Grave Covenant

Grave Covenant
Novel by Michael A. Stackpole
Grave Covenant.jpg
First Publication
Published1 September 1997
PublisherRoc Books
Illustrator(s)
Pages336
ISBN0-451-45613-0, 978-0-451-45613-7
MSRP$5.99
PICLE5613
Chronology
EraClan Invasion era
Timeline30 September 3058 — 1 September 3059
Series
Twilight of the Clans series
Arrleft.svg 
Exodus Road 		  Arrright.svg
The Hunters

Grave Covenant, subtitled Twilight of the Clans II, is a novel by Michael A. Stackpole and the second installment in the Twilight of the Clans series, which as a whole brought the Clan Invasion story arc to a close. It was first published in print by Roc Books in September 1997 and later republished in EPUB format by Catalyst Game Labs as a BattleTech Legends title in November 2016.

From the Back Cover[edit]

ONLY ONE WAY TO STOP THE CLANS Possessing precious secret information that will lead them down the Exodus Road, the Inner Sphere Successor States can now meet the Clans on their own terms... and behind enemy lines. The Herculean task of amassing enough power means re-establishing the legendary Star League—a union of Successor States and their BattleMechs led by Victor Steiner-Davion. But with the deadly game of politics make the Successor Lords wary of alliance, and Victor's Machiavellian sister, Katrina Steiner, hatching more vicious plots to further her own agendas, the war against the Clans may only be a distraction from the real danger....

Plot Summary[edit]

This novel has three major sections.

The longest section is the follow up to the novel Malicious Intent and covers the political intrigues of the Whitting Conference on Tharkad. During the Conference, the major house powers conspire against each other to achieve their varied ends while nominally creating the Second Star League and planning a counter offensive to the Clans.

Some of the major early plot points are the relationship between Victor and Omi Kurita, and the work of Katherine Steiner-Davion to counter Victor Davion, while courting favor with Sun-Tzu Liao and Thomas Marik. There is also some very early foreshadowing with the relationship between Isis Marik and Victor Davion.

A lot of the major decisions are made at this conference, including the decision to focus on a single Clan for extermination, the decision to make it the Smoke Jaguars and the decision to put Focht and Victor in charge of the operation. Late in the planning, ComStar reveals the Exodus Road, and it is decided to send a force to hit Huntress at the same time the general invasion of the Jaguars is performed. It is also revealed that the Nova Cats have been conspiring with the Draconis Combine, to join the Second Star League. One of the interesting sub plots on Tharkad is Sun-Tzu's bid to be the first First Lord of the Second Star League. This ends up working, when Victor backs the plan to spite Katherine.

On Strana Mechty, the Clans are plotting the election of the next ilKhan, and the Wolves and the Falcons are working together to set the Smoke Jaguars up to fail as the ilKhan.

The next section of the novel is something of a short interlude. It covers the introduction of Victor Davion to the Kurita family on Luthien and peaks with Victor saving Omi from assassins, while being severely injured.

The final portion of the novel covers snippets from the various battle of Operation Bulldog. This portion contains some major character combat, including fighting by Victor in his Daishi alongside a Penetrator taking down a Star. It has a major scene of the major Clan Wolf players, Phelan, Ranna, and Ragnar against a trio of Jaguars in a series of 'Mech duels. The results of the campaign against the Clans is seen on Strana Mechty, as the Wolves and Falcons conspire to ensure that the Jaguars receive no support from other clans. The book closes out with the war going so well for the Inner Sphere that the Jaguars begin to flee the Inner Sphere, causing Victor to realise that Task Force Serpent is likely to be overwhelmed with all the returning units on Huntress, and deciding to mount a second expedition to Huntress to reinforce them. In trying to talk Victor out of this path, Focht reveals he is in fact Frederick Steiner, while trying to convince Victor not to go, as he expects Katherine to take advantage of his absence to destroy the new unity of the Inner Sphere.

Featured Characters[edit]

Featured Units[edit]

Featured Places[edit]

Featured BattleTech[edit]

BattleMechs[edit]

Vehicles[edit]

DropShips[edit]

JumpShips[edit]

Foreign-Language Editions[edit]

German[edit]

A German edition, translated by Reinhold H. Mai, was published by Heyne in 1998 as Heimatwelten (ISBN 9783453133426).[1] This was republished as an EPUB by Ulisses Spiele in 2021 as BattleTech Legenden 39 : Heimatwelten (ISBN 9783963317255).[2]

Hungarian[edit]

A Hungarian edition, translated by Novák Gábor, was published by Beholder in 2002 as Kényszerszövetség.[3]

Russian[edit]

A Russian edition, translated by M. Levin, was published by Дрофа (Drofa) in 2002 as Возрождение Завета (ISBN 5710763489) as part of a series produced in collaboration with Армада-пресс (Armada-Press).[4][5]

Spanish[edit]

A Spanish edition, translated by Jaime de Marcos Andreu, was published by Timun Mas in 1999 as Pacto mortal.

Covers[edit]

  • 1997 original cover. Art by Roger Loveless.
    1997 original cover. Art by Roger Loveless.
  • 2016 reprint cover. Art by Will Nichols.
    2016 reprint cover. Art by Will Nichols.
  • 1998 German edition cover.
    1998 German edition cover.
  • 2021 German edition reprint cover. Art by Alex Iglesias.
    2021 German edition reprint cover. Art by Alex Iglesias.
  • 2002 Hungarian edition cover.
    2002 Hungarian edition cover.
  • 2002 Russian edition cover.
    2002 Russian edition cover.
  • 1999 Spanish edition cover.
    1999 Spanish edition cover.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for Heimatwelten
  2. ↑ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for BattleTech Legenden 39 : Heimatwelten
  3. ↑ Beholder product page for Kényszerszövetség
  4. ↑ Science Fiction Lab Book description for Возрождение Завета
  5. ↑ National Library of Russia description for Возрождение Завета

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