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Malvina Hazen

Malvina Hazen
Malvina Hazen
Character Profile
Also known as Chinggis Khan[1],
The White Virgin[citation needed],
The Butcher of Wotan[2][3][4],
The Mad Falcon[5]
Born 3103[6]
Died 23 April 3151[7]
Affiliation Clan Jade Falcon
Rank Khan
Profession MechWarrior
Siblings Aleksandr Hazen[citation needed]
Children Cynthy (adopted)[citation needed]

Malvina Hazen was a MechWarrior and Khan of Clan Jade Falcon during the Dark Age, also known as the "Chinggis Khan."

Abused by her sibkin from a young age, Malvina grew into a brutal but charismatic warrior. Tapping into discontent within her Clan to spark the Rending of 3136, Hazen won the civil war and became one of the most dynamic Khans in Jade Falcon history. Implementing a particularly vicious interpretation of the Mongol Doctrine, which became synonymous with her name, Hazen led the Falcons to crushing victories over the Lyran Commonwealth and the Republic of the Sphere throughout the 3140s, vastly expanding the Clan's territory and power. Hazen's streak of victories came to an end on Terra in 3151; while successful in destroying the Republic in parallel with Clan Wolf, Hazen's warriors subsequently lost the ilClan Trial and Hazen herself was murdered shortly after.[citation needed]

History[edit]

Sibko[edit]

Malvina, a product of the Emerald Dawn sibko, had a harsh youth; due to her small size, she was subject to constant torment from all but one of the other children in her sibko, the only one to stand by her side was her "brother" Aleksandr. One night in particular stuck with Malvina when the other children in their sibko attacked her and Aleks in the middle of the night. There was not enough food for everyone and the other children thought that if they eliminated the two of them then there would be enough food to go around. When it was finished, Malvina had killed two of them and injured a third before the adults could defuse the matter.[8] From that event onward, Malvina has kept true to her talent of violence and has never left an opponent to survive a fight against her except for Aleks. Her Falconers quickly identified her sociopathic tendencies, lack of empathy, and disinterest in moral considerations. Falconer Kitazawa became her mentor, determined to create a new breed of warrior capable of utter ruthlessness in the pursuit of victory. In that, he succeeded beyond all his expectations. But Kitazawa considered Aleksandr the key to reining in her violent instincts.[6][9]

Warrior[edit]

Malvina was able to pass her Trial of Position to become a warrior with the Jade Falcon touman as a Star Captain where she learned and took great personal fondness of the Falcon variant of the Clan Hell's Horses Mongol Doctrine. Her reputation as the leader of the Mongol movement within the Clan came ahead after she ordered the brutal execution of five thousand civilians as punishment for a labor mutiny on Wotan, as they had killed Kitazawa. Since then, she earned both prestige and infamy as "The Butcher of Wotan."[6]

In 3133, when she fought her Trial of Bloodright, she faced a Star Captain named Watkins. Though outclassed, she used the terrain to her advantage and crushed Watkins' cockpit, claiming both the Hazen Bloodname and his 'Mech, which became her signature 'Mech.[9]

Jade Falcon desant[edit]

Malvina considered the Blackout as an omen and opportunity to make a renewed drive towards Terra. Khan Jana Pryde apparently thought so, as she was one of the three Galaxy Commanders assigned for the invasion of the Republic of the Sphere's Prefecture IX, which would become known as the Falcon desant. Its objective was to create a staging ground for a later Falcon invasion into the Lyran Commonwealth. She succeeded using terror tactics: ordering the executions of thousands on Ryde to discourage resistance, deploying nuclear weapons against the Steel Wolves in Glengarry... but her desant almost ended when her brother died in the first invasion of Skye, she lost herself and vowed to do the only thing she knew at that point, which was to destroy everything in her path.[6]

When the invasion force was finally able to secure the invasion zone and no reinforcements arrived from the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, Malvina realized that Khan Pryde was using them as a dumping ground for the Clan's malcontents. She recruited the only other Galaxy Commander, Beckett Malthus help.[citation needed]

On 3 August 3135, Clan Hell's Horses Galaxy Commander Tristan Fletcher arrived on Skye to declare a Trial of Position over the Mongol Doctrine, and Malvina chose to fight in a Scimitar Mk.II tank, choosing Wyndham as her driver. She succeeded in the duel by ramming Tristan's tank and later dismounting to kill him in a duel.[10] Later, Malvina took a Galaxy of his units to Sudeten, to fight Khan Jana Pryde and took the command of all his Clan.

