Kiyomori Minamoto


Kiyomori Minamoto, ca. 3099
Kiyomori Minamoto
Character Profile
Born 3022[1]
Died 11 January, 3102[1]
Affiliation Draconis Combine
Rank Gunji-no-Kanrei[1]
Title(s) Warlord of Pesht
Profession MechWarrior

Kiyomori Minamoto was an officer in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery who became the Gunji-no-Kanrei (Deputy for Military Affairs) during the Jihad. He had a reputation as a traditionalist samurai warrior who strictly adhered to bushido. He resisted the "new bushido" of Coordinator Theodore Kurita.

History[edit]

Minamoto began his military career under the reign of Coordinator Takashi Kurita, where he learned to abide by the traditional ways of the samurai. He became a model soldier who eventually gained command of the Seventh Sword of Light just before the Clan Invasion. As Tai-sa of the Seventh Sword, he was instrumental in rebuilding the unit after the Clan invasion of Luthien. He politely refused promotion beyond the command of the Seventh Sword.

He felt the Seventh Sword of Light was the keeper of Draconis Combine tradition and culture. He showed his resolve to keep traditions alive by pushing his warriors of the Seventh to live their lives on and off the battlefield in the tradition of bushido.[2]

Operation BULLDOG[edit]

In 3059, Tai-sa Minamoto led the Seventh Sword of Light in the defense of Pesht. Elements of Clan Smoke Jaguar's Delta Galaxy counterattacked in response to Operation BULLDOG, the massed invasion of their occupation zone.[3]

Combine-Ghost Bear War[edit]

When the Alshain Avengers triggered the First Combine-Ghost Bear War in 3062, Minamoto's unit was stationed on Turtle Bay when Clan Ghost Bear attacked forces on nearby Idlewind. Minamoto's forces arrived too late to assist the Ninth Pesht Regulars. Minamoto kept the enemy forces occupied and contained on Idlewind until the end of the war in 3063.[4] It was Minamoto who issued the Courchevel Challenge that ended the First Combine-Ghost Bear War, the Challenge being a proposal that the prewar borders be restored and the war ended, depending on the outcome of a series of one-on-one duels fought on Courchevel in the style of the duels fought three centuries before between the Gunslingers of the Star League Defense Force and members of the DCMS.[5] Minamoto was also responsible for nominating Tai-sho Tomoe Sakade, wife of Coordinator Theodore Kurita, for the Glory of the Fallen Samurai after her death during the War, honoring her as the first woman to be nominated for the award, which was granted to great leaders who fell in battle.[6]

Pre-Jihad[edit]

Coordinator Theodore Kurita met with Minamoto to try to convince his unit to change to the New Bushido philosophy he had instilled in many other DCMS regiments. At their meeting, the Coordinator was impressed with the Tai-sa's keen mind and stance on traditionalism. In 3066, the coordinator promoted Minamoto to Tai-shu, making Minamoto a personal aide to Kurita.[7]

Jihad and Black Dragons Coup[edit]

At the outbreak of the Jihad and the Black Dragons' coup, Tai-shu Minamoto was touring the Galedon District of the Combine, while the Coordinator had traveled to Tharkad for the Star League Conference in 3067. Things got complicated when Minamoto received news that Theodore's son and heir Hohiro Kurita was leading the attack to retake Dieron from Word of Blake forces in April, but later was captured in June.[8]

In August 3068, with word that the Coordinator had fallen ill, Minamoto declared himself Gunji-no-Kanrei and took control of the Draconis Combine.[9][10] until Hohiro Kurita could be rescued from his Blakist captives on Dieron. Minamoto made his headquarters aboard the Kyushu Class Frigate, DCS Dieron Star.

