Warrior House
Ma-Tsu Kai
   

Origins

(Ma Kai) was a minor Capellan nobleman and scholar, the only non-military founder of a Warrior House. He presented his petition directly to Maximilian Liao, while the Chancellor played chess with then-Strategic Director Pavel Ridzik. Ma Kai presented excellent arguments for a scholarly order and finished his petition by offering to give all his lands to House Liao in exchange for an opportunity to prove his worthiness to found one. The Chancellor accepted, challenging Ma Kai to prove himself by besting Director Ridzik in a game of wits. Both men, said Maximilian, must choose from the game table the most potent piece.

Director Ridzik immediately seized his queen and offered it to the Chancellor. "No piece is stronger than the queen. The ultimate weapon, it ranges the board and seizes anything it desires."

After a moment, Ma Kai replied, "By the director's own admission, the queen is only a weapon. A tool in the hands of the king, or Chancellor."

Maximilian Liao did not smile at the flattery. "Then you choose the king?"

"No." Ma Kai picked up his choice. "I choose the pawn. Without the pawn, a king has nothing. And in the end, the lowliest pawn may become anything it wishes. Even the strongest warrior."

The Chancellor smiled. Ma Kai had won the challenge.

House Ma-Tsu Kai's parade dress colors are light green with ivory trim. The official 'Mech color scheme is Liao green with ivory and gold highlights. The House insignia, commerating its founding, is a black pawn on a field of gold flames.


 Officers

Shiao-Zhang Jasmine Liu, also known in the Warrior House as Liu-Tsu, is a master of strategy and tactics. Her battles are studied at every major Confederation military academy. She receives frequent invitations to Sian for long discussions with Strategic Director Talon Zahn, which sometimes become so abstract that most others cannot follow them. Zahn acknowledges Liu his superior in strategy, though apparently not by much. Interestingly, Zahn remains the superior tactician in the field.

Recently Shiao-Zhang Jasmine Liu was requested by the Chancellor to assume the post of Deputy Strategic Director, to assist Strategic Director Sang Jiang Jun Talon Zahn. Initially resistant, she eventually acceeded to the Chancellor's request, on the condition that she submit a petition for him to consider a modification of House Ma-Tsu Kai's ToE. This was to be her parting gift to the House which she faithfully served and led. Surprisingly, Chancellor Sun Tzu Liao agreed to her petition, which led to House Ma-Tsu Kai being allowed to raise and field a new 'Mech battalion in addition to their existing two 'Mech and Infantry battalions. This makes House Ma-Tsu Kai the second House to field 2 'Mech battalions, the first being House Dai Da Chi. This was also the first petition to change a Warrior House ToE approved by Sun Tze since he took office. The previous 4 petitions approved (out of six submitted) were by Maximillian Liao.

Following the tradition of valuing strategy and tactics above raw battle skills, and the precondition that the House Master is one who is supremely adapt and knowledgable in such areas, outgoing Shiao-Zhang Jasmine Liu has nominated Zhuge Liang as the new Master of House Ma-Tsu Kai. Shiao-Zhang Zhuge Liang is also known as Kong-Ming by his students and disciples. Her choice was also accepted and approved by Chancellor Liao.


Tactics

Ma Kai, called (Ma-Tsu), the abbreviated form of (Ma Sifu), by his first students, trained beside them to learn how to fight even as he taught them philosophy, political science and history. He proved expert at dissecting an enemy's strategy and using special forces and intelligence-gathering tools to defeat the opposition before even taking the field. Though not a fast-response military unit, House Ma-Tsu Kai rarely fails to take an assigned objective - though the Confederation sometimes fails to hold it.

Ma-Tsu Kai House MechWarriors
 2 Battalions/Veteran(Regular)/Reliable

    Master:Shiao-zhang Zhuge Liang
    1st Battalion:Ying-zhang Daniel Williams
    1st Company:Lien-zhang
    2nd Company:Lien-zhang
    3rd Company:Lien-zhang Brand St. Cloud
    2nd Battalion:Ying-Zhang Zhao Yun
    1st Company:Lien-zhang Guan Yu
    2nd Company:Lien-zhang Lin Zexu
    3rd Company:Lien-zhang
    4th Company:Lien-zhang
House Ma-Tsu Kai warriors will question orders if an assignment appears unrealistic or if they suspect they are being misused. Once an order is verified, however, they commit themselves completely to carrying it out. The House's Battlemech units rarely take the field without the infantry, relying on their conventional counterparts to establish a winning position. The 1st Battalion relies on a mixture of fast medium-weight 'Mechs and heavies. The 2nd Battalion's ToE is still in a state of formation.
The new 'Mech battalion to be formed is an augmented battalion and is given the leeway to use 'Mechs from every source available, be it Capellan, other Successor States, or Clan, so long as they can be supported and maintained in operation. Likewise the organizational structure does not follow conventional standard organization. Various structures are currently being adapted and tested.

The company commanders of the new battalion have been selected from the companies of the existing 'Mech battalion, but the line MechWarriors come from the incoming crop of House trainees.

Ma-Tsu Kai House Infantry

    Infantry Commander : Ying-zhang Aleksei Venchenko
In a standard engagement, the infantry's VTOL platoon scouts out the best battlefield. The commander then sends in artillery spotters and advanced scouts, and finally armored vehicles to quickly deploy the two squads of battlesuit infantry. Given time, this Warrior House can learn almost anything about a potential enemy, replying on its own special forces squads rather than the Maskirovka for intelligence.