Franklin Osis

File:Franklion-osis-43.png

At Age of 43

Franklin Osis (b. July 8th 2778 - 28??) was the first Khan of Clan Smoke Jaguar. He was the founder of the Osis Bloodname, and the ancestor of the entire line, including Lincoln Osis, who eventually became ilKhan.

Early Life

Franklin Osis was born in the Federated Suns in 2778. His parents, Simas and Lena Osis, were both tank commanders in the SLDF 238th Armored Division and fanatical followers of General Aleksandr Kerensky. In 2784, Kerensky led some 80% of the SLDF into exile in the Exodus; among them was the Osis family, who later settled on the planet Eden.

Simas and Lena tested out of the SLDF ranks and became farmers, but most of the other former SLDF soldiers were unable to adapt to civilian life as easily as the Osis family did. Since Eden was settled by refugees from the Federated Suns and the Capellan Confederation, two rival nations with centuries of distrust and animosity between them, it was inevitable that tensions would rise amongst the colonists. As friction built up between the Davion and Liao sides, nationalistic youth gangs formed. Franklin and his younger brother Simon joined a Federated Suns gang, but young Franklin was a bit of a pacifist and was hesitant to use violence against his gang's Capellan rivals.

In 2800, Franklin's gang set fire to a Capellan-run factory, but was spotted by a Capellan gang member. When the Davion gang started to beat the Capellan boy to death, Franklin intervened and was attacked by his own gang. When the local police responded to the fire, they arrested Franklin and his gang, and all of the arsonists were sentenced to a year of hard labor on Circe. When Franklin returned to Eden, he found himself surrounded by the violence of the early stages of the Exodus Civil War. When Kerensky's close friend General Aaron Dechevilier was murdered, Kerensky ordered those responsible ruthlessly executed, disillusioning the entire Osis family in their belief in General Kerensky. When Nicholas Kerensky called for a Second Exodus, Franklin, Simon and their parents departed with Nicholas to the planet Strana Mechty.

Rise to Power

It was the death of Franklin's brother Simon that transformed Franklin Osis from a pacifist into a ruthless warrior. In 2809, while the Osis brothers were trying to watch a pride of smoke jaguars, Simon Osis was ambushed and killed by another nearby jaguar; the death of his brother drove Franklin into a berserker rage and he slew the jaguar. From that day forward, Franklin Osis would be as merciless and bloodthirsty as the animal that killed Simon. Franklin became a MechWarrior and was assigned by Nicholas to the newly formed Clan Smoke Jaguar; due to his unparalleled vicious fighting skill, he quickly won the respect of his fellow warriors, who elected Franklin Osis as their first Khan.

Khan Osis

During Operation Klondike, Khan Osis led Clan Smoke Jaguar in the conquest of Eden. Like their Khan, the Jaguar Touman was absolutely ruthless when they destroyed Eden's defenders.

Among Osis' better known feats was his killing of Clan Ghost Bear Khan Sandra Tseng in 2848 during a Trial of Possession for her genetic legacy. However, the Ghost Bear forces won the trial by defeating the Jaguars.

Osis led Clan Smoke Jaguar for 30 years, until his death. Osis encouraged his Clan to fight for everything that they wanted and to glorify war in all facets of life, a tradition that lasted until the destruction of Clan Smoke Jaguar in 3060.

Death and Legacy

Khan Osis died sometime before the Golden Century. From his genetic legacy, his descendants struck fear and loathing into the hearts of their fellow Clans and later the Inner Sphere, particularly the Draconis Combine. The most famous Osis was undoubtedly Lincoln Osis, the last Khan of Clan Smoke Jaguar and last ilKhan of the Clans.

Remember Franklin Osis,

Father of his Clan.

Three strengths he gave us:

The jaguar's spring that brings the enemy down,

The jaguar's claws that rend the enemy's heart,

The jaguar's taste for the enemy's hot blood.

-From The Remembrance (Clan Smoke Jaguar), Passage 104, Verse 18, Lines 5-10

Quotes

"Like a favorite dish, war loses its flavor when tasted too often."

References

• Invading Clans, pp. 50-51

Bibliography

• Historical: Operation Klondike
• Invading Clans