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A Different Kind Of Fiction - Field Manual Entries For My Au Project

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#1 Red Pins

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 06:24 AM

The New Clans are my Alternate Universe project; a universe where the Wolverines surived to run away and create their own Clan-based version of society. I present these snippets as an example of how flexible the Battletech universe is and how far fanon will go.

Clan Frost Ape


[color="#000000"]THE FOUNDING[/color]



[color="#000000"] From our Founding as a 2[/color][color="#000000"]nd Clan, the Frost Ape path has been one of unexpected greatness, thrust upon our Khans and the leaders of our Castes. Our Founder, Stuart Jones, submitted his original Bid for the command of Clan Frost Ape with disbelief that such an important position would be open to the lower-ranked officers of Clan Piranha; despite the accuracy and completeness of his Bid, it might have been dismissed as one among hundreds had it not been for the Founder’s insistence on making the resulting document ‘Good Reading’.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Viewing the requests for interviews and travel orders as the response of another practical joker and kindred spirit, however, resulted in our Clan being one the last 2nd Clans to reach a minimum staffing level and receive acknowledgement by the IlKhan, as Khan Jones first served a 7-day disciplinary sentence for ignoring the lawful orders of a superior officer. As a result, our Clan was forever identified in the eyes of outsiders as a source of humor and derision for our lack of martial focus.[/color]

[color="#000000"] With the sentence and understanding of his circumstances, however, Jones set his new subordinate, saKhan Tony (Smith) of the Merchant Caste, the goal of establishing the Clan. Deliberately going against New Clan tradition, Stuart chose the most qualified person regardless of Caste to make up for lost time, but nothing prepared them for the behavior of their fellow Clansmen and our Clan found itself the **** of every joke, rumor, and ‘accident’ possible, enraging our Khans.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Our Clan was on the verge of collapse, until their failure attracted the notice of IlKhan McEvedy, who was able to present our Khans options to deal with their personnel issues. It also cemented our reputation for unorthodox action, as members of our Clan began to perpetuate ‘the big lie’. Openly boasting to their fellow Khans of their successes forced the reevaluation of the Frost Ape organizational strategy, and curiosity and the enticement of entertainment gave our Khans opportunities to speak with huge groups of undecided members of Clan Piranha.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Formally established Feb 5, 2862, our Clan has long ago ceased to be a joke to anyone but ourselves, as even today our abilities and successes are hidden by ‘the big lie’. With the Clan embracing many mysterious and bizarre ceremonies that trace back to the Founding, such as the Dunk-the-Khans booth opened every February 5[/color][color="#000000"]th as part of Founding Day celebrations, we are in no danger of being seen otherwise. But, at least we get the joke.[/color]

[color="#000000"] [/color]

[color="#000000"]The Truce[/color]



[color="#000000"] Given the circumstances, the decade following our founding was vitally important, and our Khan placed his trust in the Merchant Caste to guide us through the hard times ahead. Choosing a Merchant saKhan as a show of trust, saKhan Tony (Smith) displayed a determination and ruthlessness that won the approval of our Warriors as he fought to insure the success and ultimate triumph of our Clan. Beginning an immediate build-up of basic services aimed at self-sufficiency and innovation, Tony was eventually offered the traditional bodyguard unit of the Khans of the New Clans by a unanimous vote of the Warrior Council.[/color]

[color="#000000"]The next 10 years saw frantic growth as we adopted the 2nd Caste program, choosing to remain on the world of Inheritance rather than try to settle a new world at the urging of the saKhan, and our Khans concentrated our effort to support the Merchant and Labor Castes as we traded long-term benefit for back-breaking effort to support the economic growth of the Clan. The strength of the Merchant Caste was mirrored in the rank-and-file disaffection of the Laborer Caste with the leadership of our Clan, however, and the example of Clan Mammoth was a warning to us all.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Curbing the violent tendencies of the chalcas leaders of the Laborer Caste by invoking Suikrede on behalf of the Merchant Caste, our SaKhan lobbied the Khan and Caste leaders to support changes that provided greater freedom for the Castes in general and the Laborers in particular. With the approval of the Council, the willingness of the Warriors to support saKhan Tony’s initiatives displayed our trust of the lesser Castes and erased many of the tensions plaguing the Clan Council, and the respect of the Warriors by the lesser Castes grew.[/color]

