This is an Intelligence Report from my AU shortly after Victor Steiner-Davion becomes the new First Lord. links for the AU are in my signature.
STAR LEAGUE DEFENCE FORCE INTELLIGENCE REPORT
This message has been sent with the strictest confidence and must not be shared with anyone who has not been cleared for level GREEN FOUR grade Intelligence.
State of Inner Sphere and Near Periphery Clans
Date: 14th March 3108
To: First Lord Victor Steiner-Davion
Star League Defence Force, Unity City, Terra
From: General Caradoc Trevena
Star League Military Command Headquarters, Unity City Terra
Sire,
Firstly I would like to thank you for agreeing to your son’s decision to appoint you in his stead as the newest First Lord of the Star League Defence Force. I understand that you initially were quite hostile to the idea but trust me when I say that it was a decision that showed First Prince Burton Davion is wise beyond his years and that knowing you are ready to guide the Star League through this troubled time.
Although I am sure you have stayed up to date with the goings on in the Inner Sphere I decided to draft this report on the threat that this Star League Defence Force was formed to combat your old foes - The Clans.
The years have good for the remaining Clans despite their numbers dwindling to nine active Clans they have attacked and conquered worlds that in the 3050's we would have never expected them to reach. Now the Clans combined control more worlds than any of the individual Succession States, the Clans appear to be more united than ever and have a Clan Council on Tukayyid which appears to wield far more control than the Star League Council has ever held.
Below is a report on each Clan and the latest intelligence we have on their political and military strengths. I am also drafting an Intelligence Report on the Clan’s other “ace” which is their disproportionately strong naval forces when you consider the size of their territory compared to the Inner Sphere.
Note: I refer to the Clans by both their official national names and the Clans that formed them because both names are accurate despite what these states would like you to believe.
Wolf Empire (Clan Wolf)
Capital: Sheridan
Leader: Khan Amina Kerensky b. 3075 (33 years in 3108)
Strength: 10 Galaxies (47 Clusters and 3 Keshiks)
The Wolf Empire or the Crusader Wolves, as they were once referred to, are by all intensive purposes Founder Nicholas Kerensky’s vision exemplified of fighting without worry and taking risks. When Clan Wolf uprooted itself from the Clan Occupation Zones relocating to the disjointed Free Worlds League they carved out an Empire more rapidly than anyone could have expected capturing Stewart and perhaps more importantly Tamarind and its shipyards.
The Wolves are the only Clan so far that has reached the Star League Protectorate and their Touman while small is battle hardened and well equipped. The Wolves have intentionally released several worlds back to Houses Steiner and Marik shortening their supply lines while remaining in control their primary holdings without challenge.
The major threat to the Clan is their position isolated from the other Clans they are sandwiched between Steiner, Marik and us. If we were to apply enough pressure perhaps we could blunt their claws permanently.
Clan Jade Falcon
Capital: Sudeten/Incaukalns
Leader: Khan Jana Pryde b. 3077 (31 years in 3108)
Strength: 8 Galaxies (40 Clusters)
The Falcons do not pretend to be anything but what they are one of the most brutal and effective Clans remaining since the fall of Clan Smoke Jaguar. The Falcons recent successes taking the meat grinder of Incukalns and the Kell family home of Arc Royal shattered the Inner Sphere belief that they could be contained in their Occupation Zone.
While the Jade Falcons sacrificed much of their Touman and their Occupation Zone to capture these two systems the Falcon victory was one of the most symbolic of recent times. And it has left them with a generally well equipped and experienced military Touman.
To fill gaps in her Clan’s Touman Khan Jana Pryde has taken inspiration from the great Marthe Pryde and graduated an entire generation of cadets ahead of schedule. Unlike the Federated Suns NAIS or the Draconis Combine’s Sun Zhang units these Jade Eyrie units a little more than child soldiers who have been promised places in premier Jade Falcon units should they succeed.
(Some are as old as 13 years old! This was something that humanity left in Terra’s past until the Falcons returned it to fashion. CT) Due to this incentive these units are likely to be the most loyal and most likely to stand and fight against all odds of the entire Falcon Touman. This extreme action has allowed Khan Pryde to bolster her military forces and give a false impression that their Touman has far more depth than it actually has. The three deactivated galaxies on their TO&E shows how much the Falcons are still hurting.
A concentrated attack on Incukalns and Arc Royal could break some of the Jade Falcon units in one attack – but it would likely take the entire SLDF and LCAF to pull it off.
