Difference between revisions of "Clan Invasion"

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*''[[Invading Clans (sourcebook)]]''
 
*''[[Invading Clans (sourcebook)]]''
 
*''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]''
 
*''[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]''
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*''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
 
*''[[Wolf Clan Sourcebook]]''
 
*''[[Wolf Clan Sourcebook]]''
  

Revision as of 17:19, 27 January 2017

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The Clan Invasion (known to the Clans as Operation Revival) refers to the massive Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere, commencing with the arrival of Clans Jade Falcon, Wolf, Ghost Bear, and Smoke Jaguar in the near, coreward Periphery (The Rift and The Draconian Drift) in August, 3049. The Clan Invasion would continue for two and a half years, and increase in scope to include three more Invading Clans, but would end with their defeat at the Battle of Tukayyid in June, 3052.

Background

The Star League Defense Force succeeded in overthrowing Stefan Amaris in the Star League Civil War, but their victory was bittersweet: House Cameron had been wiped out, and with it a clear successor to the position of First Lord of the Star League. Many hoped Aleksandr Kerensky, Commanding General of the SLDF, would take the throne, but the war-weary general refused. Instead, Kerensky and the bulk of the SLDF left the Inner Sphere to settle on a group of distant worlds and live in exile. It was not long before civil war broke out amongst the exiles, and Aleksandr's son Nicholas Kerensky led a Second Exodus of forces loyal to his father to Strana Mechty, where he created the Clans as a means to better control humanity's violent nature. The Clans ended the civil war and for the next two centuries developed into a highly ritualized, militaristic society.

In the meanwhile, none of the remaining Great Houses could agree on a suitable replacement First Lord, sparking the Succession Wars. The first and second wars were particularly brutal; indiscriminate use of nuclear weapons and other WMDs led to massive losses of life, destruction of vital infrastructure and the ruining of entire worlds. Much of the knowledge and technology of the Star League became lostech during this time, and many worlds which were not depopulated slid back centuries in their development. The Third Succession War was less intense than the previous two out of necessity in an attempt to preserve what little technology was left, but it ended just as inconclusively as the previous ones.

Prelude

Politics of War

Towards the end of its golden age, a desire to return to the Inner Sphere was beginning to take hold in Clan society. Within Clan mythology the worlds of the Inner Sphere, especially Terra, became paradises of Edenic proportions, lorded over by the greedy and corrupt Great Houses who had forced Kerensky's exile, and the Hidden Hope Doctrine spoke of an eventual return to the Inner Sphere by the civilizing Clans. Many believed the time for return was now, and calling themselves Crusaders began proselytizing others to their cause through the use of Kerensky's words and promises of the glory and great bounty to be found in returning to the Inner Sphere as conquerors. Entire Clans were eventually swayed to this philosophy, with Clans Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguar coming to lead what quickly became a political bloc.[1][2]

Many others however believed it was not Kerensky's intention to return to the Inner Sphere but remain apart, developing separately and returning only in the event the Inner Sphere was threatened with external threat. These Wardens, led by Clans Wolf and Coyote, held sway during the early years of what later became known the Political Century, but their influence declined such that in 2980 the Jade Falcons succeeded in forcing a vote in the Grand Council over the issue. The vote to invade failed, but the Crusaders were clearly ascendent and the debate was far from over.[1][2]

In an effort to discover what had happened to the Inner Sphere during their exile, the Grand Council agreed to form Intelser, an intelligence service tasked with gathering data on the current situation. Its agents, masquerading as traders, managed to infiltrate a number of Periphery states outside the Inner Sphere. Relying on second-hand information what they reported back was confusing, but in broad strokes confirmed that the Inner Sphere had been devastated by the Succession Wars and seemingly open to invasion. The Crusaders felt the time was right for their return.[1][2]

