Manfred Hollifield

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Manfred Hollifield
Character Profile
Affiliation Clan Coyote
Profession Khan

Manfred Hollifield (born 28?? - died ????) was a Khan of Clan Coyote during the Golden Century. His Khanship is most remembered for the joint operation between Clan Coyote and Clan Hell's Horses that destroyed Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa Smythe-Jewel in an act of revenge.[1]

Biography

As with many Clan personalities throughout history, there are few or no details regarding his life prior to becoming Khan of the Coyotes. As with other Coyote Khans before his time, Khan Hollifield would prove to be quite militarily opportunistic.

Golden Century Advances and Losses

Clan Coyote unveiled the OmniMech 2854, ushering in a new era of warfare, and a new round of contention amid the Clans. The Coyotes would field challenges from all comers, winning most every trial. One surprising exception occurred with a crushing victory by Kindraa Smythe-Jewel, a faction of Clan Fire Mandrill some time during the 2860's. After witnessing several other Mandrill Kindraa bid for and lose their Trials over the coveted OmniMech technology, an enterprising but less-than-scrupulous Kindraa Smythe-Jewel commander deliberately delivered a batchall for a Trial of Possession, then rearranged his forces in a way that led the Coyotes to believe they were pitted against a less-powerful enemy than they actually were facing.[2][3]

The Fire Mandrills would gain much from the smoking wreckage of a surprised Coyote force, and not just in salvage. Some reports would claim that the Smythe-Jewel forces won as isorla the plans for three OmniMech designs, and even two Clan Coyote scientists.[4] The Coyotes would immediately lodge a protest with ilKhan Zenos Danforth citing the Fire Mandrill's use of "dubious bidding practices". This effort would come to naught, with the Grand Council eventually ruling that the Trial was fair. The Coyotes, who were constantly busy defending challenges for their invention, could do little more about the situation for themselves. Revenge would have to wait.[1][5]

Golden Opportunities

Kindraa Smythe-Jewel would strike again in 2870, this time against Clan Hell's Horses. The Horse Khans would call for a Trial of Annihilation as punishment for their dishonorable actions, actions that had also left a third party - Kindraa Payne - with a ruined unit due to the deceptive bidding. The Grand Council, and the Coyote Khans included, would vote against the measure. Eventually the Trial would be ruled fair.[5][6]

But at some point in 2870, ilKhan Zenos Danforth would die, leaving the office vacated once more.[7] The Clans would largely go back to policing their own trials and affairs, likely seeing little need for an arbiter as the era of OmniMech Trials died down. Khan Eric Amirault of the Horses would gear up his Clan's Beta Galaxy for revenge. But before he could strike, Khan Hollifield of the Coyotes issued a preemptive batchall to stop him. The Coyote Khan would relate to their Horse counterparts the story of the Smythe-Jewel's taking of their OmniMech technology years earlier. The two Khans would plan their revenge together over the next two years, under a guise of deteriorating relations between the two Clans. Once Kindraa Smythe-Jewel settled into a more complacent mode, the plan would proceed.[1][5][6]

Revenge is Served

The opportunity blossomed in 2872. The Coyotes would agree to include their forces in a Hell's Horses batchall in what would come to be known as a Contract Bid capacity. One day of that year, over the Fire Mandrill world of Foster in the Kerensky Cluster, the forces of vengeance poured from the sky. Issuing his scathing batchall in the name of both his Clan and Clan Coyote as they descended to the Smythe-Jewel enclave in order to warn bystanders of the impending punishment, Khan Amirault's forces included the Coyote's 100th Assault Cluster with additional smaller mixed units. Completed by elements of the Hell's Horses 666th Mechanized Assault Cluster and the Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry Cluster, including a large Aerospace Fighter accompaniment, his force equaled three Clusters against one Mandrill front line Cluster and three second line Clusters.[6][8]

After defeating the Aerospace and naval forces of Kindraa Smythe-Jewel, the landing went on unopposed. The ensuing battle would take 26 hours to complete, but would see a great victory for Clans Coyote and Hell's Horses. When the final Smythe-Jewel survivors attempted to flee, forces of Kindraa Payne who had approached in order to "secure their borders" intercepted the final units of the doomed Kindraa, destroying or capturing them. So ended the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel, infamous though they were.[6][8]

Spoils of War

After taking their share of genetic legacies from the facilities inside the Smythe-Jewel compound, Hell's Horses Khan Amirault would depart with his forces and the bulk of the salvage, congratulating the Coyote Khan Hollifield and saKhan Katarina Steele for their role in the victory. As per their agreement, the Coyotes gained half of the legacies from the Smythe, Jewel and Grant lines stored on-site, as well as the Smythe-Jewel enclave itself. After cutting the warriors of Kindraa Payne in on some of the legacies, bondsmen and salvage, as well as some of the land from the Smythe-Jewel holdings on Foster, the Coyotes would walk away with a great deal of isorla of their own for a greatly reduced cost. The system of contract bidding that allowed it to happen would remain a feature of Clan warfare.[1][5][6]

Legacy

Sensing the opportunity of the moment, and taking the chance on sharing a kill with another Clan - this time, the Hell's Horses, and not their perennial allies, Clan Wolf - Manfred Hollifield would strike a resounding blow of vengeance for Clan Coyote against a dezgra enemy. Coming from a line that is not very well known outside of Clan Coyote, Manfred Hollifield was a credit to his Bloodname House, as well as to the Clan's eugenics program.

Titles and Positions

Preceded by Khan of Clan Coyote
28??-28??
Succeeded by
????

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 41, 42 - "Righteous Vengeance"
  2. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 40, 41 - "Birth of the Titans"
  3. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 41 - "The Renaissance Spreads"
  4. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 39 - "Striking Form Solitude"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 9 - "Bad Blood"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 54, 55, 56 - "Hell's Fury"
  7. Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 10 - Early Clan History: A Comparative Timeline, cont.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 39, 40 - "Death of a Kindraa"

Bibliography