Difference between revisions of "Antonius Zalman"

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'''Antonius Zalman''' (2730-2812, aged 82 years) was the first [[saKhan]] of [[Clan Steel Viper]].
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{{InfoBoxCharacter
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| image              = Antonius Zalman OpKlondike.jpg
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| caption            = Antonius Zalman
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| name                = Antonius Zalman
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| birthdate          = 14 January [[2727]]
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| died                = 16 January [[2809]]<ref name=H:OKp121>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 121: "Antonius Zalman"</ref>
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| othernames          =
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| affiliation        = [[Star League]];<br/>[[Clan Steel Viper]]
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| rank                = [[saKhan]]
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| title              =
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| position            =
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| profession          =
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| parents            =
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| siblings            =
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| spouse              =
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| children            =
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}}
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'''Antonius Zalman''' was a soldier and officer of the [[Star League Defense Force]] who fought during the bloody [[Amaris Crisis]].  He went on to become a founder of [[Clan Steel Viper]] as well as their first [[saKhan]].<ref name=FM:WCp134>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 134: "Founding and Treachery"</ref>
  
==Service with the [[SLDF]]==
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==History==
The following is the story of the Zalman blood legacy, as told by Clan Steel Viper [[Loremaster]]s:<ref>''Invading Clans'', p. 80</ref>
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Described as the epitome of the common man, Antonius Zalman was born into a middle class family on [[Terra]] at the height of the [[Star League]].  An officer in the SLDF reserve with the rank of [[major]], Zalman taught history and literature to school children in São Paulo, Brazil, when the [[Stefan Amaris|Usurper Amaris]] launched his coup.<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/>
  
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===Hero of the SLDF===
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By [[2773]], Zalman's battalion had been reduced to a small resistance cell due to traps set for them by [[Rim Worlds Republic]] troops, but Zalman and his men vowed to keep on fighting the Usurper in any way they possibly could.  When Zalman found out that the immoral Amaris had ordered the use of Star League citizens as human shields to keep SLDF soldiers at bay on the planet [[York (LC)|York]], Zalman decided to rescue the hostages.  Zalman and select members of his cell covertly traveled to York.  After secretly slipping away from the hostages, Zalman and his small band killed everyone at the unguarded command control center and stole the [[BattleMech]]s contained in the facility.  They began to fight a guerrilla campaign against Amaris' [[Republican Guards (Rim Worlds Republic)|Republican Guards]].  By the time SLDF forces reached York, Zalman and his men had already freed many of the hostages and destroyed much of the Republican Guards' supplies.  Without the supplies necessary to fight a protracted battle against the SLDF troops, the Republican Guards surrendered.<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/><ref name=ICp80>''Invading Clans'', p. 80: "Wolfnet Archive File"</ref>
  
The Zalman [[Bloodname]] derives from Antonius Zalman, a reserve member of a small militia unit serving on [[Terra]] during the time of [[Stefan Amaris]]'s coup. Zalman and two others from his unit managed to escape the slaughter of Amaris's initial strike and fled deep into the jungles of South America to lead a small band of resistance fighters. Supplies were hard to come by, and Zalman and his followers had to make daring and costly raids to obtain the barest of essentials. Undeterred by the obstacles facing them, Zalman's group fought on.
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For his heroism on York, SLDF Commanding General [[Aleksandr Kerensky]] personally decorated Zalman for actions above and beyond the call of duty.  He was attached to Kerensky's HQ from that point onward, at first commanding General Kerensky's bodyguard unit.  He was quickly promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant General]], commanding the operation to retake South America during the [[Operation liberation|Liberation of Terra]], utilizing his numerous contacts within the resistance to achieve his goals.<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/><ref name=ICp80/>
  
