Unsolved Mysteries of the Inner Sphere

[SulliMike23]

(The Unsolved Mysteries theme begins to play)

Unsolved Mysteries of the Inner Sphere

Host: Tonight on an all new Unsolved Mysteries of the Inner Sphere: the Mysterious Minnesota Tribe, are they the remnants of Clan Wolverine? If so, where did they go after striking the Draconis Combine in 2825? Did they leave the Inner Sphere for a new home? Or did the Word of Blake recruit them for their disastrous Jihad?

Host: House Cameron, the one-time rulers over the Terran Hegemony and the Star League; according to all reports every last member of the ruling family was killed, or were they? Did a missing child of Richard Cameron survive the Usurper’s massacre in the throne room in Unity Palace? If they did, where are their descendants?

Host: Speaking of House Cameron, the death of Richard’s father, Simon, was it an accident? Or was it deliberate?

Host: The Clans, the invaders from beyond the Periphery that wreaked havoc on all that faced them. But the mystery regarding them, is the death of one of their founders: the youngest son of Alexandr Kerensky himself, Andery. Was his death the result of an ambush by enemy forces in the Pentagon Worlds? Or was he murdered by his fellow Clan members?

Host: All these mysteries and more tonight. I’m Robert Stack X, join us, and maybe you can help solve a mystery.

[wolfgar]

nice story start, would love to see you actually do an "Unsolved Mysteries" type story setup. Each section being its own update maybe

[DOC_Agren]

you better expand on this 8)

[SulliMike23]

The Minnesota Tribe

Robert Stack X: Svelvik, Rasalhague Military District, Draconis Combine. October 9th, 2825. What was once a quiet time in the Inner Sphere would soon erupt into violence on this peaceful world. The First Succession War had ended just four years prior, and now Svelvik is on the frontlines of a new conflict. But the invaders didn’t come from the Lyran Commonwealth, nor were they pirates from the newly established Oberon Confederation, they weren’t even a long-range raid from the Federated Suns.

[Camera pans up to view our host, complete with a trench coat as he spoke in front of the camera. He was on Svelvik, with permission from Clan Ghost Bear, to host this series.]

Robert Stack X: At the time, tension within the Combine was high. Many DCMS commanders were on the alert for Steiner or Davion aggression that would spark the Second Succession War. Little did they know that the next conflict would be at their backyard.

[Footage of a Battle ROM depicting a Warhammer with Minnesota Tribe markings played on screen as Stack’s voice could be heard over the footage.]

Stack: The invaders offered no communications, no warnings. The attack was swift and well-coordinated. When it was all over, the attackers had left with various supplies stolen from what facilities they raided.

[Another man’s voice is heard over the footage and then we transition to a man sitting down for the interview, his name reads as Noboyuki Tanaka (Tai-Sa, DCMS, Ret)]

Tanaka: The Minnesota Tribe’s arrival in Svelvik took High Command off-guard. They were expecting an attack to come from the Davions near the border between the two realms. Any attack from the Lyrans would have been impossible at the time.

[Stack’s voice is heard over as the camera is watching Tanaka as he strolls through his home on Pesht.]

Stack: Noboyuki Tanaka’s ancestor fought in the First and Second Succession Wars. His ancestor’s journal records much of the events that took place on Svelvik at the time.

[Tanaka continues as more footage from Svelvik is seen as the invading mechs clash with DCMS mechs and armor.]

Tanaka: My ancestor describes the tribe as fierce warriors, as though the spirit of the samurai had been in them for a long time. His commanding officer had tried hailing the attackers, but he received no response on any frequency.

[Tanaka holds open the journal as he reads from it.]

Tanaka: “They struck my lance leader’s Grasshopper with a PPC blast. The mech looked to be some sort of hybrid between a Thunderbolt and a Warhammer. Before he was forced to eject, they struck again, this time with a pair of, what appear to be, large lasers.”

[A dramatized scene of a man of Japanese origin flinches as a light from an explosion lights his face from the command couch of a battlemech. When the light fades, the man turns back towards the oncoming mechs in astonishment. Tanaka’s voice continues.]

Tanaka: “Whoever they are, they did not back down from their assault. I did everything I could to destroy the enemy, but in the end I too was forced to eject from my Shadow Hawk before it’s reactor went critical.”

[Tanaka sighs as he finishes reading.]

Stack: Tanaka’s ancestor was one of the few surviving MechWarriors to encounter the Minnesota Tribe on Svelvik that day. The Minnesota Tribe did not even bother to capture prisoners, if any.

[A dramatization of people watching the battle unfold from their homes pointed in the direction of lights from explosions and weapons fire in the distance. As a woman’s voice is overheard.]

Woman: When the people of Svelvik were aroused from the battle that was taking place, none of them knew what to make of it.

[The camera switches to a woman sitting down for the interview. She is of European descent, her hair is shoulder-length and blonde, her eyes almost a cobalt blue. The name on screen says, Dr. Nadja Nilsson, Rasalhaguean Historian.]

Nilsson: From all recorded accounts, the people described the battle like a clash between gods.

[The camera switches to her in a record hall in the University of Donegal as Stack’s voice introduces her.]

Stack: Nadja Nilsson is a renowned historian who’s ancestors started life in the Principality of Rasalhague before it was conquered by the Combine. Her grandparents fled their home planet of New Oslo during the Clan Invasion. She has made it her life’s mission to preserve what history remains of the area of space her family once called home.

