Sandra Tseng

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Sandra Tseng (born October 29th 2762[1] - died 2848) was one of the two Founders of Clan Ghost Bear and its first Khan.

Tseng was married to Hans Jorgensson. Their lives were completely intermeshed with each other until Tseng's death in 2848.

Early Life

Sandra Tseng was born in the Capellan Confederation in 2762, the year Richard Cameron II became First Lord of the Star League. As a little girl, Tseng wanted to be a SLDF MechWarrior when she grew up. Tseng eventually graduated from a Liao MechWarrior Academy, and decided to join the many warriors who defied the orders of their governments in order to serve with General Aleksandr Kerensky in his campaign against the forces of the Usurper, Stefan Amaris. When the SLDF reached Terra, Tseng was deployed in North America. After the liberation of Terra in October of 2779, Tseng attended a victory celebration and met Hans Jorgensson. Jorgensson and Tseng fell in love and were married shortly thereafter.

Exodus

On February 14, 2784, General Kerensky announced his plan for an Exodus, calling upon all loyal Star League citizens and SLDF troops to join him in building a new society that would uphold the morals and traditions of the Star League. Jorgensson and Tseng, stationed on New Samarkand, the rallying point for the Exodus Fleet, at first doubted Kerensky's ability to lead such a massive operation and decided to stay behind to defend the remaining Star League citizens, but on the eve of the scheduled mass jump on November 5th, Kerensky delivered an impassioned speech about his Exodus. Kerensky's words moved Jorgensson and Tseng so much that they decided to leave everything (including their families) they knew behind in order to start a new life together.

That evening, Jorgensson and Tseng boarded the WarShip Prinz Eugen. Shortly thereafter, when the Eugen's officers rebelled against Kerensky's authority and demanded the fleet return to the Inner Sphere, Jorgensson and Tseng were among the few passengers who protested against the mutiny.

Alas, Babylon

When the Exodus Fleet reached its "destination", the Pentagon Worlds, Jorgensson and Tseng settled on Babylon and tested out of the SLDF ranks. For more than ten years, the couple helped build Kerensky's new society and raised their son. However, old nationalistic rivalries continued to exist, and during a riot between former citizens of the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine, the couple's son was killed. Grief soon turned into anger: Jorgensson and Tseng petitioned Nicholas Kerensky to join his 146th Royal BattleMech Division and were quickly accepted. After the death of General Aleksandr Kerensky in 2801, the many nationalistic rivalries exploded into outright war.

Origin of Clan Ghost Bear

Due to the Exodus Civil War, Nicholas Kerensky called for a Second Exodus and asked Jorgensson and Tseng to travel among the five Pentagon worlds and recruit people for the Second Exodus.

When Nicholas Kerensky founded the Clans, he wanted to assign Jorgensson and Tseng to separate Clans in order for each of them to lead those Clans (as of yet, the Clans were not all given names). However, Kerensky did not realize how close the pair were, and foolishly asked them to subsume love for the greater good. In response, Jorgensson and Tseng fled, heading for Strana Mechty's southern polar region. Kerensky's wife, Jennifer Winson, chided him for his ill-spoken words and made Keresky withdraw his decision, instead choosing to assign the couple to the same Clan as soon as they returned from their self-imposed exile.

According to Ghost Bear legends and the couple's own story, while aimlessly wandering in the Strana Mechty antarctic, the half-frozen couple chanced upon a cave that happened to be the shelter of a Ghost Bear. Believing themselves to be doomed in any event, Jorgensson and Tseng defied the bear's challenge and then collapsed from hypothermia and fright. The bear "adopted" the couple and cared for them by keeping them warm and bringing them food (in the manner of a mother bear caring for its cubs) until they recovered their strength. Admiring the loyalty and tenacity of the Ghost Bear and its own family, the pair decided to return to civilization and challenge Kerensky's judgment. Upon the couple's return, Kerensky kept his word to his wife and assigned Jorgensson and Tseng to the same Clan. The couple's story so impressed Kerensky that he named their Clan after the Ghost Bear.