In November 3068, Kanrei Minamoto announced to the people of the Combine that he had issued General Order 9. The order shifted the capital of the Draconis Combine to New Samarkand. He told the people that he made this decision on his own, due to the illness of the Coordinator and the heir being occupied with the siege of Dieron. The announcement was made from his flagship.[11] In the message, he did not reveal the truth about the death of the Coordinator nor Hohiro being captured by the Blakists. He also issued orders to DCMS commands to destroy Greenburg's Godzillas and Camacho's Caballeros for deserting their contracts.[12]

In 3071, Gunji-no-Kanrei Kiyomori Minamoto tried to appeal to the Azami people to return to their duty to the Dragon.[13] In late January 3072 the Kirishima-class cruiser DCS Siriwan arrived in orbit above Algedi and issued a final ultimatum, citing Kanrei Minamoto as the authority. When the Azami refused to comply, the Siriwan bombarded two cities on the surface of Algedi before being destroyed by nuclear weapons launched by the defenders.[14] It was later discovered that the WarShip was being influenced by the Black Dragons.[citation needed]

In March of 3072, Minamoto issued a national message, warning the Combine's people that there were traitors among them, including renegade troops controlling WarShips and attacking people in the Combine's name. The message warned these soldiers that if they did not comply that they would be declared ronin and threatened to take action against them.[15] On the 19th of November 3073, Minamoto was the target of an assassination attempt on Benjamin launched by rogue ISF operatives, although the attempt failed.[16] Just under a month after the failed assassination attempt, Minamoto issued another invitation to the leaders of the Azami to join negotiations on Benjamin, along with the claim that Black Dragon elements within the local DCMS units and ISF contingents had been purged.[17] The leaders of the Azami accepted the offer on the 21st of January 3074.[18]

Minamoto's promise of aid to the devastated world of Shinonoi on 1 August 3075 was a different response than that given when Arkab had been struck by an asteroid earlier in the Jihad; Shinonoi was promised aid by Minamoto and Devlin Stone less than three weeks after Shinonoi had been struck by asteroid SH01378-A, a decision that provoked outcry from Arkab leaders.[19][20]

In December 3076 General Belle Lee of the allied coalition announced that Minamoto had been asked to serve as leader of the coalition forces due to begin operating on the Combine front of Operation SCOUR. In contrast to the other coalition forces, the second-in-command to Minamoto was also a member of the DCMS; Tai-shu Isoroku Kurita was selected, having recovered from injuries sustained in the campaign for Pesht. Minamoto's forces would include not only noted DCMS units, but also such units as the Second Davion Guards from the AFFS and Clan Wolf's Iota Galaxy, as well as four[21] of the seven surviving Draconis Combine Admiralty WarShips.[22]

The relationship between Minamoto and General Lee was not smooth, however. Minamoto had strenuous objections to Belle Lee directing equipment from Coalition resources to the DCMS units deployed as part of the Coalition, despite the internal conflict within the Combine making organic supply of the deployed units tenuous at best.[23] In March 3077 the DCMS attempted to redeploy the New Samarkand Militia along with the Toguran Military Garrison to the recently liberated worlds of Deneb Algedi and Telos IV. Contradicting Minamoto's orders, the allied coalition rerouted these forces to garrison two newly-freed worlds on the Free Worlds League front and assigned militia forces from the Federated Suns in their place. This was an act that drew further protests from Minamoto to General Lee.[21]

When it became public knowledge in February 3077 that Coalition forces had encountered former Clan Smoke Jaguar warriors on Yorii, DCMS forces lobbied Minamoto to call on Devlin Stone to imprison them, citing the mandate the Second Star League had used to launch Operation BULLDOG. The sentiment was particularly vocal among those who'd served as a part of Task Force Serpent.[24]

In early May 3077 Minamoto led forces in the assault on Quentin in what was anticipated to be a quick victory for the Coalition forces, but two months later Minamoto's forces were bogged down trying to defeat Blakist forces that were using highly effective guerrilla tactics against his troops, launching hit and run attacks at numerous targets of opportunity. Two weeks after victory was believed to have been achieved, Blakist forces destroyed a trio of DCMS DropShips and were believed to have launched an assassination attempt against Minamoto himself. Minamoto imposed martial law on Quentin, and the Coalition forces became increasingly disruptive and brutal in their efforts to root out the insurgency, with house-to-house searches, asset seizure and random loyalty testing being just the first steps.[25]

