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Faction roleplaying thread

Undisclosed Location
Near Periphery

The Blood Spirit JumpShip Boudicca burst into realspace in one of the myriad of unexplored star systems that lay just beyond the borders of the Draconis Combine, a system consisting of a rare binary star pairing and a handful of lifeless, dead planets.  But while the system itself was lifeless, the JumpShip was anything but, as within its man-made confines, a flurry of activity took place.

Within the extravagant (by Clan standards, anyway; Spheroids might call it merely spartan) conference room on the Boudicca, two individuals stood over a table which held but a single item: a time-worn book, bound in cracking leathers, which bore the insignia of Clan Blood Spirit etched into its cover.  The individuals, a man and a woman, both wore somewhat odd attire: the man was clad in the black leathers, carapace, and scarves of a Goliath Scorpion Seeker, and the woman was clad in the form-fitting, ribbed jumpsuit (not to mention the glowing crimson EI "tattoos" that covered her exposed skin) of a Blood Spirit ProtoMechWarrior.

Pavel Kirov and Morgaine McFadden looked up from their quietly-intent discussion as a voice rang out over the JumpShip's intercom: "Jump successful, ilChi McFadden.  We will rendezvous with the touman in the Gravenhage system in seventy-six hours, once we have completed recharge."

Morgaine simply nodded as she turned and pressed a button on the intercom.  "Acknowledged.  McFadden out."  She then pivoted on her heel again to face the Scorpion MechWarrior, her expression even, but somewhat grim as well.  "Seventy-six hours until I see the Inner Sphere for the first, and hopefully the last, time.  It is all quite... exhilarating."

Pavel nodded as he regarded Morgaine with something akin to... affection.  The pair had grown quite close during their mission to discover the hidden sanctum of Colleen Schmitt, founding Khan of Clan Blood Spirit, and though they had already coupled numerous times over the last six months as they raced towards the Inner Sphere, it was clear that his feelings for Morgaine were more than sexual in nature.

For her part, Morgaine continued to regard Pavel evenly, almost impassively, though there was something behind those luminescent jade eyes that wasn't passive in the slightest.  But given the events of the previous year, the woman had much more on her mind than simply her feelings for her fellow warrior and friend.

"You are certain she is the one to speak to?" Pavel asked.  "She has always struck me as somewhat... volatile."

A rare smile asserted itself slowly onto Morgaine's features.  "That she is, but unlike our Khan, she harbors proprietary feelings towards our blessed founder, and has been noted as emulating her to a marked degree.  I feel she would be the more... receptive choice."

Pavel nodded slowly, gravely, his expression somewhat... mournful.  "What will this mean for your Clan, Morgaine?  Could this be the catalyst for yet another Blooding?"  Pavel referred, of course, to the schism between the Isolationist and Annihilist factions that dominated the Spirits' warrior caste, a schism that had nearly been ignited into an all-out civil war due both to the mad Mandrill Khan Bodee Beyl's Doctrines of Purity and the rise and fall of the Blood Avatar that had very nearly saw the madwoman Kira Keller take control of the Clan for herself.

Morgaine was silent for several moments before responding.  "Perhaps, Seeker Kirov.  But given the revelations of recent days... perhaps that is what Clan Blood Spirit needs in the face of what is to come."

Pavel sighed... and then, unbidden, he slid his hand to cover Morgaine's own, even as hers rested lightly on the cover of the book. 

CBSS Balboa
Geosynchronous Orbit, Gravenhage
Draconis Combine

Pavel Kirov and Morgaine McFadden strode into the conference room aboard the missile frigate Balboa, one of the newest additions to the small-but-growing Blood Galaxy, the Blood Spirits' Naval Reserve.  But it was the figure who entered behind them that was unmistakably first: Adrianna Schmitt, saKhan of Clan Blood Spirit, resplendent and imposing in the dress uniform of her Clan, scarlet half-cape and lengthy, golden-blonde hair trailing behind her like banners, and expression as tight and cold as the wall of a glacier.

The Scorpion Seeker took a position at one side of the circular table that occupied the rear half of the large (for a spacecraft) room, and the Spirit ProtoMechWarrior stood at the other side of the table, her expression grim as she set the leatherbound journal of Colleen Schmitt down gently, almost reverently.  As she did so, the saKhan brought herself to a halt, a mere few feet from the table, and placed her hands on her hips almost imperiously, regarding first Morgaine, and then Pavel.

"For both of your sakes, you had better not be wasting my time, Morgaine," Adrianna said evenly, the omission of the woman's rank and Bloodname quite deliberate.  It was clear that the other woman, herself the spitting image in both physical appearance and mental profile to legendary Khan Karianna Schmitt as well as Colleen Schmitt herself, would brook no such thing in this, the hour of the Spirits' campaign against the Draconis Combine.

"I assure you, Khan Schmitt, we are not," said Pavel, before Morgaine could form a reply of her own.

With ths, the beautiful but volatile saKhan snapped her head quickly to the left to regard Pavel, her expression reminding him of one of his Clan's namesakes preparing to strike.  Accordingly, his muscles tensed as Pavel reflexively readied himself, albeit subtly.

"Seeker Kirov," Adrianna said, her every word parsed and even... precise was perhaps the best way to describe it, in fact.  "You are taking quite a liberty with the welcome we have extended to you.  Have a care that you do not exceed the limits of that welcome, quiaff?"  Though her words were threatening, her tone suggested that she wasn't quite ready to burn any bridges... yet.

Pavel, for his part, pointed straightaway at the book which the pair had brought a thousand light-years for her to see.  Adrianna followed his gesture to the book, and regarded it impassively for a moment.  Once she saw the insignia of her Clan etched into the front, she stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and the table that the book rested on, and peered down at it for a long moment before responding.

"I intend no insult to your honor by asking this, Scorpion, but you are absolutely certain that this is not a trick of some sort, quiaff?"  She looked up at Pavel then, her expression unreadable.  "You would stake your life upon it?"

The darkly-clad Scorpion MechWarrior straightened himself to his full height, standing taller even than the statuesque saKhan, who was almost six feet tall exactly.  After regarding her for half a moment, he nodded once, sharply.  "Aff, Khan Schmitt," he replied firmly.

Morgaine extended her hand, which held a datapad, to Adrianna, which the saKhan took a moment later.  "This is the transcribe of the contents of the journal," Morgain stated.  "We did not wish to risk damaging the journal by sifting through pages, so we have flagged the relevant section for your convenience, Khan Schmitt."

Adrianna nodded, but somewhat absently, as she began perusing the text that the ProtoMechWarrior had given to her.  And as she read the words etched in light before her eyes, the passion and intensity that always bubbled and churned within her heart and her mind began to stir.  These were the words of she who had created Clan Blood Spirit: Colleen Schmitt herself, whose blood flowed through Adrianna's veins and infused every fiber of her being with vitality and destiny.  There was precious little, other than words from the Founder himself, that could be more revered in the eyes of this woman.  And for several long seconds, as she perused the text, she exulted in the sense of destiny and rightness that infused her with.

As the seconds ticked by, however, her features began to tighten, and her eyes became half-lidded as she seemed to withdraw into herself, for lack of a better description, and Morgaine tilted her head slightly, regarding the saKhan.  Pavel merely watched her impassively, his eyes giving away nothing.

Adrianna Schmitt looked up, her cobalt-blue eyes spearing Pavel like the kiss of a heavy laser.  "Seeker Pavel Kirov, I know a warrior of your position would never present this... apocrypha to me unless he absolutely believed it to be the truth."  She then flicked her gaze to Morgaine, who continued to regard her Khan with naked concern.  "Nor would you dare to stand at his side and violate all of our protocols if you were not certain of it as well."

Morgaine nodded once, just as sharply as the Scorpion warrior had.  "Aff, my Khan," she said etherally, almost breathlessly.

Adrianna was deadly silent for several long moments.  The tall woman paced slowly around the room, her hands clasped behind her with the datapad still in her grasp, and only stopped once she stood before the viewport of her makeshift office.  And for a moment or two more, she stared down at the planet of Gravenhage, which orbited below the WarShip.  When she spoke, it came much lower in tone. 

"What have we done?"

CBSS Esprit de Corps
Geosynchronous Orbit, Tarnby
Draconis Combine

Khan Helm Church stood on the bridge of the massive WarShip Esprit de Corps, the flagship of the Spirits' growing Naval Reserve, reading over a datapad filled with operational notes regarding the Clan's campaign, such as it was, against the Draconis Combine.  Thus far, his warriors had succeeded in taking Tarnby below, and the saKhan's warriors had successfully taken the world of Gravenhage.  The third item, concerning the bombardment of the world of Schwartz, was the focus of Helm's concern, however.  Though it had pained him to give the order, he felt more than justified in doing so, for these people were so thoroughly infected with the taint of the Not-Named that none of them could be suffered to live.  Their death warrants had been signed, essentially, before they were ever born.

Suddenly, to his right, one of the naval officers manning the communications station looked up at the Khan.  "Khan Church, we are receiving communications from one of our JumpShips at the zenith jump point."

Helm raised an eyebrow, alertness returning to him as he turned to face the officer.  "The Combine?" he asked.  Certainly it was a rapid response... more rapid than he had anticipated.

The officer shook his head.  "Neg, my Khan," he replied.  "It is one of ours.  The JumpShip Boudicca."

Now both of the Khan's eyebrows raised.  If his memory served him, that vessel was assigned to the ilChi that he had assigned to Clan Goliath Scorpion.  Why would it be here, though?  Possibilities began to bubble up in his mind, though first and foremost, he made a note to speak with the ilChi regarding this rather impertinent course of action.

"Sir, I am receiving an incoming communication from the Boudicca," the naval officer said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.  "SaKhan Schmitt is aboard and is demanding to speak with you immediately."

For a moment, the Khan was silent.  Why in the Founder's name would Adrianna risk the timetable of their plan to come to Tarnby?  She knew better than anyone in the Clan that timing was crucial in this campaign.  Only something of monumental importance would cause her to risk disrupting that timetable.

More than that, why was she in the company of the Scorpion ilChi?

"Put her on," Helm said in response.  The naval officer nodded once, sharply, and his fingers danced across his controls as he moved to carry out his Khan's orders.

A few moments later, the rather strident voice of saKhan Schmitt rang through the confines of the bridge, even as her holoimage, scaled perfectly to her actual size, appeared in the holo-emitter built into the forward section.  "Khan Church, it appears we have a great deal to discuss."

There was something in her tone that immediately set Helm on edge... and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  But he showed none of that inner turmoil to her, much less to the warriors on the bridge, who were no doubt intently listening to every word in the exchange.  "Aff, saKhan Schmitt," he replied, subtly reminding her of her place.  "You are still five days out from us at a one-gee burn.  Plenty of time to explain yourself, aff?"

Adrianna hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing her options.  But her words came at the end of that moment, clear and strong.  "I have in my possession the personal journal of Colleen Schmitt.  And there is information contained within that I am honorbound to bring to your attention."  She hesitated again, her expression shifting only slightly before she continued.  "This cannot wait for five days, Khan Church.  You must review this information now, before we proceed any further with this course of action."

Helm said nothing for several long moments, even as every eye on the bridge was on him.  His expression gave nothing away, and his eyes had gone flat and cold.  And as Adrianna watched him through holographic projection, transmitted by HPG from her WarShip to his own, she came to a realization that shocked her almost as much as what she had read in the journal.

The Khan already knew.

"SaKhan, you risk the lives of our warriors by coming here now," he stated.

"Neg," Adrianna replied before he could continue, her voice taking on a much icier tone.  "It is you who risks the lives of our warriors, Khan Church, when you ordered the orbital bombardment of Schwartz.  Is this what we have been reduced to, spilling innocent blood to prosecute an Annihilation that our own founding Khan herself was opposed to?"

At those words, Helm's expression darkened considerably.  His saKhan, whom he believed could be trusted implicitly, had just thrown a gauntlet at his feet... and in the earshot of everyone on his bridge.  It was unthinkable.  It screamed for a response.  Fingers digging into the arms of the command chair, he pushed himself up to a standing position, his eyes boring into the holographic representation of Adrianna Schmitt.  "Are you challenging me, Adrianna?" he asked, not appending her rank OR her Bloodname, to clarify exactly how he felt at that moment in time.

For her part, the saKhan didn't flinch.  Instead, she merely drew herself to her own full height, eyes staring intently across the void at the Khan of Clan Blood Spirit.  "Aff, I most certainly am."  She paused for only a second or two before she continued.  "Khan Helm Church, I challenge you to a Trial of Refusal.  A Refusal of your very existence.  You are anathema to our Clan and to our way of life, and by ordering the orbital bombardment of civilian targets on Schwartz, you have thrown us over the abyss into destruction.  So I challenge you to a Trial of Refusal of your ways, your life, your Khanship, and your very soul."

Adrianna leaned forward slightly, her expression twisted into a rictus of anger.  "I have not secured this transmission, Khan Church, so know that it is being received by every vessel in our fleet.  All will know of your shame, and of the justice that I will be bringing to salvage what is left of our honor."

Her eyes narrowed.  Helm's did as well.  The warriors on the bridge merely watched the exchange with naked interest, but said nothing.  Glancing down at the communications officer, Helm was startled when the man nodded again, sharply, indicating that the saKhan's communication was indeed being transmitted to all of Blood Galaxy.  And even as his mind reeled with the revelations of the past few minutes, anger began to seep through the cracks in the Khan's iron self-control.  This could undo everything.

"With what will you defend?"

CBSS Esprit de Corps
Geosynchronous Orbit, Tarnby
Draconis Combine

On the largest grav deck of Clan Blood Spirit's flagship, a rather unique gathering was taking place.

A group of Blood Spirit MechWarriors, Elementals, and aerospace pilots, all attired in their field uniforms with naught but insignia to differentiate them, stood in a perfect circle emcompassing a large area in the middle of the grav deck.  These warriors had formed a Circle of Equals for the two individuals which would today decide the fate of their Clan.

Khan Helm Church stood almost haughtily at one end of the circle, having stripped down to the small shirt and briefs of a MechWarrior, and watched his opponent with superior but alert eyes.  The opponent in question, saKhan Adrianna Schmitt, was attired almost identically, her lengthy golden hair having been woven into a tight braid which streamed nearly to her waist, and her cold blue eyes fixated on Helm not unlike the eyes of a predator watching its prey.  

Both warriors had but a single weapon in their hands: gravity knives, perfectly balanced for throwing as well as large enough to serve as effective close-quarters weapons.  It had been Helm's choice to fight in hand-to-hand combat, for he knew that Adrianna was his superior at the controls of their identical, preferred Blood Kite assault 'Mechs, but he was reasonably confident that he could best her in an "augmented" trial using knives.  He had been rated one of the best in the Clan with edged weaponry since his sibko days, and he had no doubt that it would serve him well for the Trial to come.

However, though he would not show a hint of it to any of his people, he was deeply disturbed by his saKhan's abrupt shift in attitude to his orders, and though he considered her words and her challenge carefully, he could not understand her mindset.  The Not-Named were unquestionably the enemies of the Clans, and the Founder himself had mandated their total eradication.  What Clan warrior would not move heaven and earth itself to carry out that Annihilation?  What Clan warrior would so openly go against the wishes of the Founder?  It was unfathomable.