[As it shows Nadja looking through records in the University that were accounts from the worlds of the former Rasalhague Republic, she continues her take on what happened those centuries ago.]

Nilsson: The Minnesota Tribe, when they attacked, nobody was expecting an attack to come to Svelvik. It held no real strategic value to anyone, other than a few caches of tech the DCMS had at the time, not many would even bother trying to conquer it before Clan Wolf came. So it’s understandable that the citizens of Svelvik didn’t want to wake up seeing their home at war.

[The camera switches to an image of a Wolverine bearing the markings of the Minnesota Tribe firing it’s autocannon at an adversary off-screen before it switches back to Stack casually strolling an empty field where one such battle took place.]

Stack: The attackers wasted no words with their DCMS adversaries. No communications other than the fire from their lasers, PPCs, missiles, and autocannons echoed throughout the areas they struck before it was all over. They raided military facilities, taking what supplies they needed and left on their dropships almost as quickly as they came. What few mechs the defenders destroyed did not leave survivors for their MechWarriors were either killed, committed suicide, or were picked up by their comrades.

[The camera switches back to Nilsson as she looks at a holoimage of a Minnesota Tribe mech as she finishes this part of the interview.]
Nilsson: The Tribe just simply took what they could get their hands on before DCMS reinforcements could arrive, loaded up the dropships, and burned for their jumpships waiting at jump points. That was the first, and only time, anyone on Svelvik had seen of them. And as far as records go, they would be the only invaders before the Clans.

[The camera once again switches to Stack standing in a different location, this time at a university on Luthien.]

Stack: When word of the attack finally reached DCMS high command, the attackers were long gone. Many thought that would be the beginning of a series of attacks all along the Combine’s border with the Lyran Commonwealth. No one knew how wrong they were.

[Daryk]

A VERY promising start!  :)

[DOC_Agren]

 :beer: :clap: :beer: :clap:

[ThePW]

Helm, Station Keeping (and someone get this cat off me? I cannot type with this fluff monster here...)

[SulliMike23]

[The camera switches to more Battle ROM footage on a volcanic world between DCMS Mechs and armor against Minnesota Tribe Mechs as Stack’s voice speaks over it.]

Stack: Two months later, the attackers struck again; this time on the volcanic world of Trondheim.

[A still image of the battle appeared on screen with a DCMS soldier taking cover from a Minnesota Tribe Shadow Hawk. This time another man’s voice spoke over the image.]

Man: Unlike Svelvik, Trondheim was a resource-rich world full of minerals deposited by the volcanic activity on the planet. Much of the materials used in the development for weapons and Battlemechs in the Combine came from that world, so the 20th Rasalhague Regulars were actually expecting a fight.

[The camera switches to a man of European descent, except his hair was a darker brown and he wore the distinct uniform of a DCMS Sho-Sa (Major). The name for him read Sho-Sa Charles Andersen, 6th Pesht Regulars, DCMS.]

Andersen: But none of them expected one so soon after they had only recently been assigned there. But what truly puzzled them, was that the Minnesota Tribe weren’t after any of the minerals on the planet; rather, they were after information. What kind of information, no one even to this day knows.

[The camera shows a photograph taken by a civilian in the town of Misby Flats of Minnesota Tribesman infantry raiding the town, shooting at DCMS soldiers, who returned their fire. Stack’s voice continued the narration.]

Stack: The town of Misby Flats was raided, it’s mayoral complex was leveled; and like before the Tribesman issued no communications, left nothing behind, and any of their stranded warriors committed suicide rather than allow themselves to be captured. As before, they left as mysteriously as they came.

[More images of the raid appear on screen as Nilsson continued her interview.]

Nilsson: What puzzles me, is what information the Minnesota Tribe could’ve been after on Trondheim? Unlike Svelvik, Trondheim was rich in all kinds of natural resource minerals and yet they didn’t even bother to attack any of the mining facilities. This tells me, that they were after some kind of information regarding other worlds either within the Combine, or outside of it. Or they were after information regarding the other worlds they hit. We may never know.

[The camera shows more images as she speaks before the last image of a Tribesman Highlander fades to Stack strolling through the university again.]

Stack: When news of the attack on Trondheim spread, the entire DCMS was put on high alert for further attacks. Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, at the time, feared that the Tribesman may have been members of Alexandr Kerensky’s Star League army coming to reclaim their position before a full-scale invasion. He, however, wasn’t the only one worried of this possibility.

[The camera switches to a dramatization of an actor portraying Conrad Toyama reading a datapad of the attacks. He then turns to the ComStar adept who gave him the information.]

Toyama Actor: Get this information over to Precentor Travis, I want him looking for these raiders.

Adept actor: Yes, Primus.

[The Adept bowed after receiving the datapad from Toyama and left as Toyama’s actor turned towards the window of his office looking out towards Hilton Head. Another woman’s voice could be heard over the dramatization.]

Woman: Conrad Toyama and ComStar had come out of the First Succession War as believing themselves to be the true successors to the Star League, considering that they were among the last remnants of what the Star League was.

[A woman of Chinese descent is depicted for her interview. The name on her reads Fu Sun, Terran Historian, Peking University.]

