[PsihoKekec]

Stun guns really make relationship issues easier.

[AlphaMirage]

Aftershocks, The Clans' Second Revival, Part VI
12/31/3061
Holly Field Haus was uncharacteristically festive even for Duchess Rachel's normally exquisite social gatherings. The addition of dozens of new 'offworld guests' in addition to the regulars put the house's ballroom at capacity for the first time in nearly a decade. Once more the staff pulled out the best ceramics, most polished glass, and ornate silverware from the cabinets to put on the grandest show possible.

Rachel had chosen to warn the 'respectable nobles' that were attending their ball that the crowd might get a bit 'rough'. It was little surprise then that Wolves were on the prowl that winter night beyond Captains Ranna Kerensky and Phelen Ward of the Kell Hounds. The form they took however was most unexpected to all involved.

Xenia posed elegantly in a white, iridescent mother of pearl like Couture dress and elegant updo as she introduced all the Bloodnamed Warriors that were part of Katya's entourage to the Inner Sphere. She was incredibly proud as she named all the Artisan designers that made the colorful hand-made outfits that were nearly worthy of a runway on Skye or Furillo. All on a wide range of phenotypes from the petite and athletic Aerospace Pilots to the hulking Elementals that dominated their space more in a well-tailored suit or stylish dress that showed off their statuesque musculature worthy of marble busts in the Triad.

She perked up as she readied the final introduction. "And finally, our hero and yours Ekaterina, Katya, Kerensky. The Khanslayer.

Presently residing on Irdmach, the capital of the Chainelaine Islands. Of which she governs WITH AN IRON FIST! In an elegant, wine colored velvet glove in appropriately Steiner fashion."

True to her introduction Katya had a deep purple velvet dress with long gloves, a sculpted silvery bodice, and an exquisite sword sheathed at the end of an equally elegant baldric hanging from her shoulder. Her appearance much like the others was simply breathtaking to the Steiner Peerage, ComStar's Faithful, and Military/Mercenary Officers [from The Grave Walkers, Winfield Security, Inc and The Blackhearts (who took over the Blackjack School of Conflict after REVIVAL)] in attendance.

Katya took up her seat at the high table besides the hosts.
Adam whispered, "Did you have to bring a sword?"

"At least you know it is the only weapon I have on me." She ran her hand across the textured fabric, "This dress is too snug to conceal anything within.
Besides who are you to comment on a lady's accessories?

Did you want me to walk into a room with former enemies while they have swords, unarmed? I think not."

Some of the military officers did indeed have swords on similar baldrics. They were more convenient to remove for dancing or other activities while allowing for a proper belt. However, Adam was rather confident that they were not sharp, but not certain as he looked at the bodice. He saw that it was thicker and likely lined with some kind of armor to protect her vitals, just in case.

He looked over the Rachel who was looking their way, "Well Rachel did not say no weapons on her invitation," he whispered again, "and probably has one in her purse. So, I guess it would be unreasonable for a pack of Clan Warriors to show up unarmed."

A bell rung and as host Duke Adam Steiner stood to address his guests his unaugmented voice reaching the back of the Great Hall with the same volume as the back of the classrooms of Somerset Military Academy. "I humbly thank you all for coming to spend the evening with us. It is my sincere hope that tomorrow... Almost a decade after the greatest danger to ever threaten the Inner Sphere and The Clans.

That we can move forward together on our noble quest to reclaim the ideals of the Star League that everyone here treasures so dearly.

I would like to extend an invitation to our honored guest Governor Kerensky if she would like to say a few words to our audience."

Katya sighed, "I anticipated this ambush Duke Steiner and came prepared."

"Well, that is certainly an improvement from the first time you came to Somerset Katya." The Strikers in the audience and Ranna chuckled even as the Wolves gave them death stares at the rude remark even if it was truthful as Katya brushed it off.

"As you may recall though Adam, my Binary was still victorious on Somerset despite your batchall's creative wording.
I would still take your one on one in my Hellbringer, simulated of course Duchess.
We would hate for Adam to have to shave his head and face to fit a neurohelmet again."

Adam stroked his well-groomed beard and long slightly grayed hair, which like Katya's was well beyond military regulations for neurohelmet operation. "I spent a lot of time and effort in growing this out. It would be a major loss. It flatters me that you notice."

"Regardless of my once bondsmen's needling Somerset was the first world I landed on and the last I or any Clanner left after REVIVAL until merely four years ago with Diana Pryde and Kai Allard.

My past weeks here have shown it to continue to be a scrappy little border world that is not to be underestimated by anyone under the rule of its' Duke and Duchess.

