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Celestial Palace, Throne Room
Forbidden City, Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
28th January 3075

   Entering his throne room with a pair of Red Lancer Regiment Bodyguards Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao was not a happy man, from what he had heard his day was not going to get any better.  His mad wife had brought his even more mad sister from Highspire, a world he was sentenced to live on by the Star League following biological weapon attacks the St Ives Compact, if the rest of the Succession Lords found out about this breach his nation would face them all, something his Capellan Confederation could not withstand.

   On the floor he saw his son Dao-Shen Centrella-Liao sitting playing with toys, something Sun-Tzu never allowed and Naomi knew it, beside Dao-Shen was his sister Kali bound, on her knees with a bloodied gag covering her mouth.  On the Celestial Throne sat Naomi Centrella, his wife, in the golden robes of the Capellan Chancellor “Naomi!”  He screamed “what is going on?”

   â€œSomething that is for the good of the Capellan people” his wife said standing up, Dao-Shen looked up at his mother, Sun-Tzu did not like the sound of this and turned to his two guards “but first we should be alone” she said moments later a bolt energy caught each of Sun-Tzu’s Red Lancer guards in the back, the energy bolts burning through them killing them instantly the Capellan Chancellor turned to see two Purifier Battle Armour Suits standing at the doorway, he had walked past them and never noticed the stationary troopers with their Mimic Armour suits.  As their armour changed he could see the logo of the Centrella Black Guards - a unit he had raised to replace his Death Commandos - one of the most fanatical and elite units in the entire Capellan Nation.  “Guards, you can leave us now.”  She said, the two Purifiers stepped clear of the walls brining with them the doors closing the Throne Room to all outsiders.

   â€œA little dangerous after that display, don’t you think?”  Sun-Tzu said quietly he was well trained in defending himself, he may not be a very able MechWarrior but he was very adept at keeping himself alive, the reason he had a hold-out pistol in the small of his back one that he always carried even when in his own home it paid to be prepared in this home.

   â€œNot really husband” Naomi said kneeling down beside Dao-Shen, he couldn’t have a clean shot if she remained near his son, his heir.  “you see I’m very well prepared.”  She said and with one swipe of her left arm Sun-Tzu watched as his wife killed his bound and gagged sister, slitting her throat with a well concealed blade, blood gushed from the wound for a moment then Kali’s body fell to the throne room’s marble floor.

   â€œWhat have you done?”  Sun-Tzu asked looking at the corpse of his sister “she was a member of the Liao Royal family and my sister!  The aunt of your child!”

   â€œI have wiped a stain from the Confederation’s name” Naomi said stepping forward “she was an embarrassment to your family name” she continued stepping forward face-to-face with Sun-Tzu.

   â€œAnd the robes?  Our son’s presence in this room?  My dead guards?”  He said looking at her incredulously he could almost see the insanity behind her eyes.  “Are each of those a stain on the Confederation’s name, on Sian’s soil?”  One of the reasons he had chosen her, over others including Isis Marik, to be his wife was she was the most sane of them all, she would add credibility to his family line once more.

   â€œWell husband this is all about a new start for the Capellan people, new starts lead from new ideas and new ways and from a new leader.”  She said Sun-Tzu never saw the strike coming as Naomi’s blade sliced through his robes and into his stomach, she then drew the blade backwards and struck again and again.  Sun-Tzu’s world began to go dark, Naomi crouched down beside her son beginning to play with some of the gathered toys on the floor as Sun-Tzu lost more and more blood dying on the floor of the Throne Room.

   The next morning Naomi and Dao-Shen Centrella emerged from the Throne Room, the Red Lancer Regiment had been moved off planet and Gao-shiao-zhang Ion Rush leader of the fanatical Warrior Houses had been killed in his sleep by Centrella Death Guard troopers.  New Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation Naomi Centrella sent messages to the other Succession Lords informing them that the Centrella family were now in charge of the Capellan Confederation and the Liao family were a spectre of their past.  That she would be happy to invite any of her fellow lords to a good will visit to Sian, none reply.  By the end of January the whole Inner Sphere and the Star League council had accepted that Naomi Centrella was now the leader of the Capellan people.