Asa Taney

Asa Taney
Personal
Died	3065
Affiliation	Clan Ice Hellion
Profile
Rank	Khan
Profession	Aerospace pilot

Asa Taney was a Khan of Clan Ice Hellion during the Clan Invasion and Civil War eras. He was best known for his constant and unsuccessful efforts to have the Hellions join the ranks of the Invader Clans.

History

Asa Taney became Khan of his Clan in 3050 after his predecessor Stephen Tyler was slain in a bandit caste raid shortly after the Hellion's Fury campaign. While Taney had been known as a ristar and superb aerospace pilot beforehand, his elevation from a mere Star Colonel to Khan was considered unusual and led his enemies to unsuccessfully implicate him in Khan Tyler's death.

Home Clan Coalition

As Clan Ice Hellion was fervently Crusader and had long wanted to participate in an invasion of the Inner Sphere, Taney made it his primary focus as Khan to accomplish this goal. His efforts peaked between 3058 and 3060 when he forged the Home Clan Coalition with like-minded Crusaders among other Home Clans. Taney and his allies aimed to either force the Invading Clans to accept them as new members or replace some of them outright with their own Clans.

He called for a Trial of Absorption among the Wolves and Falcons, stating their failures, but the vote was slammed down by the unity of the other invaders. Despite this, the alliance did gain two notable supporters, Khan Ian Hawker of Clan Diamond Shark and Khan Malavai Fletcher of Clan Hell's Horses. Despite their support, this alliance bore no fruit as Vladimir Ward and Marthe Pryde would stymie his efforts by creating the Harvest Trials, which would allow Homeworld units to fight in the Inner Sphere, but under the banner of either the Wolves or Jade Falcons. It would also allow the two Clans to rebuild after the Refusal War. As for Taney's supporters, Khan Fletcher would make a contract bid to the Wolves in order to be included in the invasion and Khan Hawker would commit suicide during the aftermath of the Great Refusal.

Great Refusal

Khan Taney and his Clan would take part in the Great Refusal in order to resume the invasion of the Inner Sphere. Pitted against Clan Nova Cat, the Hellions initially did well and slew both Nova Cat Khans. However, they quickly overextended themselves and were decisively defeated by the remaining Nova Cat warriors. In addition to losing the Trial, Khan Taney was significantly wounded during the battle.

When Galaxy Commander Drew Norizuchi sponsored trueborn Bispham to join Alpha Galaxy, Asa Taney gave him a post as his aide, and attached him to the 150th Hellion Lancers. He saw this warrior's potential and—citing his meritorious service—nominated Bispham for the command of the Katyusha Keshik in late 3061.

Death and legacy

By 3065, the Hellion warriors regarded Khan Asa Taney as a major liability to the Clan. Challenged to a Trial over his conduct, he was slain by his eventual successor, Raina Montose.

His successor would actually perform worse than Taney had. While Khan Montose was actually able to launch an invasion into the Inner Sphere, she made several mistakes: Her first strike was not actually cooperating with the Hell's Horses. Secondly, Khan Montose would extend her resources way beyond reach, making it harder for supplies to reach her clan. Finally, her underestimation of the Inner Sphere citizens and the Spheroid-based Clans would also play to her downfall. As a result, the Clan was left fractured and destroyed. While Conner Rood's half of the Clan was absorbed into Clan Goliath Scorpion, Raina was killed by the Falcons and her half of the Hellions were forced to make pirate raids against the Ghost Bear Dominion to survive.

As for the half that joined the Scorpions, the Taney and other Hellion Bloodnames would live on in that Clan.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Crusader Clans
• Field Manual: Updates
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans
• Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials
• The Wars of Reaving