Clan Burrock
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| Clan Burrock | |
|---|---|
| Faction Profile | |
| Time period: | 2807 – 3059; 3072 – 3074 |
| Classification: | Clan |
| Controlled systems: | None |
| Capital world: | Albion, later Tanis |
| Ruler title: | Khan |
| Military: | Clan Burrock Touman |
| Secret Service: | Clan Burrock Watch |
Clan Burrock was one of the original twenty Clans founded by Nicholas Kerensky, named for an invertebrate endemic to the planet Dagda that could borrow though solid rock. Clan Burrock was most noted for its secret affiliation with the Dark Caste, a relationship that was exposed in 3059 and led directly to that Clan's Absorption by Clan Star Adder. A number of former Burrocks attempted to resurrect their Clan within the Tanite Worlds during the Wars of Reaving; the last of these holdouts were crushed in 3074.
Contents
History
Founding and Operation Klondike
Clan Burrock's founders and first two Khans were the twin brothers Herve and Nigel Polczyk, a pair of Rim Worlds expatriates who joined Aleksandr Kerensky's exodus from the Inner Sphere. Like their Clan's totem, which was initially viewed as a pest but later appreciated for the benefits it brought to Dagda's colonists, the Polczyk brothers symbolized the new beginning that Nicholas Kerensky's society would offer to all, even former enemies. The Burrocks as a whole would also famously emulate their totem's stoicism and determination, though future enemies such as Clan Blood Spirit would also label the Burrocks as unimaginative and lacking in initiative.[1]
Clan Burrock was assigned to Dagda during Operation Klondike with its first Cluster primarily featuring heavy and assault 'Mechs and Aerospace Fighters, while its single vehicle Star contained light and agile scout vehicles.[2] On Dagda the Burrocks primarily fought on the continent of Dratha, operating alongside Clan Widowmaker. Their overall performance was slow and steady, and while this met Kerensky's expectations he still preferred to rely upon other forces for the final operation on Dagda. As a result, Clan Burrock was sidelined during the final operation of the Pentagon campaign, securing the area around the Black Brian while Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon assaulted the fortress itself.[3]
Golden Century and Blood Spirit Feud
The Burrocks had been successful in their part of Klondike, but the material losses they sustained during the campaign led to a shift from heavy-class units to lighter (and cheaper) units.[1] The losses in personnel led to a far more ominous change: several Burrock warriors expressed disillusionment with Kerensky's new society. While the Wolverine Annihilation and subsequent feud with Clan Blood Spirit gave these malcontents a focus for their energies, the pressure continued to build.[4]
Shortly after the Annihilation of Clan Wolverine, Clan Burrock called for Clan Blood Spirit to undergo the same purging, believing them to have abandoned the Way of the Clans. Though the Grand Council decided otherwise, its reprimand of the Spirits signaled the beginning of a feud between the two Clans that would last until the Burrock's own Absorption. The Burrocks spearheaded a multi-Clan campaign against the Spirits, and after a series of brutal battles reduced them to their capital of York and an enclave on Arcadia.[5] The Burrocks continued striking at Blood Spirit targets over the next two centuries, preventing that Clan from expanding its power, and also frequently battled Clan Fire Mandrill[6]
The Burrocks were contracted by other Clans, including the Star Adders and Nova Cats, to transport scientific and colonization teams from those clans to other worlds in the Kerensky Cluster, for which the Burrocks would receive a percentage of any usable discoveries.
Dark Caste Connection and Tanis
In the middle of the thirtieth century the pressure that had been building since Operation Klondike finally erupted. A Trinary of Burrock warriors and over a thousand civilians deserted their Clan to join the Dark Caste. Ordered by the Grand Council to destroy these renegades, a joint Burrock-Cloud Cobra task force spent the next two years hunting them down. Upon the mission's conclusion, Burrock Khan Tabari Danforth declared the renegades to have been exterminated. It would be over a century before his lie was exposed.[7]
This event began a connection between the Dark Caste and the Burrocks that would last for over a century. Clan Burrock used the Dark Caste as a means of circumventing merchant caste rules, as a source of cheap labor, and to provide subjects for various scientist caste experiments. The Burrocks were never true allies of the Dark Caste and simply tolerated it as a means to an end, periodically culling Dark Caste groups and using the captives as slave labor.[8]
Following the discovery and conquest of the Tanite Worlds by the Cloud Cobras in 2965, that Clan made an agreement with the Burrocks for assistance in garrisoning Cobra enclaves, both in Clan Space and the Tanite Worlds themselves.[9]
Political Century and Operation Revival
As the Crusader/Warden divide arose during the late thirtieth century, Clan Burrock drifted into the Crusader camp. However the Burrocks were more opportunistic than truly committed to the Crusader cause, and were viewed with distrust by both the Wardens and the more fanatical Crusaders.[1]
When the invasion finally received the approval of the Grand Council in 3048, the Burrocks were part of the four-Clan force that upheld the measure in Clan Wolf's Trial of Refusal[10] Though the Burrocks subsequently fought for a place in Operation Revival, they were defeated by Clan Steel Viper and their hated Blood Spirit rivals.[11]
Trial of Absorption
Main article: Burrock Absorption.
