bloodless, as saKhan Conner Rood of the Hellions negotiated for a cease-fire, citing the Pride's communication difficulties as the cause of the attack.

When the remainder of the Scorpion Exodus Fleet arrived, Khan Elam found himself with a tempting proposition:  two WarShips, both Potemkin-class, both undercrewed, and with less than a Cluster of Hellion and Jaguar Warriors to defend them.  However, rather than simply taking the vessels and their assets, he sat down to begin negotiations with saKhan Rood and Star Colonel Raymond Bowen.

Upon learning of what had transpired in the Homeworlds and the beleaguered nature of what little was left of his Clan, Rood came to the realization that his remaining three Trinary and single (crippled) WarShip would not be the salvation of his fellow Hellion Warriors.

And the Jaguars were disgraced Warriors of an Annihilated Clan . . . certain to be regarded as bandits if they were to return.

Khan Elam proposed a Trial of Absorption, offering to Absorb both groups into Clan Goliath Scorpion.  While both Rood and Bowen were initially reluctant to agree, eventually the two realized that were literally no remaining options available to them.

The Trial was not a formality . . . although it remained mostly unlethal (mostly), it was ferociously fought.  But, in the end, despite the skill and courage of the last Jaguar and Hellion Warriors, the Scorpions managed to prevail.

For three weeks, the Scorpions remained in the system they had designated GS-1714 while the YardShip Hephaestus worked to restore and repair the damage suffered to Coterie's K/F Drive.  During this time, supplies from the Scorpion Fleet were transferred to the two vessels, along with additional Scorpion crewmen to aid in the repair efforts aboard both Coterie and Pride. 

After three weeks of hard work, the Scorpion Exodus was ready to resume having gained nearly five Trinary of Warriors and two damaged WarShips.

During the voyage, the Warriors of the Hellions and Jaguars were organized (along with a handful of Scorpion sibkin newly tested as Warriors) into a new Cluster . . . the 30th Scorpion Dragoons (The Ice Scorpions).  OmniMechs, OmniFighters, and Elemental Battle Armor were removed from the Strategic Reserve Depot to outfit this Cluster.  Neither as light and fast as the Hellions desired, nor as heavy and ponderous as the Jaguars wished, the resulting Cluster was added to the Scorpion Touman as part of Chi Galaxy (The Nova Scorpions) under the command of Star Colonel Conner Rood.  A fact which the remaining two Chi Galaxy Clusters--predominately comprised of former Clan Nova Cat Warriors--protested!  But Khan Elam held firm and despite grumbling from the ranks, no Trials of Refusal (official Trials, at least!) were fought over the issue.

The Scorpions did lack extra Scorpion-class Troop Carriers and Warden-class Assault DropShips, and could not spare any JumpShips for transport, so the Ice Scorpions remained embarked on Coterie using a motley collection of DropShips in various states of disrepair.

Star Colonel Bowen remained in command of the Pride.

Khan Elam promised both men that upon arrival at Circinus and the establishment of the Scorpion factories that full repairs (and overhauls!) of both WarShips would be a priority, along with producing enough new Scorpions and Wardens for all three commands (the Ice Scorpions, the Coterie, and the Pride).

Let's see if he can add members from other dead/dying Clans in his AU.

You have quite a menagerie going on masterarminas. Nova Cats, Ice Hellions, Smoke Jaguars, oh my!

The Scorpions are collectors, after all!  Now we just need a Binary of Burrocks, a Trinary of Blood Spirits, and few Stars of Fire Mandrills . . . on second thought, no Mandrills.  Not even the Scorpions are that crazy! 

MA

Mixing the Blood Spirits with Burrocks is super nuts bud! Good luck with that combo!!

Blood Spirit I could actually see as a part of this Exodus though because of their Star League heritage which is even a good match with Eridani Light Horse.

Actually, that was a joke.  But looking at the source material, I think I am going to change that section and instead have the Scorpions intervene at the Battle of DS-322.  The Hellions had Coterie and five JumpShips carrying the remnants of two Clusters from Beta Galaxy (minus their war material which was given to Clan Jade Falcon as isorla for their granting of hegira from the Dark Nebula).  They were ambushed there by the Burrock Zeta Galaxy . . . what would happen if the Scorpion Exodus Fleet jumped in just before the battle began?

I don't know where DS-322 is located, but it is closer to the Inner Sphere than where Coterie encountered Osis' Pride and takes place a month sooner.  Which puts it right about where the Scorpion Fleet would be passing in the time line.  The time, anyway.  Since I don't have a location.  But since the Hellions were heading back to the Homeworlds from the Dark Nebula, I think they would have probably plotted as much of a straight line course as they could.

I don't know if the Scorps would take any of the Burrocks as abtakha, since they were in active rebellion against the Clan that absorbed them (Star Adder) and pretty much everyone else acting in concert with the Society and bandit caste.  If, that is, the Burrocks even stay to fight.  One Galaxy (without WarShips, I do believe, though I could be mistaken) against the combined Scorpion Touman?  I'd bug out from that fight citing discretion as the better part of valor!

Would that work better, you think?

Would you trust the Burrocks especially at this point and time? Not me, no way in hell. The Scorpions would and should wipe them out.

I'd like to see some Blood Spirit and Cloud Cobras along with the Scorpion Exodus. The Spirits for the Star League heritage aspect (brotherhood, ilChis, etc.) and Cloud Cobra for a special Cloister modeled after the unique beliefs of the Scorpions (mysticism link).

Also hardcore Wardens from other Clans too committed to the defense of the InnerSphere might be a fine match as well.

Perhaps some Blood Spirits units might have launched themselves in a campaign to wipe the rebellious Burrock and found them at the same time the Ice Hellion fleet was ambushed?