Malvina left command of operations in the invasion corridor in the hands of Noritomo Helmer and returned to the Occupation Zone to challenge Khan Pryde for her position. The 14 September 3135, in Sudeten, the Khan's loyalists try to assassinate Malvina, but she was saved thanks to her bodyguards and Wyndham, who, piloting an APC, evacuated her.[11] After being saved, Malvina promoted Wyndham to Star Captain rank.[12] Later, Malvina would lead a rending, civil war, which ended with Pryde dying in space over Sudeten after a 'Mech duel.[6]

Not content with that victory, Malvina ordered the damaged WarShip Emerald Talon to fall into Hammarr, capital of Sudeten, crashing into the Falcon's Perch Tower. The impact razed the city, eliminating most of the Clan's leadership structure.[9]

Rise to Khanship[edit]

Soon after reaching power within her Clan, Malvina traveled to Romulus, and on 17 November 3139 she pressured Clan Hell's Horses to form an alliance. After Cynthy intentionally aired a personal discussion between her and Beckett Malthus, she beheaded an unfortunate tech instead of punishing Cynthy, despite knowing what she had done. On 22 November, a trial was fought with the Horses, and Malvina's acts ensured the victory, though she sacrificed two full Stars of Elementals.[13]

In another Trial against the Horses, in Harvest, she drew the battle to a fertile area, forcing the Horses to raze the land. When the Horses' Khan Gottfried Amirault blamed Malvina, she showed him the proof that she was not directly responsible, and pressed him to form an alliance.[14] Once formed, the alliance with the Horse; which she named the Golden Ordun, Malvina did not waste any time throwing their forces against the Lyran Commonwealth, conquering big swaths of territory, without leaving anything to oppose her. During the Battle of Timkovichi, the Kell Hounds held against the Hell's Horses Beta Galaxy, so she ordered the Red Talon to launch an Orbital Bombardment which annihilated not only the Hounds, but also most all of Beta, because she did not bother to warn them, enjoying the massive destruction.[15]

On 23 June 3142, on Apostica, a planet where they faced a strong guerrilla resistance, she ordered all planet aquifers with plutonium, dooming the planetary population to a horrible death. As a cruel joke, she let the resistance leader depart unharmed, to tell other worlds what she had done. Before departing herself, leaving the planet to a terrible death.[15]

After hearing that Clan Wolf had attacked Tharkad, capital of the Commonwealth, she attacked it too, taking the southern part of the world, however the Wolf de facto leader, Alaric Ward, outmaneuvered her, thus the Battle of Tharkad did not go as Malvina planned: before fully taking the planet, the Wolves departed. With all the planetary defenders against her, Malvina had to ask the Lyrans hegira, leaving the planet in their hands.[16]

However, after the disastrous battle of Hesperus, the Horses left the Ordun.[17] Seeing his opportunity to get rid of her, Beckett attempted to kill her, but it failed: she killed him, though she fell into a coma for weeks.[9]

Race to Terra[edit]

Right after recovering from the coma, Malvina led her forces upon a key target: Arc-Royal, the home of the Hounds and Clan Wolf-in-Exile. On 5 September 3146, the Battle of Arc-Royal began. As she did not see the Exiles as a real clan, she ordered her forces to ignore the dictates of zellbringen, using massed fire against targets. Her special hate of the Kell Hounds made them personally run them down with her Shrike.[citation needed]

After three weeks of fighting, with the Falcon's advance stalled, Malvina sent a Star of Elementals to infiltrate the Exiles' capital, Wolf City. The elementals entered the Exiles' sibko training facilities and slaughtered any trainer, cadet, or embryo they found. Exile Khan Patrik Fetladral, furious, demanded Malvina to face him in combat, but she did not answer his challenge. Instead, Malvina ordered her command Star to bombard the Khan, killing him. This forced the Wolves to retreat off-planet. Few Wolves were claimed as bondsmen.[18]

A year later, Malvina sent Delta Galaxy to attack Coventry, expecting to force her commander, traditionalist Stephanie Chistu, to use nukes in line with Mongol Doctrine. Chistu was able to secure victory without the use of such tactics however, and enraged Malvina by abandoning the planet.[19]

