From the onset of Operation REVIVAL through to the outbreak of the Wars of Reaving, it was possible for the Khans of the Invading Clans to "phone in" remotely to Clan Grand Council meetings back on Strana Mechty.
In principle, the establishment of an HPG relay from the Empire proper to the Chaine Cluster could allow for a similar long-range line of communication, but in reverse: from Braunschweig through to Terra, depending on what kind of progress the Sea Foxes make on restoring the Inner Sphere and near Periphery HPG network.
To this point, I've been wondering if such a thing might lead to direct negotiations between the Empire's leadership and Alaric Ward himself - perhaps in parallel with any other Clan Khans on the new would-be Star League's Council - to determine whether or not Clan Goliath Scorpion would be "un-Abjured" at least, or perhaps granted a place on the Council at most.
But then, the zarKhan is in no hurry to accede to the authority of an IlClan - and given Alaric's antics in Dominions Divided, it's as yet unclear as to what (if any) favourable terms the IlKhan might be willing to offer the Scorpion Empire at any rate.
So, here's a thought... what if the Scorpions were to open side negotiations with the Hell's Horses?
On the one hand, that might be a handy means of increasing the number of QuadVee-using factions from one to two. On the other hand, perhaps the Horses might welcome a source of functional HPGs which was something other than Clan Sea Fox. And if the first round of negotiations with Alaric were to fall through, the Horse OZ might serve as a useful barrier... at least until a further round of negotiations proved more fruitful.
Or to put it another way: perhaps the Scorpion leadership would be best served by keeping its options open, by opening negotiations with Alaric on the one hand, and with the Horse Khans on the other?