By [[2773]], Zalman was forced to admit that his group was fighting a losing battle. He found it nearly impossible to recruit new soldiers, and his sources of supplies dried up as the Usurper's troops caught on to Zalman's tactics and methods. Zalman recognized that his efforts on Terra had become futile and that his unit might not survive the wait for General [[Aleksandr Kerensky|Kerensky]] to arrive and decided to change his tactics. When he heard of Amris's nefarious plan to ship hundreds of hostages to a [[Terran Hegemony|Hegemony]] world under siege and use them to shield his troops against the expected assault by the [[Star League Defense Force]]s, he knew this was his chance to fight the Usurper on a new front. Disbanding his resistance cell and sending all but three of his most skilled soldiers underground to await rescue, Zalman and his tiny unit traveled to Mexico City, integrated themselves with the hostages and boarded the ship bound for the planet [[York]].
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===The Exodus and Clan Steel Viper===
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{{Quote|'''''Nicholas is the only answer. He may not have the seasoning of age and he has an air about him that makes many people uncomfortable, but he is a division commander. He has something that no one else does—the Kerensky name.'''''
  
Immediately upon their arrival on the surface of York, the defending commander placed Zalman and the other civilians into position to await the imminent arrival of SLDF troops. Zalman positioned his cadre as far to the rear of the civilian line as possible, and under cover of darkness abandoned his assigned position and returned to the underdefended command post, killing everyone present. Breaking the command codes with a device he acuired on Terra before leaving that planet and refined on the journey to York, Zalman and his soldiers mounted the command 'Mechs stationed at the post and accessed the main computer, then proceeded to use the information they discovered to locate and destroy several [[Republican Guard]] supply depots, all the while dodging the pursuing Amaris troops. By drawing the guards' fire and taking a few judicious laser shots, Zalman's team also freed many political prisoners. Zalman's extensive experience with the rebel action on Terra made it easy for him and his team to conduct a damaging hit-and-run campaign while staying just out of reach of the Republican punitive forces.
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—(Excerpt) '''Lieutenant General Antonius Zalman, Personal Journals, 1 September [[2801]]'''<ref name=H:OKp22>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 22: "The Second Exodus" and "Antonius Zalman, Personal Journals"</ref>}}
  
Within two days of Zalman's bold escape, the SLDF arrived insystem and burned toward the planet. Its losses left the Repulican Guards stationed on York too short of supplies and materiel to fight the extended battle that Kerensky's troops seemed intent on pursuing. Within a week, the Amaris forces surrendered, and General Kerensky personally decorated Zalman for outstanding service to the [[Star League]].
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Zalman accompanied Aleksandr Kerensky in his [[Operation EXODUS|Exodus]] and later followed Aleksandr's son [[Nicholas Kerensky|Nicholas]] in the [[Second Exodus]] to [[Strana Mechty]].  Regarded as a friend and supporter of both Kerensky generals, when Nicholas founded the [[Clans]] in [[2807]], he nominated Zalman to become the first [[Khan]] of Clan Steel Viper. The 80-year-old Zalman turned down the honor, citing his advanced age and failing health.  Zalman then asked Nicholas to endorse his lieutenant, [[Ellie Kinnison]] of the [[131st BattleMech Division]], for the position of Khan, to which she was subsequently elected.  Kinnison then stated that she would only serve as Khan if Zalman would accept the position of [[saKhan]] and continue to serve as her mentor.<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/><ref name=ICp80/><ref name=H:OKp22/>
  
The Zalman name has become synonymous with determination in the face of superior foes and ingenuity in the face of hopelessness. '''We honor the Zalman Bloodname above all others.'''
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[[Image:Clan Steel Viper logo.png|right|thumb|200px|Clan Steel Viper, Zalman's legacy.]]
  