I have witnessed growth and depth develop in its' leadership and people since our departure and the same is true of The Clans.

We have all had problems, but I share Duke Adam's cautious optimism that perhaps our path has become less perilous of late under ilKhan Jorgensson than I feared it might in the initial chaos after REVIVAL.

He has after all given me and you all leave to conduct this mission to the Inner Sphere despite my title and duties as Governor of the Chainelaine Colonies and your own as senior Bloodnamed Touman Officers. So, I expect you all to remember the briefing and put forward a good image of The Clans upon Somerset."

That lasted until about 12:40 am, no one was certain how the brawl between the guests at Holly Field Haus started, but the staff had wisely secured all the blades beforehand once they noticed that their rowdy crowd was hitting the sauce hard to show off to one another. The first blows were believed to be swung by Captain Ranna Kerensky, who according to Phelen was bad at holding her liquor, at the exceedingly volatile Marialle 'Death's Vixen' Radick after the Clan Mechwarrior made a lewd and rude comment about the two of them. When the accusations were initially made she was very slow to say it wasn't her fault.

All that Rachel and Adam could do as Phelen Ward grabbed Ranna and Mathias Steele tried to hold back Marialle was watch as their yard became a fighting pit between their guests. "At least they did it outside Rachel."

Some shouted something rude toward Adam and Rachel looking down on them from the patio. Adam removed his jacket and hung it over the railing, undid his collar, and rolled up his sleeves, "Sorry babe, must find Rhyder and defend your honor by brawling some drunken Clan Warriors and surly Mercs for old times sake. Be right back!"

The few Elementals that were among Katya's party were still plenty sober she had seen them drink whole jugs of wine at the Somerport Bar and it have no effect on them, so they were already trying to get in and settle the situation and extricate any overmatched parties.

One of the staffers had the house phone on platter beside the Duchess as she watched the chaos unfold on their grounds.

"Hollyfield Dispatch this is Duchess Steiner, I am going to need a few wagons and about a platoon, no make it two of Constables at the Haus. My party has gotten a bit out of control."

Meanwhile the Strikers were brawling with a group of Katya's Wolves and Grave Walkers while Governor Kerensky was being pulled off a Blackheart officer by her Elementals.

"No, it's not an emergency, but the gate will be open." Then she hung up the phone.

[PsihoKekec]

I can imagine Bud Spencer lookalike elemental slapping around those who get too enthusiastic in the brawl.

[AlphaMirage]

Aftershocks, The Clans' Second Revival, Part VII
03/17/3062
Prince Minoru breathed deep in his Raiden suit, currently one of the most advanced forms of Powered Armor within the Inner Sphere. His New Kyoto Armor Bears Demo Team was about to take on a Point of Clan Elementals, hardened veterans of the ruinous war.

Akiya (Empty/Ghost House) was one of the newest and most high tech Class 1 Arenas on Solaris VII and directly supported his research into new lifesaving and medical exoskeletons that he was developing at Kyoto University. It had been a smashing success revitalizing the much moribund Class 1 League as the Great Houses now had Regiments of Armored Infantry among their ranks and Odihe and its' successor systems had saved innumerable lives in the almost thirteen years since their creation. Including his own and all of Leeward but mostly Kuan-Yin.

Governor Kerensky's meandering mission grew slightly as it advanced through the Inner Sphere: First Arc-Royal to meet Salome Ward and Morgan Kell, the only MechWarrior other than herself to kill a Khan during REVIVAL.

Then Furillo at the request of Duke/Marshal Caesar Steiner, who had taken up the planning of Roman Steiner's counteroffensive against the Ghost Bears and Steel Vipers.

After that she was on Tharkad to have tea and share some tense conversations with Archon Melissa.

Now they were on Solaris VII because one couldn't take the Warrior spirit out of her Warriors. It was thus necessary to burn off some of her crew's accumulated energy. Prince Minoru Kurita offered to host them within Kobe and challenged her Ranking Elemental to a friendly match in Akiya to really test himself against a worthy opponent.

Unsurprisingly (Star) Captain Philip Eagle and his Point enthusiastically accepted the challenge. Kuan-Yin was less enthused but that is just how she was sometimes. He was certain she would have all kinds of things to say to Governor Kerensky in their booth.

What she couldn't say though was that her husband was a coward, the most grave dishonor for a Prince of the Draconis Combine. Minoru had faced down an atomic mine and Kai Allard-Liao surviving both as well as dozens of other impossible projects and dangerous predators/assassins since then. Some Elementals were just another project.

