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“SILENCE!”  The roar from Khan Brandon Howell brought order to the Smoke Jaguar Clan Council.  “There has been enough short sighted rage for one day,” growled the Khan, “We can afford no more, unless you wish the Nova Cats to do more damage to our Touman and take more worlds from us?”

Only murmurs met the Khan’s statement.  Khan Howell placed his hands behind his back, then began a slow walk from one end of the stage to another and back again, always with his head turned to the massed ranks of the several hundred Clan Smoke Jaguar Warriors present in the newly complete Clan Council Chambers on Schuyler.  Like all Jaguar architecture, it was spartan and massive in form, with grey granite benches, set within mauve-shot grey marble paved isles.  Similar marble lined the walls and formed the ornamental columns of the chamber, which was lit be holographic fires and torches, with pin spots used to highlight the dais and any other speakers.  The overall effect was to make the Council Chamber appear like a packed mausoleum.

“Star Colonel Moon”, the Khan began, carefully pronouncing each word, “You suggest we go on an immediate offensive against world the Nova Cats have taken and against every Cluster they have sent against us.  Did you have anything else to add?”

The huge Elemental Star Colonel stood and glared at his Khan.  “We should send every Cluster we have straight at the Nova Cats and drive them from the Inner Sphere!  A true Jaguar Khan would understand that and not need such direction.”

Khan Howell stopped pacing and turned to face the still standing Moon, who towered over the other Jaguar officers in the front row of seating.  “Send all our Clusters in an all-out frontal assault?  I see you strategic acumen is as good as your ability to stop traitors escaping.”  The Khan referred to the recent defection of a Jaguar Warrior known as Trent, something Star Colonel Moon had failed to prevent and more than likely caused.

The Star Colonel’s hand went to his new leg, which had been budded following the loss of the original during the attempt to stop Trent’s defection.  The Star Colonel went red and seemed ready to explode before the Khan continued.

“It is lack of thinking like yours Star Colonel Moon, which has caused the Jaguar so many problems over the last decade.  We blindly charged onto Luthien and Tukayyid expecting victory, ignoring our opponent’s abilities and believing that by simply fighting we would win.  Those two disasters cost our Clan half its strength, something we have taken ten years to rebuild from.  We then whittled away much of what we could have used to rebuild in fruitless raiding against the other invaders, or against the Draconis Combine, whilst failing to address the unrest in the Occupation Zone.  Yet you have the audacity to stand there and declare that the same failed policies, polices have left us lagging behind the Ghost Bears and Wolves and unable to gain a clear advantage over the Nova Cats, will be the ones to defeat this large scale assault by Clan Nova Cat.”

Star Colonel Moon appeared to be taken back by the Khan’s worlds, but refused to back down from a man he did not respect.  “You are no Smoke Jaguar, you think like those weasels of old we destroyed.  Your genes are no doubt contaminated with their filth!”

Silence filled the hall as the Warriors gathered waited for the Khan’s response to the insulting insinuation that he was a Mongoose.

Placing his hands behind his back, the Khan looked down at Star Colonel Moon, “I challenge you to a Trial of Grievance, Star Colonel Paul Moon.  It is time our Clan was free of short sighted idiots like you.”
Moon grinned wickedly, “Then I choose to fight unaugmented, with only what we have upon us now!”
Khan Howell smiled right back at him, “Then I choose that we fight right now on this stage.  Loremaster, if you would be so good as to officiate.”

As Loremaster Mehta called the room to order and directed the Star Colonel to the stage, the Khan kept his hands behind his back, all the while focusing on his approaching foe.  Your death here will show how short sighted our arrogance has become.  You will serve the Clan one last time Moon.

Khan Howell barely heard the Loremaster’s instruction to begin, focused as he was on the approaching behemoth of a man, who was striding across the broad stage to come into close combat range.  Khan Howell did not move, did not even blink as the Elemental approached, which far too late Paul Moon only noted.  At a range of three meters, with his arms outstretched, a dawning realisation that he might have entered a trap began to surface, but by that time, the trap had already closed.

