Clan Nova Cat - Zombie Catgirl Extravaganza

[Istal_Devalis]

To "win" they'd have needed to occupy Luthien, execute the Kurita family and install a government I'd have been down with that. Problem as you said it just doesn't work in the Grand scheme of things if it were pre Jihad with the Nova Cat navy maybe, shame they didn't win the Leviathan it would have made a nice Ark

They already had the Kurita family in their pocket. They had the legit heir and his mother on their side. They were actually the LOYALISTS in this escapade. The issue ended up being (as they wrote it) they lacked popular support and no one rallied to them. Heck, their oathmaster was also in the line of succession, even if he publicly renounced it.

All in all, I agree with Tassa. It was a waste of a good plot thread, and to me seemed more of an expedient way to get rid of something they didnt want to touch on anymore.

[Dragon Cat]

I wonder if Kisho ends the same way as a "legend" thus securing his spot in that book, his Mech was found, not saying he couldn't have another

[Geg]

I wonder if Kisho ends the same way as a "legend" thus securing his spot in that book, his Mech was found, not saying he couldn't have another

Then why land him in the ilClan section vs. the Dark Age section.

[Dragon Cat]

Then why land him in the ilClan section vs. the Dark Age section.

That's a good point

[parable]

Then why land him in the ilClan section vs. the Dark Age section.

Honestly?  It feels like padding.  It feels like they haven't developed the era and so they're throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks.  They have their overarching story but are struggling to piece together the actual organic bits and pieces that make up a historic event.  At least, that's how it feels to me.

[Rncavenger]

They already had the Kurita family in their pocket. They had the legit heir and his mother on their side. They were actually the LOYALISTS in this escapade. The issue ended up being (as they wrote it) they lacked popular support and no one rallied to them. Heck, their oathmaster was also in the line of succession, even if he publicly renounced it.

All in all, I agree with Tassa. It was a waste of a good plot thread, and to me seemed more of an expedient way to get rid of something they didnt want to touch on anymore.

I am surprised why noble samurai with hypertrophied notions of honor did not open their bellies by supporting a rootless bastard in the war and not the rightful heir to the throne. That's all you need to know about Kurita's "honor".
Apparently, the TPTB goal was simply to destroy Nova Cats without really bothering with the logic of what is happening.

[Jellico]

The ruling Kurita line was compromised by Theodore's innovation. You need to look back to the historical management of Japanese Emperors. Ideally you puppet them. In this case the Black Dragons finally won.

If TPTB wanted the Nova Cats dead they would be. They provided an out with the Spirit Cats, who then got actual Irece Prefecture Nova Cat refugees. The Kishi option has been reinforced over the past decade so there are now thousands of them and offers an option if the Spirit Cat situation in Empire Alone goes bad.
Some Nova Cat players bemoan the lack of a patron. Look at the Taurians, or Outworlds Alliance, or Rasalhague Dominion, or the half of Sea Fox not associated with Julian Davion, the Wolves, or the Spirit Cats.That is what the lack of support looks like. Stasis for a decade or more. You got a character in Legends. You are relevant. That is more than many could say.

[Rncavenger]

Can you please name at least one Nova Cats cluster at the time of the uprising?
How many clusters did they have in total?
How many galaxies did Nova Cats have at the time of the uprising?
Where did their entire merchant fleet go?
Do Spirit Cats or Nova Cats in CP have Sib groups?
And the trials for Blood Names?

We don't know the basic information for the faction. Only theories.

[Dragon Cat]

The ruling Kurita line was compromised by Theodore's innovation. You need to look back to the historical management of Japanese Emperors. Ideally you puppet them. In this case the Black Dragons finally won.

If TPTB wanted the Nova Cats dead they would be. They provided an out with the Spirit Cats, who then got actual Irece Prefecture Nova Cat refugees. The Kishi option has been reinforced over the past decade so there are now thousands of them and offers an option if the Spirit Cat situation in Empire Alone goes bad.
Some Nova Cat players bemoan the lack of a patron. Look at the Taurians, or Outworlds Alliance, or Rasalhague Dominion, or the half of Sea Fox not associated with Julian Davion, the Wolves, or the Spirit Cats.That is what the lack of support looks like. Stasis for a decade or more. You got a character in Legends. You are relevant. That is more than many could say.

+1 I think there's more to come, BattleTech mysteries and secrets have a way of coming back and causing a bit of a stir.

I like the idea of thousands with Kisho ;)

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

Can you please name at least one Nova Cats cluster at the time of the uprising?

I believe 1 or 2 were mentioned in the 3145 TROs.

