Minnesota Tribe |
In 2825, as the Second Succession War was just getting under way, a
regiment of unidentified 'Mechs appeared in the Draconis Combine. From a
convoy of transports and DropShips, the regiment struck at the garrison on
Svelvik, seizing supplies and then leaving. People were quick to notice that the
'Mechs were in excellent condition and painted according to Regular Army
Standards. The regiment fought using Regular Army tactics, and wounded or
stranded Mechwarriors killed themselves rather than be captured. There was a
small symbol on each 'Mech that was later identified as a map of Minnesota, a
geopolitical domain of North America.
The leaders of the Draconis Combine did not need further proof to be
convinced that the Minnesota Tribe, as the regiment came to be known, was
the vanguard of an SLDF attack. The Minnesota Tribe attacked three more
worlds. During its last attack, its MechWarriors freed thousands of political
prisoners on the Combine world of Richmond. The Minnesota Tribe then left
the Draconis Combine and was never seen again.
In the wake of the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere it is generally believed that the Minnesota Tribe was in fact the remnants of Clan Wolverine fleeing the Trial of Annihilation. Although the current location of the Minnesota Tribe is not known, some believe the incident known as "The Tripitz Affair" is linked with them. No evidence is likely to confirm a connection between the two though, largely because of the extensive mixing of fact and fiction involving "The Tripitz Affair", and the story of the Vandenburg White Wings. If the two are linked, that would roughly put the tribe traveling on the outskirts of the Inner Sphere, opposite that of the Clan invasion corridor. The following are the accounts that make up the incidents involving the Minnesota Tribe/Clan Wolverine:
In late 2825, the Minnesota Tribe made its first appearance in the Draconis
Combine with a raid on the world of Svelvik. This previously unknown 'Mech
unit of nearly regimental strength showed considerable skill in beating the
planet's meager garrison troops. Refusing any communications, they simply
took what they needed, and then left Svelvik without further bloodshed.
What intrigued Jinjiro most in the reports of this unknown unit were that their
impeccably maintained 'Mechs were freshly painted in Regular Army colors. It
was Zabu who first noticed that the regimental patch was an outline of
Minnesota, a geo-political domain in the North American region of Terra.
What Jinjiro also learned from reports was that the regiment was apparently
escorting a fleet of cargo, commercial, and liner JumpShips. This fleet, with
their escorts, apparently had some definite destination and was using
uninhabited star systems to reach it at a steady pace.
The mystery group, by now known as the Minnesota Tribe, next attacked
Trondheim. Because it was a prefecture capital, the 20th Rasalhague Regulars
were stationed there. The ensuring battle was striking for the way the mystery
'Mechs dealt with the Kurita 'Mechs in strict Regular Army formations and
tactics. Once again, the mystery group refused all attempts at communication,
to the point that pilots of destroyed Tribe 'Mechs killed themselves to avoid
capture. The mystery fleet then jumped from the system, apparently headed
for some uninhabited star system near Trondheim.
By now, the Kuritans believed that the Minnesota Tribe had to be a Regular
Army unit, though they were not listed in any Regular Army order of battle.
The possibility that the Minnesota Tribe might be an advance scout group
raised the specter of the return of a very angry General Kerensky or his
successor.
This made Jinjiro decidedly nervous. With much trepidation, he ordered the
Rasalhague and Pesht districts to the highest state of alert. He also moved
troops within these districts forward to the Periphery borders.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Tribe struck Jarett, again taking what they needed
before moving on. This time the Tribe thwarted efforts to stop them when a
large group of their AeroSpace Fighters intercepted and kept two battalions of
Kurita 'Mechs out of the battle.
While House Kurita's attention was turned toward the Minnesota Tribe, the
Lyran Commonwealth military took the Combine completely by surprise with
a lighting raid on the Draconis Combine. What prompted the raid was the
Combine's earlier capture of the Commonwealth freighter named the Chahar
Profit. A grain ship destined for the starving population of the Steiner world of
Chandler, the ship made a mis-jump that put it above Darius and under the
guns of Kurita fighters.
