Great Refusal

Great Refusal
Start Date 23 April 3060 Location Clan Homeworlds Planet Strana Mechty Result Inner Sphere Victory Repudiation of Clan Invasion, though some Invader Clans maintained only the Truce of Tukayyid held; Relocation and integration of multiple Clans into the Inner Sphere; Factioning of Home Clans, increased division of Invader versus Home Clans
Factions
Second SLDF	Crusader Clans
Commanders and leaders
Commanding General Victor Steiner-Davion	ilKhan Lincoln Osis

The Great Refusal was a Trial of Refusal in which the reborn Star League ended the Clan Invasion. Fought on 23 April, 3060, various contingents from the Inner Sphere powers faced warriors from the Crusader Clans in a series of mini-engagements on Strana Mechty. The Second Star League Defense Force won the majority of these battles, thus ending the invasion in accordance with Clan law.

Overview

On 12 April, 3060, a month after the fall of Huntress, Victor Steiner-Davion led elements of the reborn SLDF into the Strana Mechty system. Granted safe passage, Prince Victor's forces landed near the Hall of Khans. A delegation consisting of Prince Victor, Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht and other SLDF officers met with ilKhan Lincoln Osis to call a Trial of Refusal against the invasion of the Inner Sphere. While ilKhan Osis agreed to the proposal, the Ghost Bear Khans claimed that the Trial was exclusively against the Crusader philosophy and their invasion. Naming the Bears a Warden Clan, they refused to take part in the Trial. The other Warden Clans followed suit, and the Crusader Clans, including the last of the Smoke Jaguars, were left to fight the trial on their own. Clan Nova Cat took the side of the Inner Sphere on behalf of the newly recreated SLDF.

The Great Refusal began on 23 April, 3060. Modeled after the Battle of Tukayyid, the Trial was fought as a series of mini-engagements between the SLDF and Crusader Clans. A Binary of Clan forces (all that was left to ilKhan Osis and the Jaguars), faced a Company from the assorted Star League members.

Battles and Results

Eight engagements were fought between SLDF and Clan forces. The final result was five victories for the SLDF, two victories for the Clans, and one draw.

Clan Blood Spirit versus the Draconis Combine

The Blood Spirit's Blood Guard Keshik battled the Draconis Combine's 1st Genyosha in the Coldrill Valley. The brutal fight ended shortly after Combine troops knocked out the 'Mech of Khan Karianna Schmitt.

Result: SLDF win

Clan Fire Mandrill versus the Capellan Confederation

The differences in philosophy and politics that divided Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa severely hampered that Clan's Kindraa Command Trinary when it faced the Capellan Confederation's Red Lancers in the wooded valleys of the Sciace District. This lack of cohesion allowed the Lancers to divide the Mandrill forces and defeat them with minimal losses.

Result: SLDF win

Clan Hell's Horses versus the Free Rasalhague Republic

Fighting on the rolling hills of the Breyan District, the Hell's Horses Alpha Keshik initially drove back the Free Rasalhague Republic's 3rd Drakøns. This setback only spurred the Rasalhagians to redouble their efforts, and despite another assault from the Horses they gained possession of the ridge that was their objective.

Result: SLDF win

Clan Ice Hellion versus Clan Nova Cat

In the only battle to involve aerospace fighters, the Ice Hellion's 7th Attack Cluster fought with Clan Nova Cat's Keshik over the Duergar Plains. Despite slaying both Nova Cat Khans, their blind hatred of their opponents resulted in the Hellions making several mistakes that led to their ultimate defeat. One of them was to send two 'Mechs to attack and kill Trent. Both Khans and Trent were the only Nova Cat casualties.

Result: SLDF win

Clan Jade Falcon versus ComStar

At Zhaloba Mountain the Jade Falcon's Turkina Keshik selected the best possible defensive position, and then used it to batter the approaching Com Guard force. Despite fighting skillfully, ComStar's Invader Galaxy was forced to accept hegira from their opponents.