In 3000, Ghost Bear Khan Nadia Winson introduced a vote to invade in the Grand Council. Sensing victory, the Crusaders were stymied by Wolf Khan Kerlin Ward and his Dragoon Compromise. A group of largely freeborn warriors, masquerading as the mercenary unit Wolf's Dragoons, would infiltrate the Inner Sphere and bring back accurate information on all of the Great Houses. The unit left in 3004 and made its first return in 3009, bringing with it valuable intelligence of an Inner Sphere which had been ravaged by war but was slowly making a recovery. This only intensified the debate between Wardens and Crusaders as the Dragoons continued their clandestine mission, fighting for all sides in the Third Succession War and reporting back to the Clans. As the war began to wind down however, these reports became more infrequent in time, until 3019 when they altogether stopped.[1][3]

Sensing betrayal, the Crusaders lobbied immediately for an invasion. The Wardens succeeded in staving this off until news of the Fourth Succession War, and later the War of 3039, reached the Clans. To the Crusaders, the formation of the Federated Commonwealth suggested the Inner Sphere risked reconstituting the Star League on their own, without the guiding hand of the Clans, while for the Wardens the fact that Great Houses still fought amongst each other meant a new Star League was a long way off and an invasion would require a large-scale occupation of the entire Inner Sphere, something which the Clans were ill-suited to undertake.[4][5]

The proverbial straw came in September 3048 when Outbound Light, a ComStar exploration ship, appeared suddenly over the Smoke Jaguar homeworld of Huntress. The ship was seized by the Smoke Jaguars, its crew interrogated and databanks sifted through, but Khan Leo Showers did not immediately bring the incident to the other Clans' attention. He waited until November to alert the Grand Council to what had taken place, presenting the information gained in such a way as to make several points: the Federated Commonwealth was growing in power and threatened to restore the Star League under their rule; the discovery of the Helm Memory Core and other Star League artifacts was helping the Inner Sphere to recover its lostech and erode one of the Clans' major advantages; and most distressingly, that ComStar was close to discovering the location of the Clan Homeworlds, leaving the Clans open to invasion.[4][5]

The thought of a reverse-invasion by the Inner Sphere was unthinkable and horrifying to the Clan Khans, and the vote to invade was passed by all but Clan Wolf. Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky demanded a Trial of Refusal, and though the odds were four-to-one the Third Battle Cluster nearly succeeded, but sheer numbers and the Council's will prevailed. Taking advantage of the wave of popular sentiment, Leo Showers succeeded in getting himself elected ilKhan, warlord of all the Clans, and set about planning the invasion of the Inner Sphere.[4][6]

Preparations for War

IlKhan Leo Showers, aided by the Jade Falcon Khan Elias Crichell, set to work crafting the invasion plan of the Inner Sphere. Its simplicity was indicative of the low regard with which the Clans held their Inner Sphere foes. Four Clans, with a fifth held in reserve, would invade the Inner Sphere along four separate 'corridors' labeled Alpha through Delta, slicing through the territory of the Federated Commonwealth, Free Rasalhague Republic, and Draconis Combine. Beta and Charlie corridors were centered on the Rasalhague Republic - the newly-independent nation not only being the closest to the Clan homeworlds but also militarily weak and unlikely to receive aid from hostile neighbors - while the outer corridors secured the flanks by invading the Commonwealth and Combine respectively. The initial goal was to conquer sufficient worlds as to serve as a springboard for the conquest of the Inner Sphere as a whole, but it was Elias Crichell who suggested an ultimate destination: Terra. Based on his interpretation of passages from Kerensky's memoirs, Crichell suggested that whichever Clan succeeded in capturing Terra earned the right to be ilClan, with it's senior Khan serving as ilKhan in perpetuity. When the plan was presented to the Grand Council, it was accepted enthusiastically with only minor variations; indeed many Crusaders thought the plan overkill.[7][8]