A ghoulish Jorōgumo (spider-wife) 'Yokai' apparition appeared in holography projected into the smoke that had filled the volume. Its' grotesque form hanging from the ceiling while its' abdomen showed a clock ticking down. It was not the only monster within the Akiya which had taken a similar tack as Ishiyama with creepiness during matches. Smoke not only obscuring his visual sensors but the high powered projectors would mess with both sides feeding them a steady diet of jump scares and ghost targets.

Not only that though, but the entire Arena was a tilt table with walls and other barriers that served as holds, cover, or obstacles for the combatants. His mission was simple, stay on the table and avoid the 'fiery nets of Naraka' that would catch any combatant that lost their balance or nerve and fell to 'their doom' of giant air bags and a high tensile net.

A dreadful shriek and the clanking of chains releasing and coming to a sudden stop marked the beginning of the match as the lights showed the initial position of the combatants. They were not to be trusted though like will o' wisps the lights would move on their own and would not necessarily accurately track the targets. Plenty of matches ended early when a Gladiator trusted the lights and not his eyes and walked right into an ambush.

His Raiden rushed forward at the sound and the light followed before it moved around and beyond him. The small laser within his arm mount was dialed down but still powerful enough to cut through a man, just not one wearing power armor. A short-ranged missile pack still had the standard shot, but the warheads were inert rather than explosive.

Impacts thudded on the opposite side of the wall as a Clan Elemental fired on one of 'The Masked Ones,' creepy animatronics ('Bunraku') wearing Noh masks and shredded, 'bloody' garments made by Riva and her team just like those in the Leeward Tactical Training Center. They clearly hadn't been paying attention while he was walking them around the arena in full light to familiarize them with its' layout. "A little jumpy huh Elemental?"

The Armor Bears had trained within Akiya many times so they knew where the Gamemasters could put the animatronics as they could move them around and make each match seem a bit new. They kept their nerve when the robots came out with their gruesome Noh masks and knew better than to trust the lights over their own senses.

Their own senses were also being messed with as the Arena floor tilted beneath them its' degrees of freedom were truly impressive as the maximum tilt was nearly 50° on either axis. Akiya's gamemasters normally used it to functionally reduce the engagement area and encourage the Gladiators to engage their opponent if things got a little slow and safe. Protrusions that were once cover now became foot and handholds and new sections opened to engagement as the floor shifted.

Minoru used his suit to best effect striking from odd angles and the darkness or light as the need came. His Armor Bears were cunning and strong Soldiers outside of their armor, but within it they were able to go blow for blow against a people born and trained from a young age to be the perfect Armored Infantrymen.

It didn't necessarily save Minoru from facing the fires of Naraka after Captain Eagle moved just in time to ruin Minoru's flying jump kick meant to send him over the edge. His companions avenged him with Captain Eagle following him into the abyss. They were not the first or last ones out though so that was fair. Six more fighters joined them both in the net which left Gunjin Kawaguchi Yutaka and Elemental Maria Shaffer as the last ones standing on the platform. Yutaka-san was finally done in with the Wolf Elementals victorious by one woman who jumped down from the platform at the end.

The arena floor went still as the floor moved up to secure the platform while the net lowered them onto the deflating air bags. The lights came back on and helmets came off. Even within their Power Armor the Elementals were still taller and broader than the Raiden Operators. Captain Eagle extended his hand to the Prince who accepted it sealing their friendly match, "That was a fine match Prince Minoru. It is good fortune that our Khans decided to attack the Commonwealth rather than the Combine during REVIVAL." 

"You might not have had to face Morgan and Patrick Kell, but my father and uncle would have gotten the job done just the same."

"Of that I am certain. You have shown true valor and a Warrior's spirit in our match."

As a show of respect, the Raiden Operators bowed as much as their suit's allowed which was not much. "Thank you Captain, I hope you would agree to a rematch on your return journey."

Philip's Wolves returned the gesture, "I think that can be arranged Prince Kurita, but if you win we will have to do another to determine best of three."

"We will prepare for a double-header then later. Until then though I do hope you enjoy Solaris City, particularly Kobe. My 'Uncle' Chandrasekar put a lot of money into the mansion you and I will be staying in. Unfortunately, he lacks taste in anything but women so it is a bit gaudy."

Governor Katya Kerensky and Princess Kuan-Yin waited in a elevator. The Princess had initially been reluctant to be in the public eye but eight years and three kids later she had accepted the celebrity of herself and Kai thus had some association with Clan Ways.

"Your husband is a very good Armored Infantryman Kuan-Yin.
That was an impressive match."