Result: Clan win

Clan Star Adder versus the Free Worlds League

Using Elementals and light 'Mechs as bait, Clan Star Adder's Command Keshik lured the 1st Free Worlds Guards deep into the Perium Swamp, then sprung their trap. Barely a third of the Free Worlds League troops escaped, and the SLDF was forced to accept defeat.

Result: Clan win

Clan Wolf versus the St Ives Compact

Viewing Clan Wolf as the greatest threat, Prince Victor assigned the St. Ives Compact's 1st St. Ives Lancers under Kai Allard-Liao to face the Golden Keshik. The two forces proved to be evenly matched: the Lancers' durability and marksmanship were countered by the Wolves' mobility and fury. While Kai forced Khan Vladimir Ward to abandon his 'Mech, neither side could gain the advantage over the another.

Result: Draw

Clan Smoke Jaguar versus the Federated Commonwealth

The final battle was staged in the aptly-named Bloody Basin of the arid Lechenka District. Against the Smoke Jaguar's Command Trinary Prince Victor led a mixed force from the personally loyal 10th Lyran Guards and Federated Commonwealth's 1st Kathil Uhlans. The Jaguars abandoned the rules of zellbrigen, thus freeing their opponents to do the same, and the Jaguars were cut to pieces by long-range fire. Prince Victor faced ilKhan Osis personally, where Osis revealed to him that these Jaguar warriors were all that remained of his Clan's touman. Broken and desiring an honorable death, Osis attacked Victor and forced the Prince to behead him with a katana. His death would be considered the point at which the Clan Invasion finally ended.

Result: SLDF win

Aftermath

While the Jade Falcons and Star Adders won, the other Crusader Clans failed to achieve victory, and ilKhan Osis himself was slain by Prince Victor. Thus, by the terms of the Trial the Clan Invasion ended. The new Star League was able to create an embassy on Strana Mechty. Prince Victor addressed the Grand Council following the trial, but his hopeful speech fell on deaf ears.

“

"The invasion has ended, but not so our contact and our futures. There are countless individuals in the Inner Sphere who have learned to hate you, but we do not intend to prosecute a war against you--at least, not as the Star League. As the Star League, we invite you back to the Inner Sphere, to allow your people and ours to become acquainted. We have things to offer you, as you have to offer us. Beneath this umbrella of peace there are many new possibilities. We invite you to explore them." -Prince Victor Steiner-Davion in the Hall of Khans

”

Khan Vladimir Ward pointed out that his Clan had abstained from the vote and fought the SLDF forces to a draw; thus Clan Wolf was not bound by the result, though he did agree to honor the Truce of Tukayyid until it expired in 3067. Victor responded by declaring that any future Clan adventurism would result in "swift and devastating retribution" from the SLDF.

Legacy

In the long term, the Great Refusal instigated the decline of the Crusader-Warden divide that had dominated Clan politics for almost a century. In its place arose a new split between the Invading Clans that had entrenched themselves within the Inner Sphere and the Home Clans who found themselves denied access to the rich resources being tapped therein. Some of the latter began scheming on how they could seize their portion of the Inner Sphere, while others now felt that the Clans needed purification from Spheroid corruption.

Upon hearing news of the Second Star League's collapse in late 3067, several Clans believed that the Great Refusal had thus been rendered null and void. Though the motion to repudiate the Great Refusal was deferred at the time, the issue arose once more in February 3071. This time the Refusal remained in place, as the Star Adders responded to the election of Fire Mandrill Garret Sainze as ilKhan by leading their power bloc in voting to uphold it, while other Clans abstained.

During a subsequent Grand Council on December 1st, 3071, Steel Viper Khan Brett Andrews brought the motion forward once more, claiming that if the Great Refusal was upheld this final time, it would no longer be an issue. By a majority vote (13 'ayes', 10 'noes', and 3 abstentions), the Great Refusal was finally overturned. But instead of a new invasion of the Inner Sphere, the newly-elected ilKhan Andrews brought about the Wars of Reaving that devastated the Home Clans and led to a severance of all ties with those Clans established in the Inner Sphere.

Bibliography

• The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky
• Prince of Havoc
• Twilight of the Clans
• The Wars of Reaving