Sun: Their continued existence during this time period depended on the Successor States needing their services and reducing the technology base of the Inner Sphere so that they could swoop in as it’s saviors. The appearance of the Minnesota Tribe threatened that very existence with their arrival in the Inner Sphere, and so Toyama wanted to send the ROM and the ComGuards to either apprehend or destroy the Tribesman before they could escape the Inner Sphere.

[As she was finishing this part of her interview the dramatization continues with an actor portraying Precentor Emilio Travis issuing orders to other ComStar Adepts around him as they were preparing their inevitable chase of the Minnesota Tribe]

Sun: By sending Precentor Emilio Travis, who was the head of the ComGuards at the time, he wanted to not only discover where these raiders came from, but also to shadow them to wherever they went so that they could possibly prevent them from returning to the Inner Sphere.

[The camera once again fades to Stack, this time strolling through the streets of Imperial City of Luthien.]

Stack: Despite all of these cautions, the following year of 2826 came with no further attacks on either Svelvik or Trondheim. Nearly a year went by before the next attack. Then on August 19th of that year, the Tribe struck again, this time on the world of Jarett.

[A dramatization of DCMS MechWarriors were seen scrambling towards their mechs before they took cover as an aerospace fighter swooped in and fired it’s weapons at the hangar containing mechs as Stack’s voice narrated.]

Stack: But unlike on Svelvik and Trondheim, the Tribesman did something unexpected; they had used aerospace fighters launched from their dropships to pin the Combine mechs at their bases as they raided the planet. What defenders did respond to the attack were astounded by the tactics used by the invaders.

[The MechWarriors in the dramatization broke from their cover as they ran towards another hangar to get to their mechs. All around them, the base personnel were doing all that they could to provide cover for their MechWarriors and mechs. Tai-Sho Andersen continued his interview over the footage.]

Andersen: Whereas on Svelvik and Trondheim, the tactics the Tribe displayed were fairly common of raiding parties. The use of mechs, hit and run attacks, which is standard for such raids. But on Jarett, the Tribe was displaying military tactics that were more common among the Star League Defense Forces, which added credence to the belief that they were part of Alexandr Kerensky’s army.

[The camera switches to Andersen as he spoke.]

Andersen: The fact that they were using aerospace fighters to prevent Combine mechs from responding to the attack meant that they were using armored units, which were much more vulnerable to mechs than each other. The armored units on the planet, at the time, responded to the attack as best they could, but even they were unable to prevent the Tribe from taking what they wanted.

[SulliMike23]

[The camera once again switched to Stack, standing in a dropship hangar.]

Stack: Like on Svelvik, the raiders took only what supplies they needed and left as soon as they took what they needed. Again, offering no communications and leaving nothing to chance. The news of the attack soon spread throughout the Inner Sphere, and many within the Outworlds Alliance, Lyran Commonwealth, and Federated Suns were worried that the Tribe would soon attack their worlds. Fortunately for them, that fear was unjustified. But the Tribe would make one last attack on March 9th, 2827.

[Battle ROM footage of Combine forces engaged with Minnesota Tribe forces near a prison facility as Stack narrated.]

Stack: But unlike the other attacks, the target for the Minnesota Tribe’s attack was an internment camp on the planet Richmond.

[The camera switches to a dramatization of the inmates of the internment camp as they looked on in hope as the battle raged outside their barracks.]

Prisoner actor: Who do you think it is that’s attacking?

Prisoner 2: I don’t know, but I hope they can get us out of here.

[The prisoners hear a noise from behind them and the door to their barracks is broken open. They all raise their hands as they see a silhouette of a man holding an assault rifle entered the barracks. The actor was wearing an old SLDF power armor with a visor concealing their face. They spoke no words, but they lowered their weapon and motioned the prisoners to follow them.]

Prisoner 1: You want us to go with you?

[At this query the figure nodded and motioned for them to follow again, this time the inmates listened and filed out. Andersen continues the narration at this point.]

Andersen: The internment camp on Richmond was meant to be a complete secret. It was where many of the old political prisoners the Combine had, but could not kill, would be sent. We have no records of who was at the facility at the time, because shortly after the Tribe’s attack began and the prisoners they took were out, they destroyed the facility and any records of who was there.

[The camera fades to his interview as he spoke before the camera switched to a map of the Draconis Combine at the time of the attacks, marking the planets of Svelvik, Trondheim, Jarett, and Richmond as he continued.]

Andersen: Why they hit these worlds for what they were after, I wish I could answer. But what we know is that after they hit Richmond, that was the last time anyone had ever faced the Minnesota Tribe.

[Stack continues the narration from here as the map showed a lined route of the Tribe’s movements after Richmond.]

Stack: Shortly after the attack on Richmond, the ComGuards shadowed the Tribe’s jumpships as they traveled through the Combine’s periphery border with the Outworlds Alliance towards the Federated Suns before the trail went cold near the world of Valentina.

[The line stops at Valentina as Stack says this.]

Stack: From that point forward, no trace of the Minnesota Tribe was found; and no clues as to who they were or where they came from would be found until two centuries later.

[The camera fades to black as footage of a dramatization featuring people wearing Wolf’s Dragoons uniforms approach AFFS uniformed personnel as Stack narrates before the camera fades to black before a commercial break.]

Stack: When we return, a new mysterious group arrives in the Inner Sphere just two centuries after the Minnesota Tribe’s appearance. They would be famously known, as Wolf’s Dragoons.