[color="#000000"]As the truce began to run out and the Clan continued to prosper, the growing wealth of our Clan began to attract attention from our stronger sibClans and by 2871 saKhan Tony began advocating moving the Clan deeper into the Cluster. From among our resource colonies, a fertile, temperate world was chosen as our future capital (avoiding negotiating with the Devil Wasp Merchant Caste for using their planetary catalogue) and presented the issue to the Frost Ape Council. With the approval of the Council, the Clan supported the appeal of Clan Surf Dragon to IlKhan McEvedy that the capitals of the New Clans be inviolate.[/color]

[color="#000000"]As a final accomplishment before leaving office, saKhan Tony (Smith) decreed that the end of the Truce called for a shift of priorities for the Clan’s leadership, urging the Khan to reward Chief Scientist Geoffrey (Tesla) with the rank of saKhan. Under the command of our new saKhan, we began establishing research, resource-gathering, and military outposts on nearby planets of the Legacy Cluster, increasing the flow of natural resources and enriching the Clan.[/color]

Edited by Helmer, 20 June 2014 - 04:47 PM.


#2 Red Pins

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 06:26 AM

Another new Group.

Clan Devil Wasp


[color="#000000"]MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE[/color]



[color="#000000"] Unlike the rest of the 1[/color][color="#000000"]st Clans, the Mammoths proved to be jealous misers who refused to distribute their industrial base fairly among their new Spawn. Interested in preserving the size and strength of their Clan, we were offered an industrial base unable to sustain the basic needs of our Castes and a Touman of elderly Warriors and damaged or broken equipment. Refusing to accept the position of Khan under these circumstances, Founding Khan Jules Hubbard was removed from the Mammoth Warrior Caste and taken into the wilderness to be shot.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Those orders were never followed, whether from the unwillingness of Mammoth Warriors to follow the dishonorable orders of their Khan, or the laziness commonplace among the Mammoth Warrior Caste. Finding a small settlement, Jules was accepted as a deserter and found a home among the freebirth settlers of the small village of Evergreen.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Quickly rising to a position of influence, Jules was instrumental in convincing several settlements to cooperate and join forces to provide mutual protection from bandits and increase the amount of cultivated land. It was during this time he met Anita Lynch, who eventually became his wife. Raped and abandoned by bandits, Anita and her daughter Erin became enthusiastic supporters of his efforts.[/color]

[color="#000000"]During his time there, Mammoth Warriors continued to refuse the offer of becoming Khan of Clan Devil Wasp, until Feb 9, 2862, when the Hamburg Riots erupted and Mammoth Warriors massacred nearly 5,000 women and children while attempting to regain control of the Hamburg Industrial Complexes.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Suddenly under close scrutiny by the Office of the IlKhan and their fellow 1st Clans, their Khans discredited by the riots, and the situation of the Mammoth 2nd Clans coming to light, new orders went out to stall any inquiries and locate former Star Colonel Hubbard. Within days, the search located the settlement and our Khan demanded Anita and Erin be allowed to accompany him as his family, to become founding members of the Clan.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Taking command of the Clan after intense negotiations with the Mammoth Khans in which Jules accepted slightly less than 1/5[/color][color="#000000"]th of the Mammoth assets, Khan Hubbard began looking for ways to help further the strength of his new Clan. First among these were allies. Our sibClans, the Condors and Tyrants, responded favorably to the offer of combining our industrial bases and Toumans, and on April 2, 2862, the three groups announced the Unified Clans.[/color]

[color="#000000"] The three Khans also announced a first for the New Clans as a whole; all members of the Clans would be given 30 days to decide whether to return to Clan Mammoth, become Civilians, or to willingly endure the hardships of establishing their new Clans.[/color]

[color="#000000"]On May 1st, 18% of the 2nd Clan population abandoned claims of membership to the UC and left the New Clans or returned to their homes in Clan Mammoth. The remaining 82% declared their support for the UC and their Clans, now termed ‘Factions’, turning their backs on the injustices of the past and Clan Mammoth.[/color]

#3 Red Pins

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 06:28 AM

...And another.

