Clan Mission : AfterMaths

After performing the batchall with Ulric Kerensky, Chistu prepared his ambush. First, he separated two Stars of OmniMechs from the Clusters he had stationed in Borealtown. Then, Falcon techs reconfigured the 'Mechs for use as missile batteries. The 'Mechs took positions in a plaza three blocks behind the Magistracy area where the two MechWarriors planned to duel. As soon as Ulric and the Wolf 'Mechs appeared, Chistu fed the hidden Falcon Stars telemetry on Ulric's position. Before the Wolves recognized Chistu's treachery, the hidden Falcon 'Mechs sent flights of LRM missiles at the Ulric's Gargoyle, destroying the 'Mech and the adjacent Wolf 'Mechs. Then Chistu finished off the remaining Wolf 'Mechs.

The Wolf assault on Broken Hope caught the Jade Falcon defenders by surprise. Although they fought well, the second-line Falcon garrison troops proved no match for the Wolf attackers. As soon as the garrison commander realized this, he called Star Colonel Mattlov for reinforcements. The Star Colonel dispatched the Falcon Velites and 4th Striker Clusters to relieve the garrison then ordered the rest of her troops to pull back from their current positions at Carson Rift and regroup at the Bay of Broken Hope, six kilometers away from the supply depot. Realizing that her forces would soon be outgunned, Angeline Mattlov had chosen to make her last stand on the shore of the icy bay. Mattlov knew the Wolves might drive the Falcons from Morges, but she was determined to make them pay a very high price for any victory.

As the MechWarriors of Clan Wolf watched from their protected positions in the hills, Wolf aerospace fighters swarmed through the frigid air. Using missiles, lasers, and PPCs, the fighters unleashed a hellish rain of death down onto the Falcon forces. Flight after flight of Falcon aerospace fighters scrambled from their DropShips to defend the Falcon 'Mechs, but almost immediately they ran into waves of Kell Hound fighters. Within minutes, a tangled mass of fighters filled the skies over Broken Hope, twisting and turning amid the angry, stabbing beams of PPCs and lasers and the burning dots of tracers. As the Falcon fighters tried in vain to destroy the mercenary fighters, the Wolf aerospace wings continued their strafing runs, streaking over the Falcon command center then disappearing into the jagged hills, then returning to inflict further damage on their targets. Soon large clouds of steam, smoke, flame, and shrapnel filled the air, creating a black fog that obscured the Falcon positions. Open commlink channels crackled with the terse commands of aerospace pilots and the cries of wounded and dying MechWarriors.When the last Falcon aerospace fighter fell from the sky, the Wolf fighters ceased their onslaught and Khan Phelan led the 'Mechs of the Wolves and Kell Hounds toward the Falcon positions. There they found a scene of overwhelming devastation. The twisted forms of blackened 'Mechs littered the ground, and small fires seemed to burn everywhere, attracting small groups of Falcon MechWarriors huddling against the cold. It was ended. The Jade Falcons, who had come to Morges to destroy the Wolves, had themselves been mauled. The bloodied Wolf, Warden to the last, had finally found the road home. The brutal campaign called the Refusal War was over.

The battle on Twycross began on the Plain of Curtains, where fierce winds swept the shifting red sands and forced the Falcon and Wolf 'Mechs into close combat. The Wolves set up in a diamond formation, at the edge of the plain in front of the Great Gash. The 341st Assault Cluster stood in the front of the formation, the 3rd Battle Cluster and 352nd Assault Cluster formed the sides, and Khan Natasha's 13th Wolf Guards formed the rear. When the Falcon 6th Provisional Garrison Cluster struck at the Wolves, the 341st quickly fell back, as instructed. That maneuver drew the pursuing 6th Provo into the diamond, and the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd opened fire on the enemy's flanks, decimating the surprised Falcons. The Falcon's 5th Talon and the 18th Regulars approached more cautiously, however. As those units engaged the 341st, the Falcon Guards advanced to reinforce the attack. Heavy fighting ensued, and both sides took extensive casualties. Then the 341st broke off from the battle and passed into the Great Gash, quickly followed by the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd. Meanwhile, the 13th Wolf Guards slowly retreated until they stood at the mouth of the Gash. Khan Natasha had hoped to draw the Falcons into the Gash. She had stationed the 11th Battle Cluster along the sides of the Gash and planned to ambush the Falcon 'Mechs as they marched into the valley. The Falcons did not fall for the bait, however. At that point, Khan Natasha ordered the Wolf units to evacuate Twycross, and she remained behind to challenge the Falcon commanders to individual combat. And so on December 7, 3057, Khan Natasha Kerensky of the Wolf Clan, the infamous Black Widow, died amid the blood-red sands of Twycross.

