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Part 2: Peace through Conflict

18 Sep   Vlad is assigned responsibility for establishing Clan enclaves in Clan Wolf's Occupation Zone and integrating the new population. He works closely in this with Phelan's bondsman Ragnar (Magnusson).

3053
12 Jan   Vlad advocates restoring and improving the factories on Kirchbach, Rasalhague and Satalice to support the Touman by providing Clan weapons and Battlemechs. Phelan assigns him responsibility for this.
2 Feb   Via a Trial of Position, Vlad takes the rank of Star Captain in the Golden Keshik.

3054
19 Apr   Ragnar passes his Trial of Position and enters Clan Wolf's touman as a Star Captain.
3 Jul   As the primary advocate of moving Clan Wolf's holdings to the Inner Sphere, Vlad was dispatched back to the Clan Homeworlds to oversee it.
25 Sep   Vlad sends a convoy from Eden to the Inner Sphere, carrying 5,000 technicans from Clan Wolf's military factories and their families. Also aboard the convoy are three sibkos and samples of all genetic material in Clan Wolf's primary Gene Repository.
1 Nov   The Star Colonel of the 7th Battle Cluster, a hardline Crusader, challenges Vlad to a Trial of Greivance. Upon killing the Mechwarrior, Vlad demands and passes a Trial of Position and takes command of the Cluster.
21 Dec   Vlad orders the Jaghatai and Phantom factories on Eden quietly disassembled for shipment to the Inner Sphere.

3055
22 Feb   Clan Goliath Scorpion launches multiple Trials of Possession, expelling Clan Wolf from all but one of their enclaves on Roche.
1 Mar   Clan Goliath Scorpion wins a Trial of Possession for two Clan Wolf enclaves on Dagda.
3 Mar   Per a private agreement with Khan Ariel Suvorov of Clan Goliath Scorpion, Vlad leads elements of the 7th Battle Cluster in Trials of Possession for the elderly Potemkin transports Prometheus and Epimetheus, defeating Goliath Scorpion binaries on the hull of each. This leads to a halt to the Goliath Scorpion's attacks.
19 Mar   The 7th Battle Cluster tear apart Clan Burrock Cluster attempting to lay claim to several bloodheritages belonging to Clan Wolf.
26 Oct   Conal Ward is killed by Phelan Ward. Although the bloodright is stained by Conal's dishonour, Vlad requests nomination for the bloodright, seeking to redeem it from his former mentor's disgrace.
30 Nov   Vlad wins a Trial of Refusal to prevent the Reaving of Conal Ward's bloodright.

