OBT Forum

The list of the current Khans and saKhans: 

ilKhan of the Clans:  ilKhan Amanda Tseng (Ghost Bear)
Loremaster of the Clans:  Loremaster Charles Bragg (Ice Hellion)

Blood Spirit:  Khan Helen Schmidt, saKhan James Carmichael
Cloud Cobra:  Khan Mark Steiner; saKhan Leonard Eaker
Coyote:  Khan Pavel Kerensky; saKhan Simon Kufahl
Diamond Shark:  Khan Olivia Sutherland; saKhan Peter Hammond
Ghost Bear:  Khan Grace Kabrinski; saKhan Eric Jorgensson
Goliah Scorpion:  Khan Nikolai Djerassi; saKhan Nelson
Hell's Horse:  Khan Jake Fletcher; saKhan Rapael Mendoza
Ice Hellion:  Khan Emma Drake; saKhan Robert Taney
Jade Falcon:  Khan Marthe Pryde; saKhan Michael van Jankmon
Nova Cat:  Khan Marius West; saKhan Linda Devereaux
Smoke Jaguar:  Khan Brandon Howell; saKhan Sarah Weaver
Snow Raven:  Khan Peter McKenna; saKhan Joan McKenzie
Star Adder:  Khan Marion Truscott; saKhan Jean N'Buta
Steel Viper:  Khan Thomas Black; saKhan Paul Masters
Stone Lion:  Khan Natasha Kerensky; saKhan Aidan Pryde
Wolf:  Khan ulric Kerensky; saKhan Marianne Vickers

Grace will be elected to replace Amanda, whereupon Charles Bragg replaces her as Loremaster of the Clans.

MA

LCMS Bucklands Belle (aka CGSS Jenna Scott), Zenith Jump Point
Odessa, Lyran Commonwealth
February 23, 3043

“Skipper,” the executive officer of the Clan Goliath Scorpion Surveillance Ship Jenna Scott growled, and Star Captain Thaddeus Arbuthnot nodded.

“Steady, folks—stay frosty and remember they think we are just another tramp freighter passing through.”  I hope that they think that, Thaddeus thought as he swallowed hard.

 Jenna Scott was one of three Tracker-class vessels in use by Clan Goliath Scorpion and throughout the invasion she had been scouting the systems on the flanks and in front of the Invasion.  But neither she nor her crew had expected to discover anything remotely like the concentration of JumpShips massed here over Odessa.  Or the scores of aerospace fighters and dozens of Assault DropShips swarming around.

“Give me a count, Pieter,” the ship commander ordered.

“Two hundred and seventeen Jumpers, Skipper,” the tech responded almost instantly, “ranging from Scout-class to Monolith-class.  No WarShips.  Forty-two assault DropShips, mostly Avenger-class.  One Olympus-class recharge station.  Sixty aerospace fighters on patrol . . . but there are bound to be more.  About a third are broadcasting as LCAF and AFFS vessels—the rest are merchant ships.”

“Stravag,” Thaddeus cursed.  “They are assembling a fleet to transport their regiments, hit us in the flank—and that means we are about to get impressed, I believe.”

“Speaking of which,” Star Commander Aaron Ben-Shimon, the aforementioned XO, looked up from his station.  “We are being hailed.”

“Game faces, people,” Thaddeus ordered as he adjusted the mismatched, brightly colored eclectic array of clothing that served as his ‘uniform’.  “On screen.”

The main monitor cleared and then presented the image of a Lyran Commodore, who nodded his head.  “Bucklands Belle, pursuant to the Home Defense Act of the Estates General of 2832, I am hereby informing you that your ship is required to carry out military operations in service of Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces—you will move your vessel to the designated parking area and stand by for further instructions.”

Thaddeus scowled mightily and came out of his seat in mock anger.  “I have a charter to Arcturus!  This is . . . this is . . . bullshit!” he sputtered.

“You will be compensated,” the Commodore replied with a frown.

“Compensated?  I am familiar with your idea of compensation!  What about my cargo?  I have twenty thousand tons of fish, pasta, and spices from Kowloon that I signed a contract to deliver to Arcturus!  If I fail to make delivery, I’ll lose my ship!”

