Operation STAMPEDE

Operation STAMPEDE
Start Date 3151 End Date 3152 Result Clan Hell's Horses expands its borders but fails to conquer Terra or Sudeten.
Factions
(Attacker) Clan Hell's Horses	(Defender) Clan Jade Falcon
Commanders and leaders
Khan Gottfried Amirault	Khan Jiyi Chistu
Forces involved
Clan Hell's Horses touman	Clan Jade Falcon touman

Operation STAMPEDE was a campaign conducted by Clan Hell's Horses to take over various worlds in the Jade Falcon Clan Occupation Zone and later to attempt to claim the IlClan title. This was done to both take advantage of the Jade Falcon's distraction during their fight with the Wolves on Terra and out of retribution for Malvina forcing them to become allies while tainting their Mongol Doctrine.

History

Origins

“	Stampede, and Noyan for that matter, is the saKhan putting his ego before anything else	”
	—  Star Captain, Peter Cobb when discussing Stampede with Lucian Camejo.

STAMPEDE was planned by Horse SaKhan Fulk Lassenerra, with some support of Khan Gottfried Amirault. Originally intended to be a continuation of Operation NOYAN, STAMPEDE was modest at best, intending to take some Falcon's planets while testing new units and tactics. For Gottfried it was also a mean to keep Fulk distracted, as both were fighting for their Clan's leadership position. As some pointed out, the operation was fueled by Lassenerra's hate towards the Falcons. The operation's was reviewed and revised by Horse ristar Star Captain Peter Cobb, who notably improved STAMPEDE's logistics.

Race to Terra

After easily taking the Falcon's world of Shaula in February 3151 and confirming that all the Falcons had gone to Terra, saKhan Lassenerra wished to expand STAMPEDE to conquer the entire Falcon occupation zone. Khan Amirault decided instead to cease the offensive in favor of pushing rimwards towards Terra. Amirault took all their WarShip complements but only Alpha and Fire Horse Galaxies, despite the protests of some of his subordinates. Amirault's task force did not reach humanity's birthworld before Clan Wolf triumphed and claimed the position of ilClan of a reborn Star League. Gottfried, after being invited to Terra, refused to acknowledge Alaric Ward as their ilKhan.

Hinterlands Campaign

After returning to their Occupation Zone, the Horses Khans redirected STAMPEDE against the now-vacant Falcon Occupation Zone, now a chaotic zone known as the Hinterlands. Gottfried's slowing of the offensive, excessive caution and insistence on keeping some Galaxies in reserve cost the Horses dearly. Although the Horses met with some success, destroying the Turkina Ascendancy proto-state and annexing twenty worlds, underestimating their adversaries caused serious defeats at Butler by the Alyina Mercantile League and Sudeten by Jiyi Chistu's Clan Jade Falcon Remnants. With STAMPEDE ending in a humiliating fizzle, the Hell's Horses underwent a leadership change as the more aggressive saKhan Fulk Lassenerra took control of the Clan, slaying Gottfried Amirault in a Trial of Position.

Bibliography

• Elements of Treason: Honor
• Hour of the Wolf (novel)
• IlClan
• Tamar Rising