3056
Jan   A Trial of Bloodright takes place on Strana Mechty for Conal Ward's bloodname. Although disgraced, the strong Crusader associations draw many of Clan Wolf's younger warriors, who are feeling the lack of opportunties due to the Invasion. Vlad wins the Trial, announced as Vladimir Ward.
3 Feb   Vlad is promoted to Galaxy Commander and authorised by Khan Natasha Kerensky to form a new Epsilon Galaxy using the young Warriors who had flocked to the Ward Bloodname trial either as participants or in support of candidates, filling out the ranks with aging warriors desperate to avoid Solahma assignments. Denied return to their previous units, the warriors are infuriated when their equipment is obsolete Mechs and Fighters from Brian Caches dating back to the Pentagon Civil War. Only Vlad's 7th Battle Cluster has modern equipment.
12 Apr   To replenish his equipment, Vlad leads his Galaxy in a sudden attack on the Smoke Jaguar capital of Huntress. Still struggling to rebuild their frontline forces in the Inner Sphere, the Jaguar garrison is caught badly offguard, particularly as Ariel Suvorov leads her own Alpha Galaxy in a simultaneous series of Trials.
17 Apr   Having worn down the Smoke Jaguars with provocative Trials over minor objectives, Vlad suddenly bids boldly for the vital enclave containing Phan Industrialplex and wins a major victory.
20 Apr   Resupplying his Galaxy from Smoke Jaguar stocks, Vlad strikes at Lootera Spaceworks, taking another major industrial enclave and threatening Mount Szabo. Forced to concentrate against him, the Smoke Jaguars steadily lose ground elsewhere against the Goliath Scorpions.
1 May   Leaving most of Epsilon Galaxy to defend the new gains while technicans began disassembling the factories for shipment to the Inner Sphere, Vlad departs for Tranquil where an Ice Hellion force is making serious progress towards the W-7 Battlemech Factory.
9 May   Arriving over Tranquil via a pirate point, Vlad lands his 7th Battle Cluster behind the Hellions and wins a Trial of Possession for their supply dropships before the Hellion Cluster can regroup to face him. Although they retain their foothold on Tranquil, the Ice Hellion threat is stalled indefinitely.
17 Aug   Having evacuated the most valuable personnel and equipment from the Clan Wolf enclaves on Grant's Station and Glory, Vlad stations the most hardcore Crusaders of his Galaxy to protect them and then leaks to the Diamond Sharks that he has weakened the garrisons.
19 Sep   Ice Hellion forces land on Glory attempting to exploit the weakness they learned off from the Chatterweb. The Wolf garrison leads the attackers into Jade Falcon territory, sparking a three way battle. Similarly, on Grant's Station, Fire Mandrills trying to gain the Wolf Enclave are encouraged to clash with the Steel Vipers as well. With Smoke Jaguars looking to replace lost resources on Huntress, fighting spreads rapidly across Clan space, diverting attention from Clan Wolf.
24 Nov   With enclaves lost on Tiber, Paxon, Glory and Grant's Station, Clan Wolf is facing a major economic crisis. Vlad simply prioritises shipping whatever industries lack resources to the Inner Sphere, advising the Merchant caste to find new sources there. Privately he believes that the Clans Merchants should enter open economic competition with the Inner Sphere.
3 Dec   Epsilon Galaxy carries out a Trial of Possession against Clan Coyote for supplies to cover short term needs of food for their civilian population and then underbids substantially when Clan Coyote bids for control of the remaining Wolf enclaves on Paxon.

3057
9 Feb   To try to reduce pressure from ambitious warriors, the Khans despatch Delta Galaxy - still a hotbed of Crusader feeling - back to the Homeworlds, rotating Vlad's Epsilon Galaxy forwards to replace them. They also hope that removing Vlad will pacify the civilian castes, many of them deeply concerned by the sudden shifts. Natasha Kerensky observes that something must be wrong if she's considered the reasonable alternative.

