Resurgence - Cataclysm Cameron
In the months since the attack on the Davion Palace the majority of the efforts had gone into waging war against the Word of Blake on Brunswick. In a near stalemate the forces of the Inner Sphere face down Avitue, her Shadow Divisions, and a pair of Swordships backed by four Warships. The allied forces, capable of containing the fighting on and above Brunswick move to organize as best they can.
Re-establishing contact with Clan Ghost Bear, Alpha Galaxy Commander Lars Magnusson learns that he has been elected Khan of the Ghost Bears and will take on that mantle when he returns to his Clan. He relishes in knowing that the traitors that backed the coward Hjalmer Miraborg have been hunted and cast out of the Dominion. Any that might live on have followed the former ilKhan into exile in the Lyran Alliance.
Galaxy Commander Dominic McKenna learns that Khan Sterling McKenna lives and managed to escape to the Dominion. She is building a vast fleet to fight back against the Blakists occupying the Raven Alliance by taking control of ships that had previously been ordered for construction in the great Ghost Bear shipyards.
The Custos of the Fidelis uses the channels he can to try to find survivors of the Word of Blake’s conquest of Terra and nearby systems. Any Fidelis surviving may rejoin them at New Avalon and not be left to nothingness under the dead Smoke Jaguar banner under the former ilKhan.
Precentor Imala of Comstar works endlessly to undermine the Word of Blake’s control. When the Discordant Mantle protocol reactivated the entire HPG network on Terra, it forced channels on all Inner Sphere worlds to run Blakist propaganda. He is seeking out true followers of Comstar through the historic avenues used to communicate within the network in the past. He has been able to work messages through the network to the Ghost Bear Dominion, Draconis Combine, and Capellan Confederation.
Upon making landfall, Kisho Nova Cat sought an audience with Siobhan Sortek and Erik Sandoval-Groell. He requested to see the Word of Blake prisoners and began going face by face. Eventually he reached a young, blonde female. “Her, Avi.” The young woman panicked and tried to lie about her name. When asked about how he knew she was the most important prisoner they had he explained he had a vision of pain and suffering with an image of that girl’s face and name in the middle of cries of pain.
The Capellan Confederation suffers setback after setback. Losing the worlds Victoria and rimward and then the Precentor Martial’s heinous assault. He killed worlds and wiped-out entire units with weapons of mass destruction along the Free Worlds League and Capellan border on his way to Terra. Danai has made multiple trips to New Avalon to check on her daughter and consult with the allied leadership while Julian Davion remains unconscious in intensive care.
Marshal of the Armies Siobhan Sortek and Erik Sandoval-Groell continue to keep the AFFS together. With the HPGs back online, various units have been called to New Avalon. With multiple Word of Blake Warships scouting around conquered worlds in the Federated Suns the focus is to eventually secure New Avalon and then consider further attacks into the conquered worlds and put the Blakists on their heels.
Nomad Republic’s Jonah Levin, Jeremy Lee, Janella Lakewood, and all the Paladins and Knights feel a decades old weight upon their shoulders. Their ancient foe returning feels like their burden to carry. What took Devlin Stone years to create in his Coalition, numerous nations are already aligned. But, will they be enough?
Morale wanes and the threat of even more Blakists showing up to take New Avalon has led to a great many conversations regarding the various factions. The Ghost Bears are still strong as they have the Dominion. Clan Snow Raven is lost in a similar manner to Nomad Republic where the only other ones not under Blakist rule are in a nomad state in the Dominion. The Kell Hounds are stranded. Clan Nova Cat has been nearly wiped out. Fidelis personnel have no home.
Pei-Ling Liao-Davion-Cameron has become a symbol over time as she has worked so hard to protect a world that she had not known until the last year. Working among the various leaders of House Davion, mercenaries, Clans, and Nomad Republic she has impressed them with her youthful but, mature approaches to all sorts of conflicts from personal to violent.
Allied LZ, New Avalon
Newly Constructed “Julian Davion Hall” for the allied nations
December 3153
1000
The morning had been somewhat heated as the leaders of so many House, Clan, and Mercenary units gathered to discuss the allied direction going forward. The only nation that would survive if they fully retook New Avalon and went their separate ways is the Ghost Bear Dominion. At the table are the largest nation’s leaders and around the outside of the seats are smaller unit leaders.
“Everyone, I have a proposal.” The young Pei-Ling Liao-Davion-Cameron spoke up as she stands.
Her personal bodyguard slams down a staff on the floor, bringing silence to the gathering.
“You all know my heritage. This has been confirmed by MIIO, the Maskirovka, and Comstar. We are all allies in this. There is only one nation represented here that will survive when we go all in and push the Word of Blake off New Avalon if this First Lord comes for us.” She motions toward Lars Magnusson who has mostly been observing the gathering. He nods, recognizing her point.
“Whether it lasts beyond this Resurgence or not, we need to create a unified front to ensure we can cast off the Word of Blake from the Inner Sphere. This will take years, maybe even decades. Look around you, when was the last time a gathering like this took place and resulted in something great? The Star League.” Stopping for a moment she lets the words sink in. She can see Callandre nod her head and is joined by others, seeing Pei-Ling’s point. Dominic McKenna’s eyebrows raise as he leans on the table.
She looks all around the large table at the leaders present, all but one in command of a nation or unit on the brink of permanent destruction. “My proposal is simple, all of us will be destroyed if we split apart and the Precentor Martial turns his eyes this way. We must unite under one banner. Under something that will remind people of what we are fighting for but, to show them something new is on the horizon.”