The Commodore smiled.  “The Regiments on Odessa—and the Fleet—could use additional provisions, Bucklands Belle.  We are prepared to offer you a very good price—and we will seize your ship if you do not comply.  Fully in accordance with the law,” he finished sternly.

The Scorpion officer made himself sit back down and offered the camera a disgusted look.  “You will pay cost—I won’t clear a single Kroner of profit.  How the hell am I supposed to pay my crew and maintain my ship on cost?”

“The Archon has authorized a slight expenditure above cost for your service—and your provisions.  You will still turn a profit; as for the consignees waiting for your shipment this falls under the status of a Commonwealth Emergency—you cannot be sued in court for breach of contract and I will provide you with the appropriate paperwork stating that.”

Thaddeus slumped and he nodded sourly.  “I knew I should have come out at the Nadir Point.”

The image of the officer on screen barked a laugh.  “And you would have been press-ganged by Commodore Holt—who isn’t as generous as I.  Tell me, are you carrying banh bot loc?" the Commodore asked, referring to Kowloonese rice dumpling stuffed with shrimp and pork, wrapped in banana leaves.

Thaddeus nodded.  "And spiced cha as well," Kowloon pork and duck sausages, "and forty thousand bottles of ruou."  A very popular rice whiskey.  “Among other delicacies,” the Scorpion concluded with bitter shake of his head.

The Commodore smiled.  “Well, as it just so happens, I am very fond of Kowloon cuisine.  I think that you and I can come to some . . . equitable arrangement instead of going through the normal supply protocols.”

“I’ll transmit a manifest to you, Commodore . . .?”

“Perrin.  Johann Perrin.  In the meantime, Captain . . .?”

“Eisner.  Bob Eisner.”

“In the meantime, Captain Eisner, move your vessel to the designated parking orbit.  LCAF Odessa Zenith out.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” muttered Thaddeus.  “Aaron get us moving—do not move us too smartly, quiaff?”

“Aff.  We will look like a wallowing merchantmen, skipper.  Ah, Star Captain . . . we could jump out back out—our LF batteries have a full charge on standby.”

“Neg.  We need to make certain these ships are still here when the cavalry arrives.”

“The cavalry, sir?”

“Aff.  Warm up the HPG—I need to speak with Star Admiral Malthus.  His Emerald Talon Naval Star was at New Exford, last that I heard.”

The XO nodded and the techs jumped to the task.  He then crossed the bridge and stood beside his commander and whispered quietly.

“Should we not inform the Khan?”

“We will, but our orders are to provide intelligence and recon data to all of the Clans—orders from the ilKhan.”

“She is dead.”

“So she is—and our orders have not been changed, quineg?”

“Neg.”

“Four hundred Inner Sphere JumpShips, sitting vulnerable here—this is a priority target, Aaron.  Let’s see what Star Admiral Malthus can bring to the party.”

“Well, at least we will get a chance to use the guns,” Aaron said with a smile.

But Thaddeus shook his head.  “Neg.  We will high-tail it out of here to their emergency coordinates with the rest of this Fleet—and pass along their new coordinates to the Falcons and Sharks.  There is an old parable, Aaron that fits this situation.  Two bulls, one young and virile and strong, the second old and experienced stood upon a hill and looked down at their herd of fertile cows below.  The young bull turned to his elder and said let us run down there and couple with a pair of cows.  The elder shook his head and said, let us walk down there and couple with all of them.”  Thaddeus smiled a cold, cold smile.  “Today, we are going to couple with all of these Spheroids.”

Nice but one question wouldn't the HPG transmission be detected??

Not sure if I have read anything which states HPG transmissions can be detected.  Can they?

MA

CJFS Emerald Talon, Zenith Jump Point
New Exford, Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
February 23, 3043

Star Admiral Adrian Malthus emerged onto the bridge of his flagship with his teeth bared in a snarl of pure joy.  “Put me through to Star Admiral Hawker!” he ordered as he sat down in his command chair.  As the Falcon officer waited for the connection, he pulled up a holographic image of the Zenith point.  Besides the four WarShips of his own Emerald Talon Naval Star, two more Falcon WarShips from the Turkina’s Pride Naval Star were present, performing a normal patrol of the front lines.  Both the frigate Kerensky’s Pride and the destroyer Emerald Tornado had completed recharging their KF drives—and had been scheduled to move out in a little more than three hours.  But not any longer, the Falcon thought with a sudden grin.

