Part 429: Political Vote 16 Results and Combat Theater Vote 15
Combat Theater Vote 16:4 July 3034
“Our presence in the Inner Sphere is no more unlawful than the allies you have already called!” Asa Taney’s big, rounded face flushed with fury. “We were granted Tarnby by Clan Hell’s Horses! My Clan has done no wrong! Or are you also calling for the Abjuration of the Jade Falcons, Sea Foxes, Snow Ravens, Star Adders, Cloud Cobras, and Burrocks, quineg?”
“The Jade Falcons are a reserve Clan; when the Hell’s Horses announced their inability to continue the duty fell to the Falcons. Those other Homeworld allies have yet to attack any worlds in the Inner Sphere,” Natasha Kerensky’s hologram didn’t flicker, but her eye twitched involuntarily. “Barring the disappearance of the Snow Ravens and Sea Foxes and Clan Burrock’s recent and increasingly suspect activities, we have found no direct evidence of wrongdoing. You are the only Clan not content to stay in your place and we do not now nor have we ever chosen to tolerate malcontents.”
“We have not impugned on your precious invasion corridors,” Taney spat. “We merely felt it our duty to seize a few surrounding periphery worlds, to better guard our allies the Hell’s Horses—”
“You know nothing of duty, Khan Asa Taney,” Natasha Kerensky countered darkly. “I am surprised you even know how to properly pronounce the word. You were motivated purely by greed and your actions reflect poorly on your Clan. The Khan of the Smoke Jaguars has called for your Abjuration. This requires a four-fifths majority: twelve of the fifteen Clans—”
Khan Tyrell Bekker inclined his head, “What of the Sea Foxes and Snow Ravens?”
“—the fifteen Clans present for this council. As the Sea Foxes and Snow Ravens are incommunicado and as their Homeworld representatives have yet to elect replacement Khans, they must be excluded from this vote. This is a serious charge, and there can be no confusion in this matter. Khans of the Grand Council, I ask for your votes.”
Still standing, Asa Taney shouted, “Clan Ice Hellion votes against Abjuration!”
Khan Talis Marghar stood, offering a fierce glare at the holographic image of his Clan’s most hated rival. “Clan Burrock votes to Abjure the Ice Hellions, and will gladly participate in their Annihilation should they attempt to remain in Clan space.”
“Clan Smoke Jaguar,” Leo Showers’ eyes twinkled slyly as he stared for a few moments at Taney, letting the AeroSpace Pilot sweat. “Affirms the rights of all the Home Clans, the Ice Hellions included, to participate in the Invasion!”
“Well, now that the Smoke Jaguars have proven they are indeed still idiots,” Adrian Devalis said next, “Clan Nova Cat votes for Abjuration.”
“Coyote votes for Abjuration.”
“Fire Mandrill votes for Abjuration.”
“Cloud Cobra votes for Abjuration.”
“Blood Spirit votes against Abjuration.”
“Jade Falcon votes for Abjuration.”
“Star Adder votes for Abjuration.”
“Clan Steel Viper votes for Abjuration.”
“The Ghost Bears vote for Abjuration.”
“Khan Taney,” The holographic form of Khan Grier Siedman rose to his feet. He was the oldest Khan on the council by nearly twenty years, and even his holographic form looked craggy and unwelcoming. “Clan Hell’s Horses did indeed grant you a world from our Inner Sphere holdings, as thanks for your continued support after your failures in the trials; and to show that we were interested in maintaining close ties with your Clan. You should have known better than to launch a campaign of your own but Clan Hell’s Horses must bear some of the responsibility. Should the vote turn against you here, we stand ready to transport as many of your lower castes to your new Inner Sphere holdings as our logistics capacity will allow. We also stand ready to accept any Ice Hellion unit willing to disavow your brash actions and join the Hell’s Horses Touman.”
“Finally, while Clan Hell’s Horses does feel that the Ice Hellions are guilty, we would prefer to vote for Absorption rather than Abjuration. We will accept the ilKhan's judgement, but their forces may yet be salvaged. We ask to make them our own, bolster our weakened Touman, and use the opportunity to resume our invasion should the forces of Clan Jade Falcon falter.”
“Well spoken,” Khan Nicolai Djerassi of the Goliath Scorpions offered, though his eyes were locked on Natasha Kerensky. There had been three votes against the Abjuration of the Ice Hellions, and the Widowmakers were certain to vote to make an example of Asa Taney’s blunder. That the deciding vote had well-and-truly fallen to the Goliath Scorpions was no accident. The threat to Kerensky and the Widowmakers was implicit. Even if he chose to support the ilKhan’s claim, she would owe the results not to her own political acumen but to Djerassi’s own capricious whims.
