Battle of Marshall (2850)
Sarna News
| Battle of Marshall (2850) | |
|---|---|
| Conflict details | |
| Start Date | 2850 |
| End Date | December 2851[1] |
| Planet(s) | Marshall |
| Attacking Forces | |
| Affiliation | Clan Goliath Scorpion |
| Command(s) | Khan Shandra Dinour Loremaster Ethan Moreau† |
| Defending Forces | |
| Affiliation | Clan Ice Hellion |
| Commanding Officer(s) | Khan Grosse Lienet |
| Other Forces | |
| Affiliation | Clan Fire Mandrill |
| Command(s) | Three Kindraa including Kindraa Mattila-Carrol |
Prelude[edit]
In 2845 Loremaster Ethan Moreau received a necrosia vision showing a Clan Wolverine cache on Marshall that would reveal the first pieces in a puzzle that would rebuild the Star League. In a frenzied speech before the Bloodnamed Goliath Scorpions he charged them all to seek the cache. For almost five years Scorpion forces searched the planet, causing several skirmishes with Clans Jade Falcon and Fire Mandrill only to return to Dagda empty-handed.[2]
Less than two months later Clan Ice Hellion scouts discovered a grotto containing a Wolverine cache of Star League artifacts. Because the initial find only appeared to contain books, paintings, and several high-tech entertainment devices it initially did not interest the Hellion scouts. A closer inspection revealed a sizable armory, which the scouts brought to the Khans' attention. In short order word of the discovery, and the matching description to Moreau's vision, leaked to the Scorpions.[1][2]
Overview[edit]
Khan Shandra Dinour personally issued the Goliath Scorpion batchall for a Trial of Possession of the site and overwhelmed the lightly armed Hellion force in less than a week. Angered by the quick defeat of his Hellions and not wanting to look inferior to a "bunch of treasure-hunting gypsies", Khan Grosse Lienet issued his own Trial for the site. This back-and-forth series of Trials and counter-Trials continued for almost a year, though both Clans maintained honorable practices during the long series.[1][2][3]
One particular Trial became famous among both Clans, being recorded in each Remembrance. A Hellion Drift Shag faced off against a heavier Fire Scorpion. The fight continued until both Warriors were forced to withdraw from the field, resulting in the first Trial to end in a draw for either Clan.[3]
In December 2051, Clan Fire Mandrill forces from three Kindraa (including Kindraa Mattila-Carrol) put aside their differences long enough to take advantage of the ongoing Trials in order to take the cache for themselves. In a rare moment of unity, the Hellions and Scorpions set aside their animosity and joined forces against the interlopers. Drift Shags once more played a vital role in the fight by using their superior speed to get into the Kindraa rear and then drive them into the waiting pincers of Scorpions. In a particularly brutal clash between Kindraa Mattila-Carol and the Scorpions, Loremaster Moreau's Black Knight became mired in the swampy ground. Moreau requested hegira from his Mandrill opponent, but his only answer was a Gauss round through the cockpit.[4][5][2]
Aftermath[edit]
The murder of Moreau resulted in enmity between Clan Goliath Scorpion and Kindra Mattila-Carol (and to a lesser extent the Madrills as a whole). After the Mandrills were driven off, both Khans Lienet and Dinour realized their forces were too battered to continue this now-futile conflict. Khan Lienet proposed a deal wherein the Hellions retained the militarily significant items they desired, and the site and all other items would remain with the Scorpions. A memorial to Moreau in the form of a Remembrance verse he once wrote was carved into the wall of the grotto; "Seek out the past: it is your future."[1][2]
Notes[edit]
The most recent publication, Technical Readout: Golden Century (2020) gives the Mandrill interference as "early 2851." As the previous sources Field Manual: Crusader Clans (1998) and Field Manual: Warden Clans (1999) had greater specificity in stating "late 2851" and "December of 2851" respectively, this article utilizes December.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 76: "Cache Feud"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 104: "The Golden Time"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Technical Readout: Golden Century, p. 12: "Drift Shag"
- ↑ Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 9: "Bad Blood"
- ↑ Operational Turning Points: Widowmaker Absorption, p. 12: "Ethan Moreau"