IlClan (Era)

This article is about the BattleTech era. For other uses, see IlClan (disambiguation).

History[edit]

In 3150, the Republic of the Sphere was crumbling inside of the Fortress Republic after various infighting between the Inner Sphere, Clan, and Republic splinter factions, both within and out the Republic. In 3151, Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon would take this opportunity and make a race towards Terra to restore the Star League. After an intense battle between the Republic, Jade Falcons and Wolves, Clan Wolf would emerge as the ilClan and reestablish the Star League with a Clan-based styling.

Fall of the Republic[edit]

Devlin's attack would seal the fate of the once mighty Republic.

During the attack on Terra, the Republic was feeling the pressure of both Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon. The Exarch, Devlin Stone would hear out Damien Redburn's contingency plan to destroy leadership in both Clans. At first, Stone was reluctant to allow the plan to happen, however the intense impact he felt in fighting the Clans on both fronts forced his hand. Pleased to hear the plan would go through, Damien would personally see this plan come to fruition. He would form a headhunting false-flag group to fool both the Wolves and the Jade Falcons into fighting each other while Damien's group would assassinate the two leaders in the confusion. Unfortunately Redburn's plan backfired, as he made an attack on Wolf Khan Alaric Ward, he killed the wrong target and as the Wolves saw this deception they opened fire, killing Damien in the process. This would only anger the Wolf Khan further as the Republic were feeling the pressure.[1]

After succumbing to the attacks of both Clans, Devlin Stone would contact Alaric Ward for a ceasefire. The Wolf Khan, angered by the attack, stated that he would refuse the proposal unless he brings Jade Falcon Khan, Malvina Hazen into the offer. To his dismay, the soon-to-be former Exarch would comply with the demand, and the three would meet to discuss the terms of surrender. Devlin Stone would offer all assets to the Wolves and Falcons to appease them, but both Khans refused that proposal. Instead, Alaric would make his own proposal to dismantle the Republic permanently, having already been angered by the failed assassination attempt. Although Stone reluctantly agreed, he attempted to offer himself to the Wolves as compensation, but Ward would reject the offer and have him make the announcement to disband the Republic of the Sphere immediately.[2]

Final Battle for Terra[edit]

Malvina Hazen, Alaric's rival and obstacle for Terra.

In 3151, with the Republic of the Sphere disbanded, Alaric would propose one final Trial to his rival, the ilClan Trial. This Trial would not only allow the victor to have the mantle of First Lord of the Reborn Star League, but it would also allow them to become ilKhan and their Clan to become the ilClan of Terra. The Trial was announced to take part in the region of Canada. Before the Trial began, both Clans would hold a ceremony for the occasion.

There, both Clans would unleash everything they had on each other from allies to their sheer determination in an attempt to gain the coveted titles. Clan Wolf would call in reinforcements for their allies Wolf's Dragoons and Clan Wolf-in-Exile. As the Wolf Clan's allies were getting close to defeating the Jade Falcon Clan, the Dragoons were ordered to retreat. The turning point for the Wolves would come when the Falcon leader Malvina, was defeated by Anastasia Kerensky's Savage Wolf. The next Falcon officer in command, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu, accepted the defeat, and ordered the Falcons to surrender, thus ending the battle.

Aftermath[edit]

Alaric Ward, the new ilKhan and First Lord.

After the battle of Terra, Alaric would mark his claims as the new ilKhan and First Lord of the Reborn Star League. He would hold media coverage to have an event to show people around the Inner Sphere all of his accomplishments. One of them even involved laying the Great Father's body to rest. He would even wear a dress uniform based on the League. IlKhan Ward would also work on settling matters with allies and enemies who were a part of the Trial of Terra, such as giving them BloodRibbons for their participation and angering Wolf's Dragoons. Alaric would even witness the death of the Former Republic leader Devlin Stone after hearing his manipulations and deceit.[3]

Clan Jade Falcon[edit]

The death of Malvina Hazen would leave a leadership void that needed to be filled quickly for the Jade Falcons. This would quickly be filled by nominating Stephanie Chistu as Khan due to her honorable conduct among the Clan. She would focus on working hard to redeem the honor her predecessor had tainted. Because of the severe losses that the Falcon Clan had suffered both due to the intense Trial and the Horses' attack on their worlds, the Jade Falcons would be reconstituted as a bodyguard Clan similar to the Black Watch.[4]

Clan Smoke Jaguar[edit]

Clan Smoke Jaguar is reborn.