How many clusters did they have in total?
How many galaxies did Nova Cats have at the time of the uprising?

At least 12 Clusters spread over 4 Galaxies. You had the 3 Galaxies of Cats from the Clix Game (Alpha, Tau, and Xi Provisional), and there was a fourth galaxy mentioned in the Kurita 3145 Tro. Shitara also had a Garrison Galaxy.

Where did their entire merchant fleet go?

Presumably genocided by the Combine and assimilated.

Do Spirit Cats or Nova Cats in CP have Sib groups?

Yes. In To Ride the Chimera, Julietta Marik is walking in the Dormuth, Marik, in the Clan Headquarters, and sees large groups of children running around with sibko instructors. She wonders to herself where all these kids and civilians came from. The Spirit Cats certainly brought more than just warriors to Marik.

And the trials for Blood Names?

Sariah Vozka was not bloodnamed during the Clix game yet has her bloodname in Shrapnel #10. Why Rikkard Nova Cat still doesn't have his is a complete mystery; maybe he is refusing to use his until he is 100% sure all the other Nova Cats are dead.

We don't know the basic information for the faction. Only theories.

I have said before and agree that the Spirit Cats in the Clan Protectorate could be a great source for a novel about how a society that survives genocide can rebuild, and all the various questions that involves can be examined. But write now TPTB seem interested in settling all the major factions first.

[Rncavenger]

I believe 1 or 2 were mentioned in the 3145 TROs.

No. Only galaxies are mentioned.

At least 12 Clusters spread over 4 Galaxies. You had the 3 Galaxies of Cats from the Clix Game (Alpha, Tau, and Xi Provisional), and there was a fourth galaxy mentioned in the Kurita 3145 Tro. Shitara also had a Garrison Galaxy.

Yes, but nowhere is it said directly. Maybe four, maybe six. This is what I meant when I wrote about theories.

Presumably genocided by the Combine and assimilated.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Kisho and his survivors flew away on something.

Yes. In To Ride the Chimera, Julietta Marik is walking in the Dormuth, Marik, in the Clan Headquarters, and sees large groups of children running around with sibko instructors. She wonders to herself where all these kids and civilians came from. The Spirit Cats certainly brought more than just warriors to Marik.

The novel takes place a year after the conquest of Marik. These are sib groups from Republican enclaves.

Sariah Vozka was not bloodnamed during the Clix game yet has her bloodname in Shrapnel #10. Why Rikkard Nova Cat still doesn't have his is a complete mystery; maybe he is refusing to use his until he is 100% sure all the other Nova Cats are dead.

She had six years to get a Blood Name from the time of the Clix Game to the destruction of the clan Nova Cats . What's going on now?

I have said before and agree that the Spirit Cats in the Clan Protectorate could be a great source for a novel about how a society that survives genocide can rebuild, and all the various questions that involves can be examined. But write now TPTB seem interested in settling all the major factions first.

 А novel would be great. But to begin with, it would be nice to have at least some information the size of a page or two. Because at the moment Spirit Cats played a deeply episodic and secondary role in comparison with Sea Foxes in the "Empire Alone". Without details about the internal structure. At the same time, the role of Spirit Cats in the foundation and functioning of the  Clan Protectorate is gradually greatly diminished. It turns out that Lady Juliet was allegedly cured by Sea Foxes ("Hunting Season").
About Nova Cats, there is nothing new at all in ten years except for one paragraph in the "Legends". And even a simple mention is an extremely rare phenomenon. When the warlord Toranaga remembers his life, he does not even remember about some kind of rebellion and genocide. Before the conquest of Avalon, in his opinion, he was not particularly noted for anything, except that he drove some gangs of raiders on the borders of the Syndicate. It's in "Damocles Sanction". Those who dreamed of what kind of revenge can forget about it. Bhatia died of old age, and Toranaga did not even remember about some Nova Cats before his death. And there were so many theories.... Or, for example, the paladin Tirina Drummond, who died on Terra. Do you think there is at least one mention that she is a Nova Cat in new books. In the books of the Clix game era, this was emphasized. There are no words at all in the new ones.
 And all this would be complete whining if not for one simple fact. When other factions were destroyed, they received separate books and whole series of books, or at least actively featured in sourcebooks, such as the "Wars of Reaving". Nova Cats were destroyed in one page in the Era Report. Without details. Can you name another faction with the same fate? Moreover, Nova Cats are far from the last faction in terms of the number of fans. And this is surprising.