Determining which of the seventeen Clans would participate in the invasion was the next question, with one important exception. In the Grand Council there was a unanimous vote that Clan Wolf had to participate in this historic occasion. Ostensibly this was due to their historical descent from the Great Founder himself, but for the Crusaders, forcing the Wolf Clan to participate in an invasion it had fought so long to prevent was just retribution.[7][8] The process for who would assume the other three invasion corridors would take place over two full days of bidding - each Clan submitting the number of forces it planned to commit, with the goal of using the least resources necessary to achieve the objective and thereby maximize efficiency - broken up into three stages to allow the participates to study each others' wagers and modify their bids. In the end six Clans made it through the two days of bidding: the Smoke Jaguars, Jade Falcons, Ghost Bears, Diamond Sharks, Nova Cats and Steel Vipers. Combat trials were then held amongst the six finalists, with the Falcons, Jaguars and Bears earning the right to participate in the invasion while the Steel Vipers earned a place as the reserve Clan. As a consolation prize, both the Nova Cats and Diamond Sharks called for and won Trials of Refusal for the right to be "next in line" should additional Clans be required.[9]

A second round of combat trials took place to determine who would occupy which invasion corridor, though again an exception was made. IlKhan Showers decreed that Clan Wolf would be assigned to the Beta Corridor, which ran mostly through the Rasalhague Republic, and furthermore that he would operate his headquarters from the Wolf Clan flagship Dire Wolf. The insults were unmistakeable. Clan Wolf was denied the chance to operate on the flanks of the attack, a historical honor in Clan warfare, and straddled with fighting a weak opponent against whom little glory could be won in defeating. The ilKhan's presence on their flagship furthermore implied that Clan Wolf's loyalties were suspect, a notion which had been growing after Wolf's Dragoons turned traitorous, requiring his direct supervision. For the other three corridors, the Jade Falcons earned the honor of facing off against the Federated Commonwealth, while the Smoke Jaguars won the Draconis Combine.[7][8]

With the big picture in place, a few final details were worked out between the command staffs of the four Invading Clans. The invasion would be executed in 'waves,' each lasting two months with a two week rest-and-refit period in between, for a total of fifteen waves in all ending at Terra. Worlds which lay along the border of two invasion corridors would be open to bidding from either Clan, and Inner Sphere forces would be granted the chance to fight with honor through the batchall. Beyond that, each Clan was responsible for planning and executing all combat operations within their corridor.[10] Additionally, the remaining Clans not participating in the invasion were invited to send observers along with the invasion force, consisting of no more than a Trinary-sized ground contingent but any number of WarShips and other interstellar craft. All of them choose to send both of their Khans to serve as witnesses.[11][12]

The plan originally was for the full invasion fleet to depart in mid-June 3049. Many Clan warriors, lacking in patience and eager for their return to the Inner Sphere, challenged their Khans to trials for the right to leave in mid-February. These units offered to operate as the vanguard of the fleet, clearing the way through the Periphery of bandits and providing valuable intelligence to the invasion fleet, before stopping at the borders of the Inner Sphere and awaiting the main force to arrive. After some debate this modification was allowed, and a small number of elite units from the four invading Clans left on 21 February.[13] By June the rest of the invasion fleet was ready and assembled in orbit above Strana Mechty. Many inspirational speeches were given, by the ilKhan, the Loremasters and others, until finally the order to jump was given and the invasion begun.[10]