And added to the six WarShips now under his command, Star Admiral Hawker had his own Deep Hunter Naval Star present—the two rival officers had arranged a series of maneuvers to keep their edge now that the presence of Inner Sphere WarShips had been confirmed.  Lighter than the Emerald Talons, the Deep Hunters had a cruiser and four destroyers assigned to their ranks—but against these targets that would more than suffice.

The holographic image of Star Admiral Leslie Hawker appeared directly in front of Adrian.  “You rang?”

“CGSS Jenna Scott has reported from Odessa, Leslie.  The Steiners and Davions are assembling a Fleet of JumpShips at both the Zenith and Nadir points—a Fleet which they probably mean to use to transport an offensive against our Clans.”  He grinned broadly.  “I am taking my WarShips there to persuade them against such an operation—would you care to join me?”

The Shark frowned.  “Opposition?”

“Fighters and Assault DropShips—total number unknown at this time, the Scorpions spotted a minimum of forty-two assault ships and sixty fighters;” he shrugged.  “They probably have more they did not see.”

“Hitting defenseless JumpShips just seems so wrong,” whispered Hawker, and Adrian nodded his agreement.

“Aff.  But these JumpShips are going to deliver unto our worlds a counter-attack twice as strong as that which divest the Jaguars of half the worlds they conquered!  And I will not allow that to happen on my watch, not when I can avoid it.”

Hawker stared for a moment and then she simply said, “Seyla.  What are your intentions?”

Adrian laughed.  “Star Admiral Hawker, I aim to misbehave.”

Adrift in a Sea of Blood
Odessa, Lyran Commonwealth
. . . and somewhere in Deep Space
February 23, 3043

Just two Falcon WarShips jumped into the Zenith point—and two Shark WarShips at the Nadir.  Two cruisers, a frigate, and a destroyer arrived in the center of clouds of helpless JumpShips and began ejecting DropShips and aerospace fighters as their capital weapons began to savage the ill-armored and fragile life’s-blood of Inner Sphere commerce around them.  Some had no charge and were forced to sit there—others Jumped away to what they thought was safety.  Still others had commanders willing to risk everything and poured power like water into the Core trying for an emergency Jump and praying their ship held together.  And on CGSS Jenna Scott, Star Captain Arbuthnot transmitted the emergency coordinates to Star Admiral Malthus and Star Admiral Hawker just seconds before he jumped out to those same coordinates. 

In a matter of minutes, shattered broken hulks marked the Zenith and Nadir above and below Odessa.  The Lyran defenders were not the ablest of the LCAF, most of the pilots were green, just out of flight school—the crews of the AssaultShips little better.  Their bravery was unquestioned, however, as they drove in towards the Clan WarShips and died by the score.  But it was not all skewed in favor of the Clans—a Lyran Avenger kamikazed the Shark destroyer Tracy, sending her out of control to plunge into the Nadir recharge station . . . and the resulting explosion destroyed the station, the Shark destroyer, and twenty more JumpShips.

Some of the JumpShips at Odessa managed to get away—plotting their own emergence coordinates, but these amounted to less than one in ten.  The rest either jumped to the evacuation coordinates—or they died under guns of the surviving Clan WarShips.

Still, nearly three hundred Jumpers made it safely to the emergency rendezvous point—Buckland’s Belle among them.  And almost immediately thereafter, the rest of the Falcon and Shark WarShips under Star Admiral Malthus arrived as well.

To call it a fight would have been . . . inaccurate.  It was a slaughter as seven Clan WarShips and one Scorpion covert operations Ship blasted apart JumpShips until none were left.  It was a blood-feast with no quarter as the Clan Naval Warriors exacted their vengeance for Tukayyid and other disasters upon the men and women who manned the Inner Sphere vessels.  And when it was ended, when nothing remained but broken debris, the Clan ships recharged their drives and returned home.  And the empty space between the stars was left silent and dark once more, filled with the debris of ships and the corpses of man.