[Rncavenger]

As expected, there is absolutely nothing in Dominion Divided about Nova cats and Kisho

[Dragon Cat]

As expected, there is absolutely nothing in Dominion Divided about Nova cats and Kisho

Ooooo it's out ;)

[WONC]

As expected, there is absolutely nothing in Dominion Divided about Nova cats and Kisho

Doesn't break my heart too much. Any opportunity to read about the Dracs and the Bears getting their butts kicked is a good one.

[Jellico]

As expected, there is absolutely nothing in Dominion Divided about Nova cats and Kisho

I mean why should there be? There were no Dracs or Bears in Empire Alone.

[Rncavenger]

I mean why should there be? There were no Dracs or Bears in Empire Alone.

Some assumed that there would be Kisho with the company. Since he has nothing to do with the Protectorate and ran away towards the Periphery. And since he is the only character from the "Legends" who has not yet appeared in the Ilklan Era. I had no doubt that we would definitely not see Nova Cats there. This is the finest hour of Bears, about which literally half of the book. And at least Davions.
The Cats (both Spirit and Nova) have their cameo role in the "Empire Alone" and that's enough for them. Their fans don't deserve more.

[Dragon Cat]

Some assumed that there would be Kisho with the company. Since he has nothing to do with the Protectorate and ran away towards the Periphery. And since he is the only character from the "Legends" who has not yet appeared in the Ilklan Era. I had no doubt that we would definitely not see Nova Cats there. This is the finest hour of Bears, about which literally half of the book and at least Davions.
The Cats (both Spirit and Nova) have their cameo role in the "Empire Alone" and that's enough for them. Their fans don't deserve more.

Patience is a virtue, our time will come

[cmerwin]

Patience is a virtue, our time will come

As a devoted Nova Cat, I really really want to believe this. I've spent the last six months trying to go back through every reference I can find canonically to our beloved Clan.


Part of me wants to remain optimistic that the Nova Cats will have our time in the lore again. There's a huge fan base, a big lingering mystery about where Kisho took the Nova Cats, the refugees in the Clan Protectorate, and the Clan has a long interesting history in the BT franchise outside of the "Big Four" Clans.

As a fan, I can imagine all sorts of cool possibilities. Somewhere spinward in the Deep Periphery? Did we meet up with the Michigan Tribe who remembered Khan Rosse defending Khan McEvedy? Or maybe the Fidelis repaid the debt they owe us and gave us a safe place to hide? Heck, maybe we became some ultra-secret unit in the DCMS like the Izanagi Warriors?

I can think of so many scenarios that fit the rich possibilities that we have always been given about the Nova Cats.

But then I feel jaded and think: the Nova Cats have never been given prominence in cannon: we are always side-characters. The Nova Cats are always the "second best" clan, who despite their skill and "visions", never actually achieve any success. And then I worry that for the writers, Clan Nova Cat is a "best-supporting actor in a historical sci-fi military drama," and - in fact - our time won't actually ever come. We're not one of the Big Four and we've been written out.


I hope I am wrong. The Nova Cats have so much potential storywise. And I don't want to believe that we've been written out, even if I am afraid that maybe we have.

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

The novel takes place a year after the conquest of Marik. These are sib groups from Republican enclaves.

You asked if there were sibkos. There were. If you're asking if there are recently decanted sibkos of trueborns or freeborns, we don't know. We do know the Spirit Cats are training tons of freeborns, and apparently have an expanding warrior caste given that they had warriors in the Beta Striker Cluster.

А novel would be great. But to begin with, it would be nice to have at least some information the size of a page or two. Because at the moment Spirit Cats played a deeply episodic and secondary role in comparison with Sea Foxes in the "Empire Alone". Without details about the internal structure. At the same time, the role of Spirit Cats in the foundation and functioning of the  Clan Protectorate is gradually greatly diminished. It turns out that Lady Juliet was allegedly cured by Sea Foxes ("Hunting Season").

Could easily be an in-universe bias or unreliable narrator. Empire Alone opened up with Rikkard and Julietta there, so it was nice they got some fiction time.

About Nova Cats, there is nothing new at all in ten years except for one paragraph in the "Legends". And even a simple mention is an extremely rare phenomenon. When the warlord Toranaga remembers his life, he does not even remember about some kind of rebellion and genocide. Before the conquest of Avalon, in his opinion, he was not particularly noted for anything, except that he drove some gangs of raiders on the borders of the Syndicate. It's in "Damocles Sanction". Those who dreamed of what kind of revenge can forget about it. Bhatia died of old age, and Toranaga did not even remember about some Nova Cats before his death. And there were so many theories.... Or, for example, the paladin Tirina Drummond, who died on Terra. Do you think there is at least one mention that she is a Nova Cat in new books. In the books of the Clix game era, this was emphasized. There are no words at all in the new ones.
 And all this would be complete whining if not for one simple fact. When other factions were destroyed, they received separate books and whole series of books, or at least actively featured in sourcebooks, such as the "Wars of Reaving". Nova Cats were destroyed in one page in the Era Report. Without details. Can you name another faction with the same fate? Moreover, Nova Cats are far from the last faction in terms of the number of fans. And this is surprising.