It was crying out for an answer.

"Why, Adrianna?" Helm asked, causing the woman to tense just enough for Helm to notice her doing so, which in turn caused him to reflexively shift his own weight to the balls of his feet.  "Why have you threatened everything we have worked for?  Why would you betray the Founder?"

Adrianna was silent but for a moment or two, but when she spoke, her words came full of venom.  "I have betrayed no one, Helm," she said, omitting his title as he had her own, a blatant move of disrespect.  "It is you who has betrayed everything that makes us Clan, by threatening your own people with Reaving and by using the same tactics that led to the destruction of the Jaguar."

Crouching back slightly, she curled her lip in a snarl.  "I will not allow you to destroy our people.  I will destroy you before that happens."

To her surprise and disgust, Helm actually barked a round of derisive laughter.  "You foolish child," he said with amusement, lip curling up in a fierce grin.  "Your words prove that you do not have the qualities necessary to lead.  A mistake I will now rectify."

And to Helm's own surprise, Adrianna laughed in turn, a melodious sound that dripped with malice.  She lowered the hand which bore the knife to her side and behind her, and raised her free hand in a beckoning gesture.  "Then come, my Khan," she said lightly.  "Let us see what is inside."

Even as Adrianna uttered the last word of her challenge, Helm lunged forward, using his powerful musculature to propel himself towards Adrianna.  It was his intention to close the distance between the two of them before she could properly defend herself, and his mind had already prioritized the areas on her body which would make the choicest targets, to deliver the killing stroke.

But it was not to be.

As Helm moved forward, Adrianna suddenly extended her weapon arm to its fullest extent in less than a second, launching the knife from her hand with almost blinding speed.  The Khan had managed to cover five strides' worth of distance between the two of them before the blade of her knife tore into the soft flesh of his throat, narrowly missing his jugular but embedding itself into his windpipe.  But as the sound of metal burying itself into flesh was drowned out by the sharp cry of pain that emerged from the Khan's now-severed throat, that cry was quickly silenced, and the Khan sunk to his knees even as his hands went up to remove the blade.

Standing again to her full height, her body already beginning to drain of the immediate tension that had built up, Adrianna strode forward slowly, almost languidly, and regarded the fallen Khan with half-lidded eyes.  She stepped around him and to his back, thrusting her knee into his back savagely even as she grabbed a handful of his hair with an iron grip, causing him to drop the knife he held in his hands and cough out a surprising amount of blood onto the deck.  Reaching down to take the knife in her hand, she held the tip of the blade to the back of Helm's neck, at the base of his spinal column.

"I grant you an honorable death, Helm Church.  Take solace in that, for it is more than you deserve."

And with that, Adrianna Schmitt, who would be confirmed as Khan via an emergency kurultai of the Clan Council less than an hour later still covered in the blood of the former Khan, slid the blade home until it had disappeared to the hilt.

CBSS Esprit de Corps
Nadir Jump Point, Tarnby System
Blood Spirit Occupation Zone

Upon the same grav deck with which she had fought (and slain) Helm Church, Khan Adrianna Schmitt once more stood amongst her gathered people, whether in the flesh aboard the flagship of Clan Blood Spirit, or in holographic form originating anywhere from the newly-conquered worlds of the Dragon to the homeworld of York herself.  And for such an august occasion, all assembled Spirits wore their dress uniforms; even with events occurring so rapidly within the Clan in recent days, honor and tradition must be upheld.  Or perhaps, it was denial.  Denial or tradition, the Spirits were still Clan, and they assembled before their Khan despite the shocking events that rocked each member to their very core.  They followed the True Path, which demanded no less.

Loremaster Bayle Campbell, clad in the red and black robes of his office and bearing a gold-plated staff with a fist-sized, inset ruby set within, his sunken eyes gleaming with fanaticism.  Alpha Galaxy Commander Jesse Keller, leader of the Isolationist faction and ultra-conservative views.  Omega Galaxy Commander Megghan Boques, leader of the Annihilist faction and staunch hater of all that was not Blood Spirit.  Beta Galaxy Commander Oliver Schmitt, fresh-faced and handsome supporter of Adrianna during her rapid rise to the position of saKhan.  Kappa Galaxy Commander Tanica Campbell, close friend of the former Khan and staunch supporter of the Pilgrim movement.  Omicron Galaxy Commander Josh Kemp, one of the Loremaster's most vehement supporters.  Sigma Galaxy Commander Virgil Keller, on distant Foster, de facto leader of a pro-Mandrill faction within his Galaxy and the people of Foster.  Tau Galaxy Commander Amerlin Johns, Christian warrior and veteran of the seemingly-long-ago Battle of Butler.  Upsilon Galaxy Commander Hunter Lewis, aggressive and heroic up-and-comer.  Star Admiral Brean McFadden, commander of Blood Galaxy and a man who knew his days were numbered.

Other movers-and-shakers among the Spirits were present for this virtual kurultai as well: Mandrill ilChi Caden Church, one of the Clan's leading ristars and cat's-paw for both Church House Leader Sariah Church and the former Khan himself, who had been recalled to return to the Spirits' forward base just before the assembly began.  The other ilChis were present as well; Emma Schmitt from wintry Hector, Troy Boques from besieged New Kent, Bri McFadden from bustling Lum, and Morgaine of the McFaddens, who stood with the gathered on the Esprit de Corps with her new Khan.  

All eyes watched as Khan Schmitt strode across the darkened grav-deck to the spotlighted area in the center, which illuminated a simple podium of ebony wood draped with a crimson banner emblazed with the Spirits' red-and-gold insignia.  She was clad in the same dress uniform that the others assembled before her wore, and had let her golden-blonde hair cascade down her shoulders and back.  Cobalt eyes swept the assembled Spirits for several long moments before she spoke, and each of those gathered watched her with expressions ranging from anxiousness to curiousity to respect... and not a few with uncertainty and even contempt.  But each were respectfully silent, as well.

"You honor me, warriors of the True Clan, and I will honor you in turn by speaking to the heart of matters.  I have come into the possession of a journal written by the founder of our Clan, Colleen Schmitt, she who is mother to us all and who made us everything that we are.  Within this journal is the detailed account of the Annihilation of the Not-Named Clan, the Annihilation which has seen us thrust headlong into the Inner Sphere itself... and the Annihilation that has led to our spilling the blood of innocents.

"Aff, I say innocents, for the citizens of the Draconis Combine are a part of the many peoples that we shall come to rule when we become the ilClan and recreate the fallen Star League with the other true Clans of Kerensky.  We all know that this will come to pass, and strive to maintain ourselves on the True Path that the Founder has laid out before us, even though the road has become perilous and fraught with hardships over the years.  But to behave as the Spheroids would do, or even as the fallen Jaguars... taking the lives of innocents wantonly is unworthy of a true warrior.  It is unworthy of a Blood Spirit."

Adrianna's gaze circled the room as she spoke, regarding the faces of those attending both in person and through HPG uplink.  She read the concern, the fear, the uncertainty, the anger, the curiousity, the support, and the confusion of her subordinates, and gave them only resolve and the steel of her will and presence in return.  "This journal shows that we were the only Clan who sought to find another way to deal with the Not-Named, and that our founder kept our hands clean of the orgy of their destruction.  For this act, we were censured by the Founder himself, betrayed by our own savior because the Founder wished to ensure that none would challenge his will."

Gasps of shock could be heard amongst the assembled.  Khan Schmitt had come dangerously close to speaking ill of the Founder himself.  The Loremaster took a sharp breath, but remained silent.  "Each of us has seen the symbol of the Not-Named with our own eyes, when no other symbols exist in the entirety of the Clans.  We display it in the heart of New Tara herself, Blood Spirit Hall, as a reminder to all of what our Clan represents: unity and brotherhood, esprit de corps."

"We have achieved something which we have all striven for since our decanting, to set foot on the soil of the Inner Sphere, and we have engaged the forces of the Draconis Combine, the corrupt Spheroids which dishonored us in the Great Refusal.  And that dishonor will be paid for in blood.  But we will not spill innocent blood in the name of an Annihilation that our own Clan stood opposed to so long ago.  We were the only Clan to hold ourselves above such barbaric and bloodthirsty behavior, and we shall not succumb now, as we stand closer than ever to our goal of standing upon the soil of sacred Terra herself!"

Adrianna moved her gaze to Loremaster Campbell as she paused momentarily.  "The Loremaster has studied the journal himself upon its discovery, and has determined it to be authentic.  As such, there will be no Trials over this matter, by his order and my own.  We are at a critical juncture as a people, and any dissent or disruption would be disastrous.  Each of you will carry out your duties as a true warrior of Kerensky, and remember that your only purpose, my only purpose, is to serve and honor our fellow warriors.  We are not Fire Mandrills, to fall upon each other when unity is most crucial."

Then, Adrianna lowered her head, her gaze falling onto the podium for several long seconds, the silence of which seemed to stretch out much longer than that.  "We have shamed ourselves, each of us, by our actions on Schwartz.  And though the former Khan is ultimately to blame for the events which transpired, we are each of us responsible.  And so, a surkairede must be paid.  Both to the Dragon, and to ourselves.  For we have shamed each other by behaving as savages, and we must face an uncomfortable truth.

"We are not yet worthy to join the Crusade."

The Khan sighed as she once again swept her gaze around the assembled, her expression still even, but a hardness was in her eyes.  "We have endured so much in recent years.  The betrayal of the Coyotes.  The discovery of the Blood.  The insanity of the Mandrills.  The conspiracy of the Society.  The uncertainty of the Blooding.  And now the dishonor of Schwartz.  It is clear to me that we have fallen so far since the Spheroids violated the sanctity of the Homeworlds and defeated us in the Great Refusal.  We have clearly become tainted with the same festering corruption that infects the false Clans.  And so, we must be purified."

Adrianna turned her head to regard one particular warrior present via hologram: Caden Church.  The young warrior, his mismatched eyes regarding the Khan with a resolute firmness that betrayed neither hostility or support, could never predict what was to come next.  "Star Colonel Caden Church, of all warriors who uphold the honor of Clan Blood Spirit, you have achieved a standard which few can aspire to.  The Loremaster himself has spoken of your honor and your conviction, and upon reviewing your codex, I am in agreement.  I am hereby appointing you to the rank of saKhan.  Any who oppose your elevation will find themselves in a Circle of Equals with me."

The young warrior, shocked to his core but too well disciplined to show such, simply nodded at the Khan in response.  The Loremaster regarded him evenly, and Adrianna simply nodded once, sharply in return.

Then, she returned her gaze to the others gathered.  "Each of you will be receiving new orders, for we have much work to do in order to purify our people of the taint which has taken hold of us all.  Do not dishonor your brothers and sisters by faltering on the True Path at such a critical point in history.  We stand over the abyss itself, but the heavens are within our grasp, and we can reach it together!"

Khan Schmitt raised her right hand, her thumb pressed to the tips of her other fingers to form a teardrop shape with her hand, and pressed it to the left breast of her uniform sharply; the salute of Clan Blood Spirit, which each warrior returned immediately, almost reflexively.

"We are Blood Spirit!" Adrianna said in a much louder, more strident tone, echoed a moment later by each of the warriors assembled before her, despite the wide spectrum of emotions that ran through each of them.  "Let us work together to walk again on the True Path and lead the way to holy Terra!"

Blood Spirit Hall
New Tara, York
Kerensky Cluster

The Chamber of Supplicants, which was part of the expansive, monolithic complex that was Blood Spirit Hall, embodied the very heart and soul of Clan Blood Spirit.  A circular structure with high, vaulted ceilings and fluted columns that rose up to a vaulted ceiling made entirely of transparent plasteel etched with constellations as viewed from ancient Scotland on sacred Terra, the centerpiece of the room was undoubtedly the mosaic that covered the entirety of the chamber's floor.  It depicted the Spirits' great battle of Operation Klondike on Arcadia, with the central figure of the piece being Khan Colleen Schmitt herself.  The figure was larger than an assault 'Mech, clad in the mythic armor of her Scottish ancestor, wielding a flaming claymore as she strode amongst the people of the fallen Star-League-in-Exile as the savior that she was, her head haloed in the intertwined logos of all twenty Clans... even the Not-Named Clan, the wolverine head in profile and crossing slashes that had been so ruthlessly purged from the Clans with every other trace of that Clan's existence.  Though it offended many in both the Isolationist and Annihilist factions, each of them understood the importance of its existence here in their own Hall, even if they didn't like it.

Opposite the massive gold-sheathed marble doors that allowed entrance to this sanctum stood a raised dais, where Loremaster Bayle Campbell stood in the red and black robes of his office, bearing his gold-plated staff with its inset, fist-sized, teardrop-shaped ruby.  Flanking him, both clad in full dress uniform, were the holographic representations of the Khans: Adrianna Schmitt, cobalt eyes watching her people with intensity, and Caden Church, his own mismatched eyes of green and brown giving nothing away.

The assembled warriors, forty in all, were the Leaders of their respective Bloodhouses.  These were the most powerful individuals in the Clan, their power often superseding their members' personal politics.  The lesser Blood Houses, such as Vargras, Carmichael, Fischer, Bush, and Blackburn, were mostly minor players, often gravitating in their politics to the larger and more famed Blood Houses.  The exclusive Blood Houses, such as Johns, Pitcher, and Cluff, carried a good deal more power than those below them, but they were fairly moderate as much as any Blood Spirit could be described as 'moderate', and often followed the lead of the Clan's leadership.

Then there were the Blood Houses that stood above the rest, even in the egalitarian-by-Clan-standards Blood Spirits.  The McFaddens, who had long dominated the Spirits' aerospace and naval assets in tandem with House Johns, and who were currently under scrutiny for the actions of Star Admiral Brean McFadden at Schwartz.  The Boques, who had remained perhaps the most powerful moderate Blood House in the Spirits' ranks.  The Schmitts, who were looked to by many of the lesser Blood Houses, and who had only recently lost their iron grip of control over the Clan's Council.  The Campbells, who were fiercely proud of their Scottish heritage and legacy and who displayed their fanaticism proudly.  The Kellers, always a powerful Blood House and the staunchest supporters of Clan Fire Mandrill, who had risen into both fame and infamy due to the actions of the fallen Kira Keller.  And finally, standing precisely opposite the Loremaster in the wide ring of warriors who ringed the floor mosaic, was Church House Leader Sariah Church, who led the most powerful Blood House in the Clan, and whose powermongering manipulations had thrust the Clan at breakneck speed into the events of the world around them.

"Warriors of Clan Blood Spirits, Leaders of the Blood Houses, the Khans and I wish to speak with you on matters most urgent.  As you are all now aware, a journal penned by our Founding Khan herself, Colleen Schmitt, was recently unearthed due to the efforts of our appointed ilChi to Clan Goliath Scorpion and the Scorpion Seeker she was assigned to work with.  I know that many of you have raised vehement concerns and objections to this in the Clan Council, where Khan Schmitt simply asked you for your patience as the truth of the matter was ascertained.

