Kyle Vordermark

Kyle Vordermark
Personal
Died	2834
Affiliation	Clan Widowmaker
Profile
Rank	SaKhan

Kyle Vordermark was the last saKhan of Clan Widowmaker, holding power until their final years and his death during the Wolf Clan's Absorption of Clan Widowmaker.

History

As is so common with warriors of the nascent Clans - and in particular Clans that have been destroyed - not much pre-Clan information has come to light about Kyle Vordermark. Among the 800 warriors who went into exile with Nicholas Kerensky during the Second Exodus, Kyle Vordermark was a MechWarrior who fought alongside his Clan on Dagda during Operation Klondike, becoming the founder of House Vordermark.

Treachery and Death

After the death of ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky in 2834 on Ironhold, Clan Wolf, led by their great founding Khan Jerome Winson, tore the Widowmakers to pieces, destroying or capturing every asset of that Clan. Khan Cal Jorgensson of the Widowmakers was already dead, executed for his role in the tragedy regardless of his intent. SaKhan Kyle Vordermark was now alone as the leader of a hated Clan in its dying hours.

Roche was their final redoubt, the only colony world they had left as the coursing of their Clan came to its bloody resolution. Also the location of the huge Widowmaker fortress and command complex called Spiderholm, saKhan Vordermark would lie in wait in the dark like his Clan's totem, intent on killing his prey. The city of Porthos would be the battleground and the scene of their last desperate plot to make the Wolves pay a deadly price for their Trial. A Trinary of his forces stood as though ready to make their last stand while two more Trinaries would lie hidden under cover nearby.

As the Wolf forces disembarked to finish their enemy, saKhan Vordermark's hidden 'Mechs appeared, surrounding and greatly outnumbering the unsuspecting Wolves. The treacherous saKhan taunted his trapped foes over his loudspeaker system, seeming to revel in the fear he imagined them to feel, of the surprise and shock of their own impending death at the hands of foes they had thought soon defeated.

In spite of saKhan Vordermark's psychological warfare techniques - or perhaps because of his gloating and antagonism - the Wolves instead made a valiant stand and did their best to survive the ambush. The turning point in the battle was the appearance of a fairly significant Goliath Scorpion force led by a charging Ethan Moreau and including Khan Cyrus Elam. Khan Elam no doubt jumped at the chance to wage a Trial of Grievance that had been simmering for years against fallen Khan Jorgensson. In lieu of the dead Widowmaker Khan, saKhan Vordermark would do. The two warriors dueled in the midst of brutal fighting. But before either of them could finish the other one off, an artillery barrage from an unknown location killed both men, and in the process also destroyed a Binary worth of nearby 'Mechs. The Trial was soon over after this final treacherous strike.

Legacy

Once the fighting had ceased, the Widowmakers were defeated and absorbed. But it was done only at a great cost, as saKhan Kyle Vordermark had ensured with his layering of traps and other dezgra tactics. As with other notorious Widowmaker Bloodnames, no Vordermark lives on in any modern Clan. With his death went the last vestiges of the Widowmakers, alive only as a symbol used by the Bandit Caste and other rebellious individuals.

Notes

While Kyle Vordermark's conduct was deems unClanlike and dishonorable during the Widowmaker absorption, it is unclear if his Bloodname has been officially Reaved, merely left unused, or if his body and genetic samples had been destroyed and unrecoverable.

Bibliography

• Era Digest: Golden Century
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• Historical: Operation Klondike
• Wolf Clan Sourcebook