The Kell Hounds pounded the Falcons at Icegrief Pass, thanks to a concerted effort by the mercenaries that cost the Falcons the entire 4th Talon Cluster. During the savage fighting, several Falcon MechWarriors ejected from their 'Mechs, only to be caught in a barrage of laser fire from their Inner Sphere opponents. Once again, the Hounds showed the Jade Falcons the folly of underestimating the MechWarriors of the Inner Sphere.

The battle on Baker 3 proved yet another stunning success for the Wolf Clan. In the end, the Wolf forces suffered only 21 percent losses, while the Jade Falcons suffered 98 percent losses. Unfortunately for the Wolves, the MechWarriors of every lost Wolf BattleMech were killed. For the Falcons, the battle seemed lost almost from the start. Star Colonel Buhallin sent numerous patrols from the Falcon's 305th Assault Cluster to destroy the Wolf 'Mechs in Lowa's forest, but none had any discernible success against the Wolves, who employed hit-and-run tactics to great effect. The forest's dense vegetation severely limited the Falcons' ability to target the Wolves, and eventually the 'Mechs of the 305th--armed almost exclusively with ballistic weapons--found themselves low on ammunition. In growing frustration, Buhallin sent aerospace fighters after the Wolf 'Mechs, as well as more Falcon BattleMechs, until his forces were stretched across the continent and his command center woefully underdefended. At that point, the second Wolf force emerged from points along the Baker River and struck at the Falcon command center and the undefended flank of the 305th. Fifty Falcon OmniMechs and twenty-seven fighters were destroyed by the Wolves that day. Only two Points of Falcon Elementals managed to make it back to their landing zone for extraction.

After engaging the Falcon garrison at Webster, Khan Phelan ordered his attack force to retreat to the Dargoth Plains. Under the cover of Wolf aerospace fighters, Khan Phelan's 'Mechs continued to fire on the pursuing Falcon defenders and destroyed many of the Falcons' heavy and assault 'Mechs before they reached the plains. When the surviving  Falcon units crested the first hills on Dargoth's grassy plains, they saw what appeared to be a disorganized army desperately trying to escape to their DropShips some fifteen miles away. Then suddenly, the hidden Wolf 'Mechs emerged from their hiding places on the tree-covered hills and the Falcons found themselves surrounded by enemy 'Mechs. Waves of Wolf aerospace fighters dropped their remaining bombs on the trapped Falcons. Battered by the bombing runs, the Falcon 'Mechs made easy targets for the fresh Wolf BattleMechs. In the end, Khan Phelan's forces scored an impressive victory over the Falcons. Khan Phelan Ward and his forces killed or captured some 100 Falcon 'Mechs, nearly all that had been on the planet. Eighty-five percent of the Falcon MechWarriors and pilots were killed,  the remainder injured. Meanwhile, the Wolves lost only 35 units. After returning to the Wolf fleet, Khan Phelan attempted to persuade Khan Natasha to use his forces in further battles, his victory to bolstering his arguments. Despite his protests, Khan Natasha remained adamant that Khan Phelan follow Ulric's original plan and lead Delta Galaxy into the Inner Sphere. On October 5, 3057, Khan Phelan's JumpShip Werewolf left Clan space with a very special cargo--the complete genetic heritage and future of the Wolf Clan.

The Palace Comm Station is in ruins. You have performed excellently. The Keshik has taken note of your honorable victory.