The Burrocks were Absorbed by Clan Star Adder in 3059, when the Star Adders revealed that the Khans of the Burrocks had been secretly dealing with members of the Bandit (Dark) Caste for nearly a century. The Grand Council quickly approved of the absorption though the Blood Spirits were outraged that they were not given the honor of Absorbing them.
The Burrocks bid their entire touman against the Star Adders but their reinforcements were stranded aboard their transports. Within two days, both Burrock Khans and Galaxy Commander Seth Marghar were dead, all three of whom had been implicated in the Dark Caste dealings. Star Colonel Carlos Hutchinson of the Burrocks offered himself as a proxy for the Burrock forces on Albion, but was interrupted by the unexpected invasion by the Blood Spirits. Outraged, the Burrocks joined the Star Adders against their age-old foes and repulsed the Blood Spirits. Hutchinson's duel with Star Adder Khan Cassius N'Buta went ahead and after three hours, Hutchinson was defeated.
On other Burrock worlds the situation was much the same: The combined Burrock-Star Adder forces trounced the Blood Spirits. Afterwards the Burrocks would offer proxy battles and then go over to the Star Adders. The Absorption itself was relatively easy as most Burrocks were horrified by their Khans' doings and refused orders to fight to the death. Most Burrock losses that were incurred during the Trial were caused by the Blood Spirits, the Burrocks lost four Galaxies during the Trial.
Afterwards, all surviving members of Clan Burrock willingly joined the ranks of Clan Star Adder, though the former Burrocks troublingly retained much of their old identity, while expected to take up Star Adder causes as their own.
Before their Absorption, the Burrocks were known to prefer medium and light class BattleMechs and possessed a considerable Aerospace bias.
Resurrection
In 3072, Galaxy Commander N'Buta was quietly removed by Star Colonel Naman Hutchinson. She falsified Clan Watch reports to cover her actions, as the former Burrock warriors of the Galaxy attempted to resurrect the dead Clan. The few Adder sympathizers were killed and the newly renamed Zeta Galaxy moved to capture the entire Tanis system. [12]
Zeta Galaxy ambushed the Ice Hellion Beta Galaxy at the DS-822 waystation in 3072, heavily damaging their escorting WarShip and waylaying three of their five JumpShips.[13] During early 3073, the Galaxy split itself into three task forces, each with WarShip support, and set about a campaign of raiding the fringes of the Kerensky Cluster and outposts on the Exodus Road, destroying all HPG stations within fifty light years of the Tanis system. The Galaxy fought two major space battles against Clan Diamond Shark in the Salonika system, capturing forty-eight merchant vessels.[14]
One Burrock task force traveled to Nouveaux Paris, which had already fallen to a Society Cell. Here, two Clusters defeated Clan Hell's Horses attempt to recapture the planet. [15]
In late 3074, the remains of Zeta Galaxy were on Tanis, where they were destroyed by orbital bombardment by Clan Star Adder forces. [16]
Military
Clan Burrock initially favored heavy units, but since Operation Klondike they consistently shifted their style of combat. Once other Clans became used to a certain Burrock method of war, the Burrocks shifted their tactics again. In addition to keeping other Clans off-balance, this flexibility made the Burrock touman some of the Clans' best bandit caste hunters. During the time of Operation Revival the Burrocks utilized a combination of electronic warfare and mobile firepower.[17]
At the time of their Absorption by Clan Star Adder, the Burrocks are known to have fielded at least four Galaxies, elements of which became part of various Adder Galaxies.[18]
Culture
The warriors of Clan Burrock had a liberal attitude towards their civilian castes[1], and Burrock society was loose enough (by Clan standards) that its members found some difficulty integrating into the more stringent Clan Star Adder.[19]
Inter-Clan Relations
The Burrocks were sworn enemies of the Blood Spirits, while other frequent opponents included Clan Fire Mandrill and Clan Smoke Jaguar.
Possessions
Prior to their Absorption in 3059, the Burrocks had enclaves on five worlds, including Dagda, Priori, Hoard, Paxon, and their capital of Albion.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Historical: Operation Klondike, p.123, "Clan Burrock"
- ↑ Historical: Operation Klondike, p.80, "Clan Burrock Cluster"
- ↑ Historical: Operation Klondike, p.82, 84, 86-87
- ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p.115, "Clan Burrock"
- ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p.22
- ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p.23, 38-39
- ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p.21
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.29, "The Dark Caste"
- ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p.22
- ↑ Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p.12
- ↑ Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p.15
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.88
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.98
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.102
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.120
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.144
- ↑ Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p.16
- ↑ Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p.124-133, Clan Star Adder's touman
- ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p.15