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]

"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...

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"If that is the case, why do you think she would require us to provide her the framework to be honorable?"

Ranna continues her poker-face and tone. She had to be going somewhere with all this questioning, right?

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"She seems...lost. She has the instinct for it, but no training in it. Or in piloting a battlemech for that matter. The mech she uses now was her father's...It is the custom among the freeborn for the child to inherit the possesions of the parent."

He raised his eyebrow, trying to puzzle out exactly that question.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"And that practice was seen in the Inner Sphere as well, aff."

Ranna pauses for a moment.

"If she wish to learn, we can teach, quiaff? Much like Natasha did with the Dragoons and Phelan."

The former remained their own independant entity, of course.

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

Don't remind him. He retained enough conservative clanner traits that it had the potential to become a sticking point for them if the Dragoons ever showed up.

"Aff. Natasha has chosen her, actually. She will not let anyone else bathe her."

The black wolf pup, not the deceased Black Widow in this case.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

"Consideration then must be made - Why does she need to join us, when she can simply fight alongside us, quiaff?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Think of it the other way. Why should we take her in? And I give the same answer for why our Khan was adopted: because I see potential in her that would be brought out within the Clan way of life. Of course that would depend on her answer to the offer, and if she said yes the result of her Trial."

Just because he had converted to the Warden cause did not make him lose any of his ambition, as that analogy showed.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

Ranna does not bat an eyelash at that.

"There are many whose potential would be brought out within the Clan way of life, quiaff?" She asks almost rhetorically.

"Tell me, Star Captain - What specific potential or abilities do you think our Khan possessed, for him to be adopted?"

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Aff, but few who would be willing to undertake it. I saw the records. The ilKhan wanted him for his knowledge of Spheroid ways and prowess in battle. But he did not have an innate feeling for the Honor Road. He had to be taught that...by you, if I recall right."

Resnick disliked the feeling of being quizzed. Still, he was still in the sibko when that had happened, and so could only hear about it second hand.

[wardeninexile.livejournal.com]

Ranna smiles.

"I taught him the way of our Clan. But he needed no lessons in honor, Star Captain. It is quite possible he know it better than many of our warriors, especially those from certain other Clans."

[an-alpha-wolf.livejournal.com]

"Like the Jaguars, quiaff? Well I think Maddox has the same quality. I have seen her put her life at risk for honor. Of course if you would prefer to find out by observation..." He was getting tired of talking circles. Best to try something new.