==Clan Steel Viper==
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SaKhan Zalman was instrumental in the training of the [[Clan Steel Viper Touman|Viper ''touman'']], as he urged Kinnison to teach the Viper warriors the same values of loyalty and flexibility of thought and action that had kept Zalman alive during his campaign against the Usurper's forces.  Due to his ill health, his offspring were some of the first [[trueborn]] warriors to be decanted in the nascent [[Clans]]' eugenics program, his legacy immortalized within his lifetime.<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/><ref name=ICp80/><ref name=H:OKp30,31>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', pp. 30–31: "The Fallen"</ref>
Zalman accompanied Aleksandr Kerensky in his [[Exodus]] and later followed Aleksandr's son [[Nicholas Kerensky|Nicholas]] in the [[Second Exodus]]. When Nicholas founded the [[Clans]] in [[2810]], he nominated Zalman to be the first [[Khan]] of Clan Steel Viper, but the 80 year old Zalman turned down the honor, citing his advanced age and failing health. Zalman then asked Nicholas to endorse Lieutenant [[Ellie Kinnison]] of the [[131st Royal BattleMech Division]] for the position of Khan and was subsequently elected. Kinnison then stated that she would only serve as Khan if Zalman would accept the position of [[saKhan]] and continue to serve as her mentor.
 
  
saKhan Zalman was instrumental in the training of the Viper [[Touman]], as he urged Kinnison to teach the Viper warriors the same values that had kept Zalman alive during his campaign against the Usurper's forces.
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==Death and Legacy==
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Antonius Zalman served as saKhan of Clan Steel Viper for only two years, but helped prepare his Clan for the violence of [[Operation KLONDIKE]] in [[2821]].  Long before that time, he was killed in a training accident in [[2809]] – though certain sources maintain that the "Trial" he faced was created to reward him with his wish for an honorable death in combat.  Zalman was replaced as saKhan of the Steel Vipers by [[Star Colonel]] [[Steven Breen]].  Due to his genetic legacy, all Steel Viper warriors with the Zalman [[Bloodname]] are his descendants, starting with his granddaughter, [[Shandra Zalman]], who took his place in the operation to retake the [[Pentagon Worlds]]. His most famous descendant is [[Perigard Zalman]], a Khan of the Steel Vipers during the years after [[Operation REVIVAL]].<ref name=H:OKp121/><ref name=FM:WCp134/><ref name=H:OKp30,31/>
  
==Death and Legacy==
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==Notes==
Antonius Zalman served as saKhan of Clan Steel Viper for only two years; he was killed in a training accident in [[2812]]. Zalman was replaced by [[Star Colonel]] [[Steven Breen]].
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*Special rules for {{PAGENAME}} can be found in ''Historical: Operation Klondike'' (p. 153).
  
Due to his genetic legacy, all Steel Viper warriors with the Zalman [[bloodname]] are his descendants. His most famous descendant is [[Perigard Zalman]].
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==References==
 +
<references />
  
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
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* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
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* ''[[Historical: Operation Klondike]]''
 
* ''[[Invading Clans (sourcebook)|Invading Clans]]''
 
* ''[[Invading Clans (sourcebook)|Invading Clans]]''
  
==References==
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[[Category: Star League Characters|Zalman, Antonius]]
<references />
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[[Category:Clan Steel Viper Characters|Zalman, Antonius]]
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[[Category:saKhans|Zalman, Antonius]]

Latest revision as of 15:02, 26 January 2024

Antonius Zalman
Antonius Zalman
Personal
Born14 January 2727
Died16 January 2809[1]
AffiliationStar League;
Clan Steel Viper
Profile
RanksaKhan

Antonius Zalman was a soldier and officer of the Star League Defense Force who fought during the bloody Amaris Crisis. He went on to become a founder of Clan Steel Viper as well as their first saKhan.[2]

History[edit]

Described as the epitome of the common man, Antonius Zalman was born into a middle class family on Terra at the height of the Star League. An officer in the SLDF reserve with the rank of major, Zalman taught history and literature to school children in São Paulo, Brazil, when the Usurper Amaris launched his coup.[1][2]

Hero of the SLDF[edit]