As the MechWarriors of Clan Wolf watched from their protected positions in the hills, Wolf aerospace fighters swarmed through the frigid air. Using missiles, lasers, and PPCs, the fighters unleashed a hellish rain of death down onto the Falcon forces. Flight after flight of Falcon aerospace fighters scrambled from their DropShips to defend the Falcon 'Mechs, but almost immediately they ran into waves of Kell Hound fighters. Within minutes, a tangled mass of fighters filled the skies over Broken Hope, twisting and turning amid the angry, stabbing beams of PPCs and lasers and the burning dots of tracers. As the Falcon fighters tried in vain to destroy the mercenary fighters, the Wolf aerospace wings continued their strafing runs, streaking over the Falcon command center then disappearing into the jagged hills, then returning to inflict further damage on their targets. Soon large clouds of steam, smoke, flame, and shrapnel filled the air, creating a black fog that obscured the Falcon positions. Open commlink channels crackled with the terse commands of aerospace pilots and the cries of wounded and dying MechWarriors. When the last Falcon aerospace fighter fell from the sky, the Wolf fighters ceased their onslaught and Khan Phelan led the 'Mechs of the Wolves and Kell Hounds toward the Falcon positions. There they found a scene of overwhelming devastation. The twisted forms of blackened 'Mechs littered the ground, and small fires seemed to burn everywhere, attracting small groups of Falcon MechWarriors huddling against the cold.   It was ended. The Jade Falcons, who had come to Morges to destroy the Wolves, had themselves been mauled. The bloodied Wolf, Warden to the last, had finally found the road home. The brutal campaign called the Refusal War was over.

After engaging the Falcon garrison at Webster, Khan Phelan ordered his attack force to retreat to the Dargoth Plains. Under the cover of Wolf aerospace fighters, Khan Phelan's 'Mechs continued to fire on the pursuing Falcon defenders and destroyed many of the Falcons' heavy and assault 'Mechs before they reached the plains. When the surviving Falcon units crested the first hills on Dargoth's grassy plains, they saw what appeared to be a disorganized army desperately trying to escape to their DropShips some fifteen miles away. Then suddenly, the hidden Wolf 'Mechs emerged from their hiding places on the tree-covered hills and the Falcons found themselves surrounded by enemy 'Mechs. Waves of Wolf aerospace fighters dropped their remaining bombs on the trapped Falcons. Battered by the bombing runs, the Falcon 'Mechs made easy targets for the fresh Wolf BattleMechs. In the end, Khan Phelan's forces scored an impressive victory over the Falcons. Khan Phelan Ward and his forces killed or captured some 100 Falcon 'Mechs, nearly all that had been on the planet. Eighty-five percent of the Falcon MechWarriors and pilots were killed, the remainder injured. Meanwhile, the Wolves lost only 35 units. After returning to the Wolf fleet, Khan Phelan attempted to persuade Khan Natasha to use his forces in further battles, his victory to bolstering his arguments. Despite his protests, Khan Natasha remained adamant that Khan Phelan follow Ulric's original plan and lead Delta Galaxy into the Inner Sphere. On October 5, 3057, Khan Phelan's JumpShip Werewolf left Clan space with a very special cargo--the complete genetic heritage and future of the Wolf Clan.

The Jade Falcons' ambush at Semore Chasm took the Wolves by surprise. The hidden Falcon 'Mechs opened fire on the badly rattled Wolves from all sides, costing them several 'Mechs. Victory eluded the Falcons, however; the shallow pits in which they had hidden weakened the ice on which they stood. The heat of weapons fire melted the ice and snow,  weakening it further until it cracked and sent several Falcon 'Mechs into the river below. The Falcons' sudden confusion gave the Wolf Clan forces time to rally and mount a counterattack. Several Wolf MechWarriors began to fire at the ice near the pits, sending  even more Jade Falcon BattleMechs and Elementals plunging into the icy river. The Star of Falcon 'Mechs still on its feet retreated southward, pursued by the surviving 'Mechs of the 1st Wolf Cavalry. The battle ended after another twenty minutes of heated fighting. Two Stars of Jade Falcon BattleMechs and four Points of Elementals littered the frozen landscape. The Wolves had lost eight 'Mechs in the ambush, but only the Jade Falcons' misfortune had kept the cost from rising higher. None of the Falcon units that fell through the ice re-emerged from the river, prompting one Wolf MechWarrior to comment that some fates are worse than death.

