History of Clan Ghost Bear

The Ghost Bears have the distinction of being the only Clan formed by a husband and wife. Hans Jorgennson and Sandra Tseng helped found the Bears after ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky rescinded an order forbidding marriage. The two fostered many Ghost Bear traditions, but most importantly, they imbued a strong sense of family to the Clan. Few Clans have as high a regard for all caste members as the Ghost Bears.

Their family strength, however, has cost the Ghost Bears dearly in the past. Their thoughtfulness and unwillingness to rush into new things has prevented them from being on the leading edge of many new technologies. The Ghost Bears were amongst the last Clans to adopt OmniMechs, a decision which cost them several key genetic legacies, cities and bases. In spite of this, the Bears are highly resourceful and flexible in their combat training. Many others have noted that their combat techniques resemble those of the Wolves and the Inner Sphere.

Dragoon Compromise

In 3003, Ghost Bear Khan Nadia Winson, a staunch Crusader, pushed the issue of invasion in the Grand Council. Although Crusader sentiment ran high in the Council, Wolf Khan Kherlin Ward proposal to send a reconnaissance force in first won over the Council instead. The debate concerning the size and composition of the unit continued until it was decided that a multi-regiment expeditionary force would be sent in. Many Khans wanted to send an all-trueborn force, but others did not send such a large number of their elite warriors into battle at that time. Eventually, it was decided that the regiments would be comprised of talented freeborns and a few trueborns. Leading the force would be two Wolf warriors, Jaime and Joshua Wolf. Amongst the few trueborns in the force was a young and fiesty Natasha Kerensky. Thus, was created Wolf's Dragoons.

For twenty years, Wolf's Dragoons sent back reports that shocked the Clans. The information obtained by the Dragoon's that, in many cases, the Clans' belief about the collapse had come true. What was even more disturbing were reports that the Successor States were on the road to recovery. It was during the mid-3020's that the Dragoons stopped sending reports. Evidence began to mount against the Dragoons - stating that the Wolf forces had changed sides and given their loyalty over to the Inner Sphere.

In 3048, the Outbound Light, a ComStar Explorer Corps jumpship, strayed into Smoke Jaguar territory and was swiftly captured. Jaguar Khan Leo Showers had the crew interrogated. He then presented the information gleaned from the crew and convinced the Grand Kuraltai that the Inner Sphere was on the verge of discovering the Clans.

The Ghost Bears were amongst the Clans who battled Clan Wolf in a Trial of Refusal for the invasion. The Wolves eventually lost the battle but not before killing both Ghost Bear Khans. Given the momentous events occurring, the Ghost Bear warriors used the opportunity to elect new Khans. Breaking with tradition, the Bears opted to elect Khans from outside the Tsang and Jorgensson Blood Houses. They chose Karl Bourjon and Theresa DelVillar to become Khan and saKhan, respectively.

The Bears survived the first round of bidding for a place in the invasion by dropping their bid from twelve frontline Galaxies to just three. The Third Bear Guards won the Clan the Draconis Combine/Free Rasalhague Republic corridor. Though not as prestigious as the other corridors, the Ghost Bears were nonetheless ecstatic over returning to the Inner Sphere.

The Ghost Bears were eager participants in the early stages of the invasion. Their leaders quickly dismissed reports from Clan Wolf that the Inner Sphere forces were more formidable than they appeared.

The Bear Khans soon realized that the Wolves had been right in their assessment of Inner Sphere forces. Although the Bears won every world they invaded, the cost was always much higher than anticipated. The Free Rasalhague and Draconis Combine troops made every battle a costly victory. Additionally, partisan groups caused considerable amounts of damage as they fought back with guerilla tactics.

In an effort to slow down Clan Wolf's advance, ilKhan Leo Showers convinced Khans Bourjon and DelVillar to make a bid for the right to assault Rasalhague, the capital world of the Free Rasalhague Republic. However, during the Bears' assault on Last Frontier, saKhan DelVillar was severely injured and left comatose. Khan Bourjon secured Last Frontier and immediately convened a meeting of all available Bloodnamed warriors to elect a new saKhan. Aletha Kabrinski, the current Oathmaster, won the title against stiff odds. Her first act as saKhan caused another change within the Clan. Citing Khan Bourjon's lack of leadership skills, saKhan Kabrinski called for one of the assembled Bloodnamed to challenge the Khan. Star Colonel Bjorn Jorgensson was selected and defeated Khan Bourjon in a one-sided battle in the tropical jungles of Last Frontier's equatorial region.

Together, Khans Jorgensson and Kabrinski carried on with the Clan's plan to bid for Rasalhague. The bidding for Rasalhague has been cited as a classic example of how the bidding system should work. The Ghost Bears lost the invasion rights, but left the Wolves with only three Clusters to assault the planet. They were later chagrined to hear that the Wolves were able to conquer Rasalhague without resorting to breaking their bid.