"I come before you today not only to thank you for your patience in these trying times, but to confirm what many of you suspected, and even dreaded, to be true.  The journal is authentic.  Our own scientist caste confirms its physical authenticity, and there exists evidence in other accounts and historical records that corroborates this journal as well.  I have carefully studied the journal in the weeks since its discovery, and rest assured, I was exhaustive in my studies.  And to read the words of the First Khan herself..."

Loremaster Campbell shook his head, clearing away the momentary weakness he had let slip through his iron wall of will and resolve.  "As such, I am here to inform each of you that there will be no Grievances allowed on this matter.  We are Blood Spirits, and we do not fall upon fighting one another when there is no grounds for a Grievance to begin with.  We all remember the horror that was nearly unleashed upon us by the Blooding that the dezgra Kira Keller nearly unleashed upon us, and this will not be allowed to happen again!"  Emphasizing his point, he slammed the staff of his office into the dais with considerable force, causing the sound to reverberate throughout the Chamber of Supplicants.

No one so much as shifted where they stood as he did so.  All of the attention was on the Loremaster, beyond simple willing obedience.  It was almost as a crowd of religious fanatics beholding their prophet.  Such was the power that Bayle Campbell continued to command over the Spirits.

"Each of you has been made aware that the Khans have formally ended our hostile actions against the Not-Named and the Terran Hegemony, and that our warriors still in the Inner Sphere merely fight on to give our touman a chance to return home without being dishonored by a vengeful Draconis Combine.  Aff, our actions on the Combine world of Schwartz brought dishonor to us, but we have made our surkairede for this by offering the Coordinator the heads of Helm Church and Brean McFadden.  That the Combine chooses to ignore our surkai is their own choice.  We have satisfied our honor, and after the Kentares Massacre, not to mention their own dishonorable conduct against us during the Great Refusal, the Combine can ill-afford to presume mortal superiority over any True Clan of Kerensky.  They merely reaped what they had sown."

The Loremaster paused for just a moment before continuing.  "For all that we have sacrificed in order to ensure the safety of the other Clans in their war against the Not-Named, we have absolutely nothing to show for it.  The other Clans left us to fight against the hordes of Combine bellycrawlers alone, while they united with each other against House Steiner and the Terrans supporting them.  I know that I do not have to ask any of you if this is how a Blood Spirit warrior would show honor to his allies and comrades.  And I know that I do not have to remind any of you of the numerous ways in which the other Clans have betrayed and abandoned us over the years.  But in this, our direst hour both as a solitary Clan and as a part of a greater whole, our so-called brothers abandoned us to our fates so that they could profit from our misfortune."

With that said, the Loremaster once more slammed the staff of office upon the platform with a loud crack.  "I say to you all: neg!  If the other Clans wish for us to stand alone so that they can continue to wallow in their own corrupt and self-serving ways, then we shall stand alone."  With that, he spared a glance over his shoulder, to the holographic image of Khan Schmitt, and offered her a nod of... respect.  How very like Karianna she really does look, he thought to himself.  Not to mention Colleen Schmitt herself.  Could this be an omen, then, that she would approve of our actions?  Does her restless shade continue to watch over her people?

He found himself, apocryphally, hoping that was the case, for his next words would certainly test the resolve of his people.

"The Khans and I have decided that in order to stave off the pestilence that sweeps through the Clans, the time is once again upon us to wall ourselves off from the other Clans, with the sole exception of those Clans whom have done right by us, through their deeds in recent days.  Therefore, with the exception of Star Colonel Bri McFadden, all ilChis are hereby recalled to York to resume their assignments within the touman, and the ilChi program will be dismantled, effective immediately."  

Before the first murmurs of surprise had begun to ripple throughout the Chamber, the Loremaster continued.  "Our borders are hereby ordered closed as of this moment, with no one not of Spirit blood permitted to pass within our territory upon pain of death.  This extends to the lower castes as well, who have already been made aware of this decision through the Scientist-General, the Merchant Factor, and the Head Laborers and Technicians.  Only those contacts considered essential to the welfare of Clan Blood Spirit will be allowed to persist."

Then, allowing the assembled House Leaders a few moments to furtively but quietly discuss the proclamatons that he had just handed down to them, Loremaster Campbell rapped his staff once more to gain their attention one more time.  "The conspiracy among the scientist castes of the Clans was least effective with us and with Clan Steel Viper, who have maintained considerable control over their own lower castes so ruthlessly for generations.  And with the assistance of Church House Leader Sariah Church, that taint has been purged from our Clan more rapidly than in any other Clan of Kerensky.  With that accomplished, we have been able to make an accounting of the damage these traitorous bloodfoul have perpetuated in our genetic viabilty, and it saddens me to say that even our own genetic lines were compromised to a degree.

"However, the Khans and I have come upon a way to grant salvation to all of us, in order that future generations of Blood Spirit warriors do not have to suffer for the mistakes of their predecessors.  Our own Master Repository here in New Tara, it has been determined, remains utterly untouched by this conspiracy, which focused its efforts on our Repositories and Bloodname Chapels on Strana Mechty.  As of now, Clan Blood Spirit will no longer be producing warriors from any genetic stock on Strana Mechty, as their viability and freedom from taint by this conspiracy cannot be guaranteed."

It was a bold move, but not as bold as what he was about to proclaim.  "Furthermore, without knowing how far back this treason has its origins, and how many of our own warriors have been compromised by it, the Khans and I have ordered that all all twenty-five Bloodheritages of each of our original forty Bloodnames are to be restored immediately.  All Reavings of Bloodheritages belonging to one of the original forty Blood Spirit warriors are overturned, effective immediately.  And every Bloodheritage in Clan Blood Spirit's aegis that does not originate from one of the original forty Blood Spirit warriors are hereby Reaved and to be disposed of, effective immediately.  We will not suffer the taint of another Clan in our breeding protocols now or ever again!"

The Loremaster looked at each Bloodhouse Leader in turn, all forty of them, and let the enormity of what he had just told them to sink in.  But only for an all-too-brief moment in time.  "You have much work to do, House Leaders of Clan Blood Spirit.  Let us work quickly and efficiently, that we might restore the One True Clan to the glory and the honor that we all strive for!  Seyla!"

And, to his absolute surprise (considering that even he had his doubts about this course), the Bloodhouse Leaders spoke in reply as a collective entity, inspiring in their unity of purpose.

"Seyla!"

Sigma Galaxy Field Headquarters
Crimson Mesa, Foster
Kerensky Cluster

In his office atop the field headquarters of Sigma Provisional Galaxy, the impressive and monolithic structure that towered over all others in the city of Crimson Mesa, Galaxy Commander Virgil Keller stood with four of his subordinate Star Colonels: Martoc Keller, Regina Carmichael, Joel Ban Chu, and Paul Church.  Each of them had expressed their support for the Galaxy Commander when he had leapt to the defense of the neighboring Fire Mandrills; despite the crimes which had damned the Clan, they all knew the importance of judging their people on an individual basis.  The Mandrills had long since earned that honor, and no Spirit warrior knew that better than a Sigma warrior.

But it was the trio of individuals who entered into the office presently that instantly stole all of the attention.  In strode the massive Elemental Jennifer Lopez, followed immediately by handsome and rugged Max Payne.  And following them came the most unlikely underdog of the three, the man who had been both cat's-paw and bane of former Khan Bodee Beyl herself: Andreu Beyl, the man who had unleashed the Doctrines of Purity into Clan Blood Spirit and nearly instigated a second round of Blooding, and the man who had inexplicably (and perhaps ironically) won the recent Trials of Position to assume command of the Spirits' newest addition, Psi Provisional Galaxy. 

Psi Galaxy was formed from the two Clusters of Mandrill troops which had accepted Galaxy Commander Keller's offer of asylum in the Spirits' enclave on Foster, and had even taken losses as they withdrew to Spirit territory under heavy fire from the Ice Hellions while escorting what civilians that chose to become part of Clan Blood Spirit... as opposed to whatever fate that the Falcons, Hellions, and Horses would deliver unto them.  Under the orders of Galaxy Commander Keller, Star Colonel Ban Chu' and his 42nd Crimson Guards Cluster had joined the new Galaxy to serve as its backbone, and to ensure that the Mandrills... behaved themselves.

"Congratulations, Galaxy Commander Beyl," Virgil said with no small amount of stiffness, for he had never thought that a warrior that originated beyond York would ever hold such a rank in his Clan.  Nevertheless, he still extended his hand to the former Mandrill warrior, who took it in stride.  "As far as I am concerned, you have proven yourself worthy of your rank and your command through your honorable and glorious Trial of Position.  And I wished to welcome you personally into the ranks of our touman here on Foster."

"My thanks, Galaxy Commander Keller," Andreu replied evenly, casting a look at each of his own subordinates and fellow ex-Mandrills before returning his gaze to Virgil.  "And you have my thanks for putting your own honor on the line in order to ensure the safety of my people.  Not many warriors would ever have risked so much on an act of faith."

Virgil shook his head.  "Your people earned the honor of due consideration a long time ago, Andreu," he said, and all present knew that he meant it, for it was he that was the primary agitator of increased relations with Clan Fire Mandrill.  Since that was no longer a concern, however, none present knew what that meant for Virgil, or for the rest of Sigma.  "But there is a matter that I wanted to discuss with you."

Andreu raised an inquisitive eyebrow.  At either side of him, Star Colonels Payne and Lopez stiffened just slightly, readying themselves for the first sign of betrayal.  It was a sad and shocking reality that they lived in.

Virgil withdrew a datapad, and handed it to Andreu.  "This came into my possession after our Watch agents took it from one of the scientists that accompanied your forces here to our enclave.  The scientist, I am told, gave this to our Watch willingly, though he has been taken into custody and is being interrogated for further information.  But it is the contents of this datapad which concerns me, Andreu.  What do you know about this?"

Andreu shook his head slowly as he read.  "Nothing, Galaxy Commander.  Remember, I have been on York for the better part of two years now, at the behest of my former Khan."  He looked up then, meeting Virgil's gaze with his own.  "I do not even know what to make of this.  But if it is indeed true, Khan Schmitt is honorbound to bring this to the attention of the Grand Council."

Virgil tried, and failed, to suppress a sneer of contempt.  "For what good that would do, quineg?  You see how the Grand Council conducts affairs in recent years.  It has become something of a joke amongst our people... not that it ever carried much weight to begin with."

Andreu actually dared to chuckle.  "I am certain you do not need to solicit my opinion on what I think of the Grand Council, quineg?  But we still have to fulfill our obligations.  I owe it to every Mandrill warrior and civilian who was not able to join us here in your enclave."

Virgil shook his head emphatically.  "Our enclave, Andreu Beyl.  You are one of us now."

Castle Bloodhawk
Hyata Desert, Huntress
Kerensky Cluster

Departing a Blood Spirit JumpShip at the nadir jump point aboard a Broadsword and making a leisurely planetfall on Huntress, Morgaine McFadden and Pavel Kirov now stood before Castle Bloodhawk, an archaic-stylized structure that had originally been constructed under the auspises of the Seeker order in Clan Goliath Scorpion, a foreboding cathedral that was dwarfed by the jagged peaks of the nearby Lunar mountain range.  Exchanging a wordless glance, the Spirit ProtoMechWarrior and the Scorpion Seeker strode forward, utterly uncertain of what was to come.  

Once the Scorpions' enclave on Huntress had been taken in the recent Trial of Possession launched by Clan Blood Spirit, the Spirits had appropriated the fortress and rechristened it Castle Bloodhawk.  Where once the Scorpions had flown their own standard as well as that of various Seekers, Castle Bloodhawk now proudly displayed a massive crimson flag with the Blood Spirit standard from the highest of the towers.  More dark red banners hung from the ramparts, banners emblazed with a symbol that Morgaine had never seen before: a blood-red sword, flanked by a majestic pair of raptor wings, set before a circle with a marbelized Cameron Star within.

Castle Bloodhawk was well-defended, from what Morgaine and Pavel could tell, their keen warrior's eyes drinking in every detail of the complex and its immediate surroundings.  The pair of Stooping Hawks which stood as sentinels to either side of the fortress' lowered gate, despite the desolate and empty nature of the surrounding desert and nearby mountains, were no doubt ready to defend the complex at a moment's notice from any who did not belong.  Morgaine also took note of several Elementals, fully armored and bearing red-and-black parade colors of the same hue as the 'Mechs, that walked the length and breadth of the ramparts, and she was confident that nothing moved, either outside the fortress walls or within the interior complex of the courtyard, without their being aware of it.

But it was the five figures who stood in the shadowed midst of the arched gate, that caught the attention of the approaching pair.  They stepped into the light almost as a single entity, and Morgaine found herself surprised by what she saw.

Each of them, four men and one woman, were unmistakably Blood Spirit warriors, but they were attired in clothing and gear that was unlike anything she had seen before.  They wore white, loose-fitting tunics with ornate red and gold stitching throughout, in individual patterns such that not one of them appeared the same as the next, with dark, loose-fitting pants tucked into dark leather boots that encased their legs nearly to the knees.  Their tunics were likewise tucked into dark leather gauntlets of the same, both boots and gauntlets also etched with elaborate and stylized patterns, and their faces were obscured by white hoods that came to a crow's-peak at the front, obscuring everything but their mouths and chins from immediate view. As Morgaine and Pavel came to a halt several feet before them, the five Spirit warriors lowered their hoods almost as one, and stood revealed before the newcomers.  

One man had very short, very unruly brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a lightly bronzed complexion, his handsome face set firmly, almost sternly, as he regarded Morgaine and Pavel closely.  The second man, standing to his immediate right, had even darker, slightly longer but still spiky and unruly black hair and dark brown eyes, and a dark olive complexion.  He watched the first almost as closely as he did the new arrivals, almost as if he were expecting some sort of trouble to develop.

The third man, to the right of the central figure, had extremely chiseled, almost beautiful facial features, with a long cascade of reddish-brown hair held back in a loose ponytail, and sharp green eyes that drank in every detail without giving anything back.  The woman, to his right, had a shock of golden-blonde hair, extremely close-cropped, and sharp, angular features that were just as severe.  Her own ice-blue eyes held a great deal of intelligence, but also a great deal of barely-restrained anger.

The central figure, however, nearly stunned Morgaine into shock once he stood revealed before her.  From his holovid-star rugged handsomeness of his face, to the spiky mess of auburn hair, to the intelligent and even compassionate set of his cobalt eyes, Morgaine instantly recognized Troy Boques, the former saKhan of Clan Blood Spirit and recently-recalled ilChi of Clan Steel Viper.  

Almost reflexively she raised her hand, thumb touched to other fingers to form a teardrop-shape with her hand, to her chest in a sharp salute, to which Troy merely smiled his well-known smile of warmth and camaraderie.  "I bid you welcome, Morgaine McFadden and Pavel Kirov, and welcome you to Castle Bloodhawk."

Morgaine was a moment in responding, and flanking her at a respectful distance, Pavel merely offered a respectful nod.  "Star Colonel, please forgive my asking this... but what is this?  I do not understand what it is I am looking at."

Troy actually chuckled warmly, a sound not mocking but genuinely humored, and Morgaine could see the hints of smiles tugging at the lips of the attendant warriors in their strange garb as well.  As he responded, his smile brightened.  "I am a Star Colonel no longer, Morgaine.  My official rank is now Sentinel, and the warriors standing at my side are my Paladins.  We are the first of the Knights Sanguine."