"He should be, as a Kurita Prince he trained with the DCA Espatiers and Pillarine Nuns before going abroad. My aunt was no slouch either although I was initially a slow learner, but Aria was a patient teacher in swordswomanship and extreme off-road or horse riding."

"I have a large stable of horses on my estate. The Paranese use them quite extensively still, much to my surprise but I suppose old habits die hard."

"Some traditions are worth keeping. If it was not for my tea skills honed under Aria I am not sure my mother-in-law would have accepted me. She did after-all have the entire female Corps of the Order of Five Pillars to choose from instead of some foreign Noble."

[PsihoKekec]

Is Aria nickname for Riva?

[AlphaMirage]

Is Aria nickname for Riva?

No Aria is the Azami Heiress/Mathematician that went to Victoria with Minoru during Scars.

[AlphaMirage]

Aftershocks, the Clans' Second Revival, Part VIII
05/11/3062
Outreach, the home of Wolf's Dragoons, loomed large in the observation deck before Katya and her fellow former Wolves. A pair of Warships, ancient Molniya Corvettes (SLS Tundra, and SLS Taiga) that had disappeared from rolls prior to the Wolf War, and their three larger brethren SLS Charlemagne, SLS  Horatio Nelson, and the Aegis Battlecruiser SLS Alexander Nevsky orbited the world under the Dragoons' control. Another Molniya (WDS Kerensky), the first one in slightly more than a century, was taking shape above Remus in the Dragoon's own cageworks and was almost completed.

Like Armored Infantry smaller Warships, Corvettes and Frigates, that could be built in the same cageworks as Jumpships had once more returned to the Inner Sphere in a limited way. Jumpships, Aerospace Fighters, and other space assets had become even more common as technology continued to return and evolve growing outward until it reached the edges of the Periphery. Although the last decade had been mostly peaceful the Inner Sphere was not going to sit idly by and it made sense to have their own Warships to secure their lines of communication, protect their worlds, and build out the necessary industries.

Only Ranna's intervention allowed a select group of Katya's party to visit the orbital station that built and maintained the Dragoons Void Craft. Aerospace Fighters and Security Shuttles maintained a constant patrol around the volume as Outreach still had an enormous amount of civilian space traffic heading to Harlech.

Inside was much the same as any of the string of similar stations that filled out the Phoenix Path from the Homeworlds to the Chainelaines, but the Dragoons were immensely proud of their unique status as the smallest players to operate not just one Warship but five going on six bringing them back to almost the numbers they had prior to REVIVAL where most of their vessels were destroyed fighting Clan Star Adder. No doubt the very high fee exacted from the Lyran Commonwealth after its' defense aided this greatly.

Despite her middle rank Captain Ranna Kerensky was as close to Dragoon royalty as one could be. Daughter of Natasha Kerensky and Joshua Wolf, born of Jaime's XX Clone Maeve. The only one of higher status was Colonel Jaime Wolf himself; even though his son MacKenzie and 'daughter' Maeve ran the organization now.
"Ranna, how did the Dragoons recover the original Molniyas? The other ones were verified scrapped by Ghost Bear prior to the Dragoon Compromise."

"They were junk, but they lasted long enough to make it most of the way down the Exodus Road in Thirty-Nineteen during Jaime's final resupply run. Kerlin knew what was about to happen and did not want them to fall into enemy hands.

After REVIVAL we sent salvage teams back to where they were cached. Limped them to Outreach for a full overhaul after the main three were repaired. Needed enough work to make sure the Aerospace Techs are employed, so now we are building a new one too.

They do not have a lot of firepower, but we can build them since we traded the plans with the Federated Suns for their own Fox and the tooling necessary here on Outreach.

So, you take what you can get.

Outreach will never fall to an enemy so long as at least one Dragoon fights on. That is my solemn promise. Whenever Mack and Maeve are ready to move on, I will be here."

That same indominable spirit had faced down the Ebon Keshik right beside her aboard the Kerensky's Pride against Leo Showers and impossible odds. Katya knew that Ranna spoke the truth, maybe Clan Wolf wasn't gone, it had just changed form. Was a Dragoon truly that much different than what she had was as a Star Adder or the others among the Ghost Bears or Hell's Horses that she had brought with her?

Their party took one of the duty shuttles back down to Remus' Hannovassian Highlands where the cageworks' ground side factories that manufactured subcomponents that were then lifted to orbit and those of Blackwell Heavy Industries were located. Blackwell had brought the Rakshasa design from General Motors in the Federated Suns and Omnified it to make the Timber Wolf II resurrecting the original Clan Wolf Omnimech. Its' homeworld factories had been destroyed or repurposed to make Sidewinders for the Steel Vipers after its' larger engine was ordered to no longer be in production to streamline industry.