Clan Carnoraptor

[color="#000000"]THE BEGINNING[/color]



[color="#000000"][** Begin Recording…(Historical Record, 2862-2871)][/color]

[color="#000000"]Those of you in the rear, stand. Those in front, kneel.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Packmates… The origins of our Clan and Packs are clear – our Warrior Caste was assembled from the finest Warriors of Clan Dingo, as the pinnacle of the Warrior Caste. Selected for ferocity and tenacity, our Clan was built as a cavalry and attack unit under the command of our Founders, Khan Rachel Sanders and saKhan Dennis Fouchet.[/color]

[color="#000000"]After establishing the Pack and Clan Councils, our Khan began modifying Clan stra-tacs to more closely follow the ways of our Totem and establishing the rituals and traditions of the Clan, including the Hazing Ritual of the Warrior Caste.[/color]

[color="#000000"]As we began to grow, we needed access to greater resources, and our needs grew until our sibClans turned our Merchants away, jealously guarding their share of scarce resources from us. In desperate need of several basic goods, we turned to saKhan Fouchet and the Merchant Caste to secure our future growth and expansion.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Entering negotiations with the Surf Dragons in good faith, we traded part of our industrial strength in exchange for the territory and natural resources we needed. All seemed ready for the coming of our first anniversary as a Clan, when the errors of the Merchant Caste started to become plain. More and more of our industrial capacity became idle, as the loss of essential basic manufactur-ing and support services forced the Laborer Caste to concentrate on immediate needs. Nearly three Clusters in size, our Touman became increasingly crippled by shortages.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Eventually, the failure of saKhan Fouchet had to be dealt with, and the Khan executed him in a Trial of Grievance. He was replaced by Star Colonel Wayne Harkness, a choice forced on the Clan by political pressure from the Dingo Khans. Familiar with the logistics needed by the Clan, he was accepted as saKhan despite the politics played behind the scenes. [/color]

[color="#000000"]Struggling to find support for the growing needs of our Touman, our Merchants reported requests from Clan Mammoth for bids to contract garrison troops. Offering support and maintenance for our troops in return, the Mammoths had refused to parcel out a majority of their industrial base when spawning their 2nd Clans, making them the largest industrial base of the New Clans next to IlClan Wolverine, supplying the needs of the IlKhan’s Guard Galaxy and their own.[/color]

[color="#000000"]After a formal bid, Khan Sanders offered elite units of our Touman to relieve their overwhelmed garrisons in exchange for a minor amount, including supplies and maintenance, and an alliance to assist rebuilding and exploiting our new territories. Accepting our terms and offering a ‘Lend/Lease’ agreement to recoup our industrial losses, our Khan approved the Mammoth terms.[/color]

[color="#000000"]However, we had not considered the grasping clutches of the Mammoth Merchant Caste. The saKhan and senior Merchants took their concerns over the terms of the agreement to the Khan, who was unable to censor the saKhan because of his political connections. Rachel chose to believe the protests of the Mammoth Khans that the contract was honorable and would benefit both Clans, but as time passed we found ourselves becoming more and more dependant on the resources of our allies, and further in debt for supplies and equipment to repair damage to our machines not covered by our contract.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Finally involving the Khans of the Dingoes, Mammoths, Wolverines, and the IlKhan herself, secret negotiations for dealing with the debt assumed by our Clan resulted in a ‘mortgage’ of all Carnoraptor assets along with a portion of Clan Wolverine’s industrial base as collateral. It was not until the eventual Trial and victory of the young Star Colonel Ben Alexander that our Clan was redeemed. But that is tomorrow’s lesson.[/color]



[color="#000000"][**Analyst’s Note:[/color]

[color="#000000"]In the historical records of Clan Wolverine, the original Khan was actually Gene Robbins, who selected a highly aggressive Nova Captain, Rachel Sanders, as SaKhan. Consensus among analysts researching the circumstances of Robbins’ death conclude the Khan was overmatched in training exercises that eventually crossed a line into an undeclared Circle of Equals in late April of 2862.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Erasing all mention of Gene Robbins as Founding Khan from Carnoraptor records, Rachel assigned the position of saKhan to Dennis Fouchet, a fellow veteran of the March on Legacy. Dennis began to organize the lesser Castes to fully develop the Clan’s resources with the assistance of the Merchant Caste, although the inexperience of the Warrior Caste in logistics led to some disastrous implications for future development.[/color]