The Wolf assault on Broken Hope caught the Jade Falcon defenders by surprise. Although they fought well, the second-line Falcon garrison troops proved no match for the Wolf attackers. As soon as the garrison commander realized this, he called Star Colonel Mattlov for reinforcements. The Star Colonel dispatched the Falcon Velites and 4th Striker Clusters to relieve the garrison then ordered the rest of her troops to pull back from their current positions at Carson Rift and regroup at the Bay of Broken Hope, six kilometers away from the supply depot. Realizing that her forces would soon be outgunned, Angeline Mattlov had chosen to make her last stand on the shore of the icy bay. Mattlov knew the Wolves might drive the Falcons from Morges, but she was determined to make them pay a very high price for any victory.

It took three Elementals to lift the ferro-steel girder that had trapped MechWarrior Bozarth's Viper. The MechWarrior was unconscious inside the partly crushed cockpit, but Bozarth had been lucky. He had survived his first test by fire and would soon be fit to pilot a BattleMech once again. Almost a third of the 11th Wolf Regulars had not fared so well. The Wolves had won the day, but at a staggering cost. The 11th Regulars had lost more than 40 percent of their 'Mechs, the 21st Battle Cluster had suffered 32 percent casualties, and the 4th Striker Cluster had lost 39 percent of its troops. The technicians would need at  least two weeks of constant work to bring the units back to an acceptable 70 percent readiness level. Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky's victory on the southern continent had proved less costly; the 2nd Wolf Cavaliers sustained only 15 percent equipment losses and  3 percent casualties. The assault on the orbital facility was another Wolf victory. Star Commodore Radick's  batchall took the 10th's commander completely by surprise. He had not included the facility in the original bidding because he had believed that the 10th itself was the Wolves' sole target. This oversight cost the Falcon commander his chance to reinforce the facility, and   Radick's forces swiftly overwhelmed the three defending Falcon Stars.

The sting of sand blowing against his face awoke Star Commander Trevor. His eyes shut tight against the abrasive grit, he felt along the outer edges of his neurohelmet. The viewplate had been smashed. He then remembered his head striking his BattleMech's instrument array. Reaching down to his chin, he unfastened the heavy headpiece and removed it. Sand ran like water down the sides of his face, and the MechWarrior realized he might have drowned in sand had he not awakened when he did. As it dawned on the Star Commander that he could not feel his legs, he wondered whether such a death might have been desirable. Invalids were not much use in battle, and Clan society relegated such unfortunates to its lower castes. After a moment, the MechWarrior took a deep breath, shielded his eyes from the sand and looked down. The entire lower section of his cockpit was filled with sand. Beautiful black sand. After bailing sand for twenty minutes, his blood began to circulate freely through his legs again, and the Star Commander was able to free himself from his command couch restraints. As he began to crawl from the downed 'Mech, he saw the remains of what had once been Charlie Trinary. Twisted, blackened BattleMechs and Elementals littered O'Tsung Plain. Thirty meters away lay a smoldering hulk he recognized as the remains of Star Captain Von Jankmon's Warhawk. At the edge of the wreckage Trevor spotted the Star Captain's body, blistered with burns. Activating his distress beacon, Trevor began walking toward the north. When he rejoined the Falcon forces, he learned they had won the battle on Devin. The Wolves had lost 47 percent of their 'Mechs and equipment and 22 percent of their  personnel. Trevor found little to savor in the victory.

The bitter rivalry between the Wolves and Jade Falcons fueled fierce fighting in the battle on Colmar, a battle that set the tone for the entire Refusal War. The first shots were fired in the Marakaa Valley. Using the dry river bed for cover, the 352nd Wolf Assault Cluster had marched through the valley to the Jade Falcon position at Bright Basin. The steep walls of the valley forced the Falcon aerospace fighters to make their strafing runs directly into the front of the Wolf 'Mech column. As a result, the fighters had little effect and soon broke off their attacks rather than face fire from the Wolf 'Mechs. The fleeing fighters left the BattleMechs of the 12th Falcon Regulars Cluster with no fighter cover when they appeared on the ridge line to the south. As the Falcons descended the steep slope to enter their weapons' firing range, they bunched up, presenting easy  targets to the 352nd. When the dust cleared, the 12th Falcon Regulars were no more. A scant 10 percent of the 12th's personnel survived, among them only six aerospace fighters. By comparison, the 352nd suffered only 17 percent casualties. Unfortunately, the Falcons managed to destroy   half of the 352nd's aerospace fighters and Elementals and two-thirds of the Cluster's 'Mechs. The Wolves took no bondsmen from the survivors but did lay claim to all battlefield salvage. The fighting had been fierce and many of the 352nd's 'Mechs would never see battle again, but at long last the Wolf pups had cut their teeth. After the battle, the remaining members of the 352nd formed up with the Wolf Spiders and marched on Doren, the capital of Colmar. There, Khan Natasha Kerensky's Elementals opened the planet's armories and armed the population. She declared the Colmar system free of the Jade Falcons and told the gathering crowds that she would take their grievances to the Jade Falcon Khan personally.