Morgaine raised an eyebrow in what she hoped was a more casually inquisitive manner, but within, her mind reeled with questions.  As a ProtoMechWarrior, she was certainly accustomed to her fair share of things that were against tradition, but this struck her as strange on a level that she could not properly place into words.  "I do not understand, Star Co-- Sentinel."

To that, Troy Boques merely nodded sharply, and extended a hand out to her.  "Grant me the honor of accompanying me within, and I shall explain a great many things to do, Morgaine McFadden."

Castle Bloodhawk
Hyata Desert, Huntress
Kerensky Cluster

The central chamber of Castle Bloodhawk was a simple, yet elegant affair.  The room was almost cavernous, soaring up nearly ten meters in height, with stone columns supporting the ceiling and forming a circle around the center of the room.  Each column bore a single torch, providing the light of the chamber and casting the room in a warm glow, and each column also bore a blood-red banner similar to those standards hanging from the castle walls.  Though a pair of armored Elementals stood at the massive double doors leading into the chamber, it was otherwise unoccupied as Troy Boques led Morgaine, Pavel, and the "Knights" within.

The focus of the room, unquestionably, was the massive, circular table set in the center.  Constructed from ebony wood and bearing a ring of nearly two dozen seats, the most striking feature of the table was the winged sword symbol set in the center, which was larger than any of the warriors present.  Troy Boques moved to take a seat at one of the chairs, and the other Knights did likewise.  Morgaine and Pavel, exchanging another glance between each other, sat opposite the Knights Sanguine, and their expressions did nothing to contain the confusion and uncertainty that was churning within them.

"I spoke with Khan Schmitt briefly on our way to Huntress, but she was not forthcoming on what we would find once we arrived here.  She merely insisted that it was imperative that both Seeker Kirov and myself proceed to this redoubt and that everything would be explained upon our arrival," Morgaine said in formal, almost stilted tones.  "So it falls upon you to do just that.  Explain this."

Exchanging brief glances at the other Knights, Troy nodded to Morgaine.  "Very well, Morgaine McFadden.  You might find this tale of particular interest, since it is you and Seeker Kirov that were the catalysts of our... let us call it creation."  He pressed a button that was set into the small control panel on the table before him, and a holographic image swirled to life above the center.  It was a book, Morgaine instantly noted, and she knew instantly what book it was.

"The journal of Khan Colleen Schmitt," she said matter-of-factly.

Troy nodded in response.  "Aff.  As you are doubtlessly aware, the Loremaster himself verified that the journal was authentic, and it has been disseminated among the warrior caste of our Clan for their perusal.  The Khan believed, as I do, that all of Clan Blood Spirit should be given access to the truths in this work.  And I shall tell you, there is a great deal of truth bound within these pages."

'I am aware of this, Troy Boques," Morgaine said with the barest hint of impatience.  "I am more aware of this than any Blood Spirit warrior, I daresay.

"Aff, this is truth," Troy said with a slow nod of assent.  "As I understand it, the Khan and the Loremaster honored you for this astounding discovery by granting you the right to the McFadden Bloodname, once you had dealt with the matter of the failure of former Star Admiral Brean McFadden to uphold the honor of our Clan in the conquest of Schwartz."

Morgaine's eyes narrowed slightly in response to this.  It was not common knowledge that she herself had taken the Star Admiral's life in a brutal Trial of Grievance over his conduct in the war with the Draconis Combine, nor was it common knowledge that the Khan and the Loremaster had chosen to go against Clan law and tradition in order to reward Morgaine for her services to the Clan, services that had undoubtedly saved the touman from disaster and the Clan itself from destruction.  She was instantly on her guard, as she had not known that Troy Boques had been made aware of the details.

Noticing the apprehension on her face, Troy held up a hand in a concillatory gesture.  "Bear with me a moment more, Morgaine McFadden.  I assure you that there is a final destination on this journey."

Manipulating the table-bound controls before him, Troy caused the holographic image of the journal to vanish, and a moment later, another image swirled to life.  The image was also of a book, but one of much more recent craftmanship, bearing a logo that all present knew almost as well as that of their own Clan's standard: that of Clan Fire Mandrill.  

"Do you know what this is, Morgaine?" Troy asked almost casually.  Morgaine merely shook her head.

Troy held a hand up to indicate the image.  "These are the Doctrines of Purity.  Penned by the hand of the late Mandrill Khan, Bodee Beyl, it is a work that attempts to read the writings of Kerensky systematically, taking the laws that he set down in light of the journals and the other writings - it is an attempt to recover spirit of the law when too often a polished quote is used to justify any dishonorable stance. It is a polemical work, to be sure, and perhaps unconventional in some aspects, but it communicates the Father better than any bloated speech in the Grand Council."

Morgaine nodded in understanding.  "Andreu Beyl uploaded this document into the Spirits' Chatterweb, so that all Spirits could have access to it, from the warriors to the labroers.  I was never entirely certain what his intentions were in doing so, as I have not read them myself, but I assumed that, with the Mandrills' fall from grace and corruption from this conspiracy..."

Troy shook his head emphatically.  "Neg.  I cannot speak for Galaxy Commander Beyl, but even the Loremaster himself could not find a single assertation that violated our own laws or traditions, even if he was disgusted of the source itself.  The Khan also studied the Doctrines in exhaustive detail during her journey back from the Draconis Combine, and the three of us spoke at length regarding the Doctrines, as well as the journal that you have brought back to us.  Together, we determined that we now have a unique opportunity to purge the corruption that is infecting the Clans from us entirely, and usher in a new age of enlightenment and growth for all those of Clan Blood Spirit."

This time, it was Pavel who spoke, drawing looks from every Spirit present, including Morgaine.  "I am not certain I understand what you are saying here.  A document, penned by the hand of one of the Khans complicit in this conspiracy, the Khan of a Clan that was just Annihilated for these crimes, is going to lead to the salvation of your own Clan?"

As those words were uttered, drawing no small amount of hostile stares, Troy Boques sat up straight in his seat and gave Pavel a flat, almost even stare.  "Have a care, Seeker Kirov.  We welcome you to our table because of your personal contributions to our Clan's cause, but do not make the mistake of offering insult in our home.  You will not find that a wise course of action, for however many seconds you would have left in your life."

Morgaine suddenly stood from the table, her eyes sweeping the Knights seated before her.  "Enough, Troy Boques.  Pavel Kirov is a friend, both my own and of the Clan itself.  And if you wish to issue a challenge, do so, before you find yourself in a Circle of Equals with me."  She exhaled slowly before continuing, allowing her anger to abate.  "I also grow tired of this elliptical explanation.  Please, as the Spheroids say, get to the point."

Troy was silent for a few long moments, the tension palpable in the air, before he replied.  "Bargained well and done, Morgaine McFadden."  Dispelling the image of the Doctrines of Purity, a third and final image materialzed above the table, rotating slowly as Troy spoke.  The image was the same as that adorning the banners in the fortress: that of the blood-red, winged sword.

"After careful deliberation with Khan Adrianna Schmitt and Loremaster Bayle Campbell, the three of us decided that something new was needed in order to help purge the taint of madness and corruption from our ranks, and to remind the Clan of the purpose for our creation.  Many of us have come to realize that Clan Blood Spirit was meant for so much more than walling ourselves away from the other Clans, waiting for them to begin circling and striking like vultures."  Troy gestured at Morgaine as he continued.  "Thanks to the efforts of Seeker Kirov and yourself, our Founder herself has reminded us of what we were truly created for: to bring esprit de corps not just to our own people, but to all who would follow the Way of the Clans and restore the glory that is the True Star League."

With that, Troy stood from his seat, and gestured to the strangely-garbed warriors at either side of him.  "With that, we have created the Knights Sanguine.  An organization with a single purpose, but with two means of accomplishing that purpose: rendering aid and assistance to any of our honorable brethren who should require it, and ensuring that each and every Blood Spirit lives up to the purpose for which our Clan was created.  To that end, the Khan and the Loremaster have granted us considerable leeway and authority with which to act, but also have personal oversight of all of our activities."

One of the other Knights then spoke, Javier Carmichael, the Spirit warrior with the ponytail of reddish-brown hair and whose garb seemed a touch more ornate than his fellows.  "Our organizational structure is set around the five points of the star, as the Founder himself had so wisely emphaized during the formation of the Clans, and we have taken it as a mandate and as an inspiration.  Our council consists of five Paladins, which you see before you now, and each of us will command an Order consisting of a single Star each of 'Mechs, Elementals, aerospace fighters, conventional vehicles, and ProtoMechs.  The commander of each of these Stars will hold the rank of Knight Captain, and have personal responsibility for the Knights and Knight Sergeants under their command, as well as the lower-caste Squires under their aegis."

Another Knight spoke as Paladin Carmichael drew to a close; Nasir Vargras, who actually wore darker tunic and robes than his fellows, and whom Morgaine felt could not look more taciturn.  "Each of our Orders will focus on one of five martial virtues which the Loremaster himself has judged to be of paramount importance to Clan Blood Spirit: duty, loyalty, courage, honor, and purity.  With the responsibility of ensuring that every Spirit holds fast to those principles, each Order will embark on a geas to uphold these martial virtues, from the most honored of ristars to the lowliest laborer.  In this way, the Knights Sanguine shall ensure that each and every Blood Spirit is united in purpose and in deed."

As Paladin Vargras concluded, the ruggedly handsome Paladin at his side began... Castiel Boques.  A young ristar once known for his fiercely Isolationist stance, Morgaine had been taken aback not only by his presence, but by that of his only surviving sibmate as well, Archiel, as fiercely Annihilist as he was Isolationist, and who sat at the opposite end of the group from him.  "Each Knight in the Order will be given personal responsibility for five Squires, one drawn from each caste in our Clan, in order to ensure that he does not lose his perspective or forget the purpose of the Knighthood.  The warrior Squire shall serve as his attendant and sparring partner as needed.  The scientist Squire shall serve as his scientific advisor.  The merchant Squire shall help him make deals and acquire what he needs in his mission.  The technician Squire shall maintain and repair his equipment.  And the laborer Squire shall assist in the care of his familiar, as well as any other tasks in which the Knight deems his aid necessary."

Almost (but not quite) before Castiel had finished speaking, his sibmate and rival, Archiel Boques, began to speak, drawing an irritated glance from her sibkin and a concillatory touch of the hand from Nasir upon Castiel.  "Each of us that are initiated as full Knights are to be given the responsibility of caring for a familiar, of which the choice was obvious to us all: the blood kite, a fearsome raptor which could have given Turkina herself cause for concern.  The blood kite exhibits characteristics to which our own Knighthood aspires, and a more fitting and tangible symbol of what we all stand for cannot be had in all of the Homeworlds.  And in caring for such a creature, one which is not easily cared for, we all continue to reinforce the principle that a Blood Spirit places nothing and no one before the well-being of a fellow warrior."

Each of them having spoken what she was certain was a rehearsed set of speeches (but no less earnest or honorable for it), Morgaine regarded each of these Paladins with renewed interest.  It was a great deal to take it, certainly, and she did not trust herself to respond at this precise moment in time.  Looking to her left, she saw Pavel regarding her with naked interest, and she actually offered him a rare smile: she could easily see how the Knighthood drew at least a moderate amount of influence from his own Seeker order.  

With that smile returned to her in equal force, Morgaine suddenly felt renewed, and the invigorating flood of possibilities and endless questions broke through the wall of her reticence and uncertainty, and she stood to her feet once more, her eyes set firmly on Troy Boques.  She knew now that the Khan, the Loremaster, and the Paladins before her most certainly had a purpose for her in this endeavour as well.

Now, to find out what that purpose was...

Castle Bloodhawk
Hyata Desert, Huntress
Kerensky Cluster

The Knights Sanguine, who had permeated their new headquarters with a sense of progressivism and general good cheer, took on a much more somber and anxiety-filled mood when news came in of what had recently transpired on the Scorpion homeworld of Roche.

The Knights and their lower-caste Squires watched in varying measures of horror and outrage as the footage of the Spirits' inbound WarShips was suddenly brightened nearly to the point of blindness when the Scorpions fired a trio of nuclear weapons, savaging the fleet before it could even begin to defend itself.  Aerospace fighters were vaporized in the blast, and even a number of the Spirits' precious few WarShips were left as nothing more than irradiated, burned-out hulks.  When the blasts had settled, the remains of the Spirit WarShips and aerospace fighters moved murderously on the Scorpions' own space defenses, surrounding them and destroying them without mercy... and then, they turned their weapons on military targets on the surface of Roche itself, in vengeful retribution for their inexcusable murdering of Spirit warriors.

This footage was quickly followed by a recording from the Grand Council itself, where Blood Spirit Khan Adrianna Schmitt denounced not only the actions of the "renegade" Scorpions on Roche and their use of nuclear weapons, but the utter failure of the freebirth ilKhan and the other Khans on the Council to take appropriate measures against the Scorpions for their crimes.  The Bear and Adder Khans, most especially, showed nothing but disrespect, scorn, and ridicule towards Khan Schmitt, which incensed every Spirit warrior who viewed the exchange.  This anger simmered somewhat into a hateful bitterness when Khan Schmitt delivered a scathing retort to the Council, essentially withdrawing the Clan back into isolation over the dishonorable conduct of the Clans around them.  Not a single Spirit, from the mightest MechWarrior to the lowliest laborer, raised a single objection or word of dissent to her announcement.

But at the Castle Bloodhawk complex, things became a little more... interesting.  Especially as all eyes turned on the only one present who was not of Clan Blood Spirit: Pavel Kirov, MechWarrior and Seeker of Clan Goliath Scorpion.

To absolutely no one's surprise in the Knights' headquarters, it was Paladin Nasir Vargras who called Pavel out before his brethren, incensed that the Scorpion warrior would dare to stand amongst his people in their stronghold while his Clan unleashed nuclear fire on the Blood Spirits over the Scorpion homeworld.  His rhetoric was fiery and passionate, and Pavel had rapidly found himself called into a Circle of Equals for what was, officially speaking, a Trial of Grievance.  Unofficially, however, it was clear that Pavel was to be executed.

However, as the saying went, plans never survive contact with the enemy.

Pavel and Nasir had faced each other in the Circle of Equals, formed from the ranks of the present Knights, and overseen by Sentinel Troy Boques himself, with Morgaine standing at his side.  On Troy's other side stood Paladin Castiel Zadok, his own features twisted with righteous fury... but, as Morgaine noted, with something else as well.  Though all Blood Spirits held their fellows in high esteem, as esprit de corps was instilled in each Spirit warrior from a very early age, Morgaine had been surprised to learn that Castiel and Nasir were in fact lovers since their sibko days at the Spirit Legacy Training Facility, and much of their military careers had been served at each other's sides.

And when Morgaine and Castiel's eyes met, if even for the briefest of moments, she understood what the man must be feeling, watching the lover he had come to care for fighting for the satisfaction of his own honor, and she had offered him a nod of acknowledgment, even though she did not share his stance that Pavel represented a taint that must be purged from Spirit soil.