[color="#000000"]The Carnoraptors became heavily in debt after Fouchet and the Merchant Caste made a rash decision to bid for possession of the offered Surf Dragon territory. The undeveloped deposits and resources offered to enrich the Clan substantially, but the bid required a large portion of the industrial base needed to exploit them, and their competitors bid the cost of ownership up significantly. The resulting debt crippled the Clan’s development for years, and only the fact they received the majority of the Dingo Touman left them even with the Toumans of their sibClans after the Truce.[/color]

[color="#000000"]The Mammoth alliance again took advantage of their inexperience by offering maintenance and supplies common to all Mammoth garrison facilities while refusing to provide expensive spare parts, equipment, and material to units defending the facilities from Trials, saving themselves the cost of doing so. The ‘goodwill’ generated by the contract was nonexistent, as the Ilkhan eventually became involved as arbiter between the Mammoths, Dingoes, and Carnoraptors. The eventual settlement placed the Carnoraptor Touman under a “mortgage” guaranteed by nearly a half of the facilities dedicated to the IlKhan’s Guard.][/color]

#4 Red Pins

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 06:34 AM

...And another.

Clan Surf Dragon

[color="#000000"] DIVINE ANCESTRY[/color]



[color="#000000"] The story of our Founders began as noble families of the Draconis Combine went into unwilling exile in the Periphery to escape the Succession Wars, the ancestors of Dennis Sato and Rose Yamamoto among them. Rescued by Guide Teams and offered a new start far from the Inner Sphere, hundreds of thousands of refugees were relocated to Totem-B under the protection of IlClan Wolverine, where many of their descendents continued to follow the principles of bushido and became serving members of the Warrior Caste.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Freeborns trained in the Wolverine sibkos alongside Trueborn Warriors, the two excelled in early training. Completing his Trial of Position with the rank of MechWarrior, Dennis was assigned to the 6[/color][color="#000000"]th Wolverine Hussars on Lever, where he quickly gained the experience of a Wolverine MechWarrior and began attracting the attention of senior officers within the Clan. Winner of a Trial of Position for Star Captain in the 6th Hussars, Dennis was given an independent command to prove his worthiness as a ristar, and assigned a young AeroSpace Pilot named Rose Yamamoto as a second-in-command.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Also a Freebirth graduate of the Wolverine sibkos, Rose gained a great deal of notoriety early in the training program after showing an instinctive grasp of air combat in the conventional fighters supplied to the training program. Earning the rank of Pilot from her Trial of Position, Rose was assigned to the Wolverine Naval AeroSpace branch for a short time before winning a Trial of Position for the rank of Point Commander and an assignment with the 6[/color][color="#000000"]th Hussars.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Eventually becoming lovers, Dennis and Rose were considering marriage when the Spawning of the 2[/color][color="#000000"]nd Clans was announced. Caught up in the enthusiasm and ambition of becoming Founding Warriors they submitted a joint proposal to the Loremaster, putting their personal desires aside after being chosen by the Khan of IlClan Wolverine to create the unique society of Clan Surf Dragon. Named for the amphibious predator in the shallow oceans of Totem, our Founding Khans sacrificed their chance at a life together to establish the Clan.[/color]



[color="#000000"]THE BEGINNING (2862 – 2873)[/color]



[color="#000000"]Beginning the task of establishing the Clan, our Merchants noted the large surplus of territory and resources allocated us by IlClan Wolverine compared to our sibClans. Suggesting the sale of territory and resources the Clan would be unable to harvest before the end of the Truce to Khan Sato, our Merchants were able to concentrate on the short-term to create and supply monopolies in several areas.[/color]