The Invasion

Periphery

First Wave

Second Wave

Third Wave

Fourth Wave

Year of Peace

Fifth Wave

Battle of Tukayyid

Aftermath

Invasion Corridors

Invasion Waves

Clan Periphery Action
(August-September 3049)
Wave 1
(March-April 3050)
Wave 2
(May-June 3050)
Wave 3
(June 3050)
Wave 4
(July-October 3050)
Wave 5
(November 3051-January 3052)
Clan Wolf Blackstone
Butte Hold
Crellacor
Drask's Den
Ferris
Gustrell
Oberon VI
Paulus Prime
Placida
The Rock
Sigurd
Alleghe
Balsta
Chateau
Icar
New Caledonia
Outpost
St. John
Skallevoll
Svelvik
The Edge
Cyrenaica
Leoben
Lovinac
New Bergen
Rodigo
Verthandi
Bruben
Feltre
Harvest
Hermagor
Kirchbach
Liezen
Mozirje
Planting
Rasalhague
Ridderkerk
Vantaa
Basiliano
Dawn
Dell
Engadin
Ferleiten
Hohenems
Kandis
Kufstein
Moritz
New Oslo
Radstadt
Skokie
Stanzach
Svarstaad
Unzmarkt
Vulcan
Altenmarkt
Bessarabia
Biota
Carse
Cusset
Diosd
Domain
Galuzzo
Gunzburg
Hainfeld
Heiligendreuz
Hyperion
Karston
Kobe
Laurent
Lothan
Maestu
Memmingen
Nox
Ramsau
Rastaban
Satalice
Sevren
Shaula
Skandia
Suk II
Tamar
Thannhausen
Thun
Volders
Vorarlberg
Weingarten
Wheel
Clan Jade Falcon Botany Bay
Erewhon
Gotterdammerung
Lackhove
Last Chance
Von Strang's World
Anywhere
Barcelona
Bensinger
Bone-Norman
Here
Persistence
Steelton
Toland
Trell I
Winfield
Apollo
Black Earth
Butler
Derf
Evciler
Golandrinas
Maxie's Planet
Romulus
Seiduts
Somerset
Twycross
Wotan
Beta VII
Hot Springs
Malibu
Roadside
Waldorff
Antares
Apolakkia
Baker 3
Blackjack
Colmar
Denizli
Devin
Dompaire
Goat Path
Graus
Leskovik
Parakoila
Sudeten
Twycross (Phase II)
Zoetermeer
Alyina
La Grave
Quarell
Sudeten
Pandora
Clan Ghost Bear Elissa
Manaringaine
Nyserta
Porthos
Constance
Damian
Holmsbu
Pinnacle
Thule
Jarett
Susquehanna
Trondheim
Last Frontier
Polcenigo
Radlje
Casere
Goito
Jezersko
Pomme De Terre
Predlitz
Soverzene
Spittal
Vipaava
Alshain
Ardoz
Eguilles
Halesowen
Kaesong
Kempten
Krenice
Mannedorf
Marawi
Maule
Rubigen
Setubal
Sheliak
Sternwerde
Thessalonika
Tinaca
Toffen
Utrecht
Clan Smoke Jaguar Santander's World Almunge
Bjarred
Idlewind
Richmond
Rockland
Schwartz
Stapelfeld
Tarnby
Turtle Bay
Virentofta
Brocchi's Cluster[14]
Chupadero
Coudoux
Garstedt
Nykvarm
Sawyer
Albiero
Hanover
Jeanette
Kabah
Savinsville
Schuyler
Bangor
Byesville
Courchevel
Jeronimo
Luzerne
Wolcott (defeated)
Asgard
Avon
Hyner
Kiamba
Labrea
Luthien (defeated)
Marshdale
Outer Volta
Port Arthur
Tarazed
Yamarovka
Clan Nova Cat Worlds Ceded
to Clan Nova Cat:
Bjarred
Chupadero
Courchevel
Jeanette
Sawyer
Tarnby
Avon
Caripare
Cyrenaica
Irece
Itabaiana
Juazeiro
Kanowit
Luthien (defeated)
Mualang
Teniente
Clan Steel Viper Worlds Ceded to
Clan Steel Viper:
Twycross
Waldorff
Benfled
Blair Atholl
Jabuka
Montmarault
Orkney

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 24
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 17
  3. Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 18
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 25
  5. 5.0 5.1 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 19
  6. Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 20
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jade Falcon Sourcebook, p. 21
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 26
  9. Invading Clans (Sourcebook), p. 18
  10. 10.0 10.1 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 27
  11. Invading Clans, p. 109
  12. Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 39
  13. The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, p. 18
  14. http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,15510.0.html

Bibliography

Dates

  • Start Date - 3049
  • End Date - 3052