Whitting Conference

Serving to elect First Lord of the Second Star League, the Whitting Conference was also the Second's version of original Star League High Council.

Overview

Named in remembrance of the small hamlet on Coventry where Victor Steiner-Davion offered hegira to Clan Jade Falcon during the Battle of Coventry.

First Whitting Conference

The first Whitting Conference took place in 3058 on Tharkad at the insistence of Archon-Prince Victor. The five Great Houses were called together to form a new Star League and Star League Defense Force by the signing of the Star League Constitution on November 21st. The goal of this new Star League was to permanently end the threat posed by the Clans. As a direct result, at the conference the decision to do the seemingly impossible was reached - to destroy a Clan outright. Task Force Serpent became the code name of the operation to annihilate Clan Smoke Jaguar and take the fight directly to the Clans. Sun-Tzu Liao of the Capellan Confederation was elected as First Lord.

Second Whitting Conference

The Second Whitting Conference was also held on Tharkad in 3061. The result of the election of First Lord was a tie between Katherine Steiner-Davion and Theodore Kurita. With the result being a tie ComStar was called upon to cast the deciding vote. However Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht refused to vote and resigned, upon which his chosen replacement Victor Steiner-Davion cast his vote for Theodore Kurita of the Draconis Combine against his sister.

Third Whitting Conference

The Third Whitting Conference was held on Marik in 3064. Christian Mansdottir of the Free Rasalhague Republic was elected. The Word of Blake Protectorate and Taurian Concordat were admitted as provisional members, under the sponsorship of the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation, respectively.

Fourth Whitting Conference

The Fourth Whitting Conference was held on Tharkad in the December of 3067. Here, three of the members, Sun-Tzu Liao of the Capellan Confederation, Yvonne Steiner-Davion of the Federated Suns, and Peter Steiner-Davion of the Lyran Alliance, announced their intention to pull out of the Star League. A cornered First Lord Christian Mansdottir saw no solution but to call for a vote of no-confidence, hoping that the measure would be defeated and that this show of confidence and unity would persuade the dissenting members to change their minds.

However despite the provisional membership of the Word of Blake and of the Taurian Concordat the vote of no-confidence passed and the second Star League was dissolved. The Word of Blake was in disbelief, having believed that its pending membership was the fulfilment of a centuries-old prophecy that described the way in which the quasi-mystical order would come to power. Furious it immediately started the Jihad, sparking a new age of war and massive destruction.

References

• Shattered Sphere p. 15, 22

Bibliography

• Shattered Sphere