Karen Nagasawa

Karen Nagasawa
Karen Nagasawa
Character Profile
Born 9 September 2770[1]
Affiliation Clan Sea Fox
Position Khan
Parents Hiroji Nagasawa (father)[2]


Karen Nagasawa 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.[3]

History[edit]

Early Life[edit]

Karen Nagasawa was born in 2770 during the Amaris Civil War on the planet Dieron in the Terran Hegemony. Her father, Hiroji Nagasawa, and her mother served in the Star League Defense Force 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.[1][2]

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.[1][2]

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.[1][4][5]

Clan Sea Fox, Nagasawa's Clan

Peacemaker to Warrior[edit]

On Strana Mechty, Nagasawa volunteered for aerospace fighter training, graduating from DeChavilier Military Academy as an aerospace 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.[6][7]

The four Clans made their initial landing outside the city of Camlaan. Enemy reinforcements approached the DropShips of the Ice Hellions and Cloud Cobras, who withdrew from the assault on the city to meet that threat. Star Colonel Nagasawa, commanding the Sea Fox air Stars, spotted more reinforcements coming from the other side of the city. She began bombing and strafing, calling out targets for the ground forces of both Clans. Khan of Clan Coyote Dana Kufahl took offense at this, believing the Sea Fox tactics to be dishonorable, and withdrew her Clan to a nearby hill where they only fired if fired upon.[8]

The Sea Foxes were left to fight nearly alone for five hours. Sea Fox Khan David Kalasa was killed in action, but the battle was won, albeit at great cost.[9]

Nagasawa played important roles in the remainder of the Babylon campaign as well. Her fighters took part in siege tactics across the continent of Valence, battering and destroying enemy forces and facilities from the air.[9] The environment and enemy tactics made this less feasible over Callandra, but her fighters brought data to Clan Sea Fox scientists that enabled her to devise a counter to the tactics of the desert nomads and bring that campaign to a close.[10]

Khan Nagasawa[edit]

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.[1][11]

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.[12][13][11]

Khan Nagasawa's reforms resulted in the following developments:

  • 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.[11]


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.[11] 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 intercaste 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.[12][14]

Aerospace Fighter[edit]

During the battle for Camlaan on Babylon, Nagasawa piloted a Rapier.[15]

Quotes[edit]

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[16]

Publications[edit]

Karen Nagasawa brought some of her previous writing together under the title Compiled Remembrances.[17][18] She also wrote The Price of Liberty, dated 15 May 2801[19] and Message to Clan Sea Fox on 6 July 2821.[9]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 116
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Invading Clans, p. 131
  3. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 111
  4. Invading Clans, p. 105, Wolfnet Archive File
  5. Invading Clans, p. 131-132
  6. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 62
  7. Invading Clans, p. 132
  8. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 63
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 64
  10. Historical: Operation Klondike, pp. 68-69
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Invading Clans, p. 133
  12. 12.0 12.1 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 129
  13. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 101
  14. Invading Clans, p. 135-136
  15. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 7
  16. Invading Clans, p. 131
  17. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 7
  18. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 30
  19. Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 21

Bibliography[edit]