The Nova Cats got bits and pieces in the TROs from what I remember, that's how we learned about the Shitara Provisional Galaxy for instance, or Nova Cats who escaped the genocide getting to the Protectorate.

I do wonder why TPTB are so intent on giving Falcons and Wolves just so many books while others, even major factions like Marik get the dregs. Perhaps laying out a multi-year plan where each year each faction gets a book, and certain subfactions get books in a rotating pattern would be better to guarantee interest.

I do think IlKhan Eye's Only is where Kisho will appear. We'll have to wait and see.

[Dragon Cat]

Big states doing big things drive stories

Honestly if there were more novels set during the jihad I'm sure the WoB would have a fair share of books of their own (something that could be good Isle of the Blessed is great)

Back on topic the Nova Cats like Marik, the periphery states, the Hella Horses, Sea Fox and Home Clans all play supporting roles they are all interesting factions but if you want a faction that drives the story you want the big 4 Succession States or the big 3 Clans in the current era they all have the territory and firepower to drive a story set in a universe driven by war

To be fair the I can't think of many books set in the Magistracy, Taurian Concordat or Outworlds Alliance and they've been around a helluva lot longer, arguably they all could cary a story or two but they are not going to drive a story alone

[tassa_kay]

I would love to read a Nova Cat novel every bit as much as I'd love to read a Magistracy or Concordat novel (literally tell the story of the New Colony Region becoming the Fronc Reaches in novel form), and I personally hope that we get to see both the return of Kisho and his people and the Nova Cats bringing something unique to the table in the Protectorate (get their mystics out there precogging, damn it, this stuff writes itself!).

[parable]

Big states doing big things drive stories

This feels like a major failing of the writers.  Yes, there need to be big things happening in the overarching narratives, but that is no excuse to ignore the smaller, relatable, human aspect.  There are what--?  Trillions of people in the Inner Sphere, across hundreds of billion-strong and thousands of million-strong planets?  Stopping, taking a moment to dive into the actual on-the-ground realities of unending war à la Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket would be easy, or one could create a series of vignettes illustrating how changing planetary ownership does and doesn't change daily life...It's lazy is what it is.  It reduces human agency to a setpiece and ignores the fact that small states doing small things can have big consequences: just look at the past century...or past year.  I know they want to produce big sweeping changes and wow everyone with cliffhangers of "what'll happen next?" but honestly it just makes the world of Battletech feel sterile and artificial.  (I also have this opinion about a lot of things in-universe--the Clans should not be able to function given what we know about human developmental psych, but I digress)

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

This feels like a major failing of the writers.  Yes, there need to be big things happening in the overarching narratives, but that is no excuse to ignore the smaller, relatable, human aspect.  There are what--?  Trillions of people in the Inner Sphere, across hundreds of billion-strong and thousands of million-strong planets?  Stopping, taking a moment to dive into the actual on-the-ground realities of unending war à la Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket would be easy, or one could create a series of vignettes illustrating how changing planetary ownership does and doesn't change daily life...It's lazy is what it is.  It reduces human agency to a setpiece and ignores the fact that small states doing small things can have big consequences: just look at the past century...or past year.  I know they want to produce big sweeping changes and wow everyone with cliffhangers of "what'll happen next?" but honestly it just makes the world of Battletech feel sterile and artificial.  (I also have this opinion about a lot of things in-universe--the Clans should not be able to function given what we know about human developmental psych, but I digress)

I just want them to stop writing stories about "THE LAST JADE FALCON SOLAHMA LEFT BEHIND WHEN THEY WENT TO TERRA MUST NOW HONORABLY DEFEND PLANET X!!!" Or Clan Wolf.

We've had ;

Redemptions Rites Featuring Clan Wolf leftbehinds
No Substitute for Victory Featuring Left behind Jade Falcons
A Question of Survival Featuring Jade Falcon left behinds
Elements of Treason: Duty Featuring left behind Falcons
And now Lethal Lessons Featuring left behind Wolves

That's not to count all of the Shrapnel stories about Wolves and Falcons (Including one in #11.

No Hell's Horses Novels, no Raven novels, one Sea Fox, one Ghost Bear novel, no Spirit Cat novel.

Oh yeah, and a Clan Invasion Smoke Jaguar novel covering old topics from a new POV.