To win back the freighter and to rescue its crew, Archon Marcus of the Lyran
Commonwealth brought together the remaining members of the famed Stealth
'Mech regiment. With all of house Kurita's attention diverted toward the
Periphery, the Stealth rescue mission worked like a charm, much to the
embarrassment of the DCMS.
The Minnesota Tribe made one last attack against an inhabited Kurita world.
About a week after the Steiner forces succeeded in rescuing the Chahar Profit,
the Minnesota Tribe regiment hit the Kurita world of Richmond with a
vengeance. Though it was inconceivable that the tribe could have known
about the large prison and slave camps on the planet, their 'Mechs went
straight for them. After easily overpowering the guards, they were soon
freeing the many thousands of prisoners. Several DropShips then landed in the
midst of the prison complexes to load up and transport all the freed prisoners
offworld before the Kurita 'Mechs could arrive on the scene. Though no one
realized it for quite awhile, the liberation of the prisoners and Unproductive on
Richmond was the last time the Minnesota Tribe was seen in the Inner
Sphere.
Both the Minnesota Tribe and the debacle of the Chahar Profit rescue took a
heavy toll on the Kuritans' ability to control the thinking of their people.
Though the government did its best to suppress accounts of the Minnesota
Tribe, stories did spread, particularly through the lower classes. Like a vision
of avenging angles, the Tribe had swept down to free political prisoners and
members of the lower class. The fact that everyone believed they were a
Regular Army unit only added to their aura of offering divine assistance to the
righteous and the poor.
These stories soon combined with accounts of the Commonwealth's rescue of
the Chahar Profit. Like a slow virus, the dogma that the Draconis Combine
was destined to rule the Inner Sphere began to show signs of erosion from
within.
A favorite tale told in smokey taverns on cold winter nights is one
about the Vandenberg White Wings, squadrons of white AeroSpace Fighters
that appeared on the Periphery edge of the Capellan Confederation escorting
20 Star League transports. The Disappearing Battleship of Merope is yet
another story about a Black Lion battleship that was seen and filmed orbiting
Merope, but then vanished when ships from the Inner Sphere came to
investigate.
Primus Toyama seemed to hold the Inner Sphere firmly in his grasp when a
threat to his dreams suddenly appeared from beyond the Periphery. The
attack of the Minnesota tribe on the Combine worlds of Svelvika and
Trondheim in 2825 shook ComStar as much as the Draconis Combine.
Proceedings of the First Circuit indicate that Toyama believed the attack was
the vanguard of Kerensky's return with the Star League Army, a belief
supported by reports that this unknown military unit possessed brand-new
BattleMechs and used combat tactics similar to those of the SLDF. If the
self-exiled Star League troops had returned, it would spell an end to the
prophesy of Blake and the future of ComStar.
The First Circuit responded by dispatching a dozen diplomatic envoy vessels
to the Periphery area surrounding the Combine. These ships were charged
with the mission of establishing and opening diplomatic relations with the
mysterious Minnesota Tribe. For four months the JumpShips scoured the
stars searching for some trace of the unit. They were able to follow the trail of
the mysterious attackers into the deep Periphery toward the Federated Suns,
but then all trace seemed to disappear near Valentina. Subsequent
investigations by ROM failed to uncover further information on the attackers.
Our operatives on Richmond managed to penetrate the Combine's
investigation team studying the attacks by the so-called Minnesota Tribe. The
only concrete evidence recovered thus far has been the body of one of the
MechWarriors of the Tribe. The pilot was using a Lancelot BattleMech of
exceptionally high quality.
Of great interest was the MechWarrior's uniform. The coolant suit was an
enhanced version of an SLDF prototype that had yet to reach production
when Kerensky's Exodus jumped from the Inner Sphere. Naturally, our agent
sabotaged the suit so that its design would not fall into Combine hands.