Malvina was planning to strike Donegal when news of Alaric Ward's forces approaching Terra arrived by messenger. Enraged, she shot the tech who delivered the message, and not even Cynthy's presence could quell her rage. She ordered her warriors to mobilize, deciding to make an immediate race towards Terra in order to not be beaten by the Wolves. On her way, the Falcons attacked several planets and targeted civilians in order to draw out Republic defenders and annihilate them. In late November Malvina led an attack on Thorin. When RAF defenders emerged from an old Castle Brian, she ordered the CJF Jade Aerie to bombard its entrance, trapping the defenders outside.[citation needed] The arrival of Clan Wolf forces did not change the outcome of the battle; even the unwritten truce between the Wolves and RAF did not save them. By Malvina's orders, any survivors were interrogated and tortured before being executed.[20]

Battle of Terra[edit]

Malvina led the Falcon's Battle of Terra onboard the WarShip CJF Turkina's Pride, ordering her ships to protect the Falcon's DropShips from the RAF war fleet, and after destroying the fortress Fort Grec made her fleet destroy all its lifeboats. She wanted her fleet to pursue the retreating enemy war fleet, but her naval commander, Star Admiral Sharizal Binetti convinced her to pursue their Operation BIRTHRIGHT, and she instead sent her fleet to protect the go to Mars.[21]

Malvina led the assault against Devlin Stone's command post and the Republic's capital, Geneva, ordering orbital bombardment when resistance proved too strong and sent Delta Galaxy to secure Brazil after it secured Germany, to send Chistu far. When Alaric sent the WarShip McKenna's Pride to stop the Falcon's bombardment, Hazen had no other option but to comply. She vented her rage upon the RAF prisoners: after falling Geneva, she made them executed in public, broadcasting it to all the planet.[22]

Malvina was almost killed when an RAF team, posing as Wolves, attacked her on T+56. She was wounded and lost consciousness.[23]

She awakened on T+58, resuming command of her clan. Incensed by Stone's attack, she sent another public broadcast, executing Knight-Errant Jodi Mazzanoble, swearing that anyone following Stone or his Republic would share his destiny. Once in America, Malvina was almost killed again by an attack of Stone's elite, the Old Guard: Hazen's underestimation of the Guard, seeing it as solahma, almost cost her greatly: she was saved only by the Falcon Guards' intervention. She praised them after regaining consciousness.[24]

Later, Malvina led the attack on Ohio Valley, in T+76, searching for Stone. When she did not find him, she was furious, routing the RAF survivors. On T+95, she was present when Stone finally surrendered, both to her and to Alaric Ward. Reluctantly, she agreed with Alaric not to execute the RAF surviving forces.[25] In an amphitheater in Michigan, she and Alaric discussed the terms of the ilClan Trial, agreeing to where and how to fight.[26]

IlClan Trial[edit]

On the first day of the Trial, Malvina sent an airstrike to Alaric's HQ, expecting to kill him, without success, but the Wolves' own air strike destroyed the Falcon's Watch command post, killing the unit's leader, Abzug Helmer. She replaced him with Star Captain Jakapan as commander of the Watch. She also sent Delta Galaxy alone at the north flank, expecting to get Stephanie Chistu killed, but also without success.[27]

On the second day of the Trial, after a Wolf attack destroyed most of the Falcon's ammo, Malvina planned an ambush to decimate the Wolves. In what was later called "The Cauldron," a huge fire trap, almost three Wolves galaxies were annihilated. Malvina even took serious measures to ensure a few Wolves escaped the trap, though these had limited success.[citation needed]

On the third day of the Trial, Malvina gave orders to take no Wolves alive, determined to leave no trace of their clan. At 1400, she was surprised to know that the Wolves deployed unknown forces, Task Force Athena, which were Wolf's Dragoons and the former Wolves-in-Exile, but when Anastasia Kerensky called her, she went directly to her location. About two hours later, both warriors faced each other in a duel. Malvina attempted to use DOA attacks and physical ones, but Anastasia kept her distance, and finally downed Malvina's Shrike.[28]

Defeat and afterward[edit]

Malvina fell, defeated by Anastasia Kerensky's Savage Wolf, but later it was found that she was alive. Despite Anastasia's eagerness to kill her, Alaric insisted on keeping Malvina alive instead so the Wolves would not have to stoop down to her level. Amazingly though, she kept her rank of Khan instead of being a bondswoman to the Wolves. Malvina would spend months recovering from her injuries with Cynthy helping her. Despite her loss, however, she still remained cynical and bitter to ilKhan Alaric. She would grow angry when he forced her to give up Cynthy to the proper authorities, after seeing the injuries inflicted on her (she has been taking the brunt of Malvina's abuse after her loss to the wolves).[7]