Each of the other leaders watch Pei-Ling talk. Her passion and her hope overshadowing all the possible negativity anyone can bring to the table. “The name of the Star League is tarnished beyond all recovery.” She lowers her head, shaking it shamefully.
“From the Succession Wars fighting over it to the Jihad as the Blakists tried the first time to take it by force to the Republic attempt that was destroyed from within to the two-ish year life of the ilClan’s Star League to now the Word of Blake decreed Star League. It is dead and I would venture to say that the citizens of Inner Sphere have begun to loathe the concept. We must build something new.”
The members around the table mutter to each other and Pei-Ling continues. “Creating an entirely new version of the Star League right now would be preposterous considering our situation. Many of you have fought alongside me over the last year as we slowly grind away at the Blakist’s resources on Brunswick. I put forward the creation of the Cameron Guild.”
Various members around the table look on with interest. “Already, since the Word of Blake invasion began history is repeating itself. Sudden strikes, weapons of mass destruction,” she holds her hands out motioning to everyone, “a coalition of nations! Domiclus claims to be the First Lord of the Third Transfer. But, a Cameron moves to shatter the sword…” she pauses again to give the gathering a chance to discuss her words.
She can hear mutterings of ‘Cameron’, ‘Guild’, ‘Star League’ around the meeting. Kisho Nova Cat speaks up, “Lady Pei-Ling Cameron, you are young with considerably less experience in both state and combat situations compared to many at this table. Why would a number of much more experienced leaders take the guidance of one such as yourself?” From many this question would come off as an insult but, the Oathmaster’s way of words conveys genuine interest in her thoughts on this topic.
“Agreed Oathmaster, I do not have much experience. That is why the Guild will have, hopefully this very council. I will need to hear from more conservative voices while listening to those looking to aggressively destroy the Word of Blake and make informed decisions.” Kisho nods his head slowly while she speaks.
“Let me ask this then,” Siobhan chimes in, “How do we know you won’t just take this Cameron Guild into the Capellan Confederation and only focus there? How do we know you won’t just cast off the Word of Blake and take Terra for the Capellans?”
“Your distrust is understandable. However, as you know my mother has returned multiple times to New Avalon over the year and in a peaceful manner, even leaving her own daughter here. She continues to wage the Capellan war against the Blakist incursion. I would not take the Guild there as we are not needed there. We are needed in the Raven Alliance, likely in the Draconis Combine, the periphery of the Federated Suns, the Taurian Concordat, and the Calderon Protectorate just to start. Some leaders will have to accept their people may be under Blakist rule for longer than they are comfortable with.”
“You are not Devlin Stone, how do we know we can trust your vision, even with this council?” Exarch Jonah Levin asks.
“Exarch Levin, I am not Devlin Stone however, I have read his accomplishments since Kittery and to the founding of the Republic. There are things I agree with and disagree with. But he was a product of the Word of Blake, I am not. I am a trueborn Liao Davion with Cameron blood. Those three lines reach across at least half of the Inner Sphere. If you and the rest of the leaders here,” she looks around the table, “would have me, I will lead this crusade to crush the actual enemy to all of us.” She stands at her full height and again scans the table, taking in the other’s expressions.
Erik Sandoval-Groell asks, “At the end of this ‘crusade’, would you relinquish command and not attempt to force other nations to come to heel? The Star League had the Reunification War and Stone’s Republic forced nations to give up worlds and forcibly relocate huge populations.”
“Years from now, when we have extinguished the Word of Blake for good, if I still yet live, I will retire the Cameron Guild if those on this council still wish for it to be, if not all want it retired then they may close their seats and return home. I am open to being a leader with wisdom and justice while aided by a council of peers. If my destiny is to eventually be the Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation after my mother, then I am happy with that. If in time any number of you seek my leadership in your own nations, I would consider such a noble position.”
A silence sweeps the room with some mutterings and whispers between leaders. She can see some more positive expressions and some more negative ones. Returning to her seat, Pei-Ling waits to see who speaks up next. To her surprise she sees Lars Magnusson rise next as he has remained quiet for most of the meeting.
“As Alpha Galaxy Commander of Clan Ghost Bear, I have come to the conclusion that we must unite and face the Word of Blake head on. We have all waited and seen enough over the last few months as difficulties in agreement have prevented meaningful action against the Word of Blake threat here. United under a single leader, such as Pei-Ling Cameron, who displays wisdom beyond her years and appears untainted by the evils of the Inner Sphere appears to be the best choice.” He pauses and thinks for a moment.
“With the reactivation of the HPG network I will call for aid from my kin in the Dominion. While the Dominion has generously sent supplies over the last few months, I will seek that another Galaxy and Naval assets join us and we will aid the mission set forth by Lady Pei-Ling.” Lars returns to his seat.
Pei-Ling smiles as she sees some of the expressions after Lars speaks. Next is Dominic McKenna, “I do not speak for Clan Snow Raven, however the last I heard is that Khan McKenna is in Dominion space. I will request that she joins the Guild and brings her forces with her. As for now Stormhawk Galaxy will commit to the Cameron Guild.”
One by one, each leader stands and commits their forces to the Cameron Guild. Pei-Ling Liao-Davion-Cameron feels shivers go up her spine as they each rise. Truly united, rather than separate factions fighting together was her hope going into this meeting. Dark days lie ahead as the Blakist threat shrouds the Inner Sphere. But together the Cameron Guild will persevere and begin the Cardinal Crusade.
