Might want to check that; Zalman was dead for several years before that point. IIRC (and I'd have to go digging) it was following the Helions nomnination of Marthe Pryde as ilKhan. She refused the nomination and called the prceeddigns a farce (and mocked the Helions in the process)
Could be. I can't find it in a quick scan of my books, may go digging later.
As for the Hellions, they arrived in the Sphere in bad shape and attacked without a plan, getting them even more pasted. Looks more like they (along with the Hell's Horses, Diamond Sharks, and Snow Ravens, though those were more successful in setting up shop) got drop-kicked out of the Homeworlds and did their best to survive in a hostile situation.
EDIT: OK, have gone through JHS: 3070 and found the puported log of the
Kurultai. The nominees were Marthe Pryde (refused to stand), Garrett Sainze (Fire Mandrill) and Stanislov N'buta (Star Adder). I think I have gotten that meeting mixed up with a later log from '72 or '76, and I don't remember where I'm getting the Steel Viper ilKhan from either.
Zalman was killed in '61 (FM: U), so unless there was movement in the interim, the Viper Khans were Brett and Danielle Andrews.