Clan Goliath Scorpion Field Headquarters, Bayern
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
February 23, 3043

"This business will get out of control.  It will get out of control, and we will be lucky to live through it,” Nikolai said as he rubbed his temples.

Nelson Elam, his saKhan, frowned.  “While I cannot approve of Star Captain Arbuthnot’s blood-thirstiness in this . . . incident, he did manage to utterly derail any FedCom offensive against the Falcons and Sharks.”

Nikolai looked up at his saKhan and he shook his head.  “Sit down, Nelson.  The Inner Sphere regard their JumpShips as . . . well, as we regard our genetic repositories.  They came close to losing the ability to produce them in the First Succession War and because of that none of them attack them except under the direst of situations.  So far, Yvonne’s order to target their transports hasn’t yielded any major disruption of their ability to move troops and commerce—they lost some in Wave I, but they have also moved them out of the way for succeeding Waves.  For the most part.”

“But this?  By Kerensky’s Blood, Nelson, this will engage them to the point . . .” Nikolai paused and he looked his saKhan square in the eyes.  “This will cause as much of a fury in them as we would have if they used a thermonuclear weapon on the Master Genetic Repository on Strana Mechty.”

Nelson nodded slightly but he still frowned and Nikolai sighed.  He still did not understand.  “It is their unwritten rules of combat and they have to respond—they have to force us to quit shooting up their transports.”

“Why?  I mean, they fail to acknowledge or follow our rules or traditions of combat—why should we bother to conform to theirs?”

“Because they quite likely to open up their stocks of nuclear weapons in response to this; and then send us a message attached to a fifty-megaton bomb.”

“They would be willing to use nuclear weapons against their planets that we occupy?”

“It might well come to that, if we cannot stop this quickly.  But for the moment, I think they will restrict it to space.  They have to show us they will not be pushed in this area, not one millimeter more—and I think they are going to move to wipe out one, or more, of our Clan’s Naval Stars.”

Now Nelson started looking grim and Nikolai could see the light of understanding in the man’s eyes.  “And then we will escalate for their dezgra use of atomics and they will hit us again and it will ratchet up higher and higher . . .”

“Until all we are left with are spears tipped with flints fighting in a radioactive wasteland with no technology left—just myths and legends of our God-like ancestors who flew between the stars like birds.”

“So how do we stop it?” his saKhan asked.

Nikolai frowned and his mind ran through scenario after scenario.   At last he nodded.  “They have to draw blood—we cannot stop that; however, we might be able to channel our response with Amanda.”  Nikolai drummed his fingers on the desk.  “I want our most trusted personnel on duty in the HPG tonight—and take the recorders off-line.  I think it is past time that I and this First Lord spoke directly.”

Clan Goliath Scorpion Field Headquarters, Bayern
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
February 25, 3043

Mark Steiner shook his head rather violently.  “This is the Star League we are talking about, Marius!  The Star League is what we are fighting?  My God, what would Aleksandyr Kerensky say?”

The Khan of the Nova Cats just frowned.  “It is a false Star League, Khan Steiner!  They have not united for the betterment of mankind, they united out of fear—fear of our righteous anger at how they have squandered the Paradise our ancestors left.  How many worlds have they rendered lifeless?  How far have they fallen?”

“And yet,” said Nikolai quietly, “they have united, Khan West.  They have united and they have defeated us—all of us—on Tukayyid.  We stand on the precipice of the abyss; one slip and we shall all pass away into eternal night.”

The Nova Cat frowned.  “Was this revealed to you through a necrosia vision?”

“Neg.  I have tasted necrosia but twice in my lifetime—when I first became a Warrior and again when I received my Blood Name.  What of your own visions?”

Marius looked troubled and he exchanged a glance with his saKhan Linda Devereaux.  “The Clans do not believe our visions.”

“I would like to hear of them, regardless,” said Nikolai, giving Natasha a stern look as she started to shake her head, and the Stone Lion Khan subsided.

Marius stared at Nikolai for a moment and then he nodded.  “All of our visions—the Khans, the Loremaster, the Visionmasters who have in the past seen clearly—all of them are . . . clouded.  We see the Clans in the midst of a thundering storm, without shelter from the wind, rain, and lightning.  Some visions then reveal that when the storm passes, only the skeletons of our totems are left in the wake—others that we stand divided against our selves . . . the unity broken and darkness rising behind us.  None have yet shown a path through the storm—all lead to death.”