Khan Tseng

From the very start, Khan Tseng and saKhan Jorgensson wanted their entire Clan to have the same camaraderie, respect for one another, and strong bonds of friendship that were prevalent among the soldiers of the SLDF, thus making every member of Clan Ghost Bear a valued member of society and instilling a strong sense of loyalty to their leaders and overall, their Clan. Tseng and Jorgensson also gave their lower castes the right to vote on all matters affecting their Clan as a whole (similar to the voting policy later used by Clan Diamond Shark). These are traditions that continue to this very day.

When the Clans returned to conquer the Pentagon Worlds during Operation Klondike, Clan Ghost Bear, Clan Blood Spirit, Clan Steel Viper and Clan Star Adder were assigned to retake Arcadia. Due to the Ghost Bear Touman's loose command structure, encouragement of personal initiative, thorough analysis of their targets, and the familiarity of the tactics of their fellow warriors, the Bears had the fewest casualties of the Clan "liberators". The Bears were also noted for their lenient and honorable treatment of their numerous bondsmen, taken as isorla.

Khan Tseng personally led her warriors on the front lines, showing great skill and valor. Even today, Ghost Bear Loremasters proudly emphasize how Tseng's courage and leadership by example should be the role model for all Clan warriors and Khans to follow.[2]

According to WolfNet Archive File 76765-LG9-10/27/23 (presumably October 27, 2823), Khan Tseng, along with all of the Khans from the other Clans, bidded for the honor of destroying Clan Wolverine in a Trial of Annihilation when that Clan defied the will of the Clan Grand Council, but Clan Wolf ultimately made the lowest bid and won the right of annihilating the Wolverines. When a Wolverine detachment arrived to retrieve a Brian Cache on one of the moons of Arcadia, a Ghost Bear patrol calmly observed the Wolverines take their supplies and leave; the Bear patrol refused to notify Clan Wolf of the whereabouts of their prey, since the Ghost Bears had failed to win the right to carry out the Trial of Annihilation. When Clan Wolf learned of the unwillingness of the Ghost Bears to provide them with information about the location of the Wolverines, the Wolves retaliated by conducting raids on several Ghost Bear worlds. Khan Tseng came before the Grand Council and reminded Clan Wolf of who their true enemy was: the renegades of Clan Wolverine. The Grand Council then held a vote on the issue and determined that hunting down the Wolverine survivors was pointless, as they had already fled for parts unknown (later found out to be the Inner Sphere). The accusations of dishonesty and failure to seize the initative led to the present-day animosity between the Bears and Wolves.[3]

Death and Legacy

Khan Sandra Tseng was killed in action by Clan Smoke Jaguar Khan Franklin Osis in 2848, while defending her genetic legacy. She was replaced by Toramano Tseng.

Tseng's funeral service became the death ritual of all subsequent Ghost Bear Khans.

Through her genetic legacy, Tseng has many descendants. The best known Tsengs are Loremaster Laurie Tseng and Khan Nornian Tseng.


Children of the Bear, hearken to my words:
Be always vigilant.
Learn for yourselves that which your forebears imparted
So easily and freely;
Demand of yourselves
The foresight of Jorgensson
And the courage of Tseng;
Through them, we are strong.
To them a debt is owed,
Repaid through loyalty undying and Character unflinching.

-From the Oath of Acceptance, Clan Ghost Bear[4]

Quotes

"Should not Clan Wolf concentrate on finishing the job by hunting down the renegades?"

-Khan Tseng testifies before the Grand Council, on the matter of the Trial of Annihilation against Clan Wolverine, 2823[5]

Preceded by
None
Khan of Clan Ghost Bear
28102848
Succeeded by

References

  1. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 120 - "Tseng & Jorgensson Profile"
  2. Invading Clans, pp. 14-15
  3. Invading Clans, p. 15
  4. Invading Clans, p. 9
  5. Invading Clans, p. 15

Bibliography