The sting of sand blowing against his face awoke Star Commander Trevor. His eyes shut tight against the abrasive grit, he felt along the outer edges of his neurohelmet. The viewplate had been smashed. He then remembered his head striking his BattleMech's instrument array. Reaching down to his chin, he unfastened the heavy headpiece and  removed it. Sand ran like water down the sides of his face, and the MechWarrior realized he might have drowned in sand had he not awakened when he did. As it dawned on the Star Commander that he could not feel his legs, he wondered whether  such a death might have been desirable. Invalids were not much use in battle, and Clan society relegated such unfortunates to its lower castes. After a moment, the MechWarrior took a deep breath, shielded his eyes from the sand and looked down. The entire lower section of his cockpit was filled with sand. Beautiful black sand. After bailing sand for twenty minutes, his blood began to circulate freely through his legs again, and the Star Commander was able to free himself from his command couch restraints. As he began to crawl from the downed 'Mech, he saw the remains of what had once been Charlie Trinary. Twisted, blackened BattleMechs and Elementals   littered O'Tsung Plain. Thirty meters away lay a smoldering hulk he recognized as the remains of Star Captain Von Jankmon's Warhawk. At the edge of the wreckage Trevor spotted the Star Captain's body, blistered with burns. Activating his distress beacon, Trevor began walking toward the north. When he rejoined the Falcon forces, he learned they had won the battle on Devin. The Wolves had lost 47 percent of their 'Mechs and equipment and 22 percent of their  personnel. Trevor found little to savor in the victory.

The Battle for Borealtown proved one of the costliest engagements of the Refusal War for both the Wolf Clan and the Jade Falcon Clan. Although the sides were roughly even in terms of numbers, the Falcon defenders consisted of fresh, front-line troops, as opposed to the second-line and garrison units that had engaged the Wolves in most of the earlier fighting. Additionally, the Falcons had created numerous fortifications both outside and in the city of Borealtown itself. These proud Falcon MechWarriors were eager to avenge the humiliating losses the Wolves had inflicted on the Jade Falcon Clan in the earlier battles of the war. Additionally, the Falcon commanders were determined to defend the headquarters of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. However, the battle-weary units of the Wolf attack force were highly motivated as well. Many sensed that the very future of their Clan might hinge on this battle, and they fought accordingly. In the end the Falcons held Borealtown, but neither side could truly claim victory. Both had suffered upwards of 80 percent casualties in the fierce urban combat, and many units that fought there would never recover. Despite these devastating losses, the most important skirmish of the battle occurred on a much smaller scale. For even as the battle raged, Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky led a lone Star of Wolf OmniMechs into the heart of the city in search of Vandervahn Chistu, saKhan of Clan Jade Falcon.

The battle on Twycross began on the Plain of Curtains, where fierce winds swept the shifting red sands and forced the Falcon and Wolf 'Mechs into close combat. The Wolves set up in a diamond formation, at the edge of the plain in front of the Great Gash. The 341st Assault Cluster stood in the front of the formation, the 3rd Battle Cluster and 352nd Assault Cluster formed the sides, and Khan Natasha's 13th Wolf Guards formed the rear. When the Falcon 6th Provisional Garrison Cluster struck at the Wolves, the 341st quickly fell back, as instructed. That maneuver drew the pursuing 6th Provo into the diamond, and the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd opened fire on the enemy's flanks, decimating the surprised Falcons. The Falcon's 5th Talon and the 18th Regulars approached more cautiously, however. As those units engaged the 341st, the Falcon Guards advanced to  reinforce the attack. Heavy fighting ensued, and both sides took extensive casualties. Then the 341st broke off from the battle and passed into the Great Gash, quickly followed by the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd. Meanwhile, the 13th Wolf Guards slowly retreated until they stood at the mouth of the Gash. Khan Natasha had hoped to draw the Falcons into the Gash. She had stationed the 11th Battle Cluster along the sides of the Gash and planned to ambush the Falcon 'Mechs as they marched into the valley. The Falcons did not fall for the bait, however. At that point, Khan Natasha ordered the Wolf units to evacuate Twycross, and she remained behind to challenge the Falcon commanders to individual combat. And so on December 7, 3057, Khan Natasha Kerensky of the Wolf Clan, the infamous Black Widow, died amid the blood-red sands of Twycross.