TBC in part 2

[ThePW]

Is there a specific date that this Trivid aired (and what channel)? Because this would make a awesome entry in the Universe file on any Megamek campaign HPG feed...

[SulliMike23]

Is there a specific date that this Trivid aired (and what channel)? Because this would make a awesome entry in the Universe file on any Megamek campaign HPG feed...

I figured it could take place in the years after Clan Wolf conquered Terra. As for what Trivid channel...I have no idea. My knowledge of how the entertainment business in the Inner Sphere works is limited.

[Daryk]

It's perfect in my book... I continue to look forward to more!  :thumbsup:

[SulliMike23]

Part 2

[The camera fades from the Unsolved Mysteries logo to our host, Robert Stack X, strolling through the halls of NAIS as he spoke.]

Stack: The Minnesota Tribe’s attacks on the Draconis Combine from 2825 to 2827 left an undeniable mark on the Combine and the Inner Sphere for years to come. Despite the Steiners and Davions denying any involvement in the Tribe’s activities, Jinjiro Kurita would launch the first offensives to spark the Second Succession War. That isn’t to say, however, that the Tribe left some unintentional clues as to their origin.

[A still image of a MechWarrior’s body with the face blurred out. Fu Sun’s voice spoke over the image before the camera switched to her.]

Sun: When the Combine sent investigation teams to the worlds hit by the Tribe, they did manage to recover what bits and pieces leftover from their attack. From mech armor to the bodies of the soldiers and MechWarriors that attacked the planets. Unfortunately for the Combine, ComStar’s ROM made sure that nothing that could help the Combine recover some of the Lostech that had been destroyed during the First Succession War. However, one thing that did survive, was the cooling suit leftover by one of the MechWarriors that committed suicide rather than being captured.

[The camera switched to two images of the suit’s unit patches. One being the patch depicting the state of Minnesota with the number 331 on it, and a patch of a white wolverine’s head with bloodied fangs.]

Sun: On this suit were two patches that indicated the warrior’s unit and, possibly, the faction they belonged to. The first patch was the image of the North American state of Minnesota with the number 331. This is significant, because that was the emblem for the 331st Royal Battlemech Division, a unit that was not only part of the Terran Hegemony, but the Star League Defense Force; in fact, they were among the units that went with Alexandr Kerensky on his Exodus. The other, was that of a snarling white-headed wolverine with blooded fangs.

[The camera focused first on the Minnesota 331st patch, before focusing on the wolverine patch.]

Sun: The wolverine patch would not be significant until a couple centuries when the history of the Clans would finally be revealed to everyone.

[The camera faded to Stack in NAIS again as it began to focus on him.]

Stack: The 331st Royal Battlemech Division patch would become where the Minnesota Tribe earned it’s name. But the fact that it was the 331st’s patch, caused many to speculate that the Tribe was in fact some rogue SLDF unit that had broken away from Kerensky’s forces. In some way, those beliefs would be correct. But the focus on the Tribe would be forgotten in the wake of the Second and Third Succession Wars. At least, until a new mysterious group arrived in the Inner Sphere; but this time, they would offer their services as mercenaries.

[The camera switches to footage of a dropship with Wolf’s Dragoons’ emblem and colors was seen approaching a planet. Stack continued to narrate as the camera switched to a Davion COM tech hailed the incoming dropship.]

Stack: Delos IV, Draconis March, Federated Suns. April 11th, 3005. It had been over 178 years since the Tribe’s disappearance. But this new group would bring the Tribe’s origins back into question.

[The tech turned to his commanding officer.]

Tech actor: Sir, that dropship we’ve been tracking is burning towards the planet.

CO actor: Any response to our hails?

Tech: Yes sir, they identify themselves as…Wolf’s Dragoons. They want to offer their services to his Highness.

[The CO looks at the Tech in puzzlement as Stack narrates.]

Stack: Wolf’s Dragoons, a name that would become synonymous with mercenary units for the entire 31st Century.

[The scene faded and Stack is now seen strolling in one of the domed cities on Outreach.]

Stack: Wolf’s Dragoons entered their contract with House Davion not long after their arrival in the Inner Sphere. But questions on where they came from soon aroused. One of those questions, was if they were from the Minnesota Tribe.

[Battle ROM footage from battles where the Dragoons were involved were being shown on screen, including Misery, Luthien, New Aragon, New Delos, and Dromini VI. A woman’s voice is heard over the footage.]

Woman: The Dragoons brought with them, such professionalism and discipline that was rare among mercenary units at the time. No one had ever seen anyone quite like them before in the entirety of the Inner Sphere.

[The last scene shown before the camera faded was that of Jamie Wolf’s Archer firing LRMs at a distant enemy. The woman on screen is none other than Isobel Carlyle.]

Carlyle: Other merc units, like my great-grandfather’s, could never have matched the kind of prowess they brought to the battlefield, and some of their tactics were similar to that of old Star League tactics.

[Images of different members of the unit are seen including Jamie Wolf, his brother Joshua, Dechan Fraser, and Alex Ward. As their images appeared, another man’s voice narrates.]

Man: The kind of professionalism the Dragoons brought, made a lot of people wonder where they had trained.

[The camera switches to a man with a military-style haircut, a single eye patch, and a thick, bushy beard. The man’s name read Professor Randolph P. Checkers, AKA “Tex”]

Tex: But as the Dragoons continued to make a name for themselves, more questions began to emerge about them. The origin of their mechs, dropships, and other tech they brought with them being one.