Part 4: The Inner Sphere Strikes Back

3058
10 Jan   Vlad is sent back to the Homeworlds to accelerate the withdrawal of Clan Wolf to the OZ. He obtains permission to split off portions of the Clan he cannot remove.
12 Feb   Phelan Ward leads raids against Clan Smoke Jaguar for equipment and breeding stock. He captures Katherine Steiner-Davion, who is attempting to secure an alliance with Clan Smoke Jaguar.
7 Mar   Vlad arrives on Ironhold and declares Delta Galaxy and the hundreds of Jade Falcon warriors captured on Ironhold to be the core of a new Clan: Clan Ebon Dragon. Marialle Radick is elected Khan of the new clan and Vlad assigns Ironhold and several minor Wolf enclaves to the new Clan.
24 Mar   Vlad orders that with the exception of those attending the genetic facilities on Strana Mechty all members of Clan Wolf's scientist caste are to be on their way to the Inner Sphere by the end of the year. To this end he orders an immediate audit of the Caste.
1 Apr   Vlad personally commands a Trial of Possession reclaiming the Ice Hellion foothold on Tranquil. Following this he orders the consolidaton of Clan Wolf's resources to the planet, and quietly approaches Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa Kline, offering them favorable Trials to take over the abandoned enclaves (now lacking their best technicans and merchants but still of great value). Without hesitation, Kindraa Leader Samantha Kline agrees, unwittingly over-extending her Kindraa and drawing her enitre Clan into a series of of damaging reverses as other Clans move in on the enclaves.
17 Apr   Based on reports on the audit of the Scientist Caste, Vlad concludes that the Wolf scientists are entangled with the Dark Caste. Revealing this would expose the weakened Clan Wolf to a Trial of Absorption they could not win so he decides to concentrate working groups he believes may be 'tainted' onto specific transports.
21 Apr   Tormano Liao is forced to admit that Archon Steiner-Davion is missing. With the Jade Falcons raiding the border, Victor Steiner-Davion steps in to take command of the defenses.
2 May   The last Clan Wolf sibkos depart Clan space for the Inner Sphere
30 Jun   A dropship carrying Clan Wolf scientists and their families from several installations crashes while coming in to land on Tranquil. Only a handful of warriors know that that the 'crash' resulted from CWS Prometheus firing a Naval PPC into the dropship's engines.
29 Aug   Phelan Ward arrives in Clan Space. On learning of Vlad's covert purge he bids and loses a private Trial of Greivance against Vlad. Phelan has brought his cousin Katherine as a prisoner, ensuring she is out of all reach of a rescue.
1 Sep   The Estates-General acknowledge Victor Steiner-Davion as their Archon, reuniting the Federated Commonwealth. With complete access to Katherine's personal affairs, Victor is able to finaly prove her culpability in the assassination of their mother.
1 Oct   Leaders from all over the Inner Sphere gather to discuss an alliance against the Clans.
3 Oct   The Grand Council gather, belatedly, to elect a new ilKhan. Khan Asa Taney of the Ice Hellions suggests the Absorption of Clan Wolf or Clan Jade Falcon. All four Khans present concerted arguements of their strength. Phelan has tested the rebuilt Wolf Touman against Clan Smoke Jaguar, Vlad defeated the Ice Hellions with secondline troops, Lisabeth has raided into the Inner Sphere and Jared has fended off probes by the Steel Vipers. Lincoln Osis shrewdly backs them, hoping to sway the votes of two of the Invading Clans in his favour. The election has to be deferred further,  as not all Khans have qualified as warriors sufficiently recently.
12 Oct   Phelan and Vlad agree on a plan of encouraging divisions among the Clans in order to leave a renewed invasion with obvious fracture lines. Vlad recommends Trials of Possession for promising units from the Homeworld Clans: Crusader units that can be expended in renewed fighting without compromising the fighting strength of the Clan, and Warden units to secure the rear of the corridor against attempts to seize it. He particularly suggests Clan Coyote, Clan Goliath Scorpion and Clan Hells Horses as targets.
19 Nov   The Grand Council finally elects Lincoln Osos as ilKhan of the Clans and grant him a mandate to renew the invasion of the Inner Sphere. Osis states that Home Clans can only participate if they win the right to do so from one of the six Clans already in the Inner Sphere. Although he presses for an immediate resumption of the offensive, the other Khans insist upon a delay of a year in order to allow for Trials over Invasion Corridors and to prepare their logistics.

3059
Feb   Clan Star Adder seeks and is granted permission to Absorb Clan Burrock following revelations of their Dark Caste dealings. The campaign lasts only two weeks, with many Burrocks defecting on learning of their Clan's misdeeds.
3 Apr   Phelan Ward returns to the Inner Sphere, leaving Vlad in effective control of the remaining enclaves on Tranquil and Strana Mechty.
20 May   Following a wave of raids to disrupt Smoke Jaguar operations, the Inner Sphere launches an Invasion of the Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone under the leadership of Hohiro Kurita.
1 Jul   Clan Nova Cat begins to defect as fast as Inner Sphere regiments can reach their worlds.
17 Aug   Clan Smoke Jaguar begins to evacuate the Inner Sphere. Plans to resume the Invasion are indefinitely put off.
1 Nov   Clan Smoke Jaguar has been entirely driven from the Inner Sphere. Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht and Hohiro Kurita lead a task force in pursuit, realising that an earlier task force headed for the Smoke Jaguar holdings on Huntress now faces possible destruction by the returning Smoke Jaguar touman.