While Minamoto's forces hunted the remains of the Quentin Protectorate Militia, it was discovered in May that the Forty-seventh Shadow Division had managed to insert itself onto Quentin during the campaign, and were responsible for acts such as the attempt on Minamoto's life. With their presence revealed following an ambush on Clan Wolf troops, the Blakists added biological weapon attacks to their campaign of resistance, inflicting casualties on the Coalition forces and the civilian population. The Blakists were finally defeated after the mountain base near the planetary capital they were using as a base of operations was discovered and destroyed by the First Sword of Light and Clan Wolf's Tau Galaxy.[26]

During the landings on Terra, Minamoto served on the Eastern front alongside Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner's troops, under the overall command of Belle Lee.[27] As part of Operation SCYTHE Minamoto led a combined force consisting of the First Sword of Light, Second Dieron Regulars, Kell Hounds and Stone's Revenants in the assault on Cairo.[28]

The Second Combine-Dominion War and Death[edit]

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On the 11th of January 3102, shortly after the Second Combine-Dominion War, Minamoto was summoned to a private audience with Hohiro Kurita. An hour later the Coordinator proclaimed that Minamoto had committed seppuku.[1] The post of Gunji-no-Kanrei would fall vacant for thirty-five years after Minamoto's death, only being resurrected in 3137 when Coordinator Yori Kurita appointed Warlord Matsuhari Toranaga of New Samarkand to the position.[29]

Politics[edit]

Minamoto's political inclinations have been the subject of some speculation; intelligence reports prepared for the leadership of the Republic of the Sphere reported that there were a number of indications that Minamoto may actually have been a member of the Black Dragon Society, and that the purges he directed against the organization merely removed expendable members while allowing those of importance to escape.[30]

It should also be noted that, before he died, Duke Hassid Ricol (also known as "Ruby" within the Black Dragon Society) bequeathed what remained of his estate to a: "Minamoto", making it clear in the message that this is not simply a codename; however, it is unclear whether or not the name is the individuals given or family name.[31]

Titles and Positions[edit]

Preceded by Gunji-no-Kanrei
3068-3102[1]
Succeeded by
Preceded by Warlord of the Pesht Military District
3066-3068
Succeeded by
????

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Historical: Wars of the Republic Era, p. 23: "Kiyomori Minamoto"
  2. Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 87: "7th Sword of Light profile, Tai-Sa Minamoto's commanders encourage their warriors to live the way of the Samurai".
  3. Field Manual: Updates, p. 111: "7th Sword of Light profile" - Unit's actions while under the command of Minamoto.
  4. Field Manual: Updates, p. 111: "7th Sword of Light's activities under command of Minamoto during the Combine-Ghost Bear conflict".
  5. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 75: "Sinister Conflict"
  6. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 153: "Glory of the Fallen Samurai"
  7. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 76: "Kiyomori Minamoto profile" - Minamoto is promoted to Warlord of Pesht and made a personal aide to Coordinator Theodore Kurita.
  8. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 16: "Hohiro attempts to retake Dieron from Blakist, but is captured 2 months later".
  9. BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [23/08/3068]: "Theodore Kurita ‘Incapacitated’, Minamoto Assumes Command"
  10. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 18: "Timeline" - August 3068 Minamoto declares himself Kanrei.
  11. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 27: "Saving the Core" - Minamoto announces from DCS Dieron Star that he is moving the capital to New Samarkand.
  12. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 28: A "DEATH TO MERCENARIES, REVISITED" - Minamoto issues a destruction order for the Caballeros and Godzilla mercenary companies for desertion.
  13. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, pp. 52–53: "Azami Return Home" - Article regarding Azami not abiding by Minamoto's requests for their regiments to return.
  14. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 20: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  15. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 75: "Ronin!" - Minamoto threats death to renegade warriors of the Combine.
  16. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 34: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  17. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 38: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  18. Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 48: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  19. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 17: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  20. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54: "The Jihad In Review"
  21. 21.0 21.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 30: "Official Update"
  22. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 30: "DCA Readiness Report"
  23. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14: "The Protectorate Crumbles"
  24. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 30–31: "Dead Clan Rising"
  25. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 32: "Quentin Quagmire"
  26. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 33: "Official Update 3"
  27. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 93: "Force Breakdown"
  28. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 96: "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"
  29. 29.0 29.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 21: "Dragon Rising"
  30. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 90: "Foreign Relations"
  31. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 76: "Passing the Gem".
  32. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 142

Bibliography[edit]