Walter Martindale
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Walter Martindale | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Died | 2868 |
| Affiliation | Clan Mongoose |
| Profile | |
| Profession | Khan |
Walter Martindale was the last Khan of Clan Mongoose. He is notorious for the incident that resulted in the demise of his Clan.
Contents
At Each Other's Throats[edit]
Mitchell Loris, the first Khan and founder of Clan Mongoose, was a consummate political schemer, as were his successors. Walter Martindale learned from his predecessors how to manipulate other Clans and the Grand Council, and ruthlessly striking at the enemy when they least expected it. This had the potential to bring Clan Mongoose great power and resources.
In 2844, the Khan of Clan Mongoose at the time, Davis Riley, sparked a war against Clan Star Adder by attacking two Adder planets in response to the Adders expanding their territory, thereby infringing upon Mongoose territory. By 2868, Martindale had become Khan, and the aggressive machinations of his Clan had also angered Clan Smoke Jaguar.
The Jaguar Consumes the Mongoose[edit]
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In 2868, Martindale ordered his touman to conduct a raid against the Jaguar world of Atreus; however, unknown to the Jaguars, Adder Khan Tomas Banacek had ordered his warriors to simultaneously attack the Mongooses. Martindale badly underestimated the fighting skill and resolve of the Jaguar defenders, and as a result the Mongoose raiders were decimated. The Khan of Clan Smoke Jaguar, Theodore Osis, then came before the Grand Council and openly accused the Mongooses of cowardly and unethical behavior in carrying out such an unprovoked attack. Now facing a war on two fronts, Khan Martindale realized he had to do something to get the Jaguars off his back, so that his Clan could resume fighting the Adders. Martindale responded to Osis' claims by demanding a vote of censure against the Jaguars. The manner in which Martindale defended himself and his Clan is now regarded as one of the most notorious examples of utter stupidity, not to mention heresy, in the annals of Clan history:
Khan Walter Martindale cited the words of the Great Father, Aleksandr Kerensky, and the Founder of the Clans, Nicholas Kerensky, in defense of a cowardly and dishonorable action.
Outraged by Martindale's sacrilege of the wisdom of The Great Kerenskys, and sick & tired of Martindale's frivolous political scheming, Khan Osis motioned to censure Martindale and declare him unfit of ruling as a Khan. Furthermore, since Clan Mongoose's leadership was wanton and lacking, the rest of the Clan's assets would have to be reassigned to someone worthy. Osis called for a Trial of Absorption, and the Grand Council unanimously granted the furious Jaguars the right to exact revenge upon Martindale and the Mongooses for their fatal misjudgment. When Osis was informed of the ongoing Adder offensive against the Mongooses, Osis turned his anger upon the Adders. The Grand Council then stepped in & made Osis a deal: the Adders would halt their attacks upon the Mongooses during the course of the Trial, to which Osis agreed.
In the ensuing Trial, the Jaguars wiped out the Mongoose touman, and absorbed their remaining civilian assets & colonies. Walter Martindale was killed during the battle for the Mongoose enclave on Circe, when Khan Osis obtained permission from ilKhan Zenos Danforth and the Grand Council to destroy the Mongooses through orbital bombardment.
Since the victorious Jaguars regarded the Bloodnames and genetic legacies of Clan Mongoose as worthless,[1] Khan Josef Mannix of Clan Cloud Cobra stepped forward and offered to take those Mongoose Warrior Caste assets, consisting of 70 genetic legacies and 11 associated Bloodnames. With this final act, Clan Mongoose ceased to exist.
Quotes[edit]
| “ | With a few ill-considered words, the Khan of Clan Mongoose consigned his Clan to death. And though I now live with Theodore Osis waiting for a chance to slay me with honor, we have reclaimed nearly all we have lost. That is all I ever wanted. The Mongoose is gone, and our new enemies will not prevail over us. Seyla. So shall it be. | ” |
- -Tomas Banacek, Khan of Clan Star Adder
References[edit]
- ↑ Invading Clans, p. 50