3060
9 Feb   The Ghost Bears, who have been relocating their population to the Inner Sphere, launch their last convoy from Arcadia.
22 Feb   Inner Sphere regiments begin assembling along the Jade Falcon occupation zone in order to repeat their success against the Jade Falcons. Victor Steiner-Davion is under no illusions that the forewarned Falcons and Steel Vipers will be far more difficult to oust.
24 Feb   Phelan Ward makes tenative contact with the Free Rasalhague Republic via Star Colonel Ragnar (Magnusson), son of the Elected Prince of the Republic. The Khan's proposal is a union of Rasalhague with Clan Wolf, coupled with an offer to forswear participation in a renewed invasion.
Mar   The first SLDF task force reaches Huntress and quickly over-runs the Smoke Jaguars before bogging down against the other enclaves as reinforcements arrive. Vlad, given Phelan's negotiations with the FRR, sends the Crusader units harvested from the Hells Horses and other Clans to repel the invasion.
Apr   The return of the Smoke Jaguar touman seems to spell final doom for the SLDF invasion force, before the arrival of the relief force shortly behind them. A tense stand-off develops with Precentor Martial Focht demanding a Trial of Refusal against the resumption of the Invasion.
   In the Inner Sphere, SLDF forces begin strikes against the Steel Vipers, accepting brutal battles against the concentrated Steel Vipers on their relative handful of worlds. The Jade Falcons decline to spring to the defense of their fellow Clan, instead looking to their own defenses.
1 May   In the Grand Council, the Khans of sixteen Clans - as ilKhan Lincoln Osis cannot vote for the Smoke Jaguars and no other Khans remain - vote over whether to accept the challenge posed by Focht. The vote is 17-15 in favour of the Trial, with Clan Steel Viper having split their vote. With it being their only chance to maintain their Invasion the Crusader Clans - who had voted against the Trial - are commited to fight it with the Steel Vipers and Lincoln Osis' few remaining Smoke Jaguars joining them to provide nine participants.
17 May   Nine battles are fought between Clan binaries and SLDF companies to decide the fate of the Invasion. Narrowly the Inner Sphere triumphs with five wins (AFFS over Ice Hellions, ComGuards over Hells Horses, DCMS over Star Adders, Nova Cats over Ebon Dragons, SIMC over Fire Mandrills) to three losses (AFFS to the Smoke Jaguars, FWLM to Steel Vipers, Kungsarmee to Jade Falcons). The CCAF company and Blood Spirits fought to a bloody draw with no survivors on either side.
19 May   Anastasius Focht meets with the Grand Council and agrees a ceasefire for the current fighting between the SLDF and the Steel Vipers in the Inner Sphere, using Clan HPGs to relay the message. Clan Nova Cat is abjured by the Grand Council for fighting on the side of the SLDF
23 May   Victor Steiner-Davion reluctantly orders a halt to fighting against the Steel Vipers. Three worlds have been liberated and the SLDF withdraws from the three still being contested. As allied regiments prepare to return home, Victor begins his own plans to rotate regiments and solidify his border preparatory to a second, all-AFFC invasion in the future. In the meantime he intends to use the rotation to free up 'peacekeepers' for the Chaos March.
11 Jun   Clan Ice Hellion wins the right to absorb the remains of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Due to their low bidding and the suicidal fury of the surviving Smoke Jaguars the Hellions only narrowly win the Trial of Refusal, losing far more warriors than they gain from the remains of the tiny Smoke Jaguar touman. While they also gain a few Smoke Jaguar enclaves, these are quickly contested by other Clans.

This is probably the most elegant way of fixing post 3055 canon I have seen, a few things I don't like (Ebon Dragon?) but I can see how they work. But the way you handled the Refusal War and quietly reunited the FedCom, just beautiful.

I like it so far, but there are two points, I have a hard time to accept:

1) Why did Katherine try to ally with the Jaguars? I mean, I can understand that she's trying to ally with a clan, but why the Jaguars? Sure, they could pose a threat to the Combine, but wouldn't it make more sense to have her try to ally with the Wolfs, who would make great allies against the Jade Falcons? Even the Ghost Bears would be a better choice. They're more friendly towards the Inner Sphere plus they're in a position to help the Lyran Alliance against both the Combine and the Wolfs, should the need ever arise. I'm not objecting the fact that you're taking Kathrine out of the picture, I just find this solution a bit too elegant. 

