Leo Koga

Leo Koga
Personal
Affiliation	Clan Coyote
Profile
Profession	Khan

Leo Koga was Khan of Clan Coyote as of 3085.

History

Helping to bring his Clan back from the depths of ruin in the wake of the Wars of Reaving, Khan Leo Koga had to lead his Clan into the future shunned by most of his peers for the Coyotes' role during the struggle against the Society.

Serving Clan Coyote

Leo Koga was the commander of Xi Galaxy before it was decommissioned in 3056 by Khan Sullivan Koga, whom he had briefly served alongside several years earlier in the Golden Keshik. Koga was soon transferred from the Golden Keshik and tapped to lead Xi, and soon afterward became leader of the Koga Bloodname House. Instead of being relegated to Star Colonel after the decommissioning of his command, he was chosen as the new Galaxy Commander of Nu Galaxy when its previous commander was assigned to the 397th Solahma Cluster.

Wars of Reaving

After their collusion with the Society was uncovered, the Coyotes lived on borrowed time as their worlds were assaulted one by one, each falling to their vengeful enemy, Clan Steel Viper. Soon the only Coyote planet left was Tamaron. It had long been fortified against the inevitable day that the final stroke would fall upon them.

Clan Coyote's last stand started with an intense battle in space above the world, before the Vipers landed in force, crushing the Coyote Epsilon, Delta, Lambda and Rho Galaxies, while losing three Galaxies of their own. Stopping just short of the most developed areas of Tamaron, ilKhan Brett Andrews issued a challenge to the Coyote Khans personally, not wishing to become embroiled in an urban brawl. After a short meeting between Coyote Khan Elliot McKibben, saKhan Raven Clearwater and the Steel Viper Khans, only the Vipers remained. The Coyote's subduing was complete.

With their futures hanging in the balance – to be decided by the ilKhan at the next Grand Council meeting in February of 3075 – all surviving Coyote warriors were rounded up at Ute City, on the western shores of the continent of Dustland. Galaxy Commander Leo Koga was elected Khan of the Coyotes at some point during this time, with Laura McTighe as his saKhan. Their new struggle was only beginning.

Aftermath: The Cleansing

The Coyotes did not have to pay the ultimate price, but they didn't walk away from the greatest treason perpetrated since the time of the Not-Named Clan without penalty, either. Ordered by the Grand Council to eliminate any warriors who worked with the Society, the only Coyotes who remained were the ones who fought against the scientists and warriors loyal to the Society. If any doubt remained regarding a warrior, they would have to fight a one-on-one Trial of Cleansing, with the choice of contests belonging to the warrior in good standing. If the warrior in doubt won, they would be deemed "cleansed", with little honor lost for the losing warrior. Galaxy Commander Noemi McKibben fought a Trial of Refusal to avoid this harsh penalty, but to no avail. After all was said and done, Leo Koga's warrior base shrank by another 55% due to the Trials.

Clan Justice

The course of the Grand Council meeting did go as ilKhan Andrews likely envisioned it. Khan Stanislov N'Buta of Clan Star Adder called for a Reaving of Clan Steel Viper, to eliminate the final vestiges of Inner Sphere taint, precipitating his immediate murder by an enraged ilKhan Andrews. Khan Hollyann Kardaan of Clan Cloud Cobra called for the Annihilation of the corrupt Steel Vipers. Having just witnessed the ilKhan's personal disregard for Clan law and honor, the Grand Council resoundingly voted in favor of the Annihilation. After being swiftly stripped of authority and office, the Bloody ilKhan was beaten to death by saKhan Hannibal Banacek of the Adders after demanding a Trial of Refusal against the Grand Council. The Vipers fell back and prepared for the onslaught. The Coyotes prepared to regain some of their lost honor, all the while taking part in their final chance for revenge.

On Circe's main continent, the Coyotes acted in concert with their brother Clans, mainly the newly formed Clan Stone Lion. Leading the Eighty-first Strike Cluster and the Golden Keshik, Khan Leo Koga kept the Steel Vipers contained, hunting down the survivors in the ruins of Dehra Dun. During the rest of the Trial, the Coyotes performed as well as they could with the shattered forces at hand, regaining a portion of their Clan honor, though they were still mostly shunned by the other Clans.

Way of the Coyote

Khan Leo Koga recognized a spiritual brother in the newly founded Clan Stone Lion, working with them from before the Steel Vipers met their end. The two Clans would trade or Trial for resources from each other, each breathing easier politically and economically for the arrangement. Though he had the Winson Bloodline (obtained from Clan Wolf in 3071) to leverage deals with other Clans, Khan Koga had to struggle with the problem of tainted Bloodlines, working to restart their eugenics program with fresh scientists after carrying out the Annihilation of 95% of their scientist caste. Khan Koga authorized the reactivation of several Bloodlines that had been reaved in the thirtieth century during the Blood Scandal, heritages that were lying in a dormant state, perfectly isolated from Inner Sphere taint.

The shortage of Coyote scientists was somewhat alleviated by fighting bitter Trials against rival Clans for groups of trained researchers. They tackled the problem of scarce interstellar transportation by opening the orbital docks above Kirin, hoping to contract repair work on other Clans' naval assets. When Society enclaves were located on Ironhold, Babylon, and Barcella – as well as a Dark Caste Bandit group on the fringe of Clan space – the Coyotes were there to destroy each of them, showing the other Clans that they were willing to take responsibility for the situation.

The Blood Spirit Resolution

In 3082, the Stone Lions stumbled upon the hidden sanctuary of Clan Blood Spirit, an isolated star system named Colleen. Around this star orbited two worlds, Haven and Honor. The system was located anti-spinward of the Kerensky Cluster in the depths of largely interstellar space off the rim of the Clan's globular cluster, hidden from brethren that they had grown to hate. The Coyotes soon learned the secret from the Stone Lions. In 3083, Khan Koga led Nu Galaxy in an assault on several enclaves on the world of Honor, seizing the former Spirit capital, Glasgow, along with three BattleMech factory complexes in a land grab that also included the Cloud Cobras and Stone Lions.

The Blood Spirits retaliated as expected by Khan Koga, but instead of the remnants of a shattered Alpha Galaxy, Blood Spirit Khan Bryce Schmitt armed the civilian populations, effectively adding another Cluster of forces to the attack. The mob then stormed Glasgow and cornered the Coyotes in a small fortified area of the city. Angrily, Khan Koga declared every citizen carrying armament to be dezgra, his forces eventually cutting down over seven thousand armed lower castemen. After speaking with the Stone Lion Loremaster, Jackie Ravenwater – whose Clan was also having difficulties with conquered citizenry – they agreed that the Blood Spirits were lacking in Clan honor and undeserving of such. Khan Koga called together the Grand Council, where he demanded that the Blood Spirits be Abjured. The Star Adders went so far as to call for an Annihilation against the Blood Spirits upon hearing about the events, but instead argued for a Trial of Absorption, which easily passed the body of Khans. Khan Koga withdrew his forces from the Colleen system, as did the Stone Lions, both out of respect for the Trial that the Adders had bid for and because neither Clan could field enough forces to carry out the task at hand.

Notes

The date of Leo Koga's election is set at some point soon after 16 December 3074, after their last battle on Tamaron in the war against Clan Steel Viper. No exact date is given, but the election was described as hasty, occurring some time well before the Grand Council session called for by ilKhan Andrews in February of 3075.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• The Wars of Reaving