Death[edit]

Despite Malvina’s defeat on Terra, her death would not come at the hands of Clan Wolf, but by someone close to her within her own Clan: Cynthy. It turns out that all of the physical abuse Malvina has given her over the past years has finally taken a toll on her. The final straws were Alaric demanding Malvina to release her from her custody and the bruises on Cynthy's forehead (possibly created by Malvina to vent her anger and frustration on Cynthy after losing ilClanship to the Wolves). When Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu entered her apartment, she saw Malvina Hazen on the floor covered in blood with a knife, while Cynthy was holding a blaster behind a broken mirror. Chistu concluded that Cynthy was defending herself from another physical abuse, attacking with the knife she made for her. Ignoring Malvina's orders to call the medtechs, Chistu decided to calm down Cynthy and assure her that Malvina would never hurt her again. As the Chinggis Khan demanded Stephanie to come to her aid, Stephanie refused her orders, seeing this as a long time coming. Both Stephanie and Malvina would trade heated words about how they felt about each other, with Stephanie regarding Malvina as a tyrant who perverted the Clan Ways and Malvina regarding Stephanie as a traitor and puppet to Clan Wolf. With that final verbal spat, the hate-filled Hazen died from massive blood loss.

After her body was found, Alaric ordered her death to be presented as a consequence of the Trial, letting Anastasia claim her kill. Alaric also ordered the disposal of her remains without taking a giftake, as he declared her genes to be defective.[29]

BattleMechs[edit]

Though Malvina initially piloted an old Onager, her signature 'Mech was a customized Shrike she named Black Rose, the same she took in her Trial of Bloodright, piloting it until her death. She painted it in the colors of the Turkina Keshik, green with highlights, with a Falcon mural adorning her chest and its right arm had the emblem of her name: a dark flower in bloom.[9]

In the novel A Rending of Falcons, she piloted a borrowed Thor.[citation needed]

Her flagship was the JumpShip La Vie en Rose and her personal DropShip was the White Reaper.[citation needed]

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • She enjoys giving a final kiss to the people she personally killed in their final moments.[citation needed]
  • Malvina Hazen was responsible for urging the development of the Jade Hawk BattleMech, while still a Galaxy Commander; the hatred one of the technicians involved in the program had for the bloodthirsty Malvina, was responsible for the design schematics of the Jade Hawk being shared with Clan Sea Fox to allow it to be sold on to non-Clan forces.[30]
  • Malvina's 'Mech code phrase was Let the Falcon take flight in a new generation. Let the stars be its hunting grounds.[9]

References[edit]

  1. A Rending of Falcons, p. 159
  2. Era Report: 3145, p. 101: "Malvina Hazen"
  3. Flight of the Falcon, ch. 20 (PDF version) - Wotan massacre mentioned as being "a few years" before 3134
  4. BattleTech: Legends, p. 142
  5. Tamar Rising, pp. 19–20: "For the Children"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Era Report: 3145, pp. 101–102: "Malvina Hazen"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Hour of the Wolf, p. 582
  8. Flight of the Falcon, p. ??: "Childhood memory of the attack"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 BattleTech: Legends, pp. 142–143
  10. A Rending of Falcons, p. 16
  11. A Rending of Falcons, p. 81
  12. A Rending of Falcons, p. 89
  13. A Bonfire of Worlds, ch. 4
  14. A Bonfire of Worlds, ch. 5
  15. 15.0 15.1 A Bonfire of Worlds, ch. 13
  16. A Bonfire of Worlds, ch. 15
  17. Field Manual: 3145, p. 150
  18. Shattered Fortress, p. 26
  19. Shattered Fortress, pp. 50–51
  20. Shattered Fortress, p. 92
  21. IlClan, p. 35
  22. IlClan, pp. 56–57
  23. IlClan, p. 59
  24. IlClan, p. 72
  25. IlClan, pp. 80–81
  26. IlClan, p. 84
  27. IlClan, p. 88
  28. IlClan, pp. 90–100
  29. Hour of the Wolf, p. 539
  30. Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries, p. 40: "Jade Hawk"

Bibliography[edit]