Once the Trial itself had commenced, Morgaine's attention was once more focused upon it.  Pavel and Nasir fought augmented, but not in the cockpit of a BattleMech... no, the two of them both brandished swords, as they were both accomplished in their skilled use, and Nasir had been confident that he could defeat his Scorpion opponent despite Pavel's own skills.  Where Nasir wielded a basket-hilted broadsword that closely resembled the style used by the Highland regiments on ancient Terra, Pavel employed a wickedly-curved khopesh.

The choice of weapons, as well as the garb that each of them wore, flipped a switch in Morgaine's mind, and she was reminded of something she had once read, in one of the history texts that she had read during her time spent as the ilChi to the Scorpions on Roche.  She couldn't quite remember what it was, but she made a mental note to look it up when matters had been settled here.

At first, the Trial proceeded with elegance as well as with rapidity, as the two warriors clashed steel to steel and fought furiously for every inch of ground.  Where Pavel was on the defensive almost from the beginning, Nasir had relentlessly attempted to find the killing stroke, seeking to end the Trial not by forcing Pavel to submit, but by ending his life.  And Nasir wielded his broadsword magnificently, obviously having trained in its use for years.  It had seemed it was all Pavel could do just to defend himself, despite his own skill with his own blade.

However, it was Nasir's anger, and his overconfidence, that eventually got the better of him at a critical moment.  Even Morgaine saw when the Spirit warrior had misstepped, and Pavel exploited the error mercilessly, using Nasir's all-too-brief stumble to strike with blinding speed... and less than two seconds later, Nasir stood in mute horror at his left arm was cleaved from his body and left to fall into the sand with a sickening thump.

Troy had quickly declared Pavel the victory in the Trial of Grievance, and a pair of Squires trained in medical techniques had moved quickly to secure arm and dismembered warrior to the infirmary as quickly as possible, using the tools they had on hand to stop the loss of blood and seal the wound as they moved Nasir to surgery.  To the warrior's credit, he only cried out in pain during the severing itself... not once thereafter.

As the Circle of Equals dispersed awkwardly into small groups of Knights and Squires that quickly fell to whispering amongst themselves, Morgaine noticed that there weren't just hostile stares being projected at the Scorpion MechWarrior.  There was respect now as well.  Even awe, in the case of a few impressionable Squires.  Pavel had shown his honor before them all, and even the most hostile of the Knights would hold him honorable.

Except, as Morgaine observed with a small but growing amount of trepidation, Castiel Zadok.  There was only hatred in those eyes.

QuoteKhan Zalman,

I have been forwarded a transcript of your address to the Grand Council, denouncing those Clans who failed to step up and take part in the defense of the right of Clan Camel to exist as a Clan of Kerensky.  Now, it is my belief that the only Clan that should have defended the Camels' right to exist is Clan Camel itself, but the Grand Council, in its "wisdom", chose differently.  However, this does not invalidate your point, and I find that your challenge must be answered, for the sake of our own honor... for yours is one of a very short list of Clans which have proven to still have honor.

Now, I am also aware that you have taken exception to our Absorption of those Mandrills who have chosen not to follow the madness of their leadership into betraying the ideals of our Founder, and given our recent experiences with the traitorous Scorpions, I can understand your position.  We did not know then what we know now.  But it is important to remember that as Khans of the Clans, we should not fall prey to petty vengeance, but instead hold to the precepts of justice.  Yes, our Clan has been as guilty of this pettiness as any other... but this does not preclude the fact that we can learn from the mistakes of our past.

Come to Strana Mechty, if you are not already present, and bring your finest Keshik of warriors.  I shall be arriving with my Blood Sword Keshik in the coming weeks.  Let us settle the question of honor on the battlefield, as befits honorable warriors... as opposed to the selfish politicians that currently infest the Grand Council.  And once the matter has been settled and honor has been satisfied, let us come together in the same manner and discuss how we might look to the future.  Given your words to the so-called ilKhan, I am certain that we would have much to discuss, Khan Zalman.

Regards,

Khan Adrianna Schmitt
Clan Blood Spirit

QuoteTo: Khan Adrianna Schmitt, Clan Blood Spirit
From Khan Perigard Zalman, Clan Steel Viper
Khan Scmitt,
If you take offense enough by my words to want to challenge me, then we have no need for other warriors to fight for us. When I reach Strana Mechty, if you still feel so inclined, then we shall meet in a Circle of Equals.
Khan Perigard Zalman, Clan Steel Viper

Castle Bloodhawk
Hyata Desert, Huntress
Kerensky Cluster

Once the tensions had simmered down to a slow boil in the Knights' complex, Morgaine McFadden strode into Pavel Kirov's quarters, where the Scorpion Seeker and MechWarrior was seated and enjoying a refreshment in the atrium that was the focal point of the room.  He smiled as he saw Morgaine, but that smile froze when he saw the expression set into her otherwise-lovely features: seemingly chiseled from ice, she looked furious, but coldly so.

"Morgaine?" Pavel asked in his oddly-accented, resonating voice.  "What troubles you?"

Morgaine roughly tossed a datapad onto the table between them.  "See for yourself.  It was forwarded to me from the Khan."

Taking the datapad in hand, Pavel queued up the contents... and his eyes widened as he read the missive.

QuoteTo: Khan Barbara Sennet
From: ilKhan Diana Pryde
Subject: Roche, InterClan Watch

Khan Sennet, in light of the recent developments on Roche, and the Blood Spirit bloodthirst, i have a mission for you. I have no faith in the Blood Spirits to properly handle the situation, so therefore you are to dispatch a task force to the planet. Your mission is to capture as many of the Scorpion leadership on planet as possible, and to remove their military strength from being used against us further. If the Blood Spirits attempt to interfere with your mission in any way, you are to inform the Grand Council, and are authorized to use any means nessicary to carry out your mission. If the Spirits insist on continuing their bombardment of the planet once you have arrived, you are authorized to defend yourself and your mission. You have full authorization from me to conduct this mission: nothing the Blood Spirits say should deter you, and if they attack they will be considered an enemy of the Clans.

He looked up at Morgaine, his own expression inscrutable.  "It is as you have said.  The Clans truly have turned their backs on your people.  It is disgraceful."

Morgaine shook her head sharply, the soft crimson glow of the EI tattoos that traced along the exposed areas of her skin seeming to cast her in an almost hellish light.  "Neg, Pavel.  This is more than simply turning their backs on us.  Now the freeborn whelp of an ilKhan is actively working to destroy us.  She has betrayed us."

Tilting his head inquisitively, Pavel's expression become thoughtful.  "How did Khan Schmitt acquire this data?  And what does she expect you to do now that you have it?"

To his surprise, Morgaine watched Pavel as closely as he did her, and he knew in that moment that she was aware of far more than he had ever shared with her.  "I cannot speak for where this information came from, but I have been given instructions from the Khan.  That, as the Spheroids say, is where you come in."

Pavel's eyebrows raised at that.  "I do not understand, Morgaine."  That was untrue, of course.  He knew exactly what she was referring to.

"This latest act of heresy demonstrates more strongly than ever that the Clans have fallen into darkness and depravity.  Almost without exception, they have become iredeemably tainted, and the fact that this powermongering excuse for an ilKhan can move against us while your own Clan still has yet to answer for what they have done at Roche is unforgivable."  

Morgaine paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, disjointed and angry though they were.  Then, her eyes locked with Pavel's own, and her tone shifted to something lower.  "The Knights Sanguine have conducted extensive research into the conspiracy that has risen up in the Clans, since the writings of Bodee Beyl have become so instrumental to their creation.  And though their crimes are heinous and terrible, we have come to wonder if, perhaps..."

Pavel stood from his seat slowly, taking care to appear as nonthreatening as possible.  "Perhaps what, Morgaine?  That perhaps they are right in what they are doing?"

Morgaine was silent for a moment before responding, and her gaze drifted from Pavel to the window on his left.  "They have committed so many crimes against our way of life... but they have not behaved towards us the way that our so-called 'brothers' in the other Clans are behaving towards us now.  Grievances are being ignored, Clans plot to destroy us behind our backs, the Grand Council has become a troupe of strutting martinets that talk much but say very little, and our affairs are being intefered with by an ilKhan who lacks the courage to face anyone in a Circle of Equals.  More Clans have shown their true colors as traitors and heretics, and the Grand Council does nothing but pontificate and bluster.  And I can say this for my Khan... she has had enough."

"What do you propose, Morgaine?"

Morgaine sighed heavily, more than a little disbelieving that she was about to utter these words.  "We know that the Seeker order has been heavily involved in this conspiracy, Pavel.  I need to know if you can put me in contact with them.  My Khan wishes to... have a word with their leadership."

Blood Spirit Hall
Svoboda Zemylya, Katyusha City
Strana Mechty, Kerensky Cluster

As she stalked into her office in the Blood Spirits' Clan Hall in the Svoboda Zemylya, Khan Adrianna Schmitt shrieked with pent-up rage, rage that had been boiling since she had been forced to leave the Grand Council chambers.  After being struck by the Grand Loremaster, Adrianna had taken the blow in order to force a confrontation, and though she had given just as good as she had received, the Grand Loremaster had narrowly bested her in unaugmented combat, and she stalked out of the chamber in a rage without another word.  

Disdainful of her and her Clan or not, Adrianna was still an honorable warrior, and she would abide by the Trial's outcome.  Though in her heart, she wished only to squeeze the life from the Bear Loremaster, wrapping her long fingers around the other blonde woman's throat and forcing the last breath to issue forth from her lungs and leaving her dead on the Council chamber floor.  But, in lieu of that, she would merely suffice with breaking a few things here in her office.

And for the next few minutes, the Khan did exactly that, drawing her knife from its black leather scabbard and proceeding to selectively destroy several vulnerable objects in the room, taking care to stop short of anything important, and especially of the wall-mounted crimson banner depicting the standard of her Clan.  Once her cobalt eyes fell upon the magnificence of the insignia, designed by Colleen Schmitt herself and embodying what it meant to be Blood Spirit, Adrianna paused in her destructive rage and just gazed upon it for several long moments.  Calm, she told herself through the scarlet vision of her anger.  Master yourself.  Do not let that surat control you.

Interrupting her thoughts, a sharp rap came at the door.  Without sheathing her knife, she whirled quickly to face the door, taking a frenzy of moments to collect herself.  "Enter," she said, and with that, a Blood Spirit MechWarrior entered the room, a young woman that would be considered quite an exotic beauty by Inner Sphere standards.  Her skin was pale and her features almost distinctly Asian, though her skin was a dark chocolate, her eyes a deep violet in color, and her black hair was thick and wavy, and worn just to the line of her jaw.  

Recognizing her, Adrianna's expression softened somewhat.  Star Captain Astrid, of the Jiawel Bloodhouse, was her chosen aide de camp while on Strana Mechty, and was the Blood Spirit Khan's finger to the pulse of her Clan's activities in the Homeworlds.  She was also, on occasion, quite the energetic lover as well, and as Adrianna regarded the shapely young woman's body, which seemed only to be complemented by the dark red jumpsuit she wore, she knew that her services would be engaged again in the very near future.

"Astrid," Adrianna intoned almost flatly, still cooling herself from the fires of her anger.  "Do you have any word?"

The young warrior nodded curtly, professionally, and Adrianna almost smiled in appreciation of her dedication.  Despite her at-times physical relationship, Astrid never forget her sense of decorum and respect, and had retained her position because she was so discreet.  "Aff, my Khan.  Star Admiral Johns reports that the task force is making its final approach to the target, and Galaxy Commanders Keller and Boques report one hundred percent combat readiness.  They are ready, my Khan."

Adrianna nodded slowly as she drank that in.  After the emergency kurultai that had confirmed her election to the Khanship, and the Clan Council session in which she had addressed her people, Operation Sangria had been discussed by the Spirits' command officers, and preparations were made to carry out Adrianna's bold plan to chart a new course for a Clan that was increasingly losing its way in the oft-treacherous and always-uncertain times that they lived in.

That plan had come under threat more than once, most especially when the perfidy of the Scorpions was revealed and the depths of their treachery was demonstrated to the Blood Spirits with nuclear fire over the world of Roche.  But though the task force had burned to return to Blood Spirit territory and stand in defense of their people, the Khan had never wavered in her conviction, and had ensured that the remaining steps to securing the Clan's future were taken by ordering the creation of the Red Knights organization.

It was all nearly complete, and despite her anger at the Grand Council and the series of traitors, politicians, blackmailers, and cowards that it was populated with, she knew that this was very good news indeed.  "Thank you, Astrid.  Inform the Galaxy Commanders that I will wish to speak to them once they arrive at their destinations."

"Aff, my Khan," Astrid replied with a brief nod.

"And when you are finished, Star Captain, return to me," Khan Schmitt said, a fierce grin twisting her severe features.  "There is a measure of frustration that I wish to... work out."

Blood Spirit Hall
New Tara, York
Kerensky Cluster

Quote
OvKhan,

I have completed my report on the progress of our revitalization, and you will be pleased to note that our Clan is progressing well towards the goals you have laid down for us.  

The touman currently stands at six frontline Galaxies and seven secondline Galaxies, in addition to the two Keshiks and the Naval and AeroSpace Reserves.  They are currently deployed throughout our various holdings in the Homeworlds, as well as our outpost in the Deep Periphery, as per my deployment orders.  And I am most pleased to report that our warriors were able to withdraw from the treacherous and wrathful Draconis Combine with minimal casualties, far exceeding our most optimistic projections.  Though the loss of our WarShips over Schwartz was a grievous wound inflicted upon us, perhaps we should count ourselves fortunate that the Combine did not inflict worse upon us when they had the opportunity to do so.  Regardless, our surkai is complete.

Our campaigns progress as well, though with admittedly mixed results.  We have nearly cleansed the insects from the surface of Roche, and once we are confident that they have no more dezgra surprises in store for us, I am prepared to land an impressive ground force to complete their eradication and claim what little there is to salvage from that battlefield of dishonor and chalcas.  We are also preparing another campaign to give our Clan the chance to expand and rid itself of a blight upon our honor, and I trust you will be most pleased by my plans in this regard.  The detailed outline is attached to this message for your convenience and, Founder willing, approval.  With so much loss and defeat handed to us in recent months, our warriors deserve a victory worthy of them, and a victory that will take the sting out of the wounds that have unjustly been inflicted upon us.

And I take great personal pleasure to report that Operation Sangria is ready to commence.  If the Founder smiles upon us, perhaps this battle will not need to see the shedding of unnecessary blood.  Though it is not the Clan way to shy away from battle, it is my sincere hope that we will be able to give our people a shred of hope that the Founder's vision is not as dead as we have feared it to be.  I was initially wary of this particular plan when you presented it to me after the kurultai that saw your elevation to Khan, but I will admit that I wish for this to succeed... for all of our sakes.  This will, after all, become the template for our future, and failure is not an option.