[Images of a Hoplite, Flea, Falcon, Annihilator, and Imp are all shown as Tex continues his interview.]

Tex: Some of the designs like the Hoplite were lost to the destruction the Succession Wars brought, and others like the Annihilator were never even heard of even AFTER the Star League collapsed. But then the name of one of their commanders made others wonder if they had a connection to the SLDF in general, and that was none other than Natasha Kerensky.

[Photographs of Natasha Kerensky are shown on the screen. All of them are of her in the years prior to the Clan Invasion. Stack continues the narration over the images.]

Stack: Natasha Kerensky had been the commanding officer of the Dragoon’s Black Widow Company, one of the best and most unusual units of the Dragoons most notable for their all-black battlemechs and her distinct Black Widow emblem on their mechs. But the fact that her name was Kerensky was what drew people’s attention.

[From this point the camera switches back to Tex.]

Tex: Even by that point, everyone knew the name Kerensky given the fact that the SLDF was led by Alexandr Kerensky, and everyone knows what happened to him and his army after the Amaris Civil War. In fact, many people even speculated at the time that she could’ve been a descendant of the General himself, but no one had any proof of that yet.

[More images of Natasha and both her Warhammer and Marauder are shown as Stack continues his narration.]

Stack: But the one question few asked, was if the Dragoons were related to the Minnesota Tribe themselves.

[A side-by-side image of the Wolf’s Dragoons emblem and the two emblems from the Minnesota Tribe are shown as Nadja Nilsson is interviewed again.]

Nilsson: Now at this point, many people had forgotten about the Minnesota Tribe and had dismissed any notion that they were related to the SLDF. But when the Dragoons arrived in the Inner Sphere and images of their battlemechs were shown throughout the Combine, many DCMS commanders recognized some of the designs as some of the mechs that the Minnesota Tribe had used then they attacked Svelvik, Trondheim, and Richmond.

[To prove her point, an artist’s interpretation of a Minnesota Tribe’s mech was matched side-by-side with an Annihilator as it was described by a local almost two centuries prior.]

Nilsson: This made many begin to wonder if the Dragoons were related to the Tribe in any way. In fact, according to some reports, when Jamie Wolf was asked this question, he denied any connection but had shown some interest in the subject.

[A dramatization of Jamie Wolf speaking with a CCAF officer is shown on screen.]

CCAF actor: By the way, Colonel, I have a question I hope you can answer.

Jamie Wolf actor: I’ll answer it if I can.

CCAF officer: Have you ever heard of the...Minnesota Tribe?

Jamie Wolf: *he raises his eyebrow in confusion* I can’t say that I have, why?

CCAF: Well, they attacked the Draconis Combine almost two centuries ago. No one knows who they were or where they came from. They also came from outside of the Inner Sphere, if the stories of them are true of course.

Jamie Wolf: Really now?

[The actor of Jamie Wolf seems intrigued by this revelation.]

Jamie Wolf: You say this was nearly two centuries ago? What year exactly?

CCAF: Well, if you want to believe the Combine, it happened in the year 2825.

[At this, Jamie Wolf’s actor looks like he is shocked as Tex continues narrating.]

Tex: Now many people, to their credit, had bought into the idea that there was a connection between the Dragoons and the Minnesota Tribe. Although, Jamie and his people continued to deny any connection, they were in fact curious about why people were making the connection.

[Another dramatization is shown, this time with the actor of Jamie Wolf meeting with other people who were dressed in Wolf’s Dragoons uniforms. While they were talking, Tex continues as the scene fades to his interview.]

Tex: It wasn’t until the Dragoons finally started their contract with House Kurita that Jamie Wolf had sent some of his people to the four planets that the Tribe had hit in order to look into the stories of what had happened there. Once they were done and reported back to him, Jamie and his top commanders had met in secret to discuss the subject. What they discussed, is anyone’s guess because by that point they were too busy getting messed around by Samsonov and his goons.

[Daryk]

Another excellent entry!  :thumbsup:

[SulliMike23]

[Tex’s image faded back to Stack, who was now standing in a museum in front of one of the most notorious Clan mechs in existence, the MadCat.]

Stack: After the Battle of Misery, the Fourth Succession War, and the War of 39, the questions regarding the Dragoons and the Tribe were put in the back of people’s minds. That is, until the year 3050…when one more and most infamous group entered the Inner Sphere and changed the course of history forever…the Clans.

[Stack turned towards the MadCat as the camera panned up to focus on the mech before it transitioned to a MadCat in combat from battle ROM footage taken from Phelan Kell’s Wolfhound. After that, more images of Clan mechs are seen fighting Inner Sphere mechs from news footage and battle ROMs taken from the Clan Invasion. Other images included battles against Clan aerospace fighters and Elementals, along with artist interpretations of the various battles between Clan and Inner Sphere forces as Stack continues the narration.]

Stack: On March 7th, 3050, Clans Jade Falcon, Wolf, Ghost Bear, and Smoke Jaguar struck worlds belonging to the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth, the Free Rasalhague Republic, and the Draconis Combine from beyond the Periphery, bringing with them new weapons and styles of combat none had ever seen in the Inner Sphere before. Many combat units sent against them were completely destroyed or were near total annihilation.