The Ghost Bears continued their wave of conquest, assimilating many new worlds in both the Free Rasalhague Republic and the Draconis Combine. Their rate of advance lagged behind the other Clans, however, and the Khans were forced to contract forces from Clan Steel Viper to help defeat the many guerilla forces on their worlds.

In late 3050, the Ghost Bear Khans received a summons from ilKhan Leo Showers. All available Khans were to rendezvous aboard the Clan Wolf flagship, the Dire Wolf, at Radstadt to convene a Grand Kurultai. When Khans Jorgensson and Kabrinski arrived, though, they found chaos. A Free Rasalhague military convoy appeared at the same time the Wolves were launching their attack on Radstadt. The aerospace fighters from the FRR convoy launched an immediate, surprise attack on the Wolf warship, the Dire Wolf. In the resulting battle, the FRR forces were driven off, but at great cost to the Clans. ilKhan Leo Showers and many others were killed when a Rasalhague pilot rammed her Shilone into the Dire Wolf's bridge.

The Bloodnamed of the Clans returned to Strana Mechty to elect a new ilKhan and settle a few scores. At first, the Crusader Khans tried to put Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky for unClan-like behavior, but the testimony of several Bloodnamed warriors caused the charges to be summarily dismissed. The Crusaders got their revenge when they forced the election of Khan Kerensky to the post of ilKhan. Though he had been pushed into the role, Khan Kerensky proved more capable an opponent than the Crusaders had ever imagined.

ilKhan Kerensky ordered the Nova Cats to join forces with the Smoke Jaguars and the Steel Vipers to work with the Jade Falcons. Khans Jorgensson and Kabrinski were relieved that they were not forced to share their corridor with another Clan. The Steel Vipers and Jade Falcons had long hated each other and that spilled over into the Trials of Possession for worlds the Vipers needed to stage their operations from. The Nova Cats and Smoke Jaguars likewise reviled each other, but the Khans came to an early understanding to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

The battle of Tukayyid was one of the few bright spots in the Ghost Bears Inner Sphere campaign. The Bears battled for target cities of Spanac and Luk, opposed by the Com Guards' First Army and the reserve Fourth Army. The ComGuard commander erred and only committed the veteran First Army against the full might of the Ghost Bear assault. The Bears' Alpha Galaxy managed to capture Spanac but Beta and Gamma Galaxies were unable to seize control of Luk. The two Galaxies were forced to retreat back to Spanac even as the Fourth Army moved in to recapture Spanac. Alpha Galaxy ravaged the unit and nearly destroyed the unit when the remains of Beta and Gamma Galaxy returned to Spanac. Shortly afterwards, the ilKhan and Precentor Martial agreed to end hostilities. The Ghost Bears were given a marginal victory with the capture of Spanac.

Post-Tukayyid

Unfortunately for the Inner Sphere, the Ghost Bears have undergone little of the turmoil that has plagued other Clans since the Truce of Tukayyid was signed. Aside from a few minor raids by the Smoke Jaguars and Nova Cats, the Ghost Bears forces have been pretty much unmolested. Even the Draconis Combine stages few raids against the Bears occupation zone.

The recent Inner Sphere invasion has put all Ghost Bear Clusters in the occupation zone on a higher readiness status. Though the SLDF has made no move yet to attack, the Ghost Bear Khans are well aware of what a concerted Inner Sphere attack could to their forces.

Death of a Clan

With the defeat of the Smoke Jaguars in the Inner Sphere and on Huntress, the Clans found themselves with the unprecedented prospect of an Inner Sphere invasion of Strana Mechty. The Star League Defense Force soon challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. If the Inner Sphere won, the invasion was over and the invading Clans would retain the worlds they had conquered. If the Clans won, the invasion would resume. In a surprising move, however, the Ghost Bears switched their allegiance to the Warden faction. After much deliberation, the Clan had decided that continued hostilities with the Inner Sphere was fruitless and doomed to failure.

The Ghost Bear Khans were relieved when the SLDF troops won the Trial of Refusal. Though Clan Wolf declared itself independent of the Trial verdict, Wolf Khan Vlad Ward stated his intentions of conquering Terra when the time was right.

The transition of the Ghost Bears over to the Warden faction drastically altered the power structure of the Clans. The Ghost Bears are the mightiest of the invading Clans. Only the Jade Falcons have the strength to stand against the Ghost Bears, but recent events precipitated by the Steel Vipers may change things once again.

Bloodnames

This is a list of the 12 exclusive Bloodnames in use by the Ghost Bears.
A list of the non-exclusive Bloodnames will be listed when it becomes available.

Front-line Unit Summary

The years following Tukayyid have been good for the Ghost Bears. They have completely rebuilt their forces in the Inner Sphere and Explorer Corps reports indicate that the Bears are bringing in hundreds of lower caste workers, additional ammo and parts and replacement troops in every year. Although the Ghost Bears occupation forces have seen little action in 3052-3059, it does not mean that they are losing their edge. When the Clans resume their offensive, the Bears will undoubtedly be in the forefront.

The Clan military is organized by a strict system of units. The following is a breakdown by level of the Clan military from the smallest organizational unit to the largest unit.

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