Karen Nagasawa

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Star Colonel Karen Nagasawa (September 9, 2770 - 28??) became the second Khan of Clan Sea Fox.[1] She is remembered by the Sea Foxes as one of the most important figures in the early years of their Clan's history.

Early Life

Karen Nagasawa was born in 2770 during the Amaris Civil War on the planet Dieron in the Draconis Combine. Her father, Hiroji Nagasawa, and her mother served in the SLDF 2145th Dragoons, who were forced to take refuge inside one of Dieron's Castle Brian when their planet was besieged by the 422nd Amaris Cavaliers; Karen was born in the Castle Brian and spent the first six years of her life there until the SLDF liberated Dieron from the Amaris invaders.

In 2784, SLDF Commanding General Aleksandr Kerensky called for an Exodus to escape the impending Succession Wars and to continue the legacy of Star League. Among Kerensky's numerous loyal followers were the Nagasawa family. When the Exodus Fleet discovered and colonized the Pentagon Worlds in 2786, the Nagasawas settled on Arcadia.

Humanity has a tendency to resort to violence when peace fails to resolve differences, and the Pentagon Worlds were no exception to the rule. By the time Karen Nagasawa graduated from college and became a journalist, the ancient national feuds and other sources of discontent amongst the former Star League citizens threatened to destroy General Kerensky's dream of a reborn Star League. By 2801, the random acts of terrorism and riots exploded into all-out war: the Exodus Civil War. When Nagasawa heard about Nicholas Kerensky and his plan for a Second Exodus, Nagasawa offered to help Kerensky spread his philosophy and dream to the rest of the Pentagon Worlds. By writing many of Kerensky's speeches extolling the virtues of his Second Exodus, Nagasawa convinced many thousands of people to join Kerensky's cause.

Peacemaker to Warrior

During the first years of their exile on Strana Mechty, Kerensky formulated his new society, which he called the Clans. Nagasawa grew tired of being Kerensky's speechwriter and decided to find her place among the Clans; she volunteered for Aerospace Fighter training, graduated as a Clan Aerofighter Pilot and was assigned to the newly formed Clan Sea Fox. By the time Kerensky announced Operation Klondike in 2821, Nagasawa was a Star Colonel. Clan Sea Fox, along with Clan Cloud Cobra, Clan Coyote and Clan Ice Hellion, were assigned to retake Babylon. When Star Colonel Nagasawa and her aerofighter Star weakened an enemy stronghold by bombing it, then ordering 'Mech forces from the other Clans to move in and capture the stronghold, the other Clans refused since they regarded Nagasawa as an amateur pilot and a weakling due to her previous occupation as a journalist and writer. Since the other Clans refused to take the initiative, Sea Fox Khan David Kalasa decided his Clan would do so; during the ensuing battle for the rebel stronghold, Khan Kalasa was killed in action, but the battle was won.

Khan Nagasawa

Nicholas Kerensky believed that Nagasawa was an excellent warrior and a capable leader; he encouraged Nagasawa to run for Khan of Clan Sea Fox and was elected with the blessing of saKhan Dianne Sennet.

As the new Khan, Nagasawa encouraged the five Castes of her Clan to cooperate and trust one another (much like the founders of Clan Ghost Bear did with their Clan); as a result, Clan Sea Fox prospered. Khan Nagasawa's reforms resulted in the following benefits:


  • The Sea Fox Merchant Caste invented the Chatterweb, and began exerting their mercantile influence over the rest of their Clan, which would come to dominate Clan Sea Fox later during the Golden Century and continues to the present day.


Nagasawa also created the initiation ritual of a newly elected Sea Fox Khan, which involved the Khan making an offering of fish to the Clan's totem animal. This practice continued for nearly two centuries, when Damon Clarke became Khan and the sea fox nearly became extinct. By the time Clarke became Khan in 2984, Clan Sea Fox had nearly abandoned Nagasawa's ideas of inter-caste cooperation and freedom; Clarke found inspiration in Khan Nagasawa's writings and decided to return Clan Sea Fox to the liberal and free-thinking ways that made the Clan flourish in the past. By giving his lower castes the right to vote on all matters that concerned the Clan as a whole, Clarke fostered unity among the members of his Clan just as Khan Nagasawa once did. On September 30, 2985, Clan Sea Fox changed its name to Clan Diamond Shark, due to the overwhelming support of the lower castes.

Quotes

Then Karen Nagasawa said,
"The past holds wise men as well as fools;
Why, then, do we listen only to the foolish
When we have another choice?"
-The Remembrance (Clan Diamond Shark), Passage 12, Verse 14, Lines 4-7[2]

Title and Position

Preceded by Khan of Clan Sea Fox
282? – 28??
Succeeded by
Unknown

References

  1. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 116
  2. Invading Clans, p. 131
  • Invading Clans, pp. 132-133, pp. 135-136

Bibliography