[color="#000000"]As eager Clans bid to gain the territory and strategic materials from IlClan Wolverine, Khan Sato used the data from the original survey of the Cluster to locate several possible colony worlds. Choosing to place our capital on the world of Sonoma[/color][color=#333333], a temperate planet close to markets on the Civil Government worlds of Heritage and Inheritance[/color][color="#000000"], Khan Sato took advantage of the decades of Freedom Train refugees to welcome those with hereditary links to the Combine and its samurai tradition. He also encouraged the Civil Government to establish enclaves within our territory, luring immigrants to settle within our borders and contribute to the growth of our economy.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Committed to the concept of “quality over quantity”, Khan Sato and the Clan’s elite MechWarriors led the defense of the Clan, supported by Pilots and inferior Warriors equipped with lesser equipment. The highest honor of a Warrior culture, the Khans agreed to limit the numbers of Warriors graduated from the Surf Dragon training program to reflect the skill and idealism required of the Warrior Caste.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Formally Founded Jan 1, 2863, our Clan immediately became one of the wealthiest 2[/color][color="#000000"]nd Clans, setting the stage for the growth of the Clan during the next decade.[/color]

Edited by Red Pins, 05 November 2011 - 06:36 AM.


#5 Red Pins

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 06:39 AM

...And another. These guys are the last one in Volume 1.

Clan Tundra Leopard

[color="#000000"]THE FOUNDER[/color]



[color="#000000"] The right of Khanship was granted by the leadership of Clan Kraken to Star Colonel Wayne Polo, a life-long garrison commander. His proposal, to glean the second-line armor and BattleMech forces of the Kraken Touman to create an allied 2[/color][color="#000000"]nd Clan, was approved in late 2861 to widespread surprise. Such an event was no surprise to those within the Touman familiar with our new Khan, however.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Born in 2827 as the only son of a successful Merchant, Wayne was exposed to inter-Caste politics at an early age by his father, and trading became second nature to the young man. His interest in the Merchant Caste was overcome, however, after a chance encounter with a young girl enrolled in the Clan sibko system named Jade.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Bargaining for permission to enter the sibkos, Wayne convinced his father to accept his request on the condition he would fail his Trial of Position and rejoin the Merchant Caste. Becoming adept at manipulating the Instructors and his fellow students, Wayne eventually approached Jade socially. They become close friends, but the social gap between them left Wayne fuming as he sought new ways to gain what he desired most; Jade. Rebuffed a final time just before their Trial of Position, Wayne reported to his Trial of Position bitter and angry.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Taunting and baiting his opponent, Wayne took advantage of the eventual alpha-strike that left his opponent fighting shutdown to earn the rank of MechWarrior in a reflexive clench of his controls. After the shock of joining the Warrior Caste subsided, Wayne soon came to realize that failure on the battlefield cost more than a bribe to the sibko training officer. Injured from feedback in his neurohelmet after his LRM ammunition detonated in his first battle, Wayne began a strict program of study, dedicating himself as never before to his training in the belief that success and survival went hand-in-hand.[/color]

[color="#000000"] That new determination to succeed brought him to the attention of senior members of the Kraken Touman after his second Trial, where he advised his Star Commander to bid Points of Armor and FighterShip support in defense of a minor Kraken manufacturing facility. Assisting the Armor units harassing the larger opposing force from Clan Mammoth, Wayne took command of the remainder of the Star after his commander’s defeat and used the FighterShip’s weapons and bomb load to win the Trial without further losses.[/color]

[color="#000000"]Encouraging rumors of his skills in bidding and steadily improving on his training scores, Wayne found himself offered a chance to participate in a Trial for the rank of Star Captain. Knowingly outclassed by his opponent, Wayne decided on a risky strategy; retreat. Taking advantage of his Merchant skills, Wayne negotiated for a supply of Thunder LRMs to increase the likelihood of crippling his opponent at long range despite his skill. The successful stra-tac and Wayne’s choice of ammunition won the Trial, earning him the rank of Star Captain.[/color]

[color="#000000"] Consulted now for his insights into bidding for the right to participate in Trials and the stra-tacs to win them, Wayne soon became valuable to his Trinary and Cluster commanders who used his abilities to further their military careers. The eventual opportunity to fight for Binary command only whet his appetite for more, and Wayne was offered a chance to fight for promotion to Star Colonel and the rank of Star Colonel in 2860, winning the Trial decisively and using his new position and political skills to submit the winning proposal for command of the newly named Clan Tundra Leopard.[/color]





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