Clan Wolf-in-Exile

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

Despite helping out with the repairs on the Chalice, you may have noticed some of the clanners being more restless than usual.

[1]

On this particular day, a rather large screen had been set up together with communication consoles at an unused corner of the hangar. Several clanners had gathered – including former bondsmen. The dire wolf pups were there as well, sniffing about curiously.

Ranna spoke softly to someone over the comms, before ending it with “Aff, my Khan.”

She switched on the video feed on the screen – it was Earth orbit again, except as the screen panned out, a ship almost a mile long went by. It was followed by another ship that was almost 900m long, both carrying the insignia of Clan Wolf. Both appeared damage, though around them were aerospace fighters and dropships flying escorts. The view continued to panned, as the main bulk of the exiled Wolves appeared.

Tens of jumpships, with hundreds of dropships trailed the 2 warships. There were various different designs, and many of them were visibly unarmed.

A secondary display on the screen showed their telemetry, and their intended destination as some of the dropships began their descent into atmosphere – Siberia.

At this, most of the clanners and even some of the wolf pups were silent, watching the screen intently.

Clan Wolf had completed its own Exodus, not unlike their Great Father many centuries ago.

[2]

The aftermath of the first landings were hectic, as Ranna and her fellow clanners took in reports of their available strength.

Finally there were some breather, and Ranna stared at the clipboard in her hand, a list of ship names apparent. Her attention was focused on the final ship listed.

Mother Jocasta, Cameron-class Battlecruiser

She crossed out some words and corrected it with a marker.

Ulric Kerensky Mother Jocasta, Cameron-class Battlecruiser

She sighed softly.

Comments

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"The Scientists say the pups are developing well. There is only one thing bothering me..."

He removed his own tabled, hit a few buttons to get to a chart showing the Wolf chain of command.

"The computer keeps trying to change the Khan's name back to what it was before he was one of us."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

Ranna smiles, "The ilKhan made 'Kell' a bloodname."

No matter what the Council had decided, Ulric was her ilKhan.

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"What?!" He did not look pleased. "Even the ilKhan can't simply...make up a bloodname!" And then he looked embarrassed at the contraction that slipped out.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"I do not think he was too concerned with protocols or traditional at that time, quiaff?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"He should have been! The Great Father clearly meant bloodnames to be a legacy of the original eight hundred." The irony of arguing this point with someone who was a literal descendant of his was lost on him for the moment.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"I think, as we have exiled ourselves, it is not wrong for a descendant of the Great Father to create one for his contributions to our clan.

Just as certain bloodnames have been eliminated."

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

He doesn't say anything to that, just folds his arms and frowns. She has a point and he doesn't want to acknowledge it. Doubtless l'esprit de escelair will overcome him later and he'll think of the perfect comeback.

"It is a relief having some naval support. It did not sit right with me knowing that the Federation or Axis Zeon could bombard us any time they wished."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

She does not follow up on that either.

"Would they? They do not place the same importance on Terra as us?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Look around you." He gestures, as if encompassing the whole of the Earth. "Terra is littered with the scars they gave her. The first Zeon dropped a space colony onto Australia. Neg, they do not have anything like our regard for sacred Terra."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"They appear to not have advanced deep space travel much. Where will they go should Terra be rendered inhabitable?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"They are too shortsighted to care. They would destroy their own home just to claim dominion over the ashes." He sneers, his opinion of the major powers of the Earth Sphere obvious.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"It is Stefan Amaris all over again, quiaff?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

He smiles a little grimly. "Even The Usurper had an exit strategy. Anyway I suppose that is why fate brought us here."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"Did he?" Ranna questions. "There appears to be little as well."

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Or perhaps this is more like the Succession Wars...Ah, there was one more thing. What do you know of Maddox Caine?" He intended to propose they offer her adoption as a bondsman, something Ranna could hardly object to considering. But he wanted to test the waters first.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"Not much, other than that she attempted to hid her true gender."

Ranna was confused about that initially.

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

He was even more confused until she'd spelled it out for him.

"The Terrans place a large importance on gender. She told me there was no way for her to be a mechwarrior otherwise. I have seen her in battle and I have seen her challenge men larger than me to defend civilians. She has been practicing with the elementals and has read my copy of The Remembrance. In all things I have seen her uphold honorable behavior, except for as you said, hiding her true gender. With that in mind, I want to offer her a place among us as a bondsman, and then a Warrior if she passes her Trial."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

Ranna frowns.

"Bondsman? Did she defect to the enemy, and thus we will meet her in combat?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Neg, but..." He shrugged his shoulders. "We have no other procedure for adoption, quineg? It would be ceremonial: I disarm her, put the cord on, then cut it off again."

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"It is dishonorable to treat it as ceremonial. Taking bondsman and elevating them is to honor their tenacity in battle, even if they were the enemies initially. This seems more of a simple defection."

Ranna's tone is level, even as she tilts her head.

"Did she express an interest in joining us, Star Captain?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"I think she would if she knew it were possible."

Mad hadn't quite connected the dots about Phelan. Not for the last time, Resnick envied Ranna's poker face. It was very hard to tell what she was thinking when she used it.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"Why would she want to join us?"

Ranna continues, her face still not giving anything away.

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"She has already expressed admiration for us, not just our prowess and technology but our ways. She wants to be honorable and reach her potential as a Warrior, but lacks a formal framework for how to do so. I think we can provide it."

It was also frustrating, giving him no idea how well he was pleading his case.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"She wants to be honorable? Has she done anything to suggest otherwise, except, perhaps hiding her gender?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Neg, but I know little of her past."

Indeed, it wasn't Mad he had to watch out for but someone much more innocuous seeming...