Khan Howell whipped his right arm forward in a smooth motion, releasing the flat dagger he wore at the small of his back.  Ever since he had been ambushed on the streets of Outer Volta three years ago, he never went anywhere unarmed and though not a technical breach of Jaguar Council rules, carrying a weapon in Council was certainly not something often done.  Nevertheless, the dagger was on its way and Moon’s desperate attempt to block the speeding steel was too late in coming.  The dagger thocked home into the Star Colonels throat, the blade protruding from the back of his neck, as a surprised and rather stupid expression shot across the soon to be dead man’s face.

The Star Colonel gasped, gurgled and then spat forth a torrent of blood, all whilst reaching for and removing the dagger.  His clumsy attempt to remove the weapon and use it, only widened the wounds in his throat and neck and produced a torrent of blood.  He took two faltering steps towards Khan Howell and made a clumsy attempt to skewer him, however, the Khan batted away the Star Colonel’s arm, knocking the dagger free to clatter across the stage, before using the arm as a pivot and sweeping Moon’s legs from under him.  More blood fountained forth when the huge man hit the stage on his back, and he made another feeble strike at the Khan, who contemptuously slapped it away.  The Khan then turned his back on his rapidly expiring foe and walked to the front of the stage.

Pointing at the weakly thrashing Star Colonel, Khan Brandon Howell addressed the Clan Council.  “That is what is waiting for us should we follow the late Star Colonel’s strategy, one I am sure many of you now see the folly of.  The Cat’s want us to counter-attack and they need us too.  Should we strike against them, on ground of their choosing, where they are prepared to meet us, we will be broken as a Clan, like some of our Clusters already are.  Never forget the Bear at our back either, for he has no love for the Jaguar and would think nothing of striking hard to claim what is ours.”

Silence swallowed the Khan’s words with not a voice raised for over a minute.  Eventually the Loremaster spoke, acknowledging a Warrior who had requested the floor.  “Galaxy Commander Tatiana Kotare, you wish to be heard?”

“I do Loremaster.” Illuminated by the overhead spots, the tall, dark haired woman, who stood in the third row of warriors, responded.  “Khan Howell, you expect defeat at the hands of the Nova Cats if we attack.  If that it so, what then do you suggest?”

Khan Howell, still standing at the very edge of the stage slowly shook his head.  “I do not expect to be defeated by the Nova Cats, only defeated by their plans should we follow them.  I have something else in mind, a plan that will secure our Occupation Zone, end the nest of pests on Wolcott and secure our place at the forefront of the Invasion in five years’ time.”

As murmurs and a buzz of muttering filled the hall, the Galaxy Commander crossed her arms and spoke again, “What plan do you propose Khan Howell?”

Khan Howell gestured to the Loremaster, who brought an image of the shared Occupation Zone up on the chamber’s main screen.  The screen showed that the Nova Cats had driven Clan Smoke Jaguar from seven worlds within the Occupation Zone and were contesting five others.  It was the largest single set back the Clan had suffered since Tukayyid.  Along the right hand side of the screen were listed the losses suffered by the Clan, which included the entire 12th Jaguar Regulars and five WarShips.  The WarShip losses were nothing short of devastating, with three Destroyers and the Texas-class Battleship CSJ Veiled Huntress gone and the Liberator-class Cruiser Korat captured.  Though the Jaguars had destroyed a Nova Cat Cruiser and one of their Frontline Clusters in return, the correlation of losses was heavily in the Nova Cat’s favour.

Khan Howell began to explain his plans as lines appeared on the map marking troop movements.  “Apparently the Nova Cats are preparing to receive our counter-attacks in most areas where they have struck at us, though close to the Truce Line they appear to still be aggressively active.  I propose that we no longer attempt to share an Invasion Corridor with Clan Nova Cat.”  Several calls of agreement met the Khan’s pronouncement. “However,” he continued, “my planning might not be what you would expect.  Galaxy Commander Mehta, what has been the greatest drain on our Clan in the Inner Sphere?”

The Galaxy Commander stood and was again illuminated.  “The drain that the insurrections on many worlds cause.”

The Khan nodded, “Yes, correct, and what is the source of the insurrection’s strength?”