(It doesn’t help that Incukalns is rumoured to be home to an ancient Star League-era ground based SDS which the Falcons have brought back online CT)Clan Hell’s Horses
Capital: Csestreg
Leader: Khan Teresia Cooper b. 3070 (38 years old in 3108)
Strength: 9 Galaxies (38 Clusters and 2 Keshiks)
The Horde. While the Jade Falcons are perhaps the most dangerous and the Wolves are in the best position the Hell’s Horses have the spirit and drive to cause the most problems for in the immediate future. The Horde is a concept born inside Clan Hell’s Horses known as the Mongol Doctrine a combat concept which originated on ancient Terra and is based around hitting an enemy fast and as hard as possible attacking from multiple directions and keeping on the move encircling an enemy target and crushing it with superior firepower.
While the Hell’s Horses have retained their duelling rules against other Clans they have completely abandoned them against the Inner Sphere and use concentrated fire as often as they can to subdue enemy units rapidly and move onto their next target.
The Hell’s Horses greatest weakness may be their inability to control their growing number of worlds. Their units are designed for speed and firepower but not garrison duty. In the long term their Occupation Zone population could cause greater problems for them than anything else. Unfortunately the long term may not save the Lyran Commonwealth having to defend their capital Arcturus from attack from the Horde.
Clan Coyote
Capital: Weingarten
Leader: Khan Karl Heller, b 3060 (48 years old in 3108)
Strength: 8 Galaxies (36 Clusters and 3 Command Keshiks)
The Trickster has many lives. The Coyotes survived the troubles in the Clan Homeworlds because of a deal they did with the Wolves which eventually saw them take control over the original Wolf Occupation Zone. In the years since the Coyotes have concentrated in rebuilding their Touman embracing the use of ProtoMechs like the Horses and Ravens to bolster their numbers they have fought trials against the other Clans to keep their experienced units level with the other Clans but until recently they have avoided combat with the Inner Sphere.
Perhaps however this trickster is running out of lives as there are rumours that suggest the Coyotes are facing fighting within their Occupation Zone. It is unknown if this is a popular rebellion or something from within the Clan itself. Initial reports suggested that the Coyotes were the only Clan involved in this fighting but a fragmented HPG transmission from Clan Nova Cat suggested that they were mobilizing to join the battle.
Rasalhague Dominion (Clan Ghost Bear)
Capital: Alshian
Leader: Khan Ragnar Magnesson b. 3036 (72 years old in 3108)
Strength: 13 Galaxies (67 Clusters and 5 Keshiks)
The sleeping Bear. For years Clan Ghost Bear has slept within its Rasalhague Dominion. Unlike the other Clans it has refrained from incursions into the Inner Sphere instead it has built the strongest military, the strongest economy and most united nation of all of the Clans.
(Essentially what I am saying is that if anyone wakes up the Ghost Bear, and the Bear finds its focus, it will be a monumental task to stop this monster CT)The Bears greatest strength is perhaps also its weakness. The Bear has become more like the Inner Sphere states than any of the Clans and it is currently quite comfortable in its place within the Inner Sphere. The Bears will be slow to mobilize if attacked and their attacks while powerful will likely be slow and limited for if they attack en masse like the Wolves of Falcons they would threaten the stability of their Dominion.
(The Bears are a Clan because the other Clans want to trade with them and because they are scheisse scared of them, sire. Otherwise treat the Bears like you would House Steiner or Kurita. The Dominion knows it needs to protect its back in any offensive which controls them. CT)Clan Sea Fox
Capital: Twycross
Leader: Khan Evangeline Clarke b 3068 (40 years old in 3108)
Strength: 8 Khanates (39 Clusters)
The Merchants
(Gypsies CT) The Sea Foxes do not have Galaxies they have Khanates with warriors loyal to their Khanate first and to the Clan a distant second. The Sea Foxes are not a threat to the Inner Sphere in their current condition they are traders who like the occasional fight. The Clan is spread across the Inner Sphere and periphery and will be ineffectual in any campaign beyond their core worlds within the Clan Occupation Zones.
(In many ways the Sea Fox Clan is the weakest due to their lack of coordination between the Khanates and their spread out territories. CT) Their current preoccupation with the constant evolution of their ArcShips has kept the Sea Foxes out of trouble as they constantly upgrade and defend these moving colonies.
The Sea Foxes are not an enemy to the Inner Sphere instead they are a source of technology and supplies. The SLDF have been able to maintain good relations with the Sea Fox Clan which has allowed many of our elite units to be equipped with advanced technology.
Nova Cat’s Den (Clan Nova Cat)
Capital: New Barcella
Leader: Khan Canin Rosse b. 3038 (70 years old in 3108)
Strength: 11 Galaxies (52 Clusters, 5 Keshiks)
The quiet one.
(Sorry, sire, but I can’t describe them any other way CT) the Nova Cats border with the Federated Suns has been at virtual peace since the remaining Filtvelt Coalition worlds were absorbed by the Suns until recently they have not ventured out of their Den instead they have been reorganising and upgrading their entire Touman.