Your more subtle efforts to reinvigorate our Clan have also begun to bear fruit.  Thanks to our release of the contents of Khan Colleen Schmitt's journal, as well as the continued dissemination of the late Khan Bodee Beyl's Doctrines of Purity, both Isolationists and Annihilists have begun to gravitate to your Purity movement, uniting them both in a way that neither faction ever thought possible.  The only true holdouts remain those warriors who continue to cling to Helm Church's Pilgrim movement, but with the late Khan's demise at your hands, the Pilgrims have lost their momentum, and the vast majority of their remaining adherents are concentrated within a single Galaxy... easily isolated and dealt with.  The days of the misguided Pilgrim movement thrusting our Clan into a hostile universe are finished.

Loremaster Campbell has spoken to me regarding his own part in your plans, and you will be pleased to know that he too has favorable results to share.  He has focused upon strengthening the Watch, and charged them with the triple tasks of ensuring our Clan's continued policy of total isolation, overseeing the purification of our Blood Houses, and rooting out those holdouts who refuse to accept the inevitable.  I draw the line at calling his actions a witch hunt, but he has been exceptionally harsh and heavy-handed by even his own standards, and though I dislike the man a great deal... I have to admit, his efforts have been largely successful.  I had my doubts that he would truly support you, especially after his violation of your own edict regarding the WarShips at Schwartz, but it appears thus far that he has thrown his support behind you.  Let us look upon this as a good omen.  We are sadly short in that area.

And finally, Sentinel Boques reports that the Knights Sanguine are nearing finalization as well, as the Trials to select Knights have begun to wind down.  I never thought I would live to see the day when our Clan would bring such an order to life, but I find myself in admiration of these warriors and the ideals that they stand for.  They serve as living reminders to every Blood Spirit, from the lowliest laborer to the mightest MechWarrior, of the ideals which we were created to serve.  Though it is, of course, tinged with regret that we can no longer share our bounty with the other Clans.  But they have proven yet again, and perhaps with finality this time, that they have become hopelessly infected with the venial greed and powerlust of the Successor Lords they claim to wish overthrown.  The Knighthood shall serve to ensure that we shall stand pure of body, mind, and spirit... even if we should stand alone.

May the Founder smile upon you, my Khan, as you advance our Clan's interests on Strana Mechty.  And may you one day taste the blood of those who have mocked and ridiculed and scorned us for our integrity and honor in the face of so much betrayal.  Your saKhan, your warriors... indeed, your entire Clan goes with you.

With Respect,
SaKhan Caden Church
Clan Blood Spirit

Temple of the Nine Muses
Roche, Kerensky Cluster

In the cavernous central chamber that once served as the heart of the Temple of the Nine Muses, Loremaster Bayle Campbell stood assembled with a retinue of figures, all attired in their dress uniforms and capes, and he in the crimson-and-black robes and ruby-tipped staff of his office.  Gathered in the focal point of the chamber, the series of massive oak doors that lined the walls were guarded by nearly a dozen Elementals clad in Vampire battlearmor, their eyes alert to any treachery that might still lurk on Roche.  After the nuclear destruction of several Blood Spirit WarShips, no one was willing to take any chances here.

Xysia Boques, commander of Delta Galaxy, was his protege and champion in many ways, and had led the Spirits' forces in securing Roche after the Scorpions on-planet surrendered themselves to the Spirits.  Josh Kemp, commander of Omicron Galaxy, was another of his most fanatical supporters, and had been happy to lend the assistance of his warriors to the seizure of Roche.  And the latest arrival, Galaxy Commander Jesse Keller of Alpha Galaxy, was the faction chief of the Isolationist movement, which still claimed the adherence of many of Clan Blood Spirit's traditionalist veteran warriors.

It was this august body of warriors that greeted Pavel Kirov and Morgaine McFadden as they were admitted into the chamber, their every footfall echoing almost hypnotically from the vaulted ceiling.  Though they knew that something of monumental import was going on, they did not know the reason for their summons to this place.  All they knew as they strode briskly towards the assembled leaders was that all eyes were upon them.  It was an unnerving feeling to both warriors.

The pair had arrived on Roche shortly after the surrender, pursuing the orders given to them by Khan Schmitt to discover and make contact with the conspiracy.  The Spirits had already occupied the major Scorpion settlements left on Roche, and most of the remaining Scorpion populace were outside of the urban centers, which had been evacuated first during the Scorpions' exodus.  Though the Temple had long since been stripped and the Seekers long-vanished, Pavel was certain that a clue could be found within its walls.

And so the pair ventured into the underground chambers that made up much of the massive complex once known as Spiderholm, center of the long-dead Clan Widowmaker's power in the Homeworlds.  Allowed access within was child's play for those who carried the credentials of the Khan herself, though more than one suspicious and even hostile eye was turned upon Pavel in the process.  And for two days, the ilChi ProtoMechWarrior and the Seeker MechWarrior pored through the remains of the Temple's storehouses.

It was Pavel who made the discovery.

A series of holotapes had been placed into a wall safe which bore an intriguing insignia: that of Clan Steel Viper.  Once Pavel had used his own access codes to open the safe, the pair retrieved the holotapes and used their portable emitter to play the contents of the tapes.  And what they saw was nothing short of shocking.  

Recorded conversations between Khan Steven Breen, who led the Vipers in the wake of the Traitor Khan, and the Founder himself, Nicholas Kerensky.  The conversations that the legendary Sanra Mercer had alluded to when she birthed a renaissance within her Clan, fueled by the belief that the Vipers would conquer the worlds of the Terran Hegemony and lead the Successor States from holy Terra herself as the ilClan.  Conversations which, as many in other Clans had whispered during the Golden Century and even now, had never actually taken place.

It was then that one of the Loremaster's men arrived, a sullen and suspicious man that was no doubt a member of the Watch in good standing, with an order to go before the Loremaster at once.  And promptly turned about and was gone.  Leaving Morgaine and Pavel scant few moments to consider the summons before finding themselves marching down the marbled floors of the central chamber towards the Loremaster and his retinue.

Coming to a halt before the gathered Spirit leaders, Morgaine and Pavel both assumed an attention stance, and Morgaine brought her right hand (fingers touched to thumb in a teardrop shape) to her left breast in a sharp salute.  While the gathered Galaxy Commanders regarded the pair with measured and silent gazes, the Loremaster turned his dark, sunken eyes to them with an almost inhuman cant of his head, fanaticism gleaming within.

"Star Captain Morgaine McFadden," intoned the Loremaster.  "Welcome to Roche and the Temple of the Nine Muses."

"Thank you, Loremaster," Morgaine replied, dipping her upper torso in a respectful bow.  This was one of the most powerful men in the Clan, and his reign as Loremaster for nearly twenty years was a long and storied one.  Though she was a Clan warrior and thus knew very little fear, she was more than wary and on her guard in the Loremaster's presence.

"Your arrival comes as quite a surprise to us.  Our warriors are still in the process of securing the planet and processing the isorla that has been presented to us."  He, of course, referred to the massive force of gathering Scorpion warriors which had chosen to accept the offer of Star Admiral Geoff Johns and surrender to a vengeful Clan Blood Spirit.  Though his use of the term isorla certainly couldn't have been sitting well with her Seeker comrade.

"Aff, Loremaster," stated Morgaine with a nod.  "We have arrived on orders from the Khan herself."

"And what are these orders, Star Captain?"  His tone had shifted, and Morgaine noticed that the gathered commanders all began to regard her even more closely.   As she glanced to her left at Pavel, her eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.  Careful, she could almost hear Pavel say.

"Seeker Pavel Kirov was invaluable in locating the journal of Colleen Schmitt," Morgaine responded after a moment.  "The Khan believes that there is perhaps more truth to be found here in the Temple.  We have been instructed to carry out a search for such truths."

As a warrior who was fiercely honorable, as any ristar in Clan Blood Spirit must be, Morgaine would not lie, and certainly not to the Loremaster himself.  But she could be selective in the truths she told.  And she knew that the Khan would not wish for the Loremaster to know of the specifics of their orders.  

Loremaster Campbell held Morgaine's gaze for a long moment, his dark eyes gleaming with fanaticism.  The ProtoMechWarrior felt a rising compulsion to avert her eyes, uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but she did not flinch before him.  She was still Clan, after all.  And after that moment had passed, the Loremaster looked upon Pavel with an utterly unreadable expression.  

"Your heart knows no fear, Seeker," the Loremaster said wryly.  "To stand here in the presence of the warriors whom your own people tried to murder with nuclear fire, the warriors whom took your homeworld away from you.  If only the dezgra that surrendered to us here had even an ounce of such utter fearlessness, that they might have a place among our own warrior caste."

Pavel regarded the Loremaster for a moment... and then he smiled, impossibly enough.  "Perhaps they may yet, Loremaster."

Loremaster Campbell raised an eyebrow at that.  Then he shook his head.  "Neg, Seeker Kirov," he said with finality.  "They sealed their fate when they unleashed nuclear weapons against our fleet and tore their own honor to shreds by refusing to acknowledge our lawful Trial.  We cannot suffer such dishonor in our warrior caste."

The Scorpion MechWarrior shifted in his stance, his dark eyes regarding Loremaster Campbell from a well-tanned face that was nearly completely covered by a black headwrap.  Pavel also wore a loose-fitting black jumpsuit with segmented, metal armor (silver, trimmed in red) worn over the torso like a knightly tabard.  With shiny black leather gloves and boots, the Seeker certainly looked "at home" within the Temple, but could not have looked more out of place with the present company.   But his stance was simply one of resolute confidence, unafraid and unflinching in such awkward company.

"There are nearly two Galaxies' worth of Scorpion warriors who have surrendered themselves to Clan Blood Spirit, Loremaster," Pavel said without hesitation.  "None of which are responsible for firing those nuclear devices at your fleet.  You could present these warriors with the same deal that you offered to the Black Mandrills on Foster, quiaff?"

Though the Galaxy Commanders present all looked as if they were burning to respond, the Loremaster simply regarded Pavel silently for a moment.  Morgaine could see that Bayle Campbell, quite possibly the most fanatical of all in Clan Blood Spirit, was actually considering the Seeker's words.  "And what do you propose, Seeker Kirov?"

Morgaine watched in utter astonishment as her comrade addressed Loremaster Campbell as perhaps he might address an equal... and the Loremaster simply listened to Pavel as he spoke.  "I propose you hold Trials to give those warriors a chance to serve their new Clan in the way in which they are best-suited.  But also ensure that all command positions are held only by your own warriors, who would also engage in Trials to win their new positions."

"Preposterous," said the voice of Galaxy Commander Jesse Keller, the Isolationist faction chief scoffing openly at the Seeker.  "How could they ever be trusted to serve as warriors, even if they were skilled enough to survive our testing?"

Pavel smiled, though none could see it beneath the folds of his headwrap.  "They have no other choice, Galaxy Commander."

"You are correct, Seeker Kirov," said Loremaster Campbell before anyone could respond to Pavel's words.  "And I intended no disrespect to you with my words before.  Were it not for your efforts, the journal of Colleen Schmitt would never have come to light.  This alone proves that you are honorable, if none of your kinsmen can say the same."

"The Black Mandrills have also proven their loyalty to the Clan since we have taken a number of them in on Foster," said Delta Galaxy Commander Xysia Boques.  "Andreu Beyl has given them the task of defending our enclave alongside Sigma, which has always called the Mandrills their friends."

Omicron Galaxy Commander Josh Kemp shook his head.  "Clan Fire Mandrill has stood by us for centuries.  The Scorpions claim no such honor in our eyes."

Those words caused the Loremaster to hold up his hand to forestall any further discussion on the matter.  "It was a Scorpion that restored to us the words of Colleen Schmitt, and a Scorpion that was responsible for turning us away from the path of destruction in the Draconis Combine in the mad war with the Not-Named!  It shall be a Scorpion that shall be heard this day."

Pavel bowed his head to the Loremaster in respect.  "Allow my people the chance to prove their worth."

"Very well, Seeker Kirov," Loremaster Campbell said after a long moment, the tension palpable in the air until Bayle's words broke it beyond repair.  "The testing shall commence as my Watch screens them for ties to the conspiracy.  Those who succeed will be reorganized into a new Galaxy that shall stand in defense of our newest conquest, Roche.  They shall be Phi Provisional Galaxy..."

Then, the Loremaster smiled almost sardonically at the Seeker and MechWarrior before him.  "And they shall be commanded by you, Star Colonel Pavel Kirov, if you can pass your own blooding as a Spirit warrior and prove yourself victorious in the final Trial of this new Galaxy."

Morgaine's mouth opened in shock.  The Loremaster had all but guaranteed Pavel the position of Galaxy Commander if he agreed to become abtakha and be tested as a warrior in his new Clan.  But it would mean the end of his time as a Seeker, and an end to his time as a Goliath Scorpion.  And Morgaine could not even begin to guess at how Pavel would respond to that.

"All honor to you, Loremaster", Pavel said immediately.  Then, hesitation having caught him, he downcast his eyes for a long moment before raising them again to the Blood Spirit Loremaster.  "I have never considered how my life would progress after my time as a Seeker came to an end.  But neither have I considered where I would stand when my Clan made the choice to stand against the Way of the Clans.  Perhaps you would allow me some time to... think it over?"

Loremaster Campbell laughed aloud, drawing looks of to-varying-degrees surprise from Morgaine and the assembled Galaxy Commanders.  "Aff, Seeker Kirov, and a most wise answer to a most difficult question.  But do not tarry long in finding an answer.  The investigation is ongoing, and the Trials shall consume considerable time in the days after, but I will revisit this question with you when that time comes."

Then, the Loremaster regarded Morgaine again, then Pavel, and then the pair of them simultaneously.  Standing more upright as he brandished his staff of office, he nodded once, sharply, as he spoke.  "Thank you both for your time.  It was most... illuminating."

And with that, the pair exited the chamber and made their way to the nearby DropPort where their vessel awaited them.  Holotapes in hand, they boarded the DropShip and returned to the JumpShip Boudicca that awaited them in orbit over Roche.  After speaking with Sentinel Boques via HPG link, the pair were ordered back to Huntress, to meet with the Knights Sanguine on Huntress and determine the next course of action.

The Blood Spirits techs had been on a higher state or awareness and on edge with all the happenings on Strana Mechty, so when five bleeps appeared on his screen, he almost spilled his coffee. Before he could contact the incoming forces a booming voice came on an open channel.

"This is Khan Sennet coming to meet your Khan per her invitation, you will forgive my intrusion with more than just a bodyguard, but given the recent actions of some of our brothers and sisters; i felt it warranted. We will approach slowly with tracking systems off. Please advice your Khan of my approach."


Slowly and methodically the five Shark Assault Mechs made their way into the Blood Spirit enclave, the techs could see that the lead mech was a Mad Cat II, followed by a design their war books did not recognize, it was a Warhammer, but not a variant they knew.

It was not long before the Star of Shark assault 'Mechs detected the relatively rapid response from Clan Blood Spirit.  That response was, ironically enough, a Star of assault 'Mechs, bearing the colors of the Blood Guard Keshik.  

A Warhammer IIC, a Phoenix Hawk IIC, and a Highlander IIC, which flanked a pair of 'Mechs that were unquestionable in origin: a Blood Kite, which bore the markings of the Spirits' saKhan, and a massive design the Sharks themselves had never laid eyes upon.  The Sharks' targeting computers identified the 'Mech as a Blood Avatar, bearing the markings of Khan Schmitt herself.