Nikolai nodded gravely.  “A powerful vision indeed.  And it is one that the others will dismiss.”

“But not you?” asked Marius ironically.  “For a Scorpion, you do not seem to believe in visions and prophecies.”

“I believe that we may have glimpses of a future to come, but that the present is what we make of it—through our own efforts.  After all, God helps those who help themselves.”

The Cobra Khan and saKhan twitched slightly—as Nikolai had never expressed publically any belief in the God of their Cloisters.  But neither said a word.

“Why do you want my views on this False League anyway, Nikolai?  Surely you did not call us here to speak of philosophy,” Marius asked.

“No, I did not,” and the Scorpion gave a slight negative shake of his head at Natasha who nodded in reply.  “I know that the Cats have suffered greatly in this invasion—and I have ninety spare OmniMechs in my caches on Memmingen that lack Warriors to pilot them.  You managed to recover many injured Warriors from the debacle on Tukayyid—but lost their OmniMechs.  To strengthen the Clans, I will give you these OmniMechs, Khan West.”

The Cats sat back.  “And in exchange?  What is it that you desire?”

“They are a gift, Khan West.  “Take them freely, and rebuild your strength in honor—and know that although we may stand opposed on many issues, that we Scorpions are not your enemies.”

Marius got a far-away look in his eyes and he drew in a sudden and rapid breath; his face turned pale and then he shook his head.  His shoulders slumped as his eyes cleared.  “You walk a path that the Cats cannot follow, Nikolai.  I can only hope that your endeavor will prosper.”  He stood.  “Come saKhan—let us leave our host so that he may speak frankly with his other guests—for your gift I thank you . . . and in return I shall speak no more of what I have seen.”

Nikolai stood and he nodded.  “May you live out the rest of your life with honor, Khan West.”

“And may you find what you Seek, Khan Djerassi,” Marius replied and then the Cats left.

Leonard Eaker, the Cobra saKhan looked up in puzzlement.  “I get the feeling we are talking on multiple levels here—what exactly are you proposing that would have the Cats react like that?”

Mark Steiner leaned forward, “Be still, saKhan.  Nikolai believes that our destiny lies in serving the Star League, quiaff?”

“Aff.”

Aidan Pryde and Nelson Elam and Natasha Kerensky also answered from their seats around the roaring fireplace in Nikolai’s office.  And Leonard looked as if an Elemental had just punched him in the belly.

“Merciful Allah,” he whispered.  “Join the Star League?  The others will rip you apart—they will tear all of us apart for even speaking such sedition!”

“The Clans are last descendants of the Star League Defense Forces . . . we came here to reform the Star League,” Nikolai said.  “Well, it has reformed . . . albeit not in the manner which we anticipated.  And we are faced with a choice:  do we live up to our beliefs—as Wardens, as followers of the Great Father and the Founders—and serve the Star League once more or do we attempt to conqueror the Inner Sphere as Crusaders and rule over them as Warlords and Despots in the same manner as Stefan Amaris?”

“Khan Steiner, the Cobras are the smallest of all the surviving Clans of Kerensky.  saKhan Eaker, what will happen if we are forced from the Inner Sphere?  Do you believe that the Jaguars and the Falcons and the Vipers or even the Adders will not seek to absorb you and add your strength to their own?  Will eliminating a Warden voice?” Natasha asked.

“The Adders are our allies,” protested Leonard, but Mark Steiner nodded.  “And they are pragmatic, my friend,” he said.  “They will do what is best for their Clan—and if that means they must absorb us to keep our assets from the hands of the Jaguars or Falcons or Vipers or Spirits, they will do so.”

Nikolai nodded.  “You have eleven Clusters here—and a mere eight left in the Homeworlds.  Your forces here, now, are barely at fifty percent strength.  Your Clan is in imminent jeopardy if the Star League forces us to either halt or retreat—and we lack the strength to move forward.  But what if there was another way?  What if, by living up to the beliefs that you profess, you can preserve your Clan, your various faiths, by serving under the aegis of a Star League that enshrines the freedom of religion?”