Though the warrior carried no personal effects, his suit displayed two
interesting patches. One was the outline of the former North American state of
Minnesota, with the numbers "331" faintly stitched on it. Our archives indicate
that the number and the symbol are similar to those used by the SLDF's 331st
Royal BattleMech Division (The North American Division) that left the Inner
Sphere with General Kerensky. The resemblance is strong but the symbols are
not identical, indicating that the patch was new rather than an old one
reworked.
The second patch was also revealing. It depicted a Terran Wolverine, white in
color, with bloodied fangs. Our searches have revealed no correlation or
connection to the designation of any known military unit meaning that it is
new or reorganized unit.
We conclude that this unit is indeed a surviving element of Kerensky's
Exodus. Though we cannot substantiate this with physical evidence, the above
items recovered point to a strong connection with the Exodus fleet. It can also
be assumed that this unit has an existing technological and manufacturing
base. Unfortunately, it has been impossible to determine either the current
location or the destination of these raiders.
-From a summary report to the First Circuit by ROM Precentor Emilio Travis, Minnesota Tribe Investigations, Archive File 222-802, ComStar Archives
The First Circuit named Yin Takami, Precentor of New Earth, as the tenth
Primus of the Order. With the ongoing Third Succession War entering a
flare-up, Primus Takami had to deal almost immediately with a wide range of
problems and opportunities.
Ten days after Takami assumed the mantle of Primus, Precentor ROM Karl
Sims informed him and the rest of the First Circuit of a possible threat. In a
routine survey of an empty star system near New Vandendurg, forces of the
Taurian Concordat had discovered a long abandoned Black Lion Class
battlecruiser, the Tripitz, orbiting one of the planets. The ship was more than
likely a relic left behind generations ago during the Amaris crisis, but the
Taurians believed they could recover the vessel and possibly even repair it.
Because one of the most serious results of the Succession Wars was the loss
of almost all existing combat JumpShips, the discovery of a Black Lion
battlecruiser and the possibility that it could enter active duty could upset the
current balance of power in the region. Adding to the problem, Maskirovka
agents of the Capellan Confederation also learned of the discovery and
planned to stage their own recovery mission.
In response, Primus Takami ordered the First Division of the ComStar Guards
and Militia to the star system with orders to destroy the Tripitz rather than risk
it falling into the hands of either the Taurians or the Capellans. To disguise
ComStar's complicity, the Primus ordered that the ships and fighters be
painted white but given no identifying markings that might link them to the
Order.
When the Taurians learned of an unknown JumpShip in the system, they
immediately launched four lances of fighters, which the ComStar aerospace
fighters quickly engaged. The advanced technology of the Star League
equipment used by our forces more than made up for their lack of practical
combat experience, especially against low-technology aerofighters of the
Taurians. The Taurians, however, put up a determined fight. The pitched
battle lasted just under an hour, with only three deaths in the ComStar Guard
forces. The Taurians sent several messages requesting that the mysterious
white attackers identify themselves, but the ComStar commander ignored the
attempts at communication. He quickly recovered the dead pilots and turned
his attention to the true target -the battlecruiser.
The remaining fighters strafed and bombed the antique Tripitz, blasting the
ship until it was no more than a charred hulk in a decaying orbit. After
recharging their JumpShip, the ComStar Guards departed the isolated system,
leaving only the Taurian recovery crew as witnesses to the entire event.
The Taurians eventually released a statement indicating that a mysterious
group of white ships had appeared and attacked their forces in an uncharted
star system. No mention was ever made of the battlecruiser. Many people
speculated that the attackers might be part of Kerensky's Exodus fleet, never
suspecting ComStar's involvement in the destruction of the ship. This incident
may be the source for the legend of the Vandenberg White Wings in Periphery
folklore. Consistent with the origin of many legends, an actual report may
have been repeatedly exaggerated and garbled into the current version of
events.
[Some within our Order have criticized Primus Takami for deploying the ComStar Guards in this incident. they argue that his use of power and force contradicted the word of Jerome Blake, who envisioned ComStar as a covert agency working behind the scenes in the affairs of the Inner Sphere. To this criticism Primus Takami responded that he had fulfilled the divine will of Blake by concealing the identity of ComStar's vessels and fighters.]