[As he spoke, a map of the Inner Sphere from 3050 is shown as the Clan Occupation Zones soon began to take shape in the different colors of each Clan as well as their emblems appeared. Then the map focuses on the planets the Tribe hit, marking them as Stack named them.]

Stack: Ironically, among the worlds invaded by the Clans included Svelvik, Trondheim, Jarett, and Richmond.

[True to his words, the four planets were highlighted in purple within the light blue of the Ghost Bear occupation zone, the dark brown of the Wolf occupation zone, and the gray of the Smoke Jaguar occupation zone.]

Stack: All four worlds that were attacked by the Minnesota Tribe were now under Clan occupation.

[As the map was continued to be shown, a new woman’s voice was heard. This one, was distinct because of the fact that it was a Clanner’s voice.]

Woman: When our people invaded the Inner Sphere, we had expected that the local populace would be fearful of us; that was to be expected.

[The camera changes to a woman wearing a Ghost Bear uniform. She had scars across her cheek and one over her left eye, which was a milky white from the old wound. The name for her read as Loremaster Trina Magnussun.]

Magnussun: However, according to the reports from Svelvik, Trondheim, Jarett, and Richmond, the locals had compared the invasion of their worlds to that of the attacks made by the so-called Minnesota Tribe.

[An image of a Clan Smoke Jaguar Dasher stood near the old ruins of the Richmond internment camp is shown as Magnussun continues her interview.]

Magnussun: This fascinated the invasion leaders, because of the term Minnesota; which, as many already know, was the name of a state in the North American continent on Terra. Our people, even now, hold Terra in such high regard because of our ancestor’s connection to the Star League.

[The camera transitions back to Magnussun.]

Magnussun: When a few of our Solahma warrior investigators heard of these stories, they began to investigate the stories in question. When we learned the full story, our warriors came to one conclusion: this “Minnesota Tribe” could only be the remnants…of the Not-Named-Clan.

[A previous image of a Minnesota Tribe Wolverine is seen on the screen as she said the last part with some disdain just as Stack took over the narration.]

Stack: The Not-Named-Clan, or as many now know them, Clan Wolverine had been destroyed by the Clans around the same time the Minnesota Tribe had arrived in the Inner Sphere. The origins of the Minnesota Tribe could finally be discovered.

[Daryk]

The producers managed to coopt a Loremaster?  :o

[SulliMike23]

The producers managed to coopt a Loremaster?  :o

Surprise! I wanted this show to be so impartial that they could convince the Clans to allow interviews with their Loremasters.

[DOC_Agren]

The producers managed to coopt a Loremaster?  :o

think of it more like the clanners get to spin the PR their way..  would you rather a Loremaster or Star Commander Bob, whose not a trained speaker telling yourside of the story?

[Daryk]

Surprise! I wanted this show to be so impartial that they could convince the Clans to allow interviews with their Loremasters.

Well done on that score!  :thumbsup:

[SulliMike23]

Although, I’m surprised nobody’s noticed a certain cameo I snuck in.

[Daryk]

It's too close to bedtime to figure it out, but I KNOW you're right...  ^-^

[DOC_Agren]

Although, I’m surprised nobody’s noticed a certain cameo I snuck in.

u mean Tex

[Daryk]

That struck me as more than a cameo appearance, but you could be right...  8)

[mikecj]

Nice work!

[SulliMike23]

[The image of the Wolverine faded as the scene transitioned to Stack on Outreach again.]

Stack: But by this point, the Minnesota Tribe’s connection to the Clans wasn’t made entirely. Some within the occupied zones had already come to the conclusion that the Tribe was related to the Clans in some way. But no one would have expected the true origins of the Clans, Wolf’s Dragoons, and the Minnesota Tribe.

[The scene transitioned to a dramatization of the infamous meeting on Outreach between Wolf’s Dragoons and the leaders of the Inner Sphere. With different actors portraying such big names like Hanse Davion, Theodore Kurita, Victor Steiner-Davion, Galen Cox, Sun-Tsu Liao, and more as Stack continued.]

Stack: As it turned out, Wolf’s Dragoons were a forward scouting party sent by Clan Wolf to assess the battle-readiness of the Successor States and their combat capabilities. But nothing would prepare the Inner Sphere for the most shocking connection between all 3 groups.

[As he finished, the actress portraying Romano Liao spoke up.]

Romano actress: You forget, Colonel Wolf, that when the Star League collapsed, General Aleksandr Kerensky led away nearly the whole Star League army beyond the Periphery. They're out there. They have been waiting all this time, waiting for the day mankind would again need their help. They will come and they will save us from the Clans.

[Jaime Wolf’s actor sighed in frustration.]

Jaime Wolf: Lady Romano, have you heard nothing I've said? Don't you see? Kerensky's people have returned. They ARE the Clans.

[He looked imploringly at her as he said that. When he finished, the shock was evident as the entire hall erupted into murmurs. The dramatization ends as an image of the Clan’s 6 star emblem is seen next to the Star League’s emblem as Stack narrates.]

Stack: The Clans, the very marauders from beyond the Periphery, were in fact the descendants of Alexandr Kerensky’s Star League army that went into self-imposed exile in 2784.

[The camera switched to Tex as he was interviewed again.]