The battle on Baker 3 proved yet another stunning success for the Wolf Clan. In the end,  the Wolf forces suffered only 21 percent losses, while the Jade Falcons suffered 98 percent losses. Unfortunately for the Wolves, the MechWarriors of every lost Wolf BattleMech were killed. For the Falcons, the battle seemed lost almost from the start. Star Colonel Buhallin sent numerous patrols from the Falcon's 305th Assault Cluster to destroy the Wolf 'Mechs in Lowa's forest, but none had any discernible success against the Wolves, who employed hit-and-run tactics to great effect. The forest's dense vegetation severely limited the Falcons' ability to target the Wolves, and eventually the 'Mechs of the 305th--armed almost exclusively with ballistic weapons--found themselves low on ammunition. In growing frustration, Buhallin sent aerospace fighters after the Wolf 'Mechs, as well as more Falcon BattleMechs, until his forces were stretched across the continent and his command center woefully underdefended. At that point, the second Wolf force emerged from points along the Baker River and struck at the Falcon command center and the undefended flank of the 305th. Fifty Falcon OmniMechs and twenty-seven fighters were destroyed by the Wolves that day. Only two Points of Falcon Elementals managed to make it back to their landing zone for extraction.

It took three Elementals to lift the ferro-steel girder that had trapped MechWarrior Bozarth's Viper. The MechWarrior was unconscious inside the partly crushed cockpit, but Bozarth had been lucky. He had survived his first test by fire and would soon be fit to pilot a BattleMech once again. Almost a third of the 11th Wolf Regulars had not fared so well. The Wolves had won the day, but at a staggering cost. The 11th Regulars had lost more than 40 percent of their 'Mechs, the 21st Battle Cluster had suffered 32 percent casualties, and the 4th Striker Cluster had lost 39 percent of its troops. The technicians would need at least two weeks of constant work to bring the units back to an acceptable 70 percent readiness level. Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky's victory on the southern continent had proved less costly; the 2nd Wolf Cavaliers sustained only 15 percent equipment losses and 3 percent casualties. The assault on the orbital facility was another Wolf victory. Star Commodore Radick's batchall took the 10th's commander completely by surprise. He had not included the facility in the original bidding because he had believed that the 10th itself was the Wolves' sole target. This oversight cost the Falcon commander his chance to reinforce the facility, and Radick's forces swiftly overwhelmed the three defending Falcon Stars.

The Battle for Borealtown proved one of the costliest engagements of the Refusal War for both the Wolf Clan and the Jade Falcon Clan. Although the sides were roughly even in terms of numbers, the Falcon defenders consisted of fresh, front-line troops, as opposed to the second-line and garrison units that had engaged the Wolves in most of the earlier fighting. Additionally, the Falcons had created numerous fortifications both outside and in the city of Borealtown itself. These proud Falcon MechWarriors were eager to avenge the humiliating losses the Wolves had inflicted on the Jade Falcon Clan in the earlier battles of  the war. Additionally, the Falcon commanders were determined to defend the headquarters of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. However, the battle-weary units of the Wolf attack force were highly motivated as well. Many sensed that the very future of their Clan might hinge on this battle, and they fought accordingly. In the end the Falcons held Borealtown, but neither side could truly claim victory. Both had suffered upwards of 80 percent casualties in the fierce urban combat, and many units that fought there would never recover. Despite these devastating losses, the most important skirmish of the battle occurred on a much smaller scale. For even as the battle raged, Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky led a lone Star of Wolf OmniMechs into the heart of the city in search of Vandervahn Chistu, saKhan of Clan Jade Falcon.