“The Goliath Scorpions vote for the Abjuration of Clan Ice Hellion.”
Natasha Kerensky returned Djerassi’s stare with an intractable one of her own. If she felt any confusion, gratitude, or even anger she didn’t show it. Even he had to admit that she played the game well. Djerassi offered her a sardonic, self-satisfied smile.
“Clan Widowmaker votes to Abjure the Ice Hellions.” Natasha turned away, her gaze settling on Asa Taney. “Clan Ice Hellion has three months to remove itself from Clan space. Any Ice Hellion personnel that remain will be subject to Annihilation.”
Taney’s hologram turned to glare at each Khan in turn. “I call for a trial of Refusal! I will not stand for this.”
“Granted,” Khan Kerensky held her arms open. “The odds are 4:1 against you.”
“As Clan Smoke Jaguar called for this vote,” Leo Showers shouted, “we demand to be the ones to face the Ice Hellions in combat!”
Kerensky waved a hand dismissively, “Of course, the Council could not deny such a request.”
Taney glowered. “It will take me six months to return to the Homeworlds!”
Natasha’s smile was cruel. “That is neither the Council’s problem, nor mine.”
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A cold wind whipped Arc Keller’s long, black hair into a fury as he stared silently into the Strana Mechty night. His dark eyes were clear and focused on the vague purple shapes that formed the divide between land and sky. The Veil of the Protector, that distant nebula which still hid the Clan Homeworlds from the Inner Sphere, filled the skies overhead with a reddish, bloody haze. It looked so small from Strana Mechty, and yet behind it all the worlds of the Inner Sphere glittered unseen.
“You look troubled, my Khan.”
Arc Keller tipped his head. “I see Kerensky’s vision fading in our time. I fear the time for peaceful mediation has passed.”
His saKhan, Karianna Schmitt, stepped forward; her face half shrouded in darkness. The other half was lit with the cheerful fires of the Grand Council hall. The others had gone already, only the Blood Spirit Khan had chosen to linger. He didn’t much care if the other Khans thought him sentimental, nor even if they believed him mad.
“You fear for the Ice Hellions?” Karianna asked, quietly.
“Neg,” he didn’t sigh, though he felt like doing so. “I fear for us all. The Ice Hellions will only be the first. The time has come to open our caches, and to build a Touman as Nicholas Kerensky wished. Perhaps we can teach the other Clans by our example—but what we have built here must not be destroyed.”
Karianna bowed, “I shall call together those who failed their bloodname trials; the warriors we’ve kept and trained in secret. What of our experimental sibkos?”
“I had hoped ours would be the last of the old generation,” Arc Keller mused quietly. “In another ten years they may have had the numbers to supplant us: Mechwarrior, Pilot, and Elementals all. We shall have to make do with what we have now. This has been a long time in coming but we are prepared. The Clans will endure—we shall see to it.”
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A) King of the Pirates
The Pirates of Tortuga are up-in-arms yet again, with the disappearance of the Lady Death and numerous failures to seize control of the desperate pirate bands, an outside force of refugees from the distant Oberon Confederation may be able to seize control of the Dominions and establish a new pirate kingdom for themselves in Tortuga!
B) Maelstrom (3-way battle)
Clan Goliath Scorpion has won the bid to capture Tukayyid but a “rogue” element of Clan Widowmaker has launched an invasion anyway, in the hopes of winning the world before the Goliath Scorpions can do so. This is the moment Clan Goliath Scorpion has been waiting for: the world is theirs by Clan law, and the forces of Clan Widowmaker have begun a Grand Melee. The Goliath Scorpions are now free to hunt down the Widowmakers while the ilKhan’s hands are tied.
C) The Next Generation
Faced with the necessity of building a military quickly, Clan Blood Spirit has opened their caches and has begun a massive series of trials to assemble the core of their Touman. Amongst them, a new and experimental sibko stands ready to prove themselves worthy of defending Kerensky’s vision.
D) Kalma-Youngblood Mercenary Company, LLC
The newly minted millionaire Duncan Kalma (and his new friend, Jason Youngblood) have decided to heed the Bounty Hunter’s advice to turn their fortunes into something useful: the creation of a brand-new Mercenary unit! They’ve traveled to Galatea, the Mercenary’s Star, in the hopes of recruiting at least a company before Kalma-Youngblood Mercenary Company, LLC (Name Pending) take on their first contract!
Combat Theater Vote
A) King of the Pirates
B) Maelstrom (3-way battle)
C) The Next Generation
D) Kalma-Youngblood Mercenary Company, LLC