Give us a Spirit Cat or another Marik novel, please, there can't seriously be this many people clamoring for left-behind Wolves and Falcons. The Spirit Cats at this point have more Clusters of Warriors than either branch of Jade Falcon put together, yet it's 3 novels to SC 0 novels. Hell's Horses have 40 Clusters yet no novels.

[tassa_kay]

FWIW, the Horses are getting a novel soon-ish: the last Elements of Treason book.

And I couldn't agree more with your sentiment.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

You’re not wrong and I don’t want to disagree to be the devils advocate… but at least with the Wolves they were the center point against the RAF and the Falcons for the last decade IRL. I can see a lot of novels about them. Doesn’t excuse the lack of other factions fiction at all.

That being said, while it not be in everyone’s skill set, Shrapnel does accept submissions so theoretically if you want to read about something you can attempt to write about something. I know it’s a process not for everyone but there is an option out there.

However: I am hoping for a new Field Manual circa 3152 or so once all these current books (like Tamar Rising and Dominions Divided) are done because the military sizes of everyone has changed so much including the Clans that it would be nice to see what everyone has.

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

You’re not wrong and I don’t want to disagree to be the devils advocate… but at least with the Wolves they were the center point against the RAF and the Falcons for the last decade IRL. I can see a lot of novels about them. Doesn’t excuse the lack of other factions fiction at all.

I wouldn't mind a ton of novels about the Wolves if they were each, well, novel and unique. But Lethal Lessons sounds like Redemption Rites and No Substitute for Victory only more Wolf-focused. If it was a novel about the IlClan on Terra re-organizing and planning that'd be completely different.

That being said, while it is not in everyone’s skill set, Shrapnel does accept submissions so theoretically if you want to read about something you can attempt to write about something. I know it’s a process not for everyone but there is an option out there.

I actually do have a short Dark Age Spirit Cat story submission waiting to be submitted once they accept/reject my first submission about Dark Age SwordSworn. It's a long process though, I guess Catalyst is stretched thin and can't afford too many reviewers for Shrapnel.

Glad to hear the Hell's Horses are getting a novel though.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

From what I hear there is a long wait list so I’m sorry. Look forward to seeing it though!

[Rncavenger]

I will explain my point of view a little. I understand perfectly well that Nova/Spirit Cats are far from the main players. I'm talking about the fact that Nova Cats is the faction that was practically destroyed somewhere behind the scene and since then we have little information about both the uprising itself and the survivors from it. This is despite the fact that Nova Cats are traditionally included in the top popular clans following the main three.
I'll give you an example. I want to play a scenario game on the rebellion. And if for the forces of the DC I can name forces involved in the war, then for Cats it will be something like "some forces of Nova Cats". Without specifying clusters. Because we just don't know it. And it's actually been ten years.
 It's one thing when you actually have few news about a healthy friend, and quite another when you have few news about a friend who has been lying near death in intensive care for a long time.  And you know very little about what happened to him at all . Do you feel the difference? Fortunately, here we are not talking about a friend from real life :)

[cmerwin]

I will explain my point of view a little. I understand perfectly well that Nova/Spirit Cats are far from the main players. I'm talking about the fact that Nova Cats is the faction that was practically destroyed somewhere behind the scene and since then we have little information about both the uprising itself and the survivors from it. This is despite the fact that Nova Cats are traditionally included in the top popular clans following the main three.
I'll give you an example. I want to play a scenario game on the rebellion. And if for the forces of the DC I can name forces involved in the war, then for Cats it will be something like "some forces of Nova Cats". Without specifying clusters. Because we just don't know it. And it's actually been ten years.
 It's one thing when you actually have few news about a healthy friend, and quite another when you have few news about a friend who has been lying near death in intensive care for a long time.  And you know very little about what happened to him at all . Do you feel the difference? Fortunately, here we are not talking about a friend from real life :)

I like your analogy. It's as if we heard news that a really popular friend was in the hospital, but we heard very little to nothing about how, why, or what happened. Just that they were on life support and no one can give any details.

I do wonder though, if the writers didn't think they were clear enough. I just reread the sections of Field Manual: 3145 and the language is along the lines of "the Nova Cats were wiped off the face of the Inner Sphere" or "From a fighting standpoint, Clan Nova Cat was no more."

Maybe they thought they were clear. But I agree with you and feel a similar frustration. We get nothing about units involved, etc. We were just basically narratively written out.

[Geg]

As expected, there is absolutely nothing in Dominion Divided about Nova cats and Kisho

They mention Irece.  This 100% confirms that the Bears find and repatriate Kisho and the Nova Cats  ;D