“The incessant raiding by the Draconis Combine from Wolcott and their border worlds into our systems.”
“Correct again Galaxy Commander.  How could we address this issue?”

The Galaxy Commander stood a little higher as she answered, “Defeat the Draconis Combine!”

Brandon Howell chuckled, “That would be the ideal, but could we do so at this moment Galaxy Commander Mehta?”

The Galaxy Commander’s shoulders slumped a little at the Khan’s question and her voice was bitter, “No, we cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because my Khan, we cannot take the Combine on our own, not without the Nova Cat’s cooperation, which is not going to happen, or without bringing in another Clan, something we should not do.  Then there are the Ghost Bears, they would not let us take such action without attempting to take worlds from us.”

“Precisely Galaxy Commander, which is why we must find another route and I believe I have found one.  We will strike towards Terra, liberating systems Anti-Spinward of a line from Bangor to Kanowit, concentrating our forces on the Anti-Spinward side of that line.  By taking those systems and not fighting on the systems that the Cats are planning for us to, we take them unawares and form a contiguous Occupation Zone.”

“But we will no longer hold the honour of the flank my Khan.”  The Galaxy Commander said.

Khan Howell shook his head slightly, “Does that really matter anymore.  The flank is poison.  Look at the Vipers, the Falcons and our own position recently.  It drains us of materials we should be readying for use in a drive to Terra.  No, let the Nova Cats waste their time with the Dragon, whilst we build ourselves up and prepare to lead the advance on Terra and claim our rightful place as ilClan!”

The Galaxy Commander crossed her arms, “How do you know that the Cats will not attack again and derail this plan?”

“I do not.  However, with the troops that have fallen back already into my planned Zone and those from Hyner, Virentofta, Staplefeld, Asgard, Port Arthur and Tarazed, we can claim a corridor of our own and prevent any Nova Cat attack from gaining any further worlds, crushing any attempt to do so.  We will take out technology and re-establish enclaves on the worlds of New Ceylon, Ferranil, Bilma and Tuat, showing all those within the Occupation Zone our power and our ability to resurrect the lost worlds of the Star League and strengthening our Clan.  Furthermore, and in order to make sure that a fitting message is sent to both Clan Nova Cat and the other Clans, we will drive forward to the Truce Line, taking eight more worlds and setting our Clan up to lead the way to our destiny!”

Some sheered, some yelled and others talked and muttered to each other, but no open voice of dissent emerged from the Council chamber, which quietened as the Galaxy Commander spoke again.  “A bold plan my Khan, and not sharing a mixed Zone with the Nova Cats will help greatly, but what of combat for our Warriors and what of Wolcott?”

“There will be plenty of war for us all in the coming five years; however, we will not be drained by the Draconis Combine’s incessant raiding and rebels.  In order to end Wolcott’s threat, a world which we cannot take ourselves, I have negotiated with Clan Diamond Shark for a Galaxy worth of equipment in order to allow them to take that world for their own.  They are desperate for a foothold in the Inner Sphere, yet lack the numbers of troops to be a real threat to any established invader.  Though I too decry their merchant ways, their materials will make us strong, just as the end to raiding and rebellions will.  Furthermore, I intend to call forward Omega Galaxy and whatever materials we can from Huntress.  We can no longer be content to be aggressive, we must be like a true Jaguar, smart and aggressive, striking with power when and where we choose, but never blindly and never without consideration.  We have fallen far in the last decade Trothkin, it is now time to become a new Smoke Jaguar Clan and retake our place as the leaders of Clan society!”

Though standing ovations, universal acclaim or even much applause did not greet Khan Howell’s pronouncement, the Clan clearly received the message.   The Jaguars would no longer lead by gut reaction and though true cultural change within the Clan would take many years, Khan Howell had picked his moment with care.  There would be many challenges and many dead leaders, culled by Howell's hand, but his vision and skill had not been seen in the Clan for many a year, and slowly, ever so slowly, the Smoke Jaguars would begin to believe in his vision.  The Smoke Jaguars were now more dangerous than ever before and their plans were only just beginning to take shape.