The Nova Cat’s greatest strengths are that unlike the other Clans who have been launching military campaigns and defending against counter-attacks the Nova Cats have been happy to remain in the Periphery out of the way. This has allowed them to produce more OmniMechs/Vehicles and Aerospace Fighters than any other Clan to date with Omni type units appearing more frequently in every Galaxy. On paper the Nova Cats have the second strongest Touman behind the Bears but their low experience level likely drops them behind the Wolves and Falcons in overall strength.
In an effort to raise their experience levels the Nova Cats launched a campaign against the Draconis Combine in 3107 taking several Periphery worlds in conjunction with Clan Snow Raven. The Nova Cats are continuing to fight against the Combine and SLDF forces even after the Ravens have sued for peace. It appears that this conflict has caused an internal issue between Khan Rosse and his saKhan Katrine Devalis so far there have been no challenges but analysts believe it is only a matter of time.
Other than their general lack of experience fighting campaign type warfare the Nova Cats spread out territory may cause them issues in the long term although they could simply use deep periphery shipping routes and avoid any risks of raiders. Our most recent intelligence suggests that Clan Nova Cat are mobilizing their Watch forces to conduct operations inside the Coyote Occupation Zone – why this is happening is currently unknown but the Nova Cats are known to have one of the biggest Watch organisations in the Clans. Should the Nova Cats mobilize their forces against the under defended back of the Federated Suns they could make significant inroads into the Crucis March before the Federated Suns could react.
(Building a significant staging base in the Crucis March could stop the Nova Cats dead. Although it could just give the Clan a target TC)Raven Alliance (Clan Snow Raven)
Capital: Alpheratz/Dante
Leader: Khan Vir Sukhanov b. 3080 (28 years old in 3108)
Strength: 8 Galaxies (33 Clusters and 1 Keshik)
After recent Raven adventurism against the Draconis Combine many in the Inner Sphere, specifically in the Federated Suns, have taken more notice of the Clan. Previously few people regarded them as little more than refugees with a WarShip fetish. The 3107 fighting against the Draconis Combine has changed this perception now many see that the Snow Ravens are exerting far more control over the Alliance than previously thought.
Despite being defeated by the Draconis Combine and SLDF the Snow Raven incursion into the Draconis Combine has served its purpose now the Inner Sphere are more wary around the Ravens, the Ravens themselves are aware of the their neighbours capabilities and their troops are more skilled. So while the Ravens lost this conflict the next battle is likely to turn the opposite way. Since the end of the hostilities with the Draconis Combine the Ravens have begun a crash build program improving the weapons available to their nation, including the introduction of a new OmniMech the Craven, and they have begun reorganizing the Outworlds Alliance military to fight more like their own using Clan ranks and organisation.
The Ravens generally rely on their naval units to secure the airspace over their target and threaten naval bombardment stopping an enemy from concentrating their forces and supplying their troops. The Draconis Combine successfully countered this strategy and refused to fight on Raven terms leading to reversals in Snow Raven strategy. In future battles with the Ravens we must keep their naval forces contained so our forces can keep them contained inside the Raven Alliance’s territory.
(Fortunately the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns have significant naval resources of their own TC)Rim Collection (Clan Fire Mandrill)
Capital: All Dawn/Gillfillian’s Gold
Leader: Natasha Faraday b. 3078 (30 years old in 3108)
Strength: 8 Galaxies (35 with three Keshiks)
The other quiet one. The similarities between the Nova Cats and Clan Fire Mandrill are as stark as the differences between them. Both Clans are based in the periphery and both have focused on dealing with local threats instead of involving themselves in wider conflicts. The Nova Cats are where they are because of a plan the Clan has followed to the letter while the Fire Mandrills arrived in the Rim Collection through desperation after being caste out of the Clan Homeworlds
(a conflict we still don’t have all the information on CT) while the Mandrills initially appeared to be happy to take a back seat in the Rim Collection they have recently taken far more control over the small nation.
At the Lyran’s back the Fire Mandrills have successfully built eight strong galaxies putting them on par with the Snow Ravens, Sea Foxes and making them stronger than the Coyotes and at present the Falcons. With a live fire opponent in Stone Spirits to keep their experience levels up the Mandrills maintain an uneasy peace with the Lyran Commonwealth. Each of their Galaxies is split into two Combat Teams giving them great flexibility in combat with one of two Clusters able to hold an opponent where the Mandrills want them and then the other flanks.
The Fire Mandrill strength in battle is their use of aerospace fighters either from within their Clusters or from their WarShips. To break the Fire Mandrills you must bring as many aerospace fighters to the battle as you can and use them to overwhelm the Mandrill aerospace units without these the Clan will struggle to win any battle.
(In other words the Lyrans need to stop thinking about building Battleships and start building carriers CT).