Tex: To say that the leaders of the Successor States were shocked at this revelation would be an understatement. Ever since the end of the First Succession War, many people had the hope that Kerensky’s army would one day return to establish some kind of order of solidarity. But I don’t think anyone had something like what the Clans had in mind. But the fact that the very image that gave the Minnesota Tribe it’s name, may have been in fact the emblem of the very SLDF unit that left with Kerensky spoke volumes after Jaime Wolf’s revelation.

[The camera switched to the Minnesota Tribe’s emblem as he spoke about them.]

Tex: But it brought another new question concerning them. If they were the 331st Royal Battlemech Division, why did they leave the rest of the SLDF-in-Exile? It wasn’t until the actual history of the Clans became public knowledge that historians, myself included, began to piece things together.

[A map of Clan space is shown with the focus being on the five Pentagon Worlds as Tex continues.]

Tex: It all began in the Pentagon worlds after the SLDF fleet managed to find them and start a new home for themselves, that’s when things began to go wrong.

[The map of Clan space fades to Stack standing on Outreach again.]

Stack: With the history of the Clans now public knowledge, historians and some archeologists who have been studying the Minnesota Tribe had begun to piece together the chain of events that led the Tribe’s arrival in the Inner Sphere. It’s a series of betrayals, differences in ideologies, and war. When we come back, a look into Clan Wolverine’s history before their annihilation.

TBC in Part 3.

[Daryk]

Another excellent entry!  :thumbsup:

[SulliMike23]

Part 3

[After the bumper and the commercial break, the camera transitions to images of Circe in the Pentagon Worlds with our host, Robert Stack X narrating.]

Stack: Circe, the Pentagon Worlds, Clan Space, July 2821.

[Images of artist interpretations of Operation Klondike are shown with sounds of battle in the background play as Stack continues.]

Stack: Operation Klondike had been underway for nearly 4 months. The fighting was intense on both sides as Nicholas Kerensky’s Clan forces had defeated one micro-nation after another.

[An image of a Clan Snow Raven Exterminator is shown firing at a rebel Phoenix Hawk before it transitions to Robert Stack X strolling in front of the very museum that contained the MadCat that was seen earlier.]

Stack: The war began not long after Alexandr Kerensky’s people had discovered the Pentagon Worlds. Despite leaving the Inner Sphere to prevent the remnants of the SLDF from being used in the First Succession War, the remnants of the SLDF began fighting amongst themselves based on patriotism from their former nations. Shortly after it started the Great General himself died of a heart attack, forcing his eldest son, Nicholas to lead all SLDF loyalists on another exodus to Strana Mechty, the very capital of the Clans.

[A map of Clan Space is shown with Strana Mechty being focused on. Randolph P. Checkers AKA: Tex narrates from here.]

Tex: Despite the death of his father, and the fact that he hadn’t officially been part of the SLDF during the Amaris Civil War, Kerensky’s loyalist forces had rallied around Nicholas because he took it upon himself to lead them away from the fighting.

[The camera shifts to Tex for his interview.]

Tex: He felt that with his father gone, the rest of what loyal SLDF forces remained would follow him into another exodus, and they did. So he and the rest of the SLDF had slowly begun to transition into what we would all know as the Clans. I’m sure even the Clans would admit that the transition from what they once were to what they are now was a slow and painful process with some people not agreeing to what Nicholas was proposing, but after all was said and done the twenty Clans we all know were formed and ready to return to the Pentagon Worlds by 2821.

[The map is shown again as it slowly panned towards the Pentagon Worlds again. This time Loremaster Trina Magnussun takes over narration.]

Magnussun: Operation Klondike was simple in it’s implementation; however, even we among the Clans know, first-hand, that not every plan survives first contact with the enemy. When Khan Absalom Truscott planned the operation, there had been those among the other Khans who had some doubts, our first Khans included. However, once the fighting began everyone, by that point, knew that the only way it would stop would be if the rebels surrendered or were completely destroyed.

[More images of Operation Klondike from artist interpretations of it are shown as Magnussun continues.]

Magnussun: When the Not-Named-Clan, however, was continuing their campaign on Circe, their Khan had decided to forgo Zelbrigen and started using old SLDF tactics against the rebels. That was the first sign of their path to being dezgra.

[An image of Khan Sarah McEvedy is shown on screen as Tex continues the interview.]

Tex: Khan Sarah McEvedy, in my opinion, felt that her Clan following Nicholas’ strict rules of conduct wasn’t getting them anywhere; so by switching tactics, she ensured her Clan would achieve victory much faster. Unfortunately, Nicholas Kerensky called her out on it during the campaign and chastised her for it.

[The camera switches to Tex]

Tex: But that, unfortunately was just the beginning of her and her Clan’s troubles. Things got worse AFTER Operation Klondike.

[Images of artist interpretations of Clan Wolverine’s people are shown as Stack narrates.]

Stack: Indeed, after Operation Klondike had ended and the Pentagon Worlds had been secured, Sarah McEvedy had begun to implement some new methods into her Clan that other Clans did not share any love for. Such as the migration of people between castes.

[The camera switches to a new person, this one a woman with long, dark brown hair and green eyes. The name for her read Dr. Catherine Kowalski, author: “Psychology of the Clans”.]

Kowalski: As we all know, the Clans are divided into their five castes, the Laborers, the Merchants, the Scientists, the Technicians, and the Warriors. Every member of each caste is assigned to their respective caste for the rest of their lives, with no means of rising through those said castes any further. But because Sarah McEvedy had loosened those restrictions in her Clan, some of her warriors actually stepped down from being warriors to join some of these other castes and vise-versa.