The battle on Twycross began on the Plain of Curtains, where fierce winds swept the shifting red sands and forced the Falcon and Wolf 'Mechs into close combat. The Wolves set up in a diamond formation, at the edge of the plain in front of the Great Gash. The 341st Assault Cluster stood in the front of the formation, the 3rd Battle Cluster and 352nd Assault Cluster formed the sides, and Khan Natasha's 13th Wolf Guards formed the rear. When the Falcon 6th Provisional Garrison Cluster struck at the Wolves, the 341st quickly fell back, as instructed. That maneuver drew the pursuing 6th Provo into the diamond, and the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd opened fire on the enemy's flanks, decimating the surprised Falcons. The Falcon's 5th Talon and the 18th Regulars approached more cautiously, however. As those units engaged the 341st, the Falcon Guards advanced to reinforce the attack. Heavy fighting ensued, and both sides took extensive casualties. Then the 341st broke off from the battle and passed into the Great Gash, quickly followed by the 3rd Battle Cluster and the 352nd. Meanwhile, the 13th Wolf Guards slowly retreated until they stood at the mouth of the Gash. Khan Natasha had hoped to draw the Falcons into the Gash. She had stationed the 11th Battle Cluster along the sides of the Gash and planned to ambush the Falcon 'Mechs as they marched into the valley. The Falcons did not fall for the bait, however. At that point, Khan Natasha ordered the Wolf units to evacuate Twycross, and she remained behind to challenge the Falcon commanders to individual combat.And so on December 7, 3057, Khan Natasha Kerensky of the Wolf Clan, the infamous Black Widow, died amid the blood-red sands of Twycross

The Kell Hounds pounded the Falcons at Icegrief Pass, thanks to a concerted effort by the mercenaries that cost the Falcons the entire 4th Talon Cluster. During the savage fighting, several Falcon MechWarriors ejected from their 'Mechs, only to be caught in a barrage of laser fire from their Inner Sphere opponents. Once again, the Hounds showed the Jade Falcons the folly of underestimating the MechWarriors of the Inner Sphere. 

The war has cost us dearly, however. We, the Warden Wolf, can never go back to the old ways. Our destiny rests with these so called "barbarians" of the Inner Sphere. They are our wards. It is they we must protect should the Falcon fly again!

The bitter rivalry between the Wolves and Jade Falcons fueled fierce fighting in the battle on Colmar, a battle that set the tone for the entire Refusal War. The first shots were fired in the Marakaa Valley. Using the dry river bed for cover, the 352nd Wolf Assault Cluster had marched through the valley to the Jade Falcon position at Bright Basin. The steep walls of the valley forced the Falcon aerospace fighters to make their strafing runs directly into the front of the Wolf 'Mech column. As a result, the fighters had little effect and soon broke off their attacks rather than face fire from the Wolf 'Mechs. The fleeing fighters left the BattleMechs of the 12th Falcon Regulars Cluster with no fighter cover when they appeared on the ridge line to the south. As the Falcons descended the steep slope to enter their weapons' firing range, they bunched up, presenting easy targets to the 352nd. When the dust cleared, the 12th Falcon Regulars were no more. A scant 10 percent of the 12th's personnel survived, among them only six aerospace fighters. By comparison, the 352nd suffered only 17 percent casualties. Unfortunately, the Falcons managed to destroy half of the 352nd's aerospace fighters and Elementals and two-thirds of the Cluster's 'Mechs. The Wolves took no bondsmen from the survivors but did lay claim to all battlefield salvage. The fighting had been fierce and many of the 352nd's 'Mechs would never see battle again, but at long last the Wolf pups had cut their teeth. After the battle, the remaining members of the 352nd formed up with the Wolf Spiders and marched on Doren, the capital of Colmar. There, Khan Natasha Kerensky's Elementals opened the planet's armories and armed the population. She declared the Colmar system free of the Jade Falcons and told the gathering crowds that she would take their grievances to the Jade Falcon Khan personally.