Mark frowned.  “Do they?  I have not yet seen a charter of this Star League Reborn, have you, Khan Djerassi?” and then his shoulders slumped again.  “However, your words make sense even so.  I know you seek to use our belief and our faith against us—do not do so.  Say what you want plainly—and we will answer.”

The Scorpion nodded at the defiant Cobra and he smiled.  “Cards on the table?  I am leading my Scorpions into the service of the Star League—they have agreed to give up seven worlds that were once part of the Terran Hegemony . . . worlds that will now serve as the home of the True Clans of Kerensky.  The Stone Lions are with me—and I have pulled every last ship, OmniMech, aerospace fighter, tank, and infantryman my Clan possesses from the Homeworlds, along with a few million civilians.  They are currently en route . . . and are the reason we are suffering communications difficulties at this very moment.”

Mark sighed and he nodded, but Leonard stood, his mouth agape.  “And we will have to sacrifice those of our Warriors in the Homeworlds, then—the other Clans will Annihilate them in pursuit of revenge!”

“Neg.  I have an . . . alternative HPG rely network.  One that can be used just once.  I will share my civilians with you—and the Stone Lions—and we will have sizeable populations already on these planets that will fall under our rule.  My ships bear a copy of the Master Genetic Repository—so your scientists will continue to be able to improve upon your legacies.  If you choose to join us, you need only pass the order for your second-line forces, your WarShips, your sibkos, and the most vital of your civilians to join us.  It will be months yet before the Homeworlds discover what we have done.”

“How long have you planned for this?”

“It is . . . contingency which I have had for a long time now.  Mark,” Nikolai said frankly as he leaned forward and looked the Cobra square in the eyes, “you know well how much the other Clans deride the faiths that your Cloisters profess.”  He held up a hand and shook his head.  “I am not trying to play you or your religion, just pointing out a fact.  Your current weakness makes the others hungry and in one stroke by Absorbing the Cobras they can depose a Warden Clan, eliminate religion from your society, and strengthen their own touman.  It will happen—and Marion Truscott is liable to do it if he even thinks that the Falcons or Jaguars could use your strength and your Warriors to bulk up their own toumans.”

“I give you a chance to save your Clan and fufill your destiny—and mine.  Once more will the children of the Star League Defense Force serve the Star League.  Once more will be the numbers of our Clusters—drawn from the Divisions of the SLDF—be honored on Terra.  What do you say?”

Mark Steiner sat back and he sighed.  And then he nodded.  “It is the only road open, quiaff?”

“We will be considered traitors!” whispered Leonard Eaker.

“Treason doth never prosper:  what is the reason?  Why, if it prosper, none dare call it treason,” Nikolai answered simply.

But Leonard snorted.  “Pretty words—our fellow Clans will call it treason regardless.  They will cast us out and mark us for execution.”

Mark Steiner shook his head.  “Perhaps.  But have we a choice, Leonard?  Is there another way to preserve our Clan—and our Cloisters—within the unity?  And if we do so by declaring this . . . Star League Reborn false, then what does that say of the principles that we claim to hold so dear?  We will be saying that we fear death and imprisonment and torture and we shall be like Peter and deny Christ three times before the cock crows.”

Leonard sat down suddenly.  “How has it come to this?  Is there no other way?”

“None which I can see,” said Nikolai.  “I am committed—my Clan is committed—to this course of action.  But you must make your own decision—will the Cloud Cobras live to serve the Star League Reborn, or will you remain a Clan of the Homeworlds and perish?”

Neither man said a word for nearly three full minutes, but at last Mark Steiner nodded.  “We are with you.  If you would set up that alternate comm rely—I have some orders that need to be passed.”

Natasha smiled.  "I will join you in the comm center.  I need to pass orders to my Stone Lions . . . and I think I will put my Potemkin under your command to help in this movement.  I want it back, once you get to the Inner Sphere, though."

"That would help us much," Mark said with a firm nod.

Nikolai let out a sigh of relief.  “Then I shall show to the com center at once, Khan Steiner.  And I believe that both the First Lord of the Star League and Melissa Steiner-Davion will be very interested in speaking with you.”