Steven Breen

Steven Breen
Character Profile
Affiliation Clan Steel Viper
Profession Khan

Steven Breen was saKhan of Clan Steel Viper during Operation KLONDIKE. He would later go on to become the second Khan of Clan Steel Viper.[1][2]

History[edit]

Described as quiet and reserved, Steven Breen was an effective officer who proved capable of taking whatever action was necessary to protect and serve his Clan. Counted amongst the loyal 800 warriors who accompanied Nicholas Kerensky on his Second Exodus to Strana Mechty, he would be elected as the Steel Vipers' second saKhan, after the death of founder Antonius Zalman in 2809. Steven Breen's actions would in fact save his Clan from severe harm or destruction on several occasions.[2][3][4]

Operation KLONDIKE[edit]

Arcadia: The West[edit]

During Operation Klondike, saKhan Breen's abilities were truly tested. While fighting against the Ilkasur Shogunate on Arcadia in 2821, Breen was contacted by Shogun Wiki’i Leonov, who sought to negotiate an honorable battle with Kerensky's chosen. SaKhan Breen negotiated the terms of engagement, which was fought outside of the Shogunate capital of Kito. Two Stars of 'Mechs from Clan Blood Spirit were also included in the bid. Though the Shogunate forces showed great honor and valor, the fight was over after six hours. The negotiations leading up to the fight are considered to be the first batchall in Clan history, while the battle itself is considered to be the first Trial of Possession, with little having changed over the centuries.[5]

Arcadia: The East[edit]

Turning eastward, the Steel Vipers and Blood Spirits continued to work together. After taking the capital of the Democratic Republic of Rand, the rebel forces in the area massed and launched a massive counterattack on the Clan forces stationed in the city of Rivera. Star Captain Devon Boques of Clan Blood Spirit rallied the Clan forces against the onslaught, helping them to hold out until saKhan Breen was able to lead reinforcements into the area to finish of the rebels. The two would continue to work together throughout most of the eastern leg of the campaign. But at Helgren County, the goodwill and cooperation between the two evaporated, after a devastating Steel Viper loss that included a Binary of 'Mechs that was trapped at Talbot Moraine. The Blood Spirit's acceptance of surrender from Helgren County Sheriff Tiberius Reed and his forces infuriated Khan Kinnison, who wished to repay the loss with destruction, though saKhan Breen's feelings are not noted. After this, the spirit of cooperation that had existed between the two Clans was no more, though the campaign itself was soon completed after the fall of the Kingdom of Surev several weeks later.[6][7][8]

Kinnison's Treachery[edit]

In late 2824, ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky took a vacation, deciding to visit Arcadia. He was to be greeted by Khan Ellie Kinnison and the Steel Vipers. To ensure the ilKhan's safety, Khan Kinnison assigned saKhan Breen to security detail. However, she had other plans in mind that she did not tell her saKhan. As Kerensky's visit drew nearer, his workload intensified, as Khan Kinnison demanded status updates often. When the ilKhan's Dropship landed, saKhan Breen took a final inspection tour, when he was accosted by three unknown assailants in a warehouse. SaKhan Breen was able to defeat his attackers but suffered a broken arm in the process. Broadcasting an alert to his security teams, Breen moved quickly through the building, where he found two more suspicious individuals calibrating the scope on a high-powered sniper rifle. After dispatching both assassins quickly with his laser pistol, Breen listened in on their radio enough to figure out that Khan Kinnison was the leader of the conspiracy.[1]

Racing as quickly as he could to the landing pad where Nicholas Kerensky as about to disembark from his Dropship, saKhan Breen arrived in time to fire a shot at his Khan, one that distracted her from her immediate target: Jennifer Winson. As Breen was being taken down by guards from Clan Wolf and Steel Viper, he got off one last shot that killed Kinnison before she could fire her own weapon at the ilKhan's wife. After a twenty-hour investigation and interrogation of the surviving conspirators, Steven Breen was released from custody. IlKhan Kerensky chose not to punish the entire Clan through Annihilation, though he did choose to have the genetic legacy of Kinnison destroyed (creating the Ritual of Abjuration in the process), and all mention of her name redacted from history. He also nominated Steven Breen as the new Khan of the Steel Vipers, a motion that easily passed the Steel Viper Clan Council.[1]

Legacy[edit]

Having saved his Clan from oblivion, Khan Breen held power for an unspecified length of time, fighting several Trials against other Clans that felt that the Steel Vipers were tainted, and therefore, weak prey. He would prove them wrong, but only through the display of their martial prowess against all comers. Grateful to have escaped the fate of the recently Annihilated Not-Named Clan, Khan Breen's legacy was well-secured. The reigns of his successors are most often described as listless and even self-serving, until the rise of Sanra Mercer during the Golden Century. Only then would this Clan truly have a direction to follow and a goal to fulfill.[2][9]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Invading Clans, p. 80, 81, 82 - "Clan Steel Viper"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 134, 135 - "Founding and Treachery"
  3. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 37 - "Origins of the Bloodnames: The Clans' Founders"
  4. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 121, "Antonius Zalman"
  5. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 55 - "...To the Finish" and Shogunate Notes Resounding
  6. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 58 - "Taking Down the Big Boy"
  7. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 58, 59 - "Honor and Principle"
  8. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 59 - "Kingdom Gone"
  9. Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 6 - "Viper's Unrest"

Bibliography[edit]