"Welcome, Khan Sennet.  Do not apologize for your show of force, for we are Clan, and we are meant to meet one another from a position of strength.  And such caution is well-advised in such times as these."

The Blood Avatar halted nearly half a kilometer before the Sharks' machines, and its own tracking systems were powered down.  "You are our honored guests here, and your safety is as much my concern as it is your own.  We shall conduct you to Blood Spirit Hall, as I trust you are anxious to learn of the matters of which I entreated you to speak with me about, though I request that we do so alone."

With that, the Spirit 'Mechs took up formation with the Sharks' own 'Mechs to form an ad hoc honor guard, as the Khans proceeded into the heart of the Blood Spirits' enclave.

The Shark mechs took up their position in within the honor guard as the made their way closer to the Hall, "You honor my clan and myself Khan Schmitt and i am eager to know what you have to say."

Once they had reached the Hall, Barbara came down from her mech and proceeded to where she would meet with Khan Schmitt.

Khan Schmitt led Khan Sennet into Blood Spirit Hall, which was rather well-guarded... a hallmark of Clan Blood Spirit's isolationist policies.  But the Diamond Shark Khan and her accompanying warriors were given no more than cursory looks from the Spirit warriors, as they were there on the sufferance of the Khan herself, and none questioned Khan Schmitt.

Once the Shark warriors had been shown to a secure room where they could relax beyond prying eyes, Khan Schmitt and Khan Sennet entered into Schmitt's own office in Blood Spirit Hall.  Schmitt secured the room quickly, having ordered a pair of her most trusted Elemental guards to stand guard at the doors, and moved to stand before her massive, ebony desk. 

"I thank you for accepting my invitation, Khan Sennet, and I will not waste your time, for the matters I wish to discuss are of the utmost importance.  The other fools who style themselves Khans may be content to whisper and plot behind your back, but my Clan and your own have always respected each other, and I will not dishonor that."

Heaving a slight sigh, Schmitt reached for a datapad on her desk before returning her attention to the Shark Khan.  "It is no secret that some in the Grand Council have turned their eyes upon you and your Clan.  They feel that because of some of your recent actions, you run the risk of deviating from the Way of the Clans.  But this is an accusation that my own people have faced more than once in our history, so I understand that it is not always so clear."

Holding up the datapad, Schmitt continued.  "During my Clan's seizure of Roche from the Goliath Scorpions, I received a report from my Watch that a sizable fleet had recently departed the system, and it was bound for a world under your Clan's control... Homer.  It was also determined that the point of origin of the message that had allegedly originated with the ilKhan, the message you and I discussed some months ago, was also the world of Homer.  But these pale by comparison to the latest report I have received."

Standing to her full height, Adrianna Schmitt looked upon Barbara Sennet with an intense, cobalt gaze.  The two women could not have looked more different.  Where Adrianna was tall, light-skinned, and possessed of lengthy golden-blonde hair, Barbara was rather petite, with dark chocolate skin and short, black hair.  A study of contrasts if ever there was one. 

"My Clan has recently been engaged in an operation in the remote Nueva Castile region in the Deep Periphery, home to the Castilian Principalities and the Umayyad Caliphate.  During a battle between the two sides, in which we were serving as observers and arbitrators, the Castilians engaged the Umayyads with BattleMechs of a design far beyond their own technological level.  BattleMechs that my Watch tells me are of Terran origin.  BattleMechs that my Watch also tells me were sold to the Castilians by Diamond Shark merchants."

Silent only for a moment, Khan Schmitt took a single step forward, though her posture was far from threatening.  "I swear upon my honor as a warrior that nothing we speak of today will leave this room.  But I am compelled to ask you, Khan Sennet, what occurs with your Clan?  I must know."

"I thank you for bringing this up to my attention and the honor you show, for as you know it has been lacking from most of our fellow Khans," Barbara sighed heavily. "The sizable fleet that your watch said was headed to Homer was also tracked by my watch to just outside of Homer where it was lost, I can tell you that no Scientist forces are located on the world on within its space and would grant a warrior of your choosing full access to every nook of the world; unlike some others, my Clan has nothing to hide. The operations on Homer did not go as planned, the Adders hesitation to engage the Scientists, their acceptance and subsequent refusal of a Trial and even their use of guerrilla forces, left a sour taste in my mouth. It was to be a simple Trial that went awry."

"As far as Diamond Shark wares being in the possession of the Castilians, it is a matter that i would need to research. As you know our merchants travel far and wide and thought records are meticulously kept, it is not something i commit to memory, but as far as selling Terran designs apart from a few second-line mechs that have Star League origins, my clan does not produce Inner Sphere-tech armaments."

"The Diamond Sharks are not the clans enemy, we have most of our fleet in the Inner Sphere under the orders of  Star Admiral McKenna. My clan also recently took control of Columbus Station from the Terrans, but sadly not before they vacated. We have also engaged two scientist warships in Deep Periphery, managing to salvage one. What we refuse to do is leave our vast holding here in the Homeworlds without proper guard, with the Scientists still out there and some of our fellow clans looking only for themselves, it is not a risk i can take."

To her credit, Khan Schmitt only mulled those words over for a frenzy of moments before she nodded sharply.  "I will accept your word as I would my own, Khan Sennet.  But I would also ask you to understand why I am forced to ask these questions, given the blatant treachery of the Scorpions and the self-serving, dishonorable behavior of those who sit on the Grand Council.  This conspiracy has deep roots within our society, and none of us have been unaffected by its actions... and yet, the Grand Council is content to continue their policies of landgrabbing and powermongering in the Inner Sphere and virtually ignore the rot that eats us from within, while the Terrans continue to remain unmolested within the borders of their Hegemony."

Pausing for a moment, Schmitt then returned her gaze to Sennet.  "I have grave reservations about the Grand Council's ability to lead the Clans on a path that will ensure the survival of our way of life, Khan Sennet.  And while I am not familiar with your own stance on this farcical excuse for an Annihilation, I must ask you... is this a course you are committed to?  I do not question your loyalty, but I question your desire to carry out this self-destructive course that the Council has set us upon.  In the eyes of myself, my Clan Council, and even in the eyes of our own founding Khan, Colleen Schmitt, the Annihilation failed long before either of us were ever Decanted."

Schmitt's expression became as hard and as cold as ice.  "I will disavow uttering these words if ever they are repeated outside of this room, but I have asked myself a question which borders on the blackest of heresy: perhaps this conspiracy has the right of it.  Though their methods and their actions reek of dishonor and scream for reprisal, is the current course we are embarked upon any better?  From what I understand, this conspiracy fears that the Grand Council is going to force the Inner Sphere to completely destroy the Clans in order to stave off the Annihilation... and from what I have witnessed thus far, I cannot say with any truthfulness that they are wrong."

Shaking her head, Schmitt waved away her reverie.  "I ask that you consider the course of your Clan in the days to come, Khan Sennet.  I ask that you consider where the Grand Council will lead you and your people, for the waters seem most treacherous and there seems to be little benefit to those of us who are not Jade Falcon, Star Adder, Snow Raven, or Ice Hellion.  I ask that you consider returning home to the Kerensky Cluster and to the Pentagon, to look to your own people instead of looking to prosecute a senseless and destructive war that will force the Inner Sphere to Annihilate us once and for all."

"I agree fully that it seems like the Grand Council is as much of a threat as the Scientists, that it seems that the actions of a few are controlling everything."

"Sadly my Clan and I have to support the annihilation of the Not Named, as much as I do not think it is being handled properly; Shark warriors will be there. Though i have stated we will not support it over the safety of our clan."

"We have established a solid hold on the Deep Periphery outposts from the Wolves and Terrans and stand to provide as much support as we can, to those that require it."

Schmitt nodded slowly in response, drinking in the words of the Shark Khan reflectively.

"You must do what you feel is best, of course, Khan Sennet, and I would never advise you to do otherwise.  And I will gladly support you in Council if any call your loyalty into question.  There are precious few amongst our number that I would even consider calling an ally, but it is my hope that perhaps our two Clans might be able to do so in the future.  I think that both the Spirit and the Shark could use all the support they can muster, and I stand ready to commit that support to you if and when you should call upon it."

"Your fleet remains in the Inner Sphere under the aegis of Star Admiral McKenna, and yet the Ravens tell the Grand Council that your warriors have not contributed to the war effort thus far.  I am not calling your actions into question by stating this, but I will simply ask if there is any way that I and my warriors might assist you in your efforts in the Inner Sphere.  We may not support this war, but we will not abandon a loyal and honorable Clan to fight alone, either.  If you are willing, perhaps we could discuss how we might be able to bring about coordinated, cooperative actions against our enemies."

"What say you, Khan Sennet?"

"The Ravens may say whatever is on their mind, for i know the truth and can verify it with the positioning of my warships, the Ravens are just sore they did not cart blanch access to our industrial capability and that we repaired whom we wanted to repair after Sudeten."

"I would be honored to have your forces fight along mine in the Inner Sphere, under shared command. The world of Columbus is being upgraded to support more personnel as we speak, so if you wish to send your troops there as a meeting point; it would seen like the optimal place."

Blood Spirit Enclave
Lum

A message from Loremaster Klaus Harper to the commander of the Blood Spirit Enclave is sent requesting a meeting.

Command Center
Blood Spirit Enclave
Lum, Kerensky Cluster

As per standing orders, the pair of Blood Spirit technician-caste communications officers within the Spirits' command center on Lum, a hardened facility seized from the Nova Cats when the Spirits invaded Lum, forwarded the message to the office of Bri McFadden.

McFadden immediately initiated a priority-one, encrypted, HPG-delivered transmission to Strana Mechty, where the former Snow Raven ilChi engaged in a brief conversation with the Blood Spirit saKhan, Caden Church.  The conversation was only a few minutes in length, and terminated as quickly as it began.

Bri's response was not long in coming.

Quote
Loremaster Harper,

By the authority invested in me by the Khans and the Clan Council, I am tasked to inform you that your request for a meeting has been accepted.  However, I am also to inform you that the meeting will take place via HPG transmission, as no one outside of our Clan is welcome within our enclaves by order of the Khan. 

I am sending you a secure frequency with which to conduct the meeting you have requested, and await your response.

Bri McFadden
Clan Blood Spirit

Meanwhile, on Strana Mechty...

Khan Schmitt straightened her posture to stand at her full height and raised her right hand, with thumbs touching fingers to form a teardrop shape, to her left breast in a sharp salute.

"Thank you, Khan Sennet, for your candor today.  I will speak with saKhan Church about coordination with your Clan's own touman, and we shall see what we can do to bring this alliance to fruition.  Though I must say that Columbus is a surprising destination for a staging area.  Rather distant from the front.  May I inquire as to what your first target is intended to be?  I am not as familiar with the goings-on in Steinerspace as I perhaps should be."

HPG Transmission

The image of Klaus Harper faded in with all of his office regalia showing. The immense man had a stony face and peircing eyes. "Khan Schmitt, I have been asked by SSA saKhan Bryn Cooper to request the status of the CBSS Caughoo. The last we heard of this ship, it was still above Roche and salvagable."

Bri McFadden raised an eyebrow at the query of the Ravens' legendary Loremaster.  Though he had clearly intended to speak with Khan Schmitt, she was currently engaged in a meeting with Khan Barbara Sennet, leaving the task to Bri. 

"Aff, it is still above Roche and salvagable.  And we will salvage it when we are prepared to do so.  If you are looking for a corpse to feast to, I suggest you look elsewhere.  We will not tolerate scavengers in our territory."

"How odd that you immediately suspect our motives are dubious ilChi. What does this mean as to how you view the honor of the Snow Raven? We inquire as to the status of this particular vessel because we have a standing rede to upgrade this ship to a Conqueror. I wished to inform you that as soon as you deliver this ship to the Naval Yards at Lum, we can fulfill this rede. We however can not offer assistance in bringing this ship to mobile status as both of our Yardships are currently at Tamar repairing our lost fleet assets."

(As per the deal for the Fionavon, the Spirits got 1000 MP for 6 Turns and the promise that the Ravens would upgrade the remaining Blood Spirit Kimagure to a Conqueror when the rules came out ... and the Rules have come out. :P)

"Acknowledged.  I will pass that information along to the Khan.  When we restore the vessel to mobility, we will have her delivered here to Lum in order to receive her refit.  Although I am uncertain why this required your personal attention, Loremaster Harper.  But it is not a matter I will give much thought, as Clan Snow Raven is no longer my concern on any level.  Now, was that the extent of what you wished to discuss, Loremaster, or are we done here?"

"Your words are quasi-facetious, you ask why a high ranking official of our Clan would notify your enclave personally and at the same time make sure to mention that this is worthy of your Clan's highest office to recieve. Even if I were not the Clan's Loremaster, a rede is a sacred and important thing to uphold, not to mention this project will require vast amounts of resources and laborers. Such things must be planned at our highest level and we would appreciate some forewarning so that we can ensure the Caughoo is our first priority when it arrives, or is this, as your tone might suggest, a waste of our time?"

At those words, Bri's eyes narrowed sharply.  "Given the recent theft of a WarShip from the Spheroids at the hands of your new Star Adder allies, Loremaster, and your own Clan's proclivity to scavenge, I feel more than justified in questioning your motives.  It seemd rather irregular for a Loremaster to deliver this news, quiaff?  However, as I have already mentioned, we will inform you when the Caughoo will be ready for refit.  In the meantime, spare us the lecturing and the posturing, for we need no reminders from Clan Snow Raven about the importance of fulfilling oaths and redes.  Perhaps you should impart that lesson upon your own people."

With that, Bri McFadden gave a signal to the technician-caste communications officer operating the equipment in the command center, and the signal was abruptly terminated.

Rho Galaxy Field Headquarters
Eposz Mountains, Transfer Facility 4
Blood Spirit Territory, Deep Periphery

The Deep Periphery outpost known as Transfer Facility 4 had always been a desolate and lonely place.

Before the time of Operation Bulldog and the Great Refusal, the world had been used as a way station by Clan Smoke Jaguar, which had only posted a garrison Trinary to guard such a relatively worthless possession.  The world had later come under the auspices of Comstar, which had engaged and defeated the Jaguar warriors and had quietly maintained control for years.  The warriors of Puma Garrison Trinary had viewed assignment to the surface cargo way station as a fate worse than death... perhaps rightly so.

During the more recent relevation of the Not-Named Clan's continued existence on Terra and the resulting war of Annihilation that had been launched by the collective Clans of Kerensky against their ancient foe and the Blakist zealots who harbored them, Transfer Facility 4 had been seized by the forces of Clan Blood Spirit.  The vengeful Spirits saw the world as a suitable base of operations for their planned invasion of the Draconis Combine, a foe hated since the defeat of the Blood Guard Keshik by the Genyosha during the Great Refusal.  

Transfer Facility 4 now served as the home of the 331st Crimson Guards, a unit renamed in the wake of the rise of Adrianna Schmitt to the Khanship and the Spirits' collective abandonment of the Trial of Annihilation.  Many within the Clan saw the unit's renaming as an ominous sign, as it (intentionally) bore the numbering of the original SLDF unit that had eventually become Clan Wolverine, and as a result, the unit had been reorganized to house only those warriors who wished to carry the burden.