[An image of a bulky Clan warrior lifting a crate with the help of a Clan Laborer is shown from an artist’s interpretation as Kowalski continues.]

Kowalski: This allowed her Clan to be more flexible in their day-to-day operations and improve their economy, the development and manufacturing of new weapons, and it allowed her to see the perspective of each caste so that they could all work together to improve their lives. It’s no wonder that some of the other Clans had started to grow jealous of their progress.

[An image of a Clan Widowmaker warrior was glaring at a Clan Wolverine warrior as they were on Strana Mechty through another artist’s interpretation. Tex continued from his interview.]

Tex: Because she had disobeyed to follow the strict caste system and rules that Nicholas Kerensky had enforced on the Clans, some of the other Clans were starting to have doubts of their own about how they were going to continue. Some, however, had begun to plot against the Wolverines in order to either see them taken down a peg, or destroyed.

[An artist’s interpretation of a Clan Wolverine star facing a Clan Jade Falcon star is shown as Stack narrates. As he does so, more images of Clan Wolverine mechs facing mechs from the other Clans are shown.]

Stack: Clan Wolverine began to suffer trial after trial from the other Clans. Everything from trials of possession for materials, to trials of grievances or refusals to either bar Clan Wolverine from certain topics or correct supposed insults. It had become clear to Sarah, that her Clan was being singled out.

[A dramatization of a Brian Cache being opened by Clan Wolverine technicians is shown on screen as Stack narrates.]

Stack: Then came the fateful day when a Brian Cache on Circe was discovered. Among the cache’s contents included several nuclear weapons.

[As the dramatization ends, Tex continues the interview.]

Tex: The discovery of the cache was sort of what sealed Clan Wolverine’s fate. The Grand Council of the Clans then decided to begin a few trials to distribute the cache amongst themselves, despite McEvedy’s protests. After a trial with Clan Jade Falcon, that’s when Sarah came to the Grand Council Chambers to declare her Clan independent.

[A dramatization of the confrontation between the other Khans and Sarah McEvedy is shown.]

Nicholas Kerensky actor: My honorable friend, the Khan from Clan Wolverine, continues to ignore the decisions of this body as verified by the recent Trial. I do not care that the cache is of the 331st Royal Division, her father's command. This body is agreed that the caches are a resource belonging to the Clans as a whole. In the old order, her paternal loyalty would be commended, but this not the old order. We are the Clans. We stand on our own merits, not those of our ancestors.

Sarah McEvedy actress: Except you.

[This stops Kerensky short as he glares at McEvedy.]

Kerensky: I beg your pardon?

McEvedy: I said, except you. You seem perfectly happy to bask in your father's achievements. He was a visionary who sought justice and peace for all. You seek control.

[The actor portraying Mitchell Loris looks at her pleadingly.]

Mitchell Loris actor [Khan of Clan Mongoose]: Khan McEvedy, you go too far.

[She turns to him frowning before turning her attention to the other Khans.]

McEvedy: Do I? I know many of you in this chamber found our ilKhan's actions to secure control of the Pentagon population offensive. The Star League did not believe in torture and brutality. Those are the tools of power hungry madmen. Is that what you have become, Nicholas Kerensky? A power hungry madman?

[Raised voices from all parties as the actor portraying Nicholas raises his hand.]

Kerensky: SILENCE! McEvedy, Khan of Clan Wolverine, I, Nicholas Kerensky, ilKhan of the Clans, do call for a Trial of Grievance. By our law, you may...

McEvedy: Hang your laws. Does the truth hurt so much, Nicholas?

[Her words stun the other Khans as her words cause more murmuring. Kerensky’s actor then acts as though he is trying to defuse the situation.]

Kerensky: Fellow Khans, our colleague is clearly overwrought. I call for a vote of censure. Loremaster Ward, please...

[McEvedy’s actress again interrupts him, getting ready to leave the chamber.]

McEvedy: Don't bother, Nicholas. I'll leave. In fact, we'll all leave. Clan Wolverine no longer recognizes the authority of the ilKhan or the Grand Council. From this point forward, we are an independent power. We decide our own fate, fairly and according to the morals and standards of the Star League.

[Kerensky’s actor looks at her in anger, unbelieving that this was happening.]

Kerensky: You cannot do this.

McEvedy: I can and I have.

[McEvedy’s actress moves to leave. But not before the actor portraying Kerensky turns to the guards while pointing at her.]

Kerensky: Arrest her!

[As the guards go to do so, McEvedy’s actress draws her pistol and points at Nicholas Kerensky’s actor; the Khans and security guards back off. A detachment of Wolverine troops arrives pointing their weapons at the guards, forcing them to back off even further, allowing McEvedy’s actress to back away towards the doors.]

McEvedy: If you want to face us, fine. But we will not hold back. Prepare to reap the whirlwind.

[With that McEvedy’s storms out, her troops slam the doors shut, and with a resigned look on his face, the actor portraying Nicholas Kerensky turns towards the other Khans.]

Kerensky: My Khans, we face a serious decision...

[SulliMike23]

OOPS! Can someone delete that double-post please?

[Daryk]

Try the "Report to Moderator" button... :)

[ActionButler]

Done and done