There were new Omnimech designs too now. The Linebacker, a swift striker that moved at medium mech speed but hit like a heavy and the Cauldron Born, a variant of the original Hellbringer rather than the REVIVAL downgraded one that she had piloted principally throughout the conflict. Both put on a good show at the Tetsuhara Proving Grounds.

Although Armored Infantry were employed the Omnimech and its' modularity proved unpopular with the Great House militaries who continued to just use the same Battlemechs they had been using for centuries. Instead, Omni-vehicles were proving more popular instead for supporting those Armored Troopers.

Katya had read new literature from War Colleges throughout the Commonwealth regarding their future use in conflict that seemed very similar to how the Clans had employed them during REVIVAL. A two-way cultural exchange, the Inner Sphere had figured out how to fight like the Clans and the Clans were learning how to live like the Inner Sphere. Both cultures growing closer each day that the OSF and her mission spread the message and listened.

It felt fake, wrong, mildly treasonous to put on the reproduction olive, brown, and red accented Clan Wolf uniforms in Wolf City with the original logo that had been made extinct after the Wolf War. However, it was why she was here, so Katya did it, it was no more treasonous than killing the ilKhan and she had done far more since then.

Jaime Wolf's health had deteriorated over the past year as Ranna's initial message had said and as usual she was truthful and correct. A lifetime of accumulated stress, injury, and disease were a heavy burden on the aging but legendary Mercenary Commander that had hollowed and worn him down over the decades.

He had faced it all bravely, seen his people nearly Annihilated thrice, lost many friends, his wife and most of their children, his brother, rebuilt the Wolf's Dragoons better and stronger after each disaster, been public enemy number one during REVIVAL for his treasonous dealings with Khan Kerlin Ward, had the guilt of every Ward murdered because of it and all the casualties of the Wolf War. Whole generations of sibkin knew his name and had looked upon him as if he was the Devil himself.

Katya had once done the same, blamed Jaime Wolf and his Dragoons for all her problems, but she no longer did. Jaime Wolf had fulfilled the mission that his Khan had given him decades ago, never wavered from it once despite many opportunities to, and achieved his own personal objectives. He had been the unshakable foundation of the Wolf's Dragoons and Allied Mercenary Command that brought enough time for REVIVAL to be stopped, and the Clans saved from the pyrrhic conquest ordered by ilKhan Showers.

The threat of the Dragoons had been the impetus for the Clans' First Revival after the Wolf War. Upon the homeworlds The Clans' Civilian Castes now enjoyed material abundance and freedom like never before. So much so that they were able to bring up the Castillians, Hansa, and Chainelaines in their wake. An admittedly imperfect solution at the time but one did not necessarily get to control the second or third-order effects of one's actions.

His eyes opened shakily to see a group of Warriors wearing Wolf uniforms led by a stern looking Warrior woman with 'Kerensky' on her name tag, "Natasha?"

"Not quite Colonel Wolf, I am Katya Kerensky, formerly a Star Adder Galaxy Commander, now Governor of the Chainelaine Colonies by order of the ilKhan Jorgensson.
Ranna invited me and I brought along some other former Wolves at her request."

"You are the one that killed the ilKhan and avenged the Wolves?"
"I am, but there is yet one Warrior of Clan Wolf left that he missed."
"I may be the last Wolf Warrior, but I will not be the last."
"No, you will not. We will endure as we always have through all the challenges we face."

His hands shakily went to a salute despite all the contacts stuck on them, "Thank You Governor Katya Kerensky for coming here to see me off."

She returned his salute, "Thank You, Colonel Jaime Wolf, for your lifetime of honorable service to our Clan. Consider yourself relieved of the duty you have borne long enough.

We will take it from here."

The End

[PsihoKekec]

Six decades of duty.

[Wrangler]

Thank you so much for the story, it was great, AlphaMirage!

[PsihoKekec]

With brain fog from the cold finally gone I can string up more than a few words together.
I presume this is the end for the stories in the Golden Lion AU and not just the shorts? It's been a great ride, you created an AU without comparison in this fandom and in general one of best fanfictions I ever read. I look forward to your future writing endeavours, even if they are LAM-centric.

[AlphaMirage]

Yes, I think this is a good place to end for the Golden Lion AU.

I appreciate all the compliments regarding it and will eventually finish DaVinci's Devils.

Then I'll probably try to make some publishable fiction instead but the prior adventures over the past decade were certainly good practice.