2) Theodore announces that his Daughter will marry a Davion in the middle of a Black Dragon inspired military crisis? This sounds like a very, very bad move to me. Given how deeply entrenched the Black Dragons are both within the DCMS and ISF, I wouldn't be surprised if such an announcement would result in a coup or spark a full scale civil war in the Combine.

Oh well, enough complaining! Please continue

I had trouble coming up with a Clan name.

What I don't get is why create one and I am not sure this is a legal way of acting for the Clans.

Ronin,

Considering that Phelan (Kell) Ward is the Khan of Clan Wolf at the time, I seriously doubt that Katherine would even consider such an attempt.  After all, Morgan Kell has already formed the Arc Royal Defense Cordon and isn't taking orders from Tharkad.  That family hates the Archon Princess because of their suspicions over her role in the death of Melissa (and, I believe, Morgan's wife--but I could be wrong).  The Ghost Bears might be a reasonable alternative to the Jaguars, but not the Wolves or the Falcons.

Ah, totally forgot about the ARDC. Thank you for correcting me. But still, that would make the Ghost Bears an even better choice, just in case Phelan decides to support his family.

Ronin: Katherine's decision to woo the Smoke Jaguars was canonically based on the Jaguar's hostility to the Draconis Combine, the Kell Hounds and Clan Wolf-in-Exile. The Ghost Bears lacked that motivation for her to exploit. In this AU, you're right: the decision is less justifiable. There's no ARDC to un-nerve her. On the other hand, the Smoke Jaguars are the likely leaders if a renewed invasion kicks off (with the Jade Falcons weakened and the Wolves under Phelan). Katherine specifically stated she would be happy to make a deal with the Clans for them to invade if that deal left her in charge: she was hedging her bets against a Clan Victory.

Theodore announced the marriage under what were very favorable circumstances: the Clan Invasion was over, he was First Lord of the Star League. His position was very solid. Victor, having reunited the Federated Commonwealth, was also in a good position and could use his regaining the Lyons' Thumb worlds to show he was not making concessions to Theodore for the marriage. And if you check the dates, Omi would already have been pregnant with Victor's child.
The Military Crisis caused by the Black Dragons was almost a year after Theodore made the announcement.

Ice Hellion: Creating a breakaway Clan is certainly legal as seen in the creation of Clan Jade Wolf and Clan Stone Lion in canon. Phelan's reason for doing this was to remove the core of the Crusader Wolves - and leave them stuck in the Clan Homeworlds. Vlad's reason for doing this was to create more factionalism within the Crusader Clans - the Jade Falcons would have to either fight them for Ironhold, losing potential Crusader votes, or accept the loss of their homeworld, materially weakening them. Plus the new Ebon Dragons would need to seize new resources to establish themselves, causing more infighting among the Home Clans.

On the ComStar issue, Vlad takes pleasure in all his victories. In this case, whereas Phelan singlehandedly bluffed Gunzberg into surrender, Vlad has one-upped him by securing six worlds (including Tukkayid) and pushed the ComGuards - who beat all the other clans on Tukkayid - back fifty light-years - in a political coup. This also gives him a clear geographic lead over the other Clans, sidesteps the entire Truceline and gives him borders from which he can easily raid into the Federated-Commonwealth and Draconis Combine. He knows Clan Wolf is not ready for an invasion to reach Terra, but rallying the conquered population beneath him puts them a huge economic and military step towards it. In essence it's his own Xin Sheng.

Dread Moores: you'e completely correct and that's why I've not extended this further. FASA/WizKids/CGL can't commit to a end scenario because it would leave them no conflict for future gaming. Stagnation and a loss of future income. However, in fanfiction and scenario-building that doesn't have to limit me, so I can have an ending.

Most probably there would be additional wars along the Clan borders, and possibly a limited Capellan/FedCom skirmish over the remaining Chaos March. However, serious conflict would probably be ten to twenty years later, with a whole new generation taking the stage.