Clan Diamond Shark

Revision as of 16:13, 16 February 2007 by Bheiss (talk | contribs)
Clan Diamond Shark Logo

Clan Diamond Shark was originally named Clan Sea Fox by Nicholas Kerensky. It's behavior, exemplified by changing its name, mark it as one of the most unique of all the clans.

Clan Sea Fox was part of the liberation force for Babylon during Operation Klondike. When the battle went against them, Star Colonel Karen Nagasawa violated the rules of zellbrigen because she felt that the best interest of her clan overrode formal adherence to the official rules of engagement. While the other clans on Babylon condemned her actions, the Sea Foxes elected Nagasawa their new Khan, to replace the one killed on Babylon.

Karen Nagasawa was not a member of the Star League Defense Force and was in fact a journalist and historian. Her impassioned articles earned the attention of the Kerenskys and she is credited with writing the first lines that appear in The Remembrance. Nagasawa believed that the Star League's greatness lie in the value it placed on each individual and its material prosperity. Therefore, Nagasawa gave Clan Sea Fox an unparalleled liberal view that gave great freedoms to freeborns and to the lower castes, especially the merchants and openess between the castes.

In addition to being the greatest merchants in Clan space the Sea Foxes also were terrific scientists, aiding the Cloud Cobras in developing the Iron Womb technology, helping the Coyotes design the Omnimech, and developing the substance known as HarJel, which became incorporated into Elemental armor and starship hulls. The Sea Foxes sent exploration teams across the Kerensky Cluster and created the Chatterweb, a Clan-wide information network. The Foxes are also sharp bidders and great warriors, being among the first to win the Omnimech from the Coyotes.

However the Sea Foxes later elected Khan Clarke, a conservative minded warrior, who was expected to undo most of Khan Nagasawa's acts. However, fate stepped in. Khan Liam Howell of the Snow Ravens, incensed at his clan's recent defeat by the Sea Foxes, ordered his scientists to create a sea-going predator to wipe out the Sea Fox. Howell placed it in the water's of Strana Mechty and the Sea Foxes witnessed as their totem was hunted to the point of extinction.

Capturing one of these creates, named Diamond Sharks, Khan Clarke proposed to the Grand Council that his clan be allowed to change its name to acknowledge the greater predator. When Khan Howell carelessly let slip his responsibiliy, his saKhan killed him and then led the Grand Council forces in the Trial of Refusal against Clark's decision. The Sea Foxes triumphed and won the right to change their name.

After much agonizing, Khan Clarke decided to allow all the castes to vote on the name change. With the inclusion of the lower castes, the clan overwhelmingly supported the change of Clan Sea Fox to Clan Diamond Shark.

During the Political Century, the Diamond Sharks tended towards the Warden viewpoint, though the election of Ian Hawker swung them to the Crusader camp just in time for Operation Revival. The Diamond Sharks did not fair well enough to be included in the invasion force, but won a Trial of Refusal naming them as a reserve clan.

The Diamond Sharks were given the opportunity to win the planet Nysterta from the Ghost Bears and participated on Tukkayid, though they were totally defeated. The only way any Diamond Sharks survived was through the noble sacrifice of the freeborn warriors, whom Khan Hawker despised. The Diamond Sharks lost Nystera soon afterwords and returned to clan space to protect their holdings.

To rebuild their touman, the trueborn head of the Merchant's Council, Agnus Labov took a leadership role in the Clan, much to the dismay of the Crusaders.

Khan Hawker joined with Ice Hellion Khan Asa Taney to form a Home Clans Coalition, but this ultimately failed.

The Harvest Trials saw the removal of many Diamond Shark Crusaders and their experiences swung the Clan back to the Warden viewpoint.

When the Inner Sphere invaded Huntress, Khan Hawker attempted to send a relief force to aid the Smoke Jaguars, but a challenge by Khan Vladimir Ward of the Wolves for his genetic legacy stalled him.

Bowing to the Warden sentiments in his Clan, Khan Ian Hawker voted with the Wardens in staying out of the Great Refusal and stepped down soon afterwards.

The Diamond Sharks have mercantile relationships with all clans, though few real lasting friends or enemies. They are notably one of the few Clans that deals with the Blood Spirits and were close enough to the Ghost Bears and Nova Cats to be granted territory when they left Clan space. The Sharks also had historically good relations with Clan Wolf that continue with Clan Wolf-in-Exile.

The Diamond Sharks harbor a grudge against the Snow Ravens for their role in the death of the Sea Fox, but this mostly takes the form of besting them in mercantile transactions.

During the Trials of Possession for Ghost Bear, Nova Cat, and Smoke Jaguar holdings, the Ghost Bears ceded Tokasha and Paxon to the Sharks, though they withdrew from Tokasha to hold onto Paxon. They also gained Barcella through the frienship of the Nova Cats and Vinton from the late Smoke Jaguars.

Clan Diamond Shark owns ten worlds in clan space. Their capital is on Strana Mechty.

Babylon (24 percent) Barcella (47 percent) Delios (64 percent) Lum (18 percent) New Kent (9 percent) Paxon (62 percent) Priori (52 percent) Strata Domingo (65 percent) Tathis (50 percent) Vinton (100 percent)

Clan Diamond Shark changed its name back to Sea Fox in 3100 after the events surrounding their censure by the Grand Council, and relocation to the Inner Sphere during the Blakist Jihad, caused the development of autonomous trade fleets known as Khanates, and a new chapter in the history of the Clan began.


The text in this article is based on this revision of the Wikipedia article "Clan Diamond Shark" used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See the BattleTechWiki's copyright notice.