It was here that Star Colonel Emma Schmitt observed the most interesting thing that had happened on TF4 yet, as she stood in her office at the apex of the Spirits' complex of buildings set into the harsh, volcanic peaks of the Eposz Mountains.  A spartan room even by the standards of her Clan, she had only recently assumed command of Rho Provisional Galaxy, and had not had the time nor the inclination to personalize the cavernous room as her own.  The entire back wall of her office was in fact constructed of plasteel, making it easy for her to observe the facility which she commanded, the craggy peaks and treacherous lava flows of the mountains it was set upon, and the ash-darkened skies that loomed over all of it.

None of these things held Emma's attention at the moment, however, nor the attention of the other two individuals which flanked her at the window.  Their eyes were instead transfixed upon the unmistakable form of DropShips which had broken through the obfuscation of the black clouds above the base and were descending rapidly to the military DropPort.  Though she was already aware of the identity of the newcomers, an eyebrow still quirked on Emma's face as she beheld the unmistakable new insignia of Clan Camel.

"What do you suppose they want?" spoke the borderline-hostile voice of Star Captain Galina Perez.  

Emma turned her head just slightly to regard the woman.  Large and muscular, the former Smoke Jaguar Elemental was dark of skin, eye, and hair, a contrast to the Blood Spirit MechWarrior.  Allowing herself a small smile at Galina's almost rebellious tone, she gave a small shrug.

"I do not know, Star Captain," Emma replied.  "But they are our allies, and we will treat them accordingly."

At that moment, the individual on the other side of Emma spoke for the first time.  Clad in the white, black, and red of the Knights Sanguine, Knight Captain Niccolo stood in stark contrast to both women.  He was, as ever, detached to the point of coldness, though Emma never doubted the man's honor or his dedication to his duties.  

"Such a visit is highly irregular, especially given the Khan's proclamation to the Clan Council that all outside contact is forbidden within our territory."

And there it was, the elephant in the room.  Emma had spent long months as the ilChi to Clan Ice Hellion during Sellen Cage's tenure as Khan, but had been recalled after Raina Montose had succeeded the former ilKhan, so she did not hold the same isolationist mentality as many of her kin.  And the Camels, which had barely escaped Annihilation by Abjuring themselves from the Black Mandrills, were the closest that Clan Blood Spirit had ever come to a true ally amongst the treacherous Clans of Kerensky.  But the Knights Sanguine had been tasked to enforce the new mandates that had come down from Khan Schmitt, and such a question had to be asked.

"Let us see what they want before we expel them."

Rho Galaxy Field Headquarters
Eposz Mountains, Transfer Facility 4
Blood Spirit Territory, Deep Periphery

Never before had Emma Schmitt seen such a colorful gathering of warriors as those who had arrived from Clan Camel.

The arriving DropShips had brought good tidings from the former Fire Mandrill Clan, which had remade itself in the wake of the actions of the Black Mandrills in the Homeworlds.  Traveling from their Occupation Zone in the Inner Sphere to the isolated Blood Spirit outpost in the Deep Periphery, Emma had been surprised to discover not only the identity of the Camel warriors who had arrived... but their origins as a unit.

The Fire Spirits Cluster had been created by none other than Kira Keller herself, the so-called "Blood Avatar"who had very nearly awakened the horrors of civil war upon Clan Blood Spirit.  Kira, who had been assigned by former Khan Helm Church to serve as ilChi to the Crusader-minded Mandrills in the Inner Sphere as a widely-suspected form of exile, had embarked on a series of Trials throughout the Clan Occupation Zones.  Challenging the Ghost Bears, the Jade Falcons, the Hell's Horses, the Star Adders, and the Wolves, Kira had managed to turn a single 'honor guard' Trinary of Mandrill warriors into an oversized Cluster of warriors representing the spectrum of the Clans of Kerensky. 

It was unprecedented, to say the least.

When Clan Blood Spirit discovered what Kira had been doing in her exile, the Loremaster himself led his Delta Galaxy to the Fire Mandrill Occupation Zone all the way from the Homeworlds to put an end to the revolutionary nihilist, and had descended upon the world of Star's End to stop whatever she was planning.  And it was there that Kira, who had molded the Fire Spirits into a truly cohesive whole that blended the best and the worst of their respective Clans, had managed to stymie Delta Galaxy and engage the Loremaster himself in a one-on-one Trial of Possession for his entire Galaxy.  Even more incredulously, she defeated him in the Trial, and prepared to lead Delta Galaxy (with the Fire Spirits as her spearhead) back to York to force Khan Church to answer for his actions.

Fate, however, had something else in mind for the Blood Avatar.

Caden Church, the young warrior who now served as saKhan to Clan Blood Spirit, challenged Kira to a Trial of Grievance over her dezgra actions... and in a vicious unaugmented fight, he broke Kira's neck, and Caden was declared the victor.  Returning the Loremaster to command of his people, Caden saw Delta Galaxy off, and the Loremaster left him in the Fire Mandrills' Occupation Zone to serve as the new ilChi. 

Every warrior in Clan Blood Spirit knew of the tale.  Emma herself, who had once sympathized with Kira Keller and her Annihilist movement which still remained strong within the younger, newer warriors of the Clan, knew full well who the warriors of the Fire Spirits were.  She had simply never expected to see them in the flesh.

Sebastian Hall, stolid and reserved MechWarrior of Clan Ghost Bear, who had been Kira's first addition to the Fire Spirits, and often served as the sole Warden voice of reason in a pack of warriors who were devoutly Crusader in their leanings.

Crosby Chistu, arrogant and egocentric MechWarrior of Clan Jade Falcon, who had proven the most difficult of all the warriors to integrate into the "all for all" mentality that Kira had worked to instill in the Fire Spirits.

Alexa Mitchell, youthful and exuberant MechWarrior of Clan Hell's Horses, who had jumped at the chance to bring the Crusading fire that burned within her to the Fire Spirits and help impart the teamwork mentality of her Clan.

Sonya Truscott, impulsive and combative MechWarrior of Clan Star Adder, who had brought with her a Trinary of former Burrock warriors and who found immense irony in serving the cause of her Clan's most hated enemy.

Vincent Sender, sullen and wrathful MechWarrior of Clan Wolf, whom had been gifted to the Fire Spirits without Trail by Khan Ivan Kerensky, and who had become even more withdrawn after news of the Abjuration of his Clan by the Grand Council.

The quintet of warriors stood before Emma Schmitt as she sat at her desk, eyeing her with a variety of expressions etched into their battle-worn features.  Though she kept her own expression carefully neutral, and was certain that Knight Captain Niccolo at her right shoulder did the same, she knew that Star Captain Perez, who stood at her left shoulder, was likely eyeing the gathering with suspicion, and the massive Elemental would scream-and-leap at their throats at the first sign of treachery.

"What brings you to Transfer Facility 4, honored warriors?" Emma asked diplomatically (for a Clanner).

Sebastian Hall stepped forward, a smile working its way onto his chiseled, handsome features.  If she had not known better, Emma could have easily mistaken him for a small Elemental.  "We bring you greetings from Khan Amy Lynn, and have come bearing bountiful tidings."

"Aff?" Emma replied, raising an eyebrow.  "I am surprised.  We have not heard much from Clan Camel since its inception into the Clans of Kerensky."

Alexa Mitchell responded to that, her own voice almost as diplomatic as Emma's own.  Emma's estimation of the woman instantly went up a notch because of it.  "Khan Lynn has had a great deal to occupy her since that time.  She was shocked to hear of what the Black Mandrills perpetuated in the Homeworlds, and much of her time is spent keeping what remains of her Clan unified and whole."

Crosby Chistu snorted a derisive laugh.  The hauteur of his Jade Falcon lineage was worn as brightly as plumage. "A difficult task at the best of times, aff?  They were, until very recently, Fire Mandrills.  A microcosm of the Clans' squabbling, petty conflicts."

To forestall any further tangential commentary, Knight-Captain Niccolo stepped into the conversation.  "Seyla.  But what is it that would bring the Fire Spirits here?  I cannot imagine that the choice of Clusters that Khan Lynn sent to us was accidental."

Emma resisted glancing over her shoulder at Niccolo as he spoke.  His words mirrored her own thoughts; always perceptive, that one was.  "You and your people are, of course, most welcome here in our territory.  I imagine that Khan Schmitt would agree with me when I say this.  We owe much to your Clan, and no matter your identity, you will always have a place here."

To that, Sonya Truscott smiled knowingly.  "A fitting choice of words, Star Captain Schmitt," she said cryptically.  "But first, we present you with a gift from Khan Lynn.  Something to further your Clan and its goals."  She extended her hand, which bore a datapad which Emma quickly took from her, and Emma used the moment to assess the former Star Adder warrior... beautiful, by anyone's standards, and the first Adder she had ever met face-to-face.  Her presence here was still a touch... disquieting.

More intriguing, though, was what Emma saw upon the datapad.  "These are the technical specifications for the Corona battlearmor," she said.  "As I recall, these were won from Clan Star Adder by the Mandrills because of your actions."

"Aff, Star Captain Schmitt," Sonya replied.  "Khan Lynn therefore finds it fitting that you should share in the bounty of our victory.  A gesture of continued friendship."

To that, Emma could only smile... both in genuine pleasure from the gift that the Camel Khan bestowed upon her Clan, and in irony that the words were delivered by a warrior from the Clan that the Blood Spirits despised above all others.  And in that moment, she inclined her head to Sonya and spoke words that she never suspected would pass from her lips.  "You have my thanks, Star Captain Truscott."

"There is more," said Vincent Sender, speaking for the first time.  Though he was possessed of roughly handsome features himself, in stark contrast to the more angular, haughty expression that Crosby Chistu wore, the Wolf MechWarrior was more taciturn than the Ghost Bear.  "Khan Lynn also presents another gift to your people, one that is perhaps more valuable than any other that the Camels could offer."

"And what is that?" said Star Captain Perez, speaking for the first time, her tone one of barely-restrained hostility. 

Vincent merely answered her inbred Jaguar nature with a supercilious smile.  "Us."

Castle Bloodhawk
Hyata Desert, Continent Abysmal
Huntress, Kerensky Cluster

In the months following the revelation of the Knights Sanguine to the rank-and-file of Clan Blood Spirit, the order's numbers had grown considerably, but though the Knights had become almost fashionably popular within the Clan, their numbers never increased beyond their original mandate of five Orders, which consisted of one Star each of MechWarrriors, Elementals, AeroSpace pilots, armor warriors, and ProtoMechWarriors, as well as their attendant Squires.

The heart of the Knights Sanguine, the Castle Bloodhawk, was bustling with activity as of late.  Khan Schmitt's purification of the Clan continued apace, and the Knights carried out that task with zealous fervor, as was their mandate.  They also traveled the length and breadth of Spirit-occupied territory, from the distant Transfer Facility 4 outpost to distant Nueva Castile, and throughout each enclave in the Homeworlds.  There was little in Clan Blood Spirit that didn't feel their influence.

But it was here, at the monolithic fortress where the Knights had chosen to plant their flag, that Pavel Kirov sat in meditative repose, having sequestered himself on the balcony of one of the castle's towers.  From this vantage point, he could see not only the hustle and bustle of Castle Bloodhawk itself, but beyond: the harsh and unforgiving Hyata Desert that comprised much of the Abysmal continent, and the foreboding and jagged peaks of the Lunar mountain range beyond.  A vista both primal and beautiful.

Sitting next to him was an etched goblet of bronze, with the flourescent, telltale sickly-green residue of necrosia within.  Pavel had consumed the ichor after a lengthy purification ritual of his own, and once that was complete, he had set the goblet aside and assumed a seated stance of meditation to allow the venom of his totem to run its course throughout his body.  To bring him vision, and clarity, in times as troubled as these.

At an unexpected moment, with an almost physical, tangible wave of euphoria that bordered on vertigo, the necrosia within Pavel washed into his mind, and his eyes closed once more...

The brown and white plumage, splashed with arterial blood across its wings, of a blood kite, soaring low to the ground towards him, talons outstretched in anticipation of sinking them into the warm flesh of prey...

The faceted, metallic scales of an Arcadian steel viper, the most lethal predator in the Homeworlds, reared up in striking pose with powerful muscles and bared fangs dripping with paralyzing and lethal venom as it prepared to strike...

And what is this...?

A great cat, comparable in size to the ancient and forgotten sabretoothed tiger, with ghostly-white fur and the presence of an intangible phantom, twin fangs spearing down from its mouth and powerful claws padding it forward slowly...

The three apex predators met in sync, stooping upon each other... but their meeting was not one of violence or lethality.  Instead, a great white light flashed from the center of their collision, growing so bright that Pavel turned his head away... and a great wailing and gnashing of teeth could be heard...

... enough!

Pavel was stunned back into the reality of his own skin as a hand gripped his shoulder gently but firmly.  His eyes fluttering open, he turned to face the source of the touch upon him, expecting to see Morgaine standing behind him.  Only she would dare to disturb him when he was in such a state.

But it was not Morgaine standing there, the shock of which caused him to quickly make his way to his feet and turn to face the newcomer.  No, this one was most certainly not Morgaine, nor one of the Knights... but someone else entirely.

A woman, tall and slender, stood before him.  Her body was encased entirely in form-fitting crimson leather, with cobalt-colored shoulderpads and chest armor of metal, lower torso and forearms wrapped in white fabric, legs in form-fitting crimson leather and feet encased up to the knee in segmented, sharp cobalt-colored armored boots.

She was well-armed as well, as Pavel visually catalogued her.  Brown leather bands, etched with unidentifiable archaic symbols, wrapped around both of her upper arms contained a series of bo-shuriken, and a pair of the same brown leather bands were strapped around both of her thighs and contained rather exquisite scabbards for what looked to be tantos.  Strapped to her back was a large katana, the grip peeking over her left shoulder, etched with the same archaic symbols.

Though her hair was long and void-black, worn in a loose ponytail left to stream behind her nearly to the small of her back, her face was almost completely obscured by a bone-white, enameled mask of feline design, the "ears" rising up sharply and a pair of downthrust "fangs" that traveled well past her mouth and chin, the only parts of her face left exposed.  A single, perfect-circle-cut ruby was set on the forehead of the mask, glinting ominously in the evening light.

"Pavel Kirov," the woman spoke, her words coming strangely lilted and parsed.  "I was told that I could find you here."

Doing his utmost to shake off the lingering aftereffects of the necrosia, and grateful that he had taken only the mildest of doses before seeking his vision today, Pavel merely looked at the woman standing before him in utter curiousity.  His breathing came somewhat labored, as the images revealed to him threatened to return and overwhelm him.  

"Who are you?" he finally managed to ask, refusing to show weakness before this newcomer by gripping the balcony ledge for support as the world seemed to spin around him.

The woman's lips quirked in a strange little smile, and she gracefully pushed the mask atop her head to reveal a face of sculpted beauty.  "I am Visioneer Narsha Chien of Clan Spirit Cat.  And I have come to talk with you about such a vision.  One that I believe may show the way to the future.  Will you share tea with me this evening, Seeker?"