By 2773, Zalman's battalion had been reduced to a small resistance cell due to traps set for them by Rim Worlds Republic troops, but Zalman and his men vowed to keep on fighting the Usurper in any way they possibly could. When Zalman found out that the immoral Amaris had ordered the use of Star League citizens as human shields to keep SLDF soldiers at bay on the planet York, Zalman decided to rescue the hostages. Zalman and select members of his cell covertly traveled to York. After secretly slipping away from the hostages, Zalman and his small band killed everyone at the unguarded command control center and stole the BattleMechs contained in the facility. They began to fight a guerrilla campaign against Amaris' Republican Guards. By the time SLDF forces reached York, Zalman and his men had already freed many of the hostages and destroyed much of the Republican Guards' supplies. Without the supplies necessary to fight a protracted battle against the SLDF troops, the Republican Guards surrendered.[1][2][3]

For his heroism on York, SLDF Commanding General Aleksandr Kerensky personally decorated Zalman for actions above and beyond the call of duty. He was attached to Kerensky's HQ from that point onward, at first commanding General Kerensky's bodyguard unit. He was quickly promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, commanding the operation to retake South America during the Liberation of Terra, utilizing his numerous contacts within the resistance to achieve his goals.[1][2][3]

The Exodus and Clan Steel Viper[edit]

Nicholas is the only answer. He may not have the seasoning of age and he has an air about him that makes many people uncomfortable, but he is a division commander. He has something that no one else does—the Kerensky name.

—(Excerpt) Lieutenant General Antonius Zalman, Personal Journals, 1 September 2801[4]

Zalman accompanied Aleksandr Kerensky in his Exodus and later followed Aleksandr's son Nicholas in the Second Exodus to Strana Mechty. Regarded as a friend and supporter of both Kerensky generals, when Nicholas founded the Clans in 2807, he nominated Zalman to become the first Khan of Clan Steel Viper. The 80-year-old Zalman turned down the honor, citing his advanced age and failing health. Zalman then asked Nicholas to endorse his lieutenant, Ellie Kinnison of the 131st BattleMech Division, for the position of Khan, to which she was subsequently elected. Kinnison then stated that she would only serve as Khan if Zalman would accept the position of saKhan and continue to serve as her mentor.[1][2][3][4]

Clan Steel Viper, Zalman's legacy.

SaKhan Zalman was instrumental in the training of the Viper touman, as he urged Kinnison to teach the Viper warriors the same values of loyalty and flexibility of thought and action that had kept Zalman alive during his campaign against the Usurper's forces. Due to his ill health, his offspring were some of the first trueborn warriors to be decanted in the nascent Clans' eugenics program, his legacy immortalized within his lifetime.[1][2][3][5]

Death and Legacy[edit]

Antonius Zalman served as saKhan of Clan Steel Viper for only two years, but helped prepare his Clan for the violence of Operation KLONDIKE in 2821. Long before that time, he was killed in a training accident in 2809 – though certain sources maintain that the "Trial" he faced was created to reward him with his wish for an honorable death in combat. Zalman was replaced as saKhan of the Steel Vipers by Star Colonel Steven Breen. Due to his genetic legacy, all Steel Viper warriors with the Zalman Bloodname are his descendants, starting with his granddaughter, Shandra Zalman, who took his place in the operation to retake the Pentagon Worlds. His most famous descendant is Perigard Zalman, a Khan of the Steel Vipers during the years after Operation REVIVAL.[1][2][5]

Notes[edit]

  • Special rules for Antonius Zalman can be found in Historical: Operation Klondike (p. 153).

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 121: "Antonius Zalman"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 134: "Founding and Treachery"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Invading Clans, p. 80: "Wolfnet Archive File"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 22: "The Second Exodus" and "Antonius Zalman, Personal Journals"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Historical: Operation Klondike, pp. 30–31: "The Fallen"

Bibliography[edit]