The Jade Falcons' ambush at Semore Chasm took the Wolves by surprise. The hidden Falcon 'Mechs opened fire on the badly rattled Wolves from all sides, costing them several 'Mechs. Victory eluded the Falcons, however; the shallow pits in which they had hidden weakened the ice on which they stood. The heat of weapons fire melted the ice and snow, weakening it further until it cracked and sent several Falcon 'Mechs into the river below. The Falcons' sudden confusion gave the Wolf Clan forces time to rally and mount a counterattack. Several Wolf MechWarriors began to fire at the ice near the pits, sending even more Jade Falcon BattleMechs and Elementals plunging into the icy river. The Star of Falcon 'Mechs still on its feet retreated southward, pursued by the surviving 'Mechs of the 1st Wolf Cavalry. The battle ended after another twenty minutes of heated fighting. Two Stars of Jade Falcon BattleMechs and four Points of Elementals littered the frozen landscape. The Wolves had lost eight 'Mechs in the ambush, but only the Jade Falcons' misfortune had kept the cost from rising higher. None of the Falcon units that fell through the ice re-emerged from the river, prompting one Wolf MechWarrior to comment that some fates are worse than death.

After performing the batchall with Ulric Kerensky, Chistu prepared his ambush. First, he separated two Stars of OmniMechs from the Clusters he had stationed in Borealtown. Then, Falcon techs reconfigured the 'Mechs for use as missile batteries. The 'Mechs took positions in a plaza three blocks behind the Magistracy area where the two MechWarriors planned to duel. As soon as Ulric and the Wolf 'Mechs appeared, Chistu fed the hidden Falcon Stars telemetry on Ulric's position. Before the Wolves recognized Chistu's treachery, the hidden Falcon 'Mechs sent flights of LRM missiles at the Ulric's Gargoyle, destroying the 'Mech and the adjacent Wolf 'Mechs. Then Chistu finished off the remaining Wolf 'Mechs.

After performing the batchall with Ulric Kerensky, Chistu prepared his ambush. First, he separated two Stars of OmniMechs from the Clusters he had stationed in Borealtown. Then, Falcon techs reconfigured the 'Mechs for use as missile batteries. The 'Mechs took positions in a plaza three blocks behind the Magistracy area where the two MechWarriors planned to duel. As soon as Ulric and the Wolf 'Mechs appeared, Chistu fed the hidden Falcon Stars telemetry on Ulric's position. Before the Wolves recognized Chistu's treachery, the hidden Falcon 'Mechs sent flights of LRM missiles at the Ulric's Gargoyle, destroying the 'Mech and the adjacent Wolf 'Mechs. Then Chistu finished off the remaining Wolf 'Mechs.

The bitter rivalry between the Wolves and Jade Falcons fueled fierce fighting in the battle on Colmar, a battle that set the tone for the entire Refusal War. The first shots were fired in the Marakaa Valley. Using the dry river bed for cover, the 352nd Wolf Assault Cluster had marched through the valley to the Jade Falcon position at Bright Basin. The steep walls of the valley forced the Falcon aerospace fighters to make their strafing runs directly into the front of the Wolf 'Mech column. As a result, the fighters had little effect and soon broke off their attacks rather than face fire from the Wolf 'Mechs. The fleeing fighters left the BattleMechs of the 12th Falcon Regulars Cluster with no fighter cover when they appeared on the ridge line to the south. As the Falcons descended the steep slope to enter their weapons' firing range, they bunched up, presenting easy targets to the 352nd. When the dust cleared, the 12th Falcon Regulars were no more. A scant 10 percent of the 12th's personnel survived, among them only six aerospace fighters. By comparison, the 352nd suffered only 17 percent casualties. Unfortunately, the Falcons managed to destroy half of the 352nd's aerospace fighters and Elementals and two-thirds of the Cluster's 'Mechs. The Wolves took no bondsmen from the survivors but did lay claim to all battlefield salvage. The fighting had been fierce and many of the 352nd's 'Mechs would never see battle again, but at long last the Wolf pups had cut their teeth. After the battle, the remaining members of the 352nd formed up with the Wolf Spiders and marched on Doren, the capital of Colmar. There, Khan Natasha Kerensky's Elementals opened the planet's armories and armed the population. She declared the Colmar system free of the Jade Falcons and told the gathering crowds that she would take their grievances to the Jade Falcon Khan personally.