After the defeat of Clan Jade Falcon, Clan Smoke Jaguar would be restored as a provisional nonvoting Clan. As a part of Clan tradition, they would fill in the positions of Jaguar leadership for both a Khan and saKhan in a Trial of Position. With the leadership positions filled, they would become a special forces Clan bound to the ilKhan.[5]

The ilClan recognized[edit]

In a ceremony on the new ilClan's capital of Unity City, all other Inner Sphere Clans recognized Clan Wolf's position and voiced their support, except for Clan Hell's Horses, whose Khans both refused.[6]

The Hinterlands[edit]

The Falcon Occupation Zone began falling into chaos a few weeks after Malvina's departure. She had only left sibkos and solahma garrisons barely equipped, so almost everywhere, rebellions erupted against the oppresive Falcon rule, and most succeeded. The chaotic area, known as the Hinterlands, saw some worlds retaken by the Lyran Commonwealth, but also the birth of an independent Jade Falcon state, the Clan Jade Falcon Remnants, led by the self-proclaimed Khan Jiyi Chistu, a reborn Tamar Pact, the Arc-Royal Liberty Coalition, the Clan mercantile Alyina Mercantile League, andVedet Brewer protostate of the Vesper Marches. Clan Hell's Horses attempted to invade all the area, but with limited success, being soundly defeated several times.[7]

Wolf Empire[edit]

The Wolf Empire was left almost defenseless by much of its forces being committed to invading the Republic of the Sphere by Alaric Ward, but it did not fall into chaos like the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone thanks to the Wolves' benign rule and their prestige. However, mercenary raids sent by local rulers in neighboring Free Worlds League and Lyran Commonwealth territories soon began testing its defenses, and the enraged and bloodthirsty Wolf's Dragoons began a private war to avenge their humiliation at the hands of Alaric Ward. The only remaining high ranking Wolf officer in Wolf Empire space, Star Colonel Othar, took emergency measures to protect the Empire including the mustering of two new Wolf Galaxies, Lupus and Rufus. He succeeded somewhat to stymie these attacks against the realm and preventing collapse, but even with the military help of Clan Sea Fox, by the middle of 3152 the Empire still had lost dozens of worlds; to make matters worse, the Free Worlds League parliament voted to invade the Wolf Empire and on June 28 the first wave of FWLM forces crossed the border.[8] And, in all that time, Alaric Ward had not sent a single warrior to reinforce the Wolf Empire; only two generic messages were received with Ward asserting his claim to the Wolf Empire and the rest of the Inner Sphere as the ilKhan of the reborn Star League but otherwise ignoring the Wolf Empire's precarious situation.[9]

Dominion Divided[edit]

The Rasalhague Dominion leaders initially welcomed the ilClan's birth, but the democratic nature of their mixed nation forced them to make a vote to join the ilClan. Alaric Ward initially accepted it, but almost from the beginning, the Dominions became divided into two fields: the Joiners, which wanted to join the Star League at all cost, and Deniers, which wanted the opposite. The intense polarization grew across the Dominion like a fire.[10]

However, the plebiscite was held, and the option to join the new League won, though barely. When ilKhan Alaric Ward declined the union, violence, which had erupted even before, extended and grew: The Dominion Civil War had begun.[11]

The battles on both sides, which included civilians and military units, sowed chaos amongst the Dominion, decimating most of the military. Only the Bears' navy stayed neutral, and it took months for the Dominion's leaders to put down the fighting. To unify the state, First Prince Hjalmer Miraborg decided to go to war against the Draconis Combine, easily cutting a path towards Luthien, their capital.[12]

Federated Suns Rebirth[edit]

The Federated Suns, in the brink of extinction, faced a surprising rebirth in barely a year. Operation DAWN saw their capital, New Avalon, recovered, though at a heavy cost.[13]

However, the battle was only the beginning: the Suns' counterattack, Operation SOLAR FLARE, saw the reconquest of all planets into the Dragon's Tongue in a few months, until the Battle of Greely put an end to the campaign. Both sides, exhausted, ceased the fighting, and the Combine focused in rebuilding their armed forces.[14]

In the other side of the Suns, the New Syrtis Duke, Alexander Hasek, began on his own initiative an invasion of the Taurian Concordat, the Pleiades War, which threatened a greatly weakened Federated Suns of a war they could not afford. The conflict ended quickly with Hasek's defeat and after a few Taurian incursions as reprisal.[15]

References[edit]

  1. Hour of the Wolf, p. 217
  2. Hour of the Wolf, pp. 346–352
  3. Hour of the Wolf, p. 591
  4. Hour of the Wolf, p. 562
  5. Hour of the Wolf, p. 554
  6. IlClan, p. 109
  7. Tamar Rising, p. 70
  8. Empire Alone, p. 77
  9. Redemption Rites, p. 329
  10. Dominions Divided, p. 30
  11. Dominions Divided, p. 45
  12. Dominions Divided, p. 87
  13. Dominions Divided, pp. 23–41
  14. Dominions Divided, p. 75
  